Chapter 285: How Did He Calculate This? (Seeking Monthly Tickets)

Chapter 285 How Did He Calculate It? (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Lin Zhenghong blinked in surprise, then furrowed his brow.

"Tell me in detail."

When the man in the blue robe, the director of the grain administration, finished speaking, Lin Zhenghong’s frown eased slightly, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.

"How can we trust beggars?"

"Hmph, I think someone’s been inflating grain prices deliberately to cause trouble."

The grain director hesitated, then said slowly, "My lord, if this is truly the case—"

Lin Zhenghong raised his hand to stop him. "What does it matter if it's true?"

"But—"

"Stop right there. Tell me, how much did we pay for the grain we brought from Jizhou this time?"

The grain director understood at once, a bitter smile touching his lips. "A catty of fine grain from one shi—less than half a tael."

Lin Zhenghong snorted. "Then why the hurry?"

"Even if Lü Ninenan truly hasn't died, it's only a matter of delaying those rustlers and bandits from the Shu state who were causing trouble."

"Don't forget—the heir to the barbarian clan who was exiled to Shu hasn't been found yet."

He lifted his tea cup, took a sip, his expression relaxing into a leisurely smile.

"Even if the worst should happen, my Lin family's grain business will still profit. It's merely a question of how much."

The grain director looked at him, and unconsciously furrowed his brow again.

After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "If your father were to see you now, he'd probably leap out of his coffin in a rage."

Lin Zhenghong paused, taken aback.

It felt like the first time he'd truly seen the man.

"You... bold!"

Lin Zhenghong slammed his tea cup down, tea and leaves splashing onto the table, glaring fiercely.

"Li San Yuan, you dare insult my father!"

"Are you trying to start a rebellion after taking over the Lin family's affairs?!"

Li San Yuan no longer wore the deferential expression he'd borne before. He straightened his back, his gaze steady.

"They say a tiger's cub never becomes a wolf. But perhaps that's not always true."

He stared at Lin Zhenghong, who was mocking him. "Do you really think the Lin family's grain business belongs to your Lin family?"

"Didn't father Lin Huai'an tell you before he died about the burden he carried on his shoulders when he came to Shu?"

Lin Zhenghong rose from his seat, ready to continue his scolding, but suddenly paused, his face darkening.

"You... you're... from Jizhou, aren't you? Or... you're one of the merchants?"

Seeing his reaction, Li San Yuan sneered. "Not quite a fool, are you?"

Then, Li San Yuan stepped forward, pushed Lin Zhenghong aside, and took his seat with deliberate care.

He gently smoothed the hem of the robe over his knee, placed one hand on the imperial scholar's chair, and regained his composure, his eyes fixed directly on Lin Zhenghong.

"You, as one who knows of the 'Merchant Guild,' have surely heard of the 'Pingzheng Hall'?"

He withdrew a black iron token from his sleeve, its surface inscribed with the characters "Pingzheng."

"I am Li San Yuan, the patrol officer of the Pingzheng Hall of the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild. I apologize for the intrusion, Master Lin."

Though his words carried an apology, his eyes were far more resolute than before, staring directly into Lin Zhenghong.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhenghong's face had grown pale, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Y-yes, I... my father did mention the Pingzheng Hall to me. Please, please forgive me, Master."

He recalled Lin Huai'an's dying words—

The Jiuzhou Merchant Guild was officially named the "Jiuzhou Five Prefectures' Unified Merchant Guild," originally founded by several families within Jiuzhou.

But over time, its inner members had long since vanished, their identities hidden.

Even the five families that had first established the "Jiuzhou Five Prefectures' Unified Merchant Guild" were unknown to them now.

Perhaps they had all assumed new identities.

Yet the guild's internal structure remained intact.

From the upper echelons—the Five Prefectures' Hall, the Grand Treasurer, and the Hall Master—down to the Departments of Accounts, Escorts, Audits, Workshops, Transport, and Customers, and further to the merchants and deputy merchants in each prefecture, all were present.

Beyond this, the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild had established a uniquely special department called the "One Department," known as the "Pingzheng Hall."

It meant "to pacify chaos and restore order."

Lin Huai'an had told him, the head of the Pingzheng Hall never turned a blind eye to injustice; "severe punishment for major errors, lenient for minor ones" was common practice.

