Chapter 981 - 820: Tidings

The Baocong Diner in He Xi, roast duck, Golden Duck Blood Fan Soup in Sanpai Building, the Huizhou Restaurant on General Road, stuffed chicken on Hongyun Street...

For several consecutive days, Chen Ji did nothing but lead Yuan Xing and others, searching house by house according to the Wuxiang Morning News, as if he were a foreign food connoisseur who had come from the North, perplexing Jiang Chai and others.

While they sat beside Sweet Water Shop near Jubao Gate eating fermented rice red bean rice balls, Jiang Chai couldn’t help but lower his voice and ask, "Godfather, why don’t we go rebel in Jingjiang? We’re doing nothing worthwhile in Jinling every day."

Chen Ji scooped up a small rice ball with a spoon and chewed it: "Restless?"

Jiang Chai replied honestly, "Restless."

Chen Ji, holding a white porcelain bowl, turned his gaze toward Tongji Gate: "Today is not just to take you strolling. Considering the time, the prisoner transport carrying the Minister of War and the Central Army Governor General should pass by here."

Jiang Chai perked up: "What are we going to do?"

Chen Ji scooped up another rice ball: "Do nothing, just watch what the Eight Great Merchants and the Hu family intend to do."

Jiang Chai’s enthusiasm deflated immediately.

At that moment, a noise was heard in the distance, the cause unknown. Subsequently, thousands of men and women surged into Jubao Gate, all holding wooden sticks, bamboo rods, and stones, chanting: "Cut the trees, lift the sticks, follow me, kill the tax official."

The leading person wielded a straw fan, moving the crowd forward with its motion, stopping when it ceased.

Chen Ji gave Zhou Chang a look, and Zhou Chang immediately put down his porcelain bowl and went outside, returning shortly after to report: "Godfather, these are weavers. They say the court suddenly increased taxes, each loom taxed three coins, regardless of operation, and finished silk taxed another three coins per bolt."

Zhou Chang paused: "These people swore an oath at Xuanni Temple, electing a weaver named Zhan Xian as their leader. They’ve agreed to only target the tax supervisors and their minions, blocking ports to prevent the flow of goods, avoiding plunder of commonfolk, refraining from robbery, and eschewing indiscriminate killing."

Jiang Chai’s eyes lit up: "Godfather, this tax rise neither comes early nor late, erupting precisely today, likely related to the prisoner transport of the Minister of War. This is undoubtedly a familiar Jiangnan gentry tactic, though their exact aims for exploiting these commonfolk are unclear."

Chen Ji acknowledged with a hum, continuing leisurely to eat the rice balls.

Seeing the thousand weavers crowded in front of Jubao Gate, raucous and gathered, after ten minutes, a commotion arose at the rear of the group. Jiang Chai pulled Yuan Xing, sprang out the gate, and stuck a hand on Yuan Xing’s shoulder, jumping up to see.

Upon landing, he shouted to Chen Ji: "The prisoner transport is here!"

In the next moment, someone among the weavers shouted: "That’s Wang Changzhen, the biggest official in the Capital, and his lackey, the Central Army Governor General. Instead of resisting the Japanese pirates, they’re constantly terrorizing the commonfolk!"

"Throw things at them!"

Chaos erupted at Jubao Gate, Chen Ji was still eating rice balls, when suddenly a dozen weavers rushed into the Sweet Water Shop to survey. One person approached Chen Ji, snatched the porcelain bowl from his hand, and together with the others swept away bowls and plates from the tables, rushing out.

Chen Ji’s hand was stuck mid-air, Old Ears laughed heartily: "Caught up in eating, now there’s nothing left for you."

Chen Ji sighed: "It was rather tasty."

Outside Sweet Water Shop, over a hundred Jiefan Guard escorted the prisoner transport, and the weavers hurled bowls, vegetables, eggs into the transport, the Jiefan Guard unable to stop them.

Chen Ji suddenly spoke: "These two are going to die. Seems the Eight Great Merchants and Wang Changzhen are deeply involved, and won’t allow him to live."

