The Dumb Prince of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 90 Li Jiujiang Catches Cicadas, Zhu Yuanzhang Follows Behind

By the window of the private room on the second floor.

The head steward stood with his hands behind his back by the window, watching the two small boats leave the pleasure boat one after the other.

"Manager Li, Manager Zhang, so it's you two." He muttered to himself, "Just like me, you are Zhu Yuanzhang's mortal enemies."

He frowned slightly and looked in the direction of the palace.

Just as I was lost in thought, I heard soft footsteps behind me.

Qinglian walked in and bowed, saying, "Head Manager."

The head manager didn't turn around: "How's it going, young man surnamed Li?"

"He's drunk. He has a very low alcohol tolerance. After a few cups of Daughter's Red wine, he can't tell east from west. He's really a good-for-nothing." Qinglian chuckled.

The head manager scoffed, "Who is Li Wenzhong? I never expected a tiger father to have such a useless son. But the more incompetent he is, the easier he is to use."

Qinglian nodded: "Wang Huidi and Guo Huan have already confided in Li Jinglong. Li Jinglong said he wants to build a manor, and Mai Zhide will use this to drag him down with him."

"Very good." The head steward nodded slowly. "The more people on this ship, the better."

Qinglian hesitated for a moment before speaking, "It seems the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been watching us closely."

The head steward remained calm: "This is the capital, right under the emperor's nose. If the Embroidered Uniform Guard didn't even notice this, then Mao Xiang would be beheaded. Let them investigate. As long as I don't reveal my identity, no matter how many details they uncover, they won't touch the root of this tree."

"The treasure trove left by our lord made the Grand Manager who he is," Qinglian sighed softly.

The head steward's gaze deepened: "Back then, I was defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang. My sword and horse couldn't defeat him, but now, I treat the officials like a game and the law like dirt. Heh heh, one day, that Zhu emperor will come. I'll be right here waiting for him."

Qinglian frowned slightly and asked softly, "Should we contact the Jia family again?"

The head manager nodded: "Go."

A cold wind blows along the banks of the Qinhuai River.

Zhang Liangbi stood under a tree, as if waiting for someone.

Before long, a carriage came from the other end of the long street and stopped next to Zhang Liangbi.

"Manager Zhang, would you like to come up? I'd like to have a chat with you." A voice came from inside the carriage.

-

Zhang Liangbi tilted his head slightly: "Have I never met Manager Li before?"

"I'm sure Manager Zhang has already recognized who I am," a sigh came from inside the carriage.

Zhang Liangbi smiled: "He does resemble an old friend of mine. I just wonder if he's still alive after all these years."

After saying that, he got into the carriage.

Inside the carriage sat a man of imposing stature, but unfortunately, his left sleeve was empty, indicating that he had lost an arm.

Zhang Liangbi laughed out loud: "It really is you."

"I never expected to be alive to see you again," Manager Li said with a smile.

The carriage slowly drove towards Zhongshan.

"How did you end up in business too?" Manager Li asked.

Zhang Liangbi gave a wry smile: "A whole family needs to eat."

"However, if we cooperate, given our combined prestige in Guanzhong, which of those powerful families wouldn't give us some face?" Manager Li said.

Zhang Liangbi snorted: "Zhu Yuanzhang did gain the empire, that's true. But he still has the final say in the local areas. There are powerful families in the counties and powerful clans in the prefectures. The mountains are high and the emperor is far away. Even if Emperor Zhu's decrees are issued, they still have no effect in Guanzhong."

Manager Li nodded and smiled as well.

"That head manager must be someone of considerable importance," Zhang Liangbi said.

Manager Li stopped laughing and said in a deep voice, "To be able to drag so many officials in the court down with him and bring them all on the same boat, he can't be a simple person. How much ability does that take? And how much capital does he have? Heh, if Zhu Yuanzhang finds out, given his temperament, he'll go on a killing spree."

"The head steward just uses money to bribe officials. I don't know where his money comes from or what his ultimate goal is," Zhang Liangbi said.

Manager Li frowned deeply: "I'm afraid Zhu Yuanzhang already knows all this, and we're just pawns in his game."

"He's not a god," Zhang Liangbi scoffed.

Manager Li's eyes were filled with pain: "You have no idea how terrifying Zhu Yuanzhang was."

Qinhuai River.

Li Jinglong walked unsteadily, one hand on Guo Huan's shoulder.

"Lord Guo, I haven't had my fill yet." He hiccuped. "I hadn't even kissed Qinglian when I was suddenly on the shore in a daze!"

Guo Huan, staggering as he supported him, explained, "Lord Li, it's really not my fault. The head steward has business to attend to and asks everyone to disembark."

"Who is this manager? How dare he tell me to get off the ship!" Li Jinglong was drunk.

"The pleasure boat belongs to the head manager," Guo Huan said. "It's their territory. They have urgent business to attend to. As guests, we should be more considerate."

Li Jinglong was dizzy and asked, "Who exactly is this head manager? What's his background? Is he even more powerful than you?"

Guo Huan shook his head: "I've never seen it either. When we go to pleasure boats, it's just for eating, drinking, and having fun. We don't need to know so much about it."

"Wait a minute, Lord Guo. Didn't you say you'd introduce me to the head steward when we were drinking last time? What, you've already met him?" Li Jinglong glared.

Guo Huan coughed and said, "I have seen him, but only through the curtain. I didn't even get a clear look at his face. The head manager is a very mysterious person."

"Next time, next time you must let me meet you. Let me tell you, someone like you would definitely be a kindred spirit to me. If we sat down together, it would be like we were kindred spirits, wishing we had met sooner, like great minds think alike—"

Guo Huan's lips twitched: "Okay, okay, I'll definitely do it next time."

The two finally reached the side of the street.

The Li family's carriage was already waiting there. Li Jinglong pointed to the carriage and said, "Lord Guo, I'll head back to my residence first."

"Lord Li, let's meet again next time," Guo Huan said with a smile and cupped his hands in greeting.

He stood on the street and watched the carriage disappear into the distance.

As the autumn wind blew, his expression darkened; he wasn't drunk at all.

Wang Huidi and Mai Zhide caught up, panting.

"Lord Guo, what's going on?" Wang Huidi asked as soon as she entered. "Weren't we supposed to reconcile the accounts today? Did the head manager change his mind at the last minute?"

Guo Huan shook his head, his expression grave: "We found the Imperial Guards on the pleasure boat, but the head manager has already left."

1

Wang Huidi and Mai Zhide both gasped in shock.

"Don't worry, they haven't discovered us," Guo Huan scoffed. "Besides, even if they had, so what? We were just drinking with the Young Duke today; we didn't do anything else."

Wang Huidi frowned: "We'll have to be more careful next time."

Mai Zhide wiped the cold sweat from his forehead: "I'll supply the materials to Li Jiujiang as soon as possible. The timber and stone will be delivered next month. Once he accepts our materials and the estate is built, he won't be able to clear his name even if he jumps into the Yellow River."

Guo Huan nodded: "Let's go, this isn't the place to talk."

The three of them boarded their respective carriages and soon departed.

A person walked out of the alley and looked in the direction where the carriage had disappeared.

"Quickly, report to His Majesty."