Chapter 35 Ghost Market (Part 4) Clues
The stall owner jumped to his feet, about to lash out, when the guard closest to the stall instantly drew his sword.
The stall owner sat back down, feeling frustrated.
The surrounding pedestrians and stall owners silently moved away. There had been troublemakers before, but most of them had no good ending. Being locked up for a few years was the least of their worries. If they happened to find contraband among their goods, they would be confiscated and exiled, or even be executed in the afternoon.
Jiang Yuzhi withdrew her hand. "Boss, I only touched it once, and it stopped working by itself."
Bai Yan soothed Jiang Yuzhi by pulling her behind him and blatantly lied, "It's just a trick of the ghost market. The powder must have been rubbed off or blown away by the wind. If you offer a reasonable price, we're still willing to buy this box of inferior pearls."
The guards stared at them menacingly, as if they would seize the stall owner at the slightest misstep.
The stall owner knew he had run into a tough customer and couldn't afford to offend him.
He did sell counterfeit goods a few months ago, but this time it's genuine rare items. Could it be that there really is such a thing as karma?
He couldn't help but shudder at the thought of the woman his family had abducted.
This box of pearls also belongs to a woman.
The stall owner gritted his yellow teeth in anger, but finally gave in, "Fifteen hundred taels."
He still has a gambling debt of one thousand taels to pay off, and the remaining five hundred taels can be squandered for a while.
How could Bai Yan let him have his way? A pearl that wasn't even round enough was practically worthless once it lost its luster.
But if his wife wanted it, his luster would be gone. If he didn't buy it, his wife might feel guilty. If it were him, he would have turned around and left long ago.
Bai Yan: "One hundred taels."
The stall owner said, "The customer has bargained too much. If I lower the price any further, I won't even break even. 1,300 taels is the lowest I can go."
Bai Yan: "Fifty taels."
Stall owner: "..." It's not as good as before.
He was thinking of just not accepting it, because if he dragged it out any longer he probably wouldn't get a single tael of silver. He was sure that his wife was just fooling him. He thought that when he got back, he would give her a good beating to vent his anger.
Before they could put on a fawning expression, a white dog led over a man and woman who looked to be wealthy and powerful.
It's obvious at a glance that he's in cahoots with the two in front of him.
Di Ting first rubbed against Jiang Yuzhi's leg in a coquettish manner, sticking out her plump buttocks and pushing Bai Yan towards Sui Gu and Fang Xiangshi.
Jiang Yuzhi squatted down and patted its head.
Di Ting howled. It had seen them from afar, but they hadn't moved for a long time, so it came over to see what was wrong.
Jiang Yuzhi: "There's been a small problem. We'll go home once it's resolved."
A minor issue? Di Ting looked around and only saw the stall owner, a suspicious person.
Wow, he's shrouded in black aura. He's not as evil as a truly wicked person, but he's not someone an ordinary mortal could do either.
Unable to bear seeing evildoers in power, Di Ting turned around and bared its teeth dangerously at the stall owner. Then, it condescended to walk over to Bai Yan, nudged him with its head, raised one of its front legs to scratch his neck, and pointed at the stall owner.
Bai Yan was quick-witted and immediately realized that this person was suspicious. However, in the Ghost Market, regardless of one's identity, anyone could set up a stall as long as they followed the rules.
Then we'll just have to let the guards watch over him. Ha, we'll see him in jail when the market closes at dawn.
The stall owner broke out in a cold sweat at the sight of this strange dog. "Fifty taels, I'll sell it."
Bai Yan: "Deal."
The fifty-tael silver note was handed to the stall owner, while Jiang Yuzhi held a box of low-grade pearls in her arms.
The group left swiftly.
The stall owner wiped the sweat from his brow, not in a hurry to pack up. He still had a few good-quality red corals on his stall, though they were fake, hoping to find another sucker tonight.
Before leaving, Bai Yan secretly gave a wink to the nearby guards. Only after the guards nodded subtly did he feel relieved and walk away.
Sui Gu had a very fruitful night, buying all sorts of things, as evidenced by the fact that Fang Xiangshi's hands were always full.
Tonight, Zhang Chen and his wife also set up their stall. They ordered some food while waiting for the ghost market to close.
Unexpectedly, they ran into Xiao Ji, who was out and about.
