I Built a Territory in Ancient Times Chapter 141

Chapter 141

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances. With things settled like this, there was truly no hope for them this time.

It seemed they needed to hurry back and bring some goods over as soon as possible. However, there was still one lingering concern. “Lord, if we all transport goods here, can you guarantee that everything will sell?”

After all, the journey was long and arduous, requiring significant effort and cost. They were just small-time traders, unlike the wealthy Ma family. If they invested all their money in transporting goods here, only for them to remain unsold, they would lose everything.

Even though the Ma family’s goods had all been purchased this time, there was no guarantee that future shipments would receive the same treatment. If too many goods flooded in and demand dropped, what if the officials here refused to buy? The risks were too great.

Everyone nodded—this was exactly what they were worried about. A wise man plans ahead, and for merchants, careful calculations were even more crucial. They couldn’t afford even a small mistake.

Xu Wen smiled reassuringly. “Rest assured, I can guarantee that however much you bring, we will take it all. To be frank, Liangzhou is in a state of reconstruction, and we desperately need manpower and supplies. Wang Ye has a vision of transforming Liangzhou into a major trade hub—an opportunity like this is once in a lifetime. Think about it—if you take part, do you realize how lucky you are?”

Hearing such a promise, the crowd felt a bit more at ease.

Tan Shan rubbed his hands together, then nudged Cheng Guangsheng. “Brother Cheng, I’m setting off tomorrow to make preparations. Are you staying here, or coming back with me?”

Tan Shan completely changed his mind—he also wanted to take this opportunity to make a profit. Once he transported goods from Liangzhou back home, he could earn a substantial sum on both trips.

Cheng Guangsheng frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ll write a letter for you to take back. Have my younger brother make preparations, and when the time comes, you can travel back here with him. With Brother Tan’s support, I’ll feel more at ease.”

Tan Shan nodded. “Alright, that works too.” He didn’t ask why Cheng Guangsheng was staying behind, but from their earlier conversation, he understood that Cheng had a broader vision than he did. Since he had agreed, he figured that if he ever needed anything in the future, he could offer his support.

Everyone had their own plans—some sent letters home with instructions, while others, feeling uneasy, decided to return personally to oversee matters. In any case, their perspectives had completely shifted from when they first arrived. The prospects of Liangzhou’s future looked promising. Businessmen were always drawn by profit—wherever there was money to be made, they would follow.

Xu Wen arranged for workers to transport more than a dozen carts of goods and wrote a note instructing the Ma family head to collect payment at the workshop office the next day.

Even after Xu Wen and his group had left, people were still abuzz with discussion. They hadn’t expected such efficiency—before the Ma family’s grain had even entered the city, the deal had already been sealed. Apart from envy, what else could they say?

While the crowd marveled at this turn of events, the welcoming banquet had already begun.

Ming Yu sat at the head of the table as cups clinked and toasts were exchanged throughout the banquet. Learning from past experience, he barely touched his drink, only lightly pressing his lips to the cup before setting it down. Even so, the lingering scent of alcohol still tinged the air, leaving a faint flush on his fair face.

With a slight smile, he swept his gaze over the gathering before clearing his throat and saying, “I’m sure everyone is eager to hear about my trip to the capital, aren’t you?”

The previously lively banquet quieted down instantly—this was indeed the question on everyone’s mind. Since Ming Yu hadn’t spoken about it, they hadn’t dared to ask, but now that he had brought it up himself, everyone perked up their ears.

Ming Yu lowered his eyes and shook his head before letting out a deep, heavy sigh.

At this, everyone’s hearts tightened with unease.

Prefecture Magistrate Liu stood up and reassured him, “Wang Ye, there’s no need to rush. If it didn’t work out this time, we can wait and try again.”

They were all well aware of the court’s current difficulties, and they knew Ming Yu had gone to request funding for the construction of the Western Qi Corridor. No one had really expected him to succeed. They had already prepared themselves for disappointment and were willing to accept whatever news he brought back.

Ming Yu lowered his head into his hands, his shoulders trembling. Seeing him like this, the crowd grew anxious. Never before had they seen Wang Ye in such a state—just how much humiliation had he suffered in the capital?

Great General Wei, who was known for his hot temper, immediately shouted, “Wang Ye, if you were wronged in the capital, just tell me! If anyone dared to be disrespectful, I’ll beat them to a pulp with my bare hands!”

Xie Yixiu glanced at Ming Yu, shook his head, and sighed with resignation.

Just as everyone was racking their brains for words of comfort, Ming Yu suddenly burst into laughter.

What was going on? While everyone was still bewildered, he finally managed to stop laughing and said, “Who in the capital would dare mistreat me?”

Wait—then just now? So he wasn’t sobbing in frustration but hiding his laughter? Wang Ye, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution for deceiving us like this?

“I’ll have you all know, my trip to the capital was a great success. I managed to secure seven million taels of silver, and the first batch of two million taels has already been transported back. The rest will arrive gradually with merchant caravans.” Ming Yu announced smugly in one breath.

The entire room erupted in shock. Had they misheard? Seven million taels, not just seven hundred? That couldn’t be right! The court had long been struggling to pay even a few hundred thousand taels in back wages for the border army, constantly delaying payments. And now, suddenly, they had seven million to spare for Ming Yu? Who would believe that?

Prefecture Magistrate Liu swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, “Wang Ye, did I hear correctly? You said… seven million taels? How is that possible? How could the court come up with so much silver?”

Ming Yu chuckled and waved a hand dismissively. “The court didn’t provide it—I borrowed it from the private sector. It will have to be repaid in full, with interest, in the future.”

The crowd could no longer keep up with Ming Yu’s train of thought. But to be fair, even after following him for so long, they had never truly understood his way of thinking.

