Chapter 92: The Prelude

After much discussion back and forth, the two of them finally arrived at the workshop east of the city.

At the same time, a head flashed past and vanished on the wall.

"Boss, they're here—I saw the sedan chair." A young shop hand of thirteen or fourteen, dressed in a grey cloth shirt, ran breathlessly into Li Deyong's room to report.

Li Deyong sat upright and proper, teacup in hand, glancing at him sidelong and saying, "Well? Do I look imposing enough like this?"

The lad was taken aback, and said, "Boss, what exactly are you planning to do?"

Li Deyong gave a low cough, set down his teacup, and said, "Take them to the guest hall. Bring out what I had you prepare—oh, right, have your mother deliver it."

"Yes, boss." The young shop hand had no idea what Li Deyong was up to, but he quickly acknowledged and ran out.

Li Deyong stood up, gazing outward with a surge of heroic spirit, and declared loudly, "I, Li Deyong, am about to become the true grand boss of the merchant guild!"

"Brother Xiao, let's not say anything for now—let's test their bottom line first." He Yunshan looked at the ordinary iron gate with most of its paint flaked off, his triangular eyes glinting as he spoke in a low voice.

Xiao Yong nodded repeatedly. He understood as well—they had detained their people and then released them, yet still kept pressing down on their goods and sealing their shops. Not finishing them off completely meant they were waiting for them to come and negotiate terms.

The flesh on Xiao Yong's face twitched, then a vicious look surfaced as he said, "Well then, let's first see just who they really are. If they're only putting up a front, I'll make them pay!"

He Yunshan harbored resentment in his heart as well. It wasn't as if they had no connections who could speak for them in the various government offices of the capital—it was just that they hadn't probed things out before. Naturally, they needed to feel things out thoroughly before making a move.

The two stepped forward to knock on the door, keeping their posture humble enough, and said to the young shop hand who opened it, "May we ask if your boss is in? We have business and wish to pay our respects."

The lad was thirteen or fourteen, looking quite clever and lively. He stared at the two, sizing them up, and said, "Xiao Yong, He Yunshan?"

Calling someone by their full name was an extremely rude act—practically an insult.

But the two men's expressions only stiffened for a moment before both broke into smiles and nodded, saying, "Yes, yes."

"Follow me, then." The young shop hand's expression was none too friendly as he led the two toward the guest hall.

Li Deyong sat in the hall, holding his tea with an indifferent expression, carrying quite a bit of overbearing authority befitting one in a superior position.

Xiao Yong and He Yunshan exchanged a glance as they reached the doorway, then stepped forward together to offer a bow with clasped hands. Xiao Yong said with a genial laugh, "Boss Li, only today do we see your true face. Forgive our abrupt intrusion—please don't take offense."

Li Deyong sat there, thinking of Zhu Xu's instructions, putting on even more airs. He said coldly, "Please, both of you, have a seat. Someone—serve tea."

The two men felt a sinking in their hearts at Li Deyong's bearing, yet they still smiled and sat down below him.

Xiao Yong glanced at He Yunshan, then spoke up first, "Boss Li, I recently came into a rather large deal. I wonder if Boss Li might be interested in taking a share?"

Li Deyong turned his head to look at him, his expression calm as he said, "Is it business with the people of Da—Tong?"

Xiao Yong's face stiffened, and he probed, "Could it be... they've approached Boss Li as well?"

Li Deyong let out a scornful laugh, looking at Xiao Yong and saying, "Boss Xiao, you've been working with Yang Huaizhong and his lot for years now—you should know very well what kind of business they do. Are you trying to drag me into the mire?"

The smile had completely vanished from Xiao Yong's face. Clearly, their bottom line had already been seen through.

He Yunshan watched as Li Deyong routed Xiao Yong in just a few words. After a moment of silence, he spoke up, "Boss Li, we were presumptuous before. As the saying goes, 'You can't know a man without fighting him.' We're in the same trade, so we ought to help each other. If there's ever anything you need, Boss Li, just say the word—we won't shirk our duty!"

