Chapter 371: Substituting Tea for Wine

The following afternoon, at Chen's Salt House.

Six second managers, who were being held under house arrest there, clamored, "Chen Yue tricked us, saying there was an important matter to discuss, but when we arrived, we were placed under house arrest here. Where is the law?"

"By what right does Chen Yue imprison us here? It's been two days! We are the salt house's second managers, not his household slaves!"

The clerks in the salt house silently endured the scolding, constantly serving them tea and water and offering apologies, ensuring they lacked nothing.

However, if any manager tried to leave, they were stopped.

Manager Zhou, with a head full of white hair, leisurely leaned on a bamboo cane in a rattan chair and said, "Come to think of it, Chen Yue ought to call me 'Uncle Master'. Is this how he treats his elders?"

At that moment, Chen Yue's voice came from outside: "Once this matter settles, it will be fine for me to call you 'Uncle Master'. But before I deal with that brat Chen Ji, you are merely the salt house's second manager, and I am the head manager."

Chen Yue pushed aside the door curtain, entered the backyard from outside, and stared menacingly at the six second managers.

Manager Zhou remained silent for a moment: "Even if you are the head manager, you shouldn't imprison us here."

Chen Yue brushed dust from his brocade robe: "Don't think I don't know, you old geezer Zhou Jiye. You went to the main family's Humble Administrator's Garden a few days ago. Who knows what you were doing there?

"And Manager Chen Yun, wasn't it you who reported us to the main family two years ago, exposing our illegal salt trade? Do you think you can become head manager if I fall? Dream on!"

Chen Yue sat down opposite the six, his eyes grimly sweeping over each person: "In the past, I wouldn't bother with you, but now is an extraordinary time. I obtained 150,000 taels of silver from the Second Master. Twenty thousand was to pay border households to act, fifty thousand to bribe the newly appointed Shuntian Prefect, and eighty thousand to buy salt permits at a high price. If anything goes wrong with this, I definitely won't survive."

Manager Zhou coughed twice: "If you had stopped earlier, you could simply have returned to your old home in Luzhou. I know you bought eight hundred mu of land there; you could live quite comfortably."

Chen Yue snarled, "I came to the capital to seek refuge with the main family. I started as a junior apprentice in the salt house. It took me five years to earn a monthly salary, and another thirteen years to become head manager. Now I am forty-six. Gentlemen, it took me a full eighteen years to get to this point, and another twelve years to solidify my position. I've been serving for thirty years here, not to go back home and farm."

Manager Zhou said earnestly, "But you are no longer the shoeless country bumpkin you once were. Why gamble again?"

Chen Yue's expression softened, and he smiled: "I dared to gamble thirty years ago, and I still dare to gamble thirty years later. Otherwise, why would I be the head manager and you merely the second manager?"

He stood up and walked out: "Success or failure will be decided today. If it succeeds, I'll host a banquet later in Baishun Hutong, and cut off a finger as a token of apology to you all. Afterward, we'll make a lot of money together. If it fails, I will order someone to hand over the salt house's private ledgers from all these years to the main family. Then no one will survive."

Upon hearing this, Manager Zhou and the others stood up and cursed angrily: "Chen Yue, how dare you hand over the ledgers, you motherfucker?!"

"Chen Yue, damn your ancestors!"

But Chen Yue paid them no heed. He entered the sedan chair at the door: "Lift the sedan, to Meihua Du!"

Under the cover of night, the sedan chair arrived at Baishun Hutong. Chen Bin had already led people there to wait.

Seeing Chen Yue's sedan chair arrive, he immediately stepped forward and pulled aside the curtain for him: "Head Manager, everyone is here."

Chen Yue, still in the sedan chair, said in a low voice: "This is not yet Meihua Du's busiest time. Wait until Xushi (7-9 PM) before you go. When they can't produce the salt permits and can't refund the money, then cause a scene. Go to the Cold Plum Pavilion, where Courtesan Liu resides, and create a disturbance. Cause a scene in front of the officials and noblemen! Let everyone know about Meihua Du's fraudulent practices!"

Chen Bin responded quietly.

