Chapter 632: Swaggering Deceit

At nightfall, Gu Jiu Ling sat in the largest tavern of Northern Goose Pass, and at this moment she couldn't help but admire Zuo Feichen's efficiency.

She wore an indigo-blue brocade robe embroidered with plum blossom patterns, its cuffs trimmed with a band of gold thread, her hair bound with a white jade coronet, sitting there gleaming with gold, every inch the picture of a noble young gentleman.

Zuo Feichen wore an ordinary black cotton robe, looking like a quiet, mild-mannered accountant, seated behind Gu Jiu Ling.

The private room they occupied was the largest and most lavish in the tavern, yet this time it was filled to capacity.

Not only Gu Jiu Ling, but other merchants seeking to profit in this chaotic era were also present.

Other merchants lacked the qualifications to sit here; only grain merchants could come.

Although no one said it outright, everyone understood that this trip stood to earn a considerable sum of silver.

Recently, word spread that the Azure Dragon Army besieging Horizontal Prefecture was running out of grain, its supply lines unable to keep up.

Now the nearest place to Horizontal Prefecture is Northern Goose Pass; even if Prince Rui needed to transport grain, it would have to come in via Northern Goose Pass.

Therefore, these grain merchants have come today to strike this deal, having heard that Prince Rui is not short of silver but is presently lacking grain.

Although Prince Rui acts as the king's deputy, they ought to unconditionally support his northern campaign, yet as merchants they prioritize profit over sentiment, and silver is paramount.

Beside Gu Jiu Ling sat an elderly man with white hair, wearing a deep purple silk robe, his weather-worn face etched with shrewdness.

He turned slightly toward Gu Jiu Ling and whispered, 'When the commander of the Azure Dragon Army arrives later, pay close attention.'

'If it weren't for the fact that you are a friend of Divine Doctor Zuo, I would certainly not have brought you here.'

Master Zhang is a well-known merchant of Northern Goose Pass; having once suffered a grave illness, he was rescued by Zuo Feichen, and thus naturally feels deep gratitude toward him.

However, seeing Gu Jiu Ling's youthful airs of a spoiled dilettante, his eyes fixed solely on money, the old man couldn't help but dislike her vulgarity.

Gu Jiu Ling snapped shut her folding fan with a swish, turned to Master Zhang, clasped her fists and smiled, 'Thank you for your kindness, sir. My father once gave me a sum of silver to start a business, but who would have thought that the misty rains of Jiangnan would make that money so hard to hold onto—I lost it all before I knew it.'

'Ah,' Gu Jiu Ling sighed, her face troubled, she said softly, 'It's heartbreaking to admit—I may be the legitimate son, but I have a younger half-brother whose talent surpasses mine and whose earnings exceed mine; I cannot… I cannot allow myself to be outdone again.'

'As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in peril; now we have encountered just such a good opportunity—if this grain-resale deal succeeds, we will naturally gain some prestige.'

Master Zhang's expression stiffened slightly as he silently sighed; he could see at once that she was a worthless scion of a wealthy Jiangnan merchant, and were it not to repay Divine Doctor Zuo's life-saving kindness, he would certainly refuse to have any dealings with such a person.

Nevertheless, this time all the major grain merchants can exploit the shortage of grain facing Prince Rui's Azure Dragon Army to reap a huge profit.

He lowered his voice and said, 'This time you conduct this business under the name of our Zhang family; whether you profit or lose depends on your fate—consider it my repaying a favor to Young Master Zuo.'

'Of course, of course, there will certainly be no shortage of offerings to you then.'

Gu Jiu Ling laughed softly.

Master Zhang hastily raised his hand and waved it off, saying, 'No need to make offerings to me; this is entirely out of respect for Young Master Zuo.'

'However, Prince Rui is not someone to be trifled with; if this business goes well you'll reap a fortune, but if it goes poorly you might not even keep your head.'

'I originally had no intention of letting a wet-behind-the-ears child like you meddle in this, but…'

'Never mind, I won't say more; later when Prince Rui's people arrive, they will naturally handle the transaction with you grain merchants—remember to use our Zhang family's name when the time comes to facilitate things, otherwise you may not be able to complete the deal.'

Gu Jiu Ling nodded repeatedly, thinking to herself, 'Old people sure are talkative, but his act as a spoiled young master is quite convincing—just enough to make Old Master Zhang furious.'

This time, with Zuo Feichen's assistance behind the scenes, she operated under the banner of the Zhang family, and furthermore concealed all the suspicious items on her person.

As they spoke, footsteps sounded outside the door, and a young man of fairly presentable appearance walked in at a leisurely pace.

He wore a purple robe, carried himself with an affected air, and strode confidently into the private room.

Gu Jiu Ling quickly rose to her feet along with the surrounding grain merchants.

'Commander Ling, greetings! Commander Ling, well met!'

All around rose the sound of greetings.

Gu Jiu Ling glanced at the young man, her eyes flickering for a moment, and she hastily lowered her head.

Behind her, Zuo Feichen also felt a quiet astonishment.

'How could this possibly be Commander Ling Feng, who serves beside Xiao Yin?'

'He and Gu Jiu Ling have lived in Shang Jing all along, so they naturally know what Commander Ling Feng looks like.'

'It is said that Commander Ling Feng from Prince Rui's entourage has come to discuss grain purchases with them, yet although this fellow bears a decent appearance and is roughly the same age as Ling Feng, he lacks even a trace of the commander's bearing.'

He gives off an impression of being shifty, with furtive, darting eyes.

Zuo Feichen instantly understood what the Princess Consort had said; indeed, the so-called dispatch of Prince Rui's personal attendants to buy grain from the merchants was nothing but the Eight Great Families meddling.

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at the young man before her, her brows knitting tightly; this was someone coming under the banner of Commander Ling Feng to summon these grain merchants.

Sure enough, when the Eight Great Families act, they do so ruthlessly—worried that Xiao Yin might procure grain through these nearby merchants, they have sent agents ahead to detain them.

Once all the grain merchants coming and going in the vicinity of Northern Goose Pass are brought under control, Xiao Yin will truly have no chance at survival.

At present, those capable of supplying grain nearest to Horizontal Prefecture are all gathered in this very building.

Once these people are restrained, their grain will never reach Xiao Yin's hands.

If Xiao Yin wishes to gather grain again, he must do so from Jing Cheng, a distant route; by the time it reaches Horizontal Prefecture, his troops will likely already be near starvation, and it would be no surprise if they mutinied under such extreme hunger.

Master Zhang, seated beside Gu Jiu Ling, also stepped forward and clasped his fists in salute toward the young man.

'I have heard that Commander Ling is a capable aide of the prince; now seeing him in person, his reputation is certainly not undeserved—he possesses a truly imposing bearing.'

'Yes, yes, Commander Ling is extraordinarily heroic and valiant; we have long admired him.'

These merchants of Northern Goose Pass rarely venture to Shang Jing; their main trade lies in the barter markets between Bei Di, the Western Rong, and Southern Qi.

These folks seldom go to Shang Jing, so they have indeed never seen what Commander Ling Feng looks like; they have only heard that a capable aide of Prince Rui has come to discuss grain purchases with them.

One after another, they flattered and fawned; Gu Jiu Ling, head lowered, muttered a few lines of praise along with them.

She secretly amused herself, thinking that Commander Ling Feng would never have imagined the Eight Great Families sending such a worthless impostor to masquerade under his name and swagger about deceiving others.

Gu Jiu Ling was about to speak when the sleeve of her garment was gently tugged by Zuo Feichen behind her.

Zuo Feichen evidently had something to say.