Chapter 226 Merchants Pursue Profits, Farewell Lightly
After Wang Ji left.
While sitting still and having Zhang Dabao disguise him, Chen Yi asked:
When did the restaurant opposite Baicaotang change hands?
Zhang Dabao quickly combed his long hair and replied, "It's been some time."
"It must have been the day after the Mid-Autumn Festival when a very ornate carriage arrived outside the shop, carrying a very beautiful young woman."
"Oh no, it's several very beautiful girls who said they want to take over that restaurant."
"At first, the restaurant owner disagreed, but after the girl had several boxes of silver brought in, he agreed."
Chen Yi turned his head and asked, "How many chests of silver?"
Zhang Dabao replied, "You didn't see the scene back then."
There were still quite a few customers in the restaurant, and they watched as the girl opened one box after another, asking the owner if he would sell them.
"If you don't sell one box, open a second box, and so on, until you open five boxes, which total ten thousand taels of silver, then the boss will finally agree."
Chen Yi chuckled to himself, thinking that this was indeed something Cui Qingwu would do.
To some extent, the Cui family of Qinghe was richer and more powerful than the Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture, and naturally stronger than the Liu family of Jingzhou.
If even Liu Wen could mobilize 300,000 taels of silver, then Cui Qingwu, the eldest daughter of the Cui family, must have even more money at her disposal.
What bothered him was that Cui Qingwu had opened his shop right across from Baicaotang.
I don't know if she did it intentionally or unintentionally.
If she had intentions, what were her motives?
For his "Chen Yu" boss, surely it wouldn't be necessary?
If it was unintentional, then it's too much of a coincidence.
Chen Yi pondered for a moment, but still couldn't figure out Cui Qingwu's intention, so he put it aside for the time being and waited to find an opportunity to ask Chen Yunfan later.
How has Baicaotang been doing these past few days?
"Still the same as always."
"After Manager Yan left with his men, only Manager Wang was left in the hall. He was so busy that he couldn't stop running. I felt tired just watching him."
"However, Manager Wang said yesterday that business has been affected recently, and many customers who used to come to the pharmacy to get their medicine have gone to other places."
"What's with the name Xinglin..."
Chen Yi spoke up: "Xinglinzhai".
Zhang Dabao repeatedly said yes, and while putting the light mask on him, he replied, "That's the name."
"I don't know who they are, but they've only been open for a short time and they've already taken over a lot of the pharmacy's business."
"Manager Wang said that if it weren't for the tea we have in our shop, we would probably have earned more than half less this month."
Chen Yi was fully aware of this.
With renowned doctors at Xinglinzhai and a recent establishment in Shuzhou, the prices of its medicinal herbs are even lower than those of Baicaotang, so it's only natural that it squeezes out its competitors.
However, such a three-pronged approach can only be used once.
If the Liu family of Jingzhou doesn't send anyone soon, trouble will inevitably follow, even if Xinglinzhai has Liu Hong behind it.
Shuzhou, in the end, was not the Shuzhou of the Liu family.
After chatting for a while, seeing that the person hadn't arrived yet, Chen Yi asked Zhang Dabao to bring the guqin.
He took it and placed it across his lap, casually fiddling with it a couple of times.
The sound of the zither, sometimes crisp and sometimes somber, echoed through the hall.
Zhang Dabao clapped his hands, "I've long heard that you're proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I suppose your skill in music is just as good as your skill in calligraphy."
Having been at Baicaotang for so long, surrounded by people coming and going every day, he naturally heard about the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering and knew that Chen Yi had won the title of Poetry Champion with his poem "Shuidiao Getou".
In his mind, if the boss was a man of great literary talent and calligraphy skills, his skill in playing the zither could not be lacking.
Therefore, after he finished speaking, he turned his head to listen attentively.
Chen Yi ignored him, focusing only on the five strings of the zither and placing his hands on either side.
Playing.
Thud—bang—crack!
The familiar trio of piano music suddenly resounded throughout the courtyard.
Zhang Dabao's smile froze, and he stared at him in astonishment.
Chen Yi was completely unaware and continued to play "Free and Easy Wandering" according to the score.
