Wu Yidao walked ahead, with Fang Jie following half a step behind. The two strolled slowly to the small garden of the Sanjin Marquis's residence. It was in this garden, by the lotus pond, that Fang Jie had urinated, driving Wu Yinyu away. It seemed like only yesterday, yet he remembered that Wu Yinyu had been gone to Jiangnan for almost a year.
Wu Yidao sat down by the lotus pond, which appeared somewhat desolate in the night. Fang Jie did not sit down, but stood by the pond with his hands behind his back. For some reason, Fang Jie suddenly felt a strange sensation. Even though he had been in Chang'an for over a year, he still hadn't fully seen through even the Sanjin Marquis's residence.
"The matter His Majesty has entrusted to you is not easy."
Wu Yidao pondered for a moment and slowly said, "To be frank, no matter what problems exist between the Emperor and Prince Yi, they are still brothers. Since His Majesty granted permission for Prince Yi to remain in Chang'an for an extended period, it shows that His Majesty still has feelings for him. Now His Majesty has sent you to approach Prince Yi to see what Prince Yi's true intentions are. Remember one thing… whatever you find out, report it truthfully, but do not make any unwarranted comments, because you are not qualified."
Fang Jie nodded and said, "I know. No matter how big the mistake, perhaps if Prince Yi kneels at the Emperor's feet and cries, His Majesty's heart will soften and he can pretend nothing happened, leaving me in a difficult position."
"That's true, but not entirely."
Wu Yidao said, "Don't get involved in royal affairs if you can avoid it. Although you seem to be in a position of power now, you are still far removed from the court. The Emperor has given you the Right Attendant's title, which is something that children born into noble families receive from birth, and it doesn't really count as..." "What honors are there to speak of? The Emperor seems to rely on you now, but it's only because you're still a nobody. And to say something I shouldn't… if Prince Yi had committed an unforgivable crime, it would be fine; you could officially establish yourself in the court. But if Prince Yi's offense is just a minor one… you're certain to die."
"Your death will have absolutely no impact on the court or the nation."
Fang Jie hummed in agreement: "I understand that. If I could refuse, I wouldn't wade into this murky water."
" It's not a good thing, but it's not necessarily a completely bad thing either. Fortune favors the bold; it all depends on how you handle it."
Wu Yi smiled and said, "You're quite clever, but don't be arrogant. Prince Yi's influence in Chang'an is far more than you see. And it's not limited to just Chang'an. There are some things… I shouldn't tell you, but since you've taken on this assignment, I'll say a few more words."
"Prince Yi's reach extends very far. Farther than you can imagine," he said.
Fang Jie was silent for a moment before asking, "For example... the Northwest?"
Wu Yidao nodded. "If I'm not mistaken, His Majesty asked you to investigate whether Prince Yi merely wanted to seize military power in the Northwest. If that's all, His Majesty is simply giving him a warning. Let me tell you this: if Prince Yi wanted to destabilize the current situation in the Northwest, it wouldn't be difficult at all. But he's still generally adhering to the rules, so His Majesty can't easily touch him... After all, the Empress Dowager is still alive, and after Prince Zhong's disappearance, Prince Yi is the Empress Dowager's youngest son."
Fang Jie sighed, "A mother always tends to favor and care for her youngest son."
Wu Yidao smiled, "That's exactly right. His Majesty is extremely filial, so there are some things he can't do." "Do it. As long as it's not something that seriously harms the nation, we'll just turn a blind eye. You've already been to Prince Yi's residence, so you've naturally seen that ship. According to the system, that's already an overstepping of authority that could be reported to the emperor. For an ordinary high-ranking official, it would be a crime punishable by the execution of their entire family, but His Majesty still lets Prince Yi run wild."
At this point, Fang Jie suddenly remembered something: "Qin Liuqi, the steward of Prince Yi's residence, said that Prince Yi also has a stake in the 'Trading World's Goods Company'?"
Wu Yidao hummed in agreement: "That's not a big secret; His Majesty knows. Not only Prince Yi, but among all the officials, there are very few who don't have a stake in 'Trading World's Goods Company'."
"So you're not afraid of them?"
Fang Jie asked. Wu Yi smiled. "Those officials can withdraw their shares anytime they want. They also have ways to crack down on Huotong Tianxia Hang if they want. This isn't something I can control."
Fang Jie thought for a moment and said, "That's true. Even if the emperor confiscates Huotong Tianxia Hang, the officials' shares will still remain. There's a saying, 'The law doesn't punish everyone,' and besides, there's no law in the Sui Dynasty prohibiting officials from engaging in business. His Majesty can't possibly punish so many officials at once. But I suppose they don't really want Huotong Tianxia Hang to belong to the emperor, since that would mean they'd get much less profit."
"They want to crack down on me, not Huotong Tianxia Hang. If I die, many of their problems can be buried with me. Compared to this..." "For them, losing a little silver is nothing."
Wu Yidao said calmly, "It's precisely because they all have a stake in the 'Trading Through the World' that they're angry. They'll feel I betrayed them by not telling them about His Majesty's secret use of me to transport troops to the Northwest. They'll also speculate whether I told the Emperor about their secrets."
Wu Yidao stood up and walked to Fang Jie's side: "Don't worry, as long as His Majesty doesn't speak, those people don't really have many ways to put pressure on me. The 'Trading Through the World' supports them, so naturally they have their hands on them. If they really anger me, I'll just wipe out the whole group."
Hearing this, Fang Jie truly understood how terrifying Wu Yidao was.
A merchant who could threaten the entire court was undoubtedly extremely successful. But precisely because of this, he probably couldn't truly relax every day. This troop transport to the Northwest exposed the true scale of the 'Trading Through the World' and angered those powerful figures. But that wasn't the most terrifying thing. The most terrifying thing was only one person: the Emperor.
