Chapter 38 A Swift Strike

The music was melodious, and the dancers' steps did not falter at all, but the three people at the head of the table suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Chu Jiubian released Qin Xiao's wrist and said, "The porridge tastes better."

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to look at the dishes on the table, then put down his chopsticks, tasted a mouthful of salty porridge, and said, "It's really good."

The atmosphere became lively again.

Xiao Yao's gaze swept back and forth between the two of them before he looked down at the five dishes on his table.

The soup had been completely drunk, and the other dishes had all been touched, but the porridge was the only one he found to taste rather ordinary.

He poured himself a glass of wine, then raised it to the two men opposite him and said with a smile, "I would like to offer a toast to you two gentlemen first."

After saying that, he downed a glass of wine.

Qin Xiao glanced at Chu Jiubian out of the corner of his eye. Seeing that the other party did not stop him, he poured himself a glass of wine and drank it down in one gulp, as if to give Xiao Yao face.

Xiao Yao didn't mind that Chu Jiubian hadn't drunk any.

It's understandable that immortals are picky eaters and don't like earthly wines.

With his smile still warm, he asked, "What do you two think of what I just said?"

If such a highly profitable business were to fall entirely into the hands of the Xiao family, they would undoubtedly become the target of attacks from other forces.

Whether it's business or trade routes, you'll encounter numerous obstacles.

But compared to the enormous profits that can be gained, these hardships and obstacles are insignificant.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had already discussed this matter before. Now Qin Xiao spoke up, saying, "His Majesty has already given the answer: the Xiao family must have a share in this fine salt trade."

This is a reward for the Prince of Jiannan, and it must be different from the others.

However, Qin Xiao changed the subject again, saying, "But the court can only give the Xiao family one-third of the goods. Any more than that would be inappropriate. Everyone should at least get a taste of the meat."

No matter how many merchant caravans the Xiao family has or how wide their trade routes are, they can't compare to the Qiu family.

Moreover, these four great families originated from Langya, Lin'an, Wuwei, and Yanmen respectively, and were almost distributed in the four directions of the southeast, northwest, and southwest of Daning, each with its own familiar market area.

Only by distributing the goods to everyone can the fine salt business quickly spread throughout the country and quickly recover funds.

This is Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao's most important objective at the moment.

Naturally, they wouldn't urgently need money, and they wouldn't entrust business to any particular power, especially the Xiao family.

The Xiao family was already powerful; if they were allowed to grow even stronger, the current balance of power in Da Ning would be completely broken.

Xiao Yao opened his folding fan and swayed it slightly.

Is it one-third of the goods?

He understood the two men's thoughts and figured that one of the three deals had already been decided with the Qiu family, since the Qiu family's caravans sold goods overseas and could generate greater profits.

The remaining two portions will be divided among the other three families.

The fact that one of these two documents is being handed over directly to the Xiao family is already a consideration for the Jiannan King's merit in building the dam.

Xiao Yao did not underestimate the extra goods. With the value of fine salt, this extra portion was enough for him to earn significantly more than the Wang and Lu families.

However, by doing so, he ended up losing out by giving 30% of the profits from datura to the imperial court.

"How will the profits be calculated?" Xiao Yao decided to probe the court's intentions first.

Qin Xiao stroked the ring on his thumb and remained silent for a moment before saying, "We don't need the share of datura, but the share of fine salt should be increased to 50%."

He didn't know what datura was, but Chu Jiubian had stopped him from eating it earlier, so there must be something wrong with it.

If that's the case, then he won't touch that stuff, and will only talk about fine salt.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yao subconsciously glanced at Chu Jiubian and noticed a faint smile on the other's lips.

"What's the Xiao family's plan?" Qin Xiao asked, drawing his attention back.

Xiao Yao hesitated slightly: "I plan to sell this fine salt to the South. The losses incurred by the caravan along the way, the manpower and resources, and the expenses for dealing with things after arriving in the South are all considerable. If we split the profits 50/50, this business will be difficult to do."

Qin Xiao smiled, leaned back against the armrest, his posture lazy yet elegant.

"The Ministry of Revenue will give you salt permits. The Xiao family is working for the imperial court, so no one will dare to make things difficult for you."

The subtext here is that the Xiao family's sale of fine salt doesn't count as smuggling salt; they can do it openly and honestly.

Even if the imperial court wanted to use this as leverage against the Xiao family in the future, it wouldn't be able to.