Click-clack, crack-clack, bang-bang...
The sound of a series of snapping strings was more penetrating than the rain falling outside the door.
Zhang Dabao stared blankly at him, a series of noises echoing in his ears, leaving only one thought in his mind.
The boss did a good job fluffing the cotton.
It was powerful and resounding.
Soon, Chen Yi finished playing the piece.
Instead of showing any unusual expression because of his poor playing, he seemed to realize something.
"Finger technique, strength, and rhythm must be coordinated."
Before Zhang Dabao could ask any questions, Chen Yi continued to pluck the strings and played "Free and Easy Wandering" for the second time.
Having learned from his previous experience, he restrained most of his strength and, with the agility of his fingers honed through martial arts, played the instrument with considerable skill.
Although it still wasn't exactly "pleasant to the ear," it was enough to make Zhang Dabao give up his plan to cover his ears.
Perhaps the boss was familiarizing himself with that instrument.
Not long after, after the second performance, Zhang Dabao clapped and praised, saying:
"Boss, your piano skills are... good."
He couldn't think of a more suitable adjective; being able to say "good" was already the limit.
Chen Yi glanced at him. "What's so good about it?"
"Okay... anyway, it's better than what I play."
Seeing Zhang Dabao's sheepish grin, Chen Yi didn't press him further and instead summoned the light screen to take a look:
Cultivation level: Fifth Rank, Lower
[Chance: 525]
"Five hundred...we'll have to be careful with how we spend it."
Chen Yi thought for a moment, then spent 11 points of opportunity to upgrade his Qin Dao to the minor level.
Since gaining a great deal of opportunity from burning down the summer grain crops in the three towns, he has not consumed any additional resources other than improving his swordsmanship to the highest level.
On the one hand, it is because all the knowledge he has acquired has reached a high level, and there are too many opportunities needed for further improvement.
On the other hand, he also harbored the ambition to elevate the Dao to perfection.
During the Five Poisons Sect's attack, Chen Yi unexpectedly gained enlightenment and attained the perfect realm of spear techniques, deeply understanding the gap between the great achievement and the perfect realm of martial arts.
It's not as different as heaven and earth, but it's as different as the difference between a sesame seed and a watermelon.
To put it bluntly, with the enhancement of the perfected spear technique, the power of the Falling Dragon Spear Technique is ten times that of the Mountain Collapse Fist, Hundred Flowers Palm, and Embroidered Spring Saber Technique.
Even using only the Earth-rank Falling Dragon Spear Technique, it is five times more powerful.
This clearly demonstrates the difference between them.
But before Chen Yi could play another tune...
Wang Ji had already driven the carriage with Liu Lang to the residence.
As soon as the carriage came to a stop, Liu Lang couldn't wait to jump down, his disguised middle-aged face beaming with smiles.
"Boss, you finally remembered me."
Chen Yi placed the guqin aside, calmly gestured for him to sit down, and said, "We'll talk about your matter later."
Liu Lang sat down as instructed, knowing that it was somewhat inconvenient for Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao to be there.
"I've waited so many days, no rush, I'm not in a hurry."
Chen Yi nodded slightly, gestured for Wang Ji to sit down, and asked, "How are the preparations for the expansion of Baicaotang progressing?"
Wang Ji respectfully replied, "I have already ordered someone to find a secluded place to build a larger warehouse."
"Firstly, it can be used to store various medicinal herbs, and secondly, it can also be used to settle the tea masters."
Chen Yi thought for a moment and said, "Prepare more medicinal herbs, and the same goes for the craftsmen."
"The boss is right."
"Recently, because of Xinglinzhai, medicinal herb merchants in Shuzhou have begun to hold out for higher prices, and the amount of medicinal herbs needed for tea is 20% higher than before."
"No matter how high the price, try to collect as much as possible, so that we won't be short of funds when Baicaotang expands."
Wang Ji hesitated and said, "But in that case, the money in the accounts might not be enough."
Chen Yi had anticipated this and said, "Tell me how much silver you need."
Seeing that Wang Ji had no more worries, he continued, "Also, do you remember what I told you about recruiting guards?"
