Chapter 171 Bandits
The next day at noon, Xiao Zhen indeed sent a carriage to pick up the two of them.
However, as soon as they got on the bus, someone blindfolded them with a black cloth.
"My young master said that the other person has a special identity, so please forgive him."
Qin Jinzhi calmly said, "Let's go."
The carriage drove away quickly.
The driver didn't realize that there was already a tail following the carriage.
The carriage traveled for almost an hour before stopping.
A servant helped the two of them toward a courtyard.
After another incense stick's time, the servant finally removed the blindfolds from the two people's eyes.
Xiao Zhen, dressed in the python robe reserved for princes, looked at the two of them with a smile.
Qin Jinzhi pretended to frown, "Brother Rong, what's wrong?"
Xiao Zhen stepped forward and said, “Brothers Zhao, please don’t be offended. It’s just that my identity is a bit special, so I had no choice but to resort to this. To be honest, I am Xiao Zhen, the nineteenth prince of the current dynasty.”
Cui Ying feigned great surprise and said, "What? Brother Rong is actually a prince!"
Qin Jinzhi continued, "I'm afraid my brother and I can no longer address the Nineteenth Prince as brothers."
Xiao Zhen quickly said, "Brother Zhao, please don't be offended. It was just that the situation yesterday was special. I hit it off with you two at first sight, otherwise I wouldn't have come to see you in my true form today."
Qin Jinzhi asked, "So, who does the Nineteenth Prince want to introduce to us?"
Xiao Zhen smiled gently, "If you two don't mind, please call me Brother Xiao. Since I have invited you two here, the person you are meeting is naturally this prince."
Qin Jinzhi and Cui Ying exchanged a glance.
Qin Jinzhi asked, "What does the Nineteenth Prince mean by this?"
Xiao Zhen gestured for the two to sit down.
"Brother Zhao wants to bring Suzhou's business to the capital, why not cooperate with me? What in this world can offer more protection than the royal family?"
Qin Jinzhi looked at Xiao Zhen, pondered for a moment, and then said:
"Nineteenth Prince, if I may be frank, the power dynamics in the capital are complex, and each prince has the support of a powerful family."
I wonder what kind of power is behind the nineteenth prince.
My Zhao family are just ordinary people; we only want to earn some money and have no intention of getting involved in the royal power struggles.
Xiao Zhen smiled gently.
"Brother Zhao, you are a smart man, so I won't beat around the bush with you. Soon, things will be in turmoil in the capital."
As you know, the power dynamics in the capital are incredibly complex. No matter whose patron you want to join, you can't escape the influence of the various princes behind you.
If we choose the wrong side, Brother Zhao, then there will be no turning back!
Qin Jinzhi's face darkened.
"How can the nineteenth prince guarantee that he will remain invincible in the capital?"
Although we are far away in Suzhou, we are not unaware of news from the capital.
The Crown Prince is in his prime, the Sixth Prince is rising to fame, the Second Prince has just been enfeoffed as a prince, and there is also the Seventeenth Prince, whose birth mother is His Majesty's most favored concubine.
Each of them has a better chance of winning than you. If you really want to pledge allegiance, these four are all more advantageous than you.
Xiao Zhen laughed heartily, "Brother Zhao, I greatly admire your frankness. As you said, I have my own means of making a living. However, I would like to ask you, Brother Zhao, have you ever thought about making this silk business the best in the world?"
Qin Jinzhi looked at him, "You mean the imperial merchants?"
Xiao Zhen nodded and smiled, "Brother Zhao is indeed intelligent. That's right, a royal merchant."
Qin Jinzhi chuckled lightly, "The Nineteenth Prince is joking. Everyone in the world knows that the imperial merchants are controlled by various powerful families. My Zhao family is not a clan, and we don't even have the qualifications to be selected, let alone the title of the best in the world."
Xiao Zhen asked seriously, "Brother Zhao, how do you usually transport silk to various places?"
"Naturally, it will be transported by carriages and horses."
Xiao Zhen then asked, "What is the biggest fear in horse and cart transportation?"
Qin Jinzhi looked at Cui Ying with a smile in her eyes.