It also carries a hidden threat: the court is giving you half of its money openly and honestly, allowing you to "embezzle under imperial decree," so you should be content.

A glint of light flashed in Xiao Yao's eyes.

That's a condition that's hard to refuse.

He raised his cup and said with a smile, "Serving the imperial court is an honor for the Xiao family, and it doesn't matter if we lose some money."

There's only profit to be made in the salt business, how could there be a loss?

Xiao Yao is just being hypocritical after getting the benefit.

But Qin Xiao still gave them face and said, "The court will remember the Xiao family's kindness in serving the country and its people."

The business deal was basically settled. As for the details, such as how much the Xiao family would pay upfront and how many months' share of the profits would be handed over, there were people specifically assigned to verify and sign the contract.

Since it's a business of the imperial court, Qin Xiao should let the Ministry of Revenue handle it.

Although Su Shengming, the Minister of Revenue, appeared to be a loyal subject, he also had his own family behind him, though not as prosperous and powerful as the four great families.

Having his own powerful group, Su Sheng would definitely seek benefits for himself and his family, and he would inevitably try to make some extra money from selling salt.

However, the national treasury was empty, and Qin Xiao did not want anyone else to earn a single penny, so he still had to send his own people to the Ministry of Revenue to specifically supervise the sale of fine salt.

Alternatively, a new department could be established to oversee the operation of various government departments, and this department would be directly managed by the emperor.

Qin Chaoyang is still in the south and hasn't returned, so what kind of people can he use right now...?

Qin Xiao went through the options in his mind and quickly found the most suitable one.

Qin Xiao knew better than anyone how talented Hong Fu was, having been personally taught by his grandfather.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him confined to the small area of ​​the palace. We should let him handle this salt transport matter.

Of course, there was another reason: Hongfu had been in the palace for a long time and was kind and gentle. In his spare time, he would teach many eunuchs, including Xiaoxiangzi, to read and understand the principles of life, so many people were grateful for his kindness.

If Hong Fu can fully utilize his abilities, he will certainly have no shortage of men to serve him, which is much better than Qin Xiao, who is a "commander without troops".

However, there has been no precedent for eunuchs participating in politics from the previous dynasty to the present, so this matter needs to be considered further before it can be done.

The meal was quite enjoyable for both the host and guests. After about half an hour, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao took their leave and departed from the painted boat.

Xiao Yao personally escorted the two to the shore, and only after the two figures had gone far away did he turn around and go back upstairs.

The dancers and musicians upstairs had all been dismissed, and the second floor was now empty except for three low tables and the food that had gone cold.

The low table was placed higher than the dance floor. When Xiao Yao walked to the area near the dance floor, a servant immediately laid out a soft cushion and placed a low table for him.

He sat down on the cushion and leaned against the armrest.

"How did Qin Xiao get in?" he asked calmly.

The servant who had been standing with his head bowed immediately knelt down and said in a trembling voice, "Your Majesty, our men tried to stop them, but they couldn't."

That's His Highness Prince Ning; they certainly can't beat him.

Even if they could win, they wouldn't dare to use their full strength to stop them.

Xiao Yao knew they had guessed his intentions, which was why they dared not kill him.

Enough, why make things difficult for these fools?

He gently raised his hand, and another servant immediately presented him with a bronze wine vessel filled with wine.

Xiao Yao took the porridge, sipped it, and then asked, "Wasn't there any datura added to the porridge?"

The servant, who had just relaxed slightly, immediately tensed up again and said, "Your Majesty, the cooks felt that adding datura to the porridge didn't taste good, so they didn't add it."

Xiao Yao stroked the relief on the wine glass, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

After a long pause, he finally spoke again: "Find a few people."

The attendant immediately withdrew, and shortly afterward, he brought over seven dancers.

The dancers were all slender and beautiful, each with stunning features, but none of them could compare to the Xiao family's daughter.

Xiao Yao found it uninteresting, so he summoned a servant and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

The servant left again, and when he returned, he was followed by several more servants, each carrying a tray with bowls of steaming porridge on it.

“This is a gift from the master, eat it,” the servant said to the dancers.

The dancers, who were often rewarded by noblemen, had no suspicions. They thanked the noblemen softly and drank all the porridge.

The servants carrying the trays withdrew, leaving only seven dancers, Xiao Yao, and a few personal attendants in the large hall.

Xiao Yao raised his eyes and looked at them one by one from right to left.

The dancers all seemed normal until the sixth one, whose face turned deathly pale, covered in cold sweat, and who was shivering uncontrollably, and the shivering was getting worse.

