Chapter 148 - 126: A Gathering of Heroes
’I’d be at a huge disadvantage then.’
’Patience is a virtue.’
"This is the gate of Shanyang Prefecture City. Aren’t you afraid the Shanyang Prefecture Guard Army will punish you for causing trouble here?"
Fang Yue nodded and said with a faint, unreadable smile.
It was his first time in Shanyang Prefecture, so he didn’t fully understand the local power dynamics.
But from the middle-aged man’s words, he could tell that while this Sanfu Trading Team might have some power, they weren’t anything special.
If they were truly powerful, they wouldn’t be stuck waiting miserably in line here. They would have cut to the front and entered the city long ago.
In other words, since everyone was queuing here, they were all more or less on the same level. No one was significantly more powerful than anyone else.
"Hmph, all talk. Let’s see if you’re still so tough in a little while," Fan Sanshan snorted, flicking his sleeves before stalking away.
Clearly, he didn’t dare cause a scene here either.
His verbal threats having failed, his only option was to leave.
’Sigh, the Boss is still so young.’
Seeing this, Elder Zheng the Darts Master could only sigh inwardly.
’This trip might not go so smoothly after all.’
~~~~~~
"Shh, everyone quiet down! The Guard Army patrol is here!"
At that moment, someone in the crowd shouted, and the surrounding merchants and travelers immediately fell silent.
Fang Yue followed their gazes and saw a troop of armored Guard Army soldiers approaching on horseback.
"Boss, that patrol is in charge of inspecting goods," Elder Zheng the Darts Master immediately explained. "Traveling merchants are terrified of provoking them. If you get on their bad side, they’ll strip you of everything you have."
Fang Yue understood. Corrupt soldiers extorting people and shaking them down for money was a common sight in the ancient dynasties from his past life’s memories.
Under policies that favored agriculture while suppressing commerce, such things were inevitable.
While not as pronounced in this world, the underlying policy was still the same.
These soldier patrols and so-called "inspections" were just a pretext for taking bribes.
Anyone in business these days was bound to have some contraband or other irregularities.
And even if you were completely legitimate, it was still a nightmare to be deliberately given a hard time.
"Where are you from? I suspect there’s contraband on these carts."
At that moment, the patrol squad walked directly up to Fang Yue’s convoy. The soldiers closed in, clearly preparing to "inspect" the goods.
The commotion naturally drew the attention of the people nearby.
"I saw it. After Shopkeeper Fan from the Sanfu Chamber of Commerce left, he went straight to the Guard Army up ahead. He probably sent these soldiers over."
"That’s right, that’s right, I saw it too. That must be it. Sigh, he’s too young. When you’re on the road, harmony is what matters most. How could he just go and offend someone like that?"
The members of the other trading teams murmured amongst themselves, their gazes toward Fang Yue and his men holding a trace of pity.
Being targeted by these soldiers, and clearly as part of a scheme, meant things wouldn’t end well. They were probably about to suffer a huge loss.
However, just as the crowd was settling in to watch the show, the soldiers began to close in.
"Whoa, whoa, Officers, please, you can’t do this! We’re an honest, law-abiding trading team, and our boss is a Martial Scholar! This is all a misunderstanding, a big misunderstanding!" Seeing Fang Yue remain impassive, Elder Zheng the Darts Master hurriedly stepped forward to plead their case.
In his eyes, as a titled Martial Scholar, Fang Yue was too proud to bow his head.
But sometimes, you had to know when to yield.
Upon hearing that there was a Martial Scholar in the convoy, the soldiers did indeed pause.
However, the leading soldier immediately spoke up. "We are enforcing the law impartially. How can we back down just because of his status? Besides, since he’s a Martial Scholar, he should be all the more cooperative and set a good example."
Hearing this, the surrounding soldiers resumed their advance.
The soldiers of Shanyang Prefecture weren’t afraid of some out-of-town Martial Scholar.
"Our carts are filled with legitimate goods, not a single piece of contraband," Elder Zheng the Darts Master said quickly with a smile.
"Heh. If I say there’s contraband on these carts, then there’s contraband." The lead soldier sneered. "Go on, unload everything, open it all up, and dump it on the ground. We’ll inspect it... slowly."
