Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 144 Fighting for Profit
settle down.

At lunchtime, Nettle glanced at Datura, paused slightly, then stared at her pale face and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Why do you look so pale?"

Mandala shook her head slightly, her voice sounding tired, and said, "It's nothing, I probably just practiced all night and didn't get enough rest."

Nettle silently picked up a few bites of food for her, and said softly, "You've already broken through to the fifth rank, you don't need to push yourself so hard in your cultivation..."

Mandala ate her meal silently, without giving her a clear response.

The pain of the Gu worms devouring her heart was a hundred times worse than the pain of marrow cleansing. Even now, recalling the night, she still feels as if her whole body is being pricked by needles.

However, physical pain is nothing compared to the inner struggle.

The thought that he had also suffered this pain, and that she had brought it upon him, made her heart feel as if it were being tightly gripped, and even breathing became difficult.

Seeing that she was silent again, the nettle said helplessly, "Did you not listen to what I said again?"

Mandala shook her head and said, "I'm still too weak."

She still hasn't avenged her parents' deaths, and she doesn't even know who the enemy who killed Lin Xuan is. How can she not desperately cultivate?

Just as the mysterious woman in black robes said last night, she was indeed too weak.

Although she still harbored a strong obsession, she knew very well that she would probably never be able to avenge her parents in this lifetime.

Several years ago, the Prince of Zhennan had already entered the upper three ranks.

He cultivates the top-tier martial arts technique of the Yong Kingdom's court, and his strength surpasses that of ordinary third-rank experts.

She would probably never be able to catch up with him in her entire life.

The espionage and assassination techniques she had learned since childhood were nothing short of a joke in the face of such a powerful figure.

Moreover, behind the Prince of Zhennan stands the entire Yong Kingdom court.

Her only hope of avenging Lin Xuan is to get revenge, but so far, she doesn't even know who her enemy is.

She didn't tell the nettle what happened last night.

Even if she knew, it would only increase her worry.

After silently finishing her meal, she got up to continue her cultivation when Nettle suddenly spoke up: "By the way, the Chief has sent word that we must return to Nanzhao as soon as possible, as the situation in the court may be undergoing a major change..."

Mandala raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"

Nettle whispered, "His Majesty is probably nearing his end. The Chief Minister is worried that the Second Prince might make a move..."

The position of Crown Prince of Nanzhao has been vacant for a long time, and His Majesty has not yet chosen a successor from among the two princes.

The Secret Service is loyal to the Crown Prince.

However, the Second Prince's strength should not be underestimated. At this critical juncture, they must return to Nanzhao to prevent any possible unforeseen events from occurring.

Compared to this matter, the situation at Anjia's place seems rather insignificant.

Mandala breathed a soft sigh of relief; she had nothing left to miss about this place.

She nodded slightly and said, "Let's pack up and leave now..."

Not long after.

In front of the An Mansion.

An Yunru personally saw the two off at the door, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "Respectfully seeing you off, gentlemen."

Mandala took a few steps, then paused slightly, turned around and said, "I don't care how the An family and the Tian family fight, but you are not allowed to lay a hand on the eldest daughter of the Tian family, or don't blame me for being ruthless..."

An Yunru nodded slightly and said, "Yes, sir..."

He finally breathed a long sigh of relief as he watched the figures of the datura and nettles disappear around the street corner.

Although these people from Nanzhao have been supporting Anjia, they always act superior and bossy. In the last two years, they have even taken over the role of host and completely disregarded the people of Anjia.

Previously, the An family needed the support of Nanzhao to contend with the Yang and Song families.

Now, the Yang family has disappeared, and in the southwest, only the Song family can be compared with the An family.

To maintain balance, the imperial court would not allow either the An or Song families to disappear under any circumstances.

In other words, the An family no longer needs Nanzhao. In the future, they must find a way to completely break free from Nanzhao's control and take full control of their family's destiny...

……

Tian family.

Lin Xuan had just returned from shopping with Youmeng and Aya when a guard from the Jingbian Division came to report that Mandala had left Bozhou.

During this period of time, all their movements were under the surveillance of the Jingbian Division.

Upon hearing the news, he sat at the stone table in the courtyard, lost in thought for a while, as many images flashed through his mind.

There was the initial intimidation and oppression from Mandala, and then there was her meticulous guidance in teaching him various espionage skills...

The moments he shared with A Luo kept flashing through his mind.

These images eventually vanished completely like smoke and dust, leaving nothing behind.

He let out a long sigh of relief, as if saying goodbye to his past self.

