Even the crown prince is getting a marriage of convenience? Why are you in such a hurry to stop bein

Xiao Lie frowned and remained silent for a long time. Instead, he asked Xiao Liu to invite Lin Yu and Gu Mingheng over.

The last time they met, they were overjoyed. This time, however, they were both stammering and looked worried.

"What's wrong? Not going well?"

Gu Mingheng gave a helpless bitter smile, but Lin Yu couldn't stand it and paced back and forth, cursing.

"Hmph, of course it won't go smoothly. We're eating meat and drinking soup here, which naturally makes others envious. How could they possibly let us have an easy time?"

"Since they can't get any of the profits, they'll naturally try to cut off our path."

After Lin Yu explained, Xiao Lie finally understood. In the past few days, major merchants in the capital had actually joined forces to intercept goods belonging to the Lin and Gu families.

They dared not rob forcibly, but they could use some silver to bribe officials at all levels to make things difficult for the officials in charge of the canal transport.

"Leaving aside the matter of the canal transport, do you know what the other companies have been doing? They disregard profits and force the sale of goods currently on the market at several times the price. All kinds of silks, jades, and other items being transported to Kyoto are now under their control."

If the Lin and Gu families wanted to buy, it wasn't impossible, but they would have to pay several times the price. As for the small merchants, although they were interested in doing business with them, they faced the risk of being blacklisted by the major merchants. Faced with this situation, even with high profits, they couldn't do it.

Lin Yu's face turned ashen with anger, and she gritted her teeth as she cursed indignantly.

"Those people were determined to take a piece of our flesh."

Either accept your fate and pay a high price to buy it, or bow your head and admit defeat and negotiate with them.

At this moment, the Gu and Lin families were holding a mountain of gold, yet it felt like they were holding a burning ember. They couldn't advance, and if they wanted to back down and beg for peace, the pent-up resentment in their chests would suffocate them.

Xiao Lie's face turned cold. "They've gone so far as to abandon all sense of shame in their pursuit of business."

What's worse is that although this is clearly a targeted attack, there's nothing wrong with it legally.

If someone else offers a higher price, is it wrong for the supplier to breach the contract and pay a penalty to resell the goods? And if those merchants deliberately raise prices, seemingly targeting others, but if they think the price is too high, they can simply not buy it, which is a mutually agreeable transaction, so where is the mistake?

If it is said that Xiao Lie took the opportunity to cause trouble in front of the emperor, those court officials who were in cahoots with him might fabricate a story, saying that he used his power to coerce the emperor.

Princess Yuhua's hasty letter was a reminder to Xiao Lie, as she had noticed the unusual activity of these merchants.

He handed the letter to the two of them, and Lin Yu and Gu Mingheng leaned forward to take a look, only to feel an even bigger headache.

Several wealthy merchants in Jiangnan even secretly sent messages to warn local businesses not to do business with the Xiao, Gu, and Lin families in the capital. Those who violated this rule should not blame them for joining forces against them.

They not only cut off the canal transport and the goods from the capital, but they also targeted the places of origin.

Gu Mingheng gasped, his face turning ashen.

"We're doomed! This is a trap they've set, waiting to slowly wear us down to death."

He scratched his head, looking embarrassed, and was about to speak and back down when Lin Yu slapped him on the head.

"What are you trying to do? Don't tell me you want to break up now?"

Gu Mingheng was both embarrassed and distressed. "What else can we do? Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice. In the current situation, if our two families withdraw, we might be able to help Brother Xiao find a way out."

Hearing him say that, Lin Yu awkwardly stopped, feeling extremely annoyed.

Xiao Lie's eyes lit up slightly, and he tapped his knuckles on the armrest for a moment, as if he had thought of something.

"You're right, you should back down."

Lin Yu was incredulous, and Gu Mingheng's expression was complex and indescribable. But they suddenly saw a cold, eerie light flash in Xiao Lie's eyes.

"Since they want a share of the profits, why not let him give way?"

……

In the Qianyuan Hall, the emperor frowned slightly.

"What unusual activities can the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion undertake?"

Deshun bowed respectfully and answered with his eyes lowered.

"The two from the Lin family and the Gu family left the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion and went to various major merchants in the capital, supposedly to bid on projects?"

What does "bidding" mean?

"Well, it seems that the prince releases several goods shortages, and asks several merchants to make a plan based on their own situation. Whoever's goods best meet the requirements, have the best quality, and the lowest price will be selected."

"As for the Gu and Lin families, they have returned a lot of goods and only bear part of the cost. As for the shortfall in most goods, Prince Xiao has released them to allow major merchants in the capital to compete fairly."

"What a fine call for fair competition! In this way, how can those merchant alliances that are united by profit remain stable?"

While considering whether to compete for it themselves, they also feared that their allies would compete for it. As a result, rifts naturally arose.

Besides, their alliance was originally for making money. Now that Xiao Lie has clearly pointed out the way to make money, what reason do they have to resist? Even if they know that Xiao Lie is suspected of wanting to profit from their conflict, they have no choice but to join in.

If they come up, they might get a share of the spoils; if they don't, they're just handing over the benefits to their allies. How could they be willing to do that?

Upon understanding this, even the emperor's eyes flashed with a hint of appreciation.

"What a brilliant, open scheme!"

Not only did it turn a dead end into a winning one, but it also allowed them to acquire high-quality goods at the lowest possible price, making the procurement process a resounding success – a win-win situation. As for the loser, given this clear-cut competition, they would hardly dare to complain.

De Shun frowned slightly, as if puzzled.

"But Your Majesty, by giving up all the benefits, isn't Prince Xiao just playing into those people's hands? Although the situation is better, he hasn't gained much benefit either."

The emperor smiled faintly, "The greatest benefit is that he can complete the task smoothly."

The chill in the emperor's words startled De Shun, and he dared not say another word.

"It is the foolishness of the lackeys."

"He was too good at pretending, which made you fall for his act. Although I gave him a lucrative position, I'm afraid he didn't care about the benefits. Instead, he sensed the danger early on, otherwise he wouldn't have been so willing to give up the profits."

"As for the benefits, who knows? He sees himself as an old fisherman on a fishing platform, and maybe he can actually catch a few big fish."

De Shun frowned slightly, vaguely sensing the deeper meaning behind it.

When Your Majesty speaks of a big fish, is it those few trading companies, or the people behind those companies?

……

As night deepened, a tiny candle burned in the study of Prince Jing's residence.

Prince Jing, Jiang Yun, was extremely pleased with himself as he played with his sandalwood bracelet, but on the surface he wore a nonchalant smile.

"What urgent matter brings the young master here so late at night?"

Xiao Lie gave a helpless, bitter smile. "Your Highness knows perfectly well what's going on. Why play riddles with me?"

Jiang Yun chuckled lightly, glanced at Xiao Lie, and looked rather arrogant.

"I told you long ago, even when you're eating meat, you should leave some soup for others."