Chapter 91

By the time the Grand Tutor received the news and rushed over, Zhang Tu's hundred men were already ready—of course, having disembarked from the ship, there were no warhorses, which Da Wang greatly regretted.

The Grand Tutor grabbed Da Wang, "Your Highness, just barging in like this without proper planning? Didn't you say the Ma family occupies an entire street, with countless slaves, and their estate guards alone number several hundred?"

Da Wang glanced at the elite guards of the Personal Guard Battalion standing ramrod straight and snapped angrily, "If a hundred men can't even take down a civilian residence, you might as well not come back—spend the rest of your lives reclaiming wasteland at Wang Zhuang for this king!"

Zhang Tu and the soldiers hastily declared their loyalty, morale soaring at once; the Grand Tutor realized it would have been better not to speak, so he switched to advising Da Wang not to reveal his identity and escalate matters, after all, Da Wang had secretly landed in Jiaodong.

Da Wang gave a perfunctory nod, snatched the slip from Chen Cang's hand, waved it once, and said, "Move out!"

The Grand Tutor: "... Wait, Your Highness still intends to go personally?"

Da Wang had already mounted the temporary rented BMW, pretending not to hear as he prepared to ride off, but in the blink of an eye, that slip was snatched by Wei Shen: "On shore, your persona is my younger brother; this household is now under my authority—this time, I'll handle it."

Da Wang wasn't used to riding this unfamiliar horse without stirrups, hastily grabbed the reins and dared not contend with him, perfunctorily saying, "Same, same..." then, without looking at the Grand Tutor or turning back, he spurred his horse ahead; Zhang Tu hurried to follow, leaving only the Grand Tutor sighing behind. Don't underestimate Da Wang just because he's small—his courage is excessive.

The sky hadn't fully darkened when this squad of black-clad, short-uniformed brawny men followed behind a dozen-odd horses, running in mighty procession into the city; the city gate guards, just about to step forward to stop and question them, were whipped aside by Wei Shen's horsewhip, leaving the two gate guards too frightened to utter a sound—clearly, these were not friendly visitors.

Only after the contingent of over a hundred entered the city gate did they gather to discuss whether they should report upward.

Townsfolk inside the city watched this spectacle: the bold lingered behind to see what was happening, while the timid had already retreated home and barred their doors.

Wei Shen led the team to the Ma family's gate; without Da Wang speaking, he simply waved his hand and said, "Smash it for me!"

Those surrounding them—all possessing horses and sabers, the dozen-odd who had just accompanied them on a trip to the neighboring county—upon hearing this order, dismounted eagerly and charged forward.

Finally able to test this new saber!

The laggards watching the spectacle from behind could finally witness a grand scene—someone seeking vengeance against the Ma family had directly brandished a great sword!

"What a huge grudge this is!"

"These comers bear no goodwill..."

"The swords these people wield..."

"I heard those barbarians on the northern steppes all use curved blades..."

"Could these be Northern Barbarians? How did they come to Jiaodong?"

"Doesn't seem like it..."

Though the Ma family gate is wooden no matter how rich they are, this saber, used as a chopping blade, sends wood chips flying with one swing—test it and you'll know, a fine blade indeed! The door-smasher's eyes lit up; this blade must fall into his hands and not be reclaimed—today he must perform well.

Someone simply thrust the blade into the gap and chopped through the door bolt in one stroke—the whole process took mere seconds.

By the time the gatekeeper heard the commotion and came out, the Personal Guard Battalion had already brandished their blades and strode through the gate.

"How... how did you get in?! What do you want?!"

Wei Shen's aide ferociously shoved him aside, cleared the central path, and Wei Shen leisurely rode his horse into their gate.

Da Wang followed behind, eyes sparkling, "Cousin today is extraordinarily dignified—I don't know what's come over him!"

Today's cousin scores a hundred—when there's business, he truly steps up!

Wei Shen pointed his horsewhip at the panicked estate guards running over and shouted, "Summon Ma Li to come out! Hurry and repay the silver you owe us, or today this young master will raze this residence to the ground!"

Da Wang aped his cousin's airs, straightened his small chest, and echoed the chant, "Come out! Repay the silver! Raze it to the ground!"

Zhang Tu: "... Your Highness, learning this spoiled aristocrat's airs isn't necessary, really."

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The gate had been split, Ma Li quickly appeared, leading a horde of fierce-looking estate guards rushing to the front courtyard.

"Which divine being has lived long enough to come smash my Ma family's gate!" he bellowed in rage and frustration, then, having finally seen clearly that the two leaders were mere children still mounted on horses, surrounded by a dozen-odd brawny men wielding curved blades, his heart skipped a beat.

"No way—why are these people still wielding curved blades?!"

He is no ignorant villager—having traveled south and north as a merchant, he knows best whom not to provoke. Yet he has no reason to have offended Northern Barbarians—could that large ship be theirs? Don't joke—steppe people fishing?

Could ordinary people of the Jin Dynasty possibly possess such fine blades?

