Ling Qingyu took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled.
Although she had seen Along the River During the Qingming Festival before and imagined the prosperity of that reality, she was still shocked by the scene before her.
Along the Qiantang River was a bustling dock, with boats coming and going, stern to bow. On the dock, porters loaded and unloaded goods, and there were various vendors selling food and sundries.
Extending from the dock was a neighborhood with houses lined up like teeth on a comb. There were tea houses, wine shops, inns, butcher shops, and specialized businesses selling silk, satin, jewelry, spices, and paper offerings for rituals. In addition, there were medical clinics, carriage repair shops, fortune tellers, and barbers—every trade imaginable. Pedestrians in the market jostled shoulders, a continuous stream of people.
Ling Qingyu had figured out the era she was in. This should be a parallel world where history took a turn at the end of the Tang Dynasty. Zhao Kuangyin did not become emperor through a 'yellow robe coup' but only served as a duke.
The founding emperor was Emperor Shizong Chai Rong of the Great Zhou. However, the early Great Zhou was plagued by constant warfare. After thirty years and two generations, Emperor Shizong and Emperor Taizong, the south was finally unified, and a peace agreement was reached with the Great Liao.
After another sixty years of peace and prosperity, the seas were opened, and restrictions on industry and commerce were gradually relaxed, leading to a flourishing economy in the Great Zhou. Ling Qingyu compared this to her own knowledge; it was basically the Northern Song Dynasty, but with some differences.
In the Northern Song, because Zhao Kuangyin became emperor through a 'yellow robe coup,' literature was always valued over military prowess, and later emperors were also unreliable. In this Great Zhou Dynasty, the position of military generals was still relatively high, but the emperor was even more unreliable than those of the Northern Song.
Northern Song emperors favored literature, while Great Zhou emperors loved luxury goods, especially Emperor Xiwen, who was currently on the throne. He loved jewelry and spices, renovating palaces every year with the finest wood, gold, silver, and jade, countless treasures.
This depleted the national treasury, so he opened up maritime trade. Previously, only licensed shipping companies registered with the government could engage in overseas trade. Now, as long as a certain amount of silver was paid, a license could be obtained, but all ships, regardless of type, had to pay a certain amount of spices and treasures upon their return.
Thus, maritime trade flourished, and ports became incredibly prosperous.
However, Ling Qingyu had not expected such prosperity.
Recalling what she had heard on the road, there was a great drought in the north and floods in the south. These years, natural disasters had been continuous, and displaced people had appeared in some areas.
"Miss, Miss," Zheng Xi's call brought Ling Qingyu back to her senses. She couldn't help but chuckle softly. Even if the Great Zhou was already riddled with holes, it wouldn't collapse in the short term. The most important thing now was to accumulate her own strength and then seek revenge.
"I've asked around," Zheng Xi ran up to Ling Qingyu, wiping sweat from his brow, and said, "There's a ship going to Quanzhou today. A wealthy family originally chartered it, but I heard that Miss is an independent female householder, and the lady of that family took pity on us and allowed us to board."
Ling Qingyu nodded. Zheng Xi was Mother Zheng's son. After coming out, she learned that Mother Zheng was her mother's dowry wet nurse. Her mother had long since returned their family's indentures.
Her eldest son, Zheng Dong, helped her mother manage the dowry shops, and her younger son, Zheng Xi, followed his father, running errands for a shipping company. Before the New Year, her father had sent Zheng Xi back to Wu County with a letter, which diverted him from the great calamity.
After burying her parents together, Ling Qingyu left Mother Zheng and Lǜ Xiù in Wu County. One reason was for them to continue overseeing the remaining two shops with Zheng Dong, and the other was to monitor the movements of the Lin and Wu families. She only took Zheng Xi with her to Quanzhou, where her father's Wind God was still located.
Ling Qingyu pressed her chest. The silver notes she had taken from her mother's dressing box, when counted later, amounted to tens of thousands of taels. Ling Qingyu had kept them in a small pouch made for her chest. When she left Wu County, Ling Qingyu took nothing else with her, only these tens of thousands of silver notes and the handkerchief stained with her mother's blood before she died.
The ship bound for Quanzhou was a medium-sized passenger vessel. Ling Qingyu and Zheng Xi boarded from a small gangplank at the stern. Zheng Xi followed a sailor to the crew cabin. A maid wearing a yellow cross-shoulder jacket led Ling Qingyu to a small room in the stern, saying, "We'll have to trouble you, Miss, to squeeze in with us."
"Thank you, Sister," Ling Qingyu bowed deeply and thanked her with a smile. She was dressed in a clean blue dress, her hair not in a bun but braided into a thick plait, adorned with a small white velvet flower. She was tall, and though her figure was full, she looked clean, neat, and healthy. Even her smile was honest and endearing, making people happy.
The maid felt a fondness for her and couldn't help but say a few more words, "My lady is the kindest. I heard from the Wangcheng family that your servant was looking for a ship, and that you are an orphan, an independent female householder. She just said it was pitiful. Otherwise, ordinary people wouldn't be able to board our Fan Family's ship."
Ling Qingyu didn't know how powerful the Fan Family was, she just smiled and said, "Thanks to Madam's kindness, I must trouble Sister to tell Madam that I am truly grateful. If possible, I, your humble servant, would also like to kowtow to Madam to express my gratitude."
"There's no need for that. My lady is not someone anyone can just meet."
"In that case, I will trouble Sister to convey my humble sentiments." Ling Qingyu took the maid's hand and slipped a silver ingot into it.
The maid weighed it, estimating it to be about one tael, and couldn't help but smile more genuinely, saying, "You rest well here. Our ship is fast; we should reach Quanzhou in a few days."
