plumnovel Chapter 8 Cashing Out and Leaving
Chapter 8 Cashing Out and Leaving
After the snow had cleared, the sunlight shone a pale, harsh light on the streets of Ziyang City, but brought no warmth whatsoever.
The two imposing vermilion and golden nanmu gates of the Fan residence, which were usually unapproachable, were now sealed with glaring white tape. The once bustling mansion was now filled with the mournful cries of women, the clattering of shattering porcelain, and the rough sounds of yamen runners carrying things and shouting.
This is called ransacking a house.
For the common people, this was a satisfying revenge; for the government, it was a power-fueled celebration; and for Lu Yan, it was a calm redistribution of wealth, and the source of his true "first pot of gold."
He stood under the eaves of the teahouse opposite the Fan residence, holding a cup of hot tea that had long since gone cold, quietly watching this scene. Zhao Changying had been sent to the best clinic in the city, and with the excellent wound medicine sent by Fan Yongdou, his arm was saved, though it would take a month to recover.
"Young Master Lu, impressive skills indeed."
A voice, tinged with both ingratiation and shrewdness, came from the side.
Lu Yan turned his head slightly and saw a middle-aged man dressed in a blue official's uniform. He was the clerk of the household registration office in Ziyang County, known as "Wang the Pen Master".
This man had been working in the county government for twenty years and was a typical "unshakeable" figure. In the courtroom just now, he changed his tune very quickly, immediately turning against Fan Renfu and implicating him. Not only was he not arrested, but he was also assigned by Zuo Guangdou to assist the Embroidered Uniform Guard in inventorying the Fan family's assets.
"Clerk Wang is too kind. It's just a matter of seeking a way to survive, a desperate attempt to stay alive," Lu Yan said calmly, without a trace of smugness in his tone.
"Hey, to be able to survive under Lord Zuo's blade and even use someone else to do the dirty work, you're one of a kind in Ziyang City." Wang Bitou leaned closer, lowered his voice, and his shrewd little eyes gleamed with greed. "Young Master Lu, once the Fan family falls, it's like one pig dies, a hundred families feast. Lord Zuo is so noble; as long as the military farms and land deeds are confiscated, all the remaining wealth, shops... they'll all be liquidated and put into the treasury."
Lu Yan raised an eyebrow and turned around: "Brother, please speak frankly."
Wang Bitou's wrinkled face instantly broke into a wide grin, like a cat smelling fish: "Excellent! I think you're a sensible man, young master. The Fan family owns two hundred acres of mulberry fields by the canal in the south of the city. Those were Fan Renfu's private properties acquired in his early years, with clean paperwork, and they don't belong to the military farms. According to the market price of previous years, these two hundred acres of prime irrigated land should be worth at least twelve hundred taels of silver."
He stretched out a hand and mysteriously flipped it over: "Right now, the government is eager to sell off its assets and liquidate them, and with all this chaos and war, no one dares to take over. If someone can come up with five hundred taels of silver, the land deed can be transferred to someone else's name today. Young Master Lu, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy at rock-bottom prices! With these two hundred acres of land, you'll be a prominent and respected wealthy man in Ziyang."
Five hundred taels.
It was precisely the money that Fan Yongdou had lent to Lu Yan. Clearly, this clerk Wang was very well-informed and had already found out Lu Yan's background.
In Wang Bitou's view, this was an incredible stroke of luck. For a poor scholar who had just escaped poverty, owning two hundred acres of fertile land meant he would live a life of ease and comfort as a landlord—a blessing that many people could only dream of for several lifetimes.
But Lu Yan's eyes remained unmoved, and a hint of coldness even flashed in them.
In his mind, the strategic map belonging to the "project manager" was rapidly unfolding.
Ziyang County, located in southern Shandong Province and adjacent to the Grand Canal, is a vital transportation route between the north and south. In peacetime, this would be a prime location, but in the coming chaotic era, it would become a battleground.
In the north, there was the iron cavalry of the Later Jin; in the south, the White Lotus Rebellion. Once the war dragged on, the fixed land became an unmanageable burden. Buying land was tantamount to tying oneself to that place. When bandits came, it was uncertain who would own the land.
At this juncture, any fixed assets are liabilities; only cash flow and movable means of production are essential for survival.
"I don't want the land." Lu Yan's voice was soft, but firm.
Wang Bitou was taken aback, thinking he had misheard, and hurriedly advised, "Young Master Lu, have you thought this through? This is two hundred acres of irrigated land! You won't get another chance like this! With this land, you'll have so much more in Ziyang..."
"I'm not staying in Ziyang anymore."
Lu Yan interrupted him, his gaze fixed on the gloomy northern sky. His tone was as calm as if he were discussing tomorrow's weather, "Brother Wang, chaos is approaching. Who will watch over this land I bought here? Are we just waiting for it to be swallowed up by the next Fan Renfu? Or are we just waiting to grow crops for bandits?"
Wang Bitou opened his mouth, finding it unbelievable—were there really scholars in this world who didn't like buying land? But Lu Yan's resolute gaze made him feel a strange pressure, and he dared not try to persuade him any further.
"Then... what would you like to order, young master?"
Lu Yan held up two fingers: "The car. And the road permit."
