Chapter Eleven: Move with Profit

  During the New Year's season, Chang'an City was filled with joyful songs and dances, but beneath its calm surface, undercurrents were surging.

  The Minister of Revenue, Cui Yang, got down from his family's carriage and looked at the crowded people in front of the door with disgust. His sister was the legitimate wife of Crown Prince Li An, although not as favored as the concubine, but the crown prince's son was born to his sister, so the couple still respected each other. Originally, when King Yong was arrogant, he was the crown prince's younger brother-in-law, but the door was cold and deserted, and some people even tried to please King Yong and make things difficult for him. This time, the crown prince's position was stable, and the crowd that came to pay their respects this year broke through the threshold. Ignoring those sycophants, he walked proudly into the gate.

  Upon arriving at the study, the steward handed over a stack of visiting cards. Cui Yang casually took them and scanned through each one. After all, no matter how much he despised those people, power needed to be supported by others. Without these wallflowers, what right did the crown prince have to govern the world, and how could he elevate his own status? As he flipped through them, Cui Yang was suddenly drawn in by a particular card - an exquisite visiting card with a name he had never heard of before: Ji Cheng, a merchant from Dongchuan. Originally, Cui Yang wasn't in the mood to see an ordinary merchant, but the visiting card came with a gift list attached, which included 10,000 taels of white silver and a pair of white jade pendants - a very substantial gift indeed. Just looking at this gift, he couldn't not meet this Ji Cheng. He instructed the steward to invite Ji Cheng in. Cui Yang sat behind his desk, sipping tea while pondering what this person wanted. When gifts were given to others, there must be something sought in return - could he safely accept this gift?

  After a moment, under the guidance of Guan's family, a man in his thirties walked in. This person was quite handsome and had regular features, but his eyes were slightly narrow and his nose was slightly hooked, which somewhat ruined his image. However, this person had an extraordinary demeanor, standing in front of the desk with his hands behind his back, giving off an air of a noble who had long been accustomed to being above others. Cui Yang's heart skipped a beat as he realized that this man was definitely not an ordinary merchant. As someone who had risen to the position of Minister of Revenue, Cui Yang was no ordinary person himself. He said calmly, "Please take a seat, sir. Although my official position is not high, there are still some things that can be done. You have brought such heavy gifts, I don't know what kind of matter you wish to discuss. If it does not violate national laws, I will naturally consider it."

  The man smiled and said, 'A humble commoner like myself has come to ask a favor of Your Excellency. I have a business proposition that I wish to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince, but as a lowly subject, I am not worthy to approach him directly. As you are a noble relative of the Crown Prince, I have come to beg of you to convey my sincere intentions to His Highness. If Your Excellency deems my proposal worthy, please do me the honor of passing it on to the Crown Prince.'

  Chui Yang furrowed his brow and said coldly, "The Crown Prince is the heir apparent. Under the heavens, everything belongs to the king's domain. Why must you still collude with merchants? If it were up to me, I would be powerless to stop this matter."

  The man sneered, "If the prince doesn't want to get rich, then what's the use of those mansions on the outskirts of Chang'an? Who is the owner of Jinyulou, the largest casino in Chang'an, and who is secretly mining for gold outside the law?"

  Chui Yang's heart almost jumped out of his chest. How did this person find out about the prince's family business so clearly? He had been taking care of these matters for the prince, and if the news got out, the prince would at most receive a few reprimands, but he himself might lose his official position. A hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he thought to himself that he needed to capture this person, investigate their background, and then eliminate them completely. So, Chui Yang deliberately spoke with a smile: "Actually, we can still discuss this matter, please sit down, have some tea, and let's talk it over slowly."

  The housekeeper hastily brought tea and invited the man to sit down beside him, then went outside to guard the door.

  Choi Jung and the man sat down, then asked: "I don't know if you have any business that you want to cooperate with His Highness. If this official thinks it's feasible after listening, I can report it to the Crown Prince."

  The man said leisurely, 'This business is not big, this year the great drought in Yong, grain harvest is poor, now the price of rice and flour on the market is three times that of previous years. The silk and other special products of Jiangnan are even more valuable than gold, now between Nanchu and Dayong, the hatred is as deep as the sea, all trade between the two sides has been interrupted. I have some connections in Nanchu, can provide grain, silk, tea leaves and other special products, what do you think, sir?'

  Cui Yang furrowed his brow, thinking that this was indeed a good business, but it was troublesome. The crown prince had some income, but the expenses were also great. Buying officials, planting spies, and raising assassins all cost money. Even the annual offerings to the Fengyi Gate were not a small sum. Looking at the man, the killing intent in Cui Yang's eyes faded, he wanted to speak but hesitated, after all, they couldn't say they didn't have the money.

