Chapter 234: A Real Man Must Be Ruthless

Chapter 234: A Husband Without Poison

"Son, son, my alliance with Lin Hua’an was not for my own selfish gain, but to sell the Liu family’s stored grain in the warehouse at a good price."

Thwack!

When Liu Tao still stood there, preening and fussing over him, Liu Hong struck him again across the face.

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!”

“Just tell me what you and Lin Hua’an actually did for those silver coins!”

By this point, Liu Hong had lost all his former calm and composure, his eyes narrowed with stern fury.

Even though he wore only a plain white robe, a aura of authority still clung to him.

In contrast, Liu Tao’s silk robes were torn and ragged, blood seeping through the gaps in his clothes like thin threads.

Despite his wounds, he remained upright, kneeling on the ground without stirring.

His still-gorgeous face was riddled with panic and guilt.

“Son doesn’t—doesn’t know…”

Thwack, thwack, thwack!

Liu Hong’s three lashes fell without mercy, tearing his son’s skin and flesh apart.

“Unwilling to confess, or unwilling to speak?”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll know what you’ve done anyway.”

Liu Hong paused briefly, his icy gaze pinning Liu Tao. His voice dropped to a low, deadly whisper:

“The matter of burning the summer grain in the three towns—was that your idea, or Lin Hua’an’s?”

Liu Tao flinched at the words, clutching his wounds as he blinked up at his father. “Father, how—how did you—”

A flash of fury crossed Liu Hong’s face. He didn’t strike again. Instead, he stepped forward and kicked Liu Tao squarely in the chest, sending him sprawling to the floor.

“Traitorous son! You traitorous, dogged brat!”

“How dare you! How dare you!”

“Father, father, I know I’m wrong, I know I’m wrong…”

“Know you’re wrong?”

“No, you don’t—*you* don’t think I’m wrong. You just think I’m hurt!”

“How could you dare commit such a grave betrayal? Do you think you’re going to kill me?”

The angry shouts from the study room reached Liu Liang’s ears. His smile faded slightly, and a realization dawned in his mind.

The people who burned the summer grain in the three towns had been found—none other than the second son of Liu Hong, the man who’d paid three hundred and sixty taels of gold to the man with the black teeth.

But who was this Lin Hua’an?

After a moment’s thought, Liu Liang scoffed inwardly. “Irrelevant now. As long as we know it was Liu Tao, the boss will surely uncover the others.”

“The second son of the Liu family in Jingzhou, Liu Wen, was already killed by the boss. Now we need only find the second son of the Liu family’s third branch?”

Liu Liang knew Chen Yi’s knack for uncovering conspiracies all too well.

It was far easier to simply relay the information to Chen Yi than to waste time and energy on further schemes.

Besides, in his heart, the fully armed Chen Yi—master of gun, fist, and blade—had long since become a being of divine stature.

He had no need to involve himself in such trivial matters.

At that moment, Liu Hong must have grown weary. He tossed aside his whip and spoke in a cold, flat tone:

“Aside from that matter, did you also devise the recent grain price hikes in the capital city?”

Liu Tao’s hands trembled as he clutched his bleeding torso, kneeling upright again and nodding silently.

Liu Hong stared at him for a long time, then sighed. “Before doing these two things, have you thought through the consequences?”

“Son, my son has thought—when the summer grain in the three towns was burned, the Xiao family would become the target of everyone’s hatred.”

“Don’t you fear they’ll trace it back to you?”

Liu Tao whispered, “After discussing plans with Lin Hua’an, we hired someone from the Mingyue Tower. They don’t know who we truly are.”

Liu Hong studied him without answering. “If we wish to remain unknown, then we must ensure no one ever knows.”

“Fortunately, the Xiao family had anticipated this. Those who came to attack them were all slain. Otherwise, how could Xiao Yuanzhi have failed to see the enemy?”

“And besides you, there was also your older brother Liu Wen, who acted on our behalf?”

After a pause, Liu Hong continued, “Before that, did you realize Liu Wen was also involved?”

Liu Tao shook his head instinctively. “I didn’t know.”

“After we set the plan in motion, I had no further involvement. All the arrangements were made by Lin Hua’an. Did you receive any word?”

“No… though I didn’t know Liu Wen was involved, I did know someone else had approached the Mingyue Tower with the same intent to burn the summer grain in the three towns.”

“Who was it?”

“A man in the world, called ‘Blade Crazy’ Liu Liang.”