Within the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild, he was known as the "living Yama king"—the strict enforcer of justice.

Thus, the Pingzheng Hall was also called the "Yama Palace" by guild members. Those who came under its scrutiny would not die easily, but would be stripped of their skin.

Li San Yuan was the patrol officer of the Pingzheng Hall, aside from the Hall Master—among the three officers: the Clean Wind Officer, the Patrol Officer, and the Listener of Winds.

He was in charge of overseeing the guild's operations at the prefectural and county levels.

Moreover, the three officers of the Pingzheng Hall could intervene in matters within their halls at critical moments, usually indicating that the merchant and deputy merchant in charge would face punishment.

Lin Zhenghong feared precisely this point.

Li San Yuan stared at him for a long time, his eyes boring into him until sweat poured down his face like water. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

"People fear most of all the loss of reverence—toward heaven and earth, toward the court, toward their parents."

"Your reverence for the merchant guild is a good thing."

He paused, then added with a rising tone, "But if Master Lin Huai'an had not died unexpectedly, the guild's plans in Shu would have been grand. With you now, you are far from being worthy to become a Grand Treasurer."

Lin Zhenghong bowed low, quickly wiping the sweat from his forehead, his voice low.

"Master, it was you who scolded me."

"There are many shortcomings in Zhenghong. Please, please let the Patrol Officer be lenient with me."

Li San Yuan looked at him, then waved his hand. "Sit down and speak."

"Yes."

Once Lin Zhenghong had settled on the chair, his mind finally found some focus, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he asked,

"Master, you... you wish to speak of Lü Ninenan's matter?"

Thinking back to the events that had just occurred, he realized why Li San Yuan had revealed his token and identity—because Lin Zhenghong had scoffed at the news that Lü Ninenan was still alive, provoking the Patrol Officer's ire.

Chapter 285 How Did He Calculate It? (Seeking Monthly Vote)

Lin Zhenghong blinked in surprise, then furrowed his brow.

"Tell me in detail."

When the man in the blue robe, the director of the grain administration, finished speaking, Lin Zhenghong’s frown eased slightly, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction.

"How can we trust beggars?"

"Hmph, I think someone’s been inflating grain prices deliberately to cause trouble."

The grain director hesitated, then said slowly, "My lord, if this is truly the case—"

Lin Zhenghong raised his hand to stop him. "What does it matter if it's true?"

"But—"

"Stop right there. Tell me, how much did we pay for the grain we brought from Jiuzhou this time?"

The grain director understood at once, a bitter smile touching his lips. "A catty of fine grain from one shi—less than half a tael."

Lin Zhenghong snorted. "Then why the hurry?"

"Even if Lü Ninenan truly hasn't died, it's only a matter of delaying those rustlers and bandits from the Shu state who were causing trouble."

"Don't forget—the heir to the barbarian clan who was exiled to Shu hasn't been found yet."

He lifted his tea cup, took a sip, his expression relaxing into a leisurely smile.

"Even if the worst should happen, my Lin family's grain business will still profit. It's merely a matter of how much."

The grain director looked at him, and unconsciously furrowed his brow again.

After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, "If your father were to see you now, he'd probably leap out of his coffin in a rage."

Lin Zhenghong paused, taken aback.

It felt like the first time he'd truly seen the man.

"You... bold!"

Lin Zhenghong slammed his tea cup down, tea and leaves splashing onto the table, glaring fiercely.

"Li San Yuan, you dare insult my father!"

"Are you trying to start a rebellion after taking over the Lin family's affairs?!"

Li San Yuan no longer wore the deferential expression he'd borne before. He straightened his back, his gaze steady.

"They say a tiger's cub never becomes a wolf. But perhaps that's not always true."

He stared at Lin Zhenghong, who was mocking him. "Do you really think the Lin family's grain business belongs to your Lin family?"

"Didn't father Lin Huai'an tell you before he died about the burden he carried on his shoulders when he came to Shu?"

Lin Zhenghong rose from his seat, ready to continue his scolding, but suddenly paused, his face darkening.

"You... you're... from Jiuzhou, aren't you? Or... you're one of the merchants?"

Seeing his reaction, Li San Yuan sneered. "Not quite a fool, are you?"

