"Quickly, quickly, load everything onto the boat!"
The Baiyue Wharf was bustling with activity.
Before dawn, the merchants were hurrying to load their goods.
Ever since those Qin envoys caused a ruckus in the market yesterday, everyone is afraid they'll come knocking on their door.
"Where are you all headed, bosses?"
A laughing voice suddenly rang out.
When everyone turned around, their expressions changed drastically.
The newcomers were none other than the troublesome Qin envoys!
"I...we're preparing to set sail..." a merchant stammered.
"Setting sail?" Chu Ping narrowed his eyes. "Setting sail so early, are you perhaps going to smuggle some contraband?"
"No, no!" the merchant cried, waving his hands in alarm. "They're just ordinary goods..."
"Is that so?" Wang sneered. "Then let us check it out!"
Without saying a word, several people rushed onto the boat and began ransacking the place.
The merchants were devastated, but dared not stop him, for he was an envoy from the Qin Dynasty.
"Huh? What's this?" Old Dong suddenly pulled a box out of the cargo hold. "It looks like there are spices inside..."
"Spice?" Chu Ping's eyes lit up. "Open it and let's see!"
Seeing the situation was turning bad, the merchant quickly stepped forward to stop him: "Wait, sir! This is goods destined for the north..."
"Sent north?" Wang Pen scoffed. "It was clearly transported from the south, wasn't it? I think you're just trying to hide it from us!"
"This..." The merchant's forehead was beaded with sweat. These spices were indeed transported from the south; if they found out about the spice forest...
"Alright!" Chu Ping waved his hand dismissively. "We'll take this box; consider it loot from the inspection!"
"Envoy..." the merchant stamped his feet anxiously, "This is goods destined for the north, and the deadline has been missed..."
"What? You want to bargain?" Old Dong glared at him. "Believe it or not, we'll report you to Yi Yusong and say you're possessing contraband?"
Upon hearing this, the merchant immediately deflated. These people dared to offend even Yi Yusong; how could he, with his small business, possibly afford to offend them?
Just then, a group of Baiyue soldiers rushed over.
The leader shouted, "What is the Qin delegation doing?"
"Oh?" Wang Pen said sarcastically, "Who do we have here? It's just officials from Baiyue. What, you also want to inspect these goods?"
"This..." The official looked at the crowd, then at the boxes on the ship, unsure of what to do.
"Alright," Chu Ping waved his hand impatiently, "We're taking this box. Anyone who dares to stop us is going against the Great Qin!"
As they were talking, they suddenly saw several large ships approaching from a distance.
The ship was flying the flag of Baiyue, and it looked like a newly built warship of Baiyue.
"The general has ordered!" an officer shouted, "No one is permitted to inspect merchant ships without authorization!"
"Oh?" Chu Ping's eyes lit up. "Trying to stop us? Believe me, I'll have all these merchant ships searched right now!"
"You..." The officer's face turned ashen with rage, "Are you trying to defy the orders of the Baiyue army?"
"Provocation?" Old Dong sneered. "We're just carrying out official business! As for you, daring to block our Great Qin delegation, are you perhaps trying to protect someone?"
Seeing the tension escalating, Zhang Erhe quickly stepped in to smooth things over: "Please calm down, everyone. Since it's a misunderstanding, then we..."
"What misunderstanding?" Chu Ping's eyes widened. "These people are clearly trying to protect merchants smuggling contraband! I think we should just search the entire dock!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Wang Peng chimed in, "Maybe we'll uncover some big case! Then we can let Yi Yusong see what kind of good deeds his men have done..."
The officer's expression changed drastically.
Helping them is really going too far! But they are envoys from the Qin Dynasty, so it's really not easy to take action.
"Someone come here!" he waved his hand. "Move all this goods away!"
"Wait!" Chu Ping jumped up. "You're trying to steal the evidence? Come on, let me see what you're trying to hide..."
He reached for the box, but several Baiyue soldiers quickly stepped forward to stop him. Chaos erupted at the dock.
"Reporting, General!" A man in black strode to the ship in the distance, "The Qin envoys are causing trouble at the dock, and the navy can't stop them..."
A cold snort came from inside the cabin: "These people are clearly here to cause trouble! Go and report this to the Emperor. Tell him that those Qin envoys are not only causing trouble in the market, but now they're even messing with the docks..."
"Here you go!"
The man in black hurriedly left.
Inside the cabin, a burly general strolled to the window, looking at the chaos on the dock, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
These Qin envoys really don't have good intentions!
The chaos at the docks continues.
Chu Ping and his men refused to give up, insisting on searching every single merchant ship.
The Baiyue officials and soldiers could neither stop them nor dare to take action; they could only watch helplessly as they made a fool of themselves.
"That was close!" Once the commotion had died down, Chu Ping and his group finally left, satisfied. "We almost let those people get their goods!"
"Yes, yes!" Wang Pen chimed in, "But did you see that? The soldiers' faces turned green as soon as they heard we were going to inspect the boats!"
"Of course!" Old Dong said smugly. "These people have been doing countless shady things. If we stir things up, they'll be on tenterhooks!"
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