They then sat at two separate tables.
Xiao Ji: "Didn't you get enough shopping last night?"
Bai Yan: "I was so busy stopping my uncle from forcibly taking a woman that I didn't get to do much sightseeing."
Xiao Ji: "Don't talk nonsense. Go back early. I have important business to attend to."
"Crunch crunch." Jiang Yuzhi ate the pile of skull-shaped lotus roots with relish; they were slightly spicy and had a perfect balance of saltiness and sourness.
The uncle and nephew both turned to look at her.
She coughed twice to cover her embarrassment, "We also have important business tonight."
Xiao Ji casually set up a small soundproof barrier. "Even you guys noticed something was amiss?"
Emperor Huizong of Song advocated for the establishment of a "ghost market" for three reasons.
Firstly, in order to replenish the national treasury, five percent of the proceeds from large transactions on the black market must be handed over.
On the surface, all you need to do to open a stall is get a stall permit from the government office. But secretly, stall owners will hire brokers to move their goods for a fee. The brokers take 5 percent of the transaction amount and guarantee the safety of the goods and that they will not be confiscated by the government office.
Secondly, they gathered intelligence and brought some underground forces under their control.
Xiao Ji had been running the Ghost Market for over a year, and he refrained from arresting people before and after the market opened. This finally made the villains lower their guard, and they gradually entered the Ghost Market to make money.
Thirdly, it aims to create space for the survival of migrants and small vendors.
The Ghost Market is a place for ordinary goods trading. It doesn't require brokers or guards, but like any other market, you still need to pay a stall fee. If you want a good spot, you also need to spend money to cultivate connections.
Many people would bring their handicrafts, mountain produce, and fish caught over a month to the ghost market to sell.
"There are some plans tonight, not the time for you to play around." Xiao Ji was preparing to close the net tonight.
In the past two years, there has been a casino with an irregular location, whose manager is extremely cunning, arrogant, and intelligent.
They like to engage in human trafficking.
Gamblers who lose money and can't pay it back are forced to sell their children, snatch other people's children, and then sell them again.
Xiao Ji still doesn't understand why the other party needs so many people. Several disappearance cases are related to this. He sent people to investigate carefully, but he still hasn't figured out the other party's purpose.
Arrogant people have a common flaw: they like to criticize those around them.
The other party was still cautious; only the first two had started entering the ghost market.
The guards sent out reported back that the gambler who had been keeping an eye on the fishing catches was now selling things at the ghost market.
Later, several more people joined the business selling calligraphy and paintings. In reality, they were tricking people into signing indentures. Once they found out the customers' financial situation, they would threaten them and force them to work for them.
Then there are the newcomers these past two days, who supposedly sell mango pomelo sago. A guard disguised himself as an ordinary citizen and bought a jar. He could tell it was white powder just by smelling it. He said that after eating it, one would be full of energy and invigorated.
Xiao Ji knew he could not let things continue like this.
White Stone Powder was a miraculous medicine that was popular in the capital during the previous dynasty, and people became addicted to it.
If you don't take it for a day, your whole body will itch, your internal organs will feel like they are being burned, the pain will be unbearable, accompanied by hair loss, your body will weaken rapidly, and you will be gradually hollowed out.
In the past two days, curious citizens have been summoned away by the imperial guards in various ways, and those who actually bought the items have been bought back at high prices.
Jiang Yuzhi lowered her voice: "I bought a box of pearls from a stall. The stall owner might have something going on."
Bai Yan: "I have already instructed the nearby guards to secretly capture him after the market closes."
Xiao Ji: "Does that stall owner smell fishy, selling glowing pearls and coral?"
Jiang Yuzhi paused, her chopsticks still holding food. "You know?"
The lowest grade pearl, with its lid closed, was displayed before Emperor Huizong of Tang.
Xiao Ji: "...What about the light? How much did it cost?"
Bai Yan: "Fifty taels."
Xiao Ji: "Make him vomit it out after dawn, so how come the light is gone?"
Jiang Yuzhi awkwardly took a sip of the "Meng Po soup," and thought, "Maybe, perhaps, it was absorbed by me."
In fact, the moment Jiang Yuzhi touched the pearl, she could sense that the light was due to residual power, and that what was calling her was the Sheji Tu (a map of the state) rather than the pearl.
