A divine healer, a general, a young marquis! Who can rival them!

As soon as autumn arrives, the first harvest of the year comes to the medicinal herb gardens on the outskirts of the city.

On the patch of land where Liu Ye was busy, honeysuckle, forsythia, and perilla were being sent to the city basket by basket.

Lu Rouhe was in the accounting room, fiddling with the abacus, recording the profits of this round one by one, her mouth agape in a wide grin.

"Young Master"

She said, "Our own garden is self-sufficient, which has saved us a lot of money. In addition, the clinic's consultation fees have increased by three-thirds this month compared to last month."

Yang Hu nodded.

The renowned doctor's reputation has grown so strong that the number of people coming to see him is increasing day by day, and the days of queuing up at the clinic for a number have been going on for a month.

The Yangji signboard in the east of this city is known to everyone in the north and west of the city.

With more money, Yang Hu didn't hold onto it all. He invested half of it in the medicinal herb garden, hiring able-bodied men who were no longer in demand in the village, as well as some homeless people and the wives and children of fallen soldiers.

Half of it was used to help poor families in and outside the city who came to make a living.

In the herb garden, there lived a woman named Liu who lost her husband and died in battle at the border, leaving behind two children.

The children who used to beg for food in the city were so hungry that they were thin and pale.

Now, I can earn a few dollars a month by sorting herbs in the sun at the herb garden.

His complexion finally looked a little better.

Whenever he saw Yang Hu, he would be moved to tears and express his gratitude.

"Giving me a bite to eat is much better than giving me money!"

Yang Hu shook his head. This little bit of food was too much; he could afford to give it to him.

After making money, you inevitably have to spend it. The amount of money in the accounts has never been abundant, but the courtyard is actually very well-maintained inside and out.

Life is going well!

But things didn't go smoothly for more than a few days before strange things started happening!

First, medicinal herbs.

The Chinese herbal medicine shop that I dealt with most often at the clinic ran out of a certain medicine.

Lu Rou ran over to ask, but the shopkeeper stammered and said he couldn't get it.

Lu Rou didn't believe it and went to several other herbal medicine shops, but they all gave the same answer.

Second, buddy.

Two new assistants were hired to handle medicinal herbs. They were very efficient and skilled at their work. However, after only two days, one of them fell ill and took leave. The other one said he had to quit because of family matters.

If Lu Rou asked another question, the man would evade the question and give an irrelevant answer.

Third, the medicinal herb garden.

When Liu Ye returned from the suburbs, her brows were furrowed. The owner of the land where she had planted the medicinal herbs had suddenly demanded that it be taken back, with vague reasons.

One or two incidents don't seem strange at all.

But when all three incidents came together, the accountant finally understood.

"Young Master"

She closed the ledger and her face darkened.

There's a problem.

The pharmacy ran out of stock, the employees quit, and the land was to be taken back.

Three things happened at the same time.

It seems like someone is trying to squeeze Yang's business out of us!

Yang Hu put down the pulse pillow in his hand.

Not only could they not see it, but they couldn't even steal it openly.

You can do it secretly.

They'll cut off your medication, take away your people, seize your land, and stab your heart with knife after knife.

It's easy to guess who can do this.

Yang Hu immediately went to find Scarface in the south of the city.

Last time, Yang Hu saved a whole gang of local thugs. Those guys in the underworld all listened to Scarface, so this little thing wouldn't be a problem for him.

Within two days, Scarface had gotten to the bottom of things and sent someone to deliver a message to him.

Those pharmacies that ran out of stock all had the same person behind them, and they were all poaching from their own staff.

The Zhao family mansion is located in the west of the city.

Yang Hu sneered.

Zhao Yanei suffered a setback on the street and stared at these people for several days without gaining any advantage. Now he changed his tactics. He no longer operated openly but instead tried to squeeze out Yang Ji's business, hoping to gradually eliminate him and force him to leave the city in disgrace.

"Young Master Zhao..."

Qin Ying wiped her dagger by the window, her voice cold, "To hold a grudge to this extent."

"He couldn't take the person away, and he couldn't swallow his anger..."

Yang Hu said, "They just want to ruin our business and force us to leave."

"A head-on confrontation is the worst strategy!"

Lu Yan brought over a cup of tea, frowning.

She came from a noble family and had seen plenty of this kind of collusion between officials and merchants, and the underhanded competition. "Young master, it's no use for you to fight with Zhao Yanei out of spite. You can't win by going head-to-head in business. Zhao Yanei's family is located in the west of the city, and his roots are deeper than yours."

