Chapter 149: Slander and Rumors Plunge Duke Zhou into Distress

Yang Shenming looked at Ye Chang with a beaming smile, extremely satisfied with him.

He was even contemplating whether he should take Ye Chang as a son-in-law for the young women of his clan.

The three Yang brothers—Shenyu, Shenjin, and Shenming—were all tall, strikingly handsome, and possessed extraordinary bearing. As he smiled benevolently at Ye Chang, the latter could not help but feel his heart pounding like a drum.

"I once received a courtesy name bestowed by an immortal in a dream," Ye Chang said after a brief hesitation, once again pulling out that ethereal immortal as an excuse.

Yang Shenming frowned. How could he fail to see that Ye Chang was merely making excuses? He felt that this fellow was somewhat unappreciative of favors, actually dragging out some immortal.

"What courtesy name did the immortal give you?"

"Changran," Ye Chang replied.

"Changran..." Yang Shenming was well-read, but because he held a preconceived notion, he assumed Ye Chang had simply made up the name on the spot to stall him. He sneered, "I wonder from which classic text this name bestowed by your immortal originates..."

"The Nanhua Jing," Ye Chang answered, casting a surprised glance at Yang Shenming.

He was genuinely surprised. After arriving in the Tang Dynasty, in order to better project the persona of a scholar who had encountered immortals, he had applied himself diligently, reading Laozi and Zhuangzi thoroughly several times. The passage in *Zhuangzi*—"Looking upon the old state and the old capital, one feels a sense of ease; though nine out of ten hills and tombs are overgrown with weeds and trees, one still feels a lingering ease"—had naturally stirred up thoughts of his hometown when he read it, so he had memorized it well.

Yang Shenming instantly blushed a deep crimson.

However, since the three brothers were renowned for their integrity and financial acumen, it was quite normal that he could not immediately recall a specific sentence from *Zhuangzi*.

"Ah, so it comes from *Master Nanhua*. No wonder, no wonder, hahahaha. Changran, Changran is a very good name. But why have I never heard you mention it before?"

Ye Chang feigned a shy smile. "Matters of a dream cannot be taken seriously, hence I never discussed it with others. If not for Your Honor asking today, I would not have spoken of it either."

Yang Shenming sighed with a hint of disappointment, and the thought he had just entertained of taking Ye Chang as a son-in-law for a female member of his household faded away.

"To settle the refugees, what else do you need?" he asked in a strictly professional tone.

"Although the assassins were captured today, I fear there may still remnants lurking in the shadows. I am cowardly and fear death; I beg Your Honor to assign a soldier to accompany me," Ye Chang smoothly seized the opportunity to make his request.

As he said this, standing some distance away, Nan Jiyun furrowed his brows and looked at Ye Chang with a trace of disdain.

Nan Jiyun had just passed thirty and was not some hot-headed youth, but he truly disliked Ye Chang's character. He had long heard of Ye Chang, especially that verse about "the setting sun is infinitely good," which almost every white-haired courtesan could sing. To recite such a poem to He Zhizhang filled Nan Jiyun with profound contempt.

In his view, returning a favor with gratitude was a fundamental human duty. For Ye Chang to move He Zhizhang with that poem, forcing a man who had always appreciated him into retirement, was simply unacceptable. Although this had not been Ye Chang's original intention—which was to use poetry to thwart the aggressive Yuan Zai—literati with their convoluted minds could perhaps forgive Ye Chang, but Nan Jiyun found it hard to let go.

Earlier, Ye Chang's words had carried a tone of overtures, but he had firmly and harshly rejected them. Nan Jiyun knew that this matter would likely not end well.

Eleven Ye had always been notorious for his narrow-mindedness. Since he had humiliated the man so, how could Ye Chang not seek revenge?

Sure enough, he saw Ye Chang gesturing toward his direction.

Nan Jiyun felt a surge of angry blood rush through him. This fellow really was someone who held grudges and sought immediate retaliation!

