C12. Chu Mingfeng.
The place where Chu Mingfeng lived was extremely remote.
When Yuan Li arrived, an elderly servant with white hair was already waiting for him in front of the courtyard. Upon seeing Yuan Li, the old servant silently led him to the bedroom.
As they entered the bedroom, the light dimmed. The room was lit with candles, and Yuan Li could smell a strong, bitter medicinal fragrance. Besides the medicinal scent, he also detected a faint strange smell.
Yuan Li pursed his lips.
It was the smell of decay that only a dying person would emit, from the inside out.
The doors and windows were tightly closed, with no sunlight or breeze seeping in.
Yuan Li kept his gaze fixed and was led to the bedside. The bed was surrounded by white double-layered curtains, with a blurry figure lying on the bed.
Kneeling on the floor beside the bed was a trembling servant.
Upon seeing this servant, Yuan Li was slightly surprised.
This person was Liu, the steward responsible for procurement in the Prince Chu Mansion, who had been serving there for twenty years. During Yuan Li's stewardship over the past few days, he had defied Yuan Li's orders due to his seniority, and even complained privately about Yuan Li being too harsh. After being publicly punished by Yuan Li, he had finally behaved.
How could he be here?
The old servant whispered softly, "Sir, young master Yuan has arrived."
A weak, hoarse voice coughed twice from the bed and said with a slight smile, "So, the young wife has arrived. I will get up to greet you, please wait a moment."
With that, there were indeed rustling sounds from the bed.
Yuan Li was taken aback but couldn't help but say mockingly, "Sir, please don't be so polite. Just lie down and rest properly!"
Chu Mingfeng then stopped and sighed, "Your husband is unwell, and it must be amusing for you to see."
He spoke playfully, using terms like "wife" and "husband" without any hint of ambiguity, only teasing.
Yuan Li had not expected this young cabinet minister to have such a character. Even though he was close to death, he could still joke and chat with others in such a humorous manner.
He had always admired and respected such people. "Sir, it is best for you to take good care of yourself now. Why did you call me here?"
After another brief coughing spell, Chu Mingfeng stopped and reached out a thin, long hand from behind the curtain, pointing to Liu, the steward kneeling beside the bed.
"This troublesome servant is not satisfied with your discipline and has come to me to complain about you," Chu Mingfeng said calmly. "He claimed that you have selfish intentions, mistreat servants, deceive your parents for your own gain, and that both the family and staff are unhappy with you."
Chu Mingfeng paused, then chuckled softly, "Since falling ill, people always think I am clueless and dare to lie to my face."
His voice grew lower, but his words were clear. Liu, the steward, shook uncontrollably, sweating profusely.
Finally, Chu Mingfeng turned his head slightly and looked towards Yuan Li through the haze, "Deal with this troublesome servant as you wish, wife. How do you want to punish him?"
Yuan Li glanced at Liu, who trembled in fear and desperation.
Instead of pleading with Yuan Li at this time, he hurriedly crawled forward, knocking his head on the ground, tears streaming, and pleaded with Yuan Li, "Sir, everything I said is true, I swear! I have served the Prince Chu Mansion faithfully for twenty years. Please, see the loyalty in this servant's heart! The young master is an outsider; how can the Prince Chu Mansion's estate be entrusted to him? He will take advantage of your family wealth!"
Yuan Li listened quietly and couldn't help but chuckle.
The sound of Liu, the steward's wailing abruptly stopped, and he turned back towards Yuan Li in disbelief.
Yuan Li seemed to have heard something amusing, shook his head with a smile and asked, "Why do you think I would covet the Prince Chu Mansion's estate?"
Steward Liu, with a resentful look in his eyes, asserted, "The Prince Chu Mansion alone has numerous stores under its name, such as grain, oil, meat, and fabric stores, as well as tens of thousands of fertile fields. With such wealth, how can you not be greedy?"
Yuan Li chuckled in disbelief. Could the seemingly prosperous Chu Wang Mansion only provoke covetousness in Liu's eyes?
"It's not the same, really not the same," he sighed. "What you see and what I see are vastly different. You think this is unimaginable wealth that everyone would covet. But in my eyes, is this small matter really worth scheming over?"
He looked at Steward Liu, bent down, his eyes seeming to flicker with fire. "In the vast world, with mighty achievements, what I see is not this small piece of land."
Steward Liu was dumbfounded.
Yuan Li stood upright and looked at Chu Mingfeng, saying, "I am only temporarily in charge of the stewardship. This man will be left for the master to handle."
Chu Mingfeng said no more and softly clapped his hands. Someone came forward, dragged the limp and blank-faced Steward Liu out of the room.
