Green Mountain

Morning.

Si Caogui was wiping the carriage near the side door.

Suddenly, without turning his head, he lashed out with a backward kick, and a cry of pain came from behind. Chen Ertong clutched his abdomen, his face flush with anger, exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

Si Caogui turned around, expressionless: "What are you sneaking up for?"

Chen Ertong took a while to recover and handed over a string of money: "Where did Chen Ji go yesterday?"

Si Caogui didn't take the money, crossing his arms as he glared at him: "Just this much?"

Chen Ertong widened his eyes: "The one hundred taels given yesterday is enough for you for a few years, what more do you want?"

Si Caogui shook his head: "One hundred taels, not a single tael less."

"Dream on, there's not even one tael now," Chen Ertong made to leave, but no one stopped him as he reached the alley's entrance.

He could only grit his teeth and return, pulling a string of Buddhist Treasure from his sleeve: "Hurry up, where did Chen Ji go yesterday?"

Si Caogui rubbed the Buddhist Treasure with his fingertips: "He firstly went to Tianbao Pavilion yesterday, then stayed at Meihua Ferry Crossing for the day. Numerous salt merchants called by Young Master Shen came to the Imperial Capital to buy salt permits. He didn't return to Chen Mansion until 9 to 11 PM."

Chen Ertong asked suspiciously: "What did he go to Tianbao Pavilion for?"

Si Caogui replied leisurely: "Going to Tianbao Pavilion is of course to buy jewelry for his beloved woman, what else could it be?"

Chen Ertong sneered: "At such a crucial time, why is he still focused on women? Did he say anything about the salt permits yesterday?"

Si Caogui leaned against the carriage and answered: "No."

Chen Ertong doubted: "Really no?"

Si Caogui assured: "Really no."

Chen Ertong turned around and left.

Si Caogui put the Buddhist Treasure on his wrist, and knocked on the side door of Chen Mansion.

The next moment, the side door of Chen Mansion opened a crack, and Chen Ji stood there, showing half of his face through the gap.

...

...

Chen Ertong hurried back to the Chen Family Salt Shop on Luoma Market Street.

Chen Yue was waiting at the door for a long time: "What did you find?"

Chen Ertong breathed heavily: "Chen Ji's coachman said Chen Ji went to Tianbao Pavilion yesterday to buy jewelry for a woman and then stayed at Meihua Ferry Crossing all day without coming out."

Chen Yue raised an eyebrow: "Just that? Is this coachman reliable?"

Chen Ertong quickly said: "Rest assured, Store Manager, I spent two hundred taels of silver to entirely buy him off, absolutely reliable."

Chen Yue stroked his smooth chin, doubtful: "Really?"

At this time, Chen Bin, who was supposed to be in Tanggu, came in from outside, clasping his hands: "Store Manager, I'm back."

Chen Yue acknowledged: "Tell me, how did the people dispatched go?"

Chen Bin reported one by one: "On the Provincial Scholar Li's side, it's settled. The night before last, they sent four corpses to the Prefecture Government, stirring up over four hundred people to cause a commotion there. Additionally, the ones I dispatched to monitor Chen Ji reported back, saying Chen Ji went to Tianbao Pavilion yesterday to buy a hairpin, and then went to Meihua Ferry Crossing."

"Because of the big salt merchants Young Master Shen summoned over the past few days, salt permits at Meihua Ferry Crossing are selling very fast. After realizing they were running out of salt permits, Chen Ji went to the Six Ministries Government in the evening to seek out Chen Lizun, most likely intending to obtain salt permits from the Ministry of Revenue. But by now, Chen Lizun had already left for Tanggu, since it's the place where he's implementing tax reforms, and he couldn't avoid going after four deaths there."

"Unable to find Chen Lizun, Chen Ji could only turn to the borderline people, persuading them to come to Meihua Ferry Crossing to sell salt permits on consignment to address the urgency, otherwise, there would be no permits to sell in the next couple of days."

Chen Ertong was stunned; this was entirely different from what the coachman said.

Chen Yue kicked his calf: "Wasted two hundred taels of silver, couldn't get any truth out, that coachman clearly is in the same league as Chen Ji!"

Chen Ertong yelped as he clutched his leg.

Chen Yue turned to Chen Bin: "The information you've gathered matches what I have. My contacts among the borderline people have reported that Chen Ji visited them yesterday, arrived in the evening, and persuaded them until 9 to 11 PM before leaving. It seems the salt permits at Meihua Ferry Crossing are truly running out, hence his urgency."

Chen Bin replied calmly: "Indeed."

Chen Yue asked further: "What did our people watching Meihua Ferry Crossing say? Did they see anyone transporting goods in?"

Chen Bin shook his head: "No, and there were people specifically impersonating salt merchants in Meirui Building, they personally witnessed that the salt permits from Jinling, Yangzhou, and Suzhou were all sold out, and even the bamboo plaques on the walls were taken down."

Chen Yue sneered: "Tonight we act, make sure to drive him out of the Imperial Capital before Chen Lizun returns. Chen Ertong, you will lead people to stay at Meihua Ferry Crossing today, once the salt permits from Jinling are available, buy them immediately. Make sure he doesn't have a single one left in hand. If we mess this up again, you'll join me in the pond."

Chen Bin asked curiously: "Shopkeeper, you previously told the second master that there's a fatal loophole in the salt permit transactions at Meihua Ferry Crossing, what is it exactly?"

Chen Yue glanced at him sideways: "Why so hasty? You'll know tonight."

Chen Bin bowed his head and clasped his hands: "Yes."

...

...

At night, Meihua Ferry Crossing became bustling.

On the west side, high-ranking officials and nobles from the Imperial Capital entered through the front door, attracted by Liu Xingshou's reputation; on the east side, various salt merchants looking for salt permits entered through the back door.

Baishun Alley recently had three odd occurrences: firstly, the Oiran from Jinling, Liu Su, suddenly left White Jade Garden of the Three Mountains Association and went to Meihua Ferry Crossing to take shelter; secondly, several merchants passing through the alley were uninterested in women, coming and going in haste; thirdly, Meihua Ferry Crossing was overcrowded, with more people inside than all the other brothels in Baishun Alley combined.

Outside the back alley, Chen Yue emerged from a sedan chair.

Chen Bin had been waiting early, followed by several borderline people, with a few large boxes beside him.

He whispered to Chen Yue: "We gathered twenty thousand pieces of salt permits bound for Jinling from the borderline people, haven't given the silver yet."