Chapter 728: The Collapse of Merchant Routes and the Economy

Led by Shopkeeper Qi, Chen Changsheng carried Rong Shili over his shoulder to a residence.

It was a small residence, notable mainly for its peace and quiet. The area was also very safe, with no one around to cause trouble.

"Sorry for the trouble, Shopkeeper Qi," Chen Changsheng said.

Shopkeeper Qi smiled. "No trouble, no trouble at all."

Chen Changsheng settled Rong Shili down. The fellow was quite the heavy sleeper; he still had not woken up.

Shopkeeper Qi said, "Then, Mister, please rest for a moment. I will send someone to a restaurant to buy some food. We can talk after you have eaten."

Chen Changsheng raised a hand. "Shopkeeper Qi, there is no need. This Chen already ate on the way here; I could not eat any more even if I tried."

Shopkeeper Qi simply smiled. "You must eat, you must."

He was terrified of showing inadequate hospitality, and even more afraid that Chen Changsheng might simply slip away.

Chen Changsheng gave a helpless smile. It took a great deal of persuasion before he finally managed to decline the meal.

He could not keep taking advantage of others.

Shopkeeper Qi agreed, but he quickly hurried out the door anyway. It seemed he had not taken Chen Changsheng's refusal to heart; in the blink of an eye, he had sent someone to the restaurant to fetch food.

Chen Changsheng breathed out a sigh, then sat down at the stone table in the courtyard.

He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon.

When he gathered his thoughts, he brought out Paper and Brush.

He decided he really ought to write a letter to check in.

In the letter, he asked about Miss Yun's recent situation—whether she was in good health, if she had run into any difficulties, and next, whether the war had reached her.

After finishing the letter, Chen Changsheng carefully folded it.

When Shopkeeper Qi returned, he brought a food box.

There were five dishes in total.

Chen Changsheng did not know whether to laugh or cry. "When you left earlier, Shopkeeper Qi, didn't you just promise This Chen that you wouldn't go buy food?"

Shopkeeper Qi smiled. "I thought I would save it as a midnight snack for Mister."

Chen Changsheng gave a helpless sigh. "You are far too polite, Shopkeeper Qi."

"It is Mister who shouldn't be so polite."

Just as they were speaking, a voice drifted over.

"What smells so good?"

Chen Changsheng looked back.

He saw that Rong Shili had woken up and come out following the scent of the food.

Chen Changsheng said, "You woke up at just the right time."

Rong Shili chuckled. "That I did."

He then looked at Shopkeeper Qi beside him. "And this is...?"

Shopkeeper Qi cupped his hands. "I am Shopkeeper Qi of the Longyue City Tang Trading Firm."

Rong Shili returned the gesture. "This old man is Rong Shili. I never expected to meet a shopkeeper of the Tang Trading Firm face to face. It is an honor to meet you."

Shopkeeper Qi nodded with a smile.

Rong Shili then asked, "I wonder how Hong Wan, Shopkeeper Hong, is doing these days? In our earlier years, we used to play chess by The Lake. Unfortunately, chaos broke out later, and Shopkeeper Hong returned to the Southlands. I haven't seen him since."

Shopkeeper Qi paused, then replied, "Rest assured, Elder Rong. Shopkeeper Hong returned to his hometown long ago. Because of his advanced age, he no longer serves as a shopkeeper. He now works as a steward at the proprietor's estate, handling lighter tasks."

Upon hearing this, Rong Shili said, "That is good, that is good..."

They sat down to eat.

Even though Shopkeeper Qi could eat no more, he still sat down for a few bites to fulfill his duties as a host, so as not to make his esteemed guests feel awkward.

Chen Changsheng asked, "The trading firm even went to the Northwest?"

Shopkeeper Qi said, "In earlier years, we did indeed, but the Northwest business was opened up later. We had only established the routes for about two years before the state of the world suddenly changed. The shopkeepers in the Northwest were all withdrawn, and now the firm has no business there. Trading in that region is very troublesome. Let alone whether one can make money, just coming back alive is difficult."

Rong Shili paused upon hearing this, then said, "The Northwest isn't quite that chaotic, is it?"

Shopkeeper Qi said, "Elder Rong must be from the Northwest. My words were perhaps a bit offensive, and I hope you will forgive me. But the reality in the Northwest is indeed like this. Bandits run rampant on the roads, and the soldiers constantly abuse their authority to extort and confiscate goods. Couple that with the heavy commercial taxes, and almost every trip results in a loss, so no one goes there anymore."

Rong Shili opened his mouth, but a bitter taste lingered in his heart. He let out a soft sigh, looking helpless.

Chen Changsheng thought for a moment, then said, "When merchant routes are blocked, the economy naturally declines, but that is only secondary. The Northwest has a high elevation and is eroded by sandstorms and drought year-round. They must purchase certain necessities from the outside, which involves merchants, but no one is willing to do business at a loss. If the problem goes unresolved, it will eventually lead to a complete collapse."

This was likely one of the main reasons why the Northwest had fallen into such severe chaos.

Shopkeeper Qi nodded. "Mister is exactly right. The key is that the situation has grown even more severe. Prince Kang's subordinates have no understanding of the importance of the economy. Under these circumstances, they even increased taxes, thinking this would bring in money for disaster relief. In reality, that approach doesn't work at all."

Rong Shili thought about it, looked at Chen Changsheng, and asked, "If it were you, what do you think should be done?"

Chen Changsheng paused upon hearing this, then laughed. "Why ask me? Do you not know what to do yourself? Actually, from This Chen's perspective, it isn't necessarily that Prince Kang's subordinates are useless. The logic here is very simple; it's unlikely that no one has figured it out."

"It is highly likely that people are abusing their power for personal gain, doing this intentionally. If I am not mistaken, the commercial taxes across the various cities in the Northwest are all different—some higher, some lower. They have not been following orders from above at all."

Hearing these words, Shopkeeper Qi said, "Mister is absolutely right."

Hearing this, Rong Shili said, "How could they dare! If Prince Kang were to find out, their ends would be exceptionally gruesome."

Chen Changsheng laughed. "The prerequisite is that he actually finds out. Can you not see such simple logic?"

Of course Rong Shili knew. He was merely overcome by a moment of anger and did not know where to vent it.

He let out a long sigh and fell silent.

Rong Shili said, "Ultimately, the problem lies with those officials."

Chen Changsheng glanced at him, but shook his head. "A situation like this is very difficult to salvage, because the rot is not limited to just one person, but an entire group. The simplest and fastest method would be to tear it all down and start over. Re-establish the laws, win back the hearts of the people, restore a harmonious administration, and reopen merchant routes. Only then might the Northwest have a chance to return to peace and stability."

Shopkeeper Qi did not dare to interject. This was not a conversation he had the courage to join.

Rong Shili paused and said, "Is that the only way?"

"There are other methods, of course," Chen Changsheng said. "You could capture a few key figures and execute them to make an example. That approach works, but it wouldn't last long, and it would easily trigger a mutiny, which would only make things even more chaotic when the time comes."

Rong Shili felt a complex mix of emotions upon hearing this. He opened his mouth and said, "Do you truly have so little faith in Prince Kang?"

Chen Changsheng looked at him. "Do you not understand the reasons yourself? If you still think there is a chance now, are you not just deceiving yourself?"

Rong Shili let out a bitter laugh and fell silent.