Chu Mingfeng was helped to sit up and the bed curtains were tied up. He asked slowly, "Does Young Master Yuan not like being in charge of the stewardship?"
As he changed his address, Yuan Li understood that the formal conversation was beginning. "It's not that I dislike it, but I just don't want to waste too much time on this matter."
A servant draped a robe over Chu Mingfeng's shoulders, and he then looked at Yuan Li. He had the face of a dashing scholar, with refined eyebrows, smiling eyes, somewhat resembling Chu Hechao, exuding an elegant and carefree demeanor.
However, his pale complexion, extreme thinness, and slightly sunken cheeks indicated weakness, and even his smiling lips had a hint of a weak bluish tinge.
Anyone looking at him would think that this person did not have much time left, beyond the help of medicines.
"After falling ill, my appetite has dwindled, leading to emaciation and unattractiveness," Chu Mingfeng smiled faintly and jokingly added, "When you sees me, are you disappointed, wishing to end things here and now?"
Yuan Li chuckled and joined in the banter, saying, "Not at all, it adds a unique charm. Can't say for the rest, but in front of others, you seem to appear a bit more handsome."
Chu Mingfeng chuckled softly.
Through the flickering dust in the dim candlelight, Chu Mingfeng had already observed Yuan Li's appearance.
Yuan Li stood tall, with rosy lips and white teeth, clear brows, and bright eyes. This young man, only eighteen years old, had been "married" to him, a man nearing middle age, which seemed quite unfair.
Leaning against the bedpost, motionless like a dead man, Chu Mingfeng asked, "Since Young Master Yuan feels it's a waste of time, why did you take on the stewardship?"
Yuan Li replied, "Naturally, it was to meet with you, sir."
Chuming Feng responded with curiosity, "To see me?"
Yuan Li continued, "Wasn't your intention to test my abilities by transferring the stewardship to me?"
Chu Mingfeng was surprised for a moment and couldn't help but smile. "Young Master Yuan is indeed clever."
Initially, Yuan Li had thought that Yang shi was just reclaiming the stewardship from Lady Zhao using his name. But he later realized that something was amiss because Yang shi's attitude towards entrusting the stewardship to him was too resolute.
Yuan Li found it hard to understand why Yang shi would do this. Their relationship was essentially a transaction with the Prince Chu Mansion. Yang shi had only known him for a few days, so how could she trust him so much?
Yang shi was not a fool; there must be a hidden reason behind her actions.
After guessing that Chu Mingfeng might have had a hand in this, Yuan Li didn't conceal his intentions and quickly revamped the Prince Chu Mansion, demonstrating his strength.
Chuming Feng playfully remarked, "You and I are considered a united couple, I want to see you and you want to see me. If only my health were better, I would definitely sit down with you over drinks."
Yuan Li was about to speak words of consolation, but Chu Mingfeng had already anticipated what he wanted to say and shook his head slightly, saying, "There's no need for any more comforting words. We all come into this world destined for death. I no longer fret about it, and you all need not worry about me."
A glance from Yuan Li caught sight of the elderly servant with snowy white hair in the corner silently wiping away tears.
Chu Mingfeng adjusted the clothing on his shoulders and asked, "Why did you want to see me, Young Master Yuan?"
Yuan Li signaled Lin Tian to step forward, holding an exquisite box and placing it in front of Chu Mingfeng.
The box contained four soap molds intricately shaped like plum, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum, each the size of a baby's fist. The soaps were exquisitely carved, lifelike, almost resembling sculpted white jade, giving off a delicate and glossy shine. Upon closer inspection, a subtle fragrance emanated.
Chu Mingfeng couldn't resist reaching out to touch them but was stopped by Lin Tian. In a low voice, Lin Tian said, "Sir, these soaps need another month to dry. It's not time yet, so you mustn't touch them."
Chu Mingfeng withdrew his hand, surprised, "These are called 'soap'?"
Yuan Li handed him a detailed plan document.
Chu Mingfeng took the plan and, after a while, his smile gradually faded as he became serious and immersed in the content of the plan.
The plan not only covered the sales and packaging routes for the soap but also included Yuan Li's proposals for reorganizing Youzhou and raising military forces.
However, his plan wasn't detailed enough for others to understand comprehensively, but enough for it to work if Yuan Li were involved in the crucial stages.
After a long while, Chu Mingfeng finished reading. Without saying a word to Yuan Li, he had the old servant bring a candle to burn the plan document page by page until it turned to ashes.
The sudden blaze of light was followed by a swift extinguishing. The ash drifted onto the white veil, leaving a layer of dirt.