His estate guards are quite formidable—his hands hold only iron-tipped spears, yet these men seem hard to provoke.

Having realized this, his attitude shifted instantly—but he had already shouted his piece; could Wei Shen endure being shouted at for nothing?

"This young master is a living immortal come from the sea; now repay the fish money you owe, and perhaps I'll spare your dog's life! Is Ma Lao Ye's head stuffed with straw? This young master can plumb the deep seas—could he still be toyed with by a small merchant like you? Today I'll teach you a lesson: the unkind rich die early! Smash it for me!"

The retainers behind surged forward, drawing blades to hack at any visible doors, windows, or objects.

Ma Li had never seen such arrogance—not even after marrying Wang Shi.

"Outrageous! Wait! Wait! I never said I wouldn't pay—estate guards, estate guards! Are you just going to stand there watching?!"

Those estate guards were also somewhat dazed—first time seeing troublemakers wielding such fine weapons; Ma Li's shout finally spurred them to charge forward to intervene.

The retainers inside had already begun smashing indoor furnishings; if the estate guards raised by this wealthy merchant could match this batch of regular troops, Zhang Tu could truly die of shame—for those who followed Da Wang out were undoubtedly elite.

Da Wang had ordered: all are Jin Dynasty commoners, do not lightly endanger lives, so though the brawl looks ferocious, those who fell were estate guards with non-fatal wounds—at most, sliced arms.

Before long, this front courtyard sector was nearly dismantled—wooden windows and doors couldn't withstand a few blows, and Ma Li finally grew timid; this ferocity wasn't from a soft target—today he feared he couldn't withstand it.

That's over fifty thousand taels—Ma Li doesn't want to bear even a hint of risk; pulling the white wolf with empty hands is something he's done plenty of in Jiaodong, including the prefect who doesn't give the Ma family face. This time, he couldn't uncover the shipowner's background despite questioning several fishermen aboard, who only said they were from Youzhou, and the shipmaster too was from Youzhou.

Ma Li simply continued his usual stance—what person in Youzhou could he not afford to provoke?

He even joked to the head steward that he was none other than the You King, whom he could provoke, for his household backed the Wang clan—how could the You King compare to the Yu Yang King!

"This is Jiaodong—you won't be allowed to run wild here! Steward, steward! Quickly report to the authorities!"

The steward at his side trembled, "Already gone, already sent someone out the back gate!"

Upon hearing this, Da Wang felt deeply vexed, "Alas! Still inexperienced—should have surrounded them first!"

Wei Shen:...

You know his family occupies an entire street—who knows how many gates they have? In unfamiliar territory, who could encircle them?

Having dominated Jiaodong for years, Ma Li truly hadn't seen many as arrogant as these—today he finally opened his eyes.

Wei Shen also opened his eyes—his southwest has never seen anyone as arrogant as these; thank you! Who dares to brazenly seize a prince's goods and then deny the debt? Not one wouldn't praise such ferocity.

"Not giving silver, huh? Then smash it hard! We'll take it ourselves, right? Get to work!"

A mass brawl was about to break out, and Da Wang was itching to act.

Zhang Tu stepped forward upon seeing this, blocking in front of Da Wang's horse, staying put to guard Da Wang while letting Wei Shen act freely elsewhere.

Da Wang: ……

Being regular troops, they quickly felled a pile of the estate guards; the remainder became more cautious, with some even shrinking back, afraid to step forward. They were the estate guards of the local Ma family tyrants, who rarely saw real combat in peacetime, merely tall and bulky men raised to look intimidating.

Wei Shen directed his personal guards to smash things to his heart's content; the front courtyard was a mess, and he still ordered a search of the rear residence for silver. The situation was one-sided, and the guards could not stop them. This time, Ma Li finally loosened his grip.

"Wait, stop! I'll pay! I'll give the silver!" I don't know when the official troops will arrive, nor do I know if those few constables from the Yong'an government dare to manage these well-armed ruffians.

Wei Shen waved his hand, and the one-sided mass brawl in the venue temporarily halted.

"Sixty thousand taels."

"It's clearly fifty thousand, yet you dare to demand an extra ten thousand? You wrecked my estate and still dare to extort? Brat, do you know who the Ma family is? You haven't even inquired properly!" Ma Li still wanted to stall until the constable on his side arrived, but upon hearing not only no deduction but an extra ten thousand, he was even less willing to pay, even angry enough to want the other party to compensate him for his house.

"What could the Ma family possibly be? I am merely an ordinary commoner of the Great Jin Dynasty! Buying goods and paying for them is natural and just. You've delayed our journey with your default, and the loss of a large ship detained for a day already warrants me demanding several thousand extra taels as an act of kindness on my part. Even if the Prince of Yu Yang came today, buying goods would still require payment!"

Ma Li's expression changed drastically.

Saying that, anyone hearing it would know they already knew his family's background. Not mentioning the prefect, but directly bringing up the Prince of Yu Yang, and yet still daring to act this way—then…!

