nucmednet Chapter 741 Eunuch Fang's Experiences
Chapter 741 Eunuch Fang's Experiences
The arrival of tens of thousands of reserve troops turned Lingao into a large military camp; there were more soldiers than civilians on the streets. However, thanks to the generous treatment and strict discipline of the Qionghai Army, there were almost no incidents of the army disturbing the people, and the civilians and soldiers lived in peace.
Fang Zhenghua strolled down the street, marveling at the orderly and tidy streets and buildings. While they lacked the grandeur of the imperial palace, the square, bamboo-framed concrete structures possessed a unique charm, a flavor absent from the streets of the capital. He had come several times to deliver imperial decrees but hadn't had a proper chance to explore Lingao. Now, with the prospect of obtaining the position of Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, his mood was light and cheerful. At Liu Ye's urging, he decided to stay for a few days to see how this once remote island had been transformed under Liu Ye's management. To better appreciate the scenery, Fang Zhenghua chose to walk along the streets instead of taking a sedan chair.
Upon seeing a group of women dressed identically walking in the street, Fang Zhenghua asked Liu Quan, who was accompanying him, with surprise, "Steward Li, although our family isn't very educated, we still understand a bit about etiquette. It's quite inappropriate for women to go out alone without family members. Why are there so many women walking in groups here? What are they doing?" Even in modern times, the sudden appearance of a large group of women dressed in the same clothing would attract the attention of passersby, let alone in feudal society. In Fang Zhenghua's view, although the women of lower-class families didn't have as many rules as those of wealthy households and weren't bound by the strict "staying at home," it was still outrageous for them to go out shopping in groups.
Li Fu was appointed by Liu Ye to accompany Eunuch Fang on the trip. He came from a family of stewards and was used to serving others. He was good at reading people and could lower himself to be the perfect "tour guide" for Eunuch Fang. He also saw the group of women and said with a smile, "Eunuch, these are not women from ordinary families traveling together, but female workers from the factory going to work."
"A female worker?" Fang Zhenghua was even more dumbfounded. "Shouldn't women stay at home spinning and weaving, serving their parents-in-law, and raising their children?"
“Father-in-law, these female workers are indeed spinning and weaving, they just moved from their homes to the factory,” Li Fu explained. “These are female workers from textile factories, military clothing factories, and ammunition workshops of arsenals. They are all female workers, some young and some old. In Lingao, female workers are very common, and the people are used to it.”
Fang Zhenghua wanted to ask if the local officials and scholars would have any objections, but after seeing rows of soldiers marching through the streets, he wisely kept quiet. Might makes right, and with the strength of the Qionghai Army, which pedantic scholar would dare to speak out?
The group of women brushed past Fang Zhenghua and his entourage. A shrewd and capable-looking young woman walked beside them, saw Li Fu, and greeted him with a smile: "Manager Li, what brings you to the streets today?"
Li Fu smiled obsequiously and said, "Greetings, Madam Liang. I am here today on the orders of the Marquis to accompany our distinguished guest on this outing, not for a leisurely stroll... Why do we need your personal assistance to take the female workers to the factory?"
This woman was none other than Liang Xiaoming's wife, Liu Ru. As the saying goes, "Environment shapes character, and upbringing shapes physique." Having served in a position of authority for many years and being the second wife of Lingao, Liu Ru was highly respected. She was no longer the naive young girl she once was. She was not only worldly-wise and shrewd in handling affairs, but also exuded the aura of a strong woman in every gesture.
Liu Ru replied, "We hired a new batch of workers today. They are sisters from Qingshuidong over Fanbaoshan. They are only separated from us from Nandong by a mountain. We see each other all the time. It's their first time working in a factory. I'm free anyway, so I'll go with them!"
Li Fu gave a thumbs-up and praised, "Madam Liang is so considerate of her subordinates, I admire her."
After exchanging greetings, the two groups went their separate ways, parting ways. Fang Zhenghua was left completely bewildered. A woman could actually be a manager, and even be above men? You see, this Li Fu was the general manager of Liang Xiaoming's trading company, overseeing a vast business empire, and held a high position within the Qionghai Army. Fang Zhenghua had even been hoping to get closer to him! Yet, this very man had to speak to the woman from before with such humility, his demeanor no less deferential than when he met Liu Ye.
As fate would have it, just as Fang Zhenghua was wondering about Liu Ru's background, a sedan chair passed by them. When they saw Li Fu, a voice came from inside the chair, "Eh?" The curtain was lifted, revealing a pretty face. She greeted them, "Chief Steward Li?"
After recognizing the person who had come, Li Fu dared not be negligent and asked, "Aunt Duan, where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?"
Duan Mengrou answered seriously: "Master asked me to manage all the expense accounts, and I dare not slack off. Yesterday, when I checked the accounts, I found that there were some discrepancies in the expense and cash flow accounts of the Guangzhou money shop, and the amount was not small. Although they are all old partners, I believe they will not have any major problems, but I still feel more at ease to go and see for myself."
Li Fu also became serious: "There's a problem with the bank's accounts? That should be investigated carefully. If there's nothing wrong, that's fine. But if there is, they must be punished. Otherwise, we won't be able to explain to the Marquis if trouble arises." He had just been in charge of extracting the bank's cash flow for military expenses. If something went wrong, he would also be in trouble, so naturally he didn't want anything to happen.
Duan Mengrou nodded: "I'm in a hurry to get going, so I won't stay and talk to Steward Li any longer. I'll go ahead first."
After the sedan chair had gone some distance, Fang Zhenghua asked blankly, "Steward Li, is this important matter of money handled by a woman? She looks like a delicate young girl, how much money does she actually handle?"
Li Fu was already used to this kind of scene and didn't see anything wrong with it. He nodded and said, "That's right, Aunt Duan is a master at managing accounts; no one here can compare to her. As for the amount she's handled, it adds up to several million taels..."
"Several million taels..." Fang Zhenghua almost spat out a mouthful of blood. As someone from the Directorate of Ceremonial, he knew the court was short of money. Wars were raging everywhere, spending money like water, the Ministry of Revenue was constantly complaining of poverty, and even the Emperor couldn't bear to replace his dragon robes, continuing to wear them patched up, all he could think about was where to find money to patch up the hole. And this Lingao, on the other hand, had a young girl managing several million taels of silver, almost equivalent to the entire Ming Dynasty's annual revenue!
Fang Zhenghua seemed to understand something. The rise and power of the Qionghai Army was not accidental, but inevitable. With such abundant financial resources and such a powerful army, what couldn't Liu Ye accomplish? It's likely that a mere marquisate and the title of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent are not his ultimate goals. It's truly terrifying to think about.