Li Deyong gave a slight smile but paid them no heed, saying, "Someone—bring some biscuits for the two bosses to taste."

"Yes, boss." From the side door emerged a young woman in a flowered skirt, dressed like a maidservant. She placed a large box on the table between the two men.

She picked out two palm-sized white oil-paper packages and handed them to the two, saying, "Both bosses, just tear them open."

Xiao Yong and He Yunshan exchanged bewildered looks, not knowing what Li Deyong was playing at. They both glanced at Li Deyong, then reached out to take the packages and gently tore them open.

Inside were white 'little cakes' that looked a bit rough in appearance. The two exchanged a glance, then lightly brought them to their mouths and took a bite.

Crisp on the outside, yet soft the moment it entered the mouth, carrying a sweet fragrance.

"What is this?" He Yunshan's triangular eyes blinked as he looked at Li Deyong and asked.

Li Deyong smiled slightly, with the air of a steady, seasoned man, and said, "Biscuits. They can be stored like this for a month or more without spoiling. Come now—bring the two bosses a serving of canned goods as well."

The young woman gave a light laugh, looking a bit smug, and took out two small jars from the box, handing them to Xiao and He as she said, "Pull out the stopper, then use the pick to spear and eat."

The two were startled for a moment, then pulled out the stoppers. Sure enough, there was a toothpick inside. They picked them up, glanced at Li Deyong once more, then stabbed into the jar and fished out a pale yellow fruit. They exchanged another look before bringing it to their mouths for a small bite.

Fresh and fragrant, moist and juicy, with a sweet-and-sour taste they'd never experienced before—quite appetizing.

Xiao Yong savored it for a while before saying in surprise, "This... is zhu nai?"

Zhu nai—that is, apples.

Li Deyong was still smiling as he said, "These are things we haven't released to the market yet. As for what's out there—I trust both bosses are well aware of it by now?"

Xiao Yong and He Yunshan exchanged a glance, both with grave looks in their eyes.

This workshop was even more formidable, and its impact on them was already great enough. If they kept expanding like this, there would soon be no room left for them to survive.

But He Yunshan was deeply cunning and meticulous in his thinking. He quickly realized Li Deyong's purpose, and looking at him, he said hesitantly, "Boss Li, you mean... cooperation?"

Li Deyong looked at the two with an utterly confident, composed smile and said, "Gentlemen, I imagine you haven't been able to dig up the background of this place, have you? I'd advise you not to waste the effort. Never mind the Shuntian Prefecture—even if you went to the Six Ministries or even the Grand Secretariat, no one would truly dare to make trouble here."

Xiao Yong and He Yunshan furrowed their brows, looking at Li Deyong with puzzled expressions, completely unable to figure out what he was driving at with all this beating around the bush.

Li Deyong laughed inwardly at their expressions, thinking that His Highness's method was indeed effective. The two were now flustered and at a loss—this was exactly the right moment!

"Gentlemen, I intend to unite all the grain merchants in the capital to form a merchant guild. What do you think?" Li Deyong's tone suddenly quickened, catching the two off guard.

"A merchant guild?"

Both men's hearts jolted, and realization dawned—so this was what Li Deyong was after.

At present, every grain merchant of any standing in the capital had taken part in this 'false accusation' against Li Deyong. Their warehouses had been searched, their goods seized. Though the people had been released, they were still fish on the chopping block, at the mercy of anyone at any time.

And at this moment, Li Deyong proposed forming a merchant guild together—could it be that he wanted to bleed them dry and control them?

Xiao Yong and He Yunshan were both deeply unsettled. No matter how the various government offices had made things difficult before, silver could always smooth things over. But if this Boss Li—or the backer behind him—had an enormous appetite and wanted to control merchants like them, draining them bit by bit, could they possibly resist?