Just as Ni Keng was about to report to the authorities, the shop door opened, and Guan Yingying's face appeared.

Arrogant and confident, they showed no remorse for breaching their contract.

"Mr. Ni, shall we go somewhere to talk?"

Ni Keng was very wary: "Either deliver the goods or lose money. Let's talk here. I'm not going anywhere else."

"If you want the goods or the penalty for breach of contract, come with me. Otherwise, you can smash up the shop, or you can report me to the authorities and I'll get beheaded. What good will that do you?"

This guy is just playing the bachelor game!

Ni Keng was so angry he couldn't speak.

So she had no choice but to take four guards with her to the Marquis of Pingyang's residence.

Gu Chengyan would definitely not invite Guan Yingying into the manor; Guan Yingying couldn't possibly escape the watchful eyes of her third uncle.

Guan Yingying stayed in the carriage outside, while Ni Keng was summoned into the mansion.

Ni Keng's four guards also followed him; they dared not leave Ni Keng, fearing that he would be harmed.

Zhang Qing led Ni Keng all the way to Ci'en Temple.

When the old lady saw him, she was reminded of how her grandson had been deceived. However, according to the contract, Gu Chengyan was clearly in the wrong.

"You must be Mr. Ni? Please have a seat."

Ni Keng looked at the old lady, then at Gu Shaoyu sitting to the side. He wasn't sure what was going on, so he didn't dare to sit down. He cupped his hands and asked, "May I ask what's going on?"

Gu Chengyan had no choice but to say to him, "Master Ni, I am the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang, and Miss Tu is my cousin."

Having lived most of his life, Ni Keng suddenly understood that the young master was handling the contract on behalf of his cousin.

"Young Master Gu, the ice purchase contract I signed with Miss Tu is in black and white. Today is just the agreed time to pick up the goods, and I've brought the money. Is there any problem?"

"I am Gu Shaoyu," Gu Chengyan was about to speak when Gu Shaoyu interrupted him and asked Ni Keng, "Do you know how to make ice?"

Ni Keng was surprised. So it was the legendary Grand Secretary Gu. No wonder he had such a powerful aura.

This is the most talented and powerful Grand Secretary Gu in the entire country!

He couldn't help but kneel down: "This humble subject pays respects to Grand Secretary Gu."

Gu Shaoyu called him to stand up and talk, and asked him again if he knew how to make ice.

Ni Keng shook his head and said, "How could a commoner like me know how to make ice? If I did, why would I spend so much money to buy ice!"

Gu Shaoyu didn't ask where he was from, but only said, "You signed a contract, and the key materials for making ice disappeared that very day."

Ni Keng immediately understood: "What you mean is, Your Excellency, is that someone is specifically targeting me and collecting all the raw materials, so that I can't get any ice?"

Gu Shaoyu: "Yes, someone is deliberately targeting you! Think about it carefully, is there an enemy watching you all along? Do you know that because of you, Miss Biao lost a lucrative business? You must give the Marquis's mansion an explanation!"

Gu Chengyan was dumbfounded and overjoyed. His third uncle was amazing!

I asked you for help, not for a reversal!

The old lady sighed inwardly, otherwise how could Gu Shaoyu have become a Grand Secretary while others couldn't?

Caught off guard, Ni Keng said somewhat angrily, "Does Your Excellency mean that if this deal falls through, you're blaming me?"

"Business was indeed booming before you placed your order, but the moment your order was placed, the supply of raw materials was cut off. This is definitely not a coincidence. Do you know that the Crown Prince searched all the cities in the capital and the surrounding three hundred miles, but could not find even a single ounce of saltpeter?"

Ni Keng was also shocked. How could such a thing happen?

Gu Shaoyu kept a close eye on Ni Keng's expression, like a cheetah.

He was certain that Ni Keng was not lying!

