Mo Sang – CH 146

Chapter 146. Tolerance and Indulgence

At dawn, Li Sangrou, accompanied by Da Chang and others, as well as Lu Hepeng, dismounted outside the rice shop at the Dongshui Gate.

On and below the steps of the rice shop’s entrance stood pairs of black-clad Yunmeng Guards, empty-handed and without swords, standing ramrod straight.

Towards the dock, seven or eight Yunmeng Guards stood in a line facing outwards. Merchants who had come to sell rice, dockworkers, and boatmen watching the spectacle stood in a dense, dark mass, refusing to push forward even four or five steps from the line formed by the Yunmeng Guards.

Meng Yanqing, standing below the steps, bowed respectfully upon seeing Li Sangrou approach and followed her into the rice shop.

Yunmeng Guards stood in a circle around the courtyard, spaced seven or eight steps apart. In the center of the courtyard, a group of twenty or thirty people looked towards Li Sangrou.

Li Sangrou stepped past the crowd and entered the rice shop’s main hall.

The rice shop’s main hall was where invoices were checked, and payments were made; counters lined three sides.

Hei Ma rushed in first, leaped onto the counter, grabbed a chair from behind it, and tossed it out, placing it in the center of the hall.

Lu Hepeng, experiencing something like this for the first time, wore a tense expression, following closely behind Li Sangrou. He was so close and fast that if Da Chang had not pulled him back, he would have nearly bumped into the chair Hei Ma had thrown.

Li Sangrou sat down. “Let them in.”

Xiao Lu, standing at the hall’s entrance, waved his hand. “Boss says, let them in!”

The entire courtyard of rice shop owners looked at each other, forming a long, messy queue, and dragged themselves into the hall, standing in two groups on either side.

“People from each rice shop stand together. The shop owner stand at the front,” Li Sangrou said gently.

Groups of people, some scrambling and some sticking together, stood in roughly six rows. Two of these groups had no one in front of them; only the Dongshui Gate Rice Shop had its entire group present.

Li Sangrou held out her hand, and Da Chang placed a small flag with the character “Sang” in it. Li Sangrou unfolded the flag, shook it, and asked, “Which shop sent this out?”

The entire room fell silent, staring at the small flag.

Li Sangrou looked at Da Chang.

“Caihe South Wharf Rice Shop,” Da Chang said in a low voice.

“My flags are all numbered and marked. I keep a small notebook recording which day they were sent to which place and which day they were returned.

You’ve just joined my ranks and do not know the rules. I cannot punish you without teaching you. This time, I will let you off.”

Li Sangrou said, handing the flag to Da Chang.

The head of the Caihe South Wharf Rice Shop stared intently at the small flag, his face deathly pale.

He personally handed that flag to the Second Master of King Rui’s Mansion yesterday…

At the entrance to the main hall, someone strolled in, glanced around, and stood down.

Li Sangrou seemed not to notice, only looking at Zhu Changsheng, the head of the rice merchants at Dongshui Gate, and said, “Tell them what the rice merchants should do from now on.”

“Yes,” Zhu Changsheng replied, his eyes lowered, hands clasped, head bowed, speaking quickly.

Li Sangrou listened intently, her eyebrows slightly raised. He was indeed a veteran in the rice business; he had conveyed her meaning clearly and accurately.

Outside the main hall, five or six people entered one after another, standing in various small groups.

“Did everyone hear clearly? Then speak,” Li Sangrou gestured to the group.

“With just a small flag and a single sentence, you think this rice merchant business belongs to you? That’s too much!” one of the rice merchant heads, who arrived later, said, glancing at Meng Yanqing, who stood with his hands behind his back beside him.

“Then what do you say is not excessive?” Li Sangrou continued, “Is this rice shop yours?”

Li Sangrou looked at each of the rice shops, from Zhu Changsheng at the Dongshui Gate to the rest.

“Do you all not think that with the new Emperor and the outbreak of war during the New Year holidays, this opportunity has come your way and that this rice shop should be yours?” Li Sangrou laughed. “Which of you has the ability to protect your rice shop?

If you think you have that ability, then take it back from me. If you take it back, I will respectfully call you ‘Big Boss’!”

The hall was silent.

“Anyone want to try?” After a moment, Li Sangrou asked again.

“Since you know the rice shop is not ours, if you want to take it, you should go to the owner. Coming to us now is just making things difficult for us,” the former shopkeeper said, forcing a smile.

Li Sangrou did not speak but looked at the head of the rice shops at Caihe South Wharf.

The head of the Caihe South Wharf guild raised his head, met Li Sangrou’s gaze, and immediately looked away, reluctantly saying, “That flag from yesterday is in the hands of the Boss.”

“Which one of you is the head accountant?” Li Sangrou ignored the previous guild leader and scanned the five groups of men, asking.

From each group, one person hesitated, glancing around before stepping forward.

“Take them to seal the tents,” Li Sangrou gestured to Meng Yanqing.