Chu Mingfeng slowly wiped his hands and asked, "What does Young Master Yuan want?"
The young man, not yet crowned, remained calm with bright eyes.
He said slowly and deliberately, "I want to fully manage the logistics of the one hundreds and thirty thousand troops in the Northern Border."
Chu Mingfeng paused for a moment and sighed softly, "Young Master Yuan's ambition is truly grand. Controlling the logistics of an army is like controlling the entire army."
Yuan Li remained noncommittal. There's an old saying that in an era of warfare, battles are not won by tactics or numbers, but by logistics.
Due to limited financial resources, the Northern Zhou court maintained only a core of standing troops. The remaining soldiers were a militia, dispersed after recruitment.
Even generals were responsible for raising additional forces when needed. Most of these troops were stationed on the borders, but fearing potential rebellion from the Chu Mansion, the emperor tightly controlled their military pay.
This proverb, "For the soldiers, whoever provides food is the father," reflects the reality of the time. Loyalty often shifted based on who offered the most support.
Chu Mingfeng remarked, "Managing logistics for one hundreds and thirty thousand troops is not something that can be accomplished by mere words."
Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, revealing a rare hint of confident smile and countered, "If I'm not responsible for the logistics of the Northern Border troops, then whom do you intend to entrust with it? Other ministers from the Cabinet? Or the Supervisory Office? Or the Emperor himself?"
Yuan Li lowered his voice, "You're ill, and I'm tied to the Prince Chu Mansion. As long as I don't want to bear the reputation of disloyalty and injustice, my stance will always align with the Prince Chu Mansion. By testing me with the authority of the Chu Mansion's housekeeper, are you not actually testing me on the matter of the logistics of the Northern Border Army under Chu Hechao?"
Chuming Feng fell silent for a moment and then acknowledged, "You're right."
He had three sealed envelopes brought out and handed them to Yuan Li, with a faint smile followed by a sigh, "Young Master Yuan, marrying you into the Prince Chu Mansion for our wedding is a hardship for you."
Yuan Li smiled nonchalantly.
Chu Mingfeng cleared his throat softly, "I don't fancy men, but if a woman is chosen for the wedding, she'll suffer in the future. Thinking it over, a man faces much less restriction, and you have become that man. I've lived with a clear conscience, but I've let you down. I know you don't like men, so rest assured, after I'm gone, I'll instruct my family to let you marry freely."
Yuan Li listened quietly.
Chu Mingfeng's voice grew ethereal, "However, in the face of dismissal, we must conceal the 'fake spouse' secret from Ciye. I'll tell him I treated you as my true wife, and he'll see you as his close relative. With a bit of leniency from him towards family, both he and I can trust our own people to handle the military funds. After I'm gone, he'll protect you, oversee your children, and it will be a fortunate thing. I don't ask for much, just for you to help me watch over the Prnce Chu Mansion and safeguard Youzhou and the Northern Border. This land and its troops must not fall into the hands of others."
"Agreed," Yuan Li finally replied.
Chu Mingfeng's suggestion to deceive Chu Hechao accurately struck a nerve within Yuan Li.
Why did Chu Hechao jump in to save him on the way to Ruyang County?
Why was he willing to help him in the fields but conflicted and testing him in words only?
It was all because Yuan Li was his nominal sister-in-law.
For their future collaboration in controlling the army, Yuan Li certainly couldn't shed the title of "Chu Hechao's sister-in-law." Only by maintaining this status could Chu Hechao yield to him.
After saying these words, Chu Mingfeng closed his eyes wearily.
Servants approached with medicine, softly urging, "Sir, take your medicine."
Chu Mingfeng waved his hand gently, veins bulging on the back of his hand. The servants hesitated and then retreated. An elderly servant took out a wrapped packet of pain relief powder from the drawer and fed it to Chu Mingfeng.
Sensing Yuan Li's gaze, Chu Mingfeng turned his head slightly, smiled faintly, and uttered two words, "Pain relief."
Yuan Li, feeling conflicted, bid farewell with Lin Tian and left. As he exited the courtyard, he glanced back at the peaceful surroundings.
Chu Mingfeng was waiting to die.
Or perhaps, he was intentionally slowly wearing himself down.
Yuan Li didn't understand his motivations. He opened the three envelopes given by Chu Mingfeng, finding them to be recommendation letters for esteemed officials, subtly recommending Yuan Li as their disciple under the seal of Chu Mingfeng, praising his abilities.
These were three discreet letters recommending Yuan Li to become a disciple under influential scholars and officials of the court.