Wang Ji nodded: "You said that to ensure the supply of tea, we need to recruit some experts."
"The person has arrived."
"You're here?"
"The Tianshan Sect has a large number of disciples, a total of 127. I will have them come to find you later."
Wang Ji opened his mouth, "One hundred and twenty-seven?"
To his surprise, Liu Lang was even more astonished than him. "Boss, are they all disciples of the Tianshan Sect?"
Chen Yi nodded and said with a smile, "With Xie Tingyun, the senior sister of the Tianshan Sect, vouching for it, it shouldn't be wrong."
"Is the Tianshan Sect so short of money? I remember they don't have many members, no more than three hundred at most."
"This is a long story..."
Chen Yi didn't hide anything and briefly recounted what had happened, then reminded him:
"The arrival of the Tianshan Sect disciples at Baicaotang has both advantages and disadvantages. From now on, you should be more careful in your words and actions."
The main thing is that Wang Ji needs to keep his mouth shut to avoid exposing his identity.
Liu Lang laughed and said, "Fortunately, I didn't kill Shen Huatang earlier, otherwise I would have been in a lot of trouble this time."
Chen Yi glared at him, making him shut his mouth with an embarrassed smile before waving his hand and saying:
"Wang Ji, you take Da Bao to the Xiao family to find Fairy Tingyun. You can decide how to arrange those people."
Wang Ji responded with a "yes" and led Zhang Dabao straight to the Xiao family.
A moment of silence.
Chen Yi got up, went to look at the sky outside, then closed the door and said with a smile:
"Xiao Jinghong is not in Shu Prefecture recently, so you and I are safe for the time being."
"However, it's hard to say when she'll be back. You'd better keep a low profile and be more cautious in your actions from now on."
Liu Lang grinned, looking rather troubled, and asked, "Boss, we did help the Xiao family before, so why are we hiding like this?"
"I don't want her to know I exist yet; you'll find out the reason later."
"Fine, you're the boss, I'll do whatever you say."
"But I really can't hide in one place for so long next time, I almost suffocated..."
Seeing Liu Lang rambling on and on, Chen Yi glanced at him and said, "If something similar happens again, do you need me to find you a couple of girls?"
"Okay, okay... um, no need."
Liu Lang noticed his gaze and his heart skipped a beat.
He knew Chen Yi's talent for scheming and didn't want to be targeted by Chen Yi.
After all, even someone as powerful as Black Fang was tricked to death, let alone him.
"Enough with the nonsense, I've called you here for something important."
After a pause, seeing that he had quieted down, Chen Yi said, "Next, I need you to keep a close eye on Liu Hong."
Liu Lang was taken aback. "Who are you talking about?"
"Liu Hong, Left Provincial Administration Commissioner of Shu Prefecture".
"Boss, you, you even dared to scheme against him, you, you... you are truly a man of great things."
Chen Yi ignored him and continued:
"You just need to keep an eye on him, and write down what he does every day, who he meets, and what he says."
"Apart from that, do not do anything unnecessary, and do not let him or the people around him notice."
Liu Lang wanted to ask the reason, but seeing that he didn't want to say, he could only nod in agreement.
Chen Yi saw through his thoughts but didn't explain why. "Knowing less won't do you any harm."
Liu Lang said nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I know what I need to know without asking."
He had known Chen Yi for quite some time and was familiar with Chen Yi's style of doing things.
Just like the time when they plotted against Xiao Dongchen.
If he hadn't followed along the whole time and witnessed everything firsthand, he really wouldn't have been able to figure out Chen Yi's plans.
The same goes for this time.
Even if Chen Yi told him everything, he figured he still wouldn't understand, so he simply stopped asking.
After chatting for a few minutes, Chen Yi dismissed Liu Lang.
He then dropped his disguise, wandered around in circles, and finally returned to the Xiao family.
As soon as Chen Yi arrived at the front yard, he noticed something unusual about the mansion.
The expressions of Liu Si'er and the other soldiers were much more solemn than before.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi slowed down and paid attention to their conversation.
“Those grain merchants are truly unscrupulous. Taking advantage of the rain these past two days, they actually raised prices without authorization.”
