Chapter 265 Practice Makes Perfect (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
In the small courtyard by the winding pond.
The continuous rain has washed the mud out of the cracks in the stone pavement.
A cool breeze blows through the fine raindrops.
The hibiscus flowers in full bloom lined both sides of the path, their fragrance mingling with the earthy scent that permeated the entire courtyard.
Chen Yi sat quietly in the main room, sipping tea, while Wang Ji sat respectfully beside him, recounting news from the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
"Sir, those bandits are truly terrifying."
“No merchant from the Wei Dynasty who returned from the Buddhist kingdoms of the Western Regions escaped; they were all killed by him and his men.”
"If it weren't for our Shuzhou Wanjia merchant caravan noticing something was wrong from afar and managing to escape with their lives, who knows how many more people would have died."
Chen Yi hummed in response but did not speak, his mind racing.
As the person who personally orchestrated Lü Jiunan's "fake death," he had long anticipated that King Landu would not remain indifferent to this matter.
Even if King Lando dares not lead the bandit alliance army to Shuzhou, he will still do something reasonable.
They would massacre passing merchants or spread rumors that they wanted to seek revenge on "Liu Wu".
Of course, this is not a bad thing.
At least for Chen Yi, it's not a bad thing.
Thinking of this, he asked calmly, "How is the reaction in Shuzhou Prefecture?"
As he asked the question, he already knew the answer in his heart—chaos had already broken out.
And that is indeed the case.
Then Wang Ji said, "To be honest, sir, after the news came, the price of grain in the East and West markets jumped from three taels of silver per shi to six taels."
"Even so, some powerful families who had received advance notice still sent people to rush to buy the goods, and the people in the city did the same."
"In addition, the prices of medicinal herbs, silk, tea and other items have also increased."
Knowing that Chen Yi had been focusing on the East and West markets these past few days, he first reported the relevant situation before continuing:
"The Provincial Administration Office has just issued a notice that martial law is in effect throughout the city."
"The city guards canceled all rest days and were stationed in various streets, alleys, city walls, and nearby post stations."
"The prefectural government acted swiftly upon hearing the news, patrolling the streets and arresting anyone who acted suspiciously or spread rumors."
"Everything seems normal at the Criminal Investigation Department. I heard they've been investigating 'Liu Wu,' who killed Lü Jiunan."
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "What? The prefectural government and the judicial commissioner want to hand him over to Prince Landu in exchange for peace on the border?"
If that's the case, then those few commanders of the Criminal Investigation Department are truly spineless.
Wang Ji smiled wryly and said, "That's not impossible."
"You should remember the great battle five years ago. The impact on Shu Prefecture is still felt today, especially by the Dingyuan Army."
"Although the soldiers in the three towns are already at full strength, their quality varies greatly. More than half of the new troops are of varying skill levels and combat experience."
Chen Yi was aware of all this, and he also knew that before the Dingyuan Army became a force to be reckoned with, nine out of ten people in Shuzhou did not want to start a war lightly.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Is there any news from the Xiao family?"
Wang Ji recalled for a moment, "The old Marquis has not sent any message yet."
"However, I heard that after arranging the affairs of the government office, Lord Liu Hong of the Provincial Administration Commission rushed to the Xiao family without stopping."
"My lord, do you think he wants the old Marquis to come out of retirement?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi chuckled and shook his head, saying, "Quite the opposite."
"If I'm not mistaken, Liu Hong's purpose in going to the Xiao family was to persuade the old Marquis to calm down."
He could even anticipate what Liu Hong would say.
My lord, there are only a few rumors at the moment, and we still need to find out the situation of the Peacock King's Banner.
My lord, the soldiers guarding the border are more than capable of dealing with those bandits. Even if they risk their lives to come, there is no need for the Dingyuan Army to intervene.
Your Excellency is unwell and should wait a while longer.
Furthermore, this matter is of great importance and requires a message to the imperial court for His Majesty's personal decision. It is not too late for you to act after the news is confirmed.
Yunyun.
Chen Yi sneered inwardly. He believed that Liu Hong would write to King Lando as soon as he learned of this, also advising the bandits to remain calm.
Based on his understanding of Liu Hong, the old man, though anxious, could still distinguish between what was important and what was not.
In particular, he planned to use the annual examination as an opportunity to win over and suppress the powerful families of Shu Prefecture.
Wang Ji was naturally unaware of these things, and an embarrassed look appeared on his face. "If that's what you say, sir, it must be true."
He hadn't expected Liu Hong to try to persuade the old Marquis not to act rashly.
After all, he was in a very low position and was unaware of the intentions of the imperial court and Shu Prefecture towards the Xiao family.
To put it bluntly—unless absolutely necessary, the Great Wei Dynasty, from the Emperor and the court officials to the ministers of Shu Prefecture, and even some members of powerful families, does not want the Xiao family to have the opportunity to mobilize troops again.
