[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign":3,"chapter-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-225":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Eternal Green Immortal Sovereign",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2270233,4432,"Chapter 225: Looking Beyond the Framework to Solve the Problem","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-225",225,"\u003Cp>\"More goods?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing immediately perked up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the head of the Weiheshimao Office, he was undoubtedly the most concerned among them about the goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui nodded:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this, Yan Zhongxing’s eyes lit up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could it be that the Captain of Anning Guard hid the goods in advance?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That makes sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, how could he have dared to make the decision to abandon the goods?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t need all of it—even a portion would do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hope rose in Yan Zhongxing’s heart; he hurriedly asked: \"Where are the goods?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the goods, this first mutual trade between the two nations would be a complete success, and they could report back to His Majesty and Grand Secretary Zhang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not just Yan Zhongxing, but everyone—including Cao Wei and Dao Mo—showed signs of interest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Dao Mo and his men.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had all been present when nearly ten thousand jin of goods were abandoned on the official road, and they had seen it all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wu merchants were even more puzzled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Could this Yu official have some trick to deceive heaven and earth?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>all eyes turned to Li Rui.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s expression remained calm; his voice steady as he said softly: \"I have one hundred jin of southern frontier tea cakes here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At these words,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the first Wu merchant to speak laughed bitterly: \"One hundred jin? A thousand jin would barely suffice.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trade fair alone drew over a hundred merchants from the Jiangnan Grand Merchant Association, not to mention other traders and individual buyers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One jin per person?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s ridiculous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If this got out, the whole world would laugh at us—no one would ever trade with Wu again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing, upon hearing Li Rui’s words, fell into thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui didn’t even glance at the Wu merchant; he continued:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"According to my knowledge, there are still many tea cakes in Qinghe City—combined, they should be sufficient.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I mean, the goods we need don’t have to come from the southern frontier.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing and Cao Wei both brightened—they understood Li Rui’s meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brilliant idea!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing praised.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was, after all, a shrewd businessman skilled in accounting; he grasped the implication immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinghe borders the southern frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although mutual trade between the two nations had only just begun, private trade had never ceased for over a thousand years—every major household, clan, and merchant house in Qinghe City had some southern frontier goods in their possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Combined, their quantity far exceeded what the entire Wu caravan had brought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had all been limiting their thinking to the current caravan’s cargo, unaware that once their perspective broadened, Qinghe City itself was a vast warehouse of Wu goods!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder he’s a Qinghe veteran!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just a matter of spending more money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Weiheshimao Office, as the institution managing this mutual trade and directly overseen by the Ministry of Revenue, with the Emperor himself paying attention,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>certainly didn’t lack funds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as this emergency is resolved, they could always make up the losses later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, this mutual trade was always more about form than substance—so long as it opened and looked decent on the surface, would any merchant really dare file a complaint against the Weiheshimao Office?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing was no one to be trifled with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Mo also understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What the goods were didn’t matter—only that the people were there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to future profits, the loss of silver and gold from this one trade was negligible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No wonder he so decisively chose to abandon the goods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Dao Mo finally understood Li Rui’s true intent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recalling everything from last night,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>it was all planned—starting with sacrificing goods to protect people, then choosing the mountain route—all meticulously arranged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed perilous, but was as steady as an old dog.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such composure—Dao Mo couldn’t help but admire him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you prepare, you succeed; if not, you fail.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui’s careful, thorough approach is truly a blessing for both nations!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Brilliant!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Wen, standing nearby and also a participant, suddenly understood and couldn’t help exclaiming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dao Mo volunteered: \"For the purchase of these goods, my Wu side can cover the cost—only I hope Cao Senior and Yan Senior can help smooth things over and arrange the connections.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing smiled slightly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Of course.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this time in Qinghe, he hadn’t been idle—he had already traveled far and wide, cultivating relationships with Qinghe’s influential factions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now was the perfect time to use them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei also nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yu, especially in Qinghe, no major sect or clan dared refuse to do business with the imperial court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they weren’t refusing to pay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He smiled, looking approvingly at Li Rui: \"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his expression turned serious:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But since the goods went missing under your watch, it’s your duty to recover them. I won’t make it hard—you only need to uncover the identity of those responsible.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui bowed, clasping his fists—he had already planned to investigate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Captain of the Trade Office, this was his official duty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei turned to Yan Zhongxing and Dao Mo: \"Let’s settle this for now—the priority is preparing for the opening of the market. Return to Qinghe immediately and begin preparations.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cao Senior is right.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yan Zhongxing and Dao Mo both nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The group then remounted their horses and returned to the city.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the following two days,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>doors of Qinghe’s major households and clans were knocked on by officials—when asked, they learned the officials had come to do business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only southern frontier goods.