Then, Li San Yuan stepped forward, pushed Lin Zhenghong aside, and took his seat with deliberate care.

He gently smoothed the hem of the robe over his knee, placed one hand on the imperial scholar's chair, and regained his composure, his eyes fixed directly on Lin Zhenghong.

"You, as one who knows of the 'Merchant Guild,' have surely heard of the 'Pingzheng Hall'?"

He withdrew a black iron token from his sleeve, its surface inscribed with the characters "Pingzheng."

"I am Li San Yuan, the patrol officer of the Pingzheng Hall of the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild. I apologize for the intrusion, Master Lin."

Though his words carried an apology, his eyes were far more resolute than before, staring directly into Lin Zhenghong.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhenghong's face had grown pale, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Y-yes, I... my father did mention the Pingzheng Hall to me. Please, please forgive me, Master."

He recalled Lin Huai'an's dying words—

The Jiuzhou Merchant Guild was officially named the "Jiuzhou Five Prefectures' Unified Merchant Guild," originally founded by several families within Jiuzhou.

But over time, its inner members had long since vanished, their identities hidden.

Even the five families that had first established the "Jiuzhou Five Prefectures' Unified Merchant Guild" were unknown to them now.

Perhaps they had all assumed new identities.

Yet the guild's internal structure remained intact.

From the upper echelons—the Five Prefectures' Hall, the Grand Treasurer, and the Hall Master—down to the Departments of Accounts, Escorts, Audits, Workshops, Transport, and Customers, and further to the merchants and deputy merchants in each prefecture, all were present.

Beyond this, the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild had established a uniquely special department called the "One Department," known as the "Pingzheng Hall."

It meant "to pacify chaos and restore order."

Lin Huai'an had told him, the head of the Pingzheng Hall never turned a blind eye to injustice; "severe punishment for major errors, lenient for minor ones" was common practice.

Within the Jiuzhou Merchant Guild, he was known as the "living Yama king"—the strict enforcer of justice.

Thus, the Pingzheng Hall was also called the "Yama Palace" by guild members. Those who came under its scrutiny would not die easily, but would be stripped of their skin.

Li San Yuan was the patrol officer of the Pingzheng Hall, aside from the Hall Master—among the three officers: the Clean Wind Officer, the Patrol Officer, and the Listener of Winds.

He was in charge of overseeing the guild's operations at the prefectural and county levels.

Moreover, the three officers of the Pingzheng Hall could intervene in matters within their halls at critical moments, usually indicating that the merchant and deputy merchant in charge would face punishment.

Lin Zhenghong feared precisely this point.

Li San Yuan stared at him for a long time, his eyes boring into him until sweat poured down his face like water. Finally, he gave a slight nod.

"People fear most of all the loss of reverence—toward heaven and earth, toward the court, toward their parents."

"Your reverence for the merchant guild is a good thing."

He paused, then added with a rising tone, "But if Master Lin Huai'an had not died unexpectedly, the guild's plans in Shu would have been grand. With you now, you are far from being worthy to become a Grand Treasurer."

Lin Zhenghong bowed low, quickly wiping the sweat from his forehead, his voice low.

"Master, it was you who scolded me."

"There are many shortcomings in Zhenghong. Please, please let the Patrol Officer be lenient with me."

Li San Yuan looked at him, then waved his hand. "Sit down and speak."

"Yes."

Once Lin Zhenghong had settled on the chair, his mind finally found some focus, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he asked,

"Master, you... you wish to speak of Lü Ninenan's matter?"

Thinking back to the events that had just occurred, he realized why Li San Yuan had revealed his token and identity—because Lin Zhenghong had scoffed at the news that Lü Ninenan was still alive, provoking the Patrol Officer's ire.

Li Sanyuan glanced at the tea cup on the table, his voice calm as he spoke:

"Your father died too quickly, never taught you the rules of the merchant guild, nor passed down any merchant experience. I shouldn’t have punished you."

"But the rule of 'a small mistake, a great punishment' was set by the Patriarch himself—we dare not defy it."

"So..."

Li Sanyuan murmured softly: "After this matter, I’ll report it to the merchant guild, and the Patriarch will decide the verdict himself."

