Chapter 306 Ambition, A Gift (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Unless absolutely necessary.
Wang Ji dared not visit late at night.
Not only would it be rash, but it would also attract the attention of Old Master Xiao and others.
After much thought, Chen Yi concluded that something must have happened on the Tea Horse Road.
In an instant, the chessboard in his mind began to change.
Black stones were laid out one by one on the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
Firstly, King Landu—because of the death of "Jackal" Du Cang, that Grandmaster might also send someone to Shuzhou to investigate the situation.
Secondly, barbarians.
Earlier, Asutai had left with that barbarian, and they should have already fled the territory of Shu Prefecture.
They might detour along the Ancient Tea Horse Road and run into Zhang Dabao and his men who are retreating.
Thirdly, people left Shu Prefecture.
There must have been people in the military, government offices, and even the martial arts world who went to the Tea Horse Road to locate the Peacock King's Flag.
The last one... was a member of the Jizhou Merchant Guild.
The situation in Shuzhou Prefecture has changed drastically today.
Rumors spread like wildfire that the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office and Liu Lang and others outside Lin Village were selling grain at rock-bottom prices, causing more than half of the people to prefer starvation to buying grain.
The grain stores and the Jizhou trading companies behind them must be in a terrible predicament.
It was only right that they sent people to the Tea Horse Road.
If it is confirmed that the majority of the Peacock King's Banner is attacking, those grain shops will likely be able to endure the losses and persevere.
With food in hand, they have a chance to make a comeback.
But how could Chen Yi not have thought of this?
After all, those grain shops are only giving back the money they earned some time ago; they're far from being seriously injured.
Not long after.
Wang Ji was led into the Spring Lotus Garden by the guards of the Marquis's residence.
"Mr. Qingzhou, please forgive my late-night visit. I hope you will forgive any offense caused."
Chen Yi nodded slightly, gesturing for him to follow, and replied with a smile:
"You're too kind, Manager Wang."
After exchanging a few polite words, the two went to the study.
Before Chen Yi could remind him, Wang Ji eagerly took a letter from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"This is……"
Before he could finish speaking, Chen Yi took the letter and interrupted, "Your boss sent you to see me?"
Wang Ji immediately swallowed his words and continued, "Yes, yes, my boss sent me to Mr. Qingzhou's place..."
He paused, unable to think of a good reason, and his face flushed slightly.
He came in a hurry and hadn't thought of a reason yet.
Fortunately, Chen Yi calmly opened the letter, and while reading its contents, he said with a slightly puzzled tone:
"Has your boss finally come to his senses?"
"Yes, right?"
Wang Ji didn't know what he had figured out, and he stammered, unable to speak.
Chen Yi fell silent, looking at the contents of the paper:
[A man claiming to be from a merchant guild in Jizhou, named Li Sanyuan, came seeking an audience with King Landu, saying he had a large business deal to discuss.]
[I am at a loss for what to do, please advise me.]
Li Sanyuan?
It must be the one who forced Lin Zhenghong to sell grain to Cui Qingwu.
Now he's gone to King Lando to discuss a big deal...it must be for that batch of grain, right?
After Chen Yi figured everything out, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, "As expected, it was people from the Jizhou Merchant Guild who came looking for me."
To be honest, he likes smart people like that.
Thinking they have seen through everything and are in control of everything, they are always one step ahead of others.
If there were more people like this, why would he worry about trouble arising in Shu Prefecture?
Chen Yi looked at Wang Ji, who looked troubled, and smiled, "Your boss wants me to write a piece of calligraphy for Baicaotang. What's so difficult about that?"
Wang Ji's expression relaxed, and he repeatedly agreed, flattering, "My boss was also worried about troubling you, Mr. Qingzhou."
Chen Yi put away the letter, saying, "It's just a matter of wasting some ink and paper."
Then he went to the desk, thinking about his reply to Zhang Dabao and the others, while spreading out the papers and pressing them down with a paperweight.
Wang Ji, sensing the situation, stepped forward to pour water and grind ink, saying, "On behalf of my boss, I thank you."
"Manager Wang, you're too kind. Compared to the help Baicaotang has given to the Hou family's several pharmacies, a calligraphy scroll is nothing."
"No, no, no, you don't understand the value of your calligraphy."
