Chapter 114: Honest and Simple

Jia Zhengyi glanced at Yunniang beside Gou Ye and immediately understood. After giving a signal, the maids hurriedly withdrew. Then he turned to Gou Ye and said, “For the rest, just speak to the steward. I’ve brought you to the capital; you should quickly report back to the Shang clan. After lunch, I’ll come find you and take you to meet several chairmen of the Shang clan.”

After Jia Zhengyi left, the Guo brothers looked around the vast mansion excitedly. Guo Bingjin exclaimed, “Young master, this house is huge! I’ll take Bingyin to pick a room, and we’ll come back soon to move our things.”

Gou Ye nodded in agreement, then approached the steward and asked in a deep voice, “What is your name?”

The steward bowed slightly and replied, “My name is Laifu.”

Laifu? What an auspicious name. Although the man looked honest and simple, Gou Ye felt an inexplicable displeasure toward him, suspecting he was a spy assigned to watch over him. There was no real warmth between them. He then instructed Laifu to lead him and Yunniang to the room prepared for him.

Upon seeing his room, Gou Ye was quite satisfied. It was spacious and fully furnished with everything he could need. What pleased him most was that adjacent to the bedroom was a study, thoughtfully arranged by the Shang clan. The shelves were filled with books, including all the ones Gou Ye typically read.

“Young master, if everything is in order, you may now go to the dining hall to eat,” Laifu said respectfully, standing beside Gou Ye.

At that moment, Yunniang tugged at Gou Ye’s sleeve. He turned to her, and she whispered, “Brother Gou Ye, this is just one bedroom. Are we really going to live together every day? It’s a bit… a bit…”

Before she could finish, Gou Ye understood her meaning. He then turned to Laifu and said, “Is the side room next to mine empty? Have someone tidy it up and move my wife’s belongings there. She and I will live separately for now.”

Though Laifu found this a bit strange, as a seasoned steward he knew when to speak and when not to. He immediately ordered someone to prepare the side room. Gou Ye continued, “Later, take my two brothers to find rooms. They’re unfamiliar with this place and won’t find anything on their own. Also, prepare two more rooms—one to house two women and the other for one man. Among the women, one is an elderly lady; make sure the mattresses are thick and comfortable.”

Laifu nodded repeatedly in understanding, then led Gou Ye and Yunniang to the dining hall. Compared to the Duke’s mansion, the dining hall was about the same size, easily accommodating a dozen people. Seeing the table laden with dishes, Gou Ye’s stomach growled involuntarily. The past few days had been filled with long, tiring journeys, during which he ate mostly dry rations. Only once had he caught a wild pheasant to satisfy his hunger, but that was no comparison to the feast before him.

Without hesitation, Gou Ye and Yunniang sat down and began to eat heartily. Watching them, Laifu clicked his tongue, as if seeing two refugees who had just escaped hardship. But when the Guo brothers arrived, he realized he had judged too soon. The brothers ate like a whirlwind, quickly finishing several plates of food.

After lunch, Gou Ye leisurely strolled through the courtyard with Yunniang when Jia Zhengyi suddenly entered, smiling warmly. “Young Master Gou, are you ready? If so, come with me now to the Shang clan.”

“Is it that urgent? They wouldn’t expect me to prepare a method today, would they? I haven’t thought of anything yet,” Gou Ye said, looking at Jia Zhengyi.

“No, no, no. You don’t need to prepare anything today. Since this is your first time in the capital, a few chairmen of the Shang clan want to meet you,” Jia Zhengyi said, making a polite gesture. “Wait here for me; I’ll be back soon.”

After briefing Yunniang, Gou Ye followed Jia Zhengyi onto the carriage.

During the ride, Gou Ye chatted with Jia Zhengyi, gaining a preliminary understanding of the Shang clan. Across the entire Ming Empire, there were nine merchant clans—five belonging to the imperial family, the rest to the official families. Although only nine clans, these nine controlled the entire commercial system of Ming.

This made Gou Ye think of modern society’s monopolies—some e-commerce giants, gaming companies, and logistics firms. This was monopoly in its purest form. In an era that heavily favored agriculture over commerce, achieving such dominance in business was no small feat.

The term “merchant clan” was just a label, akin to modern financial conglomerates. Each clan oversaw three to five merchant associations, each managing various local enterprises—textiles, agriculture, industry, taverns, and so on. Each association had a chairman, a powerful figure within the clan. Major decisions required votes from the chairmen, with the majority ruling. If more than half agreed, the decision would be implemented. Gou Ye’s ability to gain the merchant associations’ support and be brought to the capital owed to the unanimous agreement of four out of five chairmen. What intrigued him was the one dissenting vote—who could it be?

Each merchant clan’s strength varied, but the imperial family’s clans were notably more powerful. As commercial groups composed of many imperial relatives, they naturally received considerable royal favor. Though conflicts between the imperial and official clans persisted, none had ever escalated to open hostility. Supporting Gou Ye was the boldest move the merchant clans had made.

On the other hand, the royal court turned a blind eye to competition among the clans. Each year, the clans contributed vast sums to the treasury. The rivalry between the two factions was seen as a way to balance power—neither side was allowed to grow too large or suppress the other. Stability of the throne was paramount.

The capital city was indeed vast. Though Gou Ye had already walked several times back and forth in Zheng’an County, it still took over twenty minutes to reach the Shang clan’s residence. Upon arriving at the courtyard entrance, Gou Ye was surprised. The Shang clan’s residence should have been grand, yet the steps and the vermilion gate were quite old and worn. Compared to his own lodging, it seemed rather shabby. No one would have expected such a dilapidated place to be the Shang clan’s headquarters.