Chapter 455

The tough guy turned into a jellyfish, truly terrified and tortured to the brink.

Every secret in his mouth was spat out.

However, at that time Su Qiao was dealing with the White Lotus Society matters and had no time to handle his case.

He was kept under wraps and not seen.

He waited until Liu Ming and the others were all arrested; only then did Su Qiao breathe a sigh of relief, remember the opium in Quanzhou still needed handling, and have him brought out.

Lester, whose eyes had originally held a cunning gleam, burst into tears and confessed everything the moment he saw Su Qiao.

Su Qiao felt mentally prepared for this.

This time, he even brought him along when coming to Quanzhou.

……

Morning, inside the main hall of the guesthouse.

Those merchants who received the invitation and truly wished to resolve the matter were brought in.

Su Qiao was still changing clothes in the rear residence and did not immediately go out to meet them.

The merchant representatives, most of whom knew each other, sat in their respective seats and began whispering to one another.

Some, fearing they might be overheard, communicated directly with glances.

Yet no one dared to make a loud noise.

Indeed, the Embroidered Uniform Guard standing at the entrance of the main hall in the courtyard made them feel the atmosphere was somewhat Solemn.

They had been doing business with the Great Ming for not just one or two years and understood the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Even if they were cunning, their nature as merchants remained; most merchants fear death and cling to life.

They waited until everyone was present, and the chairs on both sides of the main hall were nearly full.

At this moment, Su Qiao, wearing a white scholar robe, walked calmly from the rear residence into the main hall.

The crowd, who had been whispering and discussing, heard the footsteps and quickly fell silent.

Then they saw a young man enter, followed by a translator and Embroidered Uniform Guard escorts.

Hmm, could this elegant young man be the Great Ming's imperial envoy?

These merchants, upon seeing Su Qiao, were quite surprised.

Under their surprised gazes, Su Qiao walked to the high seat and sat down.

"Everyone, I am Su Qiao, the official dispatched by the court this time to handle the opium circulating through the Maritime Trade Office!"

Su Qiao introduced himself straight to the point.

The merchants below were shrewd; although surprised by Su Qiao's youth, no one stepped forward to speak first.

Seeing they would not speak, Su Qiao spoke first.

"Today I have summoned you to discuss the opium matter. I do not know how opium is regarded in your lands, but my point is clear: opium is classified As contraband in the Great Ming! Anyone selling opium within the Great Ming shall be sentenced to death!"

"Wait, my lord, opium causes no harm to the body; on the contrary, it plays an important role in medicine..."

With many people, things become complicated; even if many are shrewd, some have lost their wits.

Indeed, before Su Qiao had finished speaking, someone actually stood up.

Su Qiao looked at him coldly and said, "I have not finished speaking, yet you interrupt. Do you expect me to listen to you? Is this the quality of your country?"

"I... apologize, my lord!"

Su Qiao's words were conveyed to him by the translator, causing him to be cornered until his face flushed red, leaving him no choice but to apologize to Su Qiao.

Only then did Su Qiao continue: "I am notifying you, not negotiating with you. The Great Ming laws are formulated by the Great Ming court, not by you, so no bargaining is accepted. Given that some merely wish to profit from opium in the Great Ming, and since these are first-time offenders who were previously unaware, they may be forgiven. However!"

Upon hearing "however," the merchants below looked at Su Qiao with bright eyes.

"However, there will be fines, and heavy fines! After all, the opium they sold caused many to go bankrupt and become addicted; compensation is required. As for the remaining small group, those who secretly sold opium in the Great Ming with ulterior motives, let them forget about having a future!"

Su Qiao finished speaking in one breath and quietly watched the merchants' reactions below.

As expected!

The moment Su Qiao's words fell, they felt as if a pot had exploded.

Everyone spoke over one another in a chaotic clamor directed at Su Qiao, babbling away; the translator could barely keep up.

It was only when Ma Kui almost drew his sword that they calmed down.