"Most of the calligraphy works you left at Guiyun Academy these days have been collected by several gentlemen and put into that exhibition hall, but a few have been bought back at high prices."
Chen Yi paused, "How tall?"
"I've heard that 'a single character is worth a thousand pieces of gold,' and some people are even offering 'two thousand pieces of gold per character' for your calligraphy copybook."
"Unfortunately, Mr. Yue Ming and others are not selling."
Wang Ji clicked his tongue with a hint of regret, then continued the conversation.
"Moreover, your inscription will greatly benefit Baicaotang."
"Just like Xinglinzhai, which has recently become famous in Shuzhou."
"Their plaque was inscribed by a calligrapher who had achieved some success in calligraphy. Every day, it attracted many scholars to come and admire it, bringing a lot of business to Xinglinzhai."
"If Baicaotang could obtain your calligraphy, it would truly be as if divinely aided."
Wang Ji's words were exaggerated, but they were also sincere.
He had wanted Chen Yi to inscribe something for Baicaotang for a long time, but hadn't found a suitable opportunity to ask.
I never expected that his random visit to the Marquis's residence today would yield such a result.
It is foreseeable that in the future, Baicaotang will inevitably cause a sensation, just like Xinglinzhai, no, it will definitely surpass Xinglinzhai.
Chen Yi smiled, said nothing more, dipped his brush in ink, and wrote three large characters on the blank pine paper: "Hundred Herbs Hall".
The brushstrokes flow like dragons and snakes, free and unrestrained in style.
When the characters were completed, a dazzling golden light shone forth, and clouds and mist rose up.
A vast landscape of mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas emerges, revealing the prosperous scenes of cities within it.
Many figures dressed in burlap could not see their faces, but everyone wore a smile.
When strolling through the city, people often stop to look at a wooden building in the city.
On the wooden building built of redwood, there are rows of tea jars and counters filled with medicinal herbs, where several doctors dressed in uniform sit.
At the entrance, the plaque above prominently displays the three large, gilded characters "Baicaotang".
The scene ends here, but the grandeur of its artistic conception makes it easy to see the ambition behind it.
It actually has a hidden meaning—Bai Cao Tang will open branches throughout the nine provinces and three prefectures of the Great Wei Dynasty!
Wang Ji stared blankly at the scene, momentarily mesmerized; this was the future he had been longing for.
The future belongs to Baicaotang.
His contribution was also significant.
After a long while, Wang Ji came to his senses, and with an excited expression, he cupped his hands and said:
"Sir...on behalf of my boss, Mr. Wang thanks you for your gift!"
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, his pen still moving, as he deliberately wrote a reply in Liu Lang's handwriting.
Before three breaths had passed, he put down his pen, folded the paper, and waited for the ink on the Baicaotang calligraphy copybook to dry before handing it to Wang Ji.
"Take it back and give my regards to Boss Chen."
Wang Ji was about to nod in agreement when he saw Chen Yi write a few more lines on a brand new piece of paper:
[General Jinghong is currently in the city. She's likely noticing your arrival and will be keeping an eye on Baicaotang.]
[Pretend you don't know anything and say that Boss Chen has important business to attend to and has already left Shuzhou.]
After reading it, Wang Ji felt a chill and quickly said, "Please forgive me, sir. My boss has already left Shuzhou. I will definitely report to him when he returns."
As Chen Yi continued writing, he replied, "Brother Yu is truly a master, appearing only briefly and never quite."
Wang Ji looked at the words on the paper and replied, "To be honest, my boss's ambition is to treat and diagnose illnesses for all the people in the world."
“If there is no major event in Shu Prefecture, he will set off for another place.”
When will he be back?
"It could take three to five days, or even one or two months. You should know that Baicaotang is going to open a branch in Guangyuan."
Chen Yi said "Oh" with a hint of regret, "I don't know when I'll see him again. We had a very pleasant conversation on the pleasure boat earlier."
"gentlemen……"
A moment later, the scene was over.
Chen Yi concluded with a reminder: "After you leave here, go back to Baicaotang and send someone to Linzhuang outside the East Gate to find Liu Lang and have him deliver a letter to Zhang Dabao."
"Remember to also tell him that General Jinghong is in the prefectural city."
Wang Ji nodded solemnly, bowed respectfully, and said, "Then I will not disturb you any longer, sir. I will take my leave now."
