Chapter 267: Shatter Their Golden Bodies (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 267: Shattering Their Golden Statues (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

"So the 'Dragon Spear' truly is you, Liu Wu!"

Cui Qingwu knew Liu Wu.

She would recognize him even if he were turned to ash.

Thinking back to when she had first arrived in Shu Province, it had been a mere few days before she was drugged by Liu Wu with a vile poison, causing her to lose all face before Chen Yunfan. How could she possibly forget?

Of course, at that time, she had not yet known he was Liu Wu.

It was only after the summer grain of the three towns was torched, and the intelligence from across Shu Province converged within the White Tiger Guards, that she became certain the man who had ambushed her that night was indeed Liu Wu.

Yet, there was a doubt.

As the name of the "Dragon Spear" echoed throughout the martial world of Shu Province, she grew hesitant once more.

Consider this: how could a man whose cultivation and fist techniques were inferior to hers just two months ago elevate his spear technique to the realm of perfection in such a short span of time?

Even before coming to the Spring Rain Pavilion, when Lou Yuxue had informed her of this, she had remained half-doubting.

But at this very moment, Liu Wu stood right before her eyes, leaving her no choice but to believe.

With these thoughts, she took a deep breath. "Since it is you, then this transaction is canceled!"

Chen Yi smiled faintly. He did not find Cui Qingwu's attitude unexpected in the least.

When the two of them had first crossed paths, a slight misunderstanding had occurred.

Both sides had suffered losses.

Originally, Chen Yi had no intention of letting her off, but she happened to be Chen Yunfan's betrothed.

His nominal "elder sister-in-law."

With no other choice, he had to act as though past events had never transpired.

Who could blame him for sharing the same foul tastes as Chen Yunfan?

"Miss Cui worries too much. This transaction was negotiated and concluded between myself and Miss Yuxue."

"Lou Yuxue is also purchasing the grain from me. Without me, you will not obtain a single grain!"

"Miss Cui..."

Before Chen Yi could speak, Lou Yuxue, who was beside them, rubbed her brow and intervened, "Luanfeng, you shall receive thirty percent of the profits from this trade."

To everyone's surprise, the moment those words were spoken, the displeasure on Cui Qingwu's face vanished entirely.

She tilted her head slightly, her rounded chin high, and said, "It should have been so from the start. This young lady agrees."

Then she looked at Chen Yi and snorted, "Do not think for a moment that your making me lose face is settled just like that."

"If it were not for the Pavilion Master holding you in high regard, even if the Tigress spoke until the heavens crumbled, I would never forgive you."

Chen Yi burst into a helpless laugh and shook his head. "Then I must thank Miss Cui for her forgiveness."

The Pavilion Master again.

He had not expected that the Pavilion Master of the White Tiger Guards, without even showing his face, would already make him owe two small favors.

Fortunately, he still held the identity of the "Fledgling."

—Comparing the two, the White Tiger Guards owed him far more!

Seeing the atmosphere soften, Lou Yuxue invited the two of them to sit.

She then looked at Chen Yi, her eyes conveying a subtle signal. "You requested that batch of grain rather urgently."

"Furthermore, the grain within Shu Province has already been hoarded by several major grain firms. Out of necessity, I could only ask Miss Cui to step in."

Hearing this, Chen Yi felt a wave of amusement in his heart.

During their last meeting, he had already learned that Lou Yuxue intended to buy grain through Cui Qingwu.

For Lou Yuxue to explicitly mention it now was clearly a reminder to him not to let the secret slip.

It seemed these two Silver Flag Officers of the White Tiger Guards truly did not get along.

With this thought, Chen Yi smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Miss Yuxue."

Pausing for a moment, he turned to Cui Qingwu. "And thank you, Miss Cui."

Cui Qingwu looked back and forth between the two of them. Sensing that there was some hidden deceit between them, she feigned displeasure and said:

"We are now in the same boat. Why must we hide things from one another?"