Liu Hong furrowed his brow slightly. “That name sounds familiar… like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

Liu Tao quickly added, “Father, you forget? When Liu Jing first came to Shuzhou, he sent word through the Mingyue Tower that this ‘Blade Crazy’ had stolen medicine from the Xiao family’s pharmacy.”

“It was him…”

Outside, Liu Liang heard the name and smirked.

Liu Tao was such a fool.

Leaving such a major matter in the hands of Lin Hua’an, and knowing nothing about it?

No, he wasn’t entirely clueless.

Liu Tao must have asked about it once in the beginning.

When the boss came and went to the Mingyue Tower afterward, he never followed up on it again.

Thinking this, Liu Liang continued listening to the father and son’s conversation.

“Son, after that, did you notice anything unusual?”

“Father, my son, what do you mean?”

Liu Hong glared at him with pure hatred. “Did you not notice anything when your brother Liu Wen and Xiao Yuanzhi both died? When the Mingyue Tower and the soldiers of the three towns all perished? Did you not see what was happening?”

“Stupid! Foolish beyond comprehension!”

“You—Liu Wen and Xiao Yuanzhi were both betrayed by someone. And you knew nothing of it?”

Liu Tao opened his mouth to speak, but seeing his father’s face, he fell silent.

“Father, are you saying there are others lurking behind us?”

Thwack!

Thwack!

Thwack!

Liu Hong’s three lashes fell without mercy, tearing his son’s skin and flesh apart.

“Unwilling to confess, or unwilling to speak?”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll know what you’ve done anyway.”

Liu Hong paused briefly, his icy gaze pinning Liu Tao. His voice dropped to a low, deadly whisper:

“The matter of burning the summer grain in the three towns—was that your idea, or Lin Hua’an’s?”

Liu Tao flinched at the words, clutching his bleeding torso, kneeling upright again and nodding silently.

Liu Hong stared at him for a long time, then sighed. “Before doing these two things, have you thought through the consequences?”

“Son, my son has thought—when the summer grain in the three towns was burned, the Xiao family would become the target of everyone’s hatred.”

“Don’t you fear they’ll trace it back to you?”

Liu Tao whispered, “After discussing plans with Lin Hua’an, we hired someone from the Mingyue Tower. They don’t know who we truly are.”

Liu Hong studied him without answering. “If we wish to remain unknown, then we must ensure no one ever knows.”

“Fortunately, the Xiao family had anticipated this. Those who came to attack them were all slain. Otherwise, how could Xiao Yuanzhi have failed to see the enemy?”

“And besides you, there was also your older brother Liu Wen, who acted on our behalf?”

After a pause, Liu Hong continued, “Before that, did you realize Liu Wen was also involved?”

Liu Tao shook his head instinctively. “I didn’t know.”

“After we set the plan in motion, I had no further involvement. All the arrangements were made by Lin Hua’an. Did you receive any word?”

“No… though I didn’t know Liu Wen was involved, I did know someone else had approached the Mingyue Tower with the same intent to burn the summer grain in the three towns.”

“Who was it?”

“A man in the world, called ‘Blade Crazy’ Liu Liang.”

Liu Hong furrowed his brow slightly. “That name sounds familiar… like I’ve heard it somewhere before.”

Liu Tao quickly added, “Father, you forget? When Liu Jing first came to Shuzhou, he sent word through the Mingyue Tower that this ‘Blade Crazy’ had stolen medicine from the Xiao family’s pharmacy.”

“It was him…”

Outside, Liu Liang heard the name and smirked.

Liu Tao was such a fool.

Leaving such a major matter in the hands of Lin Hua’an, and knowing nothing about it?

No, he wasn’t entirely clueless.

Liu Tao must have asked about it once in the beginning.

When the boss came and went to the Mingyue Tower afterward, he never followed up on it again.

Thinking this, Liu Liang continued listening to the father and son’s conversation.

“Son, after that, did you notice anything unusual?”

“Father, my son, what do you mean?”

Liu Hong glared at him with pure hatred. “Did you not notice anything when your brother Liu Wen and Xiao Yuanzhi both died? When the Mingyue Tower and the soldiers of the three towns all perished? Did you not see what was happening?”

“Stupid! Foolish beyond comprehension!”

“You—Liu Wen and Xiao Yuanzhi were both betrayed by someone. And you knew nothing of it?”

Liu Tao opened his mouth to speak, but seeing his father’s face, he fell silent.

“Father, are you saying there are others lurking behind us?”

Liu Hong let out a snort upon hearing this, "If I haven't guessed wrong, the person behind Liu Lang must have put you, Minguo Tower, Liu Wen, and Xiao Dongchen in the same game."