She seemed to know what gave Xiao Zhen his confidence.
Cui Ying suppressed a smile and looked down at the ground.
Xiao Zhen is really incredibly bold!
For the transportation of important goods, a specialized security escort agency is usually hired.
Some even have their own caravan guards accompanying the镖师 (bodyguards/escorts).
Because if the goods are lost or damaged, it will cost a lot of money.
Sometimes it can even cripple the seller.
Therefore, the biggest fear during the transport of goods was encountering bandits.
Xiao Zhen looked at Qin Jinzhi's expression and smiled, "Just as Brother Zhao guessed, the imperial merchant selection will be held soon. If the goods of the other candidates all have problems, then this year's imperial merchant can only be won by Brother Zhao's family?"
Qin Jinzhi's smile widened, referring to all the families, including the Zheng family.
As long as there is one family-owned merchant firm, ordinary merchant firms will not be able to stand out in the competition.
This bandit was secretly raised by Xiao Zhen behind Xiao Yin's back!
Qin Jinzhi asked, "What does Brother Xiao want?"
Xiao Zhen immediately said, "Brother Zhao is indeed straightforward. If Brother Zhao's family wins the imperial merchant election, I, the prince, will take 50% of the profits."
Cui Ying pressed down hard on the flesh on her cheeks. This Xiao Zhenzhen is so greedy!
They demand 50% of the profits right off the bat!
Qin Jinzhi pondered for a moment.
Xiao Zhen said, "Brother Zhao, do you think I'm too greedy? But you should know that once you become a royal merchant, the benefits your family will gain will be far more than just this amount of money. And not all of this money will go into my pocket. After all, the brothers who handle things also need to be bribed."
Qin Jinzhi nodded. “Brother Xiao is right. If I may ask, is there any certainty in what you said? After all, my Zhao family are just ordinary people and we can’t afford to offend so many powerful families.”
Xiao Zhen laughed heartily, "Brother Zhao, rest assured, this matter is very secure and there will be absolutely no mishaps."
Qin Jinzhi still looked hesitant. "Brother Xiao, may I go back and think about this? After all, this matter is of great importance."
Seeing that Qin Jinzhi still looked hesitant, Xiao Zhen asked, "Brother Zhao, what is it that you're worried about?"
Qin Jinzhi looked around.
Xiao Zhen said, "This is my private residence, Brother Zhao, please feel free to speak."
Qin Jinzhi stepped forward and said, “Brother Xiao, if everyone else is in trouble and only my Zhao family is unharmed, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. If the clan retaliates, my Zhao family cannot bear the consequences.”
Xiao Zhen waved his hand and said, "Brother Zhao, don't worry. Lord Rong, who is in charge of registering candidates for the Imperial Merchants, is my uncle. He will give me all the information about the candidates. I will instruct people to let some inferior goods pass through. When you win among these people, no one will suspect anything."
Qin Jinzhi frowned. "It's not that I don't trust Brother Xiao, it's just that the goods escorted by the major families are all handled by highly skilled individuals. Can Brother Xiao really guarantee that everything will be foolproof?"
Xiao Zhen laughed and said, "Brother Zhao, are you afraid that my men are no match for these people?"
Qin Jinzhi sighed, "This concerns the survival of the Zhao family, and I dare not gamble with the lives of my entire family."
Xiao Zhen also remained silent for a moment.
Qin Jinzhi's meaning was simple: if you want this benefit, you have to show me your strength.
Xiao Zhen said, "How about this, Brother Zhao, you two go back and discuss it first, and tell me the result of your discussion at this time tomorrow?"
Qin Jinzhi replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking."
The two were sent back to Tianxiang Tower.
Cui Ying asked, "Has Xiao Zhen become suspicious?"
Qin Jinzhi shook her head. "The longer I hesitate to agree, the less suspicious he will be."
Cui Ying wondered, "Even if he doesn't suspect anything today, won't he be exposed tomorrow? He can find out with just a little investigation that there is no Zhao family in Suzhou."
Qin Jinzhi laughed and said, "No, there really is a Zhao family in Suzhou."
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