Chapter Twenty-Six: Is the Transport Commissioner Really That Important?

Yuxing Cloth Warehouse.

Zhao Yuancheng sat in a corner of the warehouse, watching with great pleasure as his men unloaded raw silk and silk fabrics from a large cart and restacked them. These goods were incredibly delicate; if stored improperly, they would be infested with insects or turn yellow within days, rendering them worthless. Zhao planned to dump the stock in half a month, when silk prices would reach their peak. Not only would this secure maximum profit, but it would also drive a large number of competitors to ruin. Soon, Yuxing Cloth Warehouse would monopolize the Jiangnan silk market!

The thought of reporting this year's haul to his master with his head held high made him hum a cheerful tune. Just then, the warehouse doors were kicked open with a thunderous bang! Immediately, a squad of guards charged in. Zhao recognized them as guards from the Prince's Mansion, and he felt a jolt of surprise. He stood up hurriedly and asked, "Gentlemen, this is..."

"By the Prince’s order, we are seizing stolen goods related to the Su family case!" Jian Qi said coldly.

Zhao’s face shifted, then turned crimson with fury. "Insolence! You dare search for stolen goods here? Do you know who our master is? Besides, even if these were stolen, the County Magistrate should be the one to seize them. Since when is it the Prince’s Mansion’s business?"

Zhao was not afraid; after all, who in Ningzhou didn't know the Prince of Ning was a fool and his mansion a mere facade? However, before he could finish his sentence, a scholar-looking man stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.

"Insolence! A Prince holds supreme military and political authority over his fiefdom. What stolen goods are off-limits, and what matters are beyond his jurisdiction? Do you deny this? Are you attempting treason?"

Jian Qi glanced at the scholar, remembering he was one of the mansion’s accountants, brought along specifically to tally the inventory. He hadn't expected such ferocity from a man of letters.

Zhao Yuancheng touched his burning cheek and exploded in a rage. "You dare hit me? Men, surround them!"

With a rush, thirty or forty burly men swarmed in, encircling Jian Qi and his group. Zhao sneered, "Do you know who backs Yuxing Cloth Warehouse? Forget that idiot Prince of yours, whom neither the Emperor nor the local officials respect—even Prince Yu himself must maintain good relations with our master! If I kill or injure you today, our master will protect me. But if you dare touch me, do you think that fool of a Prince can protect you?"

At these words, the guards hesitated. Everyone knew that Jiangnan was a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers; Zhao could be backed by anyone, and offending him would lead to no good.

However, the scholar stiffened his neck and jumped up. "To hell with you! Do you really think our Prince’s Mansion is easy to bully? If you have the guts, touch me first and see if our Prince doesn't seal your silk shop for good!"

Zhao laughed at this. "Your Prince is a fool; does he even know how to seal a shop? Hahaha!" He pointed at the scholar and said coldly, "You were the one who hit me, right? Good. I’ll break your hands first and see what your fool of a Prince can do about it!"

Just then, a laugh echoed from the doorway. "Heh, who is calling me a fool?"

The crowd turned to see a tower of a man dragging a long, thick wooden club into the room. It was Xue Yuan.

"I hate it when people call me a fool or use insults like that. You, you villain, have managed to do both!" He pushed through the crowd, raised the heavy timber, and charged at Zhao.

Zhao’s eyelids twitched, and he turned to run, but how could he outrun the sturdy and athletic Xue Yuan? Xue Yuan lunged like a tiger and brought the heavy club—weighing dozens of pounds—crashing down onto Zhao’s back. With a dull thud, Zhao collapsed to the ground!

Xue Yuan had been bottling up his temper, and he certainly wasn't going to stop there. The second and third blows followed, accompanied by a rhythmic grunting as the club danced through the air. He focused on the limbs rather than the head—not because he feared killing him, but because Xue Yuan, a man raised under modern values, couldn't stomach the sight of brains splattered everywhere.

The sound of bones snapping echoed, accompanied by Zhao’s piercing wails. "Argh! Ouch!"

"Quick! Stop this madman!" The guards finally snapped out of their stupor. Several martial experts rushed forward to restrain Xue Yuan, feeling confident that their master could easily suppress the Prince of Ning.