These overheated merchants then remembered that Su Qiao was not an official of the Maritime Trade Office but held an extremely high status.

After everyone quieted down for a few breaths, Su Qiao pointed to the nearest person and said, "You speak first!"

"Yes!"

"Esteemed my lord Su, we wish to know who has ulterior motives; how is this determined?"

Su Qiao smiled slightly. "This is simple. We will interrogate them one by one and have them accuse one another. I will not wrong a single good person, though those who sell opium hardly count as good people."

Immediately, the second merchant stood up and asked, "My lord Su, do you represent the Great Ming court? If the Great Ming acts so arbitrarily, who would still be willing to do business with you?"

This one was purely an idiot.

Su Qiao did not hide rolling his eyes at him. "Congratulations on using a Great Ming idiom, but let me tell you: if you are unwilling to do business, you may leave. An individual's will cannot compete with the will of a nation, understand? If you do not wish to participate, simply leave; there are plenty of others willing to take your place!"

Su Qiao's words were extremely impolite! Three.

310, are foreign merchants honest?

Yet the crowd of merchants below did not immediately refute anything.

They had learned much over these years about the vastness and strength of the Great Ming.

Although there were indeed many accumulated internal problems, they likewise dared not ignore the Great Ming's power.

Otherwise, those Europeans who could turn into pirates, those barbarians, would have already bared their teeth and used force against the Great Ming.

They did not dare precisely because the Great Ming was strong; they could not win and were afraid.

Su Qiao also possessed absolute confidence to speak such domineering words to them.

The entire hall fell into silence.

No one refuted, no one spoke; the atmosphere suddenly became eerie.

Su Qiao sat there quietly drinking tea, likewise keeping silent, letting them slowly digest the news.

The purpose of calling them here today was to notify them of certain decisions, not to truly consult with them.

Unconvinced?

Unconvinced? Fight!

News had already been relayed from Tianjin Wei: the new-style warships researched jointly by Su Qiao and the Ministry of Works had been launched.

The results were excellent; whether in speed, sailing against the wind, or the ability to withstand waves in the deep sea, all had improved greatly.

Not only did the new-style warships develop well, but the new-style cannons also made new progress.

Following Su Qiao's suggestions, the craftsmen improved the smelting method for cannons, adding more and more important copper metal; both the lifespan and range of the cannons increased significantly.

Although Su Qiao had not yet personally verified it, the other side had already relayed news to Su Qiao that their cannon range had surpassed that of the Franks.

And there was still potential for further improvement.

These were the foundations of Su Qiao's confidence.

"My lord, then I wonder, if someone brings opium into Great Ming in the future, how shall they be punished?"

Suddenly, someone below asked tentatively.

Hearing this, Su Qiao looked at him eerily and said, "What? Do you perhaps intend to commit a crime despite the warning?"

His words startled the merchant, who waved his hands repeatedly and explained, "No, no, no, my lord, this humble one does not mean that. This humble one merely wishes to ask: since opium has been listed as a contraband item of Great Ming and is to be governed under the laws, this humble one is simply curious about the crime regarding it in the Great Ming laws!"

"Oh, I see. Then this official will tell you, and you shall tell the rest as well: any merchants who purely profited from opium within Great Ming this time shall be heavily punished as a warning; if they voluntarily surrender to the authorities, the punishment will be mitigated!"

"However, if there are ulterior motives, do not even think about it. Furthermore, from now on, anyone transporting opium into the Ming territory shall be All heavy; the lesser offense requires being taken away to mine and build roads, while the greater offense results in immediate execution, with all property confiscated!"

Hush...

This was truly a severe punishment.

The merchants present all felt the intensity was too great.

"Very well, are there any more questions?"

"None!"

The group of merchants shook their heads repeatedly.

Eh?

Su Qiao did not understand this; he widened his eyes and scanned them one by one.

This was different from what he had anticipated before!