Chapter 24: A Stern Warning

Tong Weixing was a former top scholar, and his arrival brought great joy to Zhou Wenbing. Zhou had heard that Master Tong rarely involved himself in matters outside of his studies; even when the local General had invited him to tutor his son, he had politely declined. That he had chosen to honor Zhou Wenbing with his presence today was a matter of no small prestige.

Elated, Zhou Wenbing gestured to his steward, Zhou Cai, and commanded, "Invite Miss Chanshi out to perform for our guests."

Chanshi was a celebrated courtesan in the city of Ningguta. Like Jia Ping’an, she had arrived in the city following her grandfather, who had been sent into exile. Sadly, both her parents and her grandfather passed away not long after their arrival, leaving the young girl with no choice but to enter the profession of singing and entertaining to survive. Fortunately, she was blessed with natural beauty and had received formal training in music since childhood, making her a highly skilled player of the zither. Naturally, she had become the most renowned courtesan in Ningguta.

Yet, no matter how famous she was, she remained a courtesan. Despite her claims of selling her art rather than her body, when wealthy patrons beckoned, she rarely had the luxury of refusing—or the courage to do so.

Chanshi emerged, and though her face was partially veiled, her grace was unmistakable. Even from her silhouette, one could tell she was a rare beauty.

"Heh, this is a rare treat. One might not see her even by paying, yet today we get to hear her play for free. Excellent, excellent," Guo Tongfang remarked with a smile, his words carrying a hint of bluntness.

"Keep a civil tongue," Tong Weixing interjected, stopping him immediately. As a man dedicated solely to scholarly pursuits, he was strictly bound by etiquette and would never dream of offending a woman. "By the way, have you seen Brother An?"

"You mean Brother An? Indeed, his father is not here, but why hasn't he come either?" Tong Weixing scanned the crowd, yet there was no sign of Jia Ping’an.

"True, I haven't seen him either," Guo Tongfang added, peering around, but Jia Ping’an remained elusive.

At the main table, Zhou Wenbing sat alongside the Ningguta General, Hu Buyun. They chatted about anecdotes from Changdu, appearing to be in high spirits. In public, people often exchanged pleasantries; unless there was deep-seated enmity, they maintained a veneer of cordiality.

Zheng Yugong, the advisor, sat in the seat of honor to the left. He watched the General and Zhou Wenbing with a cold, insincere smile. The Zheng clan had been working behind the scenes to teach the Zhou family a lesson and to remind these newcomers exactly whose territory Ningguta was. Outside the entrance of the Zhou Ginseng Shop, they had stationed over a hundred young men from the Zheng clan. Any ginseng farmer attempting to enter or conduct business was intercepted without mercy.

In short, the message was clear: The Zhou family wanted a grand opening? Then the Zheng clan would ensure they were met with a cold shoulder. If they couldn't acquire a single root of ginseng on their opening day, they would surely lose face. This was the opening salvo of the Zheng clan's intimidation. Once this was established, it would become increasingly difficult for the Zhou family to gain a foothold, eventually forcing them to slink back to Changdu in disgrace.

The Zheng clan knew better than to confront Zhou Wenbing’s backers head-on. Instead, they wielded "soft knives"—cutting off his supply chain so that he would have no choice but to leave. Other dignitaries from Changdu had come to Ningguta before, coveting the ginseng trade, yet they had all been driven away eventually. The Zhou family would not be the first, nor likely the last.

The Zheng clan held the advantage of being the local power, and they would break these outsiders one by one. Ningguta belonged to the Zheng family—it always had, and it always would.

As for Hu Buyun, the General of Ningguta, he should have held true authority, but due to the Zheng clan’s lip service and calculated obstruction, he possessed only a fraction of the power he was entitled to. He was a sensible man who knew not to trigger an outright conflict with the clan; otherwise, the Zheng family wouldn't even offer him the minimal cooperation he currently enjoyed.

The firecrackers had finished popping, and the plaque had been hung. Now, the guests waited for farmers to bring their ginseng. To ensure a festive atmosphere, Zhou Wenbing intended to purchase the first roots at an inflated price to signal a prosperous future. To avoid an embarrassing silence, he had already instructed Zhou Cai to hire two "shills" to pose as farmers with fifteen-year-old ginseng roots, just in case no real sellers appeared.

The doors of the Zhou Ginseng Shop were thrown open. Competitors from other shops stood in the corridor, watching with anticipation to see what quality of ginseng would be offered first, and how much this "dragon crossing the river" would pay to secure a lucky start. Outside, the crowds were packed three layers deep. With few entertainment options in Ningguta, the locals loved a spectacle. The price of the first ginseng sold was a direct reflection of the shop owner's wealth and influence.

The crowd was unusually large today, thanks to the Zheng clan. Their hundred or so young men blended into the crowd, but they were ready to intercept anyone who looked like a legitimate seller.

Inside the hall, Chanshi had begun her third song, yet not a single seller had appeared. As time ticked by, Zhou Wenbing’s expression darkened. General Hu Buyun noticed, casting a subtle glance at the advisor, Zheng Yugong. As the General, he had attended many shop openings and understood the game being played. He knew exactly who was behind this.

Three songs had played, and not one person had come forward. Hu Buyun knew this was no accident. "It seems the Zheng clan is making its move against Zhou Wenbing. Fine by me. Let them tear each other apart. At the right moment, I will offer a word of support to the Zhou family, perhaps even incite the fury of Consort Xian, and then I can reap the rewards. Perhaps... I will finally become the true General of Ningguta."

He kept his face impassive, as if he had noticed nothing, and sipped his tea. Zheng Yugong, meanwhile, maintained his constant, thin smile. He was satisfied with the situation. He wasn't worried about the wrath of Consort Xian; business was business, and if the Consort tried to use her status to crush them, the civil officials and censors in Changdu would not stand by idly. Consort Xian was high-born, but she was not the only consort in the palace, and she could not control everything.

This was the source of Zheng Yugong’s confidence. Moreover, with General Hu Buyun present, he wanted to use this opportunity to show the General the true extent of the Zheng family's power. He wanted to remind Hu Buyun that he should stay in line, or else the Zhou family’s fate today would be his own tomorrow.

Zhou Wenbing, unaware of these machinations, grew increasingly anxious. Why hadn't a single seller appeared? And where were the two shills he had arranged? If no one came, he would be humiliated. If word of this reached Consort Xian, he would be finished—recalled to Changdu and cast aside into obscurity.

Zhou Wenbing was a man of action, and he refused to let this happen. He glared at Zhou Cai, who was standing nearby, drenched in a cold, nervous sweat.