A figure quietly approached from behind, wrapped arms around Lin Xuan's neck, and whispered in her ear, "I'm sorry I haven't spent enough time with you these past few days..."

Lin Xuan held Qingluan's hand and gently shook his head.

He didn't mean to blame her. Qingluan had her own things to do, and he couldn't force her to stay by his side just because of romantic feelings.

This is not what she wanted, nor is it what Lin Xuan wanted.

He asked softly, "How's the shop going?"

Tian Qingluan moved to sit in front of him, naturally sitting on his lap, and nodded, saying, "Before, Yang Xiao managed the Yang family's shops, and everything went smoothly. However, I still want to open more shops that belong to us. I want to slowly turn the things in that booklet you gave me into reality..."

Although the Tian family has taken over the Yang family's businesses, these shops do not entirely belong to the Tian family; the Tian family only has the right to operate them.

Forty percent of the profits were to be distributed to the imperial court.

The court can give them this power today, and take it back tomorrow.

She could not possibly place the entire future of her family on the imperial court.

What the imperial merchants brought to the Tian family was more of an opportunity—an opportunity to legitimately enter the Southwest.

Lin Xuan gently hugged her and smiled, "I'll support whatever you want to do..."

Tian Qingluan wrapped her arms around his neck and couldn't help but kiss him.

At the entrance of the courtyard, Youmeng and Aya were about to walk in when their steps awkwardly faltered in mid-air.

Aya covered her face with her hands, but a curious glint appeared between her fingers.

The older brothers and sisters in the tribe often hide in the forest to kiss. What does kissing feel like? Why do they all like it so much...? Seeing this, Youmeng silently pulled Aya away, but as she turned around, she couldn't help but purse her lips.

Although she knew that the two of them had done the same thing back in the Temple of the Witch God.

But at that time, she was completely controlled by the ancestral spirit's inheritance and didn't remember what that feeling was like at all...

……

Kyoto.

Inside the Longevity Palace.

The alchemical furnace emitted wisps of smoke, and from behind the curtains deep within the main hall, the clear, melodious sound of chimes occasionally drifted out.

Several figures stood on either side of the main hall.

Zhang Qian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, stepped forward with a memorial in hand and addressed loudly from behind the curtain: "Your Majesty, I believe that the chieftains of the southwest cannot be trusted, and the Yang family's property in Bozhou should be entrusted to the Ministry of Revenue for management..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Cong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, immediately stepped forward and retorted, "I cannot agree with what Vice Minister Zhang has said. Aren't there plenty of businesses that the court has entrusted to the Ministry of Revenue for management? How come businesses that are profitable for others become loss-making businesses year after year in your hands? If the Yang family's businesses were handed over to you, whether the profits would even enter the national treasury is another matter entirely. In my opinion, it would be better to have the Court of Imperial Sacrifices send someone to manage them..."

Apart from the Grand Secretary, who was sitting on a stool with his eyes closed and resting, and the Second Grand Secretary, who was standing quietly, several cabinet ministers spoke in succession.

"Such businesses must be controlled by the imperial court."

"What qualifications does a mere chieftain have to serve as an imperial merchant?"

"Salt profits and grain transport are both highly profitable businesses. Giving them 40% of the profits for nothing is a huge loss to the imperial court. The person who suggested that the imperial merchants be imperial merchants has ulterior motives..."

……

Not long ago, the Prince of Zhennan returned to the capital with the silver confiscated from the Yang family in Bozhou.

The eight million taels of silver not only filled the national treasury's deficit from last year's overspending, but also left a slight surplus.

The disaster relief supplies have been secured, the military funds for the southeast and north have been secured, the salaries of officials in the capital that had been owed for two months have been paid, and there is still money left over to build another palace for His Majesty.

Because of this sum of money, all the departments in the capital were overjoyed.

However, besides this silver, the Yang family's businesses in the southwest are an even bigger piece of meat, which will generate a continuous stream of profits in the future.

The Ministry of Revenue, belonging to the Qingliu faction, wanted to obtain this benefit.

The Grand Secretary's faction, the Taifu Temple, was also unwilling to give up easily.

Zhang Qian, the Vice Minister of Revenue, spoke again: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Revenue believes that the matter of imperial merchants is still under discussion. Even if imperial merchants are to be selected, local chieftains should not be chosen..."

Wang Cong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, did not refute him this time. Instead, he clasped his hands and said, "The chieftains of the southwest have always been defiant of the court. We have finally brought down one Yang family, and we cannot allow another Yang family to emerge. I urge Your Majesty to reconsider."

