Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 145 Deterrence
Banshu.

Jingbian Division, Thousand-Household Office.

After the Yang family was wiped out, Bozhou was under the actual control of the imperial court. The Jingbian Division's Hundred-Household Office was upgraded to a Thousand-Household Office. Zhou Tai, the former Thousand-Household Office ...

At the door of Lin Xuan's duty room, Zhou Tai, holding a telescope, knocked, then slowly walked in, cupping his fists and saying, "Lord Chen, a message from the Commander's Office..."

Lin Xuan reached out and took the telescope.

The fact that the Commander's Office directly sent the message to the Thousand-Household Office, rather than to him, indicates that the order was an official document issued to the Thousand-Household Office of Bozhou.

He looked toward the telescope.

The message on the mirror was brief: the Jingbian Division was to urge the Tian family to hand over the Yang family's salt business to the Ministry of Revenue and the grain transport business to the Taifu Temple. These two government offices would soon send people to make the handover.

Both the salt industry and the canal transport were highly profitable businesses, especially the former.

By bundling all of the Yang family's businesses to the Tian family, these high-profit businesses could subsidize the low-profit businesses. By giving 40% of the profits to the imperial court, the Tian family would still benefit.

However, separating these two businesses would greatly reduce the Tian family's profits. Although they wouldn't lose money, they would essentially become workers for the imperial court.

Clearly, other forces in the court also had their eyes on the Yang family's share of the pie.

Lin Xuan never expected that Qingluan's previous worries would become a reality so quickly.

Her plan was correct; the Tian family couldn't put all their bets on the imperial merchant.

Lin Xuan nodded slightly to Commander Zhou and said, "I understand. I will personally inform the Tian family."

Zhou Tai clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Chen."

Watching Lin Xuan leave with his hands behind his back, Zhou Tai scratched the back of his head, a look of confusion on his face.

He always felt that there was an inexplicable sense of familiarity about this Lord Chen, as if he had seen him somewhere before, and more than once, but he just couldn't remember...

……

Tian family.

With the status of a royal merchant, Lin Xuan had a suitable reason to visit the Tian family and their shops.

After Lin Xuan explained the court's decision, Tian Qingluan sighed softly, but her face did not show much disappointment.

She had anticipated this and had prepared a corresponding plan.

She nodded slightly and said, "Understood. I'll have them start preparing now so that the handover can proceed directly when the court officials arrive."

Lin Xuan said, "I'm sorry, I didn't keep my promise to you."

Tian Qingluan rolled her eyes at him: "What are you saying? You've done enough for me and the Tian family..."

Although they lost the salt industry and the canal transport business, it was already a pleasant surprise that the Tian family was able to take over so many of the Yang family's businesses.

Without Lin Xuan, they would not only have failed to obtain these things, but would have also suffered enormous losses.

Regardless, the Tian family has temporarily established a foothold in the Southwest. As long as they can continue to expand their business, they will eventually make back the profits they lost today tenfold or even a hundredfold.

She took Lin Xuan's arm and said softly, "The imperial court has taken away the salt industry and the canal transport this time. If the Tian family doesn't manage their businesses well in the future, they will probably take back their other businesses as well. If the Tian family does well, the imperial court will probably be even more eager to take over. We still need to develop our own business as soon as possible..."

Qingluan's concerns were not without merit.

Although Lin Xuan temporarily granted the Tian family control of the imperial merchant business, the real decision-makers were the ministers in the court.

Regardless of whether the Tian family did well or poorly, they could always find a reason to take it all back.

The booklet that Lin Xuan had given her before contained many highly profitable businesses.

When he was bored while stationed in the village, besides cooking, he often read online novels to pass the time, especially time-travel historical novels, and he was very familiar with the production process of some of the essential inventions for time travel.

With Qingluan's business acumen, even without becoming a royal merchant, he could make the Tian family the wealthiest family in the southwest within ten years.

Of course, this is only a theoretical scenario.

With such immense wealth, the Tian family simply couldn't hold onto it.

Regardless of whether the imperial court would be envious, the An and Song families, as well as the various chieftains in the southwest, would not stand idly by and watch the Tian family rise to power.

Before starting to expand the business, it is necessary to show a little strength to these two companies to prevent them from doing anything irrational.

Shortly after.

Song House.

Looking at the invitation handed to him by a servant, Song Qian asked in surprise, "An invitation from Lord Chen?"

The servant nodded and said, "Lord Chen has invited us to a banquet at Tianxiang Tower tonight."