"I want those two double-horse carts in the Fan family's backyard that were originally used for transporting grain, and those four best Liaodong draft horses. I also want ten blank travel permits, the kind stamped with the county government's official seal."
Wang Bitou's eyes widened. Giving up his heirloom land for these worthless livestock and broken carts?
"These things...aren't worth much money." Wang Bitou hesitated, these things weren't very profitable.
"I'll offer two hundred taels," Lu Yan announced.
This price is actually overpriced, but in this chaotic scene of ransacking, cash is king. Moreover, Lu Yan is using these two hundred taels to buy the right to "fast-track" the process.
"Deal!" Wang Bitou was overjoyed. These windfalls were difficult to record anyway, and with two hundred taels of silver in cash, he could even embellish the deal himself. This young master Lu was indeed a straightforward man!
……
Half an hour later.
Lu Yan walked out of the side gate of the Fan residence, carrying a few thin sheets of paper in his pocket.
Two hundred taels of the five hundred taels of silver were spent, but in return, he acquired a small caravan capable of long-distance mobility, and a stack of blank travel permits that were more precious than gold in chaotic times—with these, he could lead his men on the official roads without hindrance, instead of being arrested as refugees.
Just as I stepped out of the alley, a small, thin figure darted out from the shadows.
"Young Master Lu... Young Master Lu."
Fan Fu carried a tattered bundle on his back, his neck hunched, his eyes filled with fear and unease.
The Fan family fell. As an illegitimate son, although he escaped arrest due to his whistleblowing, he became an enemy of the Fan clan. His implicated relatives from other branches of the family wished they could skin him alive. For him, Ziyang City was now more dangerous than hell.
"What are you doing here?" Lu Yan stopped and looked at the young man who had gained his freedom by betraying his father.
Fan Fu trembled as he pulled a heavy cloth bag from his bosom and handed it to Lu Yan with both hands.
"This...this is what I took from a secret compartment in Fan Renfu's study before the raid...three hundred taels of gold notes, and some loose silver." Fan Fu stammered, his teeth still chattering. "I...I have nowhere to go. My clansmen want to kill me, and the street ruffians are watching me. I can't keep this money."
He raised his head, his eyes pleading, the look of a drowning man grasping at a straw: "Young master, you are a man of great ability. Even Fan Renfu was brought down by you... I want to use this money to buy peace. I want to follow you, even if it's just as a groom."
Lu Yan did not reach out to take the money bag.
He scrutinized Fan Fu.
In the original plan, Fan Fu was just a tool to be used and discarded. But now, Lu Yan has changed his mind.
This person displayed an extremely strong survival instinct in dire straits—he was willing to sell everything and rely on the strong to survive. Moreover, as an illegitimate son of the Fan family, he was familiar with business networks and knew how to deal with all sorts of people. More importantly, the three hundred taels he stole showed that he had a talent for "making money."
These are precisely the qualities required of a qualified "logistics supervisor".
"Three hundred taels." Lu Yan weighed the number in his hand.
Adding the remaining three hundred taels (from Fan Yongdou's loan), the team's total funds reached six hundred taels. In the Ming Dynasty of 1618, this was a considerable sum, enough to support a small team for half a year.
"Keep the money yourself," Lu Yan said calmly.
Fan Fu's face turned pale instantly. Thinking that Lu Yan was going to refuse, he was so frightened that his knees went weak and he was about to kneel down: "Young Master, I..."
"Stand up straight." Lu Yan's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a commanding tone. "Put the money away safely. But this money must be recorded in the company account."
"What?" Fan Fu was stunned.
"Consider this your investment." Lu Yan looked at the darkening sky in the distance, and the snow began to fall again. "From today onwards, you are no longer that illegitimate son of the Fan family who was treated like a dog. You are my logistics manager. The convoy's food, drink, and daily necessities, as well as the procurement of supplies and accounting, will all be under your management."
"But remember," Lu Yan looked at him, his eyes as cold as ice, "you used to be my mole, but you'll be someone close to me from now on. A mole can be two-faced, but someone close to me can only be loyal. Once I find a suitable accountant, you'll have to learn how to manage people, money, and affairs. For now, start with the hardest and most tiring work."
Fan Fu nodded vigorously, his eyes slightly red.
This was the first time in over twenty years that he was treated as a "person who could be cultivated," rather than a dog that could be discarded at any time.
"Now, get the convoy ready. Go to the clinic and bring Changying out, even if you have to carry her, get her onto the cart. Also, buy enough dry rations for ten days and the best soybean cakes and fodder."
"We'll leave overnight."
Fan Fu was stunned: "Tonight? So urgent? Young master, where are we going?"
Lu Yan turned around, walked to the chestnut horse he had just bought, and nimbly mounted it. The wind and snow blew his still-thin scholar's robe, making it flutter loudly.
He glanced back at Ziyang City, where he had lived for eighteen years, without a trace of lingering affection in his eyes.
"Go to Jinan."
"The stagnant waters of Ziyang City are too small to nurture dragons and snakes. The place we need to go is a much bigger, more promising place."
As the sound of hooves faded, Lu Yan's figure disappeared into the end of the snowstorm. He knew that from this moment on, the timid and poor scholar Lu Yan was dead, and in his place was a player who would soon make his moves in this chaotic grand game of chess.