"Hmm?" Yuan Xi queried: "Godfather, should we intervene? These two are key witnesses against the Hu family. If they die, won’t the Hu family continue to thrive?"

Chen Ji shook his head: "No need to intervene."

Immediately after he finished, Wang Changzhen in the prisoner transport let out a ghastly shout, a line of blood spurting from his neck, splattering the bystanders with blood.

There was a momentary silence at Jubao Gate, everyone present was frozen by the sudden twist. Despite throwing so many things, no one knew what had actually severed Wang Changzhen’s neck.

Before the weavers could react, the Central Army Governor General also started convulsing, his chest soaked in blood.

Someone shouted: "They’re dead!"

Thousands scattered, fleeing out of Jubao Gate, the Jiefan Guard shouted angrily: "Stop them!"

Some Jiefan Guard opened the transport to provide aid, but both men were struck fatally, even an Immortal couldn’t save them. Other Jiefan Guard blocked the path, preventing civilian escape, but with a few pushes from the mass, the blockade was broken.

The Jiefan Guard only managed to capture a few dozen people, the rest vanished swiftly.

Jiang Chai and Yuan Xing returned to the Sweet Water Shop: "Godfather, what now, the Hu family is so brazen."

Chen Ji thought for a moment: "It’s not the Hu family."

Jiang Chai was curious: "Then who?"

Chen Ji didn’t answer and started heading out: "Let’s leave, somewhere else."

Jiang Chai perked up: "Where does Godfather intend to go?"

Chen Ji pulled out the Wuxiang Morning News, read it for a while: "Visit the Confucius Temple, I’ve heard there’s quite a gathering of tens of thousands Jiangnan scholars near the temple, it should be lively."

Jiang Chai was exasperated: "Is this really the time for strolling?"

Yuan Xing chuckled: "You don’t get it, the Wuxiang Morning News was written specifically for Godfather."

Chen Ji glanced at him.

Yuan Xing coughed lightly, "Godfather, I remember reading in the Wuxiang Morning News about the painting boat on the Qinhuai River, mentioning a monk being teased by a songstress on board. We’ve been to other places, shouldn’t we also visit the painting boat?"

Chen Ji pondered for a moment, "We’ll go tonight."

Yuan Xing’s eyes lit up.

The group left the Sweet Water Shop and headed north to find the Confucius Temple. As they passed Vassal Street, Chen Ji glanced inside intentionally or unintentionally, where the Capital City Office was located.

But he did not stop and continued northward.

Shortly after their departure, a middle-aged man strode briskly into the government office without the gatekeeper obstructing him.

...

...

The middle-aged man passed through the deep courtyard of the office to the back hall, where Hu Junye was seated leisurely in the Chief’s Taishi Chair, slowly saying, "The Eight Great Merchants claim their spies are everywhere in Jiangnan; how come they can’t find a few missing persons?"

The Ji Family Shopkeeper bowed and said, "Reporting to Mr. Hu, we’ve sent people to check inns, brothels, theaters, and baths. We’ve gathered over three hundred suspicious individuals, but after verification, none are the ones we’re looking for."

Wang Dequan echoed, "Yes, we’ve been searching for so many days without seeing them. Perhaps they haven’t come to Jinling but went somewhere else?"

Hu Junye said carelessly, "You are in Jinling; the Zhang Family is also in Jinling. If they don’t come to Jinling, where else would they go? Even if you can’t find the Anti-Japanese Army group, you should at least pull out the Wuxiang Morning News and the Salt Gang people; why can’t you find them either?"

Wang Dequan said no more.

Hu Junye turned and looked, "Hu Yue, has anyone contacted the Zhang Family these days?"

Hu Yue responded from the corner, "No, Mr. Hu. However, Second Miss Zhang just returned to Jinling yesterday. I don’t know if she met anyone on the way. Additionally, Prince Fu is back and brought the Qi family ladies and Xu Chuanyin."

