Chapter 131
Master Wang’s words struck a chord with everyone present. Those who had been indifferent before now found themselves swayed by his rhetoric, considering backing Master Zhu’s proposal. After all, maybe forcing Wang Ye to compromise wouldn’t hurt.
Someone immediately stood up and said, “That’s true. I’ve heard that Wang Ye is known for your benevolence, and that you always considers the welfare of the people in the borderlands. You have been a strong advocate for opening trade with the Western Regions and promoting the Western Qi Corridor. We should support you. But business has been difficult these years, and times are tough. I hope Wang Ye will understand our plight.”
Ming Yu froze for a moment. He hadn’t realized that someone had already built him a reputation for benevolence. He didn’t even know where his so-called ‘benevolence’ came from.
More and more people began to agree, with each person adding their own sentiment, almost as if Ming Yu would be deemed unforgivable if he didn’t agree to their demands.
Finally, Ming Yu stood up and walked a few steps forward to stand in front of them. The room grew quiet as everyone fell silent, awaiting his response. Ming Yu scanned the room until everyone had shrunk back and ceased speaking. Only then did he break into a satisfied smile.
“Don’t want to pay? Want a higher share of profits? Heh, is there really such an easy bargain in this world?” Ming Yu’s voice carried a cold tone.
“Wang Ye…” Master Zhu began to say something, but Ming Yu gave him a quick, icy glance. Just as Master Zhu opened his mouth, he was silenced by the sharp gaze, unable to continue with the words he had planned.
He was startled. He had been in the business world for decades and had seen all kinds of people. He had already learned about Duan Wang—born mentally handicapped and abandoned by the royal family early on. Though his condition improved later, he could only be considered a prince at best. What did it matter if the emperor favored him? A prince without power was nothing.
The person standing before him was nothing more than a young child, yet he found himself intimidated by his presence. As he regained his composure, Master Zhu felt uneasy in his heart. He had always looked down on Ming Yu; otherwise, he wouldn’t have embarrassed him in front of everyone.
Master Zhu tried to contain his unease, respecting Ming Yu’s position and refraining from overstepping. He closed his eyes and made an effort to calm himself down.
Ming Yu sneered, “Business isn’t easy, is it? Difficult times, poor luck? Why didn’t you have such concerns when you were discussing profit shares? Did you have any sympathy for the common folk when you hoarded food early this year and made a fortune? Don’t try this on me. This is not the Sheng Ji Hall. Whether you make a profit or not has nothing to do with me.”
Master Zhu and Master Wang’s faces darkened. Ming Yu’s words were a clear jab at them for hoarding grain and profiting from it earlier in the year. Even Ma Jinyu, who had been silently watching the scene unfold, had an awkward expression, as Ming Yu had hit the nail on the head.
Everyone present was, in some way, involved in this matter; it was just a question of how much they had benefited. These people would pounce on any sign of blood in the water, like flies swarming around rotting meat, indifferent to whether it was oozing pus or festering.
The things they did had no moral constraint; they were utterly repulsive. If they dared to disregard their own royal status, the common people were even less worthy of their consideration.
“Wang Ye, you can’t speak like that. We merchants value mutual agreement; some things are beyond our control,” Master Wang said after a long silence.
“Forget it.” Ming Yu waved his hand dismissively, “I’m not here to settle old scores today. In the south, no one could stop you, which is why you were able to act recklessly. But I’ll tell you this: if I lay my hands on that matter, none of you will come out unscathed.”
Most people disregarded this statement, not taking it seriously. However, Ma Jinyu, who knew Ming Yu well, felt a deep chill. He understood that Ming Yu wasn’t just speaking idly—he truly had the means to deal with them. With that thought in mind, he no longer had any hopes of escaping the situation and only wished that Ming Yu would keep his word and not hold past events against them.
Master Zhu, however, sneered inwardly. That young fool was just talking big—did he really think he could find their weaknesses and bring them to justice?
“Wang Ye, why mention other matters? This bidding meeting you’ve organized is to solve the financial problem of the Western Qi Corridor, isn’t it? I know this issue is crucial, but it’s supposed to be handled by the Ministry of Revenue, not us merchants, right?” Master Zhu said, smiling slyly like an old fox.
He deliberately mentioned the Ministry of Revenue because he knew they wouldn’t be able to provide the funds and wouldn’t support Ming Yu’s decision. Now, Ming Yu’s only option was to rely on merchants like them, and Master Zhu was confident they could control the situation. If Ming Yu remained stubborn and refused to compromise, Ming Zhu would have all the merchants withhold their investments, and then they would see who would win in the end.
Ming Yu flicked his sleeve nonchalantly, “You think I’m relying on your little bit of money? Tsk, tsk!” He shook his head, letting out a long sigh of disdain. “Are you really so clever or so stupid? Don’t you see? I’ve worked so hard to build the Western Qi Corridor for what? To make sure you can safely trade with the Western Regions in the future! I pulled you into this to help you make money. I had good intentions, but you’re turning it into something else. I really don’t know how you’ve managed to grow your business with such short-sightedness.”
