Chapter 89
Whether it was a poppy shell or not was another matter, Ye Jia just had a suspicion.
The sky was gloomy and hot, and it looked like it was going to rain. Seeing that Fourth Sister Ye was sweating even more than Yu Shi, Ye Jia simply took the child from her arms. Fourth Sister Ye fanned herself vigorously, but she still felt anxious. After waiting for a long time, Lingling hurriedly led the old doctor in.
Ye Jia quickly made room for him and asked the old doctor to take the pulses of Yu and Ye Simei.
The old doctor was also familiar with Yu, having bought the pear blossom plaster recipe from him. At this moment, her wrist was resting on the rolled-up cloth, and the old doctor placed two fingers on it for a moment before asking Yu a few questions.
After getting a positive response from Yu, he stroked his beard and said, "It's nothing, just an accidental ingestion of opium. The dosage wasn't high, probably due to the two of us having a strong reaction to this type of medicine. Opium is a medicinal herb that can cure dysentery and detoxify. Two days of rest will be enough."
Afurong is the opium poppy, and Ye Jia still has some common sense about this. When Ye Simei and Yu Shi heard that they had accidentally eaten opium, they were a little confused. They hadn't eaten anything else today: "We didn't eat anything either."
"It's probably because of the meat we had at noon." Ye Jia explained when he saw her confusion.
Fourth Sister Ye was startled and stood up slightly: "Whose meat is this?"
Ye Jia shook his head and was about to speak, but when Ye Simei heard the doctor say that opium was harmless to the body, she felt relieved again.
The old doctor, seeing how familiar they were, added a warning, "But don't consume too much of this. People think it cures vomiting, abdominal pain, coughs, and other ailments, and that it nourishes the stomach, regulates the lungs, and relieves constipation. However, they don't realize its far-reaching harmful effects. Excessive consumption of opium can cause coughs caused by consumptive fatigue. Millet husks are often used to relieve this. For those with damp-heat diarrhea, it can be used to relieve astringency. While it may be effective in curing illnesses, it can also kill with the force of a sword. You should be wary of it."
This statement nearly frightened Yu's face to the point of paleness. "Is it really that serious? Why haven't I heard the imperial physician...or other doctors say so?"
"Could I still be so foolish as to mislead the students?" The old doctor was also a man of temper, and his warning was only kind. Yu's question seemed like an alarmist, and she immediately became dissatisfied.
Yu knew she had spoken out of turn and immediately stood up to apologize to the old doctor: "I did speak out of turn, please don't blame me, doctor."
The old doctor was not a narrow-minded person. He snorted and accepted Yu's apology.
"Don't panic. Eating a small amount of this stuff won't cause any serious harm, so just relax. It's nothing serious. I'll be back soon." The old doctor stood up and packed up his medicine box and was about to leave.
Ye Jia frowned and thought for a moment, then immediately went to see the old doctor off in person.
The old doctor must have some experience to say this. Thinking that it was inconvenient to say something without understanding it, Ye Jia sent the old doctor out of the house and asked him about the situation of opium.
You wouldn't know until you ask, and you'll be shocked. I hadn't expected that Dayan had a century-long history of poppy cultivation. But before opium cream was invented, it was only used as an ornamental plant and medicinal herb. Now, some people are greedy and using it to make money, and it's impossible to stop them. Ye Jia felt a heavy heart after sending the person back.
I've tried meat from both places, but I still need to figure out which one added this stuff. I originally bought some to taste and compare it with my own meat. Not sure which one was the problem, so I bought from both.
"Sister, what did the doctor say?" Seeing Ye Jia return, Fourth Sister Ye hurried over to ask. She had eaten the most meat at noon, and since raising a child, she had eaten extra, so there was nothing she could do about it. She didn't quite understand the old doctor's flowery words.
Ye Jia glanced at Yu and said succinctly, "It's that thing that makes you addicted if you eat too much. It kills people invisibly."
This was a bit of an exaggeration, but that was the impression people of later generations who had learned about that dark period of history had of it. Ye Jia didn't deny that his words were a bit biased, but it was indeed best to avoid using opium.
