Chapter 812: Bleeding Them Dry

Commander Qiao brought over thirty men, including six of his own guards—all registered officers and soldiers of the Prince of Lu's estate, the lowest-ranking among them at least a squad leader. The estate's steward and the manager of the treasury office also sent people; the eunuch attendant dispatched a trusted aide; and they even brought over managers and accountants reassigned from the Prince of Lu's own properties.

This group came straight to Xuzhou to take over the salt market. Once they learned Commander Qiao was coming, the Zhao camp was all on edge, figuring that since this man had suffered badly at their hands before, he'd likely use this chance to retaliate and stir up trouble.

To their surprise, although Commander Qiao showed no smile, he didn't lash out or seek revenge either. His manner was even courteous. He had clearly inquired about all the salt market's rules before coming and had no intention of disrupting them—he even wanted to retain the Cloud Mountain Trading House staff who managed the salt market.

This approach actually made Zhao Jin and his companions sigh with a touch of admiration. They all said the Prince of Lu's estate was full of muddled incompetents, but judging by this group, there were still some capable people inside.

But wanting to keep the salt market running was one thing; keeping a death grip on the silver was another. The Zhao camp, of course, left no surplus silver on the books. And the men from the Prince of Lu's estate, having traveled all the way from Yanzhou Prefecture, certainly hadn't come for nothing—so they demanded two years' stall rent collected in advance.

The salt market was a gold mine. All the shops and warehouses were Zhao Jin's private property. The annual commission from the salt merchants' revenue was naturally the fattest income, but the rent from those shops and warehouses was no small sum either. Since the place attracted wealth like a magnet, rents had been rising year after year. The Zhao camp collected rent once a year, adjusting it each time based on how well the salt market was thriving.

As things stood now, the salt market's continued prosperity was beyond doubt, so rents were bound to keep rising yearly. Collecting three years in advance, no matter how you looked at it, meant the salt market side was taking a loss. Under the current circumstances, however, the merchants were perfectly willing to pay.

But the men from the Prince of Lu's estate were adamant. No one was a fool; they too had to guard against the Zhao camp pulling some scheme. No matter how complete the paperwork and contracts were, they couldn't compare to hard gold and silver. And yet the salt market's contracts and deeds were exceptionally thorough—when they were notarized and transferred at the government office, there hadn't been the slightest hitch.

Commander Qiao had originally seen the matter of collecting the salt market's rent in advance as a life-or-death affair. After proposing it and insisting on it, he ordered every man with him to sleep fully clothed, weapons at hand, horses tethered outside the door, ready at any moment to fight their way out of a surrounding attack.

To his surprise, after voicing their objections, the Cloud Mountain Trading House people didn't press the issue but simply complied with Commander Qiao's demands.

When word spread through the salt market that three years' rent was being collected in advance, the merchants there finally began to sense something was off. First, Cloud Mountain Trading House was far too shrewd to take a losing deal like this. Second, the Prince of Lu's people had started swaggering around the salt market. Though they'd been instructed beforehand not to be too brazen, no one was stupid—at a moment like this, people were bound to see and hear things.

If this had happened in an ordinary market, a good number of merchants might have packed up and left. The Zhao camp and Cloud Mountain Trading House kept their word; the Prince of Lu's estate was another story.

But after the salt market merchants quietly sounded each other out, they began paying the rent. Anyone who could do business in salt had figures of some consequence backing them, and none of them were small players. If you dared take the money, they weren't afraid of you going back on your word. Besides, someone behind the scenes had spoken to them about something, which put them even more at ease.

Watching the glittering gold and gleaming silver roll in, all of Commander Qiao's worries vanished like smoke. From top to bottom, every face was wreathed in smiles. This trip had been the right move after all—they were definitely going to get rich.

"Regarding Old Master Wang, when might your esteemed side give us word? The sooner he returns, the sooner everyone can rest easy." The Zhao camp naturally brought the matter up.

"Don't fret. Our Eunuch Xiong writes often to look after things. Lord Wang hasn't suffered any hardship in the imperial prison. And what we agreed on this time isn't just this salt market—there's also the distillery. If that isn't handed over, how can we talk about releasing anyone? If I send word back now, my superiors will fault me for it." Commander Qiao spoke with utter frankness.

Now that the distillery had been mentioned, the Zhao camp, true to their word, immediately arranged for the Prince of Lu's men to take it over. It was worth noting that, at the start, it had been the Prince of Lu's people who hadn't brought up the distillery at all.

When they first arrived in Xuzhou, these men from the Prince of Lu's estate had been on edge, their hearts still full of worry. Even though they had confirmed that this place had been cowed into submission, they still feared these rough folk might turn hostile. Coming to Xuzhou felt like walking into a wolf's den or a tiger's lair. But once they collected real gold and silver from the salt market, all their fears evaporated. Everything else in this world was false; only gold and silver were real. Since these had been handed over, it was certain these Xuzhou barbarians didn't dare make trouble. So what if they were fierce? Once the threat of rebellion was involved, they had no choice but to bow their heads obediently.

Now that fear was gone, getting rich became the top priority. This group from the Prince of Lu's estate immediately fixed their eyes on the distillery. The salt market was too big, everything was on the books, and skimming off the top wasn't easy. But there were so many distilleries—likely only a few men managing each, maybe even just one man per site. What an enormous source of wealth!

