Chapter 1 Chapter 1
Chapter 1
In March, spring waters rise, hundreds of boats compete for the current, and the last bit of broken ice of the late winter falls into the waves, swaying slowly in the floating light, laying a narrow golden ribbon on the porcelain blue sea.
The Qian family's housekeeper Cao was afraid of the strong light and walked towards the tea stall in Shuixiang not far away with his eyes half closed.
The thatched teahouse towered above the sea. Steward Cao climbed a few steps and peered inside. Inside, a young woman gazed out toward the sea. She wore a Song Dynasty brocade half-sleeve woven with gold thread, and an ice-silk jade pendant hung from her waist. The emerald-green tassel at the end of her dress rustled in the wind, leaving scratches like willow branches in early spring.
Butler Cao stepped forward, crossed his arms over his chest, and reported, "Seventh Lady, the prefect's men have replied."
The young lady turned her head, and the veil of her skirt was lifted to both sides, revealing her beautiful face in the morning light, with black hair, bright eyes, jade-like skin and red lips. At first glance, it reminded people of the first snow in winter and the bright moon on a summer night.
Keeping a rich mistress among the rich is no less grand than that of a girl from an official family.
In terms of beauty, there is no man in the world who is not worthy of her. Butler Cao couldn't hide the injustice in his eyes, "We have to wait and see what the prefect means."
Merchants have been of inferior status since ancient times, and the Qian family had no intention of currying favor with the powerful. However, the current emperor, who has ruled the country, had requested support from the merchants in Yangzhou during the war five years ago.
But they rejected it.
The Qian family has been doing business for two generations relying on their ancestors' salt-mining skills. They have survived countless wars and remained standing despite the changes of dynasties. They did this by being self-reliant and never making close friends with those who led the troops.
No one could have guessed that the lowest-ranking peasant among the royal family could lead his straw-sandaled soldiers to fight his way out, take control of the world, and ascend the throne.
As five years have passed and the world has become more and more peaceful, I'm afraid it won't collapse anytime soon.
If the emperor doesn't fall, they will be the ones who fall.
After five years of trembling in fear, the emperor finally heard the news recently. He remembered this old account and sent officials from the court to investigate.
In order to break out of the current imprisonment dilemma, he had to find a backer who could help him deal with the situation. After weighing the pros and cons, the head of the Qian family set his sights on the prefect and wanted to marry his only daughter, Qian Qinniangzi Qian Tong, to the prefect's youngest son.
Today, the matchmaker went to propose marriage. The prefect's wife quoted a price of fifty thousand taels. The Qian family agreed immediately, and they agreed so readily that the other party felt that their offer was too little.
When it comes to the future of the Qian family and their beloved daughter, the Qian family is willing to do so even if it means emptying their family assets.
After a long while without a reply, Steward Cao looked up and saw the young lady in front of him looking back at the sea. The morning light on the sea now formed circles of golden waves, spreading from the clear blue sky to her. The spring light was shimmering, and the young lady was as beautiful as a flower. The longer he looked at her, the more regret he felt in his heart. "Don't worry about the dowry, Miss Qi. Madam has already made an appointment with the wife of the prefect for the next spring banquet."
The servant standing behind him stretched his neck and took the opportunity to interrupt, "Young Master Lan said that as long as we redeem the saddle he mortgaged last month, he will have the final say on whether this marriage goes through or not."
Butler Cao was unable to stop him and gouged out his eyes.
As expected, these words drew the glare of Fu Yin, the maid behind the tea table, who was making tea. "Such a coward? Where does he get such high airs? The Cui family's wife even bought him a teahouse, so why hasn't he married yet?"
But if he wasn't a coward, why would the prefect have anything to do with the merchants?
There is no need to say out loud what you already know.
In the silence, a long call came from the fog in the distance. Several people looked at the sea together and saw that the sails of hundreds of canal boats were filled with the southeast wind, revealing clear outlines.
Butler Cao remembered and was about to ask Miss Qi whether she came to the dock today to pick up goods or to pick up someone, but she turned around first, her slightly curved eyebrows naturally holding a faint smile, "I know, thank you for making this trip, Uncle Cao."
Butler Cao grabbed the servant's ear and led him down the tea stall.
After the people left, Fu Yin stood up and walked to the young lady's side. Feeling unwilling but helpless, she asked softly, "Madam, do you want to redeem me?"
Qian Tong raised his chin and motioned her to look down.
Fu Yin followed her gaze toward the dock. The rising sun shone brightly, sails stood in rows, and merchants gathered, the sound of people bustling. The alleys of Yangzhou were once a bustling place where thousands of merchants from Dayu converged. But during the first month of spring, when the ice broke, the canal traffic belonged exclusively to the Pu family; the Qian family had nothing to do with it. The rest was passenger ships, carrying merchants from other places seeking a living in Yangzhou, and the poorer people who came here to make a living. None of them had anything to do with the Qian family.
