Chapter 122
The crown prince’s impression of Song Lian might still be from years ago, but little did he know, a person could change and become frighteningly different.
Ming Yu did not remind him, but their fates might never intertwine again. In the future, if their names were mentioned, they would only be familiar yet distant.
Though Ming Yu had no intention of delving deeper into their relationship, he had no plans to investigate further.
The capital was always bustling, and with the emperor’s birthday celebrations approaching, the atmosphere in the capital grew even more festive.
Recently, the capital city had seen an influx of many merchants. In the brothels and tea houses, one often overheard discussions about terms like “Western Qi Corridor for trade” and “Bidding meetings,” which were quite new to many.
Liu Shun hurried into a wine house, glancing around. Someone in a corner near the window had already spotted him. “Brother Liu, over here!” they called.
Liu Shun greeted everyone with a smile, walking over quickly and bowing to the group. “Apologies for being late, everyone. Please, don’t hold it against me.”
The person who had greeted him earlier chuckled. “Since you know you’re late, follow the rules and pour yourself three cups as punishment.”
“Brother Zhao, you know I can’t handle much liquor…” Liu Shun complained.
Zhao Yan laughed heartily. “Who doesn’t know you? Always pretending to cry poor, who would believe a word you say? No excuses—drink up!”
The others around them laughed and teased him. Liu Shun, helpless, had to accept his punishment. After finishing the three cups, he finally sat down to chat with everyone.
These people were all merchants who had just arrived from Jinling, and they knew each other well. Upon hearing the news, none of them could sit still. They had immediately set off for the capital, hoping to gather first-hand information, as the capital was well-connected and full of news.
Coming from the same place, they naturally banded together. Zhao Yan had some business interests in the capital and was hosting today. He invited his fellow townsfolk to drink and casually discuss the recent matter concerning Duan Wang.
Liu Shun had just arrived in the capital, and upon receiving Zhao Yan’s invitation, he came right away. It was always helpful to share information, and they could also learn each other’s plans.
They were all small-scale merchants, not on the level of the top-tier businessmen. There was no way they could compete on their own. If they didn’t form alliances, they would be devoured by larger rivals. So, they were mindful of the need to unite.
“You all think this news is true?” Liu Shun asked after taking a few bites of food, trying to suppress the alcohol. “In the past, the Great Yan never traded with foreign nations. Why did the situation suddenly change?”
The news had spread widely, but it was mostly hearsay, and the real truth was elusive. However, it wouldn’t be possible for this kind of gossip to spread if it weren’t intentionally leaked. As soon as they heard it, they rushed to the capital, as merchants were always sensitive to information, preferring to act early rather than be left behind.
Liu Shun had just arrived in the capital, so he hadn’t had time to gather information. He had to ask his questions here.
Zhao Yan had an advantage in this area, and didn’t hide anything, since such news was easily obtained. He said, “This is all thanks to Duan Wang. I’ve heard that he tirelessly pressured the emperor until he agreed to let him form a trading caravan to go out and conduct business.”
“Duan Wang?” Liu Shun remembered him, recalling that he had once mocked Duan Wang as a fool for going west, which seemed like a death sentence. “You mean that foolish prince? The one who begged the emperor for the western region, Liangzhou?”
“Shh! Be careful what you say! This is the capital, not a small place like Jinling,” Zhao Yan warned.
Liu Shun quickly realized his mistake and slapped his own face lightly in apology. “My mistake! My mistake!”
No one took offense, and Zhao Yan laughed. “Brother Liu, you don’t know this, but the emperor’s most favored youngest son has already brought back two shipments of goods from the Western Regions. It’s caused quite a stir in the capital. Rare goods are always the most valuable, and those Western goods are priced like gold. High-ranking officials are throwing money around to get their hands on them. Everyone is fighting over them.”
Upon hearing this, everyone grew excited, and someone asked, “Brother Zhao, we’ve heard that merchants will be able to go directly through the Western Qi Corridor to trade with the Western Regions. Is that true?”
This was the burning question for everyone, and everyone was eager to hear the answer. They had all heard rumors about the western lands. Not to mention that the Great Yan was at odds with the Suixi Kingdom, and the journey westward was dangerous with years of conflict. Passing through Suixi alone was a massive challenge, not to mention the bandits and mountain bandits in Liangzhou, which would discourage anyone from attempting the journey.
Now, there was news that the bandits in Duan Wang’s territory had almost been eradicated, and traders could go to the Western Regions without passing through Suixi. This greatly reduced the risks, and if trade with the Western Regions became a reality, those who acted quickly could make a fortune. Didn’t they see how much Duan Wang had made? People were practically bringing silver to his door, afraid he wouldn’t accept it!
Zhao Yan nodded. “As far as I know, the news is quite reliable. It’s already been discussed in court. Duan Wang fought hard against opposition, taking full responsibility, and promised the emperor that he wouldn’t ask the court for any money. He said he would bear all the costs himself. With the support of the Prime Minister, the emperor had no choice but to agree. That’s why this news has spread.”
“So, it’s really true?” Everyone in the room exchanged excited glances, thrilled by the confirmation. They had feared the news was false and would leave them disappointed, but now that it was confirmed, they felt relieved.
There were still people who didn’t believe it. “Building a city and a region would cost a lot of money, right? Without relying on the national treasury, who could have such deep financial resources? How could Duan Wang possibly do that?”