The distilleries in Xuzhou city, outside He Family Village, and in several other locations were swiftly handed over. The skim here was extraordinarily rich. Beyond the tribute to their estate patrons and the cut for the squad leaders, plus what had to be turned over to the top, what they could pocket for themselves was simply enormous. The liquor practically sold itself—the moment it was produced, people showed up at the door with silver.

What's more, the Zhao camp had likely squeezed the distilleries too hard. The moment the new managers arrived, people immediately came over to switch allegiance, while others on the outside proactively made contact. The defectors showed them how the distillery operated; the ones reaching out from outside were wealthy liquor merchants willing to buy up every drop produced, all paying in ready silver.

With ready-silver payments, the opportunities for skimming and under-the-table dealing were boundless. Everyone taking over a distillery was beside themselves with glee.

Commander Qiao and his crew were drunk on their newfound wealth, feeling that in all their lives they'd never known days happier than these past few dozen. Yet there were some annoyances too. The operation was too sprawling for them to manage alone, but they didn't want to bring in people from the estate to share the spoils. They tried recruiting locally but found no takers. Aside from the sealed-off distilleries, everyone outside kept their distance and stayed silent, which made the Prince of Lu's men gnash their teeth in fury.

"Just wait till next year—even if you come begging on your knees, your grandpas won't give you the time of day!" Faced with this situation, all they could do was curse through gritted teeth while holding their noses and writing back to the estate asking for more men.

"Commander Qiao, the distillery has been handed over. Can Old Master Wang be released now? We'd like to send someone to the capital to receive him."

The distillery handover went quickly. By around the twentieth of the sixth month, everything was settled, and the Zhao camp people naturally pressed the matter with utmost politeness.

"No rush. With our Eunuch Xiong looking after things, Lord Wang won't suffer. I'll write and ask." Commander Qiao responded with a breezy, noncommittal air.

From Xuzhou to Ziyang City in Yanzhou Prefecture, even an urgent relay by fast horse took two and a half days—five days round trip. But this time, Commander Qiao's correspondence was swift; a letter arrived by the twenty-third of the sixth month.

Commander Qiao met with Wang Zhaojing, who oversaw Cloud Mountain Trading House, his expression deeply grave. He began with a sigh: "As it happens, it's quite a coincidence. Just when I made inquiries, the estate had received word from the capital. It says Lord Wang grew anxious in prison and couldn't help confessing to certain matters. Now the capital's Depot and Guard offices and various yamens are preparing to investigate. Some are even talking of petitioning His Majesty to dispatch troops to surround and suppress Xuzhou. Our Eunuch Xiong's people had to expend enormous effort to smooth things over—they nearly lost their posts and their heads over it. They've also sent an urgent letter saying that to keep the man safe, a great deal more capital will have to be put up."

A look of alarm crossed Wang Zhaojing's face, but his eyes remained perfectly calm—he was even studying Commander Qiao's expression. This Qiao Shan wasn't very good at hiding his true feelings; his grave look couldn't quite mask a trace of gloating satisfaction.

"More capital? The salt market and the distillery aren't enough?"

"This is your family's old master we're talking about. Our estate is merely passing word and lending a hand. If you're unwilling to save him, then forget it. Why should our estate shoulder this burden? Is our Eunuch Xiong's face worth so little?"

In the end, Wang Zhaojing merely sighed and covered his eyes with his hand, as if unwilling to let anyone see him weep. Helplessly, he said, "If that's the case, how much more is needed? We'll see what we can do."

Wang Zhaojing's voice was trembling slightly. Commander Qiao's eyebrow arched, and he promptly said, "First, produce thirty thousand taels of silver. The silver can't be transported to the capital immediately, so the estate will advance the sum for now. But such a large amount can't just be fronted for nothing. I hear you have a place called Kong Family Village where the borders of South Zhili, Shandong, and Henan meet. Put that up as collateral!"

"Th-this sum is far too large. Could we have some time to raise it?"

"Taking time isn't out of the question, but the deeds to that village must be handed over quickly. Don't delay Lord Wang's safety. The celestial prison in the capital is no place for reason."

After that, there was truly nothing left to say. Wang Zhaojing cupped his hands in farewell, his expression dejected and sorrowful. Commander Qiao remained just as he had been.

Once he turned his back and walked out the door, Wang Zhaojing's face turned grim. He didn't need to look back to know that Commander Qiao wore a cold sneer of malicious glee.

After leaving the inn where Commander Qiao and his men were staying, Wang Zhaojing mounted his horse and rode straight to Zhao Jin. Dismounting, he hurried into the council hall. The moment the door shut, Wang Zhaojing drew several deep breaths and said through clenched teeth, "Sooner or later, I'll see those scoundrels hacked to pieces."

Cao Ruhui was also in the room. Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he said, "These people truly have no shame. If Hanjing Famous Liquor hadn't been snapped up by us the moment it came out, the market price would be in chaos by now. The Prince of Lu's men are already stirring things up in the salt market, privately demanding dry shares, and even saying that if we give them benefits, the customary fees can be reduced. The salt merchants, though, are keeping their nerve."

Wang Zhaojing already knew all this. Hearing it only deepened the fury on his face. Alongside that heavy anger was a hint of resolve. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke: "Big Brother, it's just as we thought. After getting the salt market and the distillery, the Prince of Lu's estate won't release him. They intend to bleed us dry, to strip us clean to the bone."

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