Ye Jia's words successfully frightened Ye Simei. Her face turned pale and she fidgeted, almost wanting to pick at her throat. However, she had already eaten all afternoon, so by now, it was probably already digested, let alone spitting it out. "Fortunately, I'm not feeding the children anymore. If they were still nursing, wouldn't I be harming them by eating so recklessly?"
"The doctor just said that, fortunately, the dosage they used wasn't too high. Eating it once or twice shouldn't be a problem," Ye Jia reassured him. "Now we need to find out which restaurant put opium in their dishes."
Actually, it is easy to tell which one has these in their dishes, after all, the meats of these two shops are not tasty. Before Xishi Shop started selling meat, the business of these meat shops was quite average.
After all, even if the taste wasn't particularly good, it was solid meat. In those days of scarcity, scarcity naturally made things more valuable. Later, when Xishi's shop became popular, the butcher shops in town were affected. Just send someone out and ask around: which shop has managed to maintain or even become more prosperous without making corresponding improvements to the flavor? They must have added something.
In fact, Ye Jia doesn't need to remind him, those who understand the truth will understand.
Qiuyue sent people to watch the two meat shops for two or three days, and indeed they found something different.
Dongxiang Town has only three meat shops, and one, owned by a family surnamed Liu, has seen a sudden surge in business this month. Their specialty is braised lamb, with some beef on the side. Their location isn't particularly prime, on West Street. While their meat used to sell, the profit was barely enough to support their family. For some reason, over the past month, more and more people have tried their lamb, and they crave it more and more.
Needless to say, it must be this family.
When Qiuyue reported the news to Ye Jia, Ye Jia was meeting with the third young master of the Wu family in the reception room.
The rumors dealt a significant blow to the Wu family's business. Not only did their soap business cease, but their rouge and powder business was also affected. Half the merchants in town who had previously ordered rouge and powder from the Wu family workshop were gone.
But this small loss was nothing to the Wu family. Over the years, the Wu family had amassed a large business in rouge and powder. While they lacked the lucrative business of the Cheng family and their own caravan, generations of the Wu family had been hardworking and resilient, with businesses stretching from Beijing in the east to the Western Regions in the west, boasting partners. While the town's loss of this small profit was insignificant to the Wu family, it certainly left a bitter taste in their mouths.
The Wu family has been in business for four or five generations. Although their family business is not obvious, they are actually very wealthy and their ancestral assets are well hidden.
The Wu family prided themselves on being scholars, and all Wu descendants were taught to read and write from a young age. If not for their limited literary talent, they would have long since leapt from merchant status to officialdom. They wouldn't have had to fear a single lieutenant. However, precisely because of their immense wealth, the Wu family was inherently arrogant. While the older generation could maintain a facade, the younger generation couldn't hide their arrogance.
Regarding the previous rumors, the Wu family pretended to be unaware of the Zhou family's schemes, remaining silent and unconcerned. But secretly, they were plotting to find a way to get back at the Zhou family. Even if they couldn't, they would definitely teach the Zhou family a lesson and vent their anger.
After being patient for more than two months, the third young master of the Wu family came this time with a very clear intention: Linglong Shop might not be able to cooperate with the Zhou family anymore.
"This is truly a pity. If it weren't for a reason, my Wu family would never have done such a thing as breaking the contract." The Third Young Master Wu was dressed like a polite scholar, and his words and actions were much more sophisticated than his brother. "The Governor's Office has personally designated the source of goods, so we can't refuse. We have no choice. Dongxiang Town has such a small market. My Wu family is small and can't sell much goods. I'm afraid we can no longer cooperate with my wife."
He brought up Madam Ru's argument with good reason and evidence, which made it seem like Ye Jia was using his power to force his family to take over the business of the workshop.
Ye Jia had actually anticipated this day a long time ago, and was not surprised at all. The only surprise was probably that Third Young Master Wu had the patience to show up three months later.
He didn't say anything at the moment. After pondering for a moment, he simply nodded: "In that case, the contract can be invalidated."
Even though he had been waiting for this day for a long time, it didn't mean that Ye Jia would let them fool him so easily: "But how do we calculate this breach of contract?"