Ni Keng was about to cry: "Grand Secretary Gu, you can't wrong this humble citizen. I am the president of the Five Elders Association of Ni Family Weir in Suocheng. This time, I am here to purchase ice for the entire fishing community. They catch fish and need to send them to Lingxi. Without ice, all our fish will spoil."

Gu Shaoyu said, "Now that you have suffered such great losses, and Miss Biao's shop has also suffered huge losses, if we ask who is at fault, there really is no fault. It is the people who hoarded raw materials who are despicable. The solution now is for everyone to get through this difficult time together."

Ni Keng then realized that Grand Secretary Gu was trying to renege on the contract, wasn't he?

He immediately said angrily, "Does the Grand Secretary mean that the contract is null and void?"

"It's not that it's void; it's that we're going to cooperate. Your shipment of seafood will be transported to its destination with the help of the Crown Prince. Any losses will be borne by the Crown Prince. How about it?"

Ni Keng disagreed.

Gu Shaoyu said, "Then you should report it to the authorities!"

Ni Keng angrily said, "Is the Grand Secretary trying to use his power to oppress people?"

"No, I'm giving you a quick way to solve the problem. You can report it to the authorities if you want, but I'm afraid your batch of seafood will be ruined."

"Furthermore, if the government investigation finds that your shipment of seafood does not exist, or that you do not need the 30,000 taels of silver for ice, then you are guilty of fraud, conspiring with others to defraud the breach of contract penalty."

Ni Keng was so angry that he couldn't speak. He stood up and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Since Grand Secretary Gu says so, then this humble subject is willing to risk his life to go to the Censorate to file a complaint today. Anyway, I've lived to such an old age, so at worst I'll die at the hands of the Grand Secretary."

He turned and walked out.

Gu Shaoyu didn't stop him, watching him stride out, get into the carriage, and leave angrily.

Gu Chengyan felt completely relieved and was about to express his gratitude to his third uncle when he heard Gu Shaoyu say to Zhang Qing, "You follow him. If he really goes to the Censorate to file a complaint, you immediately stop him and bring him back."

Then he said to Nanxing beside him, "You come along too."

Nanxing followed Zhang Qing to chase after Ni Keng.

Gu Chengyan didn't understand: "Third Uncle, why did you chase him back? Just let him sue."

The old lady scolded, "You scoundrel! Your third uncle spoke ill of Ni Keng mainly because he was trying to see if Ni Keng was truly deceitful. Do you think he wanted to take lives so lightly? Did he really want to harm the people? You did sign a despicable contract, but your third uncle is not a corrupt official."

Gu Shaoyu said calmly, "The young master should read more books."

Gu Chengyan blushed, but he dared not say anything.

Ni Keng angrily went to the shop and briefly told the other people picking up goods what had happened at the Marquis's mansion.

He said bitterly, "I'll go beat the drum. You all hurry back and tell everyone to process the seafood on the spot so it doesn't all rot. Every little bit helps."

Having made the arrangements and written the complaint, he strode towards the government office.

Upon arriving at the government office, he grabbed the drumsticks, ready to beat the drum and appeal for justice. Zhang Qing immediately stepped forward and stopped him, saying, "Master Ni, don't beat the drum."

Ni Keng's eyes turned red with anger: "What do you mean? The Grand Secretary can neither uphold justice nor allow ordinary people to appeal. Does he expect the elders and folks of Nijiawan to suffer so many losses for nothing?"

Nanxing said, "Master Ni, to be fair, the Grand Secretary sent me to stop you from reporting to the authorities, and it was indeed for your own good."

"How so?"

"Think about it, the one who signed the contract with you is Miss Tu, not someone from the Marquis's mansion. If you sue Miss Tu and win, you'll at most get those few shops, which won't be enough to offset your losses."

So why not consider the Grand Secretary's suggestion?

Ni Keng resolutely refused, saying indignantly, "If even the Grand Secretary can support breaking faith and betraying trust, then what's the point of having a contract?"

Pick up the drumsticks and start banging them.