Mo Sang – CH 161

Chapter 161. Just a Trip

Li Sangrou, leading Da Chang and half of the Yunmeng Guards, arrived at the post station outside Yangzhou City around midnight.

Just as dawn broke and the city gates opened a crack, Old Xu slipped through and headed straight for the Huainan East Road Commander’s Mansion.

Commander Luo was already up, absentmindedly practicing the Five Animal Frolics in the courtyard.

He knew the big boss had arrived in Yangzhou before the Sang character flag was even hung up.

The staff left in the capital had already written a detailed account of the Jianle City rice shop matter.

It was clear that the rice shop reform was not the big boss’s idea, but the Emperor’s.

After learning about the Jianle City rice shop, he had people keep an eye on the movements of the various rice shops in Huainan East Road.

The others were alright, but the Yangzhou rice shop was backed by the Cao family; everyone in Yangzhou with eyes to see that was perfectly clear.

In the past, when the Marquis of Yongping’s mansion was at its zenith, he would not have hesitated to treat the Cao family however they pleased; he still had that much backbone.

But now, the Marquis of Yongping’s mansion was gone; Worthy Consort Shen had passed away with the late Emperor, and the Second Prince had become a monk. If he were to do anything to the Cao family now, he would surely be branded as someone who kicks someone when they are down.

That reputation was unpleasant and taboo.

As Commander Luo practiced, his mind wandered. A servant rushed in: “Master, there’s a man surnamed Xu in the front office requesting an audience. He says he was sent by Boss Li of Shunfeng; it’s urgent, and he needs to see you immediately.”

“Quickly, bring him in! Wait, I am coming!” Commander Luo immediately stopped his practice and hurried towards the front office.

Just as he was thinking, the man arrived!

Old Xu stood ramrod straight beside the screen wall of the Commander’s office, hands behind his back, arms slightly apart, looking like he was on duty.

Seeing Commander Luo stride over, Old Xu bowed deeply after taking seven or eight steps back, straightened up, and got straight to business.

“Qian Dongsheng, the head of the Yangzhou rice merchants, colluded with Zhang Zheng, the garrison commander of Jiangdu City in Southern Liang, to kidnap Zou Wang and his son, the head manager of Shunfeng Rice Shop. Using Zou Wang and his son as bait, they planned to ambush and kill our leader outside Jiangning City, but our leader saw through the plan and killed them in retaliation.

We captured twenty or thirty archers from the Qian family in Jiangning City, as well as the Liang army commander who was ambushed and killed across the river, and have already handed them over to the Jiangning City garrison commander’s office.

Last night, Qian Dongsheng, along with one or two hundred guards, fled with his entire family. We fought valiantly, killing and wounding some guards, but we could not stop Qian Dongsheng and his family. The incident occurred near Taoye Village, where the wounded and captured Qian family guards were also located.

Our leader ordered that the captured members of the Qian family and the Qian residence be handed over to Commander Luo for disposal. Commander Luo, please arrange for men to accompany me to the vicinity of Taoye Village for the handover.”

Old Xu finished speaking in one breath, and Commander Luo gasped several times.

Colluding with the Southern Liang to ambush and kill Boss Li—this single sentence alone caused countless waves, a complete upheaval!

“Wait a moment. Quickly summon Lieutenant General Bai and have him gather two hundred men. Come immediately, the sooner the better,” Commander Luo immediately ordered.

Old Xu took two steps forward and stood by the screen wall, waiting for Lieutenant General Bai to arrive.

“Have Master Huang go with General Wang to surround the Qian residence. Arrest all of Qian’s servants! Better to be safe than sorry! Arrest them first.

Summon Commissioner Xie, Commissioner Liu, and Commissioner Jin. Tell them something serious has happened and they must come immediately, the sooner the better!”

Commander Luo issued a series of orders.

Lieutenant General Bai was stationed near the Commander’s residence and was currently leading his troops in morning training. Gathering his men and arriving quickly, he received Commander Luo’s orders and, following Old Xu, hurriedly headed to the place where the Qian family’s four large ships had been moored.

……………………

Not long after Old Xu left, Dong Chao entered the post station, went inside, and headed straight for the warm bed. He poured himself two cups of tea and drank them before speaking.

“Alright!”

“Sit down and catch your breath. Datou, get Old Dong a bowl of rice gruel,” Li Sangrou instructed calmly.