“Yes,” Meng Yanqing readily agreed, walking to the door, beckoning in several men, and pushing the five head accountants out of the hall.

“This is Jianle City; this is a place where the law prevails!” Two or three guild leaders stepped forward together, glaring angrily at Li Sangrou.

“The law,” Li Sangrou said, looking at Meng Yanqing, who had returned from the main hall. “Do you really want to discuss the law? Who wants to discuss the law? Step forward, and we will discuss the law.

I am always fair. You decide how to discuss it, and we will do it that way.

Who wants to discuss the law?”

Li Sangrou stood up and went to each of the guild leaders, asking them one by one.

“Which of you is qualified to uphold the law?

Yesterday, I told Master Lu that every trade is like a mountain, and I asked him to rely on you all to manage the rice business well.

It’s precisely because of this distinction that I kept you all here, instead of arguing with you one by one about the law.

Besides the saying ‘every trade is like a mountain,’ there’s another saying: ‘If Zhang the butcher dies, does that mean we have to eat pigs?'”

Li Sangrou paused, her gaze turning cold as she scrutinized each person. “I’ve always been merciful, and I will give you a chance to redeem yourselves and atone for your sins.

If you do not want this chance, I do not mind uprooting your entire family and clan from Jianle City, wiping them out completely.

I will give you ten days. After ten days, the entire rice market in Jianle City will operate according to my rules.”

“So, for these ten days, will the rice business be shut down?” Zhu Changsheng kept glancing at Lu Hepeng, asking cautiously.

“The rice shop must not stop for a single day, not a single mistake,” Li Sangrou said, squinting at Zhu Changsheng, enunciating each word clearly.

“The boss’s rules are completely different from before, a huge change. Just instructing the subordinates on what to do takes ten days to half a month. In between…” Zhu Changsheng glanced at the other shop leaders.

“Why are you late today?” Li Sangrou ignored Zhu Changsheng and stood in front of one of the late shop leaders, asking.

“My home is on Quyuan Street. There were too many people on Maxing Street; it was so congested I could not move,” the shop leader instinctively offered an excuse.

“And you?” Li Sangrou asked the second late shop leader.

“Me too. I happened to be there when the court session ended, so I had to avoid it.”

“And you?”

“I was halfway there when the wheel broke down.”

“My horse twisted its leg; changing horses delayed me.”

“I had diarrhea this morning…”

…

After listening to their explanations, Li Sangrou turned to Zhu Changsheng and smiled, “You see, it’s all out of necessity. If they are late again next time, they will have other reasons.

If every time they are late, a finger is cut off, do you think they’d still have so many reasons?”

Li Sangrou then looked at the latecomers. “You’ve just joined my ranks; I cannot punish you without teaching you properly. I will let it go this time. As for next time, Hei Ma, tell them your boss’s rules.”

“Yes!” Hei Ma puffed out his chest. “The boss has decreed: first time late, one finger cut off; second time late, one hand cut off; third time late, one leg cut off!”

“Did you all hear that?” Li Sangrou looked around, her gaze landing on Zhu Changsheng. “Do you think anyone will be late next time?”

Zhu Changsheng’s face paled, and he forced a smile. “Boss, it’s really…”

“Before you tell me your difficulties, consider whether you are truly powerless to solve them.

If you are truly powerless, I have no choice but to take responsibility.

The difficulties you are talking about, you…you really have no way to resolve them?” Li Sangrou asked Zhu Changsheng.

“The Boss ordered it to be fixed in ten days, but in the meantime, there have been countless troubles,” Zhu Changsheng said, forcing a smile.

“How many more days until the accounts of the Dongshui Gate Rice Shop are cleared up?” Li Sangrou turned to Lu Hepeng and asked.

“They will be settled by tomorrow morning,” Lu Hepeng hurriedly replied, bowing.

“Please send Zhu, the head of the shop, home to rest. Have someone keep an eye on the Zhu family; they are only allowed to enter, not leave,” Li Sangrou instructed Meng Yanqing.

“Yes.” Meng Yanqing raised his hand, and one of the Yunmeng Guards closest to Zhu Changsheng stepped forward and dragged him out.

“Boss, I did not…” Zhu Changsheng did not finish his sentence before the Yunmeng Guard grabbed his chin and dragged him out.

“Your name is Cheng Shixiong?” Li Sangrou looked at the head of the Nanshui Gate.

“Yes.” Cheng Shixiong’s face turned pale with fright.

“You will be in charge for ten days,” Li Sangrou ordered, then looked at the crowd and said coldly, “Is anyone else going home to wait?”

Seeing the crowd silent, Li Sangrou sneered, “Very well. For these ten days, every other morning, I will come here to hear how you are doing.

That’s all for today. You can discuss it first.

Master Lu, stay and listen.”

Li Sangrou spoke, then strode out of the room.

Da Chang and Hei Ma followed behind, and Meng Yanqing also came out closely.

