I only wished to take up my fiefdom, but my elder brother forced me to rebel.

"What kind of skill is it for the Crown Prince to intimidate merchants with treasonous threats?"

The man in the brocade robe squeezed through the crowd to the front and pointed at Lu Yuan.

"The Sun family only had a few business disputes."

"In order to seize the Hongxing Company's assets, His Highness beat people to death and imprisoned their entire families."

"If justice isn't served today, the merchants of the capital will never accept this!"

The merchants who had just climbed the steps all retreated.

No one dares to take responsibility for speaking up for those who plot rebellion.

The surroundings became much quieter, and the people behind stopped pushing and shoving.

After straightening his clothes, a medicine merchant bowed to Lu Yuan.

"Your Highness, I have no intention of exonerating the Sun family."

"The Ministry of Justice has sealed off the warehouse of the Hongxing ship, and the three thousand catties of medicinal herbs stored inside have been confiscated."

"The Henan region is waiting for medicinal herbs to save lives; any further delay will only harm the imperial court."

The grain merchant standing nearby also stepped forward to speak.

"This humble citizen delivered 20,000 shi of grain that Hongxing Shipping brought from Jiangnan here. The Sun family still owes 60,000 taels of silver for the goods."

"The Sun family has committed a crime, but we have not. We beg Your Majesty to grant us a way out."

With these two leading the way, the other merchants followed suit and started talking.

Some of these cases were due to a lack of payment, while others were because the goods were still in the Hongxinghao warehouse.

The other businesses had been using the Sun family's trade routes, but now there are no vehicles coming and going.

If the Sun family falls, they will also be implicated.

Su Bo'an arrived at the steps.

"The Ministry of Justice is currently verifying the accounts. The goods that belong to you will be returned once the facts are cleared."

The man in the brocade robe took over the conversation.

"How long will the query take? One month, six months, ten years?"

"The Crown Prince took the money from Hung Hing, will he return it to us?"

Just as Su Bo'an was about to reprimand him, Lu Yuan raised his hand to stop him.

There are many people here today; about 70-80% of the well-known merchants from the capital have arrived.

There were people selling grain, processing medicinal herbs, running taverns and inns, and several banks also sent their managers.

He was originally going to invite them door-to-door, but now it's very convenient.

"Since everyone desires fairness, let's go inside and talk together."

Lu Yuan moved two steps to the side.

"Qi Yue, register your name, business name, and request. I will provide a solution for those who owe money to Hung Hing."

The merchants were discussing in hushed tones, selecting more than forty people to enter the mansion, while the others waited outside.

Men in brocade robes were also mixed in with the crowd.

When it was his turn to register, Qi Yue looked up and asked a question.

"Wei Santong, owner of Yongxing Cloth Shop."

"Remember this, you can't go back on your word."

After writing his name on the roster, Qi Yue glanced at him again before letting him pass.

After entering the main hall, everyone sat down according to the order of their business names.

The maid brought over several plates of pepper and salt shortbread and poured a glass of water for everyone.

The pastries were still warm, and their aroma filled the entire house, but no one went to take them.

Everyone was focused on the money from Hung Hing, so no one had any appetite for food.

Lu Yuan took a piece of pastry and took a bite.

"I'm offering you food, not feeding you poison. Please try some."

The medicine merchant looked at the plate on the table for a while, then ate some of the food on the plate.

After chewing a few bites, he took another piece.

Seeing that he was eating without any problems, the people next to him also reached out to try some.

A restaurant owner ate half of his pastry and looked down at the crust.

Scrape off some white salt with your fingernail and then rub it in your hands.

"Your Highness, what kind of salt is this? It has no bitterness and no sand. It's even cleaner than the tribute salt."

Wei Santong threw the pancake in his hand onto the plate.

"You've all come here to seek justice, don't let a piece of bread buy you off."

The restaurant owner ignored him and tasted the salt grains on his palm again.

"It is snow-white in color and the particles are very small."

"If we use this kind of salt in cooking, the restaurant's business will increase by about 30%."

"Your Highness, how many do you have?"

Several grain merchants and warehouse owners also gathered around to look and inquire about the yield and price.

Most coarse salt on the market is mixed with brine, which makes it bitter to eat, and it will clump together if left for a long time.

The taste of Qingyan salt is better, but the price is too high, and ordinary families simply cannot afford to buy it.

This salt is clean and tastes pure.

Restaurants and wealthy families are willing to buy it, and if the price can be brought down, ordinary people can also afford it.

Su Bo'an ordered someone to bring over a wooden box.

The lid of the box was lifted, revealing it filled with white salt.

Several merchants near the wooden crates craned their necks, and those in the back rows also stood up.

"This is the newly made snowflake salt from the Eastern Palace."

"It is cleaner than coarse salt, and its production volume is also greater than that of coarse salt."

"I plan to divide the Great Yong into eight commercial districts, and select several businesses in each district to jointly distribute goods."

"Anyone interested in this business can stay and talk."

The restaurant owner put down the pastries he was holding and offered a price first.

"I'm willing to offer a deposit of 500,000 taels for the Jiangnan trade route!"

Pharmaceutical companies are not to be outdone.

"My family does business with pharmacies in Henan Province and Gyeonggi Province."

"I'm willing to offer 600,000 taels!"

The others did not rush to bid.

The salt is good, but the production volume, the issuance of official permits, and the final selling price are all still undiscussed.

No one wanted to leave; everyone was calculating which trade route they could take over.

Some people started asking Su Bo'an about the delivery dates, while others moved their chairs forward to see the salt in the boxes.

No one around Wei Santong responded.

He was extremely anxious and pushed the chair back to stand up. The chair leg scraped against the ground with a dull thud.

"Your Highness, please don't change the subject."

"Snowflake Salt is Snowflake Salt, and Hung Hing is Hung Hing."

"If we don't give all the merchants an explanation today, we have no choice but to stage a strike!"

The discussions in the main hall ceased.

Lu Yuan turned to look at Wei Santong.

"You just said you're the owner of Yongxing Cloth Shop?"

"That's right."

Su Bo'an opened the roster that Qi Yue had just sent and found the page for Yongxing Cloth Shop.

"Your Highness, the owner of Yongxing Cloth Shop is surnamed Jiang, and he went to Henan Province three days ago."

"According to the records in the mansion, Wei Santong served as a steward in the Ministry of War's office for five years."

Wei Santong's face turned pale, and he turned and walked towards the door.

Qi Yue and the female soldiers of the Phoenix Battalion blocked the exit.

Lu Yuan unfastened his sword and beckoned to Wei Santong.

"Didn't you want an explanation from me?"

"come over."

Wei Santong stumbled back several steps and bumped into the chair behind him.

"Does the Crown Prince intend to kill a merchant in public?"

"Everyone's watching!"

Lu Yuan walked up to him, drew his sword, and slashed.

Wei Santong clutched his neck, knocked over a teacup on the table, and collapsed to the ground.

Blood flowed down his hand, quickly staining his clothes red.

Someone dropped the pastry back onto the plate, and no one else in the room spoke.

Lu Yuan turned around, pointing the tip of his knife at everyone present.

"This strike is my way of giving you an explanation."