“You don’t know everything. I heard that after the Emperor’s birthday celebration, Duan Wang plans to hold a bidding event. It seems to be related to this matter. They say he’s going to gather money from everyone, and later, the customs duties and other profits from the Western Qi Corridor will be distributed according to each person’s contribution.”
“Tsk! Such a thing? How strange!” This was unheard of. Duan Wang was a fool; could he really think everyone else was foolish? How could people be willing to spend their money on something intangible and based only on empty promises?
Zhao Yan took a sip of wine and looked around. Everyone had different expressions, but he knew exactly what they were thinking.
He lowered his head and spoke as quietly as possible, “I won’t lie to you, when I first heard about it, I thought the same way as you, but now it’s not quite the same. Let me tell you some reliable news—the four big families in the capital, Ma, Wang, Zhou, and Zhu, have already started making moves.”
“Really? Is that true?” The group was shocked. Everyone knew the four big families in the capital were the benchmarks for other merchants. If this was true, they could possibly follow their lead and take a risk. Following them, even getting a little bit of profit would be enough for small families like theirs to benefit greatly.
Zhao Yan shushed them, looked around cautiously, and then continued in a low voice, “I have a distant cousin who’s the manager of the Ma family’s business. Recently, the Ma family head ordered a check on all the silver and deposits in their shops. It seems they’re preparing for this.”
Zhao Yan couldn’t possibly be lying. Liu Shun stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and then said, “So, Brother Zhao, you think we should follow along and not miss this opportunity?”
Zhao Yan nodded. “That’s what I think. You all know the strength of the four big families in the capital. Since they’re secretly preparing, it means the conditions Duan Wang proposed are truly attractive. If we can get in on it, that would be great. We may not have the wealth of the four families, but if we join forces and become one, Duan Wang won’t look down on us. After all, everyone is making money together, so why not?”
If they united, they wouldn’t be weaker than any of the four families. Besides, they had worked together before. When Zhao Yan suggested it, everyone nodded in agreement.
“I agree!” Liu Shun spoke first. It’s always beneficial to cooperate; everyone knew that. No one was a fool. If they could make money by joining forces, it made sense. If they went alone, they might end up losing out or not even catching Duan Wang’s attention.
Others agreed as well. They all knew they had to be ready and wait to see what the bidding event would really be like.
It wasn’t just them; merchants from other places were also starting to gather information, responding to the news, and waiting for Duan Wang’s meeting.
Ming Yu lay in the lounge chair, half-closing his eyes to enjoy the sunlight. Not far away, Xie Yixiu sat quietly reading, though it seemed uncertain whether he was actually reading since the pages of the book hadn’t been turned for a long time.
This was the temporary residence where Xie Yixiu stayed since arriving in the capital. It was a small, independent courtyard, a bit secluded but peaceful and quiet.
Ming Yu took a moment to relax and came here to enjoy some peace. Recently, many people had been looking for the Crown Prince because of goods from the Western Regions, but the Crown Prince wasn’t free, and things were inevitably getting overlooked. Those from the royal family who couldn’t meet the Crown Prince came to find Ming Yu instead.
Everyone knew that Ming Yu had brought these goods to the capital. Although he had already said that he had handed everything over to the Crown Prince, it was still technically his. All it took was his word. Moreover, in their eyes, Ming Yu was naïve. If the merchant group didn’t want something, they would drop it, but the Third Prince had intercepted it. A person like him was easy to deceive. Maybe they could get even more benefits from him.
With this thought in mind, more and more people came to find Ming Yu. He became increasingly annoyed and decided to hide out.
Of course, he also took the opportunity to check the latest developments in the capital. Being in the palace wasn’t very convenient for him, so he had asked Xie Yixiu to keep an eye on things when he first heard the rumors.
“It’s still so peaceful here,” Ming Yu said, sighing. “I think I should get a small house of my own. Every time I return to the capital, I can’t keep staying in the palace. All my brothers have built their own estates outside the palace. It’s no fun staying there alone.”
Ming Yu’s words reminded Xie Yixiu. Indeed, if he had his own home and someone to share it with, it would be fulfilling. But for now, it was just a thought.
“General Xie, what do you think? You don’t have a place to stay either. It wouldn’t be bad if we shared a house. We could just rent it together,” Ming Yu casually suggested.
Xie Yixiu’s expression darkened slightly. “It would be nice. I’m looking forward to it.”
The thought of living under the same roof with Ming Yu made his heart stir. Only Ming Yu could disturb his emotions without even realizing it.
Ming Yu heard his response and paused for a moment. Suddenly, he realized something and felt a slight panic. His gaze faltered, and his face turned a little red.
But he quickly calmed down. Why should he be flustered? He knew Xie Yixiu’s feelings, and he had agreed to give him time. The two of them could be comfortable together. In fact, he liked their current dynamic, and maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if it lasted. At least having someone by his side was much better than walking alone.
Thinking this, Ming Yu relaxed. As for feelings, he decided to let them develop naturally. Maybe one day, when the time was right, he would gradually accept Xie Yixiu. After all, he could feel Xie Yixiu’s passionate emotions, and he knew that he was slow to warm up. If it weren’t for someone he was familiar with, he wouldn’t let anyone get close to him.
“General Xie, you’d better be prepared. My temperament can be quite strange. If you can’t tolerate my flaws, I might just kick you out!”
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