Fu Yin didn't understand why the lady came here so early in the morning, and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"
Qian Tong replied, "People."
Who was that? Fu Yin was just wondering when she heard her describe him in detail: "Seven feet tall, in his early twenties, handsome, dressed in rags, the most destitute person on the entire dock."
After she finished speaking, Fu Yin was completely confused. She could hear that her wife was looking for someone, but the Qian family was one of the four richest businessmen in Yangzhou. When had her wife ever met anyone who was down and out?
Fu Yin observed the crowd curiously.
A passenger ship approached the pier closest to the tea stall.
The people on the boat couldn't wait to set foot on this land of wealth that everyone longed for, while the crowd on the shore pushed and shoved each other, trying hard to move forward.
Seeing several familiar faces inside, Fu Yin frowned and said, "A few days ago, the Cui family pawnbroker kidnapped a group of people into the building. One of them escaped with a broken leg and dyed the threshold of the pawnbroker red. This incident alarmed the prefect. It's only been a few days? How dare they..."
As they were talking, the Cui family had already found their prey. Fu Yin felt sympathy for them and said, "Look, my lady, here comes the unlucky one."
The Cui family ran restaurants, brothels, and pawnshops in Yangzhou, all of which needed staff. Their skills in recruiting people were unparalleled. Nine out of ten people who caught the eye of the family at the docks were secured, with the most they'd ever taken from the docks being over a dozen. Now, they had found another prey.
The two miserable young men surrounded in the center are one scholar and one warrior.
The young scholar was tall and graceful, and even his plain clothes could not hide his elegant demeanor. He seemed not good at arguing with others, and a bit of impatience could be seen in his words and actions.
The warrior standing next to him was wearing a straw raincoat and hat, which covered his face. From the direction Fu Yin was looking, she could only make out his figure.
Taller than the scribe.
He held a bronze sword in his hand, the hilt of which was made of cowhide and had a large hole in it.
——Poor enough.
His clothes were even older than the scholar's, and his boots were soaked in sea water, which had spread to his tight calves, casting a gloomy shadow.
——How miserable.
If such a miserable master and servant were to enter the Cui family's store today, there would be an 80% chance that not even a bone would be left.
After a while, seeing the scholar impatiently pushing his way through the crowd, Fu Yin thought to herself that she wasn't that stupid. While she was still feeling relieved, she heard a light voice beside her ear saying, "Rob him."
Fu Yin turned around in surprise and looked at her master in astonishment.
The wind blew the fence, and the young lady under the sunlight was dazzling. She was carved out of snow jade, and had a pair of ink-like eyes. The faint smile between her eyebrows was comparable to the morning light. She looked pure and flawless no matter how you looked at her. But if you looked closely, you could detect that there was a visible ambition and boldness hidden in her eyes.
After confirming that she had heard correctly, Fu Yin asked nervously, "Madam, are we going to open a dental clinic too?"
He hurriedly advised, "My wife is currently discussing marriage with the prefect's son. It would be bad if the prefect caught her. We should wait and see..."
The young lady didn't listen to her. Knowing she would recognize the wrong person, she reminded her, "I want the one wearing a straw raincoat."
——
pier.
The Cui family's headman, unwilling to give up after being thrown off the path, took two steps in pursuit, his robe in hand, and walked beside the two young masters, blocking their way and trying to persuade them, "Sir, you may not know that many people have come to Yangzhou to do business in the spring. Only our inn is large and spacious, with a few rooms left. At our prices, you won't find another one anywhere else in Yangzhou."
The scholar refused perfunctorily, "No need."
The Chaitou beside him extended his palm again and said in a low voice, "Since you two are so generous, how about I give you a 50% discount?"
The scholar remained unmoved, "No need."
"Sir, if you don't want to stay at the hotel, we have a restaurant and teahouse, and we still offer a 50% discount... I think you two are from Kyoto. Are you here to make a living in Yangzhou? It just so happens that I have some work on hand, and it's easy and lucrative..."
Chaitou's steps were going further and further off the track, and he was about to block the young scholar when a hard lump suddenly poked him from the side, causing him to feel pain in the side of his waist. He lowered his head to see that it was a bronze sword handle.
The person who stopped him was the young warrior with a sword. He was tall, and the straw raincoat on his head was pulled down low, leaving only a part of his angular jaw exposed.
Even so, Chaitou was forced to retreat again and again because of the inexplicable oppressive aura from him.
Because he had just gotten into trouble, Chaitou couldn't openly attack them. He watched helplessly as the duck he had secured flew away, revealing his true nature. He said behind the two of them, "You poor, ungrateful things, I want to see how far you can go..."