"Thump!" A heavy sound as something fell to the ground.

Xiao Yao shifted his gaze and saw that the seventh dancer, who was standing on the far left, had fallen backward to the ground, her whole body convulsing abnormally, with a large amount of white foam gushing from her mouth.

"Ahhh—"

One of the dancers screamed, and the sixth dancer, who was still holding on, suddenly knelt down.

She clutched her chest in pain, her cheeks turning purple from suffocation.

Her face was contorted as she tried to call for help, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Soon, the fifth and fourth dancers also showed varying degrees of reaction, both shivering and falling to their knees, covered in cold sweat.

The third dancer was so frightened that her legs went weak and she fell to the ground with a thud, instinctively backing away.

Suddenly, the second dancer also collapsed to the ground, clutching her head and groaning in pain. The first dancer, on the other hand, was fine and even laughing, her laughter growing louder and louder.

The third dancer stared in horror at everything before her, suddenly feeling dizzy and light-footed, as if everything in front of her was spinning and turning upside down.

She started laughing uncontrollably, then staggered to her feet and began to dance unsteadily.

But not long after, she suddenly collapsed to the ground, vomiting filth from her mouth. Even after she had nothing left, she continued to vomit, as if she wanted to vomit out her internal organs.

Xiao Yao coldly watched this absurd scene. The veins on the back of his hand holding the wine cup bulged, and his palm was pierced by the exquisite relief, from which a winding trail of blood flowed.

The servants attending him were pale-faced, and as they looked at the dancers, their own bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

how so?

They only ate porridge with datura in it, how could this be...?

The more ingredients were added, the stronger the dancers' reactions seemed to become. The seventh dancer had already died, and the sixth dancer's pupils had become unfocused, and she was only mechanically spitting out white foam.

Xiao Yao slowly got up from the ground, casually threw the wine glass into the dance floor, turned around and walked outside, saying as he did so, "Find the antidote."

The servants all agreed.

==

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao walked side by side, gradually moving away from the lake shore.

However, the streets were crowded with people, making it not a good place to talk, so the two of them tacitly remained silent and made their way to Jinxiufang.

Jinxiufang was even more lively tonight than usual, and the shops were closing later than usual.

The doors of Baibaoju were wide open at the moment, with many people coming and going.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were so eye-catching that many people had been glancing at them along the way. Now that they had arrived at the entrance of Baibaoju, the shopkeeper Qin Su spotted them immediately and ran over to greet them.

"My lord, young master." Qin Su had never met Chu Jiubian before, but the one who could come with Qin Xiao like this, and who also had such a strange hairstyle, could only be the young master of the Lord's Love Tribulation.

When An Wuji occasionally patrolled the streets, he would return to Baibaoju to ask for some tea and food, chat with Qin Su for a while, and then continue his patrol.

Qin Su heard about the relationship between the master and the young master from the other party. It was said that the young master descended to the mortal world for the master, wrote love poems for the master, missed the master every night, and was especially good to His Majesty.

In short, over the course of a month, not only Qin Su, but all the Qin family members, and even some well-informed commoners, had heard about the two of them.

Seeing the two of them come together, Qin Su couldn't hide his excitement and cautiously glanced at Chu Jiubian several times.

He thought to himself that this young master and the lord were indeed a perfect match.

He led the two upstairs and said warmly, "Are you planning to take the young master to pick out some things, sir? We have indeed acquired some interesting trinkets recently."

"We'll choose later." Qin Xiao said without stopping, "Let's go to the private room first, I need to ask you something."

Upon hearing this, Qin Su knew that something important was going on, so he quickly straightened his expression and led the two of them to a room at the very back on the second floor.

This room should be a reception room or something similar, with tables and chairs, bookshelves, and is clean and easy to see.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian sat down on two chairs side by side, with a tea table between them.

Qin Su ordered someone to guard the house, then quickly went inside and locked the door, and busied himself preparing to pour tea for the two of them.

"No need," Qin Xiao said. "Let's talk business first."

"Yes." Qin Su walked to the chair opposite the two of them and sat down, but didn't dare to sit down properly, looking somewhat reserved.

However, most of his restraint was due to Chu Jiubian's presence. He was afraid of leaving a bad impression on the other party, which would further damage the young master's image in the eyes of the young master.

"Do you know what datura is?" Qin Xiao asked bluntly.