Yet, his heart was filled only with anger, devoid of any fear. Originally from a farming background, reduced to utter poverty until he was merely a foot soldier, what did it matter even if his path to promotion was completely cut off?

"Nan Jiyun," just as he was pondering how to respond, his squad leader ran over. "Lord Yang wants you to come forward."

Nan Jiyun felt that the squad leader was looking at him rather strangely. Because of his exceptional martial prowess, he possessed a rather arrogant disposition, and taking this gaze for pity, he completely ignored the man.

The squad leader was left gritting his teeth in annoyance, silently cursing him as a petty villain who had just tasted success.

When Nan Jiyun arrived before Yang Shenming, he cupped his fists and bowed. "I pay my respects to Your Honor."

"You are Nan Jiyun?" Yang Shenming looked the lowly foot soldier up and down, finding him indeed robust and imposing, and promptly asked, "What is your background?"

"My family has farmed for generations; we are not of the gentry."

Nan Jiyun was convinced that Ye Chang had spoken ill of him before Yang Shenming, so his tone was exceptionally cold and rigid. Yang Shenming, who had originally been curious about him—assuming someone recommended by Ye Chang must be extraordinary—had his inclination to recruit him extinguished by this icy tone.

"Earlier, Record Keeper Ye mentioned that when the criminals drove the refugees into a panic, you were the first to react, loosing five arrows and hitting the mark every single time. A feat must be rewarded; I promote you to corporal. For the coming days, you shall remain by Record Keeper Ye's side and ensure his absolute safety."

A buzzing sound filled Nan Jiyun's brain, and for a moment, he was utterly at a loss.

He had assumed that Ye Chang was making malicious accusations and that Yang Shenming had summoned him to make trouble, perhaps even assigning him some perilous mission. He had never imagined that Ye Chang would actually recommend him to Yang Shenming!

Given Yang Shenming's rank as the Prefect of Henan, promoting him to a corporal was a trivial matter. But to Nan Jiyun, it meant an entirely different world. Despite his formidable skills, his arrogance had cost him the favor of superiors and peers, and lacking the right opportunities, he had never managed to secure even the lowest official rank.

Never had he dreamed that the opportunity he had prayed for would arrive today.

And it was brought to him by Ye Chang—the very person he had treated with disdain and sarcastic mockery just moments before.

"Nan the Eighth possesses the bearing of a great general, coupled with a heart of loyalty and righteousness, much like the Marquis of Hanshou," Ye Chang said with a smile from the side. "Lord Yang, to give mere corporal rank—aren't you being too stingy?"

"Record Keeper Ye doesn't understand. If I were to directly make him a squad leader, it wouldn't be impossible, but his subordinates and peers might not be convinced. Coming from such a humble background, he must forge his path with sword and spear before he can go far," Yang Shenming explained. "Once the refugees are properly settled, he too will have merit. Why worry about not being promoted and ennobled then?"

The nearby squad leader gave the still-dazed Nan Jiyun a shove. "Why aren't you thanking Your Honor and Record Keeper Ye yet?"

After Nan Jiyun numbly offered his thanks, he heard Yang Shenming and Ye Chang discussing the resettlement of the refugees once again.

At first, Nan Jiyun wondered why Ye Chang, whom he had offended, would recommend him. But as Ye Chang systematically laid out his plan for resettling the refugees layer by layer, Nan Jiyun's attention shifted entirely to the proposal. The more he listened, the more astonished he became. By the end, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Ye Chang had completely changed.

This young man's fame shaking the Central Plains was no accident!

Ye Chang's plan, rather than a mere resettlement of refugees, was a sweeping, drastic redevelopment of Luoyang's South Market.

