Chapter Fourteen: Ups and Downs

  Wang Guanlan was not a conspiracy theorist, but two things happening at the same time in such a coincidental manner couldn't help but raise his vigilance, although he still couldn't figure out what the other party was trying to do.

  "Go tell those two shopkeepers to get out, I won't lower the price. And from now on, the price of Phoenix Tail Grass at Shun He Xing and Heng He Xing will be increased by 10%, go!"

  "Ah?!" Unexpectedly, it turned out to be such a result. Wang Qing said with some difficulty, "Young master, isn't this bad?!"

  "What's wrong with that? And you tell them to pass a message to all the business houses in Yicheng, from now on Ningtai will no longer be responsible for the transportation fee of Fengweicao, and all the transportation fees will be borne by themselves!" In Wang Guanlan's view, selling things and still having to bear the transportation fee was simply an unreasonable thing. He really couldn't understand why the Ningtai business house would accept such an unreasonable condition, as if it were the Ningwang Mansion begging these business houses to purchase Fengweicao!

  Poor Wang Qing was left stunned by Wang Guanlan, and just as he was about to persuade him again, Wang Guanlan impatiently waved his hand and had no choice but to leave the account book in his hand, reluctantly retreating.

  "Alas, it's not easy to have a subordinate, yet he's so useless!!" Wang Guanlan rubbed his forehead, secretly worried. He didn't need to look at the account book left by Wang Qing, he already knew what it would contain - definitely records of the large amount of Fengwei grass that had been stockpiled and couldn't be sold, and maybe even calculations of the losses that would be incurred. It seemed that this was also the reason for Wang Qing's hesitation.

  The prosperity of Yicheng is all due to the Fengweicao, and once it can't be sold, all the prosperity will disappear. The various large business establishments throughout Yicheng are the key to whether Fengweicao can be sold or not.

  Yicheng has many business firms, and it can be said that the most famous business firms in the three southwestern states all have branches in Yicheng. The main purpose of these business firms is to purchase phoenix tail grass, and the size of the business firms also has a close relationship with the strength behind them. Wang Guanlan knows this well, but he is not afraid either.

  "What a fool! With the Phoenix Tail Grass in my hands, what are they going to do, turn the sky upside down?"

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  "Good, it's really great, this little fourteen, is really ignorant of the height of heaven and earth!!" At the same time that Wang Guanlan was scolding Wang Qing as an idiot, Wang Guanchao, who had just received the news, was also scolding Wang Guanlan for being ignorant of the height of heaven and earth. Holding a letter of resignation, Wang Guanchao jumped up from his chair like a rooster in heat.

  "Alright, that's it! He has now offended both the Shunhe and Xinghe merchant houses. One of these two houses is backed by the Yuan family of Guizhou, while the other is supported by the Mu family of Yunnan. Not only do they have enormous power in both Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, but they are also one of the top ten merchant houses in the three southwestern provinces. Offending them would be equivalent to cutting off his own commercial routes! Heh heh, I'd love to see how he plans to sell that Phoenix Tail Grass now!!"

  "Watching the tide, your uncle and others incited the merchants of Yicheng to ask Fengweicao to lower prices, was it your idea?" Just as he was excited, Madame Qi walked in.

  "Yes, mother, actually those merchants have been wanting to lower the price of phoenix tail grass for a long time, but with the sudden appearance of Wang Guanlan's incident, they've been waiting and watching. Now that Yicheng seems to be settled, they naturally want to take advantage of it for themselves. I just gave them a little push from behind!"

  "You just focus on your work and don't play with fire. You should know that it's not easy for your uncle and his family to be where they are today!"

  "Don't worry, mother. Over the years, relying on our relationship, Uncle and his family have also gained a lot in Yicheng. Although they can't compare to those few big merchant families, they are still at a mid-level in Yicheng and have some influence. Moreover, this time it's just going with the flow and making things difficult for Old Fourteen, nothing will happen!"

  "It's getting tough for Old Fourteen, now Wang Guanlan is no longer just a concubine's son in the mansion, haven't you heard? He's not only a Taoist priest but also some kind of formation master. I heard from the steward that his current status in the mansion is already higher than several princes. The Eighteen Mountain Bandits and Old Three's personal servant girl have all fallen into his hands. What are you worth, still trying to make things difficult for him?!"

  Seven Madam's words were filled with worry, perhaps in the past, she had hoped that her own son could step on Wang Guanlan to rise up, but now, as Wang Guanlan grew, she no longer held any hope. She was a woman with self-awareness and clearly knew that knowingly opposing someone stronger than herself would be extremely unwise behavior. Now, her own son seemed to be heading in the direction of foolishness, which made her anxious.

  "Mother, don't worry, Lao Shi Si is now prosperous, but it's not as exaggerated as you said. He's still a bastard son, how can he compare with the few legitimate sons? This time it was the Third Young Master who fought with him, I just cheered him on!"

