Luo Zhi Qiu's glance flicked up at Luo Wei, "Salt is controlled by the imperial government, how could commoners be allowed to take part in the business?"
Luo Wei replied, "But someone has to transport the salt. Yi Zhou magistrate's salt movers are all from the Ming Jian villa, who knows how much money they're getting from this. There was no way for you to change things before even if you wanted to, father, since Yi Zhou's magistrate was full of the Junior Chancellor's disciples, but now the prefect in Yi Zhou is Chen Yu, and he was father's disciple."
"Chen Yu has been assigned as prefect in Yi Zhou?" This is the first time Luo Zhi Qiu has heard about this.
"The imperial edict for his transfer will be sent out from the capital tomorrow at dawn," Luo Wei told him, "The emperor dictated it to me as I took notes."
"Why would His Imperial Majesty do this?"
"Two days ago, I made a comment that the dried fish served at lunch was a little too salty, one thing lead to another and we somehow ended up talking about the salt mines at Yi Zhou. So I mentioned to His Imperial Majesty that the tenure of Heng Zhou's prefect, Chen Yu, has just ended, and his hometown was Yi Zhou."
Luo Zhi Qiu laughed, but the sound of the laughter was mirthless, "The Junior Chancellor has been managing the salt trade in Yi Zhou for years, Chen Yu might not live for long if he was transferred."
Luo Wei responded, "There's another reason for going to Qi Lin Villa, I'm going to ask them to protect Chen Yu. Qi Lin's Shadow Guard's reputation is only second to the Dragon's Secret Guard. Father, you could also give Chen Yu a hand in court. Yi Zhou is a pond of muddled water at the moment, if father brought it up and made some comments about it, I don't think the Junior Chancellor would risk doing anything to Chen Yu immediately."
Luo Zhi Qiu asked, "Do you think we could use Chen Yu?"
Luo Wei answered, "Chen Yu came out of the Chen family in Yi Zhou, but unfortunately he was only the son of a concubine and not a proper wife. So the Chen family hasn't been accepting of him. It's true that the Chen family are allied with the Junior Chancellor, but if Chen Yu wants his glory in his home town, his only option is to be a good disciple for you, father. Chen Yu's children's in-laws are the overseers of the soldiers stationed in Yi Zhou. He's not related to the Junior Chancellor by blood, and can't get into that clique in Yi Zhou. For someone as intelligent as he is, I don't think father will have to tell him what to do."
Luo Zhi Qiu agreed, "It's time for a change in Yi Zhou, if only we knew how much Chen Yu could accomplish there."
The candle flame flickered and reflected in Luo Wei's eyes. His face held a smile, but his eyes were cold as ice. Of course it's time for a change in Yi Zhou. Yi Zhou's salt production is a third of the entire salt production of Greater Zhou, and it was a key stream of revenue for Long Xuan. If they didn't cut this stream off, then Long Xuan will really become a dragon.
Luo Ze was listening to them the whole way through, but he didn't understand much. His father and his little brother seemed to have discussed many things in just a few exchanges, but most of it was a haze to him.
"When are you planning to leave?" Luo Zhi Qiu asked Luo Wei.
"Tonight," Luo Wei said, "Could I trouble father to send some other people to take Xiao Xiao to Ping Nan?"
"Ping Nan?" Luo Zhi Qiu asked, "Is it to the stone exhibition there?"
Luo Wei smiled, "Tomorrow, His Imperial Majesty will also tell people that I've gone to the exhibition. I used to go every year."
"I understand," Luo Zhi Qiu stood.
Luo Ze and Luo Wei quickly followed and stood as well.
"I'll leave you to it," Luo Zhi Qiu clapped Luo Wei's shoulder, "We'll do things your way, but you have to remember to be careful, don't let anyone know."
"Yes, I understand," Luo Wei promised.
"Wait," Luo Zhi Qiu said as he walked behind a screen in the study. After a brief moment, he reappeared with a wooden box in hand for Luo Wei.
Luo Wei took the box and opened it. There was a laughing Buddha sculpture inside, rendered in white jade.
"This is something that Qi Lin Villa gifted me," Luo Zhi Qiu explained, "Take it with you so you can prove who you are to them."
Luo Ze asked, "Dad, when did they give you this?"
Luo Zhi Qiu answered, "Qi Lin Villa has been trying to get connections within the court for a while now, is it so strange that they'd give me a little gift like this?"
Luo Wei wasn't surprised. In the past life, the soldiers had found more than a few treasures like these when they came to confiscate their property. He held the wooden box to his chest and turned to Luo Ze, "Big brother, can you see me out of the city?"
Luo Ze said, "But the city's gates are closed by now."
Luo Wei pulled out a special token of passage given to him by the emperor, "His Imperial Majesty has allowed me to pass through the gates at night. Let's go through the north gate where your soldiers are stationed, I don't want anyone to know that someone left from the capital tonight."
TRANSLATOR'S NOTES:
: ) the only update for today!! plans are afoot