Song Qian nodded slightly and said, "Go to Jingbian Division and tell them that the Song family will definitely arrive on time."

The Song family still has to give Lord Chen face.

Although the Song family lost the battle for the imperial merchant position, Lord Chen had genuinely helped them back then.

Moreover, he is currently the top official in Bozhou, and the Song family cannot afford to miss any opportunity to befriend him.

Even though the invitation was very sudden, the Song family had to take it seriously.

Almost simultaneously, the An family also sent servants to Jingbian Division to report back.

They also attached great importance to Lord Chen's invitation.

Everyone owes Lord Chen a favor for the destruction of the Yang family. Not to mention, he is now in charge of affairs in the southwest, and even the An family would not easily offend him.

……

night.

Tianxiang Tower.

Song Qian led the Song family into the restaurant and, guided by the waiter, went upstairs to take their seats.

Several figures were already seated at one of the round tables.

Judging from their attire, they should be officials from the Jingbian Division.

Song Qian simply clasped his hands in a slight fist salute to the group. Given the Song family's status, they could disregard even the commander of the Bozhou Thousand Household Office, except for that Lord Chen.

Under the waiter's arrangement, the Song family members sat down at another round table.

Not long after the Song family members sat down, footsteps were heard coming from the stairwell.

Song Qian looked over and saw the person who had come, gave a heavy snort, and then turned his head away.

If it weren't for Lord Chen's invitation to the banquet tonight, he would have already fallen out with An Yunru by now.

An Yunru knew that Song Qian was still holding a grudge against the An family for tricking them in the matter of imperial merchants, so he didn't want to make a fool of himself. After bowing to the officials of the Jingbian Division, he sat down at another round table.

Not long after, footsteps could be heard again at the bottom of the stairs.

Before anyone could appear, the members of the An and Song families all turned around, their eyes filled with shock.

A series of undisguised auras of powerful individuals suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

Four of them were incredibly imposing, even more so than the heads of the An and Song families.

There were no fewer than ten other auras, each radiating the fluctuations of a fifth-grade cultivation level.

Everyone was deeply shocked.

When did such a powerful force emerge in the southwest?
The An family and the Song family each have only three fourth-rank experts.

For a moment, Song Qian and An Yunru almost thought the Yang family had made a comeback, and they jumped up from their seats, their faces showing surprise. The next moment, a figure slowly walked up the stairs.

She was a young woman, and although it was the first time the two of them had met her, they immediately guessed who she was.

Miss Tian Qingluan, the eldest daughter of the Tian family!
More than ten figures followed behind her.

Four of them sat down at a round table with her, while the remaining ten stood in two rows behind them.

This scene shocked Song Qian and An Yunru.

A fifth-rank expert is treated as an honored guest in both the Song and An families.

But at the Tian family's house, they weren't even allowed to sit down.

There were clearly empty seats around that round table, yet not a single fifth-rank official sat down.

Who said the Tian family were minor chieftains of Sizhou?

With such a display of force, the momentum of both the An and Song families was completely suppressed.

At this moment, Song Qian and An Yunru had forgotten their original purpose for attending the banquet, their minds filled with the shock of the Tian family's strength.

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

Leaving aside the family's patriarch, the Tian family's current top-tier strength has already surpassed that of the An and Song families.

Even if the Tian family did not reach the third rank, they no longer dared to regard the Tian family as an ordinary chieftain.

At that moment, a figure reappeared on the stairs.

Song Qian and An Yunru temporarily suppressed their shock and stepped forward, clasping their hands in greeting, "Lord Chen..."

Lin Xuan smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "Please forgive my abrupt invitation to the two of you..."

Both of them raised their hands.

"Where, where..."

"You're too kind, Lord Chen!"

After exchanging pleasantries, Lin Xuan looked at Qingluan beside him and introduced them, "This is Miss Tian Qingluan..."

Then, he looked at the two of them and introduced them to Qingluan: "Miss Tian, ​​this is Fourth Master Song, and Third Master An..."

As expected, it was the eldest daughter of the Tian family. Song Qian and An Yunru exchanged glances and spoke one after the other.

"I've long heard that the eldest daughter of the Tian family is exceptionally beautiful, and seeing her today, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved."

"Brother Song, that's too simplistic. In just one year, she was able to expand her business several times over, defeating us to become a royal merchant. Miss Tian's abilities are far more outstanding than her looks..."

"Hehe, I was too superficial..."

