Chapter 348: The Tobacco Trade Guild

Wailing shook the Linqing subprefectural government office. In the sudden assassination the night before, the Vice Prefect, the Judge, the Jail Warden, and the proprietor of Dongyue Tobacco Shop had all been killed together. The Vice Prefect's head had been taken. In addition, one attendant clerk under the Prefect and three attendants under the Vice Prefect had also died.

The rear courtyard's central section was the Prefect's residence, flanked by the Vice Prefect's and Judge's quarters. Waves of weeping drifted over. His Lordship the Prefect paced irritably back and forth in the main hall. Beside him, his two concubines were wiping away tears — after all, two neighbors they saw every day had died, and died so horribly.

The Prefect turned and caught them crying. He wrinkled his nose and cursed, "What are you crying for? Weren't you always cursing Vice Prefect Zhang for having a short-life look? What's with the fake grief now?"

His concubine Hua Niang answered between sobs, "That was just cursing in fun. I'm not that hard-hearted. Whatever you say, Vice Prefect Zhang's wife and I called each other sisters."

"Bah, called each other sisters — what you two had was honey on the lips and a sword in the gut." The Prefect waved impatiently. "Get out, get out, get out. If you want to cry, go cry over there, cry for your 'sister' to see. Don't stand in front of your master stirring up irritation."

Hua Niang gave a snort, shook her handkerchief forcefully at the Prefect, and still followed the other concubine out the door toward the Judge's quarters on the left. In the main hall, only the Prefect and one attendant clerk remained. The attendant was getting on in years, nearing fifty, his hair graying, but his eyes were lively and he looked quite spirited.

The Prefect had tired himself out pacing. He found a chair at random and sat down. He asked the attendant, "Tell me, what gang of murderers would dare be so bold? Killing people is one thing, but to actually take the heads — even the fiercest bandits in the mountains wouldn't dare rob an official."

The attendant saw no one else was around, came closer, and said in a low voice, "When those villains left, they shouted something about avenging their Daguì. It might have been fierce bandits that the proprietor of Dongyue Tobacco Shop had offended."

His Lordship the Prefect thought it over and bared his teeth. "The proprietor of Dongyue Tobacco Shop — twenty-three people in his city mansion all slaughtered, his money cellar looted clean. A good and peaceful place like Linqing hasn't seen such a major case in years… This will alarm not only the Judge of Eastern Depot Prefecture but likely even the Circuit Inspector. Not to mention Vice Prefect Zhang. The best course now is to arrest those criminals as quickly as possible."

The attendant hastily urged, "Those criminals are no ordinary men. The coroner examined the blade wounds — every one a single fatal stroke. Everyone in that compound died, and the neighbors didn't even hear a dog bark. Turns out even the dogs were poisoned. And how did they move at least tens of thousands of taels of silver out of that courtyard? They set a fire on another street, and while every household was out fighting the fire, they brazenly drove a cart right out. Bystanders thought it was womenfolk fleeing the blaze. No one thought twice at the time. My lord, such meticulous calm — these are no ordinary criminals. That Daguì of theirs, back when Qingzhou Prefecture was putting down the Dengzhou mutineers, dared to point a gun at the Prefect of Qingzhou, right in front of the Shandong Provincial Governor. And I hear that other Provincial Governor was also brought down by him."

The Prefect waved his hand. "Of course they're not ordinary. You and I both know in our hearts who did the killing. They said they were avenging their Daguì — avenging my foot. That Dongyue proprietor did plenty of dirty deeds, but I've never heard of any feud with that fierce bandit. It was his tobacco workshop that cut off that tobacco shop's income — that's the Daguì's grudge."

The attendant lightly smacked his right fist into his left palm and said bitterly, "It's just too ruthless. The tobacco workshop burned, the three tobacco shops at the dock burned. Over a hundred people were burned or killed in the workshop, and not a soul escaped the shops. I thought he was too far away — never imagined he'd really dare."

"A tragedy, a tragedy. That military brute really dared — truly the way of a military brute." The Prefect spoke in a low voice. This assassination had swept away the backbone of his subprefectural office in one net, including some low-ranking clerks. The Prefect had rushed over in the middle of the night when he got word. At the entrance of Zuixiang Garden, half the subprefectural office staff had been laid out. Blood everywhere against the white snow — that sight of red and white intermingled had left him terrified.

The attendant edged closer and said in an even lower voice, "If the Circuit Inspector wants to investigate this matter, let him investigate. Let's see if he dares dig out the truth. This humble one thinks we absolutely must not investigate the truth. Just look at how they struck simultaneously in several places — there had to be at least several dozen men in Linqing. My lord, there's no need to say where they came from. These are not mountain bandits — if you wipe out this group, that's not the end of it. Even if we really transferred river defense troops and captured these men, Wendeng would just send more people seeking revenge…"

"You dog, who told you to say those two words 'Wendeng'? From now on, no one is to say those two words."