Businessmen must be honest. Xu Youcai's previous case of forsaking his principles for the sake of profit was a lesson learned. Ye Jia roughly understood that some small merchants had a weak sense of contractual obligations, and their integrity was questionable. However, the Wu family and small merchants like Xu Youcai were different.
"Of course, we'll do as written in the contract." Young Master Wu said with a smile, "This happened suddenly, and this is what my Wu family should bear."
The Wu family didn't care about this small amount of compensation. Young Master Wu had come here determined to invalidate the contract, and he'd already brought the silver with him. As soon as Ye Jia agreed to terminate the contract, he immediately handed over the silver. The contract stipulated a 20% commission for three years. That totaled only a few hundred taels. It was nothing to the Wu family.
As soon as the contract was terminated, Young Master Wu stood up and smiled, indicating that there would be a chance for further cooperation.
Ye Jia also smiled and politely sent the person out.
This partnership was a small profit for the Wu family, but not for the Zhou family. The most stable source of income for the Zhou family came from the Wu family's shop. But the conflict had already formed, and the business was already in jeopardy. As Ye Jia watched the man walk away, the smile on his face slowly faded.
Qiuyue told Ye Jia about the Liu family butcher shop. Ye Jia pondered for a moment and turned back to the house.
Regardless of whether Liu's butcher shop affected Xishi's business, Ye Jia had to intervene in the matter of adding poppy shells to food, whether for the sake of peace in Dongxiang Town or for his own business.
If this stuff becomes widespread, and every shop uses it, wouldn't it be chaos? After all, who knows how much of this stuff the Liu family puts in their meat? Will it be addictive? Thinking more deeply, will this long-term consumption weaken the combat effectiveness of the garrisoned soldiers?
Conspiracy theories are so conjectural and terrifying that it really makes one feel uneasy.
Speaking of which, there's a common sense here. Ye Jia remembered that poppies can only survive in hot, humid climates. Later, large-scale cultivation areas were located in low-latitude countries like Myanmar, Vietnam, and Laos.
In other words, the climate of the Beiting Protectorate isn't suitable for growing this stuff. Imported from outside as a medicinal ingredient, it's quite expensive. It shouldn't even be in a small butcher shop in Dongxiang Town. Just like the Opium Wars in history, opium can easily break a person's will. If this stuff were maliciously introduced into Beiting, the perpetrators would be damned.
The more I think about it, the more I feel that I have to investigate. I must follow this line all the way to the end and make sure I get to the bottom of it.
Ye Jia privately felt that whether this substance was introduced with malicious intent or simply used for meat by chance, those who were unaware of the situation would likely abuse it for personal gain. In either case, if abused, it would not be a good thing for Beiting, which was currently facing internal and external troubles.
After thinking for a long time, Ye Jia felt that it was necessary to tell Zhou Jingchen about this matter.
Dongxiang Township fell under Zhou Jingchen's jurisdiction, and if chaos broke out, the Zhou family would be undeniably to blame. Ye Jia fetched pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and after a moment's deliberation, she wrote down the entire story and the harmful effects of opium. To garner Zhou Jingchen's attention, she emphasized the negative effects of opium, listing them one by one.
Seeing Ye Jia looked worried, Yu pushed the door open several times to see what was happening.
"Nothing," Ye Jia consoled her while still thinking about how to deal with the Liu family butcher shop. "My husband will be away for a long time this time. Write him a letter."
When Yu heard that the letter was written to Zhou Jingchen, she immediately felt relieved.
She walked over and sat down in front of Ye Jia. Seeing her carefully fold the letter and put it into the envelope, her face was somewhat relieved. After so many ups and downs between her son and daughter-in-law, the two young people finally developed a good relationship. However, her son was busy with work and rarely had time to accompany Ye Jia. "Jia Niang, it's hard for you and Yun An, you are newly married, but you spend so little time together."
"No, I don't care." Ye Jia smiled. "If my husband was hanging around me all day, I might even get annoyed with him."
Yu: “…That’s true.”
My daughter-in-law is a very opinionated person and she is definitely not the type to cling to men.
As the two were talking, Xilai called Old Man Sun over.
