Chapter 1386: That, Let's Go to Zhuoli

Chapter 1371: Then Let's Go to Zhuo'an

He Lingchuan gave a thumbs-up. "Before I came to Yao, I heard that General Xue was a pillar of the nation, whose commands were law. After all this time, I've realized that even rumors cannot do justice to even a fraction of Grand General Xue's abilities. General Xue is an exceptional individual, a dragon among men; his magnanimity and grandeur surpass even that of ordinary princes and marquises."

Xue Zongwu naturally understood his sarcasm. After the Yangshan Merchant Guild had Fan Shuang file an imperial complaint, King Yao sent a swift message to the northern front, severely scolding Xue Zongwu and warning him to restrain himself.

Fan Shuang didn't know the full details of the two cases, but King Yao was well aware, yet he didn't impose any significant punishment.

Therefore, both Xue Zongwu and He Lingchuan knew perfectly well that such a complaint wouldn't truly harm Xue Zongwu.

Nevertheless, He Lingchuan intended to proceed with the complaint; it was a matter of principle.

Regarding the String City arson case, neither Yangshan nor Xue Zongwu was pleased. The former suffered casualties, while the latter received a reprimand.

"I find Island Lord He to be just as impressive as I've heard, if not more so. Those who can build such large businesses are usually intelligent individuals," Xue Zongwu said, narrowing his eyes at He Lingchuan. "Smart people don't do foolish things. A smart person should know who absolutely cannot be offended."

"General Xue, you flatter me," He Lingchuan replied, seemingly oblivious to the threat in Xue Zongwu's words. "I only have this small ability, just running a small business, and sometimes I even end up doing all the work for others."

He was referring to the fact that King Yao himself had personally stamped the agreement, yet this very agreement could not be genuinely implemented.

Xue Zongwu chuckled. "When in Rome, do as the Romans do, what else can be done? If you don't accept it, I'm afraid your path ahead will only narrow."

Even if the King of Heaven stood in his way or hindered his affairs, he would kick them aside.

That fellow He had suffered a loss at his hands and was unwilling to accept it.

Good. Whether it was a loss or an insult, he should just bottle it all up!

His smile was like a tiger staring at a sheep, causing Fan Shuang, who was nearby, to shiver.

The imposing presence of these military commanders was truly terrifying!

The Soul-Capturing Mirror fumed, "They killed our people, burned our homes, and now they expect us to accept our fate? That scoundrel!"

"What's there to fear about a narrow path?" He Lingchuan's smile remained unchanged. "Everyone says that when mountains and rivers run out, there seems to be no road, but if you just kick away the large stone blocking the way, who knows if a new vista won't open up behind it?"

"Kick it away?" Xue Zongwu stared at him for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Indeed, you have the youthful spirit of a true hero. No wonder my king values you so highly."

Fan Shuang finally sensed the tension between the two and quickly interjected, "The carriage has arrived, General Xue. We should be on our way."

He no longer mentioned the offer of a drink.

He was backing out; General Xue was a tiger of a man, and it was best not to associate too closely with him.

"Oh?" Xue Zongwu asked. "Where is Island Lord He headed? Would you like to travel together and share company?"

Fan Shuang felt sweat nearly break out. General Xue was a man who wouldn't bat an eye at killing. If He Xiao dared to provoke him, how could anything good come of it?

"I have several business matters to discuss and probably won't be able to keep up with General Xue's pace," He Lingchuan replied calmly. "I will call upon General Xue once I reach Tianshui City."

"Very well, it's a promise." With a slight twitch of his lips, Xue Zongwu turned and left.

Only after seeing him board his carriage and gallop away, escorted by two hundred elite cavalry, did Fan Shuang let out a long sigh of relief. He then complained a little, "Brother He, why on earth did you provoke General Xue? Everyone else avoids him like the plague."

"He sought me out first," He Lingchuan responded with equal nonchalance. "Besides, the people I'll have to offend later have higher status and greater influence than him. When you have too many fleas, you don't feel the bites anymore. Why would I be afraid of him?"

Fan Shuang looked abashed.

He knew He Lingchuan was referring to Qingyang.

It seemed Island Lord He was quite clear about their own intentions.

He Lingchuan continued, "Furthermore, do you really think he would dare to kill me in broad daylight, right here in the capital of Yao?"

"Uh..." Fan Shuang was genuinely unsure.

General Xue killing someone in a fit of rage in Tianshui City was nothing new.

He Lingchuan was saying, "Even in Lingxu City, right under the gods' noses, such a thing has never happened."

Fan Shuang had a thousand words but didn't know where to begin, so he simply offered a few forced laughs. He suddenly realized that accompanying He Lingchuan to the capital on this trip wouldn't be easy.

He clearly saw through your thoughts and schemes but wouldn't easily expose you; he appeared approachable and warm, yet you never knew when he might suddenly turn sharp.

Thinking of the fierce and menacing General Xue, then looking at the pleasant He Lingchuan, it was hard to imagine that it was He Lingchuan who had initiated the provocation against General Xue so unequivocally moments ago.

Fan Shuang didn't understand why He Lingchuan would unnecessarily offend General Xue, especially since he already knew that the trip to Tianshui City would involve the major trouble of facing Qingyang, the Regent.

However, he then recalled that this "friend" had managed to escape the vortex of conflict between Qingyang and Shuangye, and between Lingxu City and the Heavenly Palace, using the elixir of immortality case. How could such a person act without prudence or a firm basis?

He Lingchuan patted his shoulder and said cheerfully, "Alright, Brother Fan, let's get going. We should reach the capital early."