"A direct confrontation is the worst strategy!" Yang Hu took the tea. "It's the same principle as grabbing someone on the street. He's relying on his power, and I'll rely on mine too."

He never wanted to argue with Young Master Zhao.

We need to reconnect those broken wires!

The next day, Yang Hu first went to Sun's shop.

Old Master Sun runs the largest pharmacy in the south of the city. Ever since Yang Hu saved Old Master Zhou and they formed a grudge, he tells everyone he meets that Doctor Yang from the east of the city is a living bodhisattva.

I heard that several pharmacies wanted to cut off Yang's supply, and Old Manager Sun blew his beard.

"Out of stock?"

He scoffed, "If they won't sell, I will. Sun's shop in the east of the city is always open to any medicinal herbs you want."

The goods from Sun's family alone are enough for those several shops combined.

The medication can't be stopped!

Then, Yang Hu sent a message to Zhou Ji and the city defense battalion.

Old Master Zhou was a prominent grain merchant in the city. His grandson, Young Master Zhou, heard that someone was squeezing out his savior's business and declared that he would no longer do business with anyone related to Young Master Zhao.

Needless to say, Wang Dutou in the city defense battalion was well-known. With Yang Hu's help in suppressing the rebellion at Shigang in the northern route and intercepting military equipment, everyone in the city defense battalion knew this Doctor Yang.

A few cards were placed discreetly on the table.

Those pharmacies that ran out of stock weighed the options.

On one hand, there's Zhao Yanei's personal grudge; on the other, there's Sun's goods, Zhou's business, and the reputation of the city defense battalion. Anyone in business can tell at a glance which one carries more weight.

The wind direction changed silently.

Those pharmacies that had run out of stock eagerly delivered the goods to our doorsteps with smiles on their faces. The employees who had quit their jobs sent people to look for them, but the landlords had disappeared without a trace.

The news spread throughout the city in just two days!

"Tsk tsk!" someone clicked their tongue in the teahouse.

"That's right, that Doctor Yang, someone went against him, cut off their medicine supply, undermined his business, and tried to kill the shop. And what happened? Sun's shop started delivering goods for him, Zhou's shop backed him up, even the city garrison helped him!"

"Hmm?" someone chimed in, "Exactly! He's good at treating patients and has a good reputation. You've managed to drive him out of business; you've miscalculated."

A regular customer nearby took a sip of tea and said, "This Dr. Yang is good at treating patients and making friends. Those who want to cause him trouble probably haven't thought things through."

Lu Rou rearranged the bill again, and her little face brightened up again.

"Young Master is truly a god!"

She said, "I didn't argue with them or touch them at all, and the two wires reconnected themselves."

"Doing business is like treating an illness," Yang Hu said, taking a sip of water. "You have to figure out the root of the problem. The move the Zhao family made seemed fierce, but it was all a facade—they relied on personal grudges, while we relied on the relationships we've built up over the years. Relationships are much more solid than personal grudges!"

After this upheaval, Yang's roots actually became even deeper.

After closing the clinic for the night, the family gathered around the table.

Lu Yan tidied up the medicinal herbs for him, smiling happily.

Liu Ye told him about the good harvest in the herb garden this year, grinning from ear to ear.

Aji was tidying up the millstone when he listened with great interest.

Qin Ying sat silently to the side, but when she heard Yang Hu recount the whole scheme of turning enemies into friends and quietly reconnecting several lines, the knife, which was already half-polished, was placed on her lap...

"Your technique... is even more effective than using a knife."

"Using a knife is inferior," Yang Hu laughed. "Solving things without lifting a finger is superior."

Qin Ying did not respond. Under the light, she closed her eyes, and the flames in them subsided somewhat.

However, Yang Hu knew in his heart that this matter was not over yet.

This time, Zhao Yanei's money got caught in a trap, and he suffered a loss. This kind of guy is more unwilling to swallow his pride when he can't gain an advantage. He won't easily let go of the opportunity if he can't squeeze Yang Ji out of the way. In the next round, who knows what kind of thing that claw that has been lying in ambush in the west of the city will send.

Yang Hu looked at the big tree in front of the window, an ancient locust tree that was already rustling loudly in the wind...

If you can't stop him, stop him on the street; if you can't stick to him, keep an eye on him. If you can't squeeze him to death, fine. But this young master Zhao is probably going to hold his breath and wait for the day when he'll finally show his true colors.

On that day, the Zhao family held sway over the western part of the city.

The person hidden in Yang Hu's courtyard, the tiger girl whom even Magistrate Zhao had to kowtow to, is someone Zhao Yanei doesn't know yet.

I have no idea how deep a pit I've fallen into with each of my persistent efforts.