Chapter 497 - 498: Buying In
Chapter 497: Chapter 498: Buying In
Lu Shenggen didn’t mind. In the entire government office, only the three of them hadn’t invested yet, which made them rather conspicuous.
Since they had come to an agreement, he didn’t mind contributing a little extra.
In fact, he had a faint premonition and considered putting in his private silver, which he had set aside for emergencies.
He gritted his teeth and finally said it aloud. "In addition to the share the three of us are pooling for, I’d like to invest in another share by myself."
He Gaofei asked, "Aren’t you afraid you’ll end up with nothing at all?"
"My talents may be average," Lu Shenggen said, "but I know enough to go with the flow.
Mrs. Gu was able to build such a massive enterprise in such a short time and become an Imperial Merchant. She must have her own unique methods.
Besides, how long has she even been in Lu City? The entire back office is already running in an orderly fashion, and she has opened several shops with swift and decisive action.
I don’t think she’s venturing into sea trade for no reason. She must have her motives."
"Hmph," He Gaofei said with a dismissive look. "If you had a few secret recipes, you might be even more impressive than her.
Besides, she’s the Magistrate’s wife and has General Zhou backing her. Here in Lu City, she holds all the cards.
I don’t understand why they need to raise so much silver from so many people. But just think about it—in only a few days, how many people throughout Lu City have thrown their silver at her?
I suspect this is just a disguised form of wealth accumulation. If it weren’t for the fact that we’re in the middle of nowhere and our memorials have to pass through General Zhou and Mr. Gu, I’d write a report to impeach her myself."
"Mr. He, that’s a bit of an extreme accusation," Lu Shenggen countered. "She’s made it perfectly clear that the accounts will be made public for all to see, and the profits will be distributed proportionally. That’s not wealth accumulation at all.
To get a return, you must first make an investment. Mr. He, your speculation is clearly out of line."
"Say what you will," He Gaofei retorted. "We’ll see how it turns out eventually. Just don’t come crying to us when you lose all your silver."
"Hmph. Rest assured, Mr. He. Even if I lose a bit of silver, I’ll just chalk it up to a lesson learned. I’m more worried that when we’re raking in a fortune, some people might just turn green with envy."
"In that case," He Gaofei said, "I’ll offer you my congratulations in advance.
Don’t worry, I’m not that petty. If you really do make money, I’ll throw you a banquet to celebrate."
"In that case, it’s a deal," Lu Shenggen replied. "I’ll be waiting for your banquet, Mr. He."
He Gaofei didn’t want to engage with him any longer and went back to his work.
But Wu Yichen, who was standing nearby, pulled him aside. "Why are you being so stubborn about this? The three of us pooling our funds for one share is already good enough.
It’s not that I’m siding with Mr. He this time, but this whole affair really does seem a bit unreliable.
If something really goes wrong at sea, not even the Jade Emperor himself could do anything about it.
I think you should listen to Mr. He this time. Don’t be so obstinate."
"My mind is made up," Lu Shenggen insisted. "Consider it the biggest gamble of my life. But I have a feeling that this time, I’m going to win."
"Then suit yourself." Wu Yichen stroked his beard and returned to his desk.
When Wenheng walked in again, he saw that the room looked much as it had when he left, yet he couldn’t quite put his finger on what felt off.
...
&
"They’re finally here."
Hearing the report, Vice General Wang actually breathed a sigh of relief.
His adjutant standing nearby chuckled. "Since when have we become so eager for bandits to arrive?"
"Of course we are," Vice General Wang said. "We’ve already scouted the location. All we’re missing now is the manpower.
Their arrival is perfectly timed. Mr. Gu was just saying he wants to raise some livestock. Having these guys tend to them would be perfect."
General Li meekly interjected, "They haven’t landed yet. What if they’re envoys?"
"A bunch from some paltry island dares call themselves national envoys?" Vice General Wang scoffed. "Have you forgotten the last guy who claimed to be an envoy? He’s still out in the wastelands pulling weeds."
"General Wang," General Li said, "do you have some misunderstanding about your subordinate?"
"How would I dare?" Vice General Wang said sarcastically. "For men like us who fought our way up with blade and spear, our efforts aren’t as effective as a single letter from someone else.
General Li, you tell me, am I making any sense?"
Noticing the hostile glares from the others, General Li quickly explained, "I have said it before. I correspond with Shangjing, but that is only because I have a family connection with the Minister of Rites. I have not been trying to cause trouble for any of you.
General Wang, please don’t be so sarcastic every time we speak. I haven’t said anything against you."
"Hah," Vice General Wang sneered. "Didn’t you just send a letter to Shangjing yesterday?"
"What? Am I not even allowed to write a family letter now?"
"I hope that’s all it was," Vice General Wang said.
"Hmph," Li Ji muttered, turning his head away. "How ridiculous."
His reaction only made him look guilty to everyone present. They didn’t even need to investigate to guess the contents of that letter.
Vice General Wang and the others ignored him, each grabbing their gear and heading to their assigned positions.
Li Ji’s expression darkened. He grabbed his sword and hurried after them.
Wenheng also received the news that many ships of unknown origin had appeared at sea. Vice General Wang had sent word for them to prepare as well.
Wenheng didn’t hesitate. He immediately summoned all arrest officers and guards, ordering them to seal the city gates and permit no one to enter or exit.
The enemy had clearly come prepared. Using their advantage on the water, they launched relentless provocations.
Zhou Shiong, along with his officers and soldiers, stood with arms crossed, watching the enemy put on their little show. They even sat down to rest every now and then.
This blatant contempt for their opponents only served to further infuriate the enemy party.
When a small boat reached the shore, a short man began shouting that he was an envoy and demanded to speak with the Great General.
Zhou Shiong agreed.
"Rongchao General, many subjects of my nation came here to conduct business but have yet to return. I ask that the Rongchao General help find them."
At this, Vice General Wang shot a glance at Li Ji. "Certain people are always saying we military generals are ignorant of proper etiquette and are a disgrace to the scholarly arts.
I wonder what kind of judgment General Li would pass on someone like this, who acts so arrogantly right from the start and doesn’t even announce his origins?"
Li Ji replied, "General Wang, there’s no need to be so passive-aggressive. We are colleagues serving the same court. This is not the time for infighting. We’ll only make ourselves a laughingstock."
"Tch. Spoken like a true military general who used to be a civil servant. That mouth of yours always has to have the last word," Vice General Wang laughed. "How about I have a word with the Great General? Suggest he let you go negotiate with them?"
Li Ji, "..."
Just then, Xiao Xianfeng, who had been standing behind Li Ji, pushed his way to the front. He sized up the stout man and said, "Who are you? Don’t you even state your name and origin?
Or are you too ashamed to speak your master’s name?"
The soldiers and officers behind him roared with laughter. Truth be told, they really looked down on a man of his short stature, wondering if he was even capable of farming.