With the issuance of the Tiger Tally, the Xiao family truly gained control of the 300,000-strong Dingyuan Army.
At that time, what will those with ulterior motives use to contend with the Xiao family?
Chen Yi was aware of these circumstances, but he didn't explain them to Wang Ji.
He tapped the table, pondered for a moment, and asked, "There should still be some silver in the counter these past few days. Give it all to Guard Liu."
"this……"
Wang Ji nodded hesitantly and said, "I'll go shortly."
Actually, he said that against his will.
In the past three days, Baicaotang has only earned less than five thousand taels of silver due to the limited sale of tea drinks.
Not only were the brothels and restaurants affected, but the tea supply to several of the Xiao family's pharmacies was also greatly impacted.
To be precise, Baicaotang now only supplies the Xiao family with one hundred jars of tea per day per pharmacy.
There aren't many.
Chen Yi saw through Wang Ji's little scheme, but still didn't explain, only continuing to give instructions:
"Also, go and find Boss Jia and try to get all the money from him."
"Whether the reason is to make him compensate for the losses or to borrow money, once you have the money in your hands, send it to Liu Lang."
Wang Ji nodded in agreement.
There was no other way; he had already spent all the money from Baicaotang, so he didn't need Jia Yuzhi's money.
After he calmed down, he thought of something else.
"But sir, I'm afraid Yan Hai's money in Guangyuan County is nowhere to be found."
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, his gaze turning to the hibiscus outside the house, a rare hint of hesitation appearing on his face.
In the past few days, while investigating the situation in various parts of Shu Prefecture, he has been considering the Xiao family more than Liu Hong.
To be precise, it was Lord Xiao, the old Marquis.
Firstly, the fact that the Xiao family remained indifferent to his appearance in Shuzhou under the guise of "Chen Yu" made him uneasy.
I can't help but worry that the old man might be plotting something.
Secondly, he really didn't have enough money on hand.
Apart from the more than 100,000 taels of silver given to Liu Lang, the rest of the money was prepared for Lou Yuxue.
If he were to focus all his efforts on acquiring the grain held by several grain stores, it would inevitably affect his subsequent plans.
A moment of silence.
Chen Yi sighed inwardly. Given his current situation, he was afraid he would have to take more risks.
Of course, the "risk" he was thinking of had nothing to do with his life; it was purely the possibility that Old Master Xiao would see through his disguise.
For this reason, he had previously deliberately avoided confronting the Xiao family directly when doing those things in secret.
It seems there's no way to avoid it this time.
"Tomorrow morning, please deliver a visiting card to the Xiao family on my behalf."
Wang Ji was slightly taken aback. "The Xiao family? You're going to pay your respects to the eldest young lady?"
Chen Yi shook his head. "Give it to Lord Xiao and see when it's convenient for him to see me."
"good."
Given the current success of Baicaotang, Wang Ji is not worried that the old Marquis of the Xiao family will refuse to accept the invitation.
Not long after, Wang Ji left to carry out his orders.
Without hesitation, Chen Yi summoned Zhang Dabao and instructed, "Are all the people I asked you to find ready?"
Zhang Dabao nodded vigorously, a hint of excitement showing on his slightly immature face.
"Rest assured, sir, I will do my best to fulfill your instructions."
"Alright, let's get them moving tonight."
"yes!"
Zhang Dabao responded in agreement and was about to step forward to remove the disguise from his face when Chen Yi said:
"You go ahead, I'll do it myself this time."
"Well... sir, how about I tell you the trick?"
Chen Yi shook his head and said with a smile, "You've disguised me so many times, even if I didn't pay much attention, I've still learned a thing or two."
He paused, then waved his hand, saying, "Business is important. Before night falls, have them go to a suitable place in advance."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dabao no longer hesitated, bowed, and turned to leave.
As Chen Yi watched him disappear outside the courtyard gate, the smile on his face gradually faded.
"Judging by the time, Lou Yuxue's people should be getting moving by now."
"With Zhang Dabao's side added, it will be enough to spread the news that 'King Lando intends to lead a large army to attack Shu Prefecture' throughout Shu Prefecture in a short time."
That's right.
Even after discussing it with Lou Yuxue, Chen Yi was still uneasy, so he arranged for Zhang Dabao to make a backup plan.
His goal was simple—to raise grain prices in Shu Prefecture in the shortest possible time.
"Whom the gods would destroy, they first make mad."
"Jizhou Merchant Guild... Ha, in the end, they're a bit stingy..."
Thinking this way.
Chen Yi then took out Zhang Dabao's tools—a box woven from rattan—and took out a palm-sized dagger from it.
He gestured a couple of times, then gradually removed the disguise from his face in front of the bronze mirror.