Ye Jia handed him the letter, instructing him to deliver it to Lai Fu Inn. She also instructed him to ask Si Nan and Zhan Lin to come over. Si Nan and Zhan Lin were specially arranged by Zhou Jingchen to protect Ye Jia's safety. They didn't live at the Zhou residence, but would accompany Ye Jia only when he needed to travel far. They could also be called upon for any urgent matters.
Old Man Sun took the letter and hurried to deliver it. Si Nan and Zhan Lin also came quickly.
Ye Jia didn't say much, just told them to keep an eye on the Liu family butcher shop. They had to see who the family was associating with and from whom they had obtained the poppy shells. Zhan Lin and the others didn't know what was going on, but seeing Ye Jia's serious expression, they agreed to keep a close watch.
Before this matter came to a conclusion, the first people to arrive in Dongxiang Town were the Gu family.
Gu Mingyi and his sister still haven't given up hope, always feeling that they still have a chance. After all, they have carefully considered the past and don't believe that Gu Mingxi's cancellation of the engagement is really irreversible. When the Jing Palace was in trouble, the Gu family's style of distancing themselves from it was indeed a bit ruthless. But Gu Mingyi believes that with Zhou Jingchen's style of doing things, he should be able to understand. After all, their Gu family is not just Gu Mingxi, there are so many lives in the mansion. It can't be that if something happened to the Jing Palace, their Gu family would be buried with it to show their loyalty and righteousness, right?
Of course, he could understand Zhou Jingchen's anger. Anyone would feel irritated. But aside from these entanglements, a qualified heir should know how to make choices. With the Jingwang family now in such a predicament, Zhou Jingchen should recognize the current situation and act accordingly.
After much thought, in order to make his gesture of helping Zhou Jingchen more trustworthy, he took Gu Mingxi to Dongxiang Town again.
Not to mention the area near the settlement they first visited, where they saw only one household. They discovered that no one was currently living there, save for a group of craftsmen repairing the house. They sent servants to inquire, only to learn that the family had already moved away. They then repeatedly inquired about the Zhou family's current residence a day later. Gu Mingyi approached the Shen residence several times, but the gatekeepers, upon hearing his surname, turned him away.
After trying several times without success, Gu Mingyi began to think about letting Gu Mingxi take the blame.
Ye Jia was extremely annoyed by Gu Mingyi and his sister's constant annoyance. He had been very busy these days and didn't have the energy to argue with them. He was thinking about finding an opportunity to meet Gu Mingxi and test her to see if this female supporting character was a time traveler or a reincarnated person.
Not to mention what she was thinking, it was three days later that the letter reached Zhou Jingchen.
At that time, Zhou Jingchen had just arrived at the Yongzhou Posthouse with a group of people.
It happened that Yang Chenglie had escorted Selik to Yanjing. This was understandable; Yang Chenglie was Suletu's trusted confidant, and when Suletu wanted to deal with Selik, the task of escorting him naturally fell to his most capable subordinate, Yang Chenglie. Speaking of which, Yang Chenglie had a good impression of Zhou Jingchen due to the incidents at the garrison, so when Zhou Jingchen arrived to assist him, he personally came to greet him.
Yang Chenglie did not hide anything about the specific situation and how they were attacked halfway, and told it all to Zhou Jingchen.
Zhou Jingchen nodded and asked, "Where is Selik now?"
Although Suletu intended to make Sailik a prisoner, he was, on the surface, the third prince of the Turkic people and a distinguished guest of Great Yan. Since the imperial court had already chosen to negotiate peace with the Turks, he was no longer a prisoner. After Yang Chenglie captured him, he had to treat him to fine tea and wine, and despite the restrictions on his movements, he tried his best to meet Sailik's needs.
"He is in the Zhao family villa." The Zhao family naturally refers to Zhao Chong, the governor of Yongzhou.
Yang Chenglie and his group, along with Selik, were stranded in Yongzhou. Originally, they were supposed to stay at the Yongzhou Posthouse. However, Selik, disgruntled since his capture, found various excuses to harass them. Dissatisfied with the posthouse's dilapidated state, Yang Chenglie had no choice but to take his men to Zhao Chong's villa.