Exiting the rice shop at Dongshui Gate, Li Sangrou looked at Meng Yanqing and instructed, “Leave some people to watch over this place, awaiting Master Lu’s orders. For the next ten days or so, the most crucial thing is managing the rice shops everywhere.

How’s your manpower? Is it enough to manage?”

“Enough! Although everyone’s getting on in years, they can still handle these small tasks,” Meng Yanqing replied energetically.

Li Sangrou and Da Chang mounted their horses and went back, leaving Hei Ma behind. After Meng Yanqing had inspected the area, they mounted their horses and went to look at the houses together.

……………………

Li Sangrou returned to Shunfeng Shop and was looking at the list of names Meng Yanqing had given her. She had only read half of it when she heard a shout, “Boss, the Princess is here!”

Li Sangrou turned around and saw Princess Ninghe already crossing the courtyard, heading straight for her.

“Huh, what’s going on?” Facing the angry aura that Princess Ninghe brought, Li Sangrou instinctively leaned back in her chair.

“Big brother!” Princess Ninghe stomped her foot angrily. “He insisted on sending Ah Fei to my place!”

“Ah Fei?” Li Sangrou paused, then realized who Ah Fei was.

“Why send Ah Fei to your place? What happened?” Li Sangrou stood up, pressed Princess Ninghe down to sit, poured her a cup of tea, and handed it to her. “Have some tea, calm down.”

“Who knows!” Princess Ninghe took the tea and angrily gulped it down.

“She came to my place yesterday evening, crying as soon as she walked in. I did not know why she was crying, so I asked her, ‘What’s wrong? Did something happen at home? Who bullied you?’ Is that not how everyone talks, right?”

Princess Ninghe looked genuinely angry; she could barely speak.

“She said to me, ‘How dare you ask me!’ I was stunned. She was crying; was it because of me? I asked her, and she ran to the courtyard crying. I had someone pull her back, and she said to me, ‘You just want us to die, do you not?’

Tell me, what kind of talk is that?

I was furious.

Before, she was petty and got angry easily, but at least there was a reason. This time, what is this?

I was really angry, so I ignored her.

When she stopped crying, I asked her, ‘When did I want her to die?’

She said that my Eldest Brother sent her mother to the imperial mausoleum, sent her Second and Third Brothers away, and even sent her to me, saying that my Eldest Brother is trying to break up their family and make them die one by one.

I did not know what was going on, but Palace Lady Jiang knew. Palace Lady Jiang said that her mother went to the imperial mausoleum because there was no one to take care of the King, and her Second and Third Brothers were on official duties in Jianle City and had not gone out at all!

I was furious, so I started arguing with her.

It’s infuriating!”

“You lost the argument?” Li Sangrou raised an eyebrow.

“No, I won!” Princess Ninghe raised her head.

“Why are you still angry if you won?” Li Sangrou smiled.

“I am furious! How can she be so unreasonable? My Eldest Brother did not do anything to them.

The imperial family members all desperately want a position, a path to advancement. My Eldest Brother sent my Second Brother to serve under Pan Dingshan and my Third Brother to the Imperial Workshops—the same place Master Wen used to be in charge! Both are crucial positions.

Palace Lady Gong said that with the war going on, these two places offer excellent opportunities for merit and promotion if one works hard.

Is this a bad thing?

Her mother is not going to the imperial mausoleum; she’s going to take care of her father. She said my Eldest Brother harmed her mother. What does she mean by that? Does her mother not want to take care of her father?” Princess Ninghe’s anger flared again as she spoke.

“Good question!” Li Sangrou clapped her hands.

“Why do you look like you are watching a joke?” Princess Ninghe glanced at Li Sangrou.

“You argued with her like that?” Li Sangrou asked with a smile.

“Hmm.” Princess Ninghe uttered a single, drawn-out “hmm,” carrying a hint of “I said it, so be it.”

“Then she should be angry,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“This morning, she got up late, and I waited for her. I could not eat first; I had to wait for her to eat together, right? But she said she was full just looking at me and would not eat. Tell me, is that not infuriating?” Princess Ninghe slammed her cup on the table in anger.

“It is quite infuriating.” Li Sangrou nodded.

“I really want to hit her!” Princess Ninghe clenched her fist and punched her knee.

“Then give her a beating,” Li Sangrou quickly replied. “Can you beat her?”

“I was just saying.” Princess Ninghe glanced at Li Sangrou again.

“I am not just saying. If you want to beat her, then beat her. You will see how satisfying it is. Can you beat her?” Li Sangrou asked with concern.

“If she’s with me and a fight breaks out, Palace Lady Jiang and the others will definitely side with her, and she will definitely win.” Princess Ninghe glanced at Li Sangrou again.

“Then next time you feel like hitting her, just give her a good beating,” Li Sangrou suggested earnestly.

“Forget it, I am not angry anymore. She’s quite pitiful. You know, she does not even know her father has become a monk. Sigh, forget it, I will not hold it against her,” Princess Ninghe sighed repeatedly.

Li Sangrou smiled as she poured another cup of tea and handed it to Princess Ninghe.