He couldn't travel at full speed since Fan Shuang and the guards sent by King Yao were with him. Fortunately, after coming ashore, Xue Zongwu had taken a carriage, which was naturally much slower than riding a horse, so He Lingchuan still had a chance to catch up.

He asked Fan Shuang, "How shall we proceed from here?"

After disembarking from the Baiquan River, there were several routes to choose from to reach the capital of Yao.

Fan Shuang already had a plan in mind and immediately said, "The shortest route is to pass through Zhuo'an and continue east; we can reach the capital in four days. If Brother He wishes to see Mangzhou, we can take a slightly longer detour and arrive in the capital in six days."

As he was accompanying an esteemed guest to the capital, he would try his best to accompany the guest wherever they wished to go, as long as they could make it to King Yao's birthday celebration.

He Lingchuan clapped his hands. "I heard that Mangzhou is also one of the few prosperous places in the Shanjing Plains."

Fan Shuang said with some pride, "That's right, Mangzhou is our nation's second-largest city, in terms of area, population, and natural resources."

"Then let's go to Zhuo'an."

"...Brother He, you don't want to see Mangzhou? Then why were you so eager just now?"

"I'd love to, but let's visit on the return journey," He Lingchuan said methodically. "I recall that several families in Zhuo'an are preparing to cooperate with Yangshan?"

He would go there to scout the location.

"Others want to travel to prosperous places for leisure, but Brother He always keeps business in mind. No wonder you are such a successful merchant," Fan Shuang understood. "Alright, then, we'll go to Zhuo'an to visit a few prominent families."

After they left, the dock remained bustling with activity, people happily busy unloading and loading ships.

After nightfall, the boatman who captained the ship the Weng brothers had taken went to a dockside tavern and ordered two cups of diluted wine and a plate of boiled salted beans.

He had made good money on this trip; the wages for a few absent crew members had all gone into his pocket. Thinking of this, the boatman ordered another plate of jellied pork skin, considering it a special treat.

They wouldn't be departing tonight anyway. Once the boat was restocked, they would set sail for the return journey tomorrow.

As he was drinking comfortably, a person emerged from the tavern and sat down on an empty chair at his table.

The boatman was about to tell him to leave, but the man was quicker, pulling out two qian of silver fragments and placing them on the table. "Brother, I'm looking for some information."

This amount was enough for several special meals, so the boatman immediately swallowed his harsh words, reached out, and pocketed the silver fragments. "What do you want to ask?"

"Did General Xue arrive on your boat?"

"No."

Wan Sifeng was taken aback. No? He had been asking all along the way.

"After setting sail from Longkou Ferry, I learned that General Xue had sent all his subordinates onto my boat, while he himself chose another small vessel."

Wan Sifeng realized. So Xue Zongwu had used a trick to mislead? Clever.

"Several people were taken off your boat this afternoon. What was that about?"

"Those few..." The boatman hesitated, weighing the silver fragments in his hand a few times.

Wan Sifeng understood instantly and tossed out another qian of silver.

"Lord Xue's guards determined that those individuals were suspicious and took them away for interrogation."

Suspicious? Wan Sifeng asked again, "What happened on the boat?"

"Nothing at all. Everything was peaceful."

"No fighting, no disputes?"

"Nothing at all. This was the smoothest trip I've had in all my years of sailing." The boatman finished speaking, tilted his head back, and took another sip of wine.

When he put his cup down, the person opposite him was gone.

Meanwhile, Fan Shuang led He Lingchuan and the others, pressing on until nightfall when they finally found an inn to rest.

Upon entering central Yao, the inns here were different from those elsewhere in the Shanjing Plains, even distinct from western Yao. They were no longer merely simple lodging and horse-changing stations. These inns were also open to commoners and merchants, offering accommodations and meals across several price ranges, indistinguishable from external taverns.

Furthermore, they provided services for purchasing horses, sending and receiving mail, and even acting as purchasing agents for local goods.

It was He Lingchuan's first time seeing an inn that offered purchasing agency services; even Beige didn't have such a system. Local commoners and merchants could place orders with the innkeeper for goods from within a hundred-li radius. Passing couriers would transmit these requests, and when merchant caravans arrived, they would bring the ordered goods with them.

This provided great convenience to the local people and even indirectly stimulated the prosperity of local markets.

He Lingchuan knew that this kind of operation required abundant supplies, good public order, convenient transportation, and smooth information flow. It was clear that Yao was truly a unique marvel in the Shanjing Plains.

No wonder the Shanjing people both hated and yearned for it.

He Lingchuan even saw Wine Aphid Candies, products of the Yangshan Archipelago, on the inn's shelves!

This was a new product launched late last year, personally developed by Madam Zhu Er. The aphid sugar had a slightly fermented aroma of alcohol. Those with low alcohol tolerance would feel a bit tipsy after eating a few pieces.

He remembered that these candies had just been supplied to Blade Port and Bailie, where they sold out instantly upon being stocked.

However, the price of Wine Aphid Candies here was only about double that in Yangshan.

He Lingchuan murmured, "Is it that cheap?"

"This is cheap?" Dong Rui happened to overhear. "You black-hearted merchant!"

"Although aphid sugar doesn't spoil easily, the transportation costs from Yangshan to here are high. Doubling the price only amounts to a meager profit," He Lingchuan sighed. "They can't even sell aphid sugar quickly. It truly lives up to its reputation as the home of cocoa."

Yes, one of Zhuo'an's specialties was cocoa!