The Prefect grabbed a writing brush from the table and rapped the clerk on the head with it repeatedly. He had long known the background of Wendeng Xiang, because Zhou Hongmo had indeed come to help lobby, hoping he would show more favor. At the time, His Lordship the Prefect was receiving considerable benefits from Dongyue and paid no heed. Later, people from the Four Seas Trading Company had also come to pay their respects. His Lordship the Prefect accepted the gifts as usual but did nothing about the matter. Thinking back now, he was filled with dread.

"No one say Wendeng, no one say it!" To dispel the fear in his heart, he struck the clerk hard. Just as the clerk was begging for mercy, a loud shout came from the doorway: "The shopkeeper of Wendeng Xiang Tobacco Shop requests an audience with Your Lordship."

The Prefect shuddered violently. Steadying himself on the central table, he hurried to the door. The gatekeeper was just outside the main hall. The Prefect grabbed the gatekeeper's sleeve, trembling uncontrollably. "How many of them have come? Such audacity — they won't even spare this official? Such audacity! Quick, go find Squad Commander Xu. Where's this official's sword? Seems I've misplaced it. A kitchen cleaver will do. Hurry, go get…"

The gatekeeper said, puzzled, "My lord, what are you saying? It's just one Shopkeeper Wang and a woman."

The Prefect's body went limp. The clerk hurriedly supported him. The Prefect's limbs had lost all strength. In truth, no matter how fierce ordinary bandits were, he would not have feared them. But this group was different. What he feared was the enormous power behind them. Once he offended them, if they acted with such vicious cruelty, there would be no defending against it. From then on, he would never know a day of peace.

He caught his breath, then said, "That's good then, that's good. What did they bring?"

The gatekeeper produced a banknote from his sleeve. The Prefect took it and looked — a ten-thousand-tael note from the Four Seas Bank, along with a separate gift list bearing items like jewelry. He let out a long breath. This time he didn't care about the amount. Even if it were just a hundred taels, as long as the other side was trying to buy him off, they wouldn't resort to violence again.

"Quickly, invite them in." The Prefect watched the gatekeeper hurry off a couple of steps, then hastily called him back. "This official will go greet him personally."

He rushed to the gate. There was only a strongly built middle-aged man at the entrance, with a woman beside him. The Prefect assumed she was a maidservant. He went up to the middle-aged man and said, "This must be Shopkeeper Wang. I've kept you waiting. Please, come in."

The man froze for a moment, then quickly pointed beside him. "My lord, this lady is Shopkeeper Wang."

The Prefect turned in astonishment. The woman happened to turn at the same moment. With perfect composure, she said to him, "I am Wang Erya, unworthily serving as shopkeeper of Wendeng Xiang Tobacco Shop. I thank Your Lordship, Prefect Zeng, for granting me the honor of this audience."

"So it is Shopkeeper Wang." It took Prefect Zeng a long while to get a single sentence out. This year truly abounded in freaks — a woman actually capable of managing such a large business.

Even after they were seated, the Prefect still felt somewhat awkward. After all, he had never received a woman in such a formal setting as the main hall — though he had received plenty in bed.

Given his fear of this faction, he had specially arranged for four soldiers to stand in the hall, with three sturdy household servants at the door, sharp blades concealed on their persons. The other side had only two people. Only then did His Lordship the Prefect set his mind at ease.

Wang Erya and her companion, however, were perfectly at ease. Under the curious gazes around them, they remained utterly composed. Even the loud wailing coming from the east and west wings seemed to have no effect on her.

"Ah… Shopkeeper Wang Erya, Shopkeeper Wang. On the previous occasions when your esteemed representatives called, this official happened to be unwell. I beg your pardon for any discourtesy."

Wang Erya gave a slight bow. "My lord, not at all. His Lordship the Prefect exhausts his mind and body day and night for the countless common folk of Linqing. We commoners come to seek an audience merely to thank our father-and-mother official for his great labors and achievements, and to express our humble sentiments."

The Prefect observed Wang Erya's calm demeanor and inwardly marveled. Even ordinary men often lost their composure before a subprefectural official. This woman, on the contrary, acted as if she were in her own home.

"To hold office is to bring benefit to the land — these are all within this official's duties. May I ask what honorable business brings Shopkeeper Wang here today?" The subprefectural official's formulaic phrases came with practiced ease.

Wang Erya pressed her lips together in a slight smile and said softly, "Yesterday a colleague in the trade met with sudden misfortune. The murderers' methods were cruel, and the common folk in the streets are all terrified. I also heard that my lord had colleagues and subordinates who suffered the same calamity. Worried in my heart for our father-and-mother official, I have come especially to pay my respects — firstly to beg my lord to restrain his grief, and secondly to beg my lord to set his mind at ease."

