Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 539 My Heart Is Scattered

Chen Yixiu stood there, stunned, and the room fell completely silent.

Xie Yuyan continued, "However, I can understand everyone's thoughts. The porcelain warehouse was set up by Han Si. If I were the manager, things might change. It's best to keep the money in your pocket."

“I am different from Han Si. The benefits you get from Han Si may not be available to me, but I have things that Han Si does not. That is why some people are willing to give up their contracts and leave Bianjing first.”

"But some people cling to the contract, guarding the benefits they have."

"The reason I didn't say it outright was to give everyone some time to see the current situation clearly. Han Si didn't lose to me during the porcelain guild's nomination; he violated the laws of Daliang and was imprisoned. How many people died on the Bian River that night in order to arrest them? It even alarmed a high monk to go and perform a ritual for their souls. Who can erase the result of so much bloodshed and loss of life?"

"So it's impossible for anyone to bring Han Si back."

"If you want to replace me as the head of this department, you'll have to see what you're capable of."

After Xie Yuyan finished speaking, the merchants in the room all changed color. Some of them had a hint of anger in their eyes, and if it weren't for the authority Xie Yuyan displayed, they would have let it out.

Shouldn't new and old officials reassure people and promise not to mistreat them, only taking action against those who are restless once their positions are secure?

But Xie Yuyan seemed to have no intention of hiding anything from the beginning; he was incredibly ambitious. No one dared to refute him, because they could smell the bloodshed in Xie Yuyan's words.

Xie Yuyan continued, "If you want to secure your position as the elder, you have to let everyone benefit. We all know how Han Si got his benefits. If you want to go back to Han Si's time, you can only take over the work that Han Si did. Who among you wants that?"

The advantage of Hansi came from smuggling salt and tea.

The implication in Xie Niangzi's words was that these people still had these things on their minds.

Before Chen Yixiu could speak, a merchant hurriedly said, "We don't want those things, we just... we're talking about the deal in the contract."

"Yes, it's just a sale on a contract."

Xie Yuyan ignored these questions and continued, "Did you want to gain profit or status by making this fuss? Or perhaps both? Gaining profit is easy; it's just a matter of dividing some money. Bianjing is so prosperous, and you already have businesses. Plus, the border markets have opened. If you do business properly, you won't have to worry about not making a profit."

"As for the position of Elder Xing, there are so many of you, but there is only one position. Whether it is worth risking your lives to support someone else is something only you know."

Chen Yixiu felt that many eyes were looking in his direction, and he immediately felt extremely uncomfortable.

Xie Yuyan looked at everyone and smiled, saying, "Han Si is a prisoner, and I am the new head of the bank. Do you think you would feel more at ease with a contract signed by Han Si than with one I give you?"

The room remained silent, but a few merchants quietly raised their heads and exchanged glances.

"Let me just say something all at once," Xie Yuyan said. "Not everyone can get a new contract. I will only give merchants who submit contracts to the porcelain shop ten days to consider. If they still don't want to change it by then, they won't need to change it later."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yixiu immediately had a bad feeling, as if Xie Yuyan's words were particularly important. While he was distracted, someone couldn't wait to ask.

"Does Master Xing mean that if we don't replace the old contract with a new one, the old contract is useless?"

Xie Yuyan said, "Of course not. Your contracts have a term, which is as long as four years or as short as two years. If you don't change the contract, the amount and price signed on it shall prevail and cannot be changed again until the agreed date."

"However... you only have one chance. You should go back and think carefully. Once you've made your decision, even if you change your mind, don't come looking for me."

This made the merchants uneasy, and they all felt that there was something wrong with the contract in their hands.

Is there something they didn't understand?
But now no one can voice their doubts; they can only go back and carefully read the contract several times.

After Xie Yuyan finished speaking, he stood up and said, "I've said everything I need to say. When the time comes, go to the porcelain shop. Regardless of whether the contract is changed or not, you will be able to get the goods."

They all knew that altering the deed would result in receiving fewer goods, but...

Chen Yixiu seized the opportunity and asked, "Can we take away the full amount of goods without altering the contract?" Xie Yuyan's gaze was firm, and he uttered only one word: "Yes."

After Xie Yuyan had been gone for a long time, the merchants in the main room finally stood up and prepared to leave.

When they arrived, everyone surrounded Chen Yixiu, but now they are gathered in twos and threes, clearly wanting to secretly discuss countermeasures.

"Old Xing made it very clear just now," Chen Yixiu couldn't help but say as he left the courtyard, "Even if we don't change the contract, we will still receive the full amount of goods. Since that's the case, we don't need to worry."

"I just don't know if the porcelain warehouse has enough goods?"

No sooner had Chen Yixiu finished speaking than a merchant said, "If the old man says it's there, then it is."

Chen Yixiu frowned. They had come to Xie Yuyan's door to pressure him, but Xie Yuyan had managed to make everyone forget about the perfume shop with just a few words. Instead, they were thinking about whether or not to sign a new contract.

Chen Yixiu said, "They didn't say they'd give it to our perfume shop, yet you still want to sign?"

The merchants paused for a moment, then said one after another, "Of course not."

"Yes, we can't sign it."

"Unless you give us the perfume shop."

Chen Yixiu breathed a sigh of relief: "We still have a few days to think it over, so there's no need for everyone to rush."

After everyone left the dock, they dispersed. Watching Chen Yixiu leave, a few merchants huddled together and whispered, "Are they really not going to sign? They're not even going to look at the contract?"

“Of course we should look at it,” the other said. “Looking at the contract doesn’t mean we have to sign a new one. What’s wrong with taking a closer look? It’s best to compare it with the new contract.”

The important thing is that this new contract wasn't signed casually. They had already missed the perfume shop, and if they delayed any longer, the new contract would be lost.

……

Xie Yuyan returned to the house, and Zhang Shi stepped forward and said, "Are you really going to let them take away the full amount of porcelain if some of them refuse to sign the new contract?"

Xie Yuyan nodded.

Knowing that Xie Yuyan had sent someone to purchase porcelain, Zhang asked, "Is what we bought enough for our needs?"

“Not enough,” Xie Yuyan said. “Han Si signed too many contracts in order to make a profit from the trade at the border market. If they all come looking for me, no matter how much I buy, it won’t be enough. Besides, news of my purchase of porcelain will eventually spread, and the price of porcelain will rise accordingly. We don’t have that much extra money to cover the costs.”

Zhang asked anxiously, "Then... what should we do?"

Xie Yuyan smiled and said, "As long as we can handle the present, we can wait until the people in the future are willing to switch to the new contracts."

Zhang didn't know how many people she had to deal with: "I still have some money on me, take it if you need it..."

Xie Yuyan shook his head and said, "The price of porcelain agreed on in their contract is the market price from the beginning of last year. Now that the market has opened, the price of porcelain has already risen."

"Furthermore, many of the porcelains they want come from major kilns. I had Xiaoshan take most of the money he earned from the perfume business recently, so the amount of porcelain he brought back was limited."

Zhang had no idea about these things, after all, the Yang family porcelain kiln was just a small, unknown kiln.

Xie Yuyan said, "Therefore, it's not enough for me to do it alone; we need to bring in more people."

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