Everyone knew how to speak flowery words, but Master Zhu sneered at Ming Yu’s comments. “Since Wang Ye has gathered us all here, let’s talk business. No need to drag in anything else. Honestly, building the Western Qi Corridor means we should pay tariffs for trading westward. But no one’s cared about it for all these years—our predecessors didn’t mind either. To me, it’s something insignificant. Since Wang Ye mentioned investment and profit-sharing, we naturally have opinions to voice. If Wang Ye agrees, everything is fine. If not, I really can’t afford to invest such a large sum.”
Ming Yu smiled, “So, Zhu family doesn’t plan to participate?”
Master Zhu grinned as he stroked his beard and nodded, “If Wang Ye is willing to increase the profit share by two more portions, of course, I’ll gladly contribute the money.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Ming Yu dramatically clapped his hands. “Since Zhu family isn’t willing, then forget it. Come, take Zhu family’s spot off the list, no need to sign any contracts.”
“What?” Master Zhu’s eyes widened. What did Ming Yu mean? What did it mean to remove Zhu family’s spot? Wasn’t Duan Wang desperate for money? He had already been so clear that they, the Zhu family, were willing to invest, just asking for a slight increase in the profit share. What was going on? Why turn hostile so suddenly?
Hmph! What did Duan Wang think he was doing? If he removed all the merchants here, where would he get the money? With just the Ma family and the Zhou family, it wouldn’t even be enough to make a dent.
Realizing this, Master Zhu’s panic finally subsided, and he regained his calm. “Wang Ye, are you sure you’re serious? Not just us, but the majority of the merchants here feel the same. Do you really not want the money on the table and intend to exclude us all?”
Ming Yu smiled coldly, nodding firmly, “Yes! If you don’t agree to my terms, then there’s no point in continuing discussions. Since that’s the case, why waste everyone’s time? Of course, to the others here, if you’re willing to give up this profitable opportunity, I won’t force you.”
Master Zhu’s face flushed with embarrassment. He hadn’t expected Ming Yu to dismiss him so easily. Business negotiations required discussion to reach an agreement; how could it suddenly turn into an eviction order?
He had gone through many storms in life and seen countless aspects of human nature, but he had never encountered anyone like Ming Yu.
He looked around, and no one said a word, as if they were all weighing the current situation. Even Master Wang was lowering his head in thought, unlike his usual self who would always support him.
Master Zhu was a bit upset. He hated to see things going wrong. At this moment, shouldn’t everyone be united in their stance? He understood that time was tight, and they hadn’t managed to come up with a solid plan together yet. The sudden change in circumstances had made everyone’s already wavering hearts even more uncertain.
He tried to salvage the situation. “Gentlemen, I believe your thoughts are no different from mine, right? We are all in business, and in the face of profit, even family and loved ones must take a step back. Speak your minds! Duan Wang is here, and surely he would not ignore our requests. It is only natural for those who invest to profit.”
The people around him exchanged glances, some uncertain, others wanting to observe the situation further.
“Ahem!” A voice came from the crowd, “Master Zhu, your thoughts alone cannot represent the will of us all.”
Everyone looked up, and it was none other than the head of the Ma family, Ma Siyong, stepping forward. He bowed to Ming Yu and the others, “I am Ma Siyong, head of the Ma family in the capital. I am willing to sign the contract for the first-tier investment. The contract is ready, please, Wang Ye, review it.”
Ming Yu smiled, motioned for someone to fetch the contract, and casually flipped through it. After confirming everything was correct, he nodded. He then had the contract displayed for everyone to see, with signatures and handprints all in place.
He paid no attention to Master Zhu, loudly declaring, “I, Wang Ye, announce that the first ten merchants who sign contracts today, regardless of their rank, will receive a great gift.”
The head of the Ma family asked in surprise, “A great gift? What might that be, Wang Ye?”
Ming Yu raised his hand, and servants filed in, each carrying a tray covered with red cloth.
Everyone was curious about what kind of gift would be presented by Duan Wang. What could be so special?
Thankfully, the mystery was soon revealed. Ming Yu gently pulled back the red cloth from one of the trays, revealing a cup that was crystal clear and exquisitely shaped, like something made of crystal.
The crowd gasped. They had heard that crystal and glass were only presented to the emperor by foreign countries, and the Great Yan could barely count a handful of such items. While this object wasn’t as colorful as true crystal, its clarity and transparency were not inferior. This was something they had never seen before. Was this truly the great gift Wang Ye had spoken of? It seemed too extravagant. Clearly, this was not an ordinary object. If anyone were fortunate enough to own one, it would be something to brag about for a lifetime.
“These are ten crystal glass cups, brought all the way from the Western Regions. I said I would give them, and so I will. Such an opportunity is rare!” Ming Yu raised an eyebrow, deliberately making it sound more impressive.
In truth, if he hadn’t seen these items regularly, he might have been just as awed as they were, thinking that rarity equated to value.
At this point, no one cared about Master Zhu’s concerns about profit sharing. Duan Wang had promised a gift for the first ten signers, and since the Ma family had already signed, there were only nine spots left. If they didn’t hurry, they wouldn’t even get a chance.
Everyone rushed forward, scrambling to find the right person in charge, determined to get their hands on one of those ten glass cups.
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