Datou quickly ladled out a large bowl of half-cooled rice gruel and handed it to Dong Chao, who drank it down in one gulp and let out a long sigh.

“That feels better. Following the Boss’s instructions, we left a few men to watch over the boatmen and guards, and then quickly rowed our two boats back.

We waited outside the Nanshui Gate for a while, and as soon as it opened, we came in. We were already moored at the dock, right next to the Boss’s boat. We came over as soon as we moored,” Dong Chao placed his hands on his knees, very respectfully.

“Rest a bit, eat something, and then we will go check out the rice shop,” Li Sangrou gestured to Dong Chao.

Dong Chao agreed. Datou quickly brought over a bowl and chopsticks, while Xiao Lu moved a stool. Dong Chao thanked them and sat down to eat.

Not long after, everyone finished getting ready, mounted their horses, and headed straight for the rice shop.

……………………

Since Wu Huaiyi cut off transportation between the north and south of the Yangtze River last year, business at Yangzhou’s rice shops had plummeted.

After the war broke out this year, rice boats from nearby prefectures and counties that were originally destined for Yangzhou, to avoid the risks, first traveled north by land, bypassing Yangzhou and selling their rice to shops north of Yangzhou.

Furthermore, many wealthy families, both inside and outside Yangzhou, had moved north to escape the war, leaving countless mansions empty in the city and countless fertile fields outside the city unsold.

Business at Yangzhou’s rice shops had worsened even further.

When Li Sangrou and her group arrived at the Yangzhou rice shops, they found them deserted.

In the rice-selling and payment hall, the accountants and brokers huddled together in small groups, whispering amongst themselves. In the courtyard, the rice porters, in groups of three or five, listlessly chatted. With no business at the rice shops, they had no work; without work, there was no money; their families were almost starving. Alas! Li Sangrou, leading Da Chang and the others, entered the rice shop’s main hall amidst the watchful eyes of the porters.

“Who’s in charge?” Li Sangrou asked, standing in the middle of the hall and looking at the crowd.

“Old Master Qian is not here today.” A withered old man in his fifties stood up and bowed.

“Qian Dongsheng took his family and fled to Southern Liang last night. What’s your surname?” Li Sangrou said calmly.

The withered old man paused but did not seem too surprised.

The others in the hall, however, stared wide-eyed in disbelief, and after a moment, a buzz of discussion broke out.

“My surname is Yan.”

“Guild Elder Yan.” Li Sangrou smiled and nodded at Guild Elder Yan.

“I do not deserve such praise.” Guild Elder Yan shrank back slightly at Li Sangrou’s address.

“Are Guild Elder Qiu and Guild Elder Zhang here?” Li Sangrou asked, glancing around at Guild Elder Yan.

“They are all here,” Guild Elder Yan replied, bowing slightly. “Little Fourth, go and call them.”

Guild Elder Qiu and Guild Elder Zhang were in the accounting room behind the hall. They arrived in the blink of an eye, and Li Sangrou looked at Guild Elder Yan.

“My surname is Li. From now on, I will temporarily serve as the head of this rice shop,” Li Sangrou said, looking at the three of them.

Guild Elder Qiu was pale, his head drooping, his back slumped.

Guild Elder Zhang looked somewhat dazed. After a moment, he sighed.

“Have you seen the booklet of new rules for the rice shop that I had someone send over a while ago?” Li Sangrou looked at the three, who clearly knew a lot about the inside story, and did not ask any further questions.

“No, we have not seen it. But I know a little about this matter. I heard it from Guild Elder Mo of the Shanyang Rice Shop. Guild Elder Mo also showed me that booklet,” Guild Elder Zhang replied, his hands hanging down.

“Da Chang, give them another copy,” Li Sangrou instructed, watching Da Chang hand the booklet to Guild Elder Zhang. She continued, “Take a good look at it, discuss it, and see what to do. I will come back tomorrow at dawn to hear your thoughts.”

After speaking, Li Sangrou turned to leave when Guild Elder Yan suddenly called out, “Master Yan…”

Li Sangrou stopped and looked at Guild Elder Yan.

Guild Elder Yan’s lips trembled as he mustered his courage and said, “My daughter, my daughter…”

“Is it Qian Dongsheng’s concubine? Is that what you are talking about?” Li Sangrou interjected.