Chen Yi smiled without speaking.

Lou Yuxue remained unmoved. "Miss Cui speaks too gravely."

"My alliance with Liu Wu this time is merely to seize the opportunity to make a profit while the major grain firms are manipulating grain prices."

"I have hidden nothing from you."

Hearing this, Chen Yi shook his head inwardly.

It would have been better not to explain; explaining it like this would only backfire.

Sure enough, a breathtaking smile appeared on Cui Qingwu's slightly haughty face.

"Tigress, do not forget that I am also a Silver Flag Officer."

"If it were merely a trivial matter of making money, would you really seek my assistance so easily?"

Lou Yuxue realized her mistake, silently cursing herself for being too close to the situation to see clearly.

But before she could remedy it, Cui Qingwu had already blocked her path.

"Think carefully before you speak. If you do not satisfy me, I shall waive that thirty percent of silver and demand one hundred percent instead."

Relying on the grain in her possession, she immediately seized the vital weakness of both Lou Yuxue and Chen Yi with her words.

Left with no alternative, Lou Yuxue could only look toward Chen Yi.

Seeing him nod slightly, she spoke helplessly, "This matter involves the mission of the General Star. I can only inform you of the portion I discussed with Liu Wu."

Cui Qingwu had no objection to this and asked with great interest, "Speak then. I am very curious to know what exactly you two are plotting."

"Let the ugly words be spoken first. This matter is of grave importance, and you must remember never to reveal it."

"Very well."

Seeing Cui Qingwu agree, Lou Yuxue picked and chose from the information she had previously received from Chen Yi, recounting it to her.

Such as the numerous petty actions of the Jizhou Merchant Firm—torching the summer grain of the three towns, manipulating grain prices, framing the Xiao family, and so forth.

As for the matters involving the Regional Military Commissioner Zhu Hao, Lin Huai'an, and others, she omitted them entirely.

After listening, Cui Qingwu looked at the two of them with a half-smile.

"So, your objective this time is the Jizhou Merchant Firm, and not merely to make money?"

Chen Yi shook his head. "Not so. Dealing with the Jizhou Merchant Firm is also for the purpose of making some silver."

"Heh, if it is all for making money, would it not be simpler to wrest it from the hands of the common people?"

"Miss Cui, you are mistaken again."

"A gentleman who loves money, taking it with propriety."

"Certainly, the people of Shu Zhou's money is easy to obtain, but do you not find it more intriguing to earn it from the Ji Zhou merchants?"

Chen Yi paused, then said meaningfully, "After all, your White Tiger Guard also looks unfavorably upon the Ji Zhou merchants."

Cui Qingwu's eyes flickered slightly, turning her gaze to Lou Yuxue.

"Do you not fear being discovered by the Ji Zhou merchants?"

"Fear, which is why I came to you for grain."

Lou Yuxue finished her sentence succinctly, and before Cui could retort, she waved her hand and said,

"If you have no other questions, let us proceed with the matters ahead."

Cui Qingwu's smile faltered, giving her a displeased look, but said nothing more.

Though she had no particular interest in the White Tiger Guard or the Ji Zhou merchants, it would be good to watch the spectacle.

Especially with Liu Five also present.

She wished to see what skill this person possessed to gain the noble lord's favor.

To her surprise, the first matter Lou Yuxue mentioned was what left her stunned.

"Liu Five, the matter has gone more smoothly than expected."

"That batch of grain is already on its way, and the King of Lan Du's news has arrived, which benefits both you and me."

"Tomorrow morning, my people will spread the word—that the emperor's son Asutai is in Shu Zhou."

Chen Yi nodded, about to speak, when Cui Qingwu called out, "Wait, you said 'Emperor Luoyang'—is that the left king of the barbarian tribe?"

Lou Yuxue saw her expression and felt a surge of satisfaction.

Let her continue to pretend to be Miss Cui, now truly surprised, I suppose?

