Chapter 175

Chapter 175: Not Knowing What’s Good

Du Yi Zhi was working for an Imperial Clan Princess.

The big cotton merchants accepted it easily, and they even relaxed. A noble lady had money and status. If she felt like it and wanted a good name, she might show a thin slice of kindness. In the end, the commoner’ lives would still be what they were. It would not change the larger picture.

But the people who could not accept it were the Du Family.

Old Madam Du stared hard at Nanny Wang. Old Madam Du asked, “You’re saying he attached himself to Princess Qing Ning?”

Nanny Wang answered carefully, “Yes…”

Old Madam Du closed her eyes. The prayer beads in her hand spun rapidly.

If Du Yi Zhi were only an ordinary merchant, the Du Clan would not care. But if Du Yi Zhi was doing work for an Imperial Clan Princess, the Du Clan had to weigh him differently.

Old Madam Du’s fingers paused on the beads. Old Madam Du opened her eyes and looked at Nanny Wang. Old Madam Du said, “Fine. His father did something that damaged the clan’s reputation, but he still carries the Du surname. Since he returned to Ji Zhou, how could he not come back to pay respects?”

Old Madam Du said, “Go invite him. Tell him I want to see him in person.”

Nanny Wang froze for a moment, then quickly said, “Old Madam is kind. This old servant will go invite Sixth Young Master back.”

Among the Du Family’s younger generation, Du Yi Zhi ranked sixth. After he and his father were expelled, no one ever called him Sixth Young Master again. But now that Old Madam Du spoke, she was clearly showing magnanimity and calling him back into the Du Family.

Nanny Wang took a sedan to Sheng Shi Hall.

Du Yi Zhi had not expected that only two or three days after the cold disaster erupted, Xian Long Mountain would already have more than ten thousand hidden households seeking refuge. Over these days, Du Yi Zhi sold cotton openly, but in secret, the people he had scattered used the registration records to spread messages, some true and some false.

Sheng Kingdom should have had more than sixty million people. That number came from tax records counted last year. But the real situation was that many commoner, forced or by choice, had become hidden households.

Most of these hidden households had their land seized by powerful gentry. Each year they survived by working for great families, earning enough grain to stay alive. Saving even a single bag of grain took them a long time. How could they afford cotton at a little over three hundred wen per jin?

Only people like them would climb snowy mountains to check Xian Long Mountain, even if the news was false.

As long as they reached Xian Long Mountain, there would be food, drink, and work to do. Du Yi Zhi did not fear failing to win their hearts.

While thinking about these matters, Du Yi Zhi learned that Nanny Wang had arrived.

Du Yi Zhi remembered Nanny Wang clearly.

After Du Yi Zhi’s father died, Du Yi Zhi’s mother had dragged Du Yi Zhi and his sister to kneel outside the Du Residence. It was Nanny Wang who came out to see them.

Later, when Du Yi Zhi and his mother and sister could no longer survive, they went to a restaurant, hoping to pick up scraps left behind by wealthy guests. It was also Nanny Wang who ordered someone to pry the half bun out of Du Yi Zhi’s hand, throw it to the ground, and grind it into the dirt.

Nanny Wang had said, “Since you carry the Du surname, you must have the backbone of the Du Family. A Du Family person should rather starve than eat charity food.”

Du Yi Zhi had someone bring her to the back.

The moment Nanny Wang entered, her eyes swept Du Yi Zhi from head to toe. He had grown taller, and his looks were not bad. Nanny Wang lowered her eyes and said, “Sixth Young Master Du, Old Madam invites you back to the residence for a talk.”

Back then, after everything happened, Du Yi Zhi had once knelt outside the residence, begging to see Old Madam Du. Now Old Madam Du was saying she wanted to see him in person. Nanny Wang thought Du Yi Zhi would finally get his wish.

Then Nanny Wang heard Du Yi Zhi’s voice, full of surprise.

Du Yi Zhi said, “Sixth Young Master Du? Nanny, have you mistaken someone? I, Du, have no older brothers and no elders. Where would this Sixth Young Master Du come from?”

Nanny Wang’s face darkened. Nanny Wang said, “Old Madam Du is still your grandmother. A grandmother wants to see her grandson. Sixth Young Master Du should hurry and prepare.”

Du Yi Zhi said, “My grandmother died of illness more than forty years ago. I can’t go to the Yellow Springs to see her.”

Du Yi Zhi looked to his side and called, “A’Jian.”