"I know." Qin Su nodded, and without waiting for Qin Xiao to ask any more questions, he told her everything he knew: "This datura is a strange spice from the South Seas. It was first brought to the Western Regions by caravans from the Western Regions, and then spread to Gansu."

"Then a merchant caravan from Gansu surnamed Gu brought it to the Central Plains region. It was only about half a month ago that the news reached the capital."

This thing has been around for half a month?

Chu Jiubian frowned: "Has this datura been sold in other places?"

Qin Su hurriedly replied, "Young Master, this datura is very expensive; ten taels of it are worth one ingot of gold. There are few people in Gansu who can afford it. At that time, the Gu family caravan happened to be coming to the capital, so they bought some and brought them to the capital. They did not sell them along the way."

Chu Jiubian felt a sense of relief.

It's good that it hasn't spread to other places; there's still time.

Qin Su continued, "Boss Gu had previously said that if the goods didn't sell well in the capital, they would have to go to the wealthy Jiangnan region. However, people in the capital really liked them, and all the goods he had were sold."

"How many were sold?" Chu Jiu asked.

Seeing him furrow his brow, Qin Su knew there must be something wrong with the datura. Feeling a bit flustered, he quickly said, "We don't sell much, only about one shi (a unit of dry measure)."

When Boss Gu brought back datura from the Western Regions, he didn't know if the business would be profitable, so he only bought these goods to test the waters.

“I bought a few ounces from him yesterday, and they’re just sitting in the warehouse. I haven’t had a chance to try them yet,” Qin Su said.

Chu Jiubian calculated that one shi in the Da Ning Dynasty was equivalent to about 120 jin in later times.

For a merchant caravan, this might only be the weight of one or two bags of goods, but since it's narcotics, the quantity is already quite large.

"Do you know who these goods were sold to?" Chu Jiubian asked.

“Most of them were sold to the Xiao family,” Qin Su said. “That Boss Gu mainly deals in spices. The Xiao family has many women, so he has a regular business relationship with them. But from what I heard from Boss Gu, it seems that he will no longer do the datura business and will hand it all over to the Xiao family.”

For a medium-sized caravan that frequently travels to the capital for business, the cost of ten taels of spices for one ingot of gold is not really worthwhile, considering both road safety and other expenses.

Of course, the most important reason is that the Xiao family has their eyes on this business, so they will not give anyone else a chance.

Boss Gu was a shrewd man. After weighing the pros and cons, he did the Xiao family a favor by telling the Xiao family's purchasing manager the identity and contact address of the wealthy merchant from the Western Regions.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on things, so I found out the wealthy merchant’s identity. In order to seize this business opportunity in advance, I sent someone to the Western Regions yesterday,” Qin Su said.

He originally intended to make more money through this business and also help replenish the national treasury, which is why he went to the trouble of inquiring about it.

In retrospect, it does seem like we inadvertently did something good.

I just don't know what's wrong with this mandala.

Qin Su wanted to ask, but hesitated to speak due to his status.

Chu Jiubian felt completely relieved.

It seems this thing hasn't spread completely yet, and it's not too late to stop it now.

It's just that the remaining portions that the Xiao family bought are unknown to whom they were sold, or perhaps they simply kept them for themselves.

Chu Jiubian recalled Xiao Yao's earlier appearance and knew that he had become addicted to this food.

With Xiao Yao's intelligence, he probably already realized that something was wrong with the datura, but since he had just come into contact with it and hadn't experienced any major negative reactions yet, he didn't pay much attention to it.

Of course, drug addiction can control the human brain, and Xiao Yao's unconscious intake of drugs might be because his brain is preventing him from thinking.

If that's the case, then this promising young man will truly be ruined by this thing.

However, Chu Jiubian didn't care at all.

The Xiao family manipulates power and schemes against people's hearts, regarding human life as worthless.

With so much debt, their own lives aren't necessarily that much more valuable.

"Send people to investigate and see who has come into contact with datura," Qin Xiao said.

Qin Su agreed and immediately went to make the arrangements.

With only two people left in the room, Qin Xiao looked at Chu Jiubian.

Before he could ask, Chu Jiubian said, "This stuff is addictive. Once you inhale it, you'll crave it constantly, and if you can't get it, it'll feel like a thousand ants are gnawing at your heart."

Qin Xiao's eyes turned slightly cold.

It seems that it is precisely these characteristics that make people linger, and Xiao Yao felt that it could be compared with fine salt.

