I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 128

Chapter 128

Just then, a man approached Master Zhu, watching the departing figures of Ming Yu and Prime Minister Wen with a thoughtful expression.

Master Zhu lifted his gaze—it was none other than the elder of the Wang family. “What do you make of this, Master Wang?”

The Zhu and Wang families had always maintained a close relationship. While they stood in competition with the Ma and Zhou families, there were also subtle entanglements of cooperation. On the surface, the four great business clans appeared cordial, but beneath the facade, they were all vying to surpass one another or, if possible, suppress their rivals.

Master Wang pondered for a moment before shaking his head. “Is there something suspicious about this?”

“Suspicious?” Master Zhu narrowed his eyes, his expression unreadable.

“Why else would Prime Minister Wen be here?” Master Wang voiced his thoughts directly. “Wasn’t it already decided that the court would not intervene in this matter? But if Prime Minister Wen doesn’t represent the court, then who does he represent? I don’t think this is as simple as it seems!”

He only said half of what he meant, leaving the rest unsaid. However, the shrewd Master Zhu had already seen through it. “You’re right. No matter what, Duan Wang is still the emperor’s youngest son. Although the court has stated that this matter is entirely up to Duan Wang and that they will not interfere, isn’t Prime Minister Wen’s visit essentially a show of support for him? His presence alone indirectly reveals the emperor’s stance.”

This was something that needed to be handled carefully, Master Zhu reminded himself.

Master Wang pondered for a moment. Fortunately, he had made extra preparations. “All we can do now is take things one step at a time. The only concern is if the Ma family truly intends to act before us—then we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Just as he finished speaking, Ma Siyong arrived with Ma Jinyu. “Old Zhu, Old Wang, it’s been a long time. How have you both been?”

“Thanks for your concern, brother. With your good fortune watching over us, us two old men are still managing.” Master Zhu chuckled.

No matter how much they opposed each other, appearances had to be maintained. The conversation remained pleasant and cordial, as if they were the best of friends.

Master Wang nodded along and said meaningfully, “Brother Ma, you always make a remarkable entrance. No wonder the Ma family’s business has been thriving under your leadership, growing stronger by the day.”

Standing behind his father, Ma Jinyu frowned slightly. He was still young and had yet to master the art of playing along with these old foxes.

Ma Siyong, however, was already used to such exchanges. With a smiling face, he replied politely, “Master Zhu flatters me. I have no great skills—my only goal is to ensure that our business remains steady without making any mistakes. Unlike the two of you, who have both vision and boldness. The grain trade at the beginning of the year filled your pockets to the brim. I can’t help but admire such success.”

His words placed them on a pedestal so skillfully that no fault could be found in them.

Master Wang was quite pleased with this. That grain trade had been a joint effort between his family and the Zhu family, capitalizing on an opportunity at just the right moment. In just two or three months, they had earned profits equivalent to one or two years’ worth of business.

By the time other merchants caught on, they had already reaped most of the benefits and stepped away, leaving only scraps for the rest.

He couldn’t help but feel proud of this achievement. Though he had followed the Zhu family’s lead, it still proved his sharp business acumen. The ability to manipulate markets at will—it was exhilarating even to recall.

Master Zhu, however, remained unimpressed by Ma Siyong’s praise. This man was all smiles in public while scheming behind their backs—utterly shameless.

During that grain trade, both their families had openly manipulated prices in the south, causing a public outcry. Yet, the Ma family had secretly profited just as much, while publicly portraying themselves as charitable benefactors, distributing porridge and rice to the poor. As a result, people praised them for their generosity and righteousness. In the end, they took the profits while the Zhu and Wang families bore the infamy. It was despicable.

“That’s all in the past, hardly worth mentioning,” Master Zhu said calmly, keeping his emotions concealed. He paid little heed to Ma Siyong’s words, showing neither approval nor displeasure.

With a faint smile, he continued, “On the contrary, it’s the Ma family head who has keen insight. Look at that—you even managed to align yourself with someone like Duan Wang. That’s something we could never achieve.”

Ma Siyong chuckled lightly. “Oh, this wasn’t my doing at all. It was merely by chance that my son, Jinyu, met Duan Wang at the Eldest Princess’s banquet. Duan Wang, being open-minded and willing to associate freely, took a liking to Jinyu and befriended him. Otherwise, how could someone like me ever hope to connect with Duan Wang?”

This remark struck a nerve. They knew about that banquet—the younger members of the Zhu family had also attended. But when they returned, they hadn’t given it much thought, nor had they considered befriending Duan Wang.

To be fair, it was due to their own biases. Duan Wang had always been sidelined from political affairs, with no role in the imperial court. Even if they had made his acquaintance, what would have been the benefit?

The Ma family had seized this opening, sending Ma Jinyu specifically to approach Duan Wang. Not only did they manage to learn about Duan Wang’s strategies, but they also gained his trust. Otherwise, the Ma family wouldn’t have been able to make such bold moves. Fortunately, no secret stays hidden forever—their activities had eventually caught attention. Whatever the Ma family was planning, both the Zhu and Wang families would be prepared.