As Chen Yi watched his appearance gradually return to normal, until a thin mask appeared on his hand, he finally felt a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both emotion and reflection).
"The art of disguise is quite amazing."
"This skill is simply a matter of practice; it doesn't involve the spiritual essence of heaven and earth. Even the most skilled person can only make the mask more refined."
Compared to this skill, the true path lies in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, martial arts, and other arts.
Chen Yi wiped his face, packed up the wicker trunk, took it with him, and left the courtyard under an umbrella.
Over the next few days, Zhang Dabao also had plans; he had to disguise himself himself.
"That's good, that way I won't have to move around so much."
...
Just as Chen Yi learned of this news, Liu Lang, along with Xue Duanyun and others, were already guarding a two-courtyard house deep in the West Market.
Compared to the old furniture that was used a few days ago, the rooms in this courtyard are now filled with grain.
A sack contained two bushels of grain, and here were 30,000 bushels piled up to the brim.
If it weren't for the continuous rain, Liu Lang would have liked to put them all in the yard to save the trouble of moving them around.
Fortunately, apart from putting in some effort, they haven't encountered any major problems in the past few days.
It's a blessing in disguise.
At this moment, Liu Lang sat imposingly in his armchair, guarding the door of the main room.
Looking at the inner hall, which was so narrow that even the door was difficult to enter, he couldn't help but mutter to himself:
"Did the boss anticipate that grain prices would rise further, so he's having us stockpile grain in advance to make a fortune?"
He had been constantly disguised and traveling between the East and West markets for the past few days, so he naturally knew the daily grain prices.
It was fine before today.
The price of grain increases by at most one or two coins per day.
At this moment, as news of the Tea Horse Road arrived, grain merchants throughout Shu Prefecture adjusted grain prices for various reasons.
One shi and six liang of fine grains.
One stone and three ounces of coarse grains.
Other foods that can substitute for grains, such as sweet potatoes and yams, have also seen varying degrees of price increases.
This made Liu Lang suspicious of the purpose of the boss who was always so shrewd.
It should be noted that the grain they had previously acquired, which cost over 100,000 taels of silver, was priced at approximately 3.2 taels per shi (a unit of dry measure).
If sold now, the proceeds would almost double.
"Three hundred thousand taels of silver... To be honest, the boss's brains are only wasted at Baicaotang."
Upon hearing this, Xue Duanyun, Zhang Sanhu, and Zhang Sihu, who were standing nearby, also showed their respect.
Don't be fooled by the fact that the Tianshan Sect has a great reputation in the martial arts world; they are only famous for their martial arts skills.
In terms of making a living, no amount of flattery can compare to their experience over these three days.
Zhang Sihou counted on his fingers for a long time, then couldn't help but scratch his head: "Senior brother, how much silver did we earn?"
Xue Duanyun shook his head, both amused and exasperated: "Junior Brother Sihu, it's not us, it's the money earned by the boss."
They are simply following orders; they cannot be greedy for money and cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
Especially since their leader, "Liu Qing," was still with them.
Zhang Sihou chuckled twice, realizing he had said something wrong, and didn't ask any further questions.
Zhang Sanhu, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Senior brother, what do you think our boss is doing buying so much grain?"
Xue Duanyun hesitated and said, "Now that grain prices in Shu Prefecture have risen so much, shouldn't the next step be to sell the grain?"
Liu Lang overheard their conversation, glanced at the three of them, and shook his head with a smile.
"In my opinion, there must be something fishy about what the boss is doing."
"Oh? Guard Liu knows about the master's plans?"
"have no idea."
Liu Lang explained, "Although I don't know the boss's specific intentions, I do know his character."
Given the boss's forward-thinking approach, it's impossible that he's only doing this to make some money.
It should be noted that when the summer grain harvest in the three towns was burned, the boss had already made 600,000 taels of silver.
Although 300,000 taels were given to the Xiao family and a portion remained with Lou Yuxue at Chunyu Tower, this also shows that the owner did not care much about money.
At least he wasn't like Black Fang, who was solely driven by profit.
"Then...the boss..."
Before Zhang Sanhu could continue, Liu Lang raised his hand and said, "Someone's coming!"
Xue Duanyun paused, then quickly signaled Zhang Sanhu and Zhang Sihu to disperse and scout the situation around the courtyard.
Liu Lang stayed where he was, listening intently to the sounds outside.
After confirming that the three suspicious men two miles away were headed here, he couldn't help but mutter to himself.
"The boss was right, someone has come to investigate us..."
Before he finished speaking, Liu Lang took out two pieces of paper from his pocket, looked at them, and froze.
"Why?"
"What did the boss say again?"
"Is someone preventing the investigator from checking this one, or that one?"
Damn it, the two pieces of paper look exactly the same, and he put them together. Even a god couldn't tell which one is which.
(End of this chapter)
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