“Overdosing on this stuff can cause instant death,” Chu Jiubian said in a deep voice. “Even if you only eat a little each time, it will gradually ruin your body, and you will become a complete cripple in just a few years.”

Qin Xiao's expression turned completely grim.

He had never had the energy to deal with those small countries in the Western Regions, but now these people were spreading this kind of thing to Da Ning. Were they really unaware of its harm, or were they knowingly committing a crime?

Chu Jiubian looked at him and said, "These things must all be taken back."

This stuff is addictive; the more people who come into contact with it, the greater the demand for it becomes.

Moreover, due to its rarity, it is now only in contact with high-ranking officials and dignitaries, who all possess considerable influence and resources.

Even if the government issues a crackdown, they can still find a way to get some back.

In the era of Chu Jiubian, everyone abhorred such things, but they were always impossible to eradicate because market demand always existed.

Now that Chu Jiubian holds power, the people of Da Ning must not be allowed to access these things again. The most ruthless means must be used to strictly control and suppress them.

Qin Xiao stood up and said, "Let's go back to the palace."

That very night, the Imperial Guards, carrying the imperial decree, went to the residences of various powerful figures in the capital to retrieve the datura.

This naturally includes the four great families.

Wang Qichen had just returned from the pleasure boat and had not yet entered the mansion when he saw two squads of imperial guards standing guard outside the main courtyard.

He raised his eyebrows, showing no sign of anxiety or surprise, but instead walked with great interest to the gate of the mansion.

The Imperial Guards pretended not to see this person.

Wang Qichen took the initiative to strike up a conversation with them, but when no one paid any attention to him, he went back inside and walked until he stopped in front of a magnificent courtyard.

Several Imperial Guards were still standing at the gate of the courtyard, while the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guards, An Wuji, was inside the courtyard talking to Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Huanzhi remained expressionless, maintaining his aloof and superior demeanor.

An Wuji was carrying a cloth bag the size of a human head. After saying something to Wang Huanzhi, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

He didn't stop at all when he passed Wang Qichen, and continued walking outwards.

Wang Qichen watched his retreating figure until he was far away, then he turned his gaze back and peered into the courtyard.

Inside the courtyard, his half-brother Wang Wenfu was being reprimanded by Wang Huanzhi.

His dear aunt, who is now the matriarch of the Wang family, Yuan Yu, was protecting Wang Wenfu and tearfully trying to persuade Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Wenfu was very unconvinced and raised his voice, "Father, don't listen to their nonsense. Datura is just a delicious spice, how can it be a poison? I've been eating it for so many days and I haven't been poisoned to death."

"Do you even know who gave this order?!" Wang Huanzhi was furious at his son's lack of integrity. "His Majesty's seal is on it, and you're still hiding it and refusing to hand it over. Are you trying to disobey the imperial decree?!"

"Master!" Yuan Yu exclaimed, interrupting him.

Wang Huanzhi was so angry that he spoke recklessly, and now he couldn't say anything more. He could only glare at his son and turn to leave the courtyard.

Wang Qichen neither dodged nor avoided him, and they met face to face outside the courtyard gate.

"Where have you been gallivanting off to again?" Wang Huanzhi frowned at him. "Can't you learn from your second brother? You're a grown man; you should be more mature and composed!"

Wang Qichen leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and laughed, "Father, what you say is true. Wang Wenfu and Wang Wenyao came from the same womb, yet they are worlds apart. My son, born to the main wife, is naturally no match for my outstanding second brother, born to my concubine."

Wang Huanzhi knew he couldn't control his rebellious son, and besides, he didn't intend to let Wang Qichen really amount to anything.

Now, his second son, Wang Wenyao, is proficient in both literature and martial arts, and is the young master of the Wang family that he has chosen. As for the current young master, Wang Qichen, he will naturally have to make way for Wenyao in the future.

Wang Huanzhi snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeve.

Knowing his father had left, Wang Wenfu, who was in the courtyard, raised his voice even louder: "I think it's that Prince Ning who wants to take over the datura business for himself. That's why he said it's a highly poisonous substance, just to snatch it from me. You despicable man! Shameless!"

"Stop talking!" Yuan Yu was also quite angry, but she couldn't bear to scold her son, so she could only lightly pat his arm twice.

The maids coaxed and persuaded Wang Wenfu to return to the room, and the boy's cursing gradually subsided.

A gentle breeze blew across the courtyard, causing the young man's long hair to sway slightly.

Wang Qichen lowered his eyes and looked at a small pebble at his feet.

