Jackie Chan's Son-in-Law

Chapter 73 Northern Garrison Command!

Without a doubt, in this era, political matters far outweigh any business matters.

While the economy is important, in this era it can only ever be secondary.

In other words, from the moment Chen Qing made up his mind to make a name for himself in this world, everything he did afterward was actually preparation for his subsequent journey to the capital.

Now, it's finally time to start preparing.

Inside the Gu family compound, Chen Qing and Miss Gu sat facing each other across a table. Xiao Yue served them various dishes. When the last dish was served, Xiao Yue said with a smile, "Is this the first time Miss has dined at the same table with Young Master?"

Miss Gu glanced at her but didn't say anything.

Chen Qing smiled and said, "Xiaoyue, sit down and eat with us too."

"I will not eat."

Xiaoyue shook her head with a grin, then turned and skipped away.

Miss Gu watched her retreating figure, shook her head and said, "That girl is getting more and more outrageous."

Chen Qing said with a smile, "Her personality is quite good, which means she hasn't suffered much hardship in the Gu family."

Miss Gu hummed in agreement. She looked at Chen Qing and said, "Let's talk about going to the capital. I know absolutely nothing about the capital."

She looked at Chen Qing and asked, "How much do you know, young master?"

"I don't know much, but I've learned a bit from my interactions with that Prince Jiang these past few days."

Chen Qing put down his teacup and said, "The best outcome of our trip to the capital is naturally to rescue Uncle Zhao, whom Pan'er mentioned."

"If he can be reinstated and continue to protect the Gu family, that would be the best outcome. If he can no longer serve as an official, rescuing him from the capital would also be a good result. This way, Uncle Gu will have no more worries and can return to Deqing to run Anrentang and the Gu family's other businesses."

Master Gu is only in his forties or fifties this year. It's just that the average life expectancy is too low in this era, so he occasionally refers to himself as "this old man".

Previously, he was in a hurry to find a son-in-law for the Gu family, mainly because he felt that this trip to the capital was dangerous, so he wanted to find someone to take over his daughter's care and at least give her someone to rely on.

If he survives this ordeal, he can continue to run the family business for a long time.

This is undoubtedly the best possible outcome for Chen Qing.

Because he doesn't intend to devote too much energy to business, he needs a trustworthy and capable person to manage the business for him.

After getting to know him over this period of time, I can tell that Mr. Gu is undoubtedly a very suitable person.

Miss Gu nodded and sighed, "I'm afraid this is very difficult."

"It was originally very difficult."

Chen Qing paused for a moment, then continued, "Uncle Gu mentioned it to me a few times before. That Lord Zhao should be in the Imperial Prison of the Yiluan Division now. It's a place that even high-ranking officials in the court can't easily enter or contact. If they want to file a complaint or overturn a case, they have no way to do so."

"When Uncle Gu went to the capital, his biggest thought was probably to bring the Zhao family out of the capital so that they wouldn't be implicated in the future."

"However, things have now taken a turn for the better."

Chen Qing looked at Gu Pan and continued, "Our chivalrous tale is doing quite well. It has already spread from Huzhou to Yingtian. Uncle Gu even took a portion of it to the capital. Perhaps by now, it has gained some influence in the capital as well."

"With some influence, we'll have some weight in the capital. Then, with that Prince Jiang leading the way, we'll have the opportunity to make contact with the Northern Garrison of the Imperial Ceremonial Office in the capital."

Originally, Chen Qing had no concept of the Yi Luan Division, but after talking with Master Gu some time ago, and after contacting that Prince Jiang these past few days, Chen Qing has gained some understanding of the Yi Luan Division.

In the Yiluan Division, besides the part of the Imperial Guard that was still responsible for the emperor's ceremonial procession, there were still subordinate guard posts. These guard posts were military units and rarely participated in politics.

The one that truly participated in politics was the Northern Garrison Command, which was one of the Northern and Southern Garrison Commands.

The power to control the imperial prisons rests within the Northern Garrison Command.

