knife

Chapter 33 Be Down-to-Earth and Honest
It was only early October, but snowflakes had already begun to fall in Tai'an City. They fluttered and danced in the wind. Zhang Qingyun lifted the curtain of the carriage window, stretched out her hand, and watched the snowflakes fall into her hand, only to melt into water droplets in an instant.

A chilly wind blew in through the window, brushing against Zhang Qingyun's face with a slight sting, but it also made her mind clearer.

These days, she has been staying in the vast underground complex of Chi Qiu Yuan, reading the intelligence that gathers from various places every day.

Qian Jia was right; the things one could come into contact with while working in the Department of Statistics and Analysis were indeed very extensive.

The intelligence gathered was very disorganized, ranging from what edicts the Marshal's Mansion had issued that day, which troops had moved their defense zones, to what commodity prices had changed in the market—it was almost all-encompassing.

To Zhang Qingyun's amazement, this intelligence even included the romantic affairs of some people, some of whom seemed to be enemies but had a very close relationship in private.

The intelligence wasn't just limited to the Qin people's sphere of influence outside the pass; it also included all the Yi tribes. There was also a considerable amount of intelligence from the Northern Yuan, but very little from within the pass.

It's clear that Chi Qiu Yuan is currently focusing more on the land outside the Great Wall and the Northern Yuan.

After all, these places are now inextricably linked to the fate of Tai'an City.

Regardless of any changes in these places, Tai'an City will inevitably be affected.

Zhang Qingyun was appointed as the deputy director of the Department of Statistics and Analysis. The director of the Department of Statistics and Analysis was an old man with a goatee who was taciturn and showed no emotional change upon Zhang Qingyun's arrival.

It seems that Zhang Qingyun was just an ordinary member among several deputy directors.

The Statistical Analysis Department has dozens of analysts, each responsible for specific tasks: synthesizing and refining relevant intelligence, writing their own conclusions, and submitting them to their superiors.

The area that Zhang Qingyun, the deputy director, was in charge of was similar to what she used to do when she was with her father; almost all the intelligence was related to money.

We must extract the truth behind these changes from the flow of money, bulk commodities, price fluctuations, and demand changes in various regions.

Zhang Qingyun was no stranger to these things.

Behind those tedious accounts often lies the truth of everything.

It just needs someone with the will to dig it out.

He had seven or eight intelligence analysts under his command, all of whom were quite shrewd and capable, at least more so than the officials in the Ministry of Revenue where his father worked at the time.

Of course, perhaps those in charge weren't actually unintelligent; they were just pretending to be confused.

After reading the summaries of those intelligence analysts, Zhang Qingyun immediately abandoned her contempt, because she realized that even if she did it herself, she would definitely not do it better than those people.

She became even more cautious.

None of the people who do these jobs are easy to deal with. There might be some traps hidden in the information they submit. If you fall into one without realizing it, you will not only make them laugh at you, but they will also look down on you.

On the contrary, if he could find the worms in their things, his authority as deputy director would be truly demonstrated.

Authority and power, sometimes, must be earned through one's own efforts.

This is especially true in this place.

Only by finding influential information that others cannot discover from a vast and chaotic sea of ​​intelligence can one truly establish authority.

Qian Jia and Zhou Yi must have come out of this situation back then.

Zhang Qingyun worked diligently like a little bee, not thinking about doing anything particularly outstanding. Since she didn't fully understand the background outside the Great Wall, doing so would most likely result in making a fool of herself rather than standing out.

No intelligence can be separated from the local reality, the background, or even human relationships. Only by embedding intelligence into these factors and considering them comprehensively can we possibly glimpse the truth behind it.

For Zhang Qingyun, this workload was not much at all; in fact, it was quite easy.

Besides diligently performing her duties step by step, she devoted all her remaining time to reading the past documents in the archives.

After some time, Zhang Qingyun unexpectedly noticed a hint of appreciation in the eyes of the director, whose expression was usually stern and blank. This slight change in his gaze brought his face to life.

I was reading some intelligence about the Northern Yuan in the archives today, and I had just figured out the current power structure of the Northern Yuan court when the director sent someone over, saying that someone had come to see him.

The person who specifically requests to see you by name at Chi Qiu Yuan is someone you know without even asking.

It's been almost a month, has Li Dachui finally remembered that he still exists?

The layout of the east, west, and north parts of Tai'an City is largely the same, with uniformly planned and constructed houses of the same style. The straight streets divide the city into neighborhoods. The first impression of these places in Tai'an City is that they are clean and simple.