Although the two parties could not reach a consensus on who should run the Yang family business, they did agree on one point.

The management rights of the Yang family's businesses should first be returned to the imperial court. How they are divided afterward is a matter between the two parties; it must not be allowed to benefit others.

In other words, the matter in the southwest was handled entirely by the Jingye Division.

If they were in charge, these matters would never reach His Majesty's ears.

Emperor Dayong seemed to be deep in thought, and the sound of the chime paused briefly behind the curtain.

Shortly after, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs emerged and said calmly, "By His Majesty's decree, the Yang family's salt business will be managed by the Ministry of Revenue, the Grand Canal transport will be managed by the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and other businesses will continue to be managed by the Tian family of Sizhou on behalf of the court. This matter ends here and need not be discussed further..."

"According to the order!"

Zhang Qian and Wang Cong exchanged a glance and silently returned to their original positions.

Although they failed to achieve their initial goal, both parties at least got a share of the spoils. If they are still greedy, they are very likely to incur His Majesty's displeasure.

A chime sounded again from behind the curtain.

The chief eunuch said slowly, "His Majesty is about to refine pills. If there is nothing else, gentlemen, please return..."

"I'm waiting to retire."

As everyone left the main hall, a figure slowly stood up from behind the curtain.

The Emperor of Dayong held in his hand an analysis report that Lin Xuan had specially asked Lu Feng to bring back from the southwest. The report clearly explained from various angles why the imperial merchants chose the Tian family of Sizhou, using detailed data.

Even those unfamiliar with the affairs of the Southwest could see from this report that the Tian family was the only choice to become the imperial merchant and the one that best served the interests of the court.

In his report, he did not even shy away from mentioning his special relationship with the Tian family.

This frankness, on the contrary, demonstrates his integrity and uprightness.

On the other hand, the cabinet ministers, who were clearly acting for their own selfish interests, were pretending to be thinking of the court, which was extremely hypocritical.

The Emperor of Dayong waved his wide sleeves, stood with his hands behind his back, and sighed deeply: "They keep saying they're working for the benefit of the country, but in reality, they're all fighting for their own cronies and private fortunes. As for the Yang family's affairs, all the officials in the court combined don't even amount to as much as he did for the sake of the court..."

The Grand Master of Ceremonial bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, with the two factions locked in a stalemate, this division is the only way to maintain balance. I believe they can understand Your Majesty's good intentions..."

The Emperor of Dayong sneered, "They deliberately put on this show in front of me because they knew I wouldn't let the two factions fight it out. Lin Xuan's proposal was a long-term strategy, while they only care about immediate gains. The benefits of the southwest shouldn't be theirs to have. Unfortunately, this court has never been mine alone..."

In the Dayong court, the two factions were already deeply entrenched, and the Ministry of Revenue and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices were involved in the interests of countless officials in the capital.

If the Yang family's entire business were forcibly handed over to the Tian family, the opposition from the court would likely not cease, and they would try every means to make up for the lost profits elsewhere.

At that time, whether it's a problem with the disaster relief funds or changes in the military pay in the two regions, it won't be something that can be quelled by beheading a few people.

There is no perfect person in this world. As an emperor, he has to turn a blind eye to some things.

As long as they can get things done, it's not a big deal if they take some benefits.

Perhaps it is because of his indulgence that they have become increasingly greedy over the years.

The Jiuli tribe quoted a price of no more than a hundred taels of silver for the Mirror of the Heart, yet they dared to purchase it for a price of a thousand taels per piece.

Buying and selling official positions was commonplace in the imperial court.

No one was truly devoted to the court; the slightest interest could spark countless conflicts...

He couldn't help but think of Lin Xuan again.

Presenting the new salt laws is already an unparalleled achievement.

In the process of annihilating the Yang family, he risked his life and went undercover, not only providing the court with important intelligence, but also playing a crucial role in breaking through the Yang family's stronghold.

After the Yang family's downfall, he was able to forgo the easy task of selling off the Yang family's assets at a low price and instead advocate for the imperial merchants to manage the business, all to plant a long-term cash cow for the court and to prevent the An and Song families from becoming too powerful in the future.

The sons of powerful and influential families in the capital, after only a few days in the southwest, returned to the capital in a high-profile manner to claim credit for their achievements.

He made such great contributions to the court, yet he was willing to remain anonymous and not even reveal his true identity.

Thinking of Lin Xuan, such a loyal and capable minister, and then of the officials in the court, he suddenly felt that the reward given to Lin Xuan was still too light.

He deserves more rewards and should shoulder greater responsibilities.

(End of this chapter)