But before they could get close, a cold flash of steel swept through the air, and two heads flew simultaneously. Blood sprayed, and the warehouse seemed to fill with a fine mist of red. The guards froze, and even the Prince’s men were stunned.

Jian Qi said calmly, "These two attempted to assassinate the Prince, a crime punishable by the execution of nine generations! Close the city gates and hunt down their kin throughout the city!"

The guards turned deathly pale, trembling uncontrollably. They dared not move, nor even breathe loudly; some of the more timid ones collapsed to the floor. They had expected a confrontation, perhaps a brawl, but they hadn't expected this. They were killing on the spot and threatening total annihilation! What master? These people didn't even care to ask! Was the Prince crazy, or were his subordinates even crazier?

Meanwhile, Xue Yuan continued his silent, relentless beating. Zhao screamed until he felt he might see his ancestors. "Prince, stop! Please, our master is the Transport Commissioner of the Jiangnan Circuit. For his sake, please spare me!"

"Is the Transport Commissioner a big deal?" Xue Yuan asked Jian Qi.

Jian Qi nodded. "The Great Qian has sixteen circuits and one hundred and twenty-one prefectures. The Transport Commissioner is a second-rank official with full authority over all military and political matters in the region, except for princely fiefdoms."

Xue Yuan immediately wore a friendly smile, gently patting Zhao’s head. "Oh, is that so? Why didn't you say so earlier? Look at this mess... should I blow on it to make it better?"

Zhao was ghastly pale, shivering as he looked at his broken arm and shattered legs. He wanted to scream, but he thought he had finally tamed the fool. "N-no need... just let me send someone to fetch the Divine Doctor Zhao..." He knew only Zhao Huaichun could save him now.

"Ah, right, right!" Xue Yuan nodded enthusiastically, then turned to Jian Qi with a smile. "Jian Qi, since the Commissioner is such a big shot, let's not offend him. Should we go home?"

Jian Qi saw the mischievous glint in Xue Yuan’s eyes and knew exactly what he was planning. "Prince, the brothers can't have come all this way for nothing, can they?"

"That makes sense!" Xue Yuan held up three fingers. "How about you give us three taels of silver each? That’s a lot, right?"

Jian Qi nodded. "Fine, then three hundred thousand taels."

Zhao’s eyes widened. You turn three taels into three hundred thousand? Why be a middleman when you could be a bandit? Remembering the fool was easy to manipulate, he cried, "Prince, you said three taels, didn't you?"

Xue Yuan laughed. "Yeah, three hundred thousand taels!"

Zhao: "???" You lunatics!

He turned to Jian Qi. "Brother, even if you sold me, I couldn't come up with three hundred thousand! Besides, this money isn't mine; it belongs to the Commissioner. If he finds out..."

"Four hundred thousand," Jian Qi raised the price ruthlessly.

"What? You!"

"Five hundred thousand!" Jian Qi waved his hand at the guards. "Take Manager Zhao back to the mansion for treatment. If the money comes, we call the Divine Doctor. If not, then forget it!"

Xue Yuan watched Jian Qi shamelessly extort the man and felt a surge of admiration. That was it! To hell with the Transport Commissioner! If you make money outside Ningzhou, we don't care, but if you make money in Ningzhou, you have to call us "Daddy!" Yes, a regional official like the Commissioner is someone every Prince should cultivate, but since he was a "fool," no matter how much he fawned, he would only be treated with condescension.

Only when you show your strength will they take you seriously, and only then can you talk terms.

Zhao Yuancheng couldn't hold out any longer; he would die without the Divine Doctor! "I'll pay! I'll pay! But I just bought this stock; there's only two hundred thousand taels in the account. Can I sign an IOU for the rest? I'll pay it in three days!" He decided to save his life first. As for the money, surely his master could get it back?

Soon, Zhao handed over two hundred and fifty thousand taels in silver notes and an IOU for the remaining two hundred and fifty thousand. Xue Yuan accepted them with polite, profuse thanks. Jian Qi, however, was not nearly as polite.