When Yang Chenglie mentioned Zhao Chong, Zhou Jingchen frowned: "Zhao Chong?"
Yongzhou, a city before Yumen Pass, served as a gateway to the Central Plains of Great Yan. While the importance of its geographical location is beyond elaboration, Zhou Jingchen was deeply impressed by Zhao Chong. In his previous life, Zhao Chong's iron hooves were responsible for the Turkic army's smooth march through Beiting and into Jizhou.
This man, fearing death, abandoned the city on the eve of the Turkic advance, allowing the Turkish army to enter unmolested. Zhou Jingchen had no accurate recollection of how many people had died in Yongzhou in his previous life. He still remembered the widespread grief and bloodshed within the city.
It was because of this incident that Zhou Jingchen took the opportunity to rebel.
"Hmm." Yang Chenglie also looked down on Zhao Chong. "Governor Zhao held a banquet at his residence, saying it was to welcome the soldiers from Beiting."
Zhou Jingchen raised his eyebrows and slowly curled up the corners of his mouth: "It seems like a harmonious and happy scene."
Yang Chenglie was puzzled by this, but didn't care. He waved his hand, not disguising his dislike for Zhao Chong. "Since the banquet is for you and your men, you can go with your men. I don't need to join. I'll just tell Mr. Zhao I've caught a cold so I don't spoil the fun."
After saying that, he ordered a soldier to lead the way for Zhou Jingchen. He rubbed the back of his neck and left in the dark.
Zhou Jingchen watched him walk away, and did not go to the Zhao family mansion. Instead, he went directly to the posthouse.
During this time, Zhao Chong's men came to the posthouse twice to invite him, but Zhou Jingchen declined both times, citing the need for rest after traveling. Zhao Chong naturally showed understanding, suggesting that he could welcome him again tomorrow. Zhou Jingchen accepted the offer, and the Zhao family left satisfied. It was late at night when the letter reached Zhou Jingchen. He was quite flattered to see the words "To my husband" on the envelope.
Speaking of which, his young lady was quite ruthless. She had never cared about him, no matter where he went or when he came back. But this time, she actually remembered to write him a letter. Zhou Jingchen was naturally happy.
The corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously, but after opening the letter, he gradually found it difficult to smile.
Zhou Jingchen knew about opium, of course. The Dayan family used it as a tonic, and many consumed it secretly. In his previous life, Zhou Jingchen had personally witnessed people who had become addicted to it, either through heavy or long-term consumption. Their appearance was uglier than a skeleton. And once addicted, it was impossible to quit. Zhou Jingchen was puzzled. Opium paste was very expensive, and he hadn't expected it to appear in Dongxiang Town.
From what Ye Jia said, this thing had only been around for a short time. It had only been used for cooking so far. Zhou Jingchen thought for a moment, then wrote back to Ye Jia and sent another letter to Guo Huai. Guo Huai would be more convenient to investigate this matter.
Ye Jia had his men keep an eye on the area for two or three days and finally found something. These poppy shells were given to the Liu family butcher shop by someone else.
This person was not a stranger either, he was from the Wu family.
The Wu family's business of producing rouge and powder necessitated a vast quantity of rouge flowers. Besides rouge, they also had fields dedicated to various other flowers needed for rouge production. Because different flowers are restricted by their growing environments and can only flourish in suitable climates, many of the Wu family's flower fields were located elsewhere. Most of the rouge and powder workshops were also not located in Dongxiang Town.
Business requires extensive travel, so the Wu family naturally has a wide range of experience. They also dabble in things like opium. After all, opium cream is so profitable, and merchants are driven by profit, so it's natural that the Wu family also owns opium fields.
Previously, the Wu family had secretly considered teaching the Zhou family a lesson, but it certainly wasn't as simple as simply rescinding the contract. How could a contract teach the Zhou family a lesson? After all, if the Wu family didn't accept the Zhou family's business, there were others who could. In this case, wouldn't the Wu family's compensation and the grievances they suffered be in vain?
The proud and arrogant Wu family naturally couldn't stand it. They didn't dare to take any action openly, so they had to resort to some methods in secret.
