Back in the study, An Ziran acted as if nothing had happened and picked up his brush to continue copying the Ouyang-style calligraphy from the copybook. Steward Su had said this script was relatively basic; once he mastered it, everything afterward would become easier.
When Steward Su entered, he happened to see him writing. His expression was so calm that no one could have guessed he had torn all pretenses apart with his uncle and aunt in the hall not long ago. A complicated look rose on Steward Su's face.
He had witnessed the young master's changes over these past days.
To be honest, he had never expected the young master to change so thoroughly after falling seriously ill. Perhaps, as people said, some only came to their senses after the relatives they could rely on were gone. It could be considered a rebirth from the ashes.
Steward Su sighed and felt comforted at the same time. He had watched An Ziran grow up. In the past, he had not particularly liked An Ziran either. He was far too unambitious and spent money like water. If the An Family had been handed over to him, it would surely have been squandered away. Thus, he was immensely glad that the young master had truly grown up this time.
But when he thought of what had happened in the hall earlier, worry rose within him again. His brows furrowed into deep creases, and he looked as though he wanted to speak but hesitated. It was impossible for An Ziran not to notice.
At last, he stopped what he was doing and looked calmly at Steward Su.
"Steward, if you have something to say, say it."
Steward Su did not stand on ceremony. He had been holding it in for a long time. "Young Master, though this old servant is merely a servant, there are some things I must say. You offended the eldest master and his wife in the hall today. That was truly an unwise move."
After spending some time with Steward Su, An Ziran had come to understand his character somewhat. He knew Steward Su was not someone who failed to distinguish right from wrong. Since he said this, he must have had his reasons. "Why do you say that?"
Seeing that he was willing to listen, Steward Su could not help but breathe a sigh of relief, while a trace of amusement flashed through his eyes. The young master had indeed changed greatly. If this had been before, forget being as mild-tempered as he was now—he would have flown into a rage long ago. The only regret was that he was simply too fat.
"Young Master, the eldest master possesses scholarly rank. He is different from us. If he truly intends to make trouble for the An Family, the magistrate of Anyuan County will certainly stand on his side," Steward Su said.
An Ziran raised his brow and finally set down his brush. "Even if Uncle has scholarly rank, he should only be a xiucai, correct? How much influence can a mere xiucai have? And why would the magistrate help him?"
Steward Su was not surprised by his words. The young master had previously known only how to eat, drink, and play, and did not know much about such matters. It happened to fill in the gaps in An Ziran's "vague memories."
"Young Master, Da Ya is a country that values scholarly rank, so many people take pride in earning one. As long as one possesses scholarly rank, one can gain respect and status. Merchants, however, hold very low status in Da Ya. Many people look down on them. Some wealthy merchants go to every possible length to cast off their merchant status, even marrying their children to scholars with scholarly rank or arranging marriages with noble young ladies. Thus, although the eldest master is only a xiucai, his status is still higher than that of a merchant."
An Ziran had not expected Da Ya's national conditions to be like this.
They valued scholars and belittled merchants. Could scholars create wealth for Da Ya?
Knowledge was indeed important, but it was merchants who truly drove Da Ya's economy. Without merchants striving to create wealth, Da Ya's tax revenues would not be so high.
An Ziran did not understand what state of mind the Emperor of Da Ya had been in to issue such laws. At his side, Steward Su was still laying out the consequences of offending An Changde.
"However, Young Master, the person you must be wary of is not the eldest master, but his wife, Madam Wu."
"Why is that?" An Ziran asked in surprise.
Steward Su said worriedly, "Madam Wu's elder sister is the second concubine of the Yong Prefecture Prefect. Though she is only a concubine, this old servant has heard that Prefect Jiang favors her greatly. If Madam Wu has her sister whisper pillow-talk into Prefect Jiang's ear, this old servant fears they may make a move against the An Family."
A prefect was far more powerful than a county magistrate. Tripping up the An Family would be as easy as turning over one's hand.
The An Family was currently at its weakest, the time when it was easiest to take advantage of a crack and slip in. Even An Changde was eyeing it covetously from the side. If the Yong Prefecture Prefect truly had some designs on them, how could the An Family resist?
An Ziran frowned. He was still unfamiliar with the An Family's businesses. Besides, there was a reason commoners did not fight officials.
"Steward, help me find someone reliable and have him keep watch on Uncle's family. If Uncle and Aunt make any unusual moves, we can respond at any time."
If word got out that they were spying on his own uncle, it would certainly invite criticism. Steward Su felt it was not quite appropriate, but there was no other way at present. He said nothing further, and the next day, he gave the order.
However, they had not expected An Changde to move so quickly.
They were caught completely off guard.
From now on, The Great Landlord will update regularly at seven o'clock. Otherwise, I won't be able to get on Liancheng every night.
Before you continue