Nanny Wang wanted to speak again, but Du Yi Zhi continued, “Escort this nanny out. From now on, don’t let just any stray cats and dogs come in.”

Stray cats and dogs?

Nanny Wang’s old face flushed red. The words felt strangely familiar, but she could not recall where she had heard them.

Nanny Wang had served Old Madam Du for so many years. When had Nanny Wang ever suffered such humiliation?

Nanny Wang snorted and climbed back into the sedan, returning to the Du Residence.

He was only a lackey of some noble lady, yet he acted like he mattered. Old Madam Du had been willing to see him only to give face to the noble lady behind him. Yet he refused.

Nanny Wang spat and, upon returning to the Du Residence, exaggerated Du Yi Zhi’s words as she reported them to Old Madam Du.

Old Madam Du listened and said nothing for a long time.

Nanny Wang said, “He’s holding a grudge against the clan and resents you. He doesn’t even think about it. If you hadn’t spoken up back then, how could their family have survived to this day? He’s ungrateful!”

Old Madam Du sneered.

Du Yi Zhi thought that with the Princess behind him, he could act without fear. But even if Du Yi Zhi had the Princess to support him, what did it matter? She was only a Princess. The Du Clan’s backing was someone else entirely.

Thinking of that, Old Madam Du finally felt at ease. Princess Qing Ning would not ruin relations with the entire Ji Zhou Du Clan and that person for the sake of one dog under her command.

Since Du Yi Zhi did not know what was good for him, Old Madam Du’s eyes turned cold. Old Madam Du had someone send a few words to the Ji Zhou prefecture yamen.

At the same time, after sending Nanny Wang away, Du Yi Zhi went to Zhao De Lane.

The Du Clan had risen at the time the Imperial Ancestor founded Sheng Kingdom. Back then, the Imperial Court was trying to rebuild from nothing, and Ji Zhou Prefecture suffered a flood. The people could barely live.

The Du Clan had poured the strength of the whole clan into the effort, leading the commoner to dig a river channel and connect it to the Ji Zhou waterway. From then on, the Ji Zhou floods were diverted by the waterway, and Ji Zhou Prefecture no longer feared flooding.

When the Imperial Ancestor heard of it, he was moved by the Du Clan’s righteous act and granted them an honor archway. From that point, the Du Clan slowly rose from village commoner into local gentry. Du Clan descendants began studying and entering officialdom.

Now more than a hundred years had passed. The Du Clan had gone through countless changes. The original Du Clan split into southern and northern branches. The Southern Du Branch was Du Yi Zhi’s branch. In recent years, the Northern Du Branch had produced no talent in the civil exams and official careers, and it gradually fell into decline.

The current head of the Northern Du Branch, the Clan Chief, lived in Zhao De Lane.

When Old Madam Du heard this, she could only laugh.

Old Madam Du said, “Is he trying to rely on the Northern Du Branch?”

What was the Northern Du Branch, anyway?

The Northern Du Branch’s most presentable figure was Du Heng’s son, a mere county magistrate. As for the rest of the Northern Du Branch’s descendants, there was nothing worth mentioning. They were a pile of mud that could never be propped up.

Did Du Yi Zhi think that by leaning on the Northern Du Branch, he could stand against the Southern Du Branch?

It was ridiculous.

But Old Madam Du was wrong.

Du Yi Zhi was not going there to rely on the Northern Du Branch. Du Yi Zhi was going to make the Northern Du Branch serve him.

Du Heng had not expected Du Yi Zhi to propose becoming the Northern Du Branch’s Clan Chief.

Du Heng said, “Impossible! Someone, see him out!”

The Northern Du Branch might have fallen on hard times, but it would never allow a man expelled from the Southern Du Branch to become the Northern Du Branch’s Clan Chief. Besides, Du Heng himself was the current Clan Chief. If Du Yi Zhi became Clan Chief, what would Du Heng be?

All these years, the Southern Du Branch had wanted to shake off the Northern Du Branch. There was no need to use such disgusting tactics just to disgust him.

Du Heng stood up and prepared to leave.

Du Yi Zhi did not get angry at all. Du Yi Zhi said, “Fifth Master Du, do you think your son’s future matters more, or the position of Clan Chief of the Northern Du Branch? If Second Uncle Du could climb a few more steps, the Northern Du Branch wouldn’t have to stay pressed under the Southern Du Branch forever. Fifth Master Du, are you truly willing to remain like this?”