When Gu Chengyan left, the butler also left.

The steward returned to the Wu family and immediately reported to Wu Zhaohui, who knew Gu Chengyan and knew that he was the Crown Prince's man.

He immediately hitched up a horse-drawn carriage and went to the construction site to ask Gu Chengyan how much grain he had received.

Gu Chengyan didn't want to say; it was a secret.

He mentioned 210, but he was prepared to report 260 to the imperial court. How could he tell Wu Zhaohui that?

Unable to get any answers, Wu Zhaohui hurried back to the Wu family home to discuss the matter with the clan elders.

As soon as he entered, the steward told him, "The Fang family went to the inn to look for Meng Yan."

"The Fang family? Fang Sixian?"

"Yes, it's him."

Fang Sixian was the brother-in-law of Prince Qi, and was not only a grain merchant but also a salt merchant.

Wu Zhaohui immediately told the steward, "Summon the clan elders for an emergency meeting."

When Wu Zhaohui finished his meeting and arrived at the inn, Meng Yan and Fang Sixian had already reached an agreement and signed the contract without hesitation.

Wu Zhaohui persisted in demanding more grain, and Meng Yan said helplessly, "There really isn't any left. We only brought 100,000 shi this time. Any more will have to be allocated, and that will take another month."

Wu Zhaohui was filled with remorse and invited him home, treating him to the best food and wine, and begged him to help him get grain.

Meng Yan shook his head and said, "You are the strongest grain merchant in Da Gan, so I came to you first. I only contacted them after you refused. I was annoyed that 100,000 shi of grain were split between two companies. If I had traded with you earlier, there wouldn't have been so much trouble."

The next morning, Fang Sixian and Gu Chengyan went to the dock to collect the grain. Meng Yan's servant arranged for the goods to be inspected and the money to be collected.

334,400 strings of cash.

Wu Zhaohui went to check the grain that Fang Sixian and Gu Chengyan had taken. There wasn't a single bad grain; it was all plump, good grain, and it was all new grain.

Seeing Fang Sixian's rice shop selling rice for 300 coins as soon as it opened, Wu Zhaohui was filled with regret: "My grain, my money..."

Four or five days later, Meng Yan's servant rode to the Wu family's house. The steward dared not neglect him any longer and immediately invited him in.

The servant came in, didn't sit down, and asked breathlessly in the courtyard, "Master Wu, my master has allocated 400,000 shi of grain near the capital. Do you want some?"