Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 189 A Citywide Feast
The King of Qin stayed in Yangguan for a while longer, causing quite a stir.

The Zhenxi Army initially had reservations about the opening of the new trade route, deeming it unnecessary. They believed the existing trade route to the western border was perfectly adequate and there was no need for a new one. Moreover, after years of patrolling, the soldiers were intimately familiar with the route and had even become acquainted with some merchant caravans, reaping considerable benefits from it. A sudden and drastic change would mean starting all over again.

Therefore, although the decree to open up new trade routes had been issued for a long time, the Zhenxi Army was only active for a few days and not for long. They would wander around the route several times a day, but they would ignore the bandits they encountered and ignore the caravans that asked for escorts. Instead, they would send them back to the original road to avoid trouble for themselves.

Because of their passive response, the two trade routes were divided, and the situation was not as peaceful as before. The caravans in the western border did not know whether to take the old route or the new route, and Tan Huaike and his group could not finalize their jewelry business.

King Qin was furious at Yangguan Pass, thoroughly investigating several cases of bribery and smuggling cover-ups. He also arrested the patrol captain who dared to share the spoils with the bandits and punished the two generals who openly disobeyed orders according to military law. After this scare, the Zhenxi Army became much more disciplined. They went to the new road as soon as they were ordered, their troop movements were as easy as their own, and they were eager to fight for credit when they saw bandits.

After finishing up here, he turned around and headed towards Zhangye County.

Just as Shen Tu Zhuo had received advance notice, the King of Qin changed his cold and stern demeanor at Yangguan and became gentle and accommodating towards Zhangye County, making even the governor of Chi County, whom he had recently reprimanded, feel as if he were basking in a spring breeze.

As requested by the King of Qin, the Prefect of Chi County generously offered his own residence and hosted a grand banquet, inviting prominent members of the local gentry and merchants closely associated with the selection of imperial merchants. In this joyful atmosphere, they received the King of Qin's gratitude and reward.

Many people didn't actually understand what the King of Qin was thanking him for, but they didn't care. They simply saw it as an excuse for the King to establish his authority and win over the people. They could use this opportunity to curry favor with high-ranking officials, which would greatly benefit themselves. Merchants from all walks of life were vying fiercely for a place at the banquet, fighting tooth and nail for a seat. After all, who wouldn't want to become known to the King of Qin? If they could gain his favor, becoming a royal merchant wouldn't be far off.

And so, in a lively and festive atmosphere, the King of Qin began his banquet.

This grand banquet was more than just a meal; the procession began in the morning. Prefect Chi had gone to great lengths, finding nearly a thousand pots of plants and flowers to fill the entire mansion. This was a rare sight in a barren place like Hexi, and the guests were already quite excited just admiring the dazzling array of flowers.

The music performances at the music hall never stopped, and tea and snacks were served continuously. Guests entered one after another, some admiring the flowers, some listening to the music, and some drinking tea, each enjoying their own way. Of course, many more people gathered together to chat and exchange ideas. Those invited to this banquet were all prominent figures, and making friends and expanding one's network was of utmost importance.

As a member of a prominent family in the area, Madam Shentu was also invited to the banquet. Shentu Zhuo accompanied her, but the old lady preferred peace and quiet and did not want to have any further involvement with the people or affairs of Andu. After paying her respects to the Prince of Qin, she found a secluded tea room to sit in, leaving Shentu Zhuo to chat with the Prince of Qin to pass the time.

Zhou Wenzong glanced at the old lady's side: "Why isn't she here? Did we not invite her?"

Knowing who he was talking about, Shentu Zhuo said irritably, "The invitation is for the Lady of Shentu Mansion. With my mother overseeing things, how could my sister-in-law steal the limelight?"

"This...that's not right. I specifically told her to send her the invitation." Zhou Wenzong said with slight anxiety.

"I knew you had ulterior motives for hosting this grand banquet!" Shen Tu Zhuo gritted his teeth and said, "Even if you are the King of Qin, you can't covet someone else's wife! No matter what, she is still my sister-in-law. I advise you to give up as soon as possible and not get in too deep."

“Oh? But your brother has passed away, and she has already finished her mourning period. I have treated her with sincerity, so why can’t I compete for her?” Zhou Wenzong was not afraid at all. “Besides, I have properly performed the wedding ceremony with her. What’s wrong with me missing my queen?”

"Isn't your queen princess Mohe? What does she have to do with my sister-in-law?" "I want to see her, can you stop me? What right do you have to stop me?"

The two argued for a long time, but in the end, they didn't get to the bottom of it. They each drank some chilled grape juice to cool down before they were willing to have a proper conversation.

Shentu Zhuo said, "She is the head of the Guangli Chamber of Commerce and received their invitation, so naturally she won't come with Mother."

Zhou Wenzong nodded: "I know."

Shentu Zhuo asked him, "How is the situation with the Zhenxi Army?"

Zhou Wenzong sighed: "There are people in the court who are unwilling to hand over the military power of Yangguan to me. I had long expected that there would be forces in the army to obstruct me, but I did not expect the situation to be more serious than I thought. The Zhenxi Army has controlled the western trade route for many years and is used to acting arrogantly. They dare to deceive me on their own without anyone provoking them."

He recounted the obstacles he had encountered there to Shen Tu Zhuo: “The old trade routes allowed them to line their own pockets, so why would they be willing to work for the new ones? The profits they used to make were all theirs, but now that the Grand Herald and the so-called imperial merchants have intervened, they are afraid that their own benefits will be taken away, so they are naturally passive and lazy.”

"I was wondering why they were so reluctant to inspect the new trade route, since we had already built the new post station."

"Speaking of those post stations, the ideas you proposed in your memorial were excellent. I will go there to take a look later, and if they are handled well, I will definitely give you credit for it."

"Oh dear, Your Highness Qin wants to go see it in person? You wouldn't be planning to use this as an excuse to travel all the way to my sister-in-law's hometown, Naxi River Valley, would you? That's quite far."

"Zhongqi, can you please stop being so sarcastic?" Zhou Wenzong said helplessly, then suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, on this trip to Yangguan, I specifically went to the army to collect some things..."
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Because of the Tan family's poor management and damaged reputation, they almost didn't even get a seat at the banquet. Tan Li used connections and spent money to finally squeeze out a small, newly established merchant and secure an invitation in return.

The venue was limited, so the number of attendees needed to be controlled. Prefect Chi had established a rule that only two people could enter per invitation. Tan Anfu managed to outmaneuver Tan Anfeng, forcing him to let her take her seat.

While greeting people with a smile, Tan Li complained to his daughter, "Damn it! No wonder that merchant surnamed Tao from Andu was so stubborn. Turns out he's in cahoots with Tan Huai Ke! The two of them conspired to swallow up all ten of my shops on Huaqi Street, and now they won't give me even one. They're really going too far!"

Tan Anfu snorted coldly: "I told you long ago not to try to gain any advantage in this matter. That ingrate Tan Huaike is hoping that our family will be poor and destitute. Only you, Grandpa, can still remember our kindness."

"Sigh, for now we can only look for other ways."

“We’ll find other ways, of course, but we can’t just swallow this insult.” Seeing Tan Huaike admiring the flowers with the other members of the Chamber of Commerce, Tan Anfu clenched the object in her hand. “Heh, today I’ll let her steal the spotlight again.”
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Next chapter: Putting aside the incestuous relationship between the uncle and sister-in-law for now, the Shentu family cannot afford to lose face like this.