The young scholar in front looked back angrily, wanting to turn around and settle the score, but there were too many pedestrians, and after his shoulders were bumped several times, he gradually followed the crowd to this place of wealth where all kinds of people mixed together.
Outside the dock, the crowds were not evacuated, and several streets and alleys crisscrossed each other.
There is a row of windows on both sides of the alley, with grain stores, tofu shops, tea shops, clothing stores, and wine shops. Flags of all sizes are hung in the air, creating a scene of peace and prosperity.
Chen Che had never been abused before, at least not in front of him. He was still furious and had no intention of watching the fun. "These bastards are too arrogant. Before coming to Yangzhou, Lan Zhizhou was also a member of the Imperial Censorate. How could they tolerate such scoundrels and blatant fraud?"
Song Yunzhi stopped in front of a liquor store where the crowd had lightened slightly. Unlike Shen Che, he calmly explored the unfamiliar city before him and casually replied, "It's just my nature as a businessman."
The straw raincoat blocked his view, so he took it off, revealing the hidden upper half of his face.
The wine shop stands by the bridge. In the water town, willows are swaying everywhere. A young man in the bustling city is wearing a plain robe, with a narrow waist and a hairband fluttering in the wind. He is tall and handsome, like a jade tablet or a sceptre.
That face quickly attracted several glances.
Chen Che was already accustomed to this scene. He walked to his side, pulled him to a quiet alley, and asked curiously, "Brother Song, you have never been to Yangzhou. How did you know all this?"
Song Yunzhi: "I found it through research."
The war in Dayu had subsided for five years, and the people had a chance to breathe. Trade was recovering at an astonishing rate, and wealthy cities like Yangzhou had an endless stream of ships coming and going every day.
Where there are many people, there is a lot of business. There are not many people who actually go to the dock to pick up people. It is the people from inns, taverns and pawnshops who are soliciting business.
He cheats people with his mouth, exaggerating things and targeting outsiders who are unfamiliar with the place and dragging them into his store. The lucky ones are cheated out of some money, while the unlucky ones lose their whole lives.
Seeing that he was not prepared at all, Song Yunzhi explained to him in detail: "This is just one of the scam methods. Do you know the little thief, the bandit..."
Shen Che shook his head.
Song Yunzhi explained everything one by one, and Chen Che felt a chill on his back. He said thankfully, "This time, I'm lucky to have Brother Song accompanying me." He felt more confident and had a better chance of winning.
If he had come alone, this matter would certainly not have been accomplished, but there was Prince Song who could kill enemies with a sword and execute traitors with a pen.
When Chen Che learned that the emperor had secretly sent Song Yunzhi to accompany him, he made a bold statement when he set out from Kyoto, "With Brother Song's intelligence and wisdom, within a month, the two of us will be able to eliminate the profiteers in Yangzhou."
At that time, Prince Song was just about to mount his horse. After settling firmly on his horse, he glanced up at the sky outside the city. Chen Che would always remember that look, calm and aloof, as if everything in the world belonged to him. He replied calmly, "Hmm."
In order to get deeper into the enemy camp, the two men disguised themselves and traveled by water for half a month before finally arriving in Yangzhou. Now it was their chance to show their skills.
When he conquers the profiteers and becomes successful, his aunt, the queen, will no longer call him a fool. The unhappiness in Chen Che's heart slowly dissipated, and he followed Prince Song to appreciate the scenery of Yangzhou.
The quiet alley the two stepped into was still peaceful and tranquil.
The residents were relaxed and at ease, some were drinking tea, some were fighting crickets, some were playing chess, some were chatting, and the alleys were filled with laughter and joy.
It was just a little accident.
A little girl who was watching knocked over the teacup of the chess players. The owner of the teacup was a big and strong man. He stood up and yelled. The girl burst into tears and stepped back suddenly, faster and faster, and bumped into the two of them.
First it was Song Yunzhi, then Chen Che, and finally he squeezed out from between the two of them and disappeared.
The two men had important things to do and didn't take it seriously, but after walking for a distance, they realized something was wrong.
Chen Che shook his dizzy head violently, and before he could figure out what was going on, he heard Song Yunzhi say, "Hold your breath!"
It's too late.
Chen Che quickly realized that there was something wrong with the little girl, but he didn't panic. Prince Song came prepared and had many ways to avert danger. Even when the girl fell to the ground, he still had the leisure to tease, "Brother Song, I've heard of this method before, it's called a bewitching..."
He reached out his hand to touch it, but before Prince Song could support him, a piece of rag was stuffed into his mouth, and then a sack fell from the sky and was put over his head, plunging him into complete darkness.
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