Chapter 289: Chapter 282: Drunkenness (Extra)
Fengyu’s voice was soft and delicate, lighter than the summer breeze.
The entire hall fell silent!
No one had expected the seemingly frail and coquettish Third Miss to possess such a fierce temperament. No matter how gentle her tone or pleasant her voice, it could not conceal her forcefulness.
Xue Yu felt a headache coming on. Jinzhou was the commercial hub of the Twelve States, with developed transportation routes: waterways connecting Jiangnan and Zhongzhou, and roads linking Salt City and Ningzhou. Jinzhou merchants held a relatively high status, and the State Mansion treated them politely. Every month, merchants were invited as guests to discuss Jinzhou’s economy and commerce. The relationship between the government and merchants was amicable. Merchants doing business in other cities of Yanyang didn’t enjoy such high status.
Manager Cheng had built his fortune by trading with the Su Family in Jiangnan. He’d been entrenched in Jinzhou for over twenty years, with deep roots. Manager Cheng’s eldest son had even passed the imperial examination, granting him considerable status in the Jinzhou business circle. As for the Su Family’s Trading House in Jinzhou, they lacked an official overseer here and typically relied on Baofeng Bank representatives for banquet attendance, their seats being assigned to the middle.
This banquet had been arranged in advance. Xue Yu, knowing of Fengyu’s arrival in Jinzhou, had sent her an invitation out of respect but had overlooked the seating arrangement. He hadn’t anticipated that a young girl like Fengyu would be so assertive.
One sentence—"You’ve assigned the seats incorrectly"—left everyone unable to respond.
Even if Feng Changqing had resigned from his position and Fengyu was no longer the daughter of the National General, she remained the future wife of Prince Qin, yet to be formally married. If these titles were disregarded, she was still Su Ming’s granddaughter. Regarding tax contributions, no one in Jinzhou could rival the Su Family’s Trading House. Who would dare say she didn’t deserve the seat?
Beside her, Manager Li’s face alternated between red and pale after being rebuked, his expression was nothing short of ugly.
Xue Yu chuckled lightly and said, "Third Miss’s point is valid. This oversight was my mistake. The seats were indeed misaligned. Let everyone move back a bit."
As the seating arrangement shifted, Manager Cheng arrived late. After assessing the situation at the banquet, his expression soured. Having mingled in the business world for years, he was seasoned in flexibility and quickly put on a smile, greeting Fengyu warmly.
Seating arrangements symbolized status and hierarchy; once established, they often became precedent. Fengyu discreetly returned the gesture of courtesy, her understanding of Jinzhou’s dynamics still very limited, relying only on fragmented insights from Manager Wang. During the discussions, Fengyu mostly listened quietly, refraining from involvement.
Suddenly, Manager Cheng brought up Xie Xun’s suppression of bandits and his ambitions toward the Twelve States. Silence fell over the table; everyone turned their eyes toward Fengyu.
Fengyu thought to herself, "So it begins!"
Xue Yu’s invitation to this newcomer wasn’t exactly a trap but neither was it purely hospitable. With tens of thousands of iron cavalry stationed outside the city, he wouldn’t dare host a sheerly threatening banquet; the objective was to discern Xie Xun and the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s movements.
Would he annex the Twelve States, and when?
If annexation succeeded, would Jinzhou adopt new governance or maintain the old system?
"I’m just a businesswoman; I know little about military matters," Fengyu said with a faint smile. "But from my observation, the Prince and Second Young Master seem occupied trying to earn provisions for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Isn’t that why they’re out suppressing bandits? They’re strapped for cash and probably won’t move to annex the Twelve States for now."
Merchants were usually well-informed, having heard rumors of Xie Xun collecting funds while suppressing bandits—rumors alleging that he demanded 100,000 taels of silver from Jiaozhou, citing the region’s long-standing bandit and horse thief troubles. Suppressing these bandits was seen as eliminating a perpetual menace, with the subdued groups being relocated to West Continent and Huangzhou.
"Won’t move for now—or never?" Manager Cheng asked.
"That, I do not know," Fengyu replied lightly. "Your collective concern for political affairs surprises me. I had assumed the Twelve States cared little about who might sit on Yanyang’s throne."