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, these families suspected entrapment and hid their goods—but seeing the officials had no such intent, and realizing they were on foreign ground, and that others who had handed over goods faced no consequences, they all complied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If anyone resisted, the Anning Guard and Weiheshimao Office would invite them for tea.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In just two days,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the goods were fully assembled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mutual trade between the two nations opened normally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over thirty Wu merchant houses, totaling more than a hundred people, set up shops in the market zone designated by the Weiheshimao Office; merchants from Qinghe and surrounding areas flooded in, creating a lively scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard even people from the capital came.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian and Li Rui also came to join the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But those who knew the truth weren’t particularly interested in what was being sold in the stalls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were all just items scavenged from Qinghe households—filler, nothing more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>=9+Book_bar\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For foreign merchants, there were still many novel and appealing items.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Overall, though flawed, the flaws didn’t overshadow the merits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was enough to pass muster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Old Man Li, you think they’ll show up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ning Zhongtian scanned the sea of people in the market, thinking:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Even if they do come, with so many people, how could they possibly be found?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui shrugged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just came to see if we’re lucky.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, he came to the Trade Office market not to buy anything, but to investigate a case.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, there’s no need to investigate at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was almost certain the perpetrators were men loyal to several rebellious princes from the Southern Frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s just for show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei and Yan Zhongxing had already used connections to inquire about the conditions at other checkpoints.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As expected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Including Qinghe, three checkpoints had been attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each suffered casualties; one checkpoint lost both people and goods entirely, forcing them to publicly claim the site was still under construction and the opening delayed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emperor was furious; the Trade Office Captain directly responsible was stripped of rank and exiled, and the Garrison Commander was demoted as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the others’ failures as contrast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinghe’s performance stood out as exceptionally well-managed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Li Rui could be said not only to have avoided blame, but to have earned great merit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But goods were still lost; though Cao Wei could not publicly reward Li Rui, he relaxed his scrutiny of the investigation, imposing no deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No deadline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was essentially implying to Li Rui that whether he investigated or not didn’t matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, even without investigation, it was obvious the culprits were bandits from the Southern Frontier—could the Anning Guard really invade Wu Kingdom territory to capture them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Anning Guard suffered almost no losses this time; they had no intention of wading into murky waters and inviting trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Li Rui wouldn’t let up because of it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cao Wei could ignore it—he was an Assistant Regional Commander.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was different; he was the Trade Office Captain, specifically responsible for trade security.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What happened before was only the beginning; those princes would surely send more agents to sabotage Qinghe’s trade at all costs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he had to find a way to root out the spies hidden in Qinghe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That day’s operation was a solid lead—perfect for tracing the source.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the other end of the Trade Office market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A young man and woman walked through the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man’s face was grim, his eyes shadowed: “Damn it, where the hell did they get this merchandise?!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The woman glanced at the man: “Speak louder. They’re all deaf if they can’t hear you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu glared at Liu Jiaoniang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He snorted coldly and fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, these two were Qi Yu and Liu Jiaoniang—but thanks to Liu Jiaoniang’s uncanny disguise skills, no outsider could recognize their true identities, and they now openly appeared within the Trade Office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had heard rumors and came specifically to confirm them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu stared at the goods that had appeared out of nowhere in the shops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Roughly counting, thirty merchant stalls held over ten thousand items—a substantial quantity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t fathom how, after their own Wu Kingdom caravans had been entirely seized, they’d acquired so much Wu merchandise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did Qinghe have immortals?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, the Southern Frontier Qi clan’s operation had utterly failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qinghe’s market opening had suffered not the slightest disruption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Qi Yu brooded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang spoke: “I’ve inquired—these goods were all seized from wealthy households in Qinghe City. It seems an official named Li Rui came up with the idea.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Rui?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang nodded: “Correct.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He was also the commander of the Anning Guard this time, and the one who chose to sacrifice goods to save lives.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kill intent flickered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the official named Li Rui had single-handedly ruined this operation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He must die!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu gritted his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Jiaoniang looked at Qi Yu with disdain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Pathetic. What good is killing a sixth-rank official?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You came here just to kill?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu fell silent, stung by being silenced by a woman—his anger flared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what do you suggest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Liu Jiaoniang appeared not to have heard him at all—her gaze was locked on a direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Yu followed her gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw an old man over seventy walking through the crowd, hands behind his back, his eyes nearly slits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Speak of the devil.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Li Rui!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1827,"2026-06-19T22:01:11.003Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","be6910cdedf818617cdb041adee715de6c019833e1a12c918e8f2efe79d5ea11","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-226","eternal-green-immortal-sovereign-chapter-224",866,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Feternal-green-immortal-sovereign-cover.jpg"]