Chapter 86
"We don't have to do anything." A sinister smile played across the King of Wei's lips. "We just have to wait, wait for those whose financial resources have been cut off to take action on our behalf. The Seventh Brother wants to be a saint, so let's show him that this world has no room for saints."
He raised his teacup and toasted the bustling scene downstairs. "Fourth Brother, just wait and see. The more popular this 'Snow Salt' becomes, the bigger troubles Old Seven will face. The people he'll offend will be a thousand times more numerous than those lining up on this street."
As the King of Qi looked at the King of Wei, his composure evident, his anger gradually subsided, replaced by a chill. His fifth brother, usually gentle and aloof, had never before been known to possess such a deep and sinister mind.
"Alright! Let's do as you say, Fifth Brother!" King Qi gritted his teeth and said, "I want to see how long Shen Yanzhi can be a good guy!"
At the same time, in the Imperial Palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Shen Chong was listening to the report from the chief eunuch.
"...Your Majesty, the snow salt went on sale today. Several official salt shops in the East and West Markets sold out their 20,000 kilograms of salt in less than an hour. The people are all praising it, saying that the Prince of Yan and his wife are like living Bodhisattvas descended to earth..."
Shen Chong showed a satisfied smile on his face: "The people's hearts can be used."
The eunuch paused, then continued, "It's just that... there are rumors outside the palace that the Prince of Yan's move has cut off the financial resources of many aristocratic salt merchants. Several major salt merchants in Jiangnan have already sent people to the capital at full speed, fearing that their intentions are ill-intentioned."
"Oh?" Shen Chong raised his eyebrows, but the smile on his face became even more intense. "You've come at the right time. I want to see how my son will deal with these old foxes with complicated entanglements."
He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the sky in the distance, and murmured to himself: "Yanzhi, I have already given you this first test question. Please don't let me down."
In Prince Yan’s mansion, Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan were also discussing this matter.
"The representatives of the Jiangnan salt merchants are already on the way." Shen Yanzhi put down a secret report in his hand with a calm expression.
"As expected." Song Qingyuan was fiddling with a newly acquired nine-linked ring, saying without looking up, "Cutting off someone's financial resources is like killing their parents. I'd be surprised if they didn't come and make a scene."
"I'm afraid they're here for more than just a ruckus." Shen Yanzhi walked over to sit beside her, "I received news that the King of Wei's men have already made contact with them."
Song Qingyuan paused as he was untying the ring and raised his head: "So soon?"
"My fifth brother is much more difficult to deal with than that fool King Qi." A cold glint flashed in Shen Yanzhi's eyes. "He wants to kill with a borrowed knife, let us fight with the Jiangnan family to a mutual loss, so that he can reap the benefits."
"Then what should we do?" Song Qingyuan threw the untied Nine Rings aside and asked excitedly, "Do you want me to go out and have a good 'talk' with those salt merchants?"
Seeing her eagerness to try, as if she was afraid of chaos in the world, Shen Yanzhi shook his head with a smile: "Why use a butcher knife to kill a chicken? There is no need for my wife, the Protector of the Country, to personally take action to deal with these merchants."
He leaned close to her ear and whispered something.
Song Qingyuan's eyes lit up as he listened, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're really mean. If this happens, they'll probably go back to Jiangnan crying."
"To deal with a gentleman, use a gentleman's method. To deal with a villain, naturally use a villain's way." Shen Yanzhi's smile was a bit sinister. "They want to kill someone with a borrowed knife, so we will use their trick to kill them and let them see whose knife is sharper."
Outside the window, the night deepens, and a huge storm surrounding salt and iron interests is quietly gathering over the capital.
Three days later, a unique "Salt Tasting Meeting" was held at the largest restaurant in the capital, Yaoyue Tower. The initiator was the newly appointed Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner, Prince of Yan, Shen Yanzhi.
Invitations were sent to all the prominent salt merchants in the capital. The most eye-catching ones were those wealthy businessmen from Jiangnan who had just arrived in the capital after a long journey.
Leading the charge was Sun Jimao, the patriarch of the Yangzhou Sun family and the leader of the Jiangnan salt industry. He was an old man in his fifties, with a lean face and eyes as sharp as a hawk.
At this moment, Sun Jimao and several Jiangnan salt merchants were sitting in the most luxurious "Tian Zi Hao" box in Yaoyue Tower, their faces so gloomy that water could drip out of them.
"What the hell is this King of Yan up to?" a salt merchant named Qian said indignantly. "He's left us hanging for three days, and now he's holding this 'Salt Tasting Meeting'? Is this just a show of force?"
"Be patient." Sun Jimao picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said in a hoarse voice, "Chen Yanzhi is now the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner. A higher-ranking official can crush anyone. We are the guests, and he is the host. Let's see what he has up his sleeve."
Another salt merchant named Zhao was worried: "Brother Sun, this 'snow salt' is too strong. The price is low, the quality is good, but if this continues, we won't be able to sell a single pound of our salt in the north in six months! This is killing us!"
A fierce glint flashed in Sun Jimao's eyes. "Don't worry. Before we came here, we had already consulted with His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei said that if we can make the Prince of Yan suffer a major setback in his salt administration, he will guarantee that our Jiangnan salt industry will be worry-free for a hundred years."
"How can we make him fall? We are businessmen, and he is a prince. How can we fight?"
"Of course we can't win by force," Sun Jimao sneered. "But we can prevent him from implementing his new policies. 'Sky Realm' is far to the northwest, the journey is long, and transportation is difficult. As long as we make some adjustments along the way..."
Before he could finish his words, the door of the box was pushed open, and a middle-aged man who looked like a manager walked in with a smile on his face: "Gentlemen, our prince invites you."
Sun Jimao and others restrained their expressions, straightened their clothes, and followed the steward into the back garden of Yaoyue Tower.
An exquisite banquet had already been set up in the garden. Shen Yanzhi, dressed in a moon-white casual suit, was leisurely sitting in the main seat, with Song Qingyuan sitting beside him. The two of them chatted and laughed, as if they were just attending an ordinary family dinner.
"You have come from afar, and I am sorry for not welcoming you in person. I hope you can forgive me." When Shen Yanzhi saw them, he stood up and bowed with a gentle smile, without any official airs.
Sun Jimao and the others hurriedly bowed and saluted: "I pay my respects to the prince and the princess."
"No need to be so polite, please take a seat." Shen Yanzhi gestured for them to take their seats. "I invited you all here today for two reasons: first, to taste the salt. Second, to discuss business."
He clapped his hands, and immediately a maid brought in several dishes. Each dish was served on a small plate, divided into two portions.
"The one on the left is cooked with the finest well salt on the market. The one on the right is cooked with snow salt from the 'Sky Realm'. You are all experts in this art, why not try them and judge which one is better?"
Although Sun Jimao and others felt disdainful, they did not dare to offend King Yan, so they had to pick up their chopsticks and taste it.
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