Chapter 54: The Reversal of Fortune

Although Su Dan held the official rank of Palace Secretary in the imperial court, he was stationed in Chang'an, where his career prospects were inevitably more limited compared to being posted elsewhere.

Now, being assigned to Taizhou as the Grand Administrator was akin to becoming a localized monarch in that region.

Everyone in the household felt genuinely happy for Su Dan.

"It seems our Su family is truly going to rise in prominence. With the master becoming the Grand Administrator, even if all of us have to relocate to Taizhou, it will be well worth it."

There were only a few dozen domestic servants in the Su residence.

Right now, they felt that their days of distinction had finally arrived. At the very least, as Su Dan advanced in his career, they too would reap certain benefits.

Su Chen wore a smile on his face at that moment.

"Congratulations, Father. You are going to Taizhou as the Grand Administrator. This is far better than staying cooped up in Chang'an. Once you arrive there, you will be the absolute authority."

Naturally, Su Chen was delighted for his father.

Moreover, Taizhou was an exceptionally prosperous region. It was no mere backwater, and taking up the post of Grand Administrator there was advantageous in every conceivable aspect.

Yet, Su Dan remained cautious and prudent; he dared not act recklessly there.

Both his son and daughter were still in Chang'an. If any untoward incident occurred there, the consequences would be unimaginable, and it might even implicate his son-in-law.

"It is nothing much. Although it is the post of Grand Administrator, it still means leaving Chang'an far behind, and I might be away for several years this time."

Initially, Su Dan had assumed he would be demoted to some idle post in a remote area.

Never had he imagined he would be appointed as a Grand Administrator.

However, Taizhou was not an easy place to govern either.

Because the region was exceedingly wealthy, it attracted all sorts of people. The struggles for fame and power, as well as the scheming and maneuvering beneath the surface, were fiercely intense.

For an ordinary official seeking to govern that place without genuine capability, handling the situation would be a true challenge.

Su Dan was currently pondering over his acquaintances in that region. After all, having many acquaintances made conducting official business easier; without a few familiar faces, arriving there would prove difficult.

However, he kept these thoughts to himself. After all, his son had only just begun to show promise, and he did not want to burden him with excessive worry.

***

"Rest assured, Father. I trust you. You will certainly go there and manage everything splendidly. Moreover, in a little while, once I can spare the time, I will also travel to your side to visit."

Naturally, Su Chen also hoped to make a trip to Taizhou to have a proper look around.

Since he had managed to transmigrate into the Great Tang era, he ought to properly witness and travel across this world.

Besides, with his father holding such a high office down there, it would be effortless for him to accomplish things.

It was just that Su Chen could not leave just yet; there were still many matters in Chang'an that required his attention. Once he had settled those affairs, traveling to Taizhou would become much more convenient.

Su Dan did not take Su Chen's words entirely seriously.

Taizhou was so far away, and this son of his had never once ventured out of Chang'an.

For now, as long as he could establish a foothold in Chang'an relying on his medical skills, that would already be quite satisfactory.

"Judging by His Majesty's intent, he expects me to reach Taizhou as swiftly as possible. If that is the case, I will go to the imperial palace tomorrow to report for duty and set off the day after."

Su Dan fell into contemplation.

From the contents of the imperial edict, Li Shimin undoubtedly hoped he would arrive in Taizhou as quickly as possible, as numerous official positions there were currently vacant, urgently requiring someone to take charge.

Furthermore, the local situation there was exceedingly complex.

"Father, do not worry too much. Leave everything here to me. Go to Taizhou with peace of mind and assume your post. If anything comes up, you can always send someone with a message."

Seeing his father looking so hesitant and lacking the imposing air of a Grand Administrator, Su Chen realized his father still needed some tempering.

In truth, Su Dan's heart was filled with joy. Finding it difficult to make an impact in his previous position as Palace Secretary, he hoped this new appointment as Grand Administrator of Taizhou would finally allow him to display his true capabilities.

"My son, you have truly grown up. Seeing you like this sets my mind completely at ease. I hear you have earned quite a bit of wealth in Chang'an recently. You should hire a few more servants; our household has too few staff now. Though I must take some of them with me this time, I will still leave a few capable ones behind in the residence to assist you."

Su Dan urged Su Chen to recruit more servants.

In fact, this was a consistent tradition of the Su family: whenever they had surplus wealth, they would bring in more people to help and simultaneously offer opportunities to those in poverty.

The Great Tang had not been established very long ago, and Li Shimin had only been ruling for a few years. Presently, numerous troublesome issues followed one after another.

The common folk were not living well at all. The Su family could already be considered quite fortunate, whereas countless people at the bottom tier struggled simply to secure a meal.

Su Chen was well aware of his easygoing father's mindset.

***

"Father, rest assured. I will not treat the servants poorly. Take whomever you need; you are traveling far and wide and will need people at every turn. I am in Chang'an, so you need not worry too much about me."

Su Chen did his utmost to comfort Su Dan.

He deliberately selected some of the finest domestic servants for his father to take along.

Seeing his son act so sensible and mature, Su Dan wore a gratified smile.

The countless ancestors of the Su family must have finally opened their eyes.

With Su Chen now so sensible, he could finally set off to assume his post in Taizhou with a tranquil mind.

The Su residence was soon adorned with celebratory lanterns and colorful banners.

Many of the household servants were delighted for their master, considering it a glorious prospect to accompany him to Taizhou.

Wiping away tears of emotion, the servants felt that they had finally weathered the hardships, seeing a glimmer of hope for the rise of the Su household.

"After the extreme of adversity comes prosperity; the ancients truly spoke the truth. Now that the young master has matured and the master has secured a better post, the Su family is destined to become the shining new star of the Great Tang."

Tears streamed down old steward Su Fu's face as he spoke.

On that very day, he even ordered the kitchen to slaughter an extra sheep.

Everyone in the household was treated to an extra-rich meal.

This was truly a joyous occasion.

Su Fu also summoned his own son.

From now on, the young master would rely on his son, as Su Fu himself was preparing to accompany Su Dan to Taizhou.

"Now, the responsibilities I bore must be passed on to you. Do you know how many generations our family has served in the Su residence?"

Su Fu had spent years grooming his son specifically to inherit his position.

Now that he was about to follow Su Dan to Taizhou, he naturally needed to entrust the affairs here to his child.

Su Fu's son, Su Gui, was an exceptionally quick-witted lad whom Su Fu had deliberately tested and tempered through years of hard work behind the scenes.