The Steward’s Discontent and Shrewd Solutions

Lingzhou City, Hexi Province.

The weather was rather bleak today. Thick clouds obscured the sun, casting a gloomy pall over Lingzhou City, mirroring Sun He’s mood.

“Master, please have some tea.”

His newlywed concubine, a picture of alluring charm, offered him the tea with a seductive smile.

The premium pre-rain tea from Jiangnan, ‘Scaring the Immortals,’ was fragrant and delicious. Coupled with the soft whispers and tender service of the beauty beside him, this indulgence was truly extraordinary.

The Lingzhou Steward’s mood finally began to lift.

This concubine was a ‘lean horse’ of superior quality, specially transported from Yangzhou by the brothel last month. It was said that merely purchasing her from there cost a thousand taels of silver, not to mention the expenses incurred during her journey.

As the saying went, ‘Tongzhou wives, Yangzhou lean horses.’ Sun He had previously kept two wives from Tongzhou and found them quite satisfactory. With his fortunes improving over the past few years, it was only natural he wished to experience the ‘Yangzhou lean horse,’ reputed to be a peerless beauty.

He had mentioned it casually during a chat within the gate. In less than two months, his attentive subordinates had delivered her—though he knew the expense likely came from the gate’s public funds, he cared little. After all, as a steward overseeing a region, Lingzhou’s stability over the years was undeniably due to his efforts. Using a little of the gate’s resources was only fitting.

Over the years, as the gate’s influence grew, Sun He’s life had become increasingly comfortable. Yet, a shadow of discontent lingered.

“Hmph!”

A low hum escaped Sun He’s lips whenever he thought of the truly powerful and lucrative halls within the gate, and the young stewards who managed them.

Just days ago, during the gate’s talent selection, he had intended to secure a position for his nephew in the Merits Hall. Despite it being a critical hall responsible for assessing contributions and determining promotions—a place known for its immense wealth and the envy it drew—all he sought was a minor managerial role. He had initially believed that with his own standing, coupled with the recommendation from Old Zhu of the Forging Hall, it would be a simple matter. He had even boasted to his younger brother before the arrangement was finalized.

Unexpectedly, the new steward, recently promoted by the Gate Master, showed him no respect whatsoever. He bluntly told Sun He’s entrusted manager that his nephew’s record contained numerous misdeeds, and that merely avoiding expulsion was already a gesture of goodwill to Sun He. Such a crucial position, he declared, was not to be considered in the future. In the end, both the manager and the gifts were unceremoniously thrown out.

Indeed, the young man from the Merits Hall had made significant contributions to the gate. Even Sun He had heard of his reputation, known for his clever strategies and considerable martial prowess. But what did that matter?

They were all members of Tianhe Gate. Who among them hadn’t toiled and bled for the gate?

What were his own qualifications? He had been a regional steward even before the old Gate Master’s time. He could take the seat of honor when drinking with Old Hu, and even in front of the Young Miss, he could recount his glorious past, rolling up his sleeves to show his scars. How dared a mere steward of the Merits Hall act so arrogantly before him?

As he pondered how to contact his old friends in Wuzhou City to find an opportunity to impeach that young man, to teach him a harsh lesson and show him his place, a servant entered. The servant announced that Chen Xuwun, the current steward of the local branch, sought an audience.

Chen Xuwun.

At the mention of the name, a wave of emotion washed over Sun He. This young man was meticulous and clever in his work, pleasant in his speech, and always incredibly considerate—far superior to many of the newly promoted youths in the gate. It was a pity he was too young and lacked significant achievements; his promotion to steward was already the limit.

He would need to be carefully nurtured and recommended more to Old Hu. Such talent, he mused, was the true pillar of the gate’s future, their future reliance.

The current crop of young upstarts, however, were far too arrogant, a potential misfortune for the gate.

With this thought, Sun He raised a hand. “Let him in.”

Chen Xuwun was a young man, roughly in his early twenties, tall and slender, with a slightly effeminate air, but not unattractive. He appeared quite fair-skinned, and his martial arts were commendable.

Upon entering, he respectfully bowed, inquired about Sun He’s health, and then, with a smile, shared a few calming and invigorating herbal remedies he had heard of. Only then did he get to the main topic.

“Steward, most of the loan shark money we lent out this year has been repaid. Of the remaining, two families claim temporary financial difficulties and have requested a two-month extension. Seeing their genuine hardship, your subordinate boldly took the liberty of agreeing, only increasing their interest by an additional two percent.”

Sun He nodded with satisfaction. “Good, you handled it well. If they are in trouble, we naturally shouldn’t press too hard. But if they cannot repay on time, that is their concern. Increasing the interest by two percent is already benevolent. I trust they will understand.”

“And then there’s the Yu family. They were granted an extension last time, and now they’re requesting another. Your humble subordinate finds this inappropriate. Perhaps we should have the man sign a contract and offer his two daughters as collateral?”

“Debts must be repaid; that is a matter of course. Granting an extension once is our benevolence, but they must not mistake our kindness for weakness.”

Sun He let out a low hum. “We will act openly. If they want an extension, let them offer their daughters as collateral themselves. Otherwise, they shouldn’t blame us for being impolite.”

“Yes, your subordinate understands.”

Chen Xuwun immediately nodded in agreement, then continued, “There is one more matter. This time, the gate utterly defeated the Moluo Cult, completely restoring the Western Lands. As an external branch, we must express our sentiments. What are the Steward’s thoughts?”

“Such a great victory, and under Old Hu’s personal command, we old subordinates must naturally present a generous gift.”

Sun He stroked his beard, meticulously calculating. After a moment, he spoke, “Right, besides the gate, gifts must also be sent to Old Hu’s home, several old hall masters, and the stewards. And as a token of our sincerity, they must be sufficiently generous.”

This time, a hint of difficulty finally appeared on Chen Xuwun’s face. “If all of this comes from public funds, the amount of money and grain to be submitted this year might not be enough. Last year, we relied on Steward Zhao’s mediation. How about requesting donations from the city’s merchants?”

As he spoke, his eyes danted around, as if a thought had struck him. “Oh, yes, your subordinate recalls that the Ma Family Merchant Guild had considerable dealings with the Moluo Cult. To clear their names, they would surely be willing to donate. And there’s the Qinglong Firm. Although they have the Carefree Pavilion as their backing, and they donated for the Young Master’s birthday previously, someone recently reported that their past activities were more extensive than just those few incidents, and they reportedly had other secret dealings with the Bai family. Perhaps they could use this opportunity to prove their innocence…”

“Your thoughts are indeed thorough. Hmm, let’s do that. Proceed as you’ve suggested.”

Having devised a solution in the blink of an eye, Sun He grew even more pleased with the young man he favored.