Ling Qingyu curtsied again, saw the maid out, and then relaxed, beginning to carefully consider how to act once she reached Quanzhou.
In the ship's main cabin, a young woman rolled up her sleeves, her slender jade hands holding a Jun ware pot with an old plum blossom design, pouring clear, fragrant tea into a cup, its aroma refreshing.
"Good tea," the blue-robed young master couldn't help but praise.
"It was brought by Mingliang, Biluochun from before the Qingming Festival. Of course, it's good tea." Fan Ye, Your Honor sipped his tea, casting a sidelong glance at the person sitting opposite him, who was freeloading and showed no signs of leaving. He said, "As a direct descendant of the Fan Family, aren't you afraid of upsetting your uncle by being so idle every day?"
Fan Zheng, the youngest legitimate son of Fan Ze, the Minister of Personnel, had always had a rather poor reputation. He passed the imperial examination at fifteen but did not continue his studies, instead choosing to travel and enjoy himself, with countless romantic escapades, making him an anomaly in the Fan Family.
"With my elder brother around, father has always been at ease with me," Fan Zheng said with a smile, then leaned closer to Fan Ye, Your Honor and added, "But I still want to congratulate Cousin on your promotion this time, getting such a good position."
"What good position?" Fan Ye, Your Honor sighed and said, "The establishment of the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisorate in Quanzhou this time is certainly a good thing for maritime trade management. I will naturally do my best to fulfill my mission.
However, foreign trade was originally controlled by the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisorate and had always been in the hands of the Wang Family. Now, because His Majesty favors spices and luxury, the demand for spices and treasures has surged in Luoyang, Bianliang, and even the Hangzhou-Sichuan region.
The profits from foreign trade have skyrocketed, and the number of sea merchants has increased significantly. The immense value of transactions, I fear, is only known to you and me in part; most of it has been swallowed by the Wang Family."
"So that's why the Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisorate was established in Quanzhou this time, and the neutral Fan Family was appointed as the Maritime Trade Supervisor?" Fan Zheng toyed with his empty cup, a high-quality Jun ware porcelain, crystal clear and pleasing to the eye. He smiled and said, "With maritime trade booming now, Cousin, your position is quite a lucrative one."
Fan Ye, Your Honor glared at him and said, "Lucrative? I'm afraid it's a death trap! Imperial Concubine Wang, supported by the Wang Family, controls maritime trade. Empress Dong's family now has Senior Grand Secretary Dong, and Dong Shi has become the Minister of Revenue.
With the new Guangzhou Maritime Trade Supervisorate opening in Quanzhou, such a huge lucrative position is being watched closely by both families. If I, your brother, am not careful, I won't even know how I died. You, young man, did you come here specifically to tease me?"
Fan Zheng was about to speak when he heard footsteps outside the door, so he stopped and looked towards the entrance.
"Madam," a soft call came from outside as the footsteps stopped.
Madam Fan, Yang Shi, glanced at the two men, then lowered the beaded curtain and said, "It's Shanyao. Come in."
Shanyao entered the cabin with her head bowed, her eyes briefly sweeping over the lowered beaded curtain. She bowed and said, "Madam, this servant has already taken that young lady to this servant's cabin."
"Oh," Yang Shi's gaze swept over Fan Zheng's figure behind the curtain, and she smiled, saying, "How is that young lady? Is she well-mannered?"
"Although the young lady is not old, she is very well-mannered. She seems like an honest girl," Shanyao replied, bowing her head.
"She is indeed pitiful, setting up her own independent female household at such a young age," Yang Shi waved her hand, dismissing Shanyao. She then hung up the beaded curtain and smiled at Fan Zheng, saying, "It's rare for Sixth Brother to show such kindness."
Fan Zheng smiled but didn't answer. Before boarding the ship, he had seen that young lady from Wu County with a servant, asking everywhere if there was a ship going to Quanzhou. He felt a stir of compassion. Knowing that Yang Shi was kind-hearted, he mentioned it to her briefly.
Yang Shi indeed allowed the young lady to board the ship. But hearing her words, he realized she thought it was one of his romantic entanglements. He didn't bother to argue, only smiled without speaking.
"Sixth Brother, you're not young anymore; you should seriously find a proper marriage," Fan Ye, Your Honor frowned and said.
"Madam Wu did suggest a few families to Father. One is the second daughter of the Wang Family's third branch, another is the fifth daughter of the Wu Family, and there's also the illegitimate younger sister from the Second Prince Consort's maternal family. Cousin, which do you think is suitable for your younger brother?" Fan Zheng asked with a smile, but his smile carried a hint of coldness.
Fan Ye, Your Honor was speechless. His uncle's current wife, not only did she drive Fan Zheng away, but she also wanted to control Fan Zheng's marriage. The Fan Family had always maintained neutrality in court, never participating in the struggle for succession, which allowed them to remain undefeated for a hundred years.
Madam Wu's actions clearly showed she wanted the Fan Family to side with the Second Prince. Did she think the men of the Fan Family were all fools? Recalling his eldest uncle's favoritism towards Madam Wu, he couldn't help but shake his head.
"That young lady's father was originally a sea merchant," Fan Zheng thought for a moment, then said, "That young lady is going to Quanzhou. If Cousin can help her, please do so."
"Heh," Fan Ye, Your Honor chuckled, "A woman? Fine, if she also ventures into maritime trade, I'll help if I can."
Fan Zheng saw the contempt in his smile, shook his head, and said nothing more. He looked out the window at the bustling scene, his thoughts turning to other matters. He began discussing the spring drought in Henan Province with Fan Ye, Your Honor, and the young lady became like a ripple in the water, leaving no trace.