Chen Yue continued to instruct: "First, make a ruckus for an hour. After everyone knows about this matter, then go to the Shuntian Prefecture yamen to report it to the authorities. Have Chen Ji and the others all arrested and thrown into prison. Don't worry, I've made all the arrangements; nothing will go wrong."

Chen Bin acknowledged again.

Chen Yue waved his hand: "Go now."

Chen Yue alighted from the sedan chair, casually ascended the Red Plum Pavilion, and sat in his usual spot by the railing from yesterday, silently surveying the entire situation in the courtyard below.

He waited.

In another hour, this commotion would be over.

The sound of string and wind instruments rose from within the Red Plum Pavilion, and Chen Yue turned to look.

Meihua Du had five pavilions.

The 'Cold Plum Pavilion' was where the courtesan queens resided. Currently, it was managed by Courtesan Liu, who was on temporary residence there. The pavilion was staffed by maids and servants she had brought from Jinling. With Liu Su's renown, all her visitors were influential figures. She was no longer a minor character that a brothel owner could manipulate at will. Half of the Cold Plum Pavilion's earnings went to her.

The 'Red Plum Pavilion' was a restaurant, where un-combed singers (those who hadn't yet been 'initiated') played instruments and sang during meals. To be 'un-combed' meant to be a virgin. Their purpose in performing there was to wait for a wealthy patron, who would spend a fortune to host a 'Dianmei Banquet' for them. From then on, the singer would belong exclusively to that patron, until he grew tired of her. A singer's good days were short-lived. Wealthy patrons would soon take a liking to other singers, and the discarded singers could only go to the White Plum Pavilion.

The 'White Plum Pavilion' was a pleasure house, a place where retired courtesans lived out their days. Occasionally, wealthy patrons would visit them out of nostalgia.

The 'Green Plum Pavilion' was where chaste entertainers resided. These entertainers performed their arts but did not sell their bodies. Scholars and literati often frequented it for light drinking.

The 'Plum Blossom Core Pavilion' was originally where courtesans who sold their bodies resided. It had now been converted by the Paoge into a place for salt permit transactions. The courtesans who had sold themselves there in the past had their servile status returned by the Paoge, and were given travel money. As for where they went after leaving Meihua Du, the Paoge did not care.

At Xushi, Chen Yue looked down from the pavilion, and saw Chen Bin leading more than ten clerks entering through the back gate, heading directly for the Plum Blossom Core Pavilion's main entrance.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Chen Bin and his group rushed out of the Plum Blossom Core Pavilion, shouting furiously: "Yesterday, I asked if you had salt permits, and you said yes, telling me to come today to collect them. Now I'm here today, and you say you don't? Delivery within one day is Meihua Du's own rule!"

In the darkness, someone pulled at Chen Bin, speaking softly and politely: "Sir, if there's an issue, let's discuss it inside the Plum Blossom Core Pavilion. Please don't disturb the other guests."

But Chen Bin suddenly broke free from them, and ran towards the Cold Plum Pavilion: "They're killing people! Meihua Du is killing people! I gave you eighty thousand taels of silver, but you say you can't get the salt permits. I asked for a refund, and you said you couldn't return it now. Are you trying to swallow my eighty thousand taels of silver?!"

Chen Yue, in the Red Plum Pavilion, exclaimed in feigned shock: "Meihua Du swallowed a customer's eighty thousand taels of silver?!"

Eighty thousand taels of silver was no small sum anywhere. If given to Zhang Zhuo, it would be enough to buy an official position of Fourth Rank or higher. Guests at the banquet, hearing this, all gathered at the railing to look down, whispering among themselves.

The Cold Plum Pavilion next door, which had its windows closed, now had more than ten people opening their windows to look.

Then Chen Bin continued to shout: "The patron behind Meihua Du is Chen Ji, the illegitimate son of the Chen family from Fuyou Street, and a commander in the Imperial Guards. I originally thought the Chen family would act with some decency, but I never expected him to try to seize by trickery and force, swallowing our eighty thousand taels of silver as salt merchants..."

Someone on the Red Plum Pavilion exclaimed: "The Chen family from Fuyou Street! No wonder Courtesan Liu left Baiyu Yuan to come here. Could it be that the profligate son of the Chen family from Fuyou Street coerced and enticed Courtesan Liu?"