The group let out awkward laughs.
Fengyu’s words were precise and watertight; it was difficult for others to pry any detailed plans of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry from her. All they managed to extract was one clear message: Xie Jue and Xie Xun were in dire need of funds.
"Everyone’s concern about who rules the Twelve States ultimately stems from concern for commerce," Xue Yu remarked. "The business exchange between Jinzhou, Jiangnan, and Zhongzhou has long formed a highly developed trade network. If the Prince annexes the Twelve States, splitting Yanyang in two, the flow of commerce between Jinzhou, Jiangnan, and Zhongzhou will undoubtedly be disrupted. Many Jinzhou merchants have investments in Zhongzhou and Jiangnan. If the Prince annexes the Twelve States, cutting off trade routes, merchants will face significant losses."
Fengyu’s heart sank slightly; this really was the most pressing issue on the merchants’ minds.
"I have a question for all of you," she suddenly said.
"Please ask, Third Miss."
Fengyu posed her query: "The Prince commands 350,000 iron cavalry, valiant and battle-hardened. Ningzhou City alone has over a year’s worth of stored provisions for the cavalry. If he marches north or toward the Twelve States, employing the strategy of ’war sustaining war,’ do the Twelve States have the military power to resist 350,000 cavalry?"
"No, they do not!" Xue Yu responded frankly. Jinzhou City had only about 20,000 stationed troops.
"The Prince has never entertained the thought of invading the Twelve States. Though he defected from Yanyang, he adheres strictly to military law and iron-clad discipline, never harming a single soldier nor having the heart to destroy the homes of the people. We are merchants, subservient to the tide and circumstances. With the Twelve States’ banditry eliminated, its commerce will only flourish, and trade relations between Zhongzhou, Jiangnan, and Jinzhou will remain intact. I can assure you all that the Prince will not close off internal trade routes—so please, rest assured."
As for whether Yuwen Jing would agree to keep the commerce open, Fengyu was less certain.
But sooner or later, Yuwen Jing’s reign over these lands would also crumble.
At present, Xie Xun’s strategy in suppressing bandits was plain: anyone shrewd could see he was "boiling a frog in warm water"—with the Twelve States being that frog. His first priority was clearing the bandit scourge and restoring the livelihoods of the Twelve States.
Whoever could deliver prosperity to the cities and people would become their ruler.
The conversation soon turned to Jinzhou’s trade matters. Fengyu, narrowing her eyes to focus, picked up on an intriguing phenomenon: despite knowing the Su Family’s iron mines and trading operations had fallen out of control, no one broached the subject.
They were all waiting for her to make a misstep—be it solving the trading house’s mess swiftly or being rendered powerless, reduced to nothing more than a decorative figurehead.
During the banquet, Fengyu drank three cups of wine, her slightly tipsy demeanor already apparent. Despite her young age and commanding presence, no one dared pressure her into drinking more. Unfortunately, her tolerance was terribly low. The subsequent drinks were handled by Chunlu in her stead. When Qiu Xiang and Chunlu supported her out of the State Mansion, Fengyu’s vision was already doubling. Her cheeks were flushed deeply, as though smeared with crimson rouge; she pointed ahead drunkenly and wobbled while speaking confusedly, "Qiu Xiang, I see Zhixu over there... Wow... three of him... One, two... three..."
Suddenly, she gasped, covering her mouth, "Wow, so many Zhixu!"
Zhixu was still out suppressing bandits; how could he appear in Jinzhou?
"Miss, Miss..." Qiu Xiang hurriedly tugged at her. Fengyu swayed, heedless of decorum. "It really is the Prince! He looks furious!"
Fengyu, hiccupping tipsily, rubbed her eyes, her soft neck twisting as if it were about to snap. "Who’s the Prince?" she asked Qiu Xiang.
Qiu Xiang, "..."
Chunlu, spotting Xie Xun striding swiftly forward, felt a chill in her scalp and quickly whispered, "It’s Xie Xun, Miss!"
"Oh..." Fengyu muttered, rubbing her eyes with two small fists, "One, two, three... five Zhixu... Who’s the angry one?"