Crossing the Mountains

Chapter 80: Stealing Chicken Fails
There seemed to be quite a few people outside, wearing armor. It was obvious that County Magistrate Chi was welcoming the Third Prince with a grand ceremony.

Lei Zhe and Jiao Xu, following Zhou Wencong's orders, sent the four ruffians to the government. The county magistrate saw that they were familiar faces and usually had dealings with several wealthy businessmen, so he thought of giving them a light punishment and just reprimanding them and locking them up for a few days.

Jiao Xu, however, said that their provocation and vandalism were minor, but their words and actions were full of arrogance, claiming that the government of the four Hexi counties could not do without the support of these large merchants and that they wanted to make it impossible for other merchants to gain a foothold in the county. His master was more concerned about the reasoning behind this, and how many merchants dared to act so recklessly, relying on the protection of the government.

The county magistrate said impatiently, "Your master was merely upset at a banquet, so why are you so inquisitive? Outsiders don't know the rules, so it's best to stay out of other people's business."

Lei Zhe's temper flared, and upon hearing this, he scolded, "Hey, we're going to get to the bottom of this! Since my master sent us here to question you, he must get to the bottom of this matter. If you can't explain it clearly, then we'll go ask the county governor!"

The county magistrate snorted coldly, "County Governor? The County Governor is so busy with everything, how could he care about you unruly people! The border has always been chaotic and difficult to govern. How can you dictate to us how the government should do things? Could it be that your master is still the governor?"

"Since the county magistrate refuses to explain, we have no choice but to alarm the county governor." Jiao Xu said calmly.

"Go if you want to, I'm not stopping you."

The county magistrate wasn't just boasting. The imperial court hadn't recently sent an inspector to investigate, so he assumed these strangers from Andu were simply overconfident and thought they were a real treat. Furthermore, the county governor had been incredibly busy lately, and while it wasn't clear what he was up to, he certainly wouldn't take these trivial matters seriously, so he felt confident.

Unexpectedly, not long after the two men left, the county magistrate came in person, first scolded him, and then asked him to dress neatly, and to bring along all the county magistrates, county lieutenants, and elite soldiers as guards, and go with him to the restaurant.

Knowing who he had offended, the county magistrate was so frightened that his legs went weak.

The county magistrate never expected that so many important people would gather in this small, shabby restaurant that had just been smashed.

There was no need to mention His Royal Highness the Third Prince, the female historian who was specially cared for by the Empress Dowager was also there, as well as the eldest Prince Mo He who had quietly entered the pass at some point... Poor County Magistrate Chi was so overwhelmed that he didn't know how to deal with it, so he simply waved his hand and invited everyone into the County Magistrate's Mansion.

Shen Tu Zhuo said, "My little sister is a naive little girl. