Chapter 242 This plan is extremely vicious! (Seeking monthly votes)
Besides the Jizhou Merchant Guild, the items traded between Lin Huai'an and King Lando also astonished Chen Yi.
Ten thousand shi of refined iron, approximately seven hundred tons.
It may seem like a small amount, but it's estimated to be only one-tenth of the annual output of the Great Wei Dynasty.
But you should know that a sword or similar weapon weighs only three to five pounds.
More than 700 tons of refined iron blocks are enough to forge 200,000 swords and other weapons.
Although Chen Yi knew that the forging technology of the Vajrasattva Kingdom was far inferior to that of the Great Wei Dynasty.
However, these iron blocks could be used in other ways, such as for armor or household items, which could greatly enhance the strength of the Vaishsa Kingdom.
Moreover, there are an additional two thousand sets of heavy armor and horse armor, as well as two thousand finely forged iron swords.
One can imagine that once these things fall into the hands of King Lando, he could immediately arm two thousand heavily armored cavalry.
If we also include those two previous transactions involving unknown entities...
Chen Yi pondered this, then turned to Wang Ji and asked, "How much do you know about the Jizhou Merchant Guild?"
All he knew was that Jizhou was located northeast of Shuzhou, separated by Youzhou and Jingzhou, but this was the first time he had ever heard of the Jizhou Merchant Guild.
Wang Ji hesitated and said, "Please forgive me, sir. I have only heard about it and do not know the specifics of the Jizhou Merchant Guild."
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, but didn't criticize him.
After thinking for a moment, he instructed, "Try to find out if that Boss Jia knows anything about this."
He paused for a moment, then reminded them, "If they ask, just say that Baicaotang is considering seeking cooperation outside of Shuzhou."
Wang Ji quickly nodded in agreement.
Although he didn't know what the adults were going to do, the contents of that piece of paper made him tremble with fear.
Hesitated for a moment.
Wang Ji said, "My lord, there is something I am not sure if I should say."
Chen Yi looked at the letter in his hand again, and replied without looking up.
"My lord, the fact that the Jizhou Trading Company dares to trade with the Vaishsa Kingdom, especially involving prohibited items such as refined iron and weapons that are under the control of the imperial court, shows just how powerful their background and influence are."
"If they find out we know about these things, wouldn't that be... wouldn't that be..."
Wang Ji gritted his teeth and said, "Wouldn't that bring disaster upon us?"
Chen Yi glanced at him. "Scared?"
"No, it's not..."
"It's okay to be scared, it's only human nature."
As Chen Yi spoke, he carefully put away the two letters and slapped the thick stack of papers on the table next to him.
In an instant, scraps of paper flew everywhere.
"But often, what you fear most is what comes to pass."
"What do you think we should do in this situation?"
Wang Ji paused, slightly raising his head to look at him, his expression shifting between light and shadow.
The next moment, he gritted his teeth and said, "No matter who they are, they must die!"
As Chen Yi said, fear is human nature.
Especially after his business at Baicaotang flourished and he built his own fortune, he was very afraid of losing these hard-won things.
But he also knew that everything he had now was given to him by Chen Yi.
We all prosper together, and we all suffer together.
Therefore, whatever Chen Yi decides to do or instructs, he only needs to obey and do his best to carry it out.
"Rest assured, sir, I will definitely investigate the Jizhou Merchant Guild thoroughly."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi chuckled and shook his head, saying, "With such a rebellious person, all you can find out are the superficial things."
"The only way to find out their background is probably through the Lin family's grain business."
"Lin's Grain Store, Lin Huai'an?"
"It's him."
"But you don't need to worry about that. Right now, you should focus on expanding Baicaotang's reach."
"You can begin once Yan Hai sends word back."
Wang Ji felt a little relieved and bowed, saying, "This humble servant will remember your instructions, sir."
A moment later.
After Chen Yi finished disguising himself, he put on a raincoat and a bamboo hat.
He glanced at the sky outside the window, then looked at Zhang Dabao beside him and asked thoughtfully:
"When you were apprenticed to 'One Finger,' you must have known some martial arts figures in the Shu region, right?"
Zhang Dabao nodded, looking at him intently: "What are your orders, sir?"
Chen Yi smiled and instructed, "Also, keep an eye out for the Vaishsa people in the Shu Prefecture."
"Take a look at where those people live and what they do in Shu Prefecture."
He was very satisfied with Zhang Dabao's fearless spirit.
He's definitely more energetic than Wang Ji, the pharmacy manager.
After Zhang Dabao agreed, Chen Yi instructed, "There are experts among those Vaishsa people, so remember to be careful."
"Don't worry, sir. I may not have any other skills, but this little thing is not difficult for me."
Chen Yi patted him on the shoulder, then gave Wang Ji a few more instructions before leaving the house.
Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao respectfully saw him off as he walked away.
"Da Bao, from now on you must do your best to serve the adults."
"Yes, shopkeeper."
"Don't call me shopkeeper anymore, let's just call each other brothers."
"Brother Wang...
Wang Ji smiled, chatted with him for a few words, and then left as well.
After this, he finally understood his position beside Chen Yi.
As Chen Yi takes bigger strides, the situation he faces will only become more severe and dangerous than it is now.
Many of these were beyond the capabilities of the owner of Baicaotang.
Therefore, he only needs to focus on the present, expand Baicaotang to Shuzhou, and even to the three prefectures of the nine provinces of the Great Wei, and then he can retire successfully.
Chen Yi naturally ignored what Wang Ji and Zhang Dabao were thinking.
For him, Baicaotang was still a dispensable but unnecessary step.
Unless Baicaotang truly expands to the entire territory of the Three Prefectures of the Great Wei in the future, it will not be of any help to him.
At present, Baicaotang can only bring him some money to alleviate some of the Xiao family's difficulties.
After leaving Chuanxi Street, Chen Yi took advantage of the darkness to bypass the Dingyuan Marquis's residence and arrive at Zhennan Street.
It was already late at this point.
There were far fewer travelers than before during the thunderstorm.
Even the yamen runners and the chief criminal officers responsible for patrolling were nowhere to be found.
Only some shops and government offices on both sides of Zhennan Street were still guarded.
The dim lanterns swayed, illuminating the surroundings, and the faint sound of raindrops could be seen falling.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Chen Yi slipped away and arrived at the Liu family's residence, which was not far from the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office.
Scan the area.
Seeing that Liu Lang was nowhere to be seen, he released the Xuanwu Concealing Breath Technique, and his true essence continued to circulate within his body.
Then, he smashed a piece of rubble with one palm and disappeared into the corner.
Not long after.
Chen Yi then saw a furtive figure approaching.
When the man arrived, he looked around and, seeing that no one was around, let out a soft exclamation.
"Is nobody here?"
Upon recognizing the voice, Chen Yi confirmed it was Liu Lang, then coughed lightly and stepped out of the shadows.
"here."
Liu Lang was taken aback. "Boss?"
Chen Yi nodded slightly and gestured for him to walk outside, saying, "This is not the place to talk."
The two then left the Liu family's residence and headed towards the brothel alley in the south of the city.
After walking quite a distance and finding a corner, Chen Yi finally stopped.
Liu Lang followed behind, smiling as he asked, "Boss, what brings you here tonight?"
"If you hadn't come, I was thinking of coming to find you tomorrow."
Chen Yi calmly asked, "What did you discover?"
When asked, Liu Lang smiled slightly and said, "I have indeed made some discoveries."
"Do you remember the grain depot fire in the East Market area?"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, immediately having a guess in his mind: "What did you hear from him?"
"If nothing unexpected happens, the businessman who was working with his second son, Lin Huai'an, was the one who killed him."
After hearing Liu Lang's words, Chen Yi's expression changed slightly. "You mean he sent someone to kill Lin Huai'an? You heard it with your own ears?"
Liu Lang nodded repeatedly, pointing to his ear and saying, "That night, after I went back with Liu Lao Er, that old bastard waited at the door."
"As soon as they met, without saying a word, he picked up a whip and gave Liu Lao Er a good beating."
"They only brought up these things later. Tsk tsk, it took me a while to understand what they meant."
Chen Yi frowned subconsciously, his mind racing.
He witnessed Lin Huai'an's death firsthand—it was poisoned.
He had initially thought it was the work of that greedy woman, but now he realized there was a secret hidden within it that he was unaware of.
It was Liu Hong who did it?
While thinking, Chen Yi asked, "Tell me exactly what you heard."
Liu Lang didn't dwell on it and recounted exactly what he had heard that day.
For example, Liu Taofang and Lin Huai'an conspired to burn down the summer grain in three towns and then raised grain prices in Shuzhou, intending to sell their old grain.
And after they did all this, they would blame it on the Xiao family, saying that it was Old Master Xiao's grain purchases that caused the grain price to rise.
In addition, Lin Huai'an came from the Jizhou Merchant Guild, and so on.
"...Finally, that old man told his second son not to leave home recently, and also told him to deny anything if anyone asked about Lin Huai'an."
After listening, Chen Yi frowned even more.
Liu Hong not only knew that Lin Huai'an came from the Jizhou Merchant Guild, but also knew what the Jizhou Merchant Guild did in the north—smuggling salt, iron, and weapons.
If Liu Hong knew all this, why did he kill Lin Huai'an?
Is it simply because Liu Taofang was involved?
After much thought, Chen Yi felt that Liu Hong would not possibly harm Lin Huai'an for such a simple reason.
Especially after he learned from Liu Lang that Liu Hong had guessed there were other reasons behind the deaths of Liu Wen and Xiao Dongchen.
He already knew that Liu Hong was a very shrewd and meticulous person.