Chen Yi placed the brush on the inkstone and said, "Let me see you off."
Wang Ji did not refuse.
The two walked out of Chunhe Garden, exchanging only a few words.
Chen Yi watched him walk away, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifting southeast—towards the location of Liu Hong's residence.
Although he had not deciphered the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique, he was certain that Xiao Jinghong was there at that moment.
He was well aware of Xiao Jinghong's intention in staring at Liu Hong.
They simply wanted to find concrete evidence of that old man's crimes.
But now, with Lü Jiunan and Du Cang dead and Asutai fleeing from Wei, the only people left who can prove Liu Hong's guilt are his close confidants.
If he were Liu Hong, he certainly wouldn't have taken any action during this period.
We must wait until King Lando is certain he will not attack, and until the unrest in Shu Prefecture has subsided.
Under these circumstances, Li Sanyuan of the Jizhou Trading Company becomes particularly important.
At the very least, he could reveal some things about Liu Hong.
However, Chen Yi still needs to make some preparations to get him to cooperate obediently.
"The matter of Li Sanyuan is of great importance, and it is just right to entrust it to Madam."
Thinking of this.
Chen Yi stretched, glanced around, and then leisurely returned to his room to rest.
Having a highly accomplished lady guarding him is truly wonderful; he can sleep much more peacefully now.
Just that.
It becomes somewhat inconvenient for him if he has any wicked thoughts or wants to do something private.
"Sleep, sleep..."
...
The facts were just as Chen Yi had guessed.
At this moment, Xiao Jinghong was sitting cross-legged on the bed in a courtyard not far from Liu Hong's residence.
His aura was concealed, yet not revealed.
Although she did not practice a stance training method similar to the Xuanwu Breath Concealment Technique, her cultivation level was already sufficient to control her body's aura.
By doing so, she would no longer be able to use her true essence to probe the sounds of the entire city.
However, she could hear everything within a five-mile radius just like Chen Yi had done before, simply by relying on her hearing.
You could hear a pin drop.
The commotion in Chunhe Garden naturally did not escape Xiao Jinghong's notice.
However, she didn't hear it as clearly as she had during the day at the Provincial Administration Office.
She only knew that Wang Ji had come to deliver a letter to Chen Yi and to request a calligraphy copybook for Baicaotang.
In addition, she also overheard the fact that the owner of Baicaotang was going on another long trip.
Xiao Jinghong frowned slightly, "That 'Dragon Tiger' is really a restless fellow."
"If my elder sister marries him in the future, even if it prolongs her life, she probably won't be happy."
"Three to five days is fine, three to five months is also acceptable, but if 'Dragon and Tiger' are away from home year-round, wouldn't my elder sister be like a widow living a life of ease?"
After all, Xiao Wan'er is not Chen Yi, and her temperament is not as tranquil and serene.
Xiao Jinghong was determined to get to the bottom of things once he saw "Dragon Tiger".
If "Dragon and Tiger" continue to do as they please, she will never agree to let Xiao Wan'er marry into their family.
Thinking about this...
Xiao Jinghong refocused her attention on her surroundings.
About an hour passed.
It's almost midnight.
There was no movement inside Liu Hong's residence, but a person was sneaking around coming from the West Market.
Xiao Jinghong listened carefully for a moment, then quietly got up and looked through the crack in the window.
"Disciples of the Tianshan Sect?"
"Bai Cao Tang?"
Xiao Jinghong learned from several previous letters home that Xie Tingyun had arranged for a group of Tianshan Sect disciples to join Baicaotang.
She also guessed that most of the "Dragon Tiger" gang members who went to the Tea Horse Road to impersonate bandits were disciples of the Tianshan Sect.
Seeing this, she couldn't help but feel curious.
But after seeing the Tianshan Sect disciple walk out of the East Gate, Xiao Jinghong withdrew his gaze and returned to his bed.
Right now, her most important task is to find evidence of Liu Hong's crimes.
Everything else can be put on hold.
Another half hour passed.
A few sounds came from nearby, and Xiao Jinghong's earlobes twitched slightly as she turned her head to look at Liu Hong's residence.
Only the inner courtyard was heard.
A series of unsteady footsteps echoed and swirled, clearly indicating that the person was traversing a corridor and a path.
Then I heard the man call out "Dad".
