Chapter 18

The curtain of the carriage was lifted, and Yang Yue leaned in, entering Yang Yuanzhao’s carriage. After continuous travel, especially on the Loess Plateau where dust was abundant, everyone was covered in gray, including the well-dressed Yang Yue, who looked more like a commoner than a student.

"Brother Jitang!" Yang Yuanzhao looked at Yang Yue in surprise and asked, "Is there something wrong?"

"Brother Yuanzhao, today we won’t go to Taiyuan. Let’s rest at my place!"

"But, what about Taiyuan?"

"I’ve already booked tickets for tomorrow afternoon. We can rest for a night and still make it on time."

Yang Yue’s home was in Taiping, a small town in Shanxi. In the late Qing Dynasty, this town was quite famous. Despite having only a few dozen villages, it gave birth to four major families. Taiping was the origin and hometown of these four families, and a significant part of the glory of the Jin merchants was created here. The Yang family was in Nanzhao, Taiping, and belonged to one of the major clans in the area.

The caravan turned at a fork in the road ahead, leaving the main road and taking a smaller path. This path, though smaller, was better constructed than the main road, with neatly laid blue stone slabs and a foundation filled with tripartite soil. Years of use had made them perfectly integrated, making the road quite flat.

The merchants involved were all from the old Yang family. The overall leader of the caravan, Yang Defa, was Yang Yue’s distant fourth uncle, a direct descendant of the Yang family. After starting their business 20 years ago, Yang Yue’s father and his four uncles began to expand, forming a large Yang family and accumulating enormous wealth, which allowed them to buy back the Yang family compound that had been sold long ago.

The history of the Yang family compound can be traced back to the Kangxi period. As royal merchants, the Jin merchants had a long history, during which some families moved out or declined. The fate of families in the feudal dynasty was often determined by the will of the rulers, and the Jin merchants, as wealth holders, were often the first to be affected.

"We’ve arrived at Taiping!" With the shouts of the helpers, the entire caravan seemed to be filled with excitement. This was the feeling of coming home. After a few hundred kilometers of arduous travel, they finally reached their base. Yang Yuanzhao, who was very curious about the ancient town of Taiping, lifted the curtain of the carriage. What caught his eye was a row of ancient buildings from the late Qing Dynasty, with elegant layouts and bustling shops and crowds. The most eye-catching was the three-story grand pavilion in front, which was the most iconic building in Taiping.

On the three-story ancient shop, a sign read, "Wei Family Bank!" Yang Yuanzhao recognized it and read aloud, "Wei Family Bank!" He understood that this was probably the headquarters of the Wei Family Bank. The Wei family, being one of the four major families, was known as the leader, and for good reason. Even in the modern world, the financial industry has produced many super-rich individuals and global companies, and in many countries, it still harbors countless hidden tycoons.

The Jin merchants, who had made significant contributions to the Qing Dynasty’s entry into China, to some extent, became the Qing Dynasty’s treasury. After initial favor, they faced suppression and extortion, and their influence in China gradually diminished. However, the bank business became the most involved industry for the Jin merchants.

The tradition of the Jin merchants evolved from ordinary traders to transportation, wholesale, and eventually to banking. At one point, the Shanxi banks became the central bank of the Qing government. When the central government could not provide funds, the banks could easily provide millions or even more, which was the root of the enduring prosperity of the Shanxi Jin merchants.

Taiping could be considered the core of the four major families. Besides the Wei Family Bank, the Yang family and the Liu family also had their headquarters in Taiping. The caravan did not stay in Taiping for long, as they were eager to return home. After splitting off more than half of the carriages, the remaining carriages quickly headed south. Prosperity without returning home is like wearing fine clothes at night. After the Jin merchants became wealthy, they often contributed to their hometowns, building bridges, roads, ancestral halls, and schools. Therefore, from Taiping to Nanzhao, the road was paved with blue bricks, making the journey much faster.

After about an hour, a huge village appeared ahead, covering several square kilometers, nestled against a hill. The hill did not have the characteristic cave dwellings of Shanxi but instead had some gardens. Below the hill, there were continuous rows of blue brick and tile houses, stretching for miles.

"Brother Yuanzhao, our Yang family has been here for generations. The center of it all is our Yang family compound!"

Yang Yuanzhao had heard of many such compounds in his previous life, but the Yang family compound was not as well-known as the Qiao and Wang family compounds. However, the grandeur of the compound before him was truly astonishing. The 200-year-old mansion, with its layers of history, had been rebuilt and expanded over generations. When the Yang family was not prosperous, most of the houses had been sold. After the family patriarch started his business 20 years ago, he spent a great deal of money and effort to buy back the old compound, renovate it, and expand it into a vast complex with over 300 different courtyards, which became the foundation of the Nanzhao Yang family.

Yang Yue led Yang Yuanzhao forward slowly. The Yang family compound was divided into the East Courtyard, West Courtyard, and the Xiaoyi Ancestral Hall. The Xiaoyi Ancestral Hall, as the family temple, was only opened during festivals or significant events; otherwise, it remained closed, giving the vast compound a sense of tranquility and mystery. The East and West Courtyards, the main parts of the compound, were divided into five alleys and five forts, with the five courtyards laid out in the shapes of dragon, phoenix, tortoise, qilin, and tiger, all in a rough Ming style. Almost every step revealed exquisite stone carvings and murals, many of which bore the marks of history but had been restored and renovated after the Yang family became wealthy, making them almost indistinguishable without close inspection.

As they slowly entered the core of the Yang family compound, the ancient atmosphere was palpable.

"That is the Red Gate Fort!" Yang Yue pointed to the central building, which was decorated with dragon carvings, and said, "That is where my eldest uncle lives!"

The Red Gate Fort (Dragon) was the core of the complex, located at the center, adjacent to the Xiaoyi Ancestral Hall. It was home to the main branch of the Yang family, who were responsible for guarding the ancestral hall. The Yang family had three branches, and the third branch lived in the Chongning Fort, which was next to the Red Gate Fort.

The Chongning Fort had a similar architectural style to the Red Gate Fort, with its buildings sloping against a high hill, facing the sun and embracing the shade. The walls were high, and the courtyards were staggered, giving it a rough and ancient Ming style.

The journey took about an hour, and despite the similar courtyards, Yang Yue could explain the differences. Finally, after crossing a bridge, they arrived at the main courtyard of the Chongning Fort. The five main courtyards of the Yang family compound were all three-entrance quadrangle courtyards, surrounded by various smaller courtyards, making the layout particularly unique.

In his previous life, Yang Yuanzhao, due to his busy work, had little time to watch TV. Occasionally, he had glimpsed the luxury of the Jin merchants on TV, but being in this scene as a guest, he realized that the luxury was beyond description. Red lanterns hung high, and even before nightfall, the entire Yang family compound was brightly lit. The compound was vast, with dozens of different gates. The main gate was the most important in the old days and was only opened for important guests. Even the main gate of the Chongning Fort was rarely opened.

Yang Yue said somewhat embarrassedly, "Brother Yuanzhao, let’s go this way!"

Yang Yuanzhao was not concerned. He did not know the rules of large families but understood that a family with such a large compound would have many unknown aspects. Whether entering through the main gate or a side gate, there was not much difference.

Next to the main gate, a slightly offset grand gate was now open. A middle-aged man, who looked ordinary but exuded a strong presence, stood at the gate. Behind him was a middle-aged beauty and about seven or eight servants.

Yang Yue’s face lit up with a smile, and he said excitedly, "Yuanzhao, my parents are here!"