As the situation escalated, some people even left their banquet tables to observe in the courtyard.

Whenever Meihua Du's people tried to stop Chen Bin from speaking, Chen Bin would loudly yell that Meihua Du was trying to kill people, forcing Meihua Du's clerks to be hesitant in front of the officials and noblemen.

The Paoge manager stepped out from the crowd, and cupped his hands to Chen Bin, saying: "This brother seems to have misunderstood something. Meihua Du has absolutely no intention of keeping your money."

Chen Bin angrily retorted: "Then return my money."

The Paoge manager politely replied: "We cannot return it. Meihua Du does not have that much silver in its accounts right now."

Chen Bin laughed in fury, and turned to the surrounding officials and noblemen, shouting loudly: "Did you all hear that? Meihua Du intends to seize wealth by trickery and force today! He admitted it himself!"

Chen Yue remained calmly seated by the railing in the Red Plum Pavilion. When he heard the Paoge manager personally admit that they didn't have enough silver, he finally let out a long breath of relief, and smilingly poured himself a cup of wine.

The third floor had already emptied, but the singer continued to play and sing to herself.

Chen Yue's gaze inadvertently swept over the singer, and he felt that she resembled his childhood sweetheart from Luzhou. Back then, he had abandoned their engagement and come to the capital alone. By the time he returned to Luzhou, she had already married.

He pointed to the singer and said: "Clerk, I will 'comb' this young lady today. All expenses in the Red Plum Pavilion should be charged to my account. Consider it the Dianmei Banquet arranged for this young lady."

The clerk's eyes lit up: "Is the sir serious?"

Chen Yue laughed heartily: "Could it be false? Go, tell your owner that I have a great joyous event today. Hosting another Dianmei Banquet for this young lady counts as a double blessing!"

But at that very moment, someone ascended the stairs: "What joyous occasion has Head Manager Chen encountered to be so happy?"

Chen Yue narrowed his eyes slightly: "Chen Ji? Why are you here, instead of handling the chaos downstairs?"

Chen Ji, holding up his robes, walked up the stairs, and sat down opposite Chen Yue.

He calmly watched Chen Bin, who was still shouting hoarsely downstairs: "What good would it do for me to go down now, when Head Manager Chen has prepared this inescapable trap for days? I'm just curious, why must Head Manager Chen insist on bringing about my downfall?"

Chen Yue raised his wine cup to his lips and sneered: "Don't blame me. In this capital, there are plenty of people waiting to step on me to rise. If I don't drive you out of the capital, those fickle opportunists under me will surely switch allegiance to you, and kick me while I'm down. Only then can they become head managers."

Chen Ji nodded: "I see... Next, you'll summon the Shuntian Prefect's office to arrest me, right?"

Chen Yue's expression changed: "How do you know?"

Chen Ji smiled: "Besides this path, you have no other way to destroy me, do you?"

Chen Yue quickly calculated in his mind whether Chen Ji had any other trump cards: Chen Lizun was still in Tanggu, and no salt permits had been transported into Meihua Du today. Chen Ji shouldn't have any other backing...

He felt a little relieved. Then he spoke playfully: "Don't worry, owner, the main family won't stand idly by. They will help you cover this sum of money, as long as you honestly leave the capital."

Chen Ji laughed: "That's good then. If I'm really forced to leave the capital, I'll go back to Luocheng and open a small pharmacy."

Chen Yue burst into wild laughter: "I'll cover the money for that pharmacy for you, owner!"

Chen Ji's tone suddenly shifted: "But Head Manager Chen's fate will not be as simple as just leaving the capital."

Chen Yue froze.

Chen Ji pointed downstairs: "Just watch."

As he spoke, the Paoge manager, looking calm and composed, cupped his hands and bowed to those around him: "Distinguished guests, we did not intend to disturb your enjoyment today. But since this incident has occurred, allow me to explain the full story.

Without waiting for Chen Bin's reaction, the Paoge manager continued: "Yesterday, a group of people came to Meihua Du to consign twenty thousand Jinling salt permits. Immediately after, this customer came and purchased those twenty thousand permits, with delivery set within one day. Since they were consigned, those twenty thousand salt permits were not in our possession. Today, we went to the address left by the sellers, intending to arrange for the permit delivery. However, we found that the place was deserted. After much inquiry, we learned that the party had left the capital last night and never intended to actually sell the salt permits."