Wang Wenfu was always a bit willful, but he wasn't too stupid; he knew that some things could be said and some things couldn't.

Wang Wenfu would never have done something like slandering and insulting Prince Ning like this before.

But today, he seemed a little too excited.

Mandala...

Wang Qichen strode out of the mansion.

Meanwhile, An Wuji had already led the Imperial Guards to search the homes of the powerful and wealthy and found nearly thirty catties of datura powder.

After leaving the Wang family, he found about forty catties of other things from the Lu, Qiu, and Xiao families.

He took these back to the palace and went to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao sat in the council hall, which was lit by a dim yellow fire.

When An Wuji entered, he saw the two sitting opposite each other, and the atmosphere was somewhat strange.

But he was oblivious, so even though he noticed it, he didn't pay much attention.

He now completely regarded Chu Jiubian as one of his own, so he simply put the bag of spices on the ground, sat down in a chair and began to report: "I searched all the places according to the list sent by Qin Su, but even including those that Baibaoju had kept before, there are only less than seven hundred taels in total."

Seven hundred taels, that's about seventy catties.

Of the 120 jin (60 kg) of goods, 50 jin (25 kg) are still missing.

I don't know if they all ate them, or if someone is still keeping some secretly.

The investigation warrant in An Wuji's hand only granted him the authority to freely enter and exit the mansions of aristocratic families, but it absolutely did not allow him to search their mansions thoroughly.

“If they intended to hide it, then they wouldn’t have been able to find it.” Chu Jiubian looked at the bag on the ground, his eyes dark.

He has already given them a chance; if they fail to seize it and end up ruining themselves, that is their fate.

"But is this thing really that scary?" An Wuji asked curiously.

Chu Jiu argued, "You can try."

An Wuji immediately shook his head: "Forget it, it's best to listen to the young master. But what should we do next?"

Chu Jiubian looked at Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao crossed his legs, looking rather lazy.

He lifted his eyelids to meet Chu Jiubian's gaze, paused for a moment, and then said, "Someone, draft the decree."

The next day, there was no morning court session, and it happened to be a day off.

Even the officials who weren't on duty received the message from the palace.

His Majesty issued an edict this morning, stating: "The highly poisonous datura, also known as poppy pods, is strictly forbidden to be consumed by anyone in Da Ning. Anyone who violates this order will be executed immediately! This decree must be passed down through generations, and future generations must remember it!"

Upon receiving the imperial decree, the Imperial Guards not only relayed the message to all levels of government offices, but also ordered their subordinates to go door-to-door hawking the information. They even thoughtfully drew pictures of various forms of poppies, from flowers to pollen, to their smell and the reactions that could occur if ingested, warning that those who disobeyed would suffer poisoning and death. They were determined to make sure that all the people knew how dangerous it was.

Moreover, this decree was urgently conveyed to local government offices at all levels by special personnel in advance. If anyone in a jurisdiction were to consume this substance, the local official would also be punished.

This was the most stringent decree issued by Baili Hong since he ascended the throne, and almost everyone knew how powerful it was.

Of course, there are also those who are not afraid of death, or those who cannot resist the temptation, who still secretly eat at home.

These are all considered to have some restraint, but there are also those who have no restraint at all, and even commit crimes against the wind.

For example, on July 8th, the very evening the decree was issued.

In Xiaoyaolou, the most bustling brothel in the West Market, two young men openly consumed datura and drank it with wine.

Whether it was from drinking too much or from the influence of the datura, the two of them became somewhat deranged.

They stumbled out of the private room, arm in arm with a girl from inside, spouting nonsense.

"That Qin Xiao, what kind of lousy regent is he? I've disliked him for a long time."

"And datura is forbidden, anyone who disobeys will be executed without mercy. I'll eat it!" The young man in blue thumped his chest. "I'm Wang Wenfu of the Langya Wang clan, let's see if Qin Xiao dares to kill me!"

Another young man laughed loudly, "I am Lu Xingwen of the Lu family of Wuwei. Let's see if Qin Xiao can cut me down!"

The two men appeared to be insane, and the young women and old ladies in the building were terrified, their faces turning pale and trembling.

Who is Prince Ning?

The scene of the massacre at Shenwu Gate a month ago is still vivid in my mind. These two are really courting death!

Of course, they are from powerful families, so Qin Xiao might not dare to touch them. But these small fry could very well become the scapegoats and the ones who vent their anger.

The other literati, officials, and military officers who were drinking and making merry in the building were also terrified and fled in a hurry, fearing that they would be implicated.