Liu Tao paused, blinking, "A game? He played... why would he do such a thing?"

"Reason..."

Liu Hong's gaze turned northward toward the distant Duke of Bei's mansion, his voice dropping to a low murmur:

"Unsurprisingly, that person must have done this to help the Xiao family."

According to his deduction.

Liu Wen and Xiao Dongchen must have been marked by that individual for some reason.

Then, taking advantage of the opportunity to pass through the Minguo Tower, that person eliminated everyone at once.

Liu Tao's expression shifted to one of sudden understanding, "Father means that the thirty thousand taels of silver Xiao Dongchen received from Xiao is, is it Liu Wen's elder brother's?"

"You're not entirely foolish."

"I may not know the methods he used, but judging by the outcome, that person isn't simple."

As he spoke, Liu Hong's eyes grew colder yet.

"Thankfully, you and Lin Hui'an have stayed hidden well enough; that person likely hasn't uncovered your identities, or else..."

Or else not only you and Lin Hui'an would be in on this scheme, but even this governor of the region might find himself entangled.

Upon fully grasping the situation, Liu Tao felt a deep sense of foreboding.

Now he finally understood why Liu Hong was so irate.

"Father, but... what should we do now?"

Liu Hong glanced at him, snorting, "Now you're afraid, are you? When you were still blinded by money and material wealth, why didn't you think things through?"

"I know I was wrong."

Seeing Liu Tao's remorse, Liu Hong sighed inwardly.

Though his son was no match for the eldest, despite being bookish and prone to seeking fame, he was still his son.

To cut a long story short.

"Tao, do you remember how I taught you and your siblings when you were young?"

"To achieve great ambitions, one must first plan and then act." "Now, I'll teach you the second part—when seeking to achieve great ambitions, one must also resort to any means necessary."

Liu Tao blinked, his face showing confusion, "Father?"

Their actions, all of them, were matters of great consequence, surely they could be considered as using any means necessary?

Liu Hong realized he hadn't been understood, so he lowered his voice further, saying:

"Let's not discuss the grain from Xianju for now. Just talk about the recent rise in grain prices."

"When you and Lin Hui'an were discussing things, did you consider using the opportunity of Duke Xiao being reprimanded by the Emperor to shift all this onto the Xiao family?"

Liu Tao nodded, honestly admitting, "Yes, I did think of that."

"The Xiao family, to prepare supplies for the three cities, must have purchased grain from the two markets, which naturally caused the price to rise."

"Plus, this year's harvest in Shuzhou was poor, so a certain degree of price increase is understandable."

Liu Hong glared at him, "When the prices rise to a high point, you sell off our stored grain, making a big profit, right?"

"You couldn't fool me..."

"But if you act this way, how do you think the Xiao family would respond?"

"They... they would likely seek out Lin Hui'an to discuss things. I've thought about it—when that happens, Lin Hui'an would give them face."

"Give them face?"

Liu Hong nearly laughed out loud, asking, "Where do you get the nerve to say such a thing?"

Liu Tao looked at him, puzzled, "Father, are there other ways the Xiao family could respond?"

Hearing this, Liu Hong shook his head, "You, you understand too little about the Xiao family, and understand even less about Duke Xiao."

"The Xiao family is indeed in a tight spot, but as long as Duke Xiao is alive, others find it hard to deal with him, at least in Shuzhou."

"You know, because of your and Lin Hui'an's reckless price hikes, Duke Xiao has already planned to borrow grain from the Guangyue Prefecture?"

Liu Tao blinked in surprise, exclaiming, "Borrow grain from Guangyue Prefecture?"

"Duke Xiao intends to borrow grain from Qian Gong Zhang's family?"

Liu Hong snorted, "Now you realize how foolish you are."

"Before acting, you didn't even understand your opponent's capabilities, which is truly laughable."

"But Father, earlier, Lin Hui'an said Duke Xiao has a strong sense of pride and wouldn't easily seek help from outsiders."

"Do you believe his words?"

"You know, besides the grain you have stored, Lin Hui'an had already prepared nearly a million bushels of grain?"

"What?!"

Liu Tao stared at him, his face growing disheveled.

He clearly hadn't anticipated Duke Xiao would choose such a path, and couldn't figure out why Lin Hui'an hadn't told him.

Or perhaps Lin Hui'an had known all along, and was simply playing him for a fool.

Liu Hong looked at him, waving his hand dismissively, saying:

"Get up and speak."

Liu Tao slightly parted his lips, bowed respectfully, and sat carefully on the side.

After a moment of silence.