The onlookers also realized that someone had deliberately set up a trap.

"Don't try to distort the truth," Chen Bin sneered opposite the Paoge manager: "Since you can't produce the salt permits, just return my money. Wasn't what I gave you real silver and gold?"

The observing officials and noblemen also chimed in: "That's right, even if you were tricked, you should just return the money to him."

The Paoge manager shook his head: "There's no need to return it."

Chen Bin burst into laughter: "Then what's there to say? We'll see the Shuntian Prefect!"

The Paoge manager waved to someone behind him: "I said there's no need to return it because Meihua Du just happens to have twenty thousand salt permits. Even though last night's sellers ran off, Meihua Du can make up for the permits."

Er Dao led people carrying several large boxes into the crowd, and set the boxes on the ground.

Chen Bin said disdainfully: "I want Jinling salt permits. Don't try to substitute them with others."

The Paoge manager calmly replied: "Naturally, they are Jinling salt permits."

Chen Yue suddenly stood up and walked to the wooden railing: "How is that possible?"

Chen Bin hurriedly lifted the box lid, and took out stacks of salt permits to examine them. A moment later, he instinctively looked back at Chen Yue on the Red Plum Pavilion, his eyes filled with uncontrollable terror.

Chen Yue no longer cared about calmly watching the show. He immediately asked across the distance: "Are they Jinling salt permits?"

Chen Bin said dryly: "Yes!"

Chen Yue suddenly turned back to look at Chen Ji. Chen Ji, however, unhurriedly poured him a fresh cup of wine: "Head Manager Chen probably isn't in the mood for a 'Dianmei Banquet' today. Have a drink to calm your nerves. But when you leave, remember to pay for this table's wine."

Just how many salt permits did Chen Ji have? Hundreds of thousands, at least.

A few days ago, Bai Long secretly arrived late at night, and secretly brought over a dozen boxes of salt permits. These permits were annually granted by Emperor Ning to the imperial household, used to earn their private funds.

The areas covered by these salt permits were all the most prosperous regions of the Ning Dynasty. Not to mention twenty thousand Jinling salt permits, Chen Ji could produce fifty thousand.

After pouring Chen Yue's wine, Chen Ji looked up and smiled: "Head Manager Chen, after I came to the capital, a very kind elder taught me a principle: In this capital, rules aren't important, and business isn't important. Who you belong to is what truly matters... You've chosen the wrong opponent."

Chen Yue stumbled back to the table, his face ashen: "Since you had the salt permits, why didn't you produce them earlier? Why did you have to wait for Chen Bin to cause a scene in front of the officials and noblemen before showing them?"

Chen Ji pointed downstairs: "No hurry. Just watch."

At this point, the Paoge manager handed the salt permits to Chen Bin, and then cupped his hands to the surrounding onlookers, saying: "Meihua Du, having learned a lesson from this incident, will make a new rule. Gentlemen, to prevent any further instances of clients absconding as happened today, from this day forward, all those who consign salt permits at Meihua Du must first pay a twenty percent deposit. This deposit will be fully returned within seven days after the salt permits are delivered."

Chen Yue's pupils suddenly constricted. He turned back to look at Chen Ji opposite him: "No wonder your commission was only one per thousand! So, from the very beginning, you never intended to slowly earn money, but rather wanted this twenty percent deposit for circulation!"

Considering the amount of silver transacted at Meihua Du in the past few days, with this new rule, Meihua Du could instantly draw in hundreds of thousands of taels of silver into its hands, like a whale. If Meihua Du were to become the Ning Dynasty's largest salt permit trading hub in the future, sellers might deposit millions of taels of silver here.

Chen Ji sat upright, unhurriedly pouring a cup of tea for himself: "Previously, there was no excuse. After all, with such a large amount of money, the imperial court wouldn't agree... But now it's good. Thank you, Head Manager, for delivering a ready-made excuse right to our doorstep."

He sat in the lamplight, smiling, and raised his wine cup to Chen Yue: "I toast you with tea instead of wine, Head Manager."