Chapter 1218: [Who Is More Foolish?] (Part 1)

Hu Xiaotian and Xia Zhangming arrived at the gate of Looksea City, discovering that Bohai State's capital walls were not as high and wide as imagined; the garrison stationed at the gate was even inferior to that of Dongliang Jun. The flow of pedestrians and merchants was bustling, a completely peaceful and pleasant scene, utterly unlike the strict defenses and thorough inspections they had anticipated.

The gate guards were also smiling, pleasant-faced toward everyone passing by. Hu Xiaotian noticed that those entering and leaving Looksea City were almost all dressed in splendid attire, with spirited horses and fragrant carriages coming and going without end; even those on foot paid great attention to their appearance, their hats and shoes immaculate, thanks to the fresh air and clean streets, leaving everyone free of dust.

Xia Zhangming whispered in praise: "Bohai State is famed as the wealthiest land beyond the sea; seeing it today, the reputation is truly deserved."

Hu Xiaotian laughed: "Just a facade; perhaps their king cares about appearances—who knows if this place isn't splendid outside but rotten within?"

Xia Zhangming laughed: "My lord's insight is profound; I cannot flatter enough to match it."

Hu Xiaotian teased: "If that's the case, then don't bother flattering!"

The two exchanged glances and burst out laughing. Although the gate soldiers were very courteous to passersby, necessary inspections still took place. Xia Zhangming presented the travel permit they had brought from Dongliang Jun, for Dakang and Da Yong often sent merchants to do business in Bohai State, so the locals treated citizens of those two countries with special favor. Seeing their permit, the guards conducted only a brief check before letting them through.

After entering the city, Hu Xiaotian and Xia Zhangming went straight to the most luxurious inn in Looksea City, Xian Ke Lai, to stay. Before coming to Bohai State, they had originally intended to keep a low profile, so they had prepared very plain clothing to avoid attention. Upon arriving at Looksea City, however, they discovered that Bohai State's people favored extravagance; wearing plain clothes there made them stand out. Thus, after checking into the inn, they immediately went to a cloth shop and had several sets of clothing tailor-made, believing that the best way to avoid drawing notice was to follow local customs.

The two split up; Xia Zhangming went to the horse market to purchase carriages and horses, while Hu Xiaotian returned to Xian Ke Lai to gather information.

In this era there were no television, radio, newspapers, nor any internet; to obtain news, the most common method was word of mouth, making inns, taverns, and tea houses ideal places for information to spread.

Although Xian Ke Lai is an inn, it also operates a restaurant. Hu Xiaotian alone ordered several special seafood dishes and a pot of Immortal's Drink, found a seat by the window, and while enjoying the street view, he listened closely to the conversations of nearby patrons. With his current hearing, he could catch every word spoken at the more than twenty tables in the large hall; of course he could not absorb every detail, so he only listened to what interested him.

The most sensational recent event in Bohai State was the arrest of Prime Minister Yuan Tianzhao; eight tables in the restaurant were quietly discussing it, though most kept it superficial and dared not delve deeper. What truly caught Hu Xiaotian's attention was the table in the southwest corner, where several finely dressed young nobles sat. After a few drinks, one of them said: "I don't know why the king would imprison Prime Minister Yuan, who is both a Grand Minister of Counsel and the king's former tutor."

A plump man said: "Brother Jiayuan, the king naturally has his own considerations; we need not worry."

The thin, dark-skinned man beside him laughed: "Brother Zhiyang is right, but regarding this matter, the Mingju brothers would know best; Uncle Li heads the Ministry of Punishments, and the Mingju brothers, being close to the source, always get the news sooner than we do."

Everyone's gaze turned to the young gentleman at the same table, about twenty years old, with delicate features and an elegant, refined demeanor that bore a noble air, yet not aloof—his manner was approachable. He was Li Mingju, son of Li Changxing, a senior official of the Ministry of Punishments; those around him were all his friends, mostly from aristocratic families. Li Mingju smiled faintly: "My father never discusses official business at home, so I know nothing of what happens at court."

The plump man chuckled: "There are no outsiders here; why must the Mingju brothers be so guarded?"

Li Mingju smiled: "It's not that we are on guard; my father simply never mentions court affairs at home. Since we brothers are gathered today, we might as well talk about scholarship and keep state matters to a minimum."

The plump man said: "As citizens of Bohai State, it is only natural for us to care about the nation's major affairs; as the saying goes, the rise and fall of a country concerns every commoner. We who read the sages' books do so hoping to one day serve the state. If we hear nothing beyond our windows and only know how to read mechanically, we would become mere book‑blockheads." The others echoed him. As he grew animated, he waved his right hand, and the large piece of green jade on his thumb flashed a green light, especially eye‑catching.

Hu Xiaotian slowly set down his cup, finally finding a suitable opening; he rose, approached the group, and cupped his hands with a smile: "Gentlemen, may I join you?"

The group was startled by his sudden interruption, exchanging looks and immediately realizing he was an uninvited guest whom none of them knew.