"I'll say it again..."
Wu Yidao looked up at the sky and said calmly, "You've only been in Chang'an for a little over a year. Chang'an isn't as big as it appears to you... Don't be too arrogant, because there are too many people here you can't afford to offend. But don't be too timid either. Precisely because you're insignificant, you can simply leave, if you can manage to leave."
Fang Jie was taken aback, then laughed: "If I could truly stir up a pool of spring water, shouldn't I be proud and arrogant?"
...
...
The next morning, Fang Jie left the Sanjin Marquis's residence with Da Quan and the others. Da Quan carried the wooden box containing the land deed, Fang Jie's first property acquired after arriving in Chang'an. Fang Jie didn't open the box to look at the deed, because he knew it wasn't truly his own property yet.
The distance from the Sanjin Marquis's residence to East Twenty-Three Streets wasn't short; it took Qilin more than half an hour to drive there. The tailors in the shop had been waiting for news from Fang Jie, but from before the New Year until after, Fang Jie still hadn't said when the clothes would be available for sale. Fortunately, Fang Jie was a reliable boss, always paying their monthly wages without fail. Recently, Fang Jie had them take on several apprentices, all young and clever.
Upon seeing Fang Jie return, the tailor apprentices hurriedly came forward to bow.
"Greetings, Master."
Fang Jie greeted them with a smile, asked a few casual questions, and then went upstairs. Big Dog followed behind him, curiously opening the wooden box, then paused, stunned.
"Fang Jie… there's something else here."
"What?"
Fang Jie turned and asked.
Big Dog took out a thick stack of silver notes, counted them briefly, and couldn't help but grin: "See for yourself, it's making me dizzy."
Fang Jie's expression changed, his heart tightening. He hadn't mentioned this to Wu Yidao last night, probably partly to avoid Fang Jie refusing, and partly because there was something he couldn't say directly. Fang Jie rummaged through the banknotes and, sure enough, found a small note.
He closed the door and quickly went behind the table to sit down.
The note was brief, essentially saying that Fang Jie should use the money to build the garment workshop. The money hadn't been recorded in the accounts of Huotong Tianxia Trading Company, so it couldn't be traced. Fang Jie guessed that Wu Yidao was definitely securing a backup plan for himself; if Huotong Tianxia Trading Company really collapsed, this money would be his capital for a comeback. Wu Yidao's arrangement must have some other meaning, but Fang Jie couldn't figure it out for the moment.
He carefully counted the banknotes; the amount was outrageously large.
Fang Jie stared blankly at the silver note, lost in thought. Shen Qingshan walked to his side, glanced at the note, frowned, and pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "This money... it might not have been left for him, nor is it truly meant for you."
A woman's intuition is often sharper. She looked at Fang Jie earnestly and said, "Perhaps it was left for his daughter."
"Big Dog."
Fang Jie paused for a moment, then suddenly said, "You and Qilin leave tomorrow for a long trip... Also, go see Tie Nu and Ye Xiao now, and have them both come along. I know they definitely won't listen to me now, but you can let them name their price. Anything that can be done with money isn't difficult."
"Where to?"
Big Dog asked. Fang Jie glanced out the window, then said in a low voice, "Go to the Yiqi Temple on Qingle Mountain in Jiangnan and keep an eye on Wu Yinyu, the daughter of the Marquis of Sanjin. If anything happens, take her out. Don't return to Chang'an; find a secluded place to stay and then come back to tell me. Also, absolutely do not tell Tie Nu and Ye Xiao the truth. They've already left the temple, but I'm not sure if they still have contact with the Taoists at Yiqi Temple, especially… don't let Mo Ningzhi know."
Tie Nu and Ye Xiao, now free, had left the temple and were working as bodyguards at a镖局 (bodyguard agency) in the capital. They must have had some kind of conflict with Mo Ningzhi. Besides, they certainly couldn't endure living such a hard life with a group of Taoists. If Fang Jie could find more manpower, he might not consider them. Another reason was that the people following Fang Jie were all highly skilled fugitives.
Big Dog thought for a moment and asked, "There must be many experts in the Sanjin Marquis's mansion. The Marquis might have made arrangements."
Fang Jie shook his head. "Perhaps, all of the Marquis's men are already dead. Moreover, if the court really wants to target the Marquis, he will definitely control his daughter; they might have already sent people south. Luo Weiran didn't mention this, meaning it's not the Imperial Guard involved, which makes things even more difficult. Also… those people in the court might come up with some dirty tricks. Wu Yinyu absolutely cannot be allowed to get into trouble. We can't do much to help the Marquis; perhaps this is the most important thing we should do."
He stood up and said, "You go find Tie Nu and Ye Xiao first. I'm going to Hongxiuzhao to see the old master. He has many connections in the martial arts world; the more experts he can hire, the better!"
Sanjin Marquis's Manor.
The fat man, known for his greed, lust, and greed, glanced furtively at Wu Yidao's expression, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Can Fang Jie guess your meaning, Lord Marquis? Why didn't you tell him directly last night?"
Wu Yidao sat on his usual reclining chair in the pavilion, sipping his tea. "Yes... Our men are almost all doomed; leaving Chang'an will be difficult. The reason I didn't tell Fang Jie directly is because if I had told him last night, he might not have left the Sanjin Marquis's mansion so readily. He's afraid of death, but he's loyal. If he guesses my meaning today, he'll do his best for Yinyu. As long as Yinyu is safe, we can fight those people in Chang'an with peace of mind."
He smiled slightly, "I want to see who can truly force me to reveal my last trump card."