"Who else in the world, besides Mu HaGe, bears the title of 'Left King'?"

"My lord, you are deliberately asking this, aren't you?"

Cui Qingwu ignored her teasing, steadied her nerves, and asked with unusual composure,

"How could you not inform the Star General of such a great matter?"

"How could I know you had not?"

"Before..." Lou Yuxue interrupted, "At that time, I did not know."

Upon hearing this, Cui Qingwu frowned, "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"I tell you now, I have not kept it from you..."

Seeing the two Silver Flag Officers bickering back and forth, Chen Yi couldn't help but feel both amused and exasperated.

"I say to you both, if you keep this up, the sun will rise."

Lou Yuxue pretended not to have heard, continuing, "In any case, you understand the stakes of this matter. If you wish to withdraw, I will not stop you."

Upon hearing this, Cui Qingwu's displeasure vanished instantly, her hands resting on her knees in a ladylike posture.

"Who says I want to withdraw?

This is such an interesting matter—I simply must take part in it."

Regardless of how much impact the news of the emperor's son Asutai being in Shu Zhou would cause, she only knew that the man must end up in her hands.

No, more precisely, she needed to deliver him to Chen Yunfan.

At that time, Chen Yunfan would surely receive the Emperor's praise for capturing the emperor's son Asutai.

Promotion and elevation would follow suit.

Chen Yi, unaware of Cui Qingwu's thoughts, only found it amusing.

The saying goes that three women make a play.

It's fortunate there are only Cui Qingwu and Lou Yuxue here; with one more, this quiet room might be torn apart.

"Shall we continue then?"

"After the news is released tomorrow, those grain merchants will surely adjust prices again, likely raising them to ten liang per shi."

Lou Yuxue furrowed her brows, "Ten liang?"

"Do you think the authorities would not intervene to release grain and stabilize prices?"

Cui Qingwu smiled, "With the Ji Zhou merchants' methods, they can delay governmental intervention."

"After all, they've done this many times in the northern markets, so they're quite adept at it."

Chen Yi nodded in agreement, "If the authorities get involved, it would not harm us either."

He was certain that Liu Hong would never willingly become the Ji Zhou merchants' pawn.

At least not in the near future.

Lou Yuxue inhaled deeply, signaling him to continue.

Chen Yi slightly bowed, "Then, after a few days, they will inevitably empty their warehouses to avoid surplus losses."

"So I have prepared two plans."

Originally, he had only one plan, but upon confirming Cui Qingwu's involvement, he added another on the spot.

"The first is to release a new piece of news every two days, making those grain merchants delay their plan to hoard silver."

Lou Yuxue couldn't help but ask, "Do you have other news?"

Chen Yi shook his head, "None."

"But as long as we release the Asutai matter tomorrow, any subsequent news related to King Lan Du or the barbarian tribe Mu HaGe might be true."

Cui Qingwu clapped her hands, "Clever strategy."

"Not expecting your remarkable talent in martial arts, and understanding people's hearts so thoroughly."

"Your move, seemingly simple, has actually grasped the balance between the Ji Zhou merchants and the people of Shu Zhou."

"First, it makes the Ji Zhou merchants reluctant to part with their easily obtainable silver."

"Second, it allows the people of Shu Zhou's voices to turn false into true."

"Even if someone eventually learns the truth, it's unlikely they can turn back now."

After a pause, she looked at Lou Yuxue with disdain, "How unfortunate you're still a Silver Flag Officer of the White Tiger Guard, not even knowing how to fish in murky waters."

Lou Yuxue, knowing her reaction was slow, turned her head and ignored her.

Chen Yi, however, nodded approvingly, "When the tide turns, anyone standing in the way will topple."

"Besides, those merchants are greedy without limit."

"My estimate is they won't only refuse to stop but might even encourage the situation, raising the price from ten liang to twenty liang per shi."