Liu Hong tapped his cane and spoke, "I know you've been deceived by Lin Hui'an, but the fault doesn't lie with you. Just don't believe others too easily in the future."

"Yes, I understand now."

"You don't understand!"

"Are you thinking of going to Lin Hui'an tonight?"

Liu Tao lowered his head, clearly caught in the act.

Liu Hong, who understood his son's nature and thoughts, didn't scold him further, but calmly said:

"Lin Hui'an, though a merchant, must not be one of the common sort to have reached this point."

"Besides, he has the backing of the Ji Zhou Commercial Group."

Liu Tao nodded silently, quietly asking, "Father, you've been mentioning the Ji Zhou Commercial Group all along, who are they?"

Liu Hong saw him recover quickly, a hint of relief flickering in his eyes.

"They're a group of savage wolves who are obsessed with money."

"Though I don't know them well, I do understand their deeds in the north."

"The north?"

"Yes, they've made quite a bit of silver through the grassland's mutual trade, some seen, some unseen."

Liu Tao understood, his eyes widening slightly, "Father means they, they smuggle?"

Liu Hong nodded slightly, his voice a quiet murmur: "Salt, iron, weapons, armor—anywhere the nomads on the steppe, those brutes barely civilized from the wild tribes, can afford to buy them, the Jizhou merchants won’t dare refuse."

"They’re not afraid of being discovered, are they?"

"Who would discover? Who’d dare to?"

"Everyone who knows the truth has already been bought off—right up to the nine high officials in the court itself…"

He paused, shaking his head. "The one thing you must understand—Lin Hua’an is one of them. He’s the scapegoat they’ve chosen to replay their northern schemes in Shuzhou."

Liu Tao heard this and remained silent, his gaze unwavering, unblinking.

Of all the words spoken, this one struck him the hardest.

After a moment’s thought, he spoke in a bitter tone: "Father, if that’s the case… then I’ve been in his plans all along?"

"Why—why did he…"

Suddenly, Liu Tao’s expression shifted. "He was trying to pull you in too?"

Liu Hong glanced at him, tilting his head just slightly: "To think of that, after all I’ve told you—it wasn’t in vain."

"Lin Hua’an must’ve come to see me by now, hasn’t he? His time here in Shuzhou won’t last much longer."

"Then—then you…"

Before Liu Tao could finish, Liu Hong waved a dismissive hand: "He’s just a foot soldier. What right does he have to sit across from me as an equal?"

After a pause, a cold smile crept across his face. "And besides, he dared to scheme against my son. How could I possibly let that stand?"

Liu Tao’s face flickered with mixed emotions—gratitude and shame intertwining in his expression.

He’d come to do some good for the family, but instead, he’d only made things worse, and now it was up to his father to set things right.

"Father, what should I do?"

Liu Hong’s voice was calm, steady: "Nothing. Nothing at all."

"From today onward, you stay within the mansion. No matter who comes—anyone who seeks you out, you simply say: 'I don’t know Lin Hua’an.' Just hold to that."

Liu Tao didn’t understand, but he nodded obediently, saying nothing more.

Liu Hong relaxed slightly, his expression softening. "Shuzhou today isn’t like it was five or ten years ago. The situation’s grown so tangled, even ordinary folk can’t make sense of it."

"If it weren’t for me, stationed here as the governor, and having some knowledge of the old families… I’d probably be just as easily manipulated."

He turned his attention back to Liu Tao: "You’ve had your troubles today—it’s not a bad thing. After this, learn from your elder brother. Don’t let yourself fall into mistakes like this again."

Liu Tao nodded, then paused, his voice quiet: "Father… what of Lin Hua’an?"

"Tonight, we’ve made plans with him. And we’ll keep raising the grain prices."

Liu Hong’s face broke into a smile that was hard to read. "Don’t worry about it. Just rest easy."

"But…"

"A dead man doesn’t need worrying over, does he?"

Dead? Lin Hua’an?

Liu Tao’s heart stirred with sudden shock, his eyes flickering with confusion as he met Liu Hong’s gaze.

Liu Hong met his son’s stare, his voice steady: "Remember what I said today, my son."

"When one seeks to achieve great things, one must use any means necessary."

"Anyone standing in your way—only one fate awaits them… death."

Outside, the door shuddered slightly.

Liu Lang had already guessed who that man named Lin Hua’an was—he’d seen him among the crowd outside the East Market residence.

He didn’t know if the man was truly dead as Liu Hong claimed.

That explained it.

No wonder the boss had sent him to watch Liu Hong—this man’s ruthlessness was enough to earn serious attention.

(Chapter Complete)