The fact that a single oyster can produce so many pearls must be due to the Sheji Tu (a mythical map of the state), but the quality is poor, perhaps because the oyster's abilities are limited and the Sheji Tu's power is only a tiny fraction.
He Ji disappeared on the shore of Zuo Huaihai, and it's estimated that the clam also benefited from it.
Jiang Yuzhi briefly stated her guess.
It was almost dawn.
There was no time for further pleasantries.
The vendors filed out of the alleyway.
The men who were being followed were knocked unconscious after being hit on the back of the head with the hilt of a knife as soon as they entered the alley.
The guards swiftly moved out, replaced by their disguised colleagues, and pretended to return to the villain's house.
A plaque hung on the new house: Jiang Residence.
The new study hadn't been set up yet when Bai Yan went back to the Bai family next door.
Jiang Yuzhi was wide awake.
It's strange. Mingming knows that the true source of the Sheji Tu is in Mingyan's body, so why does it always enter her body first when the residual power returns, like a swallow returning to its nest or a weary bird returning to its forest?
Moreover, Bai Yan could not sense the call of the remaining strength.
I can't figure it out.
Instead of thinking about it, she took out her newly bought storybook and began to study it carefully.
Hmm? Storybooks, bookstores, Zhong Yuxiu...
Is Yuxiu all about making money from money? Was the storybook she was reading written by Yuxiu?
Thinking of Zhong Yuxiu's timid appearance, Jiang Yuzhi couldn't help but sigh, "You really can't judge a book by its cover."
The shop, which hadn't been open for a long time to sell funeral clothes, finally welcomed customers again.
The granddaughter of Grand Secretary Zhang died in the suburbs of Beijing, her face unrecognizable, with only a jade pendant on her body proving her identity.
Since her death was sudden, her family naturally wouldn't prepare funeral clothes for their young lady who had just come of age.
Miss Zhang did not return home all night, so Scholar Zhang sent people to look for her.
When the servant returned with the message, the nearly sixty-year-old man collapsed on the spot. Fortunately, the imperial physician arrived in time and saved his life.
Miss Zhang's father was sent to serve as an official in another region, and her mother went with him to take care of him. Grand Secretary Zhang's only granddaughter was very filial and doted on him.
Bai Yan also heard the news. As agreed, he entered the palace to help Xiao Ji with government affairs. He looked at Xiao Ji suspiciously and asked, "Uncle, did you hire someone to kill Miss Zhang?"
He had already guessed that Miss Zhang had commissioned Zhong Yuxiu to create the storybook.
Xiao Ji's face was gloomy. "Am I that kind of person? The Grand Secretary has made great contributions, and I have no reason to harm his granddaughter. Besides, I have no grudge against that Miss Zhang."
It seems that Uncle is unaware of the storybook Miss Zhang has.
Bai Yan: "Just kidding, Uncle."
Xiao Ji: "What, do you know something?"
Before Bai Yan could figure out how to answer, Eunuch Xu entered, whispered something to Xiao Ji respectfully, and then withdrew.
Xiao Ji's gloom dissipated somewhat. "Miss Zhang didn't die. She was rescued by the guards from the Ghost Market who were disguised as villains. She's safe now. I want to see who dares to kill and dispose of a body right under my nose."
...
Zhang Wanying was devastated; her maid had lost her life trying to save her.
The security in Kyoto has improved a lot, so she wanted to sneak out to the outskirts of the city for a spring outing. Usually, she was always followed by a bunch of servants, which made her feel quite uncomfortable.
There weren't many people in the outskirts of Beijing. She had also made an appointment with the daughter of General Wang to go fishing by the stream and experience the fun of nature.
Summer was approaching, and the sun was quite strong. She waited with her maid in the shade of the woods.
Miss Wang was late in arriving.
Zhang Wanying didn't want to come again and was about to leave disappointed.
Before she could leave, a hoarse male voice came from behind her, "The granddaughter of that old scoundrel Zhang Pei?"
Her grandfather is not someone who can be slandered so easily.
Zhang Wanying turned around, frowned, and asked, "Who are you?"
The man in coarse linen clothes, with sunken cheeks and bloodshot eyes, rushed up to cover her mouth with a handkerchief. The maid reacted quickly and pulled her mistress into the woods.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