Speaking of this, Chen Yi suddenly shifted his tone:

"The first plan, I suppose you all have no objections to, so let me tell you about the second plan."

Lou Yu Xue shrugged her shoulders and said, "Go on."

"As for this second plan, there are some risks, but the benefits are enormous."

"I intend to proactively contact those several grain merchants and purchase a large quantity of grain from them."

Cui Qingwu's eyes lit up after hearing this. "You mean cutting off the source of supply?"

She immediately denied it the moment she finished speaking.

"No, no. If I were to cut in like this, at most it would just ruin the reputation of the people from Ji Zhou merchants, but it won't cause any fundamental damage."

"Go on then, what exactly are you planning?"

Chen Yi smiled, "I can tell you, but I have a condition—I hope Miss Cui can agree."

Cui Qingwu instinctively thought he was trying to swindle her, but after a moment's consideration, she no longer believed she would fall for it.

She nodded immediately, "Do tell."

Chen Yi's smile widened, "I hope Miss Cui can handle the grain purchase herself."

Cui Qingwu was taken aback, pointing at herself, "Me?"

Seeing that Chen Yi nodded, her complexion immediately soured.

"Liu Wu, I didn't tally those old scores with you, but you've been plotting against me."

Chen Yi stared at her unchangingly, "Miss Cui doesn't want to personally smash the golden statue of the Ji Zhou merchants?"

"I..."

Cui Qingwu was about to continue her rebuttal when a sudden thought struck her.

—Destroying the golden statue of the Ji Zhou merchants would benefit her, benefit the Cui family, and benefit Chen Yunfan as well.

Although she was well aware of the matter concerning the Ji Zhou merchants, it was only known among a few noble families and court officials.

But if this matter were to succeed, her reputation in Shouzhou would rise even higher, which would be of great help to her subsequent plans.

Thinking this through, Cui Qingwu coughed lightly, "Lord Longqiang, I accept your condition."

Lou Yu Xue paused upon hearing this, then reacted with a sneer.

"Miss Cui just refused you just now, how could she agree so quickly?"

Cui Qingwu ignored her teasing remark, still staring at Chen Yi, waiting for his next words.

Seeing this, Chen Yi didn't hold back, and whispered a few words.

After hearing this, Cui Qingwu's eyes sparkled instantly, "Excellent!"

"I never expected you to have such strategy. If this succeeds, I'll definitely send you a grand gift!"

Lou Yu Xue beside her was also impressed, truly stunned by Chen Yi's plan.

"It's like a chain reaction. If I were one of the Ji Zhou merchants, I'd wake up from a dream."

Chen Yi smiled, ignoring their praise, waved his hand, and said,

"Since that's the case, then let's proceed with the second plan."

"Once the news spreads, we'll be waiting to see Miss Cui unleash her power."

Cui Qingwu rarely showed a rare expression of excitement on her face, no longer hurling harsh words at him as before, but said with a hint of pride:

"If the Cui family steps forward, those grain merchants dare not refuse?"

"That's right..."

After that, the three of them completed the detailed plan and then dispersed.

Whether it was an oversight or intentional, they didn't mention the silver for the previous grain purchase.

Chen Yi: I'm the one who devised the strategy, I'm the one who gathered the information, and I'm also the one who intervenes in times of danger. If they dare to ask for money, that would be a bit unkind.

Lou Yu Xue: She got half the credit, so what's wrong with tricking her out of a little silver?

Cui Qingwu: Lucky I left quickly, otherwise I'd be in debt of gratitude and get taken advantage of.

The three of them all harbored their own thoughts, yet each got what they wanted.

Chen Yi was no exception.

As soon as he left the Spring Rain Pavilion, he rushed to where Liu Lang and the others were.

He still had nearly three hundred thousand taels of silver on him, which needed to be spent.

Just then, a brilliant golden light appeared before his eyes—

[Daily Intelligence·Provincial Grade Premium……]

(End of Chapter)