Guild Elder Yan nodded repeatedly. “I mean, Old Master Qian fled to Southern Liang. I did not know… Old Master Qian originally came from Southern Liang. I really did not know…”

Guild Elder Yan’s words became increasingly incoherent, and a fine layer of sweat beaded on his forehead.

This morning, when he passed by the Qian family mansion, it was already completely surrounded.

The Qian family fled to Southern Liang, which was treason and collusion with the enemy. If implicated, their lives could be lost in an instant.

From morning till now, his heart had been in turmoil.

“Qian Dongsheng’s collusion with Southern Liang is a matter for the government to handle. If you are involved, the government will determine your crime and punish you according to the law. If you are not involved, that’s for the best.

These matters are beyond my control, and I do not want to. I only care if you can do the work I’ve assigned you,” Li Sangrou said slowly, looking at Guild Elder Yan and Guild Elder Qiu, who were listening intently.

Li Sangrou left the hall, glanced around the back warehouse, left the rice shop, and strolled into Yangzhou City.

The group walked through three or four streets, entering some of the busiest and most prosperous streets in Yangzhou.

On the streets near the dock, one or two shops were open, while three or four were closed. On the busiest streets, it was three or four shops open, and only one or two closed.

A good location really made a difference.

“Why are so many shops closed? This one, selling snails, they can display such a huge flower basket; why is it closed, too? What’s going on?” Hei Ma pointed and gestured as he walked.

“Gentlemen, would you like to take a look at auspicious houses? We have all kinds, big and small; take your pick. Now is a great time to buy, gentlemen…” Several real estate brokers stood on the street, calling out to everyone they saw.

“Hei Ma, go ask about the prices.” Li Sangrou stopped.

“Hmm? Good!” Hei Ma, who was reminiscing about the snail shop, paused for a moment, then turned and beckoned to the broker. “Come here, tell me, what’s the price of this house?”

“Sir, what kind do you want? One, two, or three courtyards? Or five or more with a garden?

We just brought in a small one, right on the next street. It’s a perfectly square three-courtyard house, just renovated last year, and we’ve only lived there for less than six months. If you are serious about it, there’s no hidden price, and we will even cut the commission in half. Forty taels of silver in total!” The broker, beckoned by Hei Ma, rushed over, and before he could even stand up, a torrent of information poured out.

“Sir, this small house, three courtyards with a small garden, is only thirty taels! You will love it at first sight!” Another broker also rushed up.

“Sir, look at my outfit…”

“Sir!”

“Sir, sir!”

…

Before Hei Ma could even lower his raised hand, he was surrounded by the brokers.

Xiao Lu, to Hei Ma’s left, was quick-witted and leaped away. Datou, to Hei Ma’s right, was a beat slower and was also surrounded by the gang brokers.

Da Chang, startled, took two steps back. Mazha and Chuantiao, on Da Chang’s side, followed suit.

Li Sangrou, hands behind her back, raised an eyebrow at Hei Ma, who was instantly surrounded.

“I am just asking! No money! Sir, no money! Not a single penny!” Hei Ma shouted, hurriedly squeezing out and pulling Datou out as well.

“Really…” Hei Ma vigorously straightened his clothes, which were all wrinkled from being squeezed!

“Boss, this house is really cheap. Last time I came, a three-courtyard house would cost at least a hundred or two hundred taels of silver. Sigh, this is really…” Hei Ma shook his head and sighed.

“Xiao Lu, Datou, let’s go buy some houses,” Li Sangrou said, looking at the shops with their doors closed on both sides of the street. “And shops.”

“Huh?” Hei Ma and Da Chang did not react.

“Boss said to buy houses? Shops? Why are we buying houses and shops in Yangzhou? Are we moving to Yangzhou?” Hei Ma caught up with Li Sangrou and asked, puzzled.

“No, we are not moving. We are taking advantage of the low prices to acquire some property,” Li Sangrou said with a smile.

“Hmm? That’s true, we do need to acquire some property!” Hei Ma blinked. Although he did not understand, it did not matter; he got it!

“How big of a house? How many? How many shops?” Hei Ma continued to ask.

“Any size is fine, as long as it’s cheap, buy it all,” Li Sangrou waved her hand.