Emerging cities always offer a refreshing experience.

Tai'an City has developed in the last twenty years or so.

From the moment it began its large-scale construction, it displayed a style completely different from other cities in the Qin Dynasty.

He is one of a kind.

But now, traveling in a carriage on the streets of the southern city, it's a completely different experience.

You can't see that uniformity here anymore.

The road was wide, but the houses on both sides were all different in style. Each house looked small from the outside, but each had a unique design.

Being different does not in itself represent a privilege.

Unlike the other three districts, there are no bustling crowds here, nor are there a dazzling array of shops, restaurants, and inns.

It's very quiet.

The streets of the other three districts were spotless, but here, fallen leaves from the trees covered the entire street—red, yellow, green, each different—creating a unique scene.

Even the patrolling soldiers in black robes that you encounter on the road seem to be holding their breath and being very careful.

This place is probably inhabited by the top figures of Tai'an City.

The carriage stopped in front of a door.

The strong woman driving the carriage opened the door. "Young lady, we've arrived!"

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Qingyun stepped down from the carriage.

What came into view was a large mansion.

Just by looking at the towering walls that stretched endlessly on both sides and the long row of doors, Zhang Qingyun knew that this house was definitely no ordinary residence.

As soon as Zhang Qingyun stepped off the carriage, the door opened.

Behind the door stood Li Dachui, all smiles.

"Miss Qingyun, I've been waiting for you for quite a while!" Li Dachui gestured for you to enter. "Upon arriving in Tai'an City, I was entangled in numerous matters and didn't have time to welcome you properly. I'm truly sorry!"

Zhang Qingyun blinked and said, "I'm not a guest now, but a subordinate of Brother Li's subordinate. There are many layers between us."

Li Dachui laughed loudly: "Just because you called me Brother Li, there's only a thin layer between us, isn't that right? Let's get rich!"

“Young master is right!” came the voice of the strong woman driving the carriage from behind Zhang Qingyun.

It turns out her name is Fa Cai (meaning "get rich"), which is very much in the style of Li Dachui (a famous Chinese comedian).

Li Dachui laughed smugly: "You see, she thinks so too. Qingyun, take a look at this house, do you find it pleasing to the eye?"

Zhang Qingyun was taken aback and stopped in her tracks: "What do you mean?"

“It doesn’t mean anything. I just prepared this house for you. You’ll be living here from now on,” Li Dachui said. “This used to be my house. It’s the one with the best feng shui in the south of the city. Anyway, I don’t spend much time in Tai’an City now, so I’m giving it to you.”

“No need, I’m very comfortable at Zhi Qiu Courtyard!” Zhang Qingyun subconsciously declined.

Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious; every time Li Dachui takes the initiative to be friendly, there is bound to be some ulterior motive behind it.

There's no way you can get something for nothing from him.

He's giving himself a house here; heaven knows what he's up to.

"Are you really living comfortably?" Li Dachui looked at him with a half-smile. "I heard that you haven't taken a shower in a month!"

Zhang Qingyun's face immediately turned bright red. The life in Zhi Qiu Courtyard was communal, which was good in every way except for the bathing area, which was something that she, a former noble lady, simply could not adapt to.

In a steamy public bathhouse, a large group of naked women were washing themselves. Zhang Qingyun, who was being led into this place for the first time, turned around and ran away.

She was very sensitive, and in the days that followed, she simply washed herself with a basin of water in her small, cramped room.

How come in Li Dachui's mouth it's because he hasn't taken a bath in a month!
“You, you…” Zhang Qingyun stammered, pointing at Li Dachui.

She found that whenever she was in front of Li Dachui, he would easily find her weaknesses and leave her speechless.

"Here, there's a separate kitchen, a separate shower area!" Li Dachui's voice held an unparalleled allure. "And there's also a private space where you won't be disturbed. Are you sure you don't want it?"

Zhang Qingyun immediately hesitated.

An independent, undisturbed space—something that could never be achieved again after the Zhang family's downfall.

She had always been used to living in a big house since she was a child.

Even in the difficult circumstances of living in Chang'an, their house still had three courtyards.

She bit her lip lightly, her hesitation and struggle clearly visible on her face.

"Come, come, let me show you your new home!" Li Dachui laughed and led the way.

After hesitating for a while, Zhang Qingyun finally followed.

Since we already owe others a favor, what's wrong with owing them a little more?

(End of this chapter)