They were used to it by now, though, and they had a well-practiced response: let Wang Ye explain everything in detail. It might take some time, but in the end, they would always grasp the full picture.

And sure enough, Ming Yu patiently recounted his experiences in the capital, picking out key events. Finally, everyone understood.

They couldn’t help but click their tongues in amazement, utterly awed by his unprecedented approach. While they had always known Ming Yu had unconventional and innovative ideas, even those who had doubted his methods in the past had come to realize that he always found the simplest and most direct way to achieve his goals.

They all knew the court had no money, so no one had expected anything from Ming Yu’s trip. Yet he had returned with an astonishing victory.

Who could have imagined that instead of seeking help from the court, Ming Yu had turned to merchants instead? In the Great Yan, merchants were looked down upon by society, yet Wang Ye had set aside his noble status, personally approached them, and persuaded them—convincing them to willingly contribute their silver.

Although Ming Yu spoke lightly, no one could imagine the immense effort Wang Ye had put into this. These merchants were all extremely shrewd—without sufficient profit to lure them, why would they willingly send money to his doorstep?

“Wang Ye, those merchants are all incredibly sharp. How could they possibly send such a large sum of silver over for nothing?” Wen Yuzhao asked directly.

“Merchants pursue profit—that is common knowledge. Since that’s the case, I simply enticed them with benefits.”

“Enticed them with benefits?” Wen Yuzhao tilted his head, thinking it over. He couldn’t understand what advantage Wang Ye had to offer. Liangzhou was barren and poor, with nothing attractive enough to draw people in. And this wasn’t a matter of a few taels or even dozens—it was tens or even hundreds of thousands of taels of silver. Just how great a benefit would it take to move them?

Ming Yu lightly tapped his fingers on the table and smiled. “What? You didn’t expect that, did you?”

Everyone furrowed their brows, deep in thought, but in the end, they couldn’t figure it out and had to give up, waiting for Ming Yu to explain.

Ming Yu grinned smugly. “You all are only looking at the present, but you fail to see the future. Think long-term—once the Western Qi Corridor develops, that itself will be the real profit!”

Prefecture Magistrate Liu pondered over Ming Yu’s words, and suddenly, something struck him. He shot to his feet. “Wang Ye! Could it be… could it be that you sold the Western Qi Corridor?”

Ming Yu shook his head, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, chewed, and swallowed before speaking. “Selling the Western Qi Corridor? Not quite. I merely ceded its first three years of profits. Oh, and I also reduced the tariffs significantly. But there was no other way—one must be willing to make sacrifices to achieve success. Right now, this is the only option available to us.”

Everyone fell silent. Giving up three years’ worth of profits from the Western Qi Corridor… No wonder the merchants had been tempted. Such a bold move—who wouldn’t be swayed? Some felt a sense of regret. This meant that for the first three years after the corridor was built, they would essentially be working for nothing.

However, they also understood Ming Yu’s reasoning. On their own, none of them could have accomplished this. No matter what, even though they had sacrificed three years’ worth of profits, the long-term benefits of the Western Qi Corridor would be continuous and unending.

In the future—ten years, fifty years, even a hundred or a thousand years later—future generations would continue to reap the rewards. In comparison, merely three years of profits was indeed insignificant.

Wen Yuzhao hesitated before saying, “Wang Ye, giving away three years’ worth of profits just like that—was there no opposition from the court? If the officials become displeased with you because of this, I fear you may not be able to withstand their pressure!”

He was well aware of the treacherous nature of the imperial court, where unseen currents surged beneath the surface. For Ming Yu to unilaterally promise away such a massive national interest was bound to offend many powerful figures. These people could take the tiniest mistake and magnify it to extremes—let alone something of this scale. If Wang Ye really did this, it wouldn’t just be slander and malicious gossip—just the sheer number of impeachment memorials alone could crush him.

Ming Yu, of course, understood this. That was precisely why he had first demanded ten years of control over the Western Qi Corridor. He had known full well that the court had no money to invest, yet he still brought it up in court, forcing the ministers to willingly relinquish control of the corridor. The court wanted to reap profits without spending a single coin—where in the world could such a thing exist?

“What? Liangzhou has full control for ten years?” Everyone exchanged glances, finding it hard to believe. A single question filled their minds—was the court really willing to forgo ten years of profits from the Western Qi Corridor?

But on second thought, it wasn’t entirely impossible. The court officials probably hadn’t believed that Ming Yu could actually raise the necessary funds himself. Now, with everything set in motion, many of them were still in disbelief. Yet, having spoken, they couldn’t take their words back. No matter how cunning they were, they still considered themselves scholars, bound by principles of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness. They couldn’t stoop to the level of scoundrels and renege on their promise. So no matter how much it pained them, they could only watch as Ming Yu returned to Liangzhou.

“That’s why we have ten years! In these ten years, we must work hard to develop Liangzhou—turn it into a place as prosperous and bustling as the capital! I hope all of you will give it your utmost support.” Ming Yu stood up, his ambition soaring, his voice filled with unwavering determination. “By then, the mere state of Suixi—if they behave, all is well. But if they dare have any wild thoughts, we will annihilate their nation and wipe out their entire clan without hesitation!”

The fervor in his voice was contagious, and the crowd’s spirits surged. They raised their cups high. “Where there is prosperity, there will be Liangzhou! Those who offend Liangzhou will have their clans wiped out!”

Ming Yu also raised his cup and drained it in one gulp, filled with boundless enthusiasm. From this day forward, Liangzhou’s rise had begun!

That night’s banquet was destined to be recorded in history, remembered by generations to come as the “Liangzhou Banquet.” Every founding figure of Liangzhou’s development had been present at this very feast. In the years that followed, folk tales and operas about this event emerged in countless versions, passed down and performed for a thousand years without fading.

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