Poppy shells are just one example. Unaware of the truth, others consume opium paste as a tonic. But the Wu family, who sell it, knows full well that opium paste is the same thing as Wushisan. Knowing all too well that once you've gotten your hands on it, you can't get rid of it. So they instigated a practice of adding a little to food, promising diners more cravings.
The Wu family strictly forbade any contact with opium cream, but that did not prevent them from giving some out to others for use.
Ye Jia hadn't yet realized the Wu family had been feeding poppy shells to the locals for selfish reasons. She only knew the Liu family's butcher shop was connected to the Wu family, and immediately recalled the recent feud between the two families. Ye Jia didn't deny that the methods used to harass the Wu family were somewhat underhanded, but her story wasn't entirely false. The soap the Wu family used was indeed harmful to the skin; she was simply pointing out the reality.
The subsequent uproar was largely due to the Wu family's poor public relations. The Wu family had fundamentally failed to fully grasp the Dongxiang Township consumer market, resorting to perfunctory measures and exploiting their customers. This was the real problem. Instead of reflecting on their actions, the Wu family resorted to devious tactics, which truly infuriated Ye Jia.
"Are you sure?" Ye Jia's face was already livid. She could accept business competition, and she could also tolerate some shady tactics in the business world. After all, the business world was like a battlefield, where skill was the deciding factor. But knowing the dangers of opium and still violating it showed a disregard for human life.
"Madam, the one who delivered the things was indeed a servant of the Wu family." Si Nan had been squatting outside the Liu family butcher shop for three days and had seen it with his own eyes. He would not make a mistake.
Yu also knew what Ye Jiacai was investigating, and her face turned unhappy when she heard this: "Jia Niang, what are you going to do?"
Ye Jia was still struggling. Although it was now certain that the opium shells in the Liu family's butcher shop came from the Wu family, Ye Jia still felt that the situation was more complicated than that. First, where did the Wu family get all this? How did they know it was addictive? Second, if they knew it was addictive, and they were able to obtain so many shells so often, was there a large-scale cultivation base behind it? If so, what was the Wu family trying to do with all this?
"I always feel that if we dig deeper into this matter, we might uncover a major cancer."
Ye Jia thought for a moment and said, "But for now, he definitely can't sell meat in the Liu family shop anymore."
Regardless of the relationship between these poppy shells and the Wu family, let's solve the current problem first. Although adding a little opium shells to meat won't affect a normal person's health, if consumed in a long-term manner, over time, it will eventually cause health problems. Of course, the Liu family's business practices also affected the Zhou family's business, which was one of the main reasons.
"That's true." Yu agreed. "But how do we expose the Liu family's involvement in food?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell silent.
Several people looked at each other, unable to come up with a good solution for a while. Fourth Sister Ye turned her gaze to Ye Jia. She had been influenced by the Yu family for some time and had become accustomed to going to Ye Jia whenever she had problems. It seemed that Ye Jia always came up with a good solution.
Ye Jia felt helpless being stared at and sighed, "I do have a few ideas, but they're hard to explain."
Yu blinked, "What method?"
"Let's be more ruthless. Find someone to pretend to be poisoned from overeating and carry the meat to the Liu family's shop." Ye Jia said helplessly, "Then call a doctor and point out that the Liu family's butchers have added ingredients. But this method is too ruthless. If it is used, the Liu family will be in trouble. Not only will the family's meals be overturned, but the person who made the meat will also be sent to prison."
As soon as Ye Jia finished speaking, Ye Simei and Yu Shi both lowered their heads. They also felt that this method was a bit vicious.
"A milder approach is to report it to the authorities. They'll report it as drug abuse." Since Dongxiang Township is quite far from the inner city of Kashgar County, someone has to make a trip there. "They'll ask the government to come and investigate."
After much deliberation, he decided to report the matter to the authorities. Unsure of the depth of the situation, or the relationship between the Wu family and the so-called Protectorate General's wife, Ye Jia hesitated to act rashly. However, he thought, since Guo Huai was the county magistrate in Kashgar, he could leave the rest of the matter to Guo Huai.
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