Tian Qingluan bowed to the two men and said politely, "Greetings, Fourth Master Song, Third Master An..."

Lin Xuan extended his hand to the three of them and said, "This way, please..."

After introducing the officials of the Jingbian Division to them, he led the three to sit at the main table and then said, "Actually, there's nothing important that I invited you all here today. I just wanted to get to know you all. I hope you will cooperate with the Jingbian Division in its future work in the southwest..."

"It should, it should."

"Lord Chen, please feel free to ask. My family will definitely cooperate."

Maintaining local stability is the responsibility of the Jingbian Division, so it was only natural for Lord Chen to arrange such a banquet. On the surface, Song Qian and An Yunru both readily agreed.

They were still reeling from the shock the Tian family had caused them, even more so than from this incident.

Song Qian even suspected that these powerful figures from the Tian family might have been hired...

But even if you spend money, where would you find so many mid-to-third-rank experts? And which fourth-rank martial artist would do something so pointless?
The An and Song families have been offering high salaries to recruit such powerful individuals for years, but they often manage to recruit only a few each year.

During the meal, An Yunru was pulled outside by a Gu master from Nanzhao under the pretext of going to the toilet, who told him something important.

Those powerful figures in the Tian family are very likely from the Jiuli tribe.

Since their appearance, the Gu worms inside the Gu Master's body have become restless, as if they are afraid of something terrible.

He didn't just have this feeling for one person, but for all fourteen.

This means that all fourteen people were powerful Gu Masters without exception, and that they possessed high-level Gu worms.

In this way, their identities are self-evident.

Only the Jiuli tribe could gather so many powerful experts and high-level Gu masters.

An Yunru was shocked and murmured, "The Tian family is actually being supported by the Jiuli tribe..."

The An family is not afraid of the imperial court, but they have a deep fear of the Jiuli tribe.

Any one of the nine tribes of Jiuli has the power to easily wipe out the An family.

Even at their peak, the Yang family was no match for them.

Those powerful beings who lived in seclusion in the Ten Thousand Mountains were once the true masters of this land in Southwest China.

An Yunru couldn't help but recall the reminder that Lord Mandala had given him before he left, and wished he could slap himself twice.

Lady Mandala must have known about these things, which is why she repeatedly warned the An family not to provoke the Tian family. He actually didn't take her warning to heart, which is really ungrateful.

Just these past few days, he's been thinking about how to get the secret recipe for refined sugar and the secret of fresh winter vegetables from the Tian family.

If he really did that, it might implicate the entire An family. Even the imperial court would try to reason with the An family, but the Jiuli tribe wouldn't listen to such things.

Meanwhile, Song Qian, who was at the banquet, also guessed the identities of these powerful figures.

In the southwest, besides these two families, only the Jiuli tribe could gather so many fifth and fourth-grade experts.

The Tian family of Sizhou must have a close relationship with the Jiuli tribe. She brought so many powerful people to the banquet this time, probably to show both families what she meant.

This is the Tian family demonstrating their strength to them.

The Tian family has strong support from the Jiuli tribe, so their strategy towards the Tian family must also change.

After An Yunru returned to the banquet, Lin Xuan picked up his wine cup, stood up, and said, "The Southwest belongs to everyone. I hope that in the future, the three families can live in harmony and work together to maintain the stability of the Southwest. I would like to offer you a toast..."

An Yunru and Song Qian raised their glasses, glancing silently at the Jiuli tribe expert at the next table.

They didn't actually want to get along with the Tian family. The two major families in the southwest were enough; there was no need for another Tian family.

But who could have imagined that the Tian family was not a pushover to be easily manipulated? If there were any real conflict among the three families, it was uncertain who would be the one to be manipulated.

Before this banquet, the two families may have had other intentions.

After tonight, they dared not have any more thoughts.

When Tian Qingluan and Lin Xuan clinked glasses, Tian Qingluan playfully hooked her finger around Lin Xuan's palm.

Just half an hour ago, the two were still snuggling together, kissing and hugging. Now, in front of the An and Song families, they were pretending not to know each other, which was quite amusing.

Lin Xuan glanced at her; this little rich girl was getting better and better at seducing people.

The banquet ended in a strange atmosphere.

An Yunru and Song Qian buried their heads in their drinks, not uttering a word, looking preoccupied.

Tian Qingluan openly exchanged glances and flirted with Lin Xuan right in front of them, and they didn't even notice...

(End of this chapter)