  The man was very good at observing the situation and continued: 'Actually, we don't need Your Highness to really spend money. If there is care from Your Highness and the adults, our business can go smoothly. You also know that smuggling goods without Your Highness supporting us, we will lose our grip sooner or later.'

  Cui Yang nodded and said: "If that's the case, it's still easy, but how are you going to divide it?"

  The man smiled and said: 'I am willing to offer Your Honor a 30% profit.'

  Cui Yang furrowed his brow, knowing that this business had a huge profit margin. If it was only 30%, it would be a pity, but since their side couldn't provide the funds, asking for too much wouldn't be good either.

  That man seemed to see through his mind, and mysteriously said: 'Actually, the common people have another idea. If the master is brave enough, I am willing to offer a 60% profit.'

  Cui Yang's body shook slightly, and he said: "What idea? Tell me about it."

  That man smiled and said: "Your Excellency is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and the military rations and equipment for hundreds of thousands of troops are all under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue. What South Chu lacks most now is military equipment. If Your Highness is willing to use the stored military equipment to exchange for goods from South Chu, not only will it not cost Your Highness a single penny, but you can also get more goods in return. This profit can be doubled. After Your Highness gets the gold and silver, you can order another batch of military equipment from Dayong to make up for the shortage. The difference in price is something that Your Excellency should understand. One deal can earn 500,000 taels without a problem."

  Chui Yang heard this, slammed his fist on the table and angrily said: "How dare you! You actually instigate me to aid the enemy. Are you a spy from Southern Chu? How dare you come here and speak such nonsense!"

  That man smiled leisurely and said, "Sir, you are wrong. I am not a spy from Southern Chu, but rather Ho Ji City's humble resident and the master of the Brocade Alliance." As soon as he finished speaking, his hand flicked out, and a white light shot out from it, grazing Cui Yang's neck before piercing through the bookshelf behind him and into the wall. Cui Yang was so frightened that his soul almost left his body. The door to the study burst open with a loud bang, and the steward stood at the entrance, his eyes gleaming with cold light as he held a dagger in his hand.

  Huo Jicheng smiled and pounced towards the door, and the steward only felt a flash in front of his eyes. The dagger in his hand had already fallen into Huo Jicheng's hands. When Cui Yang looked again, Huo Jicheng had sat back in his seat, smiling at Cui Yang. Cui Yang had calmed down, he glanced at Huo Jicheng and thought to himself: If this person wasn't confident, why would he take risks? Not to mention anything else, if he were to provoke him, his own life wouldn't be spared. He wiped away a cold sweat and said: "Huo Alliance Master, please sit down, I'm sure you're not here to interrogate me. The Crown Prince eliminated the Jinxiu Alliance's branch in Chang'an for national affairs. Your intention is to revive the Shu Kingdom, we are enemies, this is inevitable. If you want revenge, I won't be able to bear it."

  Huo Jicheng said calmly, "What you said is not wrong. To you, our Jinxiu Alliance is a rebel group, and the matter of Chang'an is also something that cannot be helped. However, those are small matters, and they can be considered as having done their duty to the country. But as the saying goes, there are no eternal enemies in this world. We are now restricted and excluded everywhere, and if things continue like this, I'm afraid not only will we have no hope of restoring our nation, but even our lives will be in danger. If Your Highness is willing to cooperate with us, we don't necessarily need to restore our nation. Being a wealthy family would also be fine. Although Your Highness has already secured your position as the crown prince, there is still the Prince of Yong watching with envy, and there are many places where silver can be used. To say something unpleasant, we are the only ones who can cooperate with the Crown Prince. The one who most hopes for the Crown Prince to make a mistake is the Prince of Yong. If someone else were to help the Crown Prince, if it fell into the hands of the Prince of Yong, I'm afraid he would expose everything about the Crown Prince. Our Jinxiu Alliance has a deep hatred for the Prince of Yong, and we will never betray our country. We also know that if not for the Prince of Yong's schemes, Da Yong and Shu Guo might not have gone to war. Therefore, there is no deep grudge between us and the Crown Prince. If we can help the Crown Prince eliminate the Prince of Yong, then we would have made our greatest effort to avenge our king. Moreover, even if someone were to expose the cooperation between Jinxiu Alliance and the Crown Prince, do you think anyone would believe it? Who would believe that the Crown Prince would cooperate with us, these rebel groups, when he has just destroyed our Jinxiu Alliance's branch in Chang'an?"