  "This is good, the tide has turned! Now it's a completely different story. Wang Guanlan has thoroughly turned things around!" As she spoke, Madame Qi let out a soft sigh and walked over to Wang Guantang's side, sitting down beside him. Originally, Wang Guanlan had passed the imperial examination and obtained the estate of Yicheng, and she had wanted to use the hands of Hou Furen and San Shizi to fight with him and teach him a lesson. But now, after receiving news about Wang Guanlan from the steward, she had thoroughly dispelled this notion. However, she was still worried about her own son. As the saying goes, "a grown son is not controlled by his mother", and no one knew better than her how deep Wang Guantang's resentment towards Wang Guanlan ran. Her only wish now was that her son would not stir up any irreparable trouble.

  "Mother, rest assured, I'm not that foolish. It's clear that Wang Guanlan is now in high spirits and still wants to collide with the stone. You can be at ease!"

  "Alright, alright, I'm relieved. You be careful too!" But she didn't know if her words had been heard by her son or not. The seventh lady sighed and left.

  Looking at the somewhat desolate back of Madame Qi, Wang Guantao clenched his fists tightly and secretly vowed in his heart, "Wang Guanlan, I will return the humiliation you brought me a thousand times over!!"

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  "County Master, that's the situation. Those merchants want to lower the price of Fengwei grass, while the docked ship owners want to raise their freight charges. The 14th Young Master not only disagreed with lowering the price but also raised the purchase price of Shunhe and Xinghe by one percent. Moreover, he declared that from now on, Ningtai will no longer be responsible for the transportation fee of Fengwei grass. Both sides are at an impasse!!"

  In the county government office, a young scholar in a green robe was quietly reporting to a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, with excitement in his eyes.

  "Yuankang, don't be so optimistic. No matter how they fight, it's just an internal affair of the three southwestern states!" The middle-aged man known as County Lord was none other than Yao Yifei, the current county magistrate of Yicheng.

  "Hmph, even if the Ning Wangfu dominates the three southwestern states with an iron fist, this world still belongs to Your Majesty, still belongs to Great Qi!" The young scholar in green seemed somewhat disgruntled, his tone revealing a hint of indignation.

  "Yuan Kang, look, the scholar is angry, isn't he? This southwest three states' land belongs to Ning Wangfu and also to Da Qi. It's Ning Wangfu who guards it for Da Qi!" Yao Yifei waved his hand with a smile, "We local officials are just unlucky, our only role is to maintain balance, just pass on the orders and that's all!"

  "But you are the county magistrate, and something has happened in this place, so you still have to show up. Now this matter is on one hand Ning Wangfu, and on the other hand it's all major business houses, I think apart from you, there's no one else suitable!"

  Yao Yi flew into a rage, as if he had heard some earth-shattering joke. "What's going on? What's happening now? Is someone causing trouble or rebelling? And there's no one outside beating the drum to inform against me, what's the hurry?"

  "You're waiting for them to make a big fuss and then clean up the mess! Qingyi Wenshi Yuankang seemed to understand something after hearing this, and his eyes showed admiration. "In that case, either side will have to acknowledge your favor!"

  "Yes, it's not easy to deal with these people, but now that we've finally found an opportunity, our days might become a bit more comfortable from now on!" Yao Yifei gently stroked his long mustache and smiled, "Yuan Kang, I heard that the 14th son of Ning Wang has started school this year, which makes him one of my educated people. If you have the chance, go and get in touch with him, because we might be dealing with him a lot from now on!"

  "You're so sure Fourteenth Young Master can win? Those merchant houses have strong backers too!"

  "Yuankang, you're still young and don't see things clearly!" Yao Yifei smiled lightly. "No matter how strong the powers behind those merchant houses are, they can't compete with the Ning Wangfu. And that Wang Guanlan has already been proven to be an array master. His importance to the Ning Wangfu is not inferior to those few princes, and may even surpass them. Tell me, in the three southwestern states, who would dare to offend the Ning Wang prince for a small benefit? Especially since they were the ones who started this!" He asked, "You don't really think that the conditions offered by those merchant houses were decided by the powers behind them, do you?"

  "It shouldn't be like this, these businesses in Yicheng have autonomy, they still have the power to decide on price fluctuations!"

  "Not bad, think about it, if it were your subordinate, without getting your consent, for a tiny bit of benefit, borrowing your power to confront the Ning Wang's son, how would you feel?!"

  "Kill——!" As soon as the word "kill" came out, Yuan Kang suddenly woke up, "You mean——!"

  "Hmph, you've seen how these merchants' bosses operate in Yicheng, haven't you? They're secretly making a fortune off the side. This is also why Yicheng's phoenix tail grass is never in short supply - they don't worry about not being able to make ends meet. Just wait and see, if one day Yicheng's phoenix tail grass harvests are reduced, let's see if they can still be so smug!!"

  Yao Yifei is capable of being the county magistrate, and his ability is unquestionable. In the three years he has been in Yicheng, he has thoroughly understood everything inside and out. Although these merchants are doing a thriving business in Yicheng, their fundamental reliance is still on Fengweicao. The powerful forces behind them, including aristocratic families and wealthy households, have invested so many resources in Yicheng for the sole purpose of ensuring a constant supply of Fengweicao. If this cannot be guaranteed, then no matter how much money the merchants can make, it would be meaningless.