This was blatant harassment. If they really dumped the contents of more than a dozen carts on the ground, would the goods even be sellable afterward?
A real inspection would normally just be a random spot check.
This was clearly a targeted attack.
Yet, Fang Yue remained completely unfazed.
"What are you waiting for? Get to it—"
The lead soldier’s eyes narrowed as he was about to order his men to move.
But at that exact moment, another squad of soldiers approached from a distance.
The leader of that squad seemed to notice the situation and hurried over. When he saw Fang Yue in the crowd, he was visibly taken aback, then quickly whispered something in the first soldier’s ear.
"Tsk, tsk. This is what happens when you don’t listen to your elders. A hard lesson learned. Young man, let me give you some advice: be a little more sensible when you’re on the road."
At the same time, Fan Sanshan swaggered over, smirking at Fang Yue.
But just as he was expecting the soldiers to move in and punish Fang Yue...
The next moment.
"Everyone, stop!"
The sudden turn of events was so abrupt that Fan Sanshan couldn’t even process it.
The lead soldier actually rushed in front of Fang Yue. "It’s a misunderstanding, a total misunderstanding! We were deceived, that’s the only reason we offended you, sir. Please, don’t take it to heart."
Fang Yue was a Martial Scholar, and the soldier held no official rank, so addressing Fang Yue as "sir" was reasonable.
However, an ordinary Martial Scholar from out of town would never receive such deferential treatment in Shanyang Prefecture.
"It was you, you bastard! You set us up! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!" The lead soldier, spotting Fan Sanshan nearby, charged over and began beating him with his fists and feet.
"You lot, go inspect the Sanfu Chamber of Commerce’s convoy! They must be dirty themselves, that’s why they’re framing others!"
This scene left everyone in the surrounding crowd utterly shocked.
After a moment, however, they came to their senses. This Fang Yue’s status had to be extraordinary, even more powerful than the Sanfu Chamber of Commerce.
Otherwise, the soldiers would never have reacted this way.
The Sanfu Chamber of Commerce had picked a fight with the wrong person. They were definitely in for a world of hurt.
Of course, Fang Yue was oblivious to all this.
After that, a group of soldiers escorted them directly into the city.
Their goods weren’t inspected, they didn’t have to pay the entrance fee, and they didn’t have to wait in line. They went straight into the city.
Once inside Shanyang City, they quickly arrived at the Yuezhong Mountain Tea House.
Elder Zheng the Darts Master and the others were still in a state of shock, wondering just how their boss had caused such a dramatic change in the soldiers’ attitude.
Only when they arrived did they finally understand. So this was where their cargo was headed!
~~~~~~
"Fang, my brother, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting for what feels like an eternity!"
Just after nightfall, Chubby took Fang Yue out.
The pretext was to give Fang Yue a proper welcoming feast.
But instead, he brought Fang Yue to the Qinghuai River and onto a large, multi-story riverboat.
"Come, come, Fang, try this local specialty! It’s called the ’Paragon’s Platter.’ You and I, my brother, have joined forces and taken over the entire high-end tea market in Shanyang Prefecture. If that doesn’t make us a couple of paragons, I don’t know what does!"
Bai Xingqiu explained enthusiastically.
As he spoke, he picked up a Cyan Jade Wine Flask. "This is Imperial Court Jade Liquid Wine. They say the recipe comes from the imperial court of Great Wei itself. It’s a true delicacy."
Fang Yue glanced at the strips of green and red radishes on the plate. ’A Paragon’s Platter indeed.’
As for this "Imperial Court Jade Liquid Wine," Fang Yue took a sip and found it was surprisingly good.
It had been infused with some kind of wild fruit, giving it a unique, fragrant aroma.
But it definitely hadn’t come from any imperial court.
The meal was a joyous affair for both host and guest.
After the meal, they ordered some tea and pastries.
"Fang," Bai Xingqiu said mysteriously, "now for the main event. There’s a huge gala here tonight, and it’s your lucky day—you’ve arrived just in time for it."
Hearing this, Fang Yue’s mind immediately jumped to one conclusion. ’It couldn’t be some sort of courtesan pageant, could it?’
He remembered that back in Xiahe County, Chubby was always talking about bringing him to the Prefecture City to visit the brothels.