The constables outside, just about to lead a team charging in, also heard this sentence. The two team leaders exchanged a glance—should they still charge?

Those coming were certainly not benevolent. All of Jiaodong knows Ma Li relies on whose name to act so arrogantly, and the opposing side clearly isn't afraid. To dare to directly strike the city gatekeepers—what kind of good sort could that be?

One of them stepped back, "Should we monitor and observe? Brothers' lives are lives too; the city guards say they all wield big sabers, while our little iron pieces aren't much use." The constables pushed forward solemnly surrounded the gate, then took no further action, leaving the distant onlookers bewildered.

Watching these people smash the front courtyard to pieces and still wanting to go to the rear courtyard, with the constables still not appearing, Ma Li finally admitted he had kicked an iron plate.

"I'll pay, stop, I'll pay!"

"Then hurry up; if you play tricks a bit longer, it'll be seventy thousand taels."

Ma Li's face turned iron-blue as he berated the steward to go to the accounts office to fetch silver, while Wei Shen also called a halt, and the scene fell into a strange silence. Suddenly, a clear child's voice curiously asked: "Master Ma, your shameless way of doing business hasn't gotten you beaten to death yet—is it because you're related to the Wang family?"

"You!... Impudent!"

Da Wang, wronged, said: "Can't a child ask a question? We smashed your courtyard today—how do you plan to complain to the Wang family? Or are you saying you can directly seek the Prince of Yu Yang?"

Ma Li's heart was filled with utter doubt and unease; hearing this child mention the Prince of Yu Yang so casually, this definitely came from no small background.

With such a large fishing boat... could it be the Jin family on the Second Prince's side? The world's richest man having such strength would not be surprising.

He spoke again, much more respectfully; the Second Prince is not someone to provoke lightly.

"No dare, no dare; this time it's my steward's incompetence in handling affairs, all Ma's fault." He shifted tone: "May I dare to ask how the two young masters should be addressed? So that in future business, Ma won't accidentally offend your esteemed selves again." The one asking was the two young masters, but the one looking was Da Wang.

At this moment, the steward finally came running with a stack of banknotes; Ma Li took them and counted—this old fellow really had taken out sixty thousand taels...

Ma Li glared fiercely at the steward, then handed the banknotes to an aide standing before Wei Shen.

The aide counted and handed them to his young master; Wei Shen didn't even look, just tucked them into his embrace, then lifted the reins and prepared to turn and leave.

Ma Li had suffered such a great loss; he certainly needed to know their names, for once this group left, it would be harder for him to investigate.

He plucked up his courage and still asked the younger brother: "The Young Master hasn't yet answered Ma's question." Obviously, Da Wang was the soft persimmon he had chosen.

Da Wang did not disappoint his expectations, speaking gently: "Fine, don't turn back to take revenge on the wrong person. This young master neither changes his name when walking nor alters his surname when sitting—Wei Tai Ping."

Wei Shen: "Cough cough cough..."

Da Wang asked concernedly: "Did elder brother catch a chill? Then let's head back!"

Wei Shen: "... Let's go."

Ma Li noted down: Wei Tai Ping.

He couldn't figure out what it was. In the Great Jin Dynasty, those who are honored are taboo; regardless of officials or commoners, none have the right to utter the personal name of Da Wang.

When he was residing in the inner palace, he was called the Third Prince by others; after being enfeoffed as a princely lord, he became the You King. Now, in this world, only a few people have the right to utter Bai Li Jing's personal name—the emperor, high-ranking consorts in the inner palace, plus his two elder brothers. Being enfeoffed as a king ranks higher than princesses who marry out with titles, so even his sisters cannot directly call his personal name.

Therefore, in the folk, truly few people know what the You King's personal name actually is.

This group came and went in haste; Ma Li watched helplessly as they departed fully armed and with money in hand, his heart seething with the urge to vomit blood.

After everyone had left, the constables who had been hiding finally arrived leisurely: "Master Ma, was it you who sent someone to report to the officials? Where are the bandits?"

Ma Li gave a false smile: "Gentlemen, you came late—see what I've had smashed here."

The constables accompanied with smiles, asked about the incident, and Ma Li directly reported Da Wang's personal name: "It's the owner of that large ship docked at the ferry these past two days! Master Zhang, you must uphold justice for me!"

Then, as a matter of course, he reported the name of one of the ship's owners—Wei Tai Ping.

On the return journey, Wei Shen couldn't help but ask the 'Wei Tai Ping' beside him: "Listen to how your name is chosen—any thoughtful person would slightly ponder and guess you're Bai Li Jing. Do you think everyone is as brainless as those wealthy merchants? Aren't you foolish! Why don't you just casually say a name? If this gets out and you're exposed and impeached, let's see how you handle it!"

Da Wang didn't mind: "As long as it's not my father emperor personally coming to block me in Jiaodong, no matter who says what, I won't admit it!"

Wei Shen: ……

Da Wang, mighty!