  Chui Yangyue listened more and felt polite, although he thought this person was heartless, with no pain for his brother's death and injury, but also thought that what the person said was not bad. He hesitated for a moment and asked: "There are still some brothers of our alliance in Tianlao, I wonder if you have any plans."

  Huò Jì Chéng smiled slightly and said: "If Your Highness thinks it's no big deal, then letting them go is fine. If you think it's a hindrance, then quickly execute them to avoid raising suspicions about the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Brocade Alliance."

  Choi's heart chilled, this person was truly ruthless. He closed his eyes and didn't speak for a long time before saying: "This matter is not something I can decide on my own, let me put it this way, wait until I report to the prince and then we'll talk again, you come back tomorrow to hear the response."

  Huo Jicheng smiled slightly and said, "This is what should be done. However, Lord Cui, the concubine you're keeping in the city has already become pregnant. Why haven't you taken her back yet? Is it because your wife is jealous?"

  Choi's hand trembled and the teacup he had just picked up almost fell onto the table. He looked at Ho Ki-seong's elegant face, as if seeing a devil.

  Huo Jicheng bowed respectfully and said: "I, a humble commoner, will take my leave now. If it's not urgent for the master, it would be best not to move before the mistress gives birth."

  Listening to Huo Jicheng's faint threat, Cui Yang weakly waved his hand and said: "Huo Alliance Master, please rest assured, this official will not resort to deceit, no matter what, this official will not set traps to harm the alliance master."

  Huo Jicheng walked out of the Cui mansion, took a breath of cold air, and felt refreshed. This time he had indeed taken a great risk, but it was too enticing to resist. The benefits of crossing the sea were too great to pass up, and as for human life, what did it matter? As long as he himself was alive, the Jin Xiu Alliance would not perish. Once he obtained the grain, military supplies, and one million gold coins he needed, he could raise the flag of the Shu King's heir and restore his country. If one day he could ensure that the heir ascended to the throne, he would be a worthy regent king. At that time, who could rival his glory?

  A gust of cold wind blew, and Huo Ji's scorching brain cooled down. He thought to himself, I need to go see the people at Tianji Pavilion again. If they didn't succeed on their end, this deal still can't be made.

  After circling around the streets for a while, confirming that no one was following him, Huo Jicheng quietly entered a civilian house. The elderly owner saw him coming and didn't make a sound, leading him to the bedroom, where he tapped on a wall several times, and the wall silently opened. Huo Jicheng swung his sleeve and walked in. Behind him, the wall closed silently.

  In the dim light, Han Wuji sat leisurely in his chair, and when he saw Huo Jicheng come in, he stood up and cupped his hands together, saying: "Huo Alliance Master, you've arrived. I don't know how your discussion went."

  Huo Jicheng smiled slightly and said: "It's still unclear, let's see if we can persuade their master. Han brother, how is the situation on your side?"

  Han Wuji laughed and said: "I've already received the flying letter, they have agreed and promised long-term cooperation. They are now in urgent need of these things, and their national treasury has almost been emptied by King Yong. In the future, they also hope to obtain gold and silver materials from Da Yong through us. Our Tianji Pavilion still has some credibility, if this side goes smoothly, we can join hands and get rich together."

  Huojicheng took a cup of tea and drank it all, saying: "Although our Jinchui Alliance has some influence in Dayong, but this time the Crown Prince was furious, from now on we will have a hard time. If we can't buy off the Crown Prince, then business won't be possible. But don't worry, we have private connections with many officials, most of whom are part of the Crown Prince's faction. As the saying goes, 'birds of a feather flock together', I think the Crown Prince is not a good thing either. These intrigues and struggles can't stump me."

  Han Wuji said: "Then please, Alliance Leader, take care of it. Our forces cannot yet penetrate deeply into Da Yong, so we are relying on the Alliance Leader to take care of it. However, please rest assured about the Southern Chu aspect."

  Huo Jicheng's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp gleam, and he said: "We are aware of the influence of Tianji Pavilion in Southern Chu. If your pavilion master is willing, we can have further cooperation."

  He smiled slightly, knowing that Lu Hou had been guarding Shu Zhong and had struck a blow to the Jin Xiu Alliance's power, causing it to split into four or five factions. The King of Deqin was in control of the situation, and the Jin Xiu Alliance had never been able to gain traction in Nan Chu. Instead, they were able to develop their power in Da Yong because their current goal was not directed at Da Yong, so they were able to do so under its tolerance. However, now that the King of Deqin is dead, it seems that Huo Ji City wants to expand into Nan Chu again.