Even a regular Jinyiwei officer in the Northern Garrison becomes a Jinyitiqi (Imperial Guard) once they leave the capital, a high-ranking official carrying out imperial orders!
The other Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards) were somewhat lacking.

For example, the Commander Shen that Prince Jiang brought earlier was also a member of the Yiluan Division and a local commander, but in essence he was just a military leader. Such a person might have some influence in Yingtian City, but in front of civil officials...

The officials in charge of cultural affairs may not necessarily think highly of him.

Therefore, the Yingtian Yiluan Division's Thousand-Household Office was only one of Chen Qing's escape routes. He would not seek a way out from Commander Shen unless absolutely necessary. "Only by making contact with the Northern Garrison Command can one possibly make contact with the Imperial Prison."

At this point, Chen Qing paused for a moment before continuing, "It's just a concept right now. I have no idea what the Northern Garrison Command will actually look like. We'll have to get to know it gradually after we go to the capital."

Gu Pan looked at Chen Qing and said, "Young Master wants to establish himself in the capital, doesn't he?"

Chen Qing didn't hide anything from her and nodded, saying, "Yes, otherwise, if that Lord Zhao can't be reinstated, even if we leave the capital and return to Deqing, we won't be able to find protection, and the Chen family will have to pay back the 50,000 taels in the future."

"No one knows whether they will harbor resentment."

Miss Gu frowned: "Why would they harbor resentment over money that is rightfully ours?"

Chen Qing shook his head and said, "It's precisely this kind of situation that makes it easier to become enemies."

He looked at Gu Pan and said seriously, "If you borrow money and leave it for a long time, some people will start to think that it is their own money. If you ask for it back, they will subconsciously feel that you are robbing them."

"Especially the money that has already been spent."

Chen Qing sighed, "The money was still spent on other people, and we didn't see any results. Three years have passed, and even my father probably feels uneasy about it."

Miss Gu frowned, but did not speak.

Chen Qing smiled and said, "That's just human nature."

His smile faded, and he said quietly, "Besides, I've already made enemies with my family, and I'm determined to make a name for myself."

"I have no official rank, so the path of becoming a civil servant is no longer viable. Even if I were to take the exam now and everything went smoothly, I would probably not pass until I was over thirty."

"That doesn't mean anything."

Chen Qing said frankly, "Among the paths of the Yiluan Division, only the Northern Garrison Division is tempting to me, and I plan to give it a try."

Miss Gu said softly, "I've heard that the Northern Garrison Command doesn't have much of a future."

"No great future, but great power."

Chen Qing did not continue speaking, but instead said, "Moreover, what Uncle Gu wants to do cannot be done without going through the Northern Garrison Command."

"I have to give this a try."

Gu Pan hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "I don't know much about the affairs of the imperial court either, so I'll leave it to you, Da Lang."

Chen Qing understood from her expression.

In this era where civil officials hold sway, Miss Gu still secretly hopes to pursue a career in government through examinations.

After all, this path is glorious in every way.

Moreover, in her opinion, Chen Qing's talent was sufficient, and even if it took ten or twenty years, Miss Gu would feel it was worth it.

However, Chen Qing himself had absolutely no such patience.

The two talked for a long time, making detailed arrangements for the follow-up preparations. It wasn't until the afternoon that Chen Qing got up and left.

…………

In the following month or two, Chen Qing and Gu Pan went about their own business. As the first ten issues of "Xia Ji" were published, this "martial arts serial newspaper" became a hit all the way from Jiangnan to the capital.

As a result, Deqing Bookstore quickly became the most famous bookstore in the entire Huzhou.

As the novel became a hit, the weather gradually turned colder, and before we knew it, it was late autumn and early winter.

That day, Xiaoyue ran into Chen Qing's courtyard in Niluo Lane, panting as she looked at Chen Qing, who was writing a letter with his head down.

"Young master, young master..."

"My husband has sent a letter!"

(End of this chapter)