Back in the Sui dynasty, Emperor Yang had wrapped trees in silk to flaunt his wealth to foreign merchants right here in Luoyang's South Market. At the end of the Sui, Li Mi had set it ablaze. When it was rebuilt during the Tang Dynasty, as Wu Zetian and Emperor Zhongzong shifted the political center eastward, Luoyang nearly became the capital, bringing the South Market back to prosperity. However, ever since Emperor Xuanzong moved the political center back to Chang'an, the South Market had appeared somewhat chaotic and dilapidated.

Reconstructing the old city naturally required vast amounts of funds. In Ye Chang's plan, the land in the South Market controlled by the imperial court would be used as collateral to borrow money from wealthy merchants and magnates. This money would be used to rebuild streets, construct shops and residences, and then sell them for a profit.

Throughout this process, aside from the initially idle land, the court would spend virtually not a single copper while extracting a massive amount of ready cash from the wealthy merchants. The labor required would be enough to give over two thousand refugees meaningful work, and they would even need to recruit a large number of artisans from the city of Luoyang.

Nan Jiyun suddenly understood why those wealthy scions had eagerly delivered grain to the refugees in the northern part of the city—Ye Chang must have leaked some hint to them. Once they went back and mentioned it, those families sharp enough to recognize the immense profits involved would naturally curry favor with all their might!

To Ye Chang, this was simply the empty-gloved real estate development tactic of local governments from another life, but in this era, it was an astonishing stroke of genius. The Yang family was renowned for financial acumen, and upon hearing Ye Chang's comprehensive plan, Yang Shenming could not help nodding repeatedly, his eyes gleaming with realization. What a magnificent stroke!

"To convince the various wealthy merchants, I am willing to take ten million coins from my own private purse to pre-purchase the first shop on the east end of the northern cross-street's intersecting avenue," Ye Chang added.

Ten million coins!

Ten thousand guan was casually tossed out by Ye Chang without a single change in his facial expression. Nan Jiyun, who had lived in poverty for so long, tried to imagine how heavy ten thousand guan would be and felt a tightness in his chest, while Yang Shenming's gaze also sharpened.

"You certainly have money."

"I was fortunate to acquire some in Chang'an," Ye Chang replied unblinkingly.

What ten thousand guan could buy was far from a simple shop. Although Ye Chang had not yet visited the site, he had long studied it on maps. The eastern end of the northern cross-street bordered the transport canal; with a bit of landscaping, it would become a picturesque location. While not as bustling from every direction as the absolute center of the cross-street, transportation was convenient, and it possessed the advantage of being close to the city gate.

If he wanted to build a commercial and entertainment complex in Luoyang, this was the absolute best place.

"Ten million coins..." Yang Shenming sighed with emotion. He possessed considerable wealth himself, but even he would find it difficult to produce ten million coins in cash on short notice.

"What do you want this shop for?" Yang Shenming asked after his sigh.

"To open a restaurant," Ye Chang said.

Yang Shenming did not completely believe him, but as long as whatever Ye Chang intended to do did not violate the laws of the Tang Dynasty, it had little to do with him. With Ye Chang's ten thousand guan, he felt a surge of confidence, so he nodded and said, "Just go ahead and execute your plans. Whatever support you need, simply speak to me."

As the Prefect of Luoyang, he had numerous affairs to attend to. Seeing that the refugee crisis had subsided, he immediately prepared to return to the city. Luoyang was not a place where a mere Prefect was the absolute authority; the number of powerful aristocrats there was second only to Chang'an. For what had happened among the refugees, he still had to go back and provide an account to certain people.

After Yang Shenming left, Ye Chang began drawing up a list—circling the skilled individuals one by one from the newly submitted rosters. Unfortunately, very few among these refugees possessed crafts. On second thought, that was only to be expected; those with a trade could make a living anywhere by their skills, leaving behind naturally only those who knew nothing but farming.

Among the two thousand-plus refugees, only a dozen or so artisans were found. This number left Ye Chang feeling somewhat helpless.

