Break the situation
In the back hall of the Mingzhou prefectural government office, the days of rain had finally stopped, and sunlight filtered through the carved window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the bluestone floor.
Ning Lingyi sat at her desk, her fingertips lightly brushing over a newly delivered salt price report.
Shen Qingyan stood by, his brows etched with worry. "Your Highness, Zhou Wenyuan's plan to cut off the supply of salt is extremely ruthless. The price of salt on the market has skyrocketed several times, and the black market is even more rampant. Although public resentment has not yet reached a boiling point, panic is already spreading like weeds. If this continues..."
Ning Lingyi didn't seem to be in a hurry, she just said: "Mr. Chen, prepare the invitation."
Shen Qingyan was slightly startled: "What does Your Highness mean?"
"I want to host a banquet."
"Invite all the prominent merchants in Minghua County, regardless of their trade, and tell them that I have lived in Mingzhou for a long time and am hosting a small banquet to celebrate hometown ties."
Shen Qingyan was stunned for a moment, then understood. But then he was overwhelmed with worry again: "Your Highness, this plan is brilliant, but Zhou Wenyuan is like a jackal by our side. I'm afraid these merchants will be intimidated by him and dare not come. Even if they come, they will be trembling with fear and unable to share our worries."
"What I want is their fearlessness." Ning Lingyi picked up the teacup and blew away the steam.
"If they come, Zhou Wenyuan will feel a lump in his throat. If they don't come, I have other options. I will only discuss trivial matters with them and never mention the word 'salt'."
She put down the teacup and said softly, "Prepare gifts. One for each person. It doesn't matter what the value is, but it must be decent."
*
To the west of Mingzhou City, the gate of Chengxin Garden by the lake is wide open.
For several days, carriages and horses streamed in. Within Minghua County, every prominent merchant, whether grain, cloth, tea, or even jewelry, lumber, or porcelain business owner, received the gilded invitation.
To go or not to go?
Not going? That would be an insult to Her Royal Highness the Princess. I heard that the Princess is about to marry into Beishuo. I'm afraid she won't be able to take a single step in Mingzhou or even the entire Southern Dynasty in the future.
Go? The new county magistrate, Zhou Wenyuan, was ruthless and had just abolished the salt permits and cut off the salt route. Going to the princess's mansion for a banquet now would be like walking into a trap, clearly telling Zhou Wenyuan that he had connections with the princess.
In the end, after weighing the pros and cons, most merchants still came.
In Chengxin Garden, there are melodious music and delicious food.
Ning Lingyi was dressed in casual clothes, with a noble demeanor and a cheerful manner. He only talked about the scenery of Mingzhou and interesting stories from various places. Occasionally, he asked about the recent business situation of each family, and mostly gave words of encouragement. He never mentioned the salt policy, and did not express any dissatisfaction with the county magistrate's office.
In the end, every guest, regardless of their status, received a gift personally bestowed by the princess, either a piece of fine Hui ink or an exquisite jade ruyi. Although not expensive, it revealed the dignity of royal favor.
The merchants walked out of Chengxin Garden with gifts in their pockets, with ulterior motives in their minds, their backs soaked with cold sweat.
What would Zhou Wenyuan think? What is the deep meaning behind Her Royal Highness's move?
*
The atmosphere in the Minghua County Magistrate's Office was heavy with tension.
Zhou Wenyuan's face turned pale as he listened to the trembling report of his trusted subordinate: "Sir, in the past few days, almost all the prominent merchants in the city have been invited to Chengxin Garden by Princess Mingzhu.
"I sent someone to observe from a distance. The garden was filled with singing and dancing, and there was nothing unusual. When the merchants came out, they all received rewards."
"Reminiscing about hometown ties? Rewards?" Zhou Wenyuan's eyes were filled with anger, almost spitting fire.
"What a way of talking about hometown ties and showing sympathy for merchants and civilians, Ning Lingyi, you are openly demonstrating against me!" He slammed the rosewood table so hard that the pen holder and inkstone jumped around.
He had just arrived in Minghua County and his foundation was not yet stable. Apart from a few trusted men brought from Lingnan, he did not trust the local forces that were deeply rooted.
Ning Lingyi's action was like inserting a thorn in his heart.
"Does she think she can win people's hearts this way? Can she make these businessmen work for her? Don't even think about it!" Zhou Wenyuan gritted his teeth.
"Pass the order down. Keep a close eye on those merchants, especially those involved in the salt industry. Don't let any of them go. Report any unusual activity immediately!"
His trusted subordinates felt a chill in their hearts when they saw the paranoia in Zhou Wenyuan's eyes. They didn't dare to say anything more and quickly took the order and left.
Just when Zhou Wenyuan was suspicious, something happened that caught him off guard.