Hu Xiaotian said: "I am Hu Dafu, a man of Dakang, come to Bohai State to engage in the jewelry trade. I dared to interrupt you because I just noticed the thumb ring on this brother's hand."

The plump man blinked and asked: "Do I know you?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled: "All under heaven are brothers; though we have not met before, that does not mean we will not know each other in the future." He seized the plump man's hand and asked: "May I inquire your esteemed name, sir?"

The plump man replied: "Liu Zhiyang."

Hu Xiaotian took Liu Zhiyang's plump hand, turning it over and over while making clicking sounds; Liu Zhiyang felt goosebumps all over, and his companions muttered inwardly, "Could this fellow have something wrong? Not loving finery but preferring martial gear? Yet he looks every inch a vigorous, masculine young man—by rights he shouldn't be like this."

Liu Zhiyang could bear it no longer; he strained to pull his hand back, but his strength was nothing compared to Hu Xiaotian's—though he exerted himself fully, his plump face turned red from strain, while Hu Xiaotian's palm remained unmoving. Hu Xiaotian smiled: "Brother Zhiyang, will you sell this jade thumb ring?"

Liu Zhiyang then realized they were not interested in him but in his thumb ring; he shook his head, Hu Xiaotian loosened his grip, and Liu Zhiyang seized the moment to withdraw his hand: "This thumb ring is a family heirloom; I won't sell it!" In fact, this was just idle boast—the ring had been bought from a street stall moments ago for five taels of silver, nothing special; he merely disliked Hu Xiaotian's interruption and pretended it was an heirloom to make him retreat when facing difficulty.

Although Hu Xiaotian was no expert in jewelry and jade, he had at least some discernment; indeed, at first glance he saw that the plump man's jade thumb ring, while large and green, was certainly no treasure. Yet his real aim was not the ring itself—today he intended to play the "thousand‑gold for a horse's bone" stunt. He smiled narrowly: "Will you sell it for twenty taels of silver?"

Liu Zhiyang thought he had misheard—he had just bought it for five taels, and now he could gain fifteen taels instantly; refusing such a profitable deal would be foolish. He muttered: "But this thumb ring is a family heirloom, I…"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Fifty taels!"

Liu Zhiyang stared at Hu Xiaotian with a strange expression, actually suppressing laughter—just short of bursting out—he feigned a pained, reluctant sacrifice: "Although this brother appears sincere, if I refuse to part with it despite your sincerity, wouldn't that make us Bohai people seem stingy? Very well, I'll yield it to you." He did not say "sell to you" or "cheat you," only "yield it to you"—the manner of speech of scholars is refined.

Hu Xiaotian feigned delight, immediately producing a bank note from Xinglong Hao's exchange and handing it to Liu Zhiyang. Liu Zhiyang took the note, examined it, found it correct, and promptly removed the jade thumb ring to give to Hu Xiaotian, fearing the man might change his mind.

The thin, dark companion beside them, Gu Jiayuan, who had just bought the thumb ring together with Liu Zhiyang, knew the plump man had spent only five taels of silver, yet now encountered a gullible fool willing to pay fifty taels—what a stroke of dumb luck for the fat man! Gu Jiayuan felt both envy and jealousy; happening to have also purchased a trifle, he deliberately lifted his robe to reveal his waist jade pendant, swaying it before Hu Xiaotian and said: "Mr. Hu, since you're a jewelry merchant, why not have a look at my ancestral piece and see what it's worth?"

Hu Xiaotian's eyes lit up again as he exclaimed: "Oh dear, may I borrow this brother's jade pendant for a look?"

Gu Jiayuan removed the jade pendant and was about to hand it to Hu Xiaotian, then drew his hand back: "This jade pendant is an object bestowed by the former emperor; you must handle it with care."

Hu Xiaotian appeared awed and fearful, and everyone seeing his expression believed it to be genuine.

Hu Xiaotian examined the pendant from all sides, then carefully returned it to Gu Jiayuan, saying: "This piece of jade is certainly not ordinary; in my view it is worth at least one hundred taels of silver."

The plump man Liu Zhiyang, hearing Hu Xiaotian quote a price of one hundred taels, felt indignant; just moments ago the two of them had clearly bought the two items from the same jewelry shop, each worth five taels, so why did Hu Dafu value his so highly?

Gu Jiayuan said: "One hundred taels? Heh, let you see—it's about right."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Brother, don't take offense; may I ask how much silver you are willing to transfer to me?"

Gu Jiayuan extended five fingers.

Hu Xiaotian shouted: "Five hundred taels!"

Gu Jiayuan, hearing his loud voice, inwardly felt a twinge of regret—his own asking price had been too high; had he known, asking one hundred fifty taels would have netted a little profit without scaring the man off. He deliberately said: "You think it's too expensive?" The next sentence would be that the price is negotiable; you name your amount.

Hu Xiaotian did not let him finish, producing a bank note from his pocket: "This is for five hundred taels—a gentleman's word is as swift as a whip on a horse; you must not renege. Hand over the jade pendant!"

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