After a full two hours of busywork, Ye Chang finally finished the tasks at hand. By then, lunch hour had long since passed. He stood up, stretched his arms, and sighed, "Ah, I've made everyone go hungry with me. Since that's the case, aside from those leaving to stand watch, the rest of you will follow me to the restaurant."

"Hurrah!" A cheer immediately went up around him.

A few furrowed their brows and pouted—those were the ones left behind on duty. Ye Chang smiled broadly and said, "Those on duty needn't worry. I'll go to the restaurant and immediately have them send food boxes over. I won't leave any of you out!"

The various clerks beamed with joy. Grain was expensive in Luoyang and hard to live on; no one would turn down a free banquet.

Only Nan Jiyun did not smile.

Nan Jiyun had been watching Ye Chang all along, and now he found this young man even more inscrutable.

His head aching from the puzzle, he decided to ask directly. As Ye Chang mounted his horse, Nan Jiyun stepped forward to grab the reins. "Record Keeper Ye, I offended you just now. Why did you still recommend me?"

"Offended?" Ye Chang laughed. "It was merely a misunderstanding. What offense?"

"Record Keeper Ye showed goodwill to me this morning, but I responded with cold words."

"Regarding that matter... let me ask you: can you handle this position of corporal?"

Nan Jiyun hesitated slightly, then said with unyielding certainty, "A mere corporal—how could I not handle it?"

"If you stay by my side and danger arises, will you fight fiercely to protect me, just like my retainer?"

"It is my duty; I would gladly give my life."

"Isn't that it then? When I recommended you, my first consideration was whether you had the ability, and the second was whether you had the heart. As for minor grievances, why let them linger?"

At this point, Ye Chang raised his brows and asked with genuine curiosity, "Nan the Eighth, since you speak so plainly, I will ask you plainly too. I indeed intended to show goodwill this morning; why did you push me away a thousand miles?"

"The Record Keeper is renowned, and I have heard of you for a long time. Leaving a poem at Qinglong Temple that forced Senior Inspector He to resign and retire—such an act violates the principles of grace and righteousness, and I hold it in utter contempt," Nan Jiyun made no secret of it, spilling out all his thoughts. "Inspector He bestowed upon you the favor of a recommendation, yet this is how you repaid him. Your state of mind must be improper..."

"Shut your mouth!" Jia Mao'er nearby, hearing him speak more and more out of line, rebuked him angrily.

Ye Chang, however, smilingly waved his hand, signaling Nan Jiyun to continue. Nan Jiyun glanced sideways at Jia Mao'er and then continued, "I originally thought rumors might be untruthful, but seeing you order the archers to shoot down refugees today, I knew you truly were... truly were..."

For a moment, he lacked the words, so Ye Chang supplied them for him: "Unscrupulous in achieving one's goals."

"Precisely... unscrupulous in achieving one's goals. Young Master Ye is skilled with words, but what of your state of mind, what of your state of mind!"

This was pointing at Ye Chang's face and cursing him for having an improper mind.

Nan Jiyun's disposition had always been thus. Having spoken these words, he had no intention of maintaining amicable relations with Ye Chang. Therefore, his bright, piercing gaze locked onto Ye Chang, waiting only for the latter to utter harsh words so he could toss his commission right back at him.

A mere corporal rank—did he really think he could buy him off? That was looking down upon him, Nan the Eighth, as a true man of honor.

Ye Chang still showed no anger, nor was there any sign of guilt on his face.

He himself had known that the past incident would carry negative repercussions. For instance, Zhang Xu and Yan Zhenqing had grown somewhat more distant in their dealings with him after that affair; although letters still passed between them, they discussed only calligraphy and nothing else. When He Zhizhang retired, he specifically stayed for a short time at Ye Chang's Wolong Valley, which was to some extent a gesture showing that He Zhizhang himself did not hold the "setting sun is infinitely good" episode against him. Only after that had the fallout truly faded.

He had not expected that a rough-and-ready fellow like Nan Jiyun would still be harboring it in his heart.