News came from Mingzhou that several salt shops in Chengdong City had suddenly reopened! The counters were piled high with white, high-quality green salt! The prices on the salt price signs were even 10% lower than the official salt prices before Zhou Wenyuan's order!
The news spread throughout the city in an instant as if it had wings.
The people who suffered greatly from the salt shortage could not believe it at first, but after seeing it with their own eyes, they flocked to the salt shops.
"Salt! Salt is available! And it's cheap!"
"God, please open your eyes!"
"Hurry! Get in line!"
The guys in the salt shop were so busy that they had no time to rest. Bags of snow-white salt were weighed out and copper coins jingled. The panic that had been suppressed in Mingzhou City for many days was instantly dispelled by the affordable salt.
The people's hearts have temporarily stabilized.
*
In the county magistrate's office, Zhou Wenyuan was holding a cup of tea when he heard the news.
He was stunned at first, and then with a "bang", he threw the valuable official kiln tea cup in his hand to the ground, smashing it to pieces!
"Salt? Where did she get the salt?"
"Investigate! Investigate immediately! Where did all this salt come from? Did those ruthless salt merchants secretly collude with the princess to smuggle it in?"
He absolutely did not believe that this affordable salt that appeared out of nowhere came from the government treasury.
This must be a conspiracy between Ning Lingyi and those merchants, deliberately slapping him in the face and making him lose face in front of the people of the whole city!
"Catch him!" Zhou Wenyuan shouted, slamming the table.
"Arrest Zhao Wantong, Qian Sihai, Sun Maoyuan...those merchants who visited the Princess's residence a few days ago! Torture them severely! I want to see who's so bold as to pull such a stunt right under my nose!"
"Sir! There is no conclusive evidence in this matter. Should we..." The official tried to dissuade him.
"Evidence? This is the evidence!" Zhou Wenyuan pointed outside the window in the direction of Mingzhou, looking like a madman.
"The affordable salt is proof! The fact that they've been to the princess's residence is proof! They want to ally with the princess to embarrass me, that's irrefutable proof!"
"Catch them and interrogate them harshly! Pry open their mouths!"
The Minghua County prison was suddenly filled with shrill howls.
The several wealthy merchants who were captured usually lived a life of luxury, but now they were like lambs to be slaughtered. They were stripped of their fine clothes, tied to the rack, and tortured.
"Tell me! Where does the salt come from?"
"Did the princess instruct you to smuggle it?"
"Who else are your accomplices?"
Whips, clamps, branding irons and other torture instruments were used one after another.
The merchants, covered in blood and flesh, wept bitterly and cried out for justice:
"Sir, this is unjust! I really don't know where the salt comes from!"
"I only attended a banquet and had a meal. I have no ulterior motives, and I would never dare to smuggle salt, sir!"
"Your Highness really only spoke of everyday matters, not mentioning salt at all! If I had lied in the slightest, I would be struck by lightning!"
No matter how they were tortured, the answers they got were surprisingly consistent.
I was not aware of it, I didn’t participate, it’s unfair!
Zhou Wenyuan personally went to the torture chamber, looking at the bloody scene before him and listening to the desperate cries of injustice, he hesitated. Could it really not be them? But that salt...
Just when he was half-believing and half-doubting, more news came!
All the official salt shops in Mingzhou City not only did not restrain themselves after his arrest, but became even more outrageous!
More salt flooded the market! The price of salt dropped another 10%!
"Asshole! Asshole!"
Zhou Wenyuan completely lost his mind. He felt like a clown, being played around by Ning Lingyi.
This must be the revenge of the merchants. They deliberately released more and cheaper salt to mock him and challenge his authority.
"Catch them! Arrest all those who have been to the princess's mansion and whose family business has anything to do with salt or grain transport! Don't let any of them go! I don't believe that we can't pry open their mouths and find out the source of the salt!" He no longer cared about the consequences.
He just wanted to find out the real culprit and tear anyone who dared to provoke him into pieces!
This order threw a huge stone into the business community of Minghua County, instantly stirring up a huge wave!
For a time, the city of Mingzhou was in a state of panic, and every tree and grass seemed to be an enemy.
Dozens of prominent merchants were dragged from their homes by yamen runners and thrown into prison. The sounds of torture continued day and night. Shops closed one after another, and the market was in a state of depression.
Goods piled up, money stopped flowing, and people were in panic.
The entire Minghua County was turned upside down and filled with chaos after Zhou Wenyuan's capture.
The merchants who were lucky enough not to be affected were all terrified and grief-stricken.
They finally saw through the new county magistrate thoroughly. For the sake of their lives and future livelihoods, these businessmen who usually fought against each other united as never before.
They mobilized their respective connections, and memorials impeaching Zhou Wenyuan flew like snowflakes to the Ministry of Public Administration in the capital, and then presented them to Emperor Guangqi's desk.