==

The Imperial Palace.

Today is a rare sunny day.

After dinner, Baili Hong, along with Eunuch Hong and several palace servants, took a stroll in the Imperial Garden, while Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao lagged behind them.

“Eunuch Hong will be quite busy these days,” Chu Jiubian said.

Last night, Qin Xiao mentioned to Chu Jiubian that he wanted Hong Fu to handle the salt transport, and even wanted to create a separate department specifically for Hong Fu.

Chu Jiubian's first reaction was to refuse.

With the bloody lesson of corrupt officials causing chaos in the government before him, he naturally had some stereotypes.

However, he is currently in the Great Ning Dynasty, where the previous two dynasties had no precedent of allowing officials to hold power, let alone any so-called political chaos.

Even the concept of "the maternal relatives causing chaos in politics" was brought up by civil officials to criticize Qin Xiao after he came to power.

Therefore, without prior experience, Chu Jiubian rashly gave a negative answer, which seemed to be a way of making things difficult for Hong Fu.

Chu Jiubian was well aware of his position in Qin Xiao's heart. They were just partners, unlike Hong Fu, who had known Qin Xiao for a long time and had a trusting relationship with him.

Moreover, Hong Fu was truly loyal to Baili Hong and was indeed very capable.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him as a chief eunuch.

Qin Xiao's idea was simple: he had no one to rely on, but Hong Fu was very useful, and many eunuchs were willing to work for Hong Fu.

Moreover, as eunuchs, including Hong Fu, none of them had offspring, so they were less likely to seek profits for their "family" and it was also difficult for them to form cliques for personal gain.

Because their power was granted by the emperor, who could take it back at any time, they could only be "pure ministers."

But everyone has selfish desires.

No matter what kind of force it is, once it develops, it will become uncontrollable.

Chu Jiubian was thinking about these things at the time and didn't respond to Qin Xiao for a while, so Qin Xiao didn't urge him either.

That's why An Wuji felt the atmosphere between them was strange when he came in.

However, Chu Jiubian quickly realized that every system will reveal its drawbacks in the later stages.

Therefore, specific problems should be analyzed specifically. Given the current situation in the capital, both he and Qin Xiao are short of manpower, so it is not unreasonable to temporarily let Hong Fu, the loyal chief eunuch, take charge of salt transport-related work.

Once more talented people pass the imperial examinations and the power of these powerful officials in the court is weakened, then we can talk about other things.

Qin Xiao looked at Eunuch Hong's retreating figure and suddenly said, "He entered the palace for my elder sister's sake."

Chu Jiubian paused.

He looked up into the man's deep eyes and felt that the other man seemed to have a lot to say.

In the end, Qin Xiao just smiled lightly and said, "What I meant to say is that he is very trustworthy."

"Hmm," Chu Jiubian responded, turning his head to look ahead.

He naturally knew that Hong Fu was trustworthy, and even to Qin Xiao, Xiao Xiangzi was more trustworthy than Chu Jiubian, an outsider.

Qin Xiao gazed at his profile, then restrained himself and looked away at a certain moment.

A gentle breeze slowly swept across the young man's long, loose hair, the ends of which brushed lightly against the back of his hand hanging by his side.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes, his fingertips curling slightly for a moment.

The two walked side by side in silence, the two palms' width of space between their shoulders amplifying the subtle sense of estrangement.

It wasn't until Xiao Xiangzi, who was walking behind, received the message from the guard and quickly caught up that the atmosphere between the two seemed to subtly change.

Qin Xiao opened the note, glanced at it, and then naturally handed it to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian looked at the names on the note, one surnamed Wang and the other surnamed Lu, and he knew what was going on.

The man beside him called over a guard and casually ordered, "Notify An Wuji to arrest the man and behead him at the Shenwu Gate before the morning court tomorrow. If he disobeys, kill him on the spot."

The guards accepted the order and left.

Xiao Xiangzi also accepted the note handed to him by Chu Jiubian and gradually fell behind the two of them. Only when he was side by side with Shui Qing Shuiyun did he take out a tinderbox and burn the note to ashes.

Looking at the backs of the two masters in front of her, Shuiqing couldn't help but whisper to Shuiyun, "Sister, when can the masters hug each other? I really want to see it."

Shuiyun's brow twitched, and she quickly glanced at Qin Xiao's back. Seeing that he didn't react, she glared at the little girl reproachfully and silently moved her lips: "Are you out of your mind? Adults have excellent hearing!"