"Do not focus on His Highness, that’s rebellion," Hu Junye instructed, "Keep a close watch on the Zhang Family, personally lead people to monitor them. They will surely meet someone sooner or later."

Hu Yue bowed and said, "Yes."

The Ji Family Shopkeeper suddenly hesitated, "This group is from the North; upon arriving in Jinling, might they be sightseeing everywhere? We could place people at the Confucius Temple and Qinhuai River to catch any clues."

Wang Dequan chuckled, "Coming to Jinling just for pleasure at this critical time, how bold must they be? Besides, we don’t know what they look like, even if they pass by the office gates, we couldn’t recognize them."

As he spoke, he turned to an old man with graying hair opposite him, "The Liu Family Store Manager seems to have some poise; we haven’t heard a word from you these days. This group has dealt with customs duties, and the next slash will be the salt tax. You Liu Family hold two-tenths of the market’s salt permits for the Yang family, how can you sit still?"

The Liu Family Store Manager raised his eyes to look at him, "Lianghuai Salt Merchants are not only my Liu family; didn’t the Gu Family Store Manager remain calm as well? But since Boss Wang brought this up, I, Liu, would like to ask Boss Wang, what do you think my Liu family should do?"

Wang Dequan remained silent.

At this moment, Hu Junye looked up at the middle-aged man outside the door, "What news?"

The middle-aged man bowed and said, "Mr. Hu, Wang Changzhen and Chen Baoting were escorted back to Jinling by Jiefan Guard but were killed in chaos during a disturbance by weavers at Jubao Gate!"

Upon hearing this, the various store managers who had been long trapped in the office showed different expressions. Some let out a long breath, some shifted their posture, while some remained mildly indifferent.

Hu Junye’s gaze swept over their faces one by one before he slowly said, "You couldn’t find the people, but you were swift in silencing them."

The Eight Great Merchants sat in the hall with some discomfort but dared not randomly speak.

Only the Ji Family Shopkeeper stood up and said, "Mr. Hu, this matter has temporarily concluded. Who knows when this group will appear again? May I ask if we can return and meet with the Landlords so they can learn about the situation and utilize their connections to find this group... Staying in the government office all the time isn’t feasible; each family has businesses to attend to."

Hu Junye smiled, "What, feel like the major situation has been settled, and you want to leave the office and find another opportunity?"

The Ji Family Shopkeeper hurriedly bowed, "I dare not."

Hu Junye slowly rose, "Rest assured, the Chief position cannot be decided this time; Your Majesty requires far more than this. I want to ask, if the Zhang family doesn’t achieve the Chief position this time, then what? They offered the Xu family’s two ports to His Majesty this time, what will they offer next time? It can only be the salt tax."

Hu Junye said meaningfully, "Remember, I came to Jiangnan not to have you assist me, but for me to help you through this crisis. All right, go back now."

After speaking, Hu Junye turned towards the office quarters, while the Eight Great Merchants exchanged glances and hurriedly exited the government office to their respective carriages.

Only the Ji Family Shopkeeper did not rush; he slowly walked out of the office, where Ji family servants held the carriage and laid out the footstool at the door.

The Ji Family Shopkeeper climbed into the carriage and let out a long breath.

The coachman asked through the curtain, "Store Manager, where to?"

The Ji Family Shopkeeper calmly replied, "Qi Shui Pavilion."

The carriage slowly moved and eventually stopped in a small alley, where there was only one household with the sign of Qi Shui Pavilion.

The Ji Family Shopkeeper lifted his clothing hem, got off the carriage, and walked alone into the pavilion, which was silent without a sound, eerily quiet.

As he reached deeper inside, he gradually heard the sound of flowing water. Moving forward a little more, the space suddenly opened up with a small pavilion beside the stream, and the water was live water drawn from the Qinhuai River.

The pavilion housed a middle-aged scholar who was holding a handful of fish food, pinching but not throwing it.

The Ji Family Shopkeeper arrived outside the pavilion, bowed deeply, "Lord Di Ting, I have returned."