What they didn’t know was that Ming Yu had played a deliberate role in this. Without his involvement, it would have been nearly impossible for a merchant family like the Ma’s to establish ties with a Wang Ye.

Master Zhu glanced at Ma Jinyu standing behind Ma Siyong and sighed, “A tiger father truly begets a tiger son. Your young one is quite remarkable.”

Hearing this praise, Ma Jinyu confidently stepped forward and bowed. “You flatter me, Master Zhu. I still have much to learn from my elders.”

His composed and respectful demeanor pleased Ma Siyong immensely. A son of his was, of course, outstanding. Hearing Ma Jinyu being praised filled him with pride.

“Clearly, Brother Ma has been well prepared for today. But at this point, don’t you think it’s time to share a little insight into what’s really going on?” Master Zhu asked sincerely.

Ma Siyong chuckled and brushed it off. “What insight could there be? We’ve only heard the same rumors floating around the streets.”

Master Zhu didn’t believe a word of it. There was no way the Ma family would risk their entire fortune based on mere hearsay. Unless they had solid proof of lucrative benefits, they wouldn’t have gone all in. The real question was: just how great were these benefits for them to take such a gamble?

“Is that so?” It seemed getting the truth out of this old fox wouldn’t be easy.

Ma Siyong smiled mysteriously. “Why the rush, Master Zhu? You’ve waited this long—what’s a little while longer? Look, isn’t Duan Wang’s bidding event about to begin?”

Here is the translation of the text with natural language while preserving the essence of the original:

Master Zhu could do nothing but wait. What else could be done?

{rime Minister Wen took his seat at the main table. He found the auction meeting Ming Yu had organized intriguing, but his main concern was the merchants. They were shrewd people, and if there wasn’t someone to keep order, he worried Ming Yu might be taken advantage of.

Ming Yu understood his intention and was grateful. In the past, he had never considered forming relationships with court officials. Firstly, because it was taboo—what would people think if a prince got too close to officials? Secondly, because he found many of the ministers to be old-fashioned and uninteresting. What would he gain from interacting with them? It wasn’t as if he had nothing better to do.

However, Prime Minister Wen broke Ming Yu’s preconceived notions. Their conversations were unexpectedly harmonious, and they seemed to be like old friends despite their age difference.

After a while, Prime Minister Wen spoke, “I am only here to observe. Your Highness, you don’t need to worry about me. Just carry on as you planned.”

Ming Yu glanced at the sky, noticing that the time was almost right. “Alright, Prime Minister Wen, please sit back. I’ll attend to things and be right with you.”

With that, he instructed his servants to gather everyone and prepare for the event.

Ming Yu stepped onto the stage, and the audience below continued to whisper excitedly. Ming Yu raised his hands, signaling for quiet. Gradually, the room quieted.

He cleared his throat and spoke loudly, “I have invited you all here today for the bidding meeting of the Western Qi Corridor. I’m sure you’ve all heard of it, or else you wouldn’t have traveled all the way to the capital.”

The crowd nodded. It was true. The merchants were driven by profit, and if there were no benefits, they wouldn’t have come. Now, they were simply waiting for the official bidding rules.

Ming Yu noticed their reactions and smiled, waving for the attendants to distribute brochures with detailed information. These brochures, unlike any verbal explanation, were much clearer and would give everyone a better understanding of what to expect.

He continued, “The bidding rules you’re all curious about are written in these brochures. Please take a look. If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and we have staff ready to provide answers.”

Ming Yu had trained several people to handle inquiries, which was more efficient than answering everyone’s questions personally.

As soon as the brochures were handed out, the crowd eagerly flipped through them.

Prime Minister Wen also had a copy. He carefully read through the details, which included many aspects that were quite innovative.

Ming Yu’s bidding meeting was just a name. Compared to actual modern-day bidding events, it couldn’t be entirely copied, as the situation was different. It needed to be adapted to the local context.

In truth, the meeting was primarily a way for Ming Yu to raise funds, particularly to secure initial capital. He knew that the funds for the start-up had to be gathered first, and everything else could come later.

But, it wasn’t so simple to get people to part with their money. Without enough incentives or appeal, no one would be willing to invest.

That was why Ming Yu was willing to forgo three years of profits just to get past the first hurdle. It was important not to underestimate the value of those three years of profits. Once the Western Qi Corridor was opened, just the customs duties from trading caravans would be a huge sum.

Once the revenue started coming in, Ming Yu was confident that no one would remain indifferent.

After reading the document, Prime Minister Wen was as shocked as anyone. Ming Yu’s promise was truly astonishing. He believed that no one else could have the same audacity.

He looked up at Ming Yu, who was sitting nearby sipping tea. “Your Highness, you…?”

“What’s wrong? Is there something wrong?” Ming Yu turned his head and asked.

Prime Minister Wen shook his head. “Your Highness, are you really willing to exchange the profits of the next three years for the startup funds?”

Ming Yu nodded. “You can’t catch the wolf without first letting go of the child. I have no other choice.”

“But… but…” Wen Qing hesitated for a moment. Then, recalling Ming Yu’s current situation, he had to admit that this might indeed be the only way out. Only Ming Yu would dare to think of such a fundraising approach.

Once the first step was taken, who could say they wouldn’t make money in the future?

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