“Huh?” Hei Ma’s eyes widened, as did Xiao Lu’s and the others’; even Da Chang raised his eyebrows.

“How much will that cost?” Chuantiao gasped.

“Do we have that much silver?” Hei Ma asked cautiously.

“We have two boatloads of gold,” Da Chang looked at Hei Ma and said in a low voice.

“That’s right!” Hei Ma slapped his thigh.

Indeed, they had just received two large boatloads of gold!

“Then I will go! Houses, shops—as long as they are cheap, buy as much as you can!” Hei Ma understood, and his eyebrows flew with excitement. Buying as much as he could—it was like a dream.

“Hmm, if there’s any fertile land, paddy fields, or dry land, as long as it’s cheap, buy it all,” Li Sangrou nodded and added.

“Do not worry, boss!” Hei Ma called out cheerfully, waving to Xiao Lu and Datou. “Let’s go!”

Hei Ma confidently took a few steps to the side, raised his hand, and roared at the houses lining the street, “Come here, all of you! I am buying a house!”

Li Sangrou walked forward without turning her head. Da Chang twisted his head, glancing sideways at the arrogant Hei Ma, utterly speechless.

“Brother Ma is so impressive!” Chuantiao said enviously, nudging Mazha.

“You two go too,” Li Sangrou immediately ordered upon hearing Chuantiao’s words.

“Go, go!” Da Chang grabbed Mazha and Chuantiao, one in each hand, and pushed them back.

Li Sangrou, with Da Chang in tow, toured the entire city of Yangzhou. They returned to the boat as the sun set.

Not long after, Hei Ma led the way, followed by Xiao Lu and the others, who were pushed and shoved, boarding the boat.

“Boss! I’ve found sixteen properties, all in top-notch houses! Even the worst one is a two-courtyard house with blue bricks and tiles, trees, and flowers, and they are cheap, incredibly cheap!” Hei Ma rushed into the cabin, his excitement palpable, before even entering the ship’s hold.

“Brother Ma is amazing! He knows everything about real estate brokers! He knows everything about houses, and he even knows feng shui!” Chuantiao looked at Hei Ma with utmost respect.

“Of course! Brother Ma is a broker who’s been apprenticed to the patriarch! Do not believe me? Go ask Brother Chang! It’s the real deal!” Hei Ma said proudly.

“Has the silver been paid? Has the deed been processed?” Li Sangrou asked Hei Ma.

“Not yet; we arranged to pay the silver and process the deed at the yamen first thing tomorrow morning. They’ve already spoken to the clerk at the yamen, and they will be waiting for us first thing tomorrow morning,” Hei Ma replied hastily.

“How many houses, shops, and fields do the real estate brokers have?” Li Sangrou asked Hei Ma.

“There are seven real estate brokers in Yangzhou. I just looked at one. They said that besides these sixteen houses, they also have seventeen houses and six shops. They mainly deal in houses, not many shops. They do not deal in fertile fields outside the city, but they say they have two that specialize in farmland and estates outside the city,” Hei Ma hurriedly replied.

“Too slow today. No need to look so closely. Just buy.”

“Mazha, go to the boat next door and ask Old Meng to come over,” Li Sangrou instructed Mazha, who was standing on the outermost side.

Mazha responded with a “Yes, boss” and called out from the side of the boat. Meng Yanqing jumped from the Qian family’s large boat, which was loaded with heavy cargo, onto Li Sangrou’s small boat.

“There are many houses and shops available in Yangzhou city, as well as fertile fields outside the city. I plan to buy them. I will select a few people to handle the gold and silver over the next few days and hand them over to Hei Ma for the settlement of houses and shops.

Also, select some more people to thoroughly inspect the houses and shops we’ve bought, as well as the estates.

The estates will certainly have managers, but I will not go into that. Find a family to look after each house, and find a brokerage firm to manage every ten shops. Do not concentrate them all in one brokerage firm; make sure they all have a livelihood.”

Li Sangrou looked at Meng Yanqing and gave him concise and clear instructions.

“Yes. How many houses and shops are there?” Meng Yanqing bowed and asked, wanting to know how many people to select.

“About half a city,” Li Sangrou sighed almost imperceptibly.

“All good houses! Top-quality houses!” Hei Ma clicked his tongue.

“Hmm, those who run away at the first sign of trouble are all wealthy people,” Li Sangrou added.