Chapter 460

First Volume, Chapter 460: Meeting a Deadbeat

Lin Quqi spoke very obliquely about the overdue patent fees, but Qin Feng understood his meaning.

Those merchants, under the guise of avoiding war, feared that large sums of silver sent to Beixi County might be intercepted en route by the enemy army; for Qin Feng's sake, they temporarily withheld the patent fees, planning to pay them in full after the war ended.

In truth, those merchants were gambling—that Beixi County would fall, that Qin Feng's head would be severed by the Northern Di, and thus they would never have to pay the patent fees again.

After all, the source of the goods came from Tianji Camp; if the city fell, Tianji Camp would surely be destroyed, and the business would end.

Merchants seek profit.

Qin Feng understood the merchants' deceitful faces, but he would never tolerate it!

"Who dares to default on my Qin Feng's money? This is rebellion! Total rebellion! Immediately order Tianji Camp: from this moment on, all white sugar produced must be sold internally—no grain of sugar shall be sent to Jingdu. Also, dispatch a courier from the Yizhan to carry a message to Jingdu, saying…"

"You scoundrels have broken your contract, showing not a shred of contractual spirit. I, Qin, am furious—and the consequences will be severe. Since you broke the contract first, don't blame me for being ruthless! I am revoking all operating rights to white sugar. You shall regain those rights only when you pay the full patent fees."

"Oh!"

Qin Feng suddenly remembered something and bit his teeth in rage: "Impose interest penalties—harshly! Every day delayed, impose a penalty of one thousand liang of silver!"

Seeing Qin Feng so furious, Li Zhang frowned: "Brother Qin, I understand you're temporarily revoking operating rights and pressing for patent fee payments, but penalizing one thousand liang of silver per day—isn't that excessive? What if those merchants can't pay?"

Before Qin Feng could answer, Lin Quqi let out a cold laugh.

"Young Master, don't you understand? By Qin's nature, he hopes those merchants can't pay the interest penalties. This interest is a snowball—the longer it drags, the less they can pay. Over time, the operating rights to white sugar will be seized outright."

Li Zhang had not known Qin Feng as long as Lin Quqi, so he naturally understood him less deeply.

Now Li Zhang finally understood Qin Feng's "character"…

His mouth spouted principles, but his mind calculated only business.

As for contractual spirit—he, Qin Feng, was the one who violated it most. Those merchants defaulting on Qin Feng's money had probably made the worst mistake of their lives.

Having fully grasped the situation in Beixi County, Qin Feng no longer hesitated; under Li Zhang's guidance, he went to the Outer City to attend the Merit Banquet.

…

Jingdu, the Grand Hall of the Imperial Court.

Since Qin Feng left Jingdu, the atmosphere of every court session had been suffocating; though occasional verbal battles erupted, they were always crushed immediately by the Liang Emperor.

If the Liang Emperor had not smiled since his falling-out with Qin Feng, then since Qin Feng's departure, his face had remained perpetually grim.

Everyone knew clearly: the Liang Emperor feared Qin Feng would never return, and worse, that Qin Feng, wielding the Ming Prince's authority to command the three armies, would only deepen his fury.

He feared Qin Feng might stir up major unrest on the Northern Border—minor consequences, such as amassing troops for self-interest; major ones, such as allying directly with the Northern Di. If that happened, not even the Underworld would save Liang—it would be utterly destroyed.

But today, everything changed!

The Liang Emperor laughed—unprecedentedly, and with unbridled mirth.

The Liang Emperor rarely rose to walk about during court sessions, unless his mood had shifted dramatically.

Under the gaze of ministers and generals, the Liang Emperor, hands behind his back, could not hide his smile: "No wonder Qin Special Envoy—I was right not to misjudge him. Since the war began, the Northern Border has suffered repeated setbacks; the Northern Di, relying on their fierce momentum, launched brutal assaults, and I have been tormented daily by their threat."

"Now, Qin Feng has barely arrived on the Northern Border, his feet still unsteady, yet he has turned the tide, inflicting heavy losses on the Northern Di army. Isn't Chen Si famed as the Northern Di's Legendary General? Even he suffered a crushing defeat at Qin Feng's hands! Hahaha, I am deeply relieved."

All officials present were brilliant.

Who didn't know the Liang Emperor's true joy had nothing to do with crushing the Northern Di?

Precisely speaking, crushing the Northern Di was minor good news; the real joy lay buried in his heart, unspoken.

Qin Feng's string of military actions proved one thing: Qin Feng's heart still belonged to Liang, to the Liang Emperor.

After this battle, the Northern Border's three armies suffered heavy losses, especially Beixi County—those black cavalrymen Qin Feng cherished as treasures had been reduced to only fifteen hundred riders after consecutive battles, with a staggering fifty percent casualty rate; even Ning Hu and three hundred Tianji Camp Guards remained trapped in Northern Di territory, unable to escape.

Qin Feng did not amass troops for self-interest, nor did he use the Ming Prince to command the generals; instead, he struck the Northern Di army head-on without hesitation—how could the Liang Emperor not rejoice?

Seeing the Liang Emperor so unusually pleased, the Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices quickly chimed in: "The Northern Di mobilized three hundred thousand troops, with Chen Si overseeing the campaign—exerting their full national strength. Had Qin Special Envoy not been in command, this battle would have been perilous indeed!"

The Director of the Imperial Academy followed suit: "Only Qin Special Envoy can turn the tide."

The Taolin Party echoed in agreement, showering Qin Tianhu with congratulations.

Qin Tianhu seized the opportunity to praise Zhao Li, Dragon Tiger Army Grand Commander: "Even if Qin Feng's tactics were well-executed, victory still required the bravery of frontline soldiers. The Beixi County War Report states that Zhao Yuxiong led the black cavalry, earning great merit from the first skirmish to the final battle. Whenever the enemy saw Zhao Yuxiong, their morale crumbled by a third."

"Commander, your son's valor rivals your own in your prime."

Hearing Qin Tianhu's praise, Zhao Li was overjoyed—and he knew that if Zhao Yuxiong had not insisted on joining Qin Feng's army, he would still be idling in Jingdu, with no chance of such glory.

Zhao Li immediately bowed and replied: "Hahaha, Minister Qin flatters me. Zhao Yuxiong is indeed valiant, but lacks strategic vision. How can he compare to Young Master Qin, who sees the whole battlefield and unleashes a chain of tactics that left Chen Si dazed and confused? With Young Master Qin stationed on the Northern Border, the Northern Di are no longer a threat."

In the past, had Qin Tianhu and Zhao Li exchanged such glances, the Liang Emperor's face would have dropped to the floor—he might even have ordered the Black Guards to assassinate them.

But today, the Liang Emperor felt no disgust; after all, this great victory came from coordinated efforts across factions.

At least until the National War ends, the Liang Emperor did not mind Qin Tianhu and Zhao Li's private ties. What comes after—that remains to be seen.

The entire Grand Hall remained gloomy only among the Taibao Faction.

For years, Minister Lin had longed for Beixi County to be crushed under Northern Di hooves; once Beixi County fell, Qin Feng would have nothing left to stir up.

But the result…

Beixi County did not fall—it grew stronger with every battle. Now, with the Ming Prince stationed there, even if the Northern Border's three armies would not ally with Qin Feng, they would at least not oppose him.

In all his years of service, Minister Lin had never before worried about his own political future.