"And they even said this year's harvest was bad, pshaw."
“In the past, a shi of grain would cost no more than one tael of silver, but this time it has risen to one tael and fifty cents.”
"It may not seem like much, but the soldiers in the three towns are short 400,000 shi of grain, which is an extra 160,000 taels of silver."
"Who says otherwise?"
"I heard that the Third Master himself was rebuffed when he went to visit. I wonder if the Marquis will go in person."
"Go, why wouldn't you go?"
"Take us with you! I want to see how many heads they have to dare raise prices without reason!"
Hearing this, Chen Yi frowned inwardly.
The day before yesterday, Xiao Wan'er told him that the old master had spent almost all the money he had saved to buy grain.
It will barely be enough to cover the summer grain burned in Tiebi Town and the shortfall in grain taxes that need to be paid.
Food prices have gone up in just a few days.
Chen Yi knew this without even thinking about it deeply.
This was someone who knew the Xiao family didn't have that much money and deliberately plotted against them.
Thinking deeper... the crime of deceiving the emperor?
It should be noted that the reason why Old Master Xiao spent so much silver to buy grain was because of the imperial edict from the capital city on the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Unless the old man is determined to deceive the emperor, he has no choice but to make amends.
"The Liu family of Jingzhou?"
"Probably not."
"Their deployment in Shuzhou has just begun, so it's unlikely they could contact all parties to unify grain prices."
"Then what's left are probably only those giant rats hiding in the shadows."
Recalling the unusual fluctuations in grain prices in Shuzhou Prefecture when news of the burning of the summer grain in the three towns first broke, Chen Yi already had his answer.
Apart from the wealthy patron who hired Black Fang of Mingyue Tower, there should be no one else who could achieve this level of skill.
"This is an open conspiracy."
"The old man... is probably in a dilemma."
Thinking about all this, Chen Yi calmly opened his umbrella and walked through the central courtyard to Chunhe Garden.
When Xiaodie saw him come in, she quickly put down what she was doing and came to greet him.
While taking the oil-paper umbrella from his hand, she used a towel to wipe the raindrops off his body.
Chen Yi let her do as she pleased, his gaze fixed on Jiaxing Garden, wondering if Xiao Wan'er knew about the situation.
Xiaodie noticed his gaze and said with a smile, "Young Master, I have already asked Miss as you instructed."
“From now on, I will instruct the kitchen to prepare meals separately for Young Master Wu Ge, so as not to interfere with his martial arts training.”
Chen Yi knew the news hadn't reached the backyard yet, so he didn't ask any further questions.
It's easy to see from the fact that when the price of grain rose to one and a half taels of silver, people were also worried that if the price rose too high, it would make the old man furious.
So this matter can be described as both difficult and simple.
It's nothing more than spending some money.
But on what grounds?
...
In the afternoon, Chen Yi didn't go anywhere; he just stayed in Chunhe Garden, writing and drinking tea.
He appeared relaxed and carefree, but in reality, he had already planned several games of chess in his mind.
He didn't stop until nightfall.
"They're nothing but a bunch of rats... Ha!"
"If we can wipe them out in one fell swoop, I believe the Xiao family's situation in Shu Prefecture will be much better."
Chen Yi thought about it for a long time, but the only thing he couldn't figure out was why those people were targeting the Xiao family.
If the Liu family of Jingzhou came to Shuzhou, it was with the intention of usurping their territory.
But the fact that the "big spender" made two separate moves, both related to grain prices, inevitably made him suspicious.
Even if the Xiao family was cheated by them, they would only lose some money.
You can always squeeze some out if you try.
As long as the Xiao family is still around, and the old master and Xiao Jinghong are still around, those people will be dealt with sooner or later.
"They can't just be after money, can they?"
Chen Yi stroked his chin and muttered, "That's not impossible."
Merchants pursue profit.
The more chaos there is, the more money they make.
Especially when it comes to things like war, any daring businessman can make a fortune.
It's hard to say that those people don't have similar thoughts.
Thinking of this, Chen Yi couldn't help but smile. "If that's really the case, then things will get interesting."
His favorite breed of dog is the big-spending one.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