Of course, he could also punish Lin Zhengghong in his own capacity, but after all, Lin Zhengghong was the son of Lin Huai’an. Perhaps the merchant guild would, in consideration of Lin Huai’an, show leniency toward Lin Zhengghong.

"Your lordship, this, this…"

Lin Zhengghong looked at him with a startled expression, feeling utterly powerless beneath his skin.

After a long while, he regained his composure and resignedly said: "I willingly accept your punishment. But—"

"But your lordship, could you tell me—where exactly did I go wrong?"

Li Sanyuan glanced at him and said sharply: "So that you might die enlightened."

"The grain belongs to the merchant guild, not to your Lin family—this is the first mistake."

"You sought personal gain for the Lin family, forgetting the guild’s greater interests—this is the second."

"You learned of the news that 'Lü Jiānán had not died,' yet failed to take precautions to avoid risks…"

Li Sanyuan’s words were deliberate and precise: "This is the third mistake!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhengghong sighed bitterly and shook his head. He had only been told the merchant guild’s rules were numerous, but never imagined they would be so meticulously detailed.

He certainly knew those grains belonged to the Jizhou merchant guild, but when shut up in a room, claiming they were "his Lin family’s," what was the error? Seeking personal gain, he argued, was the same—after all, the silver he earned was not kept for himself.

As for the matter of "Lü Jiānán," this…

Thinking this through, Lin Zhengghong bit his teeth and said: "I had no thoughts of personal gain, nor could I have violated the merchant guild’s rules."

Li Sanyuan saw through his defiance and continued in a stern tone:

"Your arguments just now—those rising grain prices might end up sold at a low price."

"This is a loss to the merchant guild, an unforgivable grave error."

Lin Zhengghong still wouldn’t give up: "May I ask, under such circumstances, how should one 'avoid the risk'?"

Li Sanyuan sneered: "Then let me teach you how to be a proper 'shopkeeper' of my Jizhou merchant guild."

"First, for 'selling'—this matter should be shared among several grain merchants."

"You should distribute part of the grain in your warehouse at a low price to the other grain merchants, to ensure your proceeds don’t drop too much."

"Second, for 'transferring'—if you can judge that the grain prices will no longer rise, you should transfer all the grain out as soon as possible, preferably to someone outside our group of merchants."

"Third… just like the 'Alsu Tais' incident before, spread more rumors to create further confusion."

He stared at the shifting expression of Lin Zhengghong and asked: "So, which path do you choose?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhengghong’s face flushed with sweat: "N-no, I don’t know what your lordship would decide!"

Li Sanyuan looked at his state and shook his head, no longer continuing to scold him.

"In my judgment, using 'transferring' to shift the burden would yield at most thirteen silver coins."

"Without the 'Lü Jiānán' incident, the authorities would have been unable to withstand the pressure from the people."

"Unless the Lan Du King or the barbarians had real movements, the grain prices had already peaked and were no longer suitable to rise further."

"So I think we should use the 'transferring' method, find a suitable person to take the burden."

Lin Zhengghong hesitated, then nodded without further thought: "Very well, I follow your instruction."

"But who would be 'suitable'? The other grain merchants?"

"Unsuitable."

Li Sanyuan shook his head and pointed outward: "Isn’t there a certain Miss Cui who insists on forcing her way in?"

"Her?"

"Oh, she does fit the bill… but how would she agree?"

"Through incentives."

Lin Zhengghong instantly understood: "You mean offering a lower price?"

"Since she’s so eager to establish herself in Shuzhou, taking risks is inevitable, isn’t it?"

"You… you speak truly…"

That evening, the sky was gray with rain, intermittent and steady.

The cool wind chimed softly against the wind chimes in Ling Rain Pavilion.

The clear sounds converged into one, casting a glow over the laughter within the palace.

"Miss Cui, you hail from the Cui family of Qinghe—you’re naturally suited for great endeavors, unlike us commoners."

"These days, the grain prices in the city have risen so high; we’re afraid of drawing trouble."

"So you all want to sell all your grain to me?"

"If the prices drop, wouldn’t we suffer losses?"

"Miss Cui, your words are misguided."

Lin Zhengghong smiled and said: "Prices will eventually fall, but not quickly enough."

"Before then, our shops will have sold all their grain, and we won’t suffer losses."

"We merely fear 'spending money like water,' and hope you’ll extend your hand."