Prefect Zeng's hand trembled slightly. He hurriedly drew it into his sleeve to hide it. The other party's tone was flat, yet filled with a kind of confidence. The hidden meaning was that she would not move against Prefect Zeng — and in substance, it was an admission that she had done it.

For a moment, His Lordship Zeng did not know how to respond. He nodded somewhat awkwardly. Wang Erya continued in the same calm tone, "That a colleague in the trade should suffer such a great calamity — I too feel pain in my heart. But the dead are gone. Having reflected on this pain, I believe we should rouse our resolve, carry on the unfulfilled will of the proprietor of Dongyue, and make the tobacco trade of Linqing flourish — only thus can we be worthy of our father-and-mother official's earnest expectations. I assure Your Lordship: whatever scale of business Dongyue could build, Wendeng Xiang will only build more."

"Shameless." His Lordship Zeng cursed inwardly. This woman's skin was indeed thick enough. In front of so many people, she was obliquely signaling she would deliver even more benefits, dressing it up with all sorts of rambling rhetoric, and even making herself sound rather dutiful.

His Lordship Zeng naturally dared not show it. He did not fear this woman — he feared only the power behind her. He had no choice but to say to Wang Erya in a low voice, "Shopkeeper Wang is most thoughtful. This Linqing tobacco trade is a marvel along the Grand Canal and naturally must be made to flourish. Since Dongyue is no more, this official will certainly give his full support to Wendeng Xiang, to comfort the proprietor's spirit in heaven. Should Shopkeeper Wang encounter any difficulties in the future, please do not hesitate to speak."

"Since that is the case, I have an unworthy request."

His Lordship Zeng had been prepared — the other side would not hand over silver so easily. He quickly said, "Shopkeeper Wang, please speak."

"I feel that the Linqing tobacco trade is a mixed bag of dragons and fish. Many traveling merchants go elsewhere to buy and sell, which truly harms Linqing. Many boatmen and porters have thus lost their livelihoods. Though they are humble commoners, they too are my lord's newborn children. The root cause is that certain colleagues in Linqing act recklessly and corrupt trade rules. Therefore, I would like to ask my lord to step forward and establish a tobacco trade guild in Linqing."

"As it should be, as it should be." His Lordship Zeng agreed readily. He knew what the other party wanted. Trade guilds had existed since ancient times — they were organizations among colleagues in the same trade and region, meant to fight for the trade's interests. But this woman was clearly not someone who sought benefits for all. By having His Lordship Zeng establish the guild, she was telling the local gentry that the Prefect was on her side. Then she only needed to control the guild, and through the government office and the guild, she could suppress the small tobacco workshops.

Linqing was a gathering point for goods from north and south. Prefect Zeng had no need to fight to the death with a tobacco shop — especially one that still gave him silver. Once the other side laid out its terms, his mind actually relaxed. At last he didn't have to worry about suddenly having his head chopped off.

"It is rare to find a shopkeeper with such vision. A trade without a guild is like loose sand. Shopkeeper Wang is an expert in the tobacco trade — this guild master shall first be settled upon Shopkeeper Wang. If the proprietor of Dongyue Tobacco Shop could see this tobacco trade guild, he would surely be gratified. I beg Shopkeeper Wang on no account to decline."

From the neighboring courtyard on the left came a burst of hoarse wailing and shouting — it seemed someone in the Vice Prefect's household had hanged themselves. Prefect Zeng looked slightly ill at ease. Wang Erya pressed her lips in a smile, rose, and said, "I did not say I would decline. His Lordship Zeng puts it well. To console the proprietor of Dongyue, I intend to continue using Dongyue's tobacco brand name and also produce some lower-grade tobacco, as a memento for our colleagues in the trade. That plot of land for their tobacco factory is also quite good. I originally planned to buy it from his family, but upon inquiring, I learned they had all been killed by those murderers. Ah, now I truly don't know what to do, so I shall simply occupy and use it for now, lest it be forcibly seized by unscrupulous people. If any relatives of that proprietor come forward in the future, it can be returned to them…"

His Lordship Zeng escorted this woman all the way out the main gate. He returned to the main hall and sat down. He drank a sip of tea to steady his nerves. Only after a long while did he sigh to his attendant, "She kills people, then goes to seize their brand name and land. She steps forward to tell everyone she did it, yet there's no evidence and no witnesses. Next, she'll become guild master and use that to deal with anyone who wants to open a tobacco workshop. This move against Dongyue — truly the force of a thunderbolt. I'm afraid for a short while, no one will dare oppose her. Truly black-hearted, bold, and thick-skinned. It's just a pity she's a woman. What a shame she's not an official." (To be continued.)

PS: Begging for monthly tickets.