pdf-ebookys Chapter 944 Leaking Secrets for Survival
Chapter 944 Leaking Secrets for Survival
After finishing his meal, he replied in a low voice, "They've been seen off!"
After saying that, he took out a long, narrow wooden box from his pocket and presented it to the master: "This is what he left behind. He said that you will understand once you see it, sir. I have carefully checked the outside of the box and there is nothing hidden inside."
"Hmm, there weren't any clues left, were there?" Zhang Ping'an asked as he took the box.
The box looks like the kind you'd find in a regular grocery store; nothing special, and it's not heavy.
After eating his fill, he replied, "Don't worry, sir. This was done discreetly, without leaving any trace. The mess has been cleaned up."
"Okay, I understand. Thank you for your hard work," Zhang Ping'an said without rushing to open the box.
He then took out a land deed from a drawer in his study: "This is a New Year's red envelope, for good luck. Land in the suburbs of Beijing is hard to buy now. I've allocated 100 mu of top-quality land from my estate for you. If you want to manage it yourself, you can arrange for people to take care of it. If you don't want to put in the effort, there are already some farmers on the estate. These fields are all connected, so it's easy to manage them."
After finishing his meal, Zhang Ping'an opened his mouth as if to say something, but Zhang Ping'an gently waved his hand to stop him, his voice gentle yet firm: "Over the years, you've followed me all the way up and down the country, taking up new posts. You've made contributions and endured hardships, so don't say you won't accept this New Year's bonus!"
Feeling both touched and conflicted after his meal, he secretly rubbed his fingers together and said, "But... this is too much! Following you, Master, was the best decision I've ever made in my life, and I'll never regret it, even if it means dying!"
Zhang Ping'an smiled upon hearing this, leaned back in his chair, and said in a relaxed and matter-of-fact tone, "I've seen all your contributions. This is what you deserve. Don't refuse, just accept it! With these fields, as long as your descendants don't indulge in drinking, gambling, whoring, or other immoral behavior, they can easily live a comfortable life as small landlords. You're accumulating blessings for your descendants!"
Having said that, and having eaten his fill, he couldn't refuse any longer, so he accepted the food, half touched and half happy.
He knew exactly how much a mu of fertile land outside Beijing cost, and given the current situation, even with money, he probably couldn't buy much, let alone contiguous plots. These several thousand taels of silver weighed heavily on his mind.
After finishing his meal and leaving, Zhang Ping'an didn't rush to open the box to see what was inside. Instead, he went out to stay up late with his family to celebrate the New Year.
I noticed this unintentionally after finishing my meal, and I thought to myself with a sigh, "This is the difference in character and magnanimity between people!"
He probably would have opened it long ago, and he had a vague idea of what was inside. He was glad that he had restrained his curiosity.
You do what you're supposed to do in your position, and you earn what you're supposed to earn. Over the years in the Zhang family, he has accumulated a fortune of tens of thousands of taels of silver and has a considerable network of connections, which is quite impressive for someone of his background.
After eating, I silently reminded myself that I must always be mindful of my responsibilities and do my best in everything I do.
Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs.
The spring breeze sent warmth into Tu Su.
The sun shines brightly on every door and window.
They always replace the old peachwood charms with new ones.
Perhaps because they had attended the New Year's Eve banquet at the palace this year, Zhang Lao Er and Xu Shi were in very good spirits and not sleepy at all. Unlike in previous years when they would sit for a while after eating, have a cup of tea, and then go back to their room to rest, the old couple insisted on waiting to stay up all night with their son and grandson this year.
With the sound of firecrackers, the new year has arrived!
After the bonfire was lit, everyone returned to the main room. Xiaoyuer, being the youngest, was the first to offer New Year's greetings to Zhang Lao Er, Xu Shi, and Zhang Ping'an.
"Oh, my dear grandson, get up quickly!" Xu said, smiling as she took out a red envelope she had prepared in advance from her bosom.
Zhang Lao Er and Zhang Ping An also made preparations.
The whole family is enjoying themselves.
The servants watching were also eager to try. Every year, the New Year's greetings were the time they looked forward to the most, because they could receive generous red envelopes, have a good meal, and wear new clothes.
Zhang Ping'an was never stingy in such matters, and as was customary, he gave each servant a generous New Year's red envelope.
After finishing all this, everyone went back to their rooms to rest. Tomorrow morning they would have to get up early to socialize and visit people for the New Year, which would be quite tiring.
After washing up and lying down in bed, Zhang Ping'an took out the small wooden box left by Li Mingxuan and played with it in his hands again.
His gaze was casual, as if he were lost in thought. After a moment, he scraped off the sealant and opened the box with a click.
Inside was a brown sheepskin map. After looking at it closely, Zhang Ping'an discovered that Bai Chao had three treasure locations: one in Shandong, one in Shanxi, and another in Baoding, Hebei, which was the closest treasure location to the capital.
The locations in Shandong and Shanxi are only roughly marked, without even specifying which county they are in. Only the location in Baoding, Hebei, is drawn in great detail. If the treasure map is real, there is a high probability that it can be found.
Zhang Ping'an chuckled, knowing that Li Mingxuan had played a trick on him.
He probably feared that I wouldn't let him off the hook, so he left himself a backup plan.
After pondering for a moment, he carefully put away the treasure map, waiting for an opportunity to send someone to Hebei to investigate.
However, to Zhang Ping'an's surprise, Li Mingxuan did more than that.
The next day was the first day of the Lunar New Year, a day when families should be exchanging New Year's greetings. Even during the period of national mourning, basic etiquette should not be neglected.
Unexpectedly, news spread that Bai Chao had left behind a huge treasure in various places before his death.
There are also treasure maps as evidence, which are posted everywhere in front of every household in the important sections of the common people's areas in the south and west of the capital!
This kind of thing spreads the fastest.
People who came to pay their respects early in the morning were all talking about this, including Green Bean Eyes.
"Hey, Ping An, what do you think is going on? How come a treasure map left by Bai Chao suddenly appeared? I think this is probably done intentionally. After all, everyone knows that Bai Chao has been sweeping through the north for several years. The wealth he accumulated is enough for the common people to live on for several generations. He died suddenly, so he must not have spent much. So many years have passed without a trace, and suddenly it appears, with specific routes, each one different. It's hard to tell what's real and what's fake. Tsk tsk, I think this is not simple!"
With his beady eyes, he spoke with absolute certainty, his face full of gossip.
Little did they know that Zhang Ping'an had already cursed Li Mingxuan hundreds of times; this move was truly ruthless!
But one has to commend this tactic as clever and ingenious—leaking information to survive!
When a secret is no longer a secret, the danger to the person who holds it is minimized, and people's attention will no longer be focused on him.
Who knows if a treasure map is real or fake? Who can tell the difference? Just the investigation alone would take a lot of effort.
"I heard that Cui Ling has already sent people to investigate, and the truth will probably come out soon. Let's not spread rumors. Anyway, it doesn't have much to do with us, so it's best not to get involved at this time."
After a few awkward laughs, Zhang Ping'an touched his nose and then continued chatting with the beady-eyed man about other things.
Actually, Zhou Pu and Cui Ling were even more frustrated than Zhang Ping'an at this moment.