He gave a glance toward the others and said subtly: "You do remember, don’t you, what you said just a few days ago?"

"You didn’t profit, so we couldn’t profit either."

"Thus, if we earn less, you gain more—it should work, shouldn’t it?"

The others agreed, nodding in assent.

Cui Qingwu sat relaxed in his chair, calm on the surface, yet his thoughts were in flux.

These people had actually come to him.

And not only that—they wanted to sell all their grain to him before the two incidents committed by "Liu Wu" were resolved.

This…

"Liu Wu"—he, how did he manage to do this?

Compared to this point, Cui Qingwu paid little heed to the arrivals of others like Lin Zhenghong.

As long as "Liu Five" performed those two deeds—disseminating soft rumors about horse bandits and barbarian scouts, the grain prices in Shu would inevitably drop.

She would inevitably not lose any silver.

Then what?

Would those several grain merchants be willing to watch her profit?

Probably not.

Or did "Liu Five" simply want to make this particular sum of silver?

Yet this clearly failed to achieve the goal of undermining the Ji Zhou commercial house.

Unless...

Cui Qingwu subtly sensed "Liu Five's" intentions, and while understanding this, she found herself unexpectedly admiring.

This fellow was indeed quite capable.

No wonder Lady Lou YuXue held him in such regard.

Thinking this, Cui Qingwu rested her slender hand on the chair back, and she already knew how to proceed.

"Since all the gentlemen here have spoken so sincerely, I too shall not be discourteous."

"Merely in the spirit of commerce, let us speak plainly—what price do you intend to offer for my agreement?"

Lin Zhenghong bowed his body: "Many thanks, Mistress Cui."

Then he continued: "Before arriving, we have considered this matter and decided to offer eleven jin and one shi—"

Before he could finish, Cui Qingwu raised her hand to interrupt him: "Are you foolish, or am I?"

"Your stock of grain is so abundant, at this price, would you empty my family's granaries?"

"This..."

The others exchanged glances, hesitating: "But Mistress Cui, what do you mean?"

"Eight jin."

"Eight... well, well, this price is too high, we... we would incur losses..."

Cui Qingwu paid them no mind, signaling to the attendant: "Show them out."

The attendant nodded, approaching with a cold glare: "The time is late, gentlemen, you may go."

Clearly, Lin Zhenghong and his companions would not leave so easily.

Nor would they accept Cui Qingwu's price.

After some haggling, Cui Qingwu stood, and with a single strike of the bell declared: "Then it shall be ten jin and one shi."

Before the grain merchants could speak, she continued: "Though I have little silver at present."

"After the grain is sold, we shall share the profits, shall we not?"

The others looked at one another, realizing this was the best outcome possible, and broke into smiles.

"The contract shall be sealed—we trust Mistress Cui's integrity."

"We bring the contract with us."

Seeing their readiness, Cui Qingwu suddenly smiled: "It seems you have indeed come prepared."

"Then let us affix our seals and signatures."

"Certainly..."

Once all matters were settled, Lin Zhenghong and his companions departed from the Hear the Rain Pavilion.

Before they could mount their carriages, they were already grinning broadly.

Ten jin and one shi per shi of silver! Compared to the initial grain price, they had more than doubled their profit.

They had made a fortune.

Even if grain prices rose further, Cui Qingwu's silver would still be mere pocket change to them.

"Brother Lin, your scheme is... cunning!"

"A father of a tiger has no dog for a son!"

"Hahaha... gentlemen, you are too kind..."

Cui Qingwu heard their voices from afar, and a smile also touched her lips.

"Fool! You were outwitted without realizing it."

The attendant beside her, unaware of the schemes within the Spring Rain Building, asked:

"Mistress, what if the grain prices fall?"

Cui Qingwu interrupted: "There will be no such thing as falling prices."

After a pause, she waved her hand: "Prepare the horses; let us go out for a while."

"Yes..."

Cui Qingwu looked toward the middle courtyard, and faintly heard the sound of Chen Yunfan practicing his swordplay, and her smile grew wider.

There are people in this world who can match Yunfan-ge, after all.

Thinking this, she also recalled the earlier question, and pursed her lips.

"This Liu Five, usually so mysterious and elusive..."

(Chapter Complete)