Such a person's actions must have a profound meaning.
Immediately afterwards, another question arose in Chen Yi's mind:
How did Liu Hong learn in advance about Liu Taofang and Lin Huai'an's conspiracy?
After thinking it over, the only possibility is that someone tipped him off!
There are only two groups capable of doing this: people around Liu Taofang or people around Lin Huai'an.
Furthermore, considering that Liu Hong was able to instigate the killing of Lin Huai'an, the latter is more likely than the former.
As Chen Yi pondered this, a cold stern expression appeared on his face.
He underestimated this provincial governor.
Liu Lang, who was standing to the side, was unaware of these things. Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, he couldn't help but ask:
"Boss, what should I do next? Do I still need to keep an eye on that old guy?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi snapped out of his reverie, took a deep breath, and said, "Let's keep an eye on him for a few more days."
"I need to find out a few things before I make a decision."
What he heard from Liu Lang tonight forced him to reassess Liu Hong.
He also needs to rethink his future plans and make some adjustments.
To avoid losing more than you gain by trying to steal a chicken.
Fortunately, after he made a plan to deal with the Liu family and Liu Hong, he did not rush to take action, but instead sent Liu Lang to keep an eye on them.
There is still plenty of time to plan and strategize.
Otherwise, he might misjudge Liu Hong's capabilities and make a wrong judgment.
Upon hearing this, Liu Lang said with great interest, "That old fellow is hiding so well, I also want to know what he's up to."
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, then thought for a moment and continued, "Who has he been seeing lately, and what has he been doing?"
"Most of the time, he was handling official business at the government office."
“He would leave the mansion before dawn and return from the Provincial Administration Office at dusk, and rarely had any guests.”
At this point, Liu Lang paused and said, "There was a man surnamed Ma who came twice."
“He always came alone, and he would hide in the study with Liu Hong and talk to him in a mysterious way.”
Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat, and he looked at him and asked, "Ma Shuhan?"
"Yes, that's the name."
"But I didn't pay much attention to them because they were talking about things like students, annual examinations, and imperial examinations."
"Was Mr. Yue Ming, or any other person from Shu Prefecture mentioned during this time?"
Seeing how concerned he was, Liu Lang also began to think back carefully.
"Mr. Yue Ming... I think so. There are also quite a few names like Mr. Zhuo Ying and Mr. Ling Chuan."
"Oh right, there's also the name of Yang Ye, the Right Provincial Governor, as well as the names of the Tang family, the Wan family, and others."
"Tang Zixin?"
"No, it's a man named Tang Yeren."
"That man surnamed Ma said he also had the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination), and if he failed the annual examination, he would surely anger his father."
Then Liu Hong said, "If it weren't for that, why would I go to all this trouble?" and the two of them laughed.
Liu Lang grinned and said, "Judging from their appearance, they're plotting against us, but aren't the annual exams held every now and then?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi raised his hand to signal him to be quiet, and a flash of inspiration struck him.
He seemed to understand Liu Hong and Ma Shuhan's plan—to use the annual examination to eliminate dissidents.
Simply put, win over those who should be won over and eliminate those who should be eliminated.
"I see."
"No wonder Ma Shuhan submitted a memorial to amend the punishment provisions of the Six-Level Law."
"Only in this way can he cooperate with Liu Hong to coerce other scholars from aristocratic families."
For example, the soup business.
His father was the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner.
If Tang Ye only achieves a third-class ranking after this annual examination, or is stripped of his academic title for ranking below third-class, it will inevitably affect the reputation of the Tang family.
Not only will it directly ruin Tang Ye's career for several years, but it will also implicate Tang Zixin, the provincial inspector.
Conversely, if Tang Zixin and Liu Hong were of one mind, Tang Ye's annual examination results would surely be excellent.
Even in subsequent scientific expeditions, Tang Ye might come out on top.
For someone like him, a son-in-law of the Xiao family, to receive a fourth-class grade would cause his reputation, which he had previously built up through poetry and calligraphy, to plummet.
Most importantly, Ma Shuhan was always at the forefront of everything, making it difficult for outsiders to suspect that Liu Hong was behind it all.
"I'm afraid Ma Shuhan's purpose in inviting Mr. Yue Ming to serve as the deputy examiner is to pin the blame for the poor performance of the candidates in the Shu Prefecture annual examination on Mr. Yue Ming, right?"
"I must say, this plan is extremely vicious!"
"This is truly a three-birds-with-one-stone strategy!"
Looking at the rain falling around him, Chen Yi thought to himself: It seems that Liu Hong has quite a lot of ambition.
No wonder he was able to establish himself in Shuzhou on his own, as the third son of the Liu family in Jingzhou.
This tactic of leveraging external forces alone is something that ordinary people cannot match.
Seeing this, Liu Lang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Boss, is there a problem?"
"No, you go back and keep a close eye on him, especially when Ma Shuhan comes over..."
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com