"I have heard that upon taking office, the prefect of Minghua County, Zhou Wenyuan, failed to consider the suffering of the people, failed to improve local governance, and instead relied solely on harsh punishments and the indiscriminate arrest of merchants!"
"Zhou Wenyuan, under the guise of salt administration, has acted like a cruel official, framing honest merchants and forcing confessions through torture. This has led to the severance of trade routes in Minghua County and the decline of all industries. His actions are truly a disaster for the country!"
"Your Majesty! Minghua County is a heavily taxed area, and this year's summer taxes and autumn grain collection are imminent. However, Zhou Wenyuan's perverse actions have shut down merchants and devastated the market. If we allow his reckless behavior to continue, I'm afraid we won't be able to collect even one tenth of Minghua County's taxes! Your Majesty, please be vigilant!"
Inside the Purple Palace, Emperor Guangqi looked at the impeachment memorial on his desk, his face gloomy. He had sent Zhou Wenyuan to Minghua to cause trouble for Ning Lingyi and add to her troubles! He hadn't sent him to mess up the entire Minghua County and nearly cut off a large portion of the court's tax revenue!
Especially when Prime Minister Wang spoke earnestly, "Your Majesty, Zhou Wenyuan's behavior is erratic, and he has lost the dignity of a local official. If we allow him to do what he wants, it will only cause our annual revenue to decline and cause unrest in the region. The gains will not outweigh the losses. I hope Your Majesty will make a swift decision."
Emperor Guangqi had only been on the throne for a few months, and the people he chose had already caused such chaos.
"Waste! Idiot!" Emperor Guangqi secretly cursed Zhou Wenyuan for his incompetence. What he needed was a wolf that could bite people, not a mad dog that could only bark and demolish his own yard.
"Draft an edict!" Emperor Guangqi said with a look of rage, feeling fooled. "Minghua County Magistrate Zhou Wenyuan has acted inappropriately since taking office. He has treated merchants and civilians harshly, causing unrest in the county. He has failed to live up to my expectations!"
"Immediately reprimand him, order him to make meritorious contributions while serving his sentence, and immediately lift the salt permit limit to stabilize the area! If he fails to perform his duties again, he will be severely punished!"
When this imperial edict of reprimand arrived at the county magistrate's residence at full speed, Zhou Wenyuan was sitting in his study, listening to the eunuch read out the imperial edict. Every word of the reprimand was like a whip slapping him in the face.
"Your servant Zhou Wenyuan accepts your order and thanks you." He almost gritted his teeth to express his gratitude.
He knew that he had completely lost this round, completely defeated. Not only did he fail to hurt Ning Lingyi at all, but he also put himself in such an embarrassing situation.
He had no choice but to order the release of all the captured merchants, even though he was extremely reluctant and believed that these people must be up to something. At the same time, the "extermination order" that cut off the salt route was also lifted by his own hands.
The restrictions on salt permits were lifted and the normal supply of official salt resumed.
In the back hall of the Mingzhou prefectural government office, the sun was shining brightly outside the window, and on the desk, a pot of newly opened white orchid was emitting a faint fragrance.
Shen Qingyan walked in with a relaxed gait, the gloom on his face cleared away for days. "Your Highness! Zhou Wenyuan has released the prisoners, and the ban on salt permits has been lifted! The government salt reserves are exhausted, but the official salt market has resumed circulation, and the price of salt has fallen."
"The crisis in Mingzhou has been resolved!"
There was a hint of fear in his tone, "Your Highness, this plan is a risky one. It really makes me sweat. If it's delayed for a few more days, the treasury will be out of salt, and the consequences will be disastrous. This time, it is truly God's will that helps Your Highness!"
Ning Lingyi was sketching something on paper. Upon hearing this, she put down her pen. There was not much joy on her face, only silence.
"God's will?" She curled her lips slightly, "Chen Qing, you are wrong. It is not God's will, but Zhou Wenyuan himself who personally delivered the word 'win' to me."
She stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the plants in the courtyard stretching their branches and leaves in the sun:
"If he truly possessed the fortitude to remain unmoved by my banquet for merchants, and undeterred by a mere drop in salt prices, how could my deceptive, elusive trap be effective?"
She turned and looked at Shen Qingyan: "He has too much resentment in his heart and is too eager for quick success. He only thinks about how to attack you and me, but forgets that the foundation of an official's duty is to keep the people safe. All of this is due to his personality and the inevitable consequences of his actions."
"So, it wasn't me who defeated him, it was he who lost to himself."
Shen Qingyan listened, his heart trembling, and he savored the deep meaning of Ning Lingyi's words.
Looking at the quiet figure in front of the window, he bowed deeply and said, "Your Highness, I understand your wisdom. I am grateful for your guidance."
Outside the window, the sun was shining warmly, but Ning Lingyi's gaze was already looking further away. This game was far from over.
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