Then Liu Hong's voice came through: "Fang'er?"
"What urgent matter brings you here so late?"
Liu Taofang.
Xiao Jinghong recognized the voice and continued listening calmly.
"Father, I have some great news to tell you."
"happy event?"
"You've been staying home all this time, what good news could there be?"
"It's true."
"Today, Lin Zhenghong from the Lin family grain store came and bought all the grain we had. Fourteen taels of silver per shi (a unit of dry measure) hahaha..."
"Nonsense!"
"Father, you..."
"Smack!"
"You good-for-nothing! You're more trouble than you're worth!"
"How dare you give food to Lin Zhenghong at such a critical time?"
"Father, it's selling, not giving. There's money involved."
"madness!"
"Do you know what has happened in Shu Prefecture recently?"
"Today, Xiao Yuan and Xiao Jinghong came to see me, pressuring me to stabilize grain prices in Shu Prefecture."
"Adding to other unforeseen events, it's clear that the price of grain in Shu Prefecture is about to fall. Lin Zhenghong and the others are barely able to protect themselves, so their seeking you out at this time is certainly not out of kindness!"
"ah?"
"Then, I'll go find him now..."
"Too late!"
"From now on, you don't need to go anywhere; you can stay in the manor."
"But Lin Zhenghong..."
"They're just trying to drag me into this mess. Hmph, what good will your intervention do?"
"Get back there right now!"
"This... I'll take my leave..."
Soon, there was silence in Liu Hong's residence, and even Liu Hong only cursed a few times before falling silent again.
Hearing this, Xiao Jinghong withdrew his gaze, a hint of thought appearing in his eyes beneath the mask.
“Grain shops…selling grain at high prices…that’s a crime.”
"But it's not enough to bring down Liu Hong."
Although the laws of the Great Wei Dynasty were strict, Liu Hong was not the mastermind behind this incident. At most, he would be punished, but it would not affect his official position.
The key is the evidence of treason.
...
Meanwhile, in Linzhuang.
Xue Duanyun, who was on night watch, saw a figure running towards him in the distance. He quickly coughed to get the figure's attention and gestured to him to climb over the wall.
The man realized what was happening and leaped into the house.
"Senior brother, are you not letting us in through the gate?"
"Keep your voice down. The people guarding outside have just fallen asleep. Don't wake them up."
Perhaps worried that Liu Lang and others would no longer sell grain at low prices, the people who came from the prefectural city all slept on the ground.
With that kind of situation, not only Xue Duanyun, but even the usually brash Liu Lang didn't dare to make a move.
They were afraid that a misunderstanding might arise and the people might be mistaken for robbers who would rush in and steal the grain.
Having traveled all over the country for so many years, Liu Lang knows these people's temperaments well.
It's not impossible for someone to raise their voice and attract countless followers.
Xue Duanyun offered a brief explanation and then asked, "Why are you here?"
The man took a letter from his pocket and handed it to him: "The shopkeeper asked me to give this to Guard Liu."
Xue Duanyun took the letter and asked, "What else did it say?"
He also said that General Jinghong was in the city at the moment.
"General Jinghong?"
Xue Duanyun was puzzled and was about to reply when he heard a whoosh of wind behind him, along with Liu Lang's deliberately lowered voice:
"General Jinghong has returned?"
"Damn it, why didn't you say so earlier?"
Without waiting for Xue Duanyun's reply, Liu Lang snatched the letter and began to read it.
He knew that Xiao Jinghong was looking for him and his boss, and he understood that Wang Ji had sent someone to deliver a message on behalf of his boss.
really.
After reading the contents of the letter, Liu Lang silently memorized them, then shook the paper to shreds and carefully tossed it into the brazier.
"I have urgent business to attend to and need to leave. I'll leave this place to you tomorrow."
Xue Duanyun was slightly taken aback. "You...are you the boss?"
"Don't ask what you shouldn't know, lest you leak the information."
As he spoke, Liu Lang changed into a set of night clothes, hung up his long sword, gave a few instructions to the group, and then quietly slipped out of the house.
Xue Duanyun watched him disappear, touched the messy hair on his forehead, and muttered to himself.
"Could it be that General Jinghong has a grudge against us... or the boss?"
"Why did Senior Liu run away as soon as he heard that someone was in the prefectural city?"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