  Han Wuji said tactfully: "The Alliance Master's intentions are clear to us, but if we rush into this business and the Alliance Master is too impatient, it will harm our interests. In fact, there is no need for the Alliance Master to be anxious. This business can only be done for a few years anyway. By that time, the Alliance Master will have ample resources and manpower, and he can do whatever he wants."

  Huo Jicheng looked at Han Wuji and said with a shocked expression: "Brother Han is indeed resourceful, I wonder if you can introduce me to the Prime Minister so we can discuss cooperation?"

  Han Wuji said with a proud smile: "Our pavilion master has entrusted this matter to me, Han Mou, so the alliance leader doesn't need to look far and wide." Then his face turned mysterious, and he continued: "Moreover, the pavilion master never sees outsiders. Even I, Han Mou, have only seen the pavilion master once and haven't seen their true face yet. However, the pavilion master has spies among all subordinates, so the alliance leader should be careful."

  Huo Jicheng's expression was somewhat uneasy, but he thought for a moment and said warmly: "Brother Han is also a remnant of Shu, for the great cause of restoring the country, we should do our best. Please, Director, take care of it and say a few good words to the master." He had the intention of winning him over, so he immediately spoke in a warm and sincere tone. Han Wudi's heart skipped a beat as he thought that this person was indeed unpredictable, and he needed to be careful not to reveal any flaws. He intentionally looked gloomy for a long time before saying: "I am also a Shu person, how could I not want to restore the country? It's just that the master doesn't like to get involved in national affairs, so he restricts us very strictly. If it weren't for the high profits, the master wouldn't have agreed to this deal."

  Huo Jicheng thought to himself that he couldn't be too hasty, and said: "Thank you for your kindness, General. I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave now. Once things are settled, I'll come back and discuss the details with Brother Han."

  Han Wuji hastily got up and said: "This matter is urgent, I won't keep the Alliance Lord any longer. Han will send off the Alliance Lord."

  Huo Ji Cheng Dao said, "No need to see me off, lest we draw attention. Han Wuji still respectfully sent him to the door of the house, in order to avoid suspicion, and did not send him out of the door.

  After he left, the old homeowner suddenly straightened up, took off his mask from his face, revealing a handsome young face. Han Wuji smiled and said: "Tao Lü, you must remember that if people are greedy, they will die by themselves. This Huo Jicheng is indeed ruthless and cruel. If he wins over someone, he is enthusiastic, but if he doesn't know what he's doing, he might be deceived. When dealing with people, if one's words and heart are not the same, even if you deceive one person for a while, you can't deceive them for a lifetime."

  The young man respectfully said: 'I will take your advice.'

  Han Wuji laughed and said: "The world is full of people seeking profit, everyone is busy for the sake of gain. Sir, you are indeed cunning, we really can't think of what you have in mind, although I don't know what your intention is, but it certainly won't be a good thing."

  At this moment, the Crown Prince's mansion was also in secret discussions. As soon as Cui Yang arrived at Huo Jicheng, he immediately went out and rushed to the Crown Prince's residence. He was the Crown Prince's younger brother-in-law and also his confidant, so he entered the Crown Prince's living quarters without any obstruction. As soon as he walked into the grand hall, he saw the Crown Prince wearing casual clothes, watching a performance of song and dance. Cui Yang couldn't help but take a few more glances. At this glance, Cui Yang's eyes were fixed on them. It turned out that these dancing girls were all wearing lotus-leaf skirts, with their upper bodies covered with lotus flower petals to conceal their delicate breasts, revealing skin as white as snow. Their dance movements were elegant and charming, captivating the heartstrings of those who watched. Although they were dressed in revealing clothing, the music was pleasant and not obscene. The women's movements were natural and unrestrained, without any hint of vulgarity, making people feel comfortable in body and mind.

  Li An saw Cui Yang being stunned, and laughed scoldingly: "Cui Yang, what are you doing here? Why are you still standing there?" As he spoke, he waved his hand, and the dancing girls retreated. It was only then that Cui Yang noticed that Lu Jingzhong was also sitting on one side, while beside the Crown Prince stood a handsome-looking guard.

  "Your Highness, I have a confidential matter to report."

  The crown prince frowned, and before he could speak, the guard said: "Your Highness, I have another dance piece, I'd like to discuss it with the musicians and dancers. Why don't I go first, and when it's done, you can enjoy it."

  The prince smiled and said, "You go now, I'm waiting for your new song. Tell your senior brother to guard the outside well, don't let anyone intrude." The guard retreated. Li An looked at Cui Yang and said, "What's going on? Speak up."