Shui Qing pouted, feeling wronged, but she really wanted to see it.

Ahead, Qin Xiao remained silent for a few more moments before finally speaking, "Does Young Master think I am cruel?"

"What?" Chu Jiubian looked at him with some surprise.

Qin Xiao then turned his gaze to his face.

Chu Jiubian took a moment to process what he was talking about before realizing that he was referring to the killing of the two scions of noble families.

A dignified villain who killed for three days and three nights in front of Shenwu Gate, yet now he claims to be "cruel"?

"It's not like I've known you for just one day." Chu Jiubian chuckled lightly and said in an unusually calm tone, "The profits from mandala are enormous. Simply issuing decrees is not enough to deter those people. It's only right to make an example of them. Since these two are so eager to be the first to stick their necks out, then let them be killed."

Qin Xiao stared at him quietly for a couple of breaths before saying, "That Wang Wenfu is Wang Huanzhi's biological son."

This person's status is not on the same level as that of the direct descendant of the collateral branch of the Lu family.

"Are you afraid?" Chu Jiu asked.

Qin Xiao laughed: "What's there to be afraid of? I have immortals protecting me."

Chu Jiubian: "..."

Here we go again. When will this person finally be able to trust him?

==

July 9th.

It started drizzling again early this morning.

The officials gathered at the palace gate, unusually silent today, but their gazes kept drifting towards Wang Zhiyuan and Lu Youwei at the front.

The outrageous remarks made by the Lu and Wang families at Xiaoyao Tower last night are known to almost everyone.

The fact that the Imperial Guards apprehended the man on the spot shocked everyone.

However, everyone has their own judgment. The situation in the capital has not yet completely deteriorated, and Qin Xiao even needs the power of the aristocratic families to replenish the national treasury, so naturally he will not offend them to death.

Last night, he captured those two people, presumably intending to make some deals with the two families and take this opportunity to intimidate everyone, reminding them not to forget Qin Xiao's ruthless methods.

It seems there will be quite a spectacle at today's morning court session.

Although Lu Youwei didn't care about the good-for-nothing junior in his family, it would be shameful for him not to help Qin Xiao since he had captured someone like that.

It would have been better if Qin Xiao had just chopped that worthless thing off with a single stroke last night; that way, he wouldn't have had to go through the trouble of saving people.

Wang Zhiyuan shared similar thoughts.

The only difference is that Wang Wenfu, who was arrested in his family, is the eldest son of the family head and has a noble status. Wang Huanzhi repeatedly instructed him to help protect the child.

For this reason, Wang Huanzhi was able to utter such childish words as "the Wang family is willing to pay any price".

The thought of being manipulated by Qin Xiao during the morning court session made Wang Zhiyuan's face darken.

But there was nothing he could do.

The Wang and Lu families haven't received the agreements for the fine salt trade yet, but the Qiu and Xiao families have already.

If they offend Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian because of Wang Wenfu's matter, they will gain far less benefit and will be overshadowed by the Xiao and Qiu families.

That's absolutely unacceptable.

So even if Qin Xiao embarrassed him today, or even if the other party actually killed Wang Wenfu in front of him, he would still have to praise the other party for killing him well.

He closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and then opened them again, his expression returning to calm.

Hsiao Huai-kuan has been in much better spirits lately, and his hunched back seems to have straightened up considerably.

He glanced at Wang Zhiyuan's face, and the fake smile that always hung on his lips seemed a little more real.

Qiu Xuanzheng just signed a tripartite agreement with the Ministry of Revenue and Hong Fu yesterday for the sale of fine salt, and he will receive the batch of goods belonging to the Qiu family later today.

Now that he's on the same side as Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, he's happy to see the Lu and Wang families make fools of themselves.

Of course, if these two families completely break ties with Qin Xiao in order to protect those two idiots, then the Qiu family can also take over all the fine salt business that belongs to their families.

Everyone had different thoughts.

The palace gates finally opened slowly at this moment.

The six ministers, who were about to take a step, froze in place.

Just a dozen meters inside the palace gate, two disheveled young men were kneeling on the ground, their bodies bound hand and foot, and their mouths stuffed with coarse cloth.

It was Wang Wenfu and Lu Xingwen, who had made those outrageous remarks yesterday.

Beside them stood two Imperial Guards, each holding a long sword.

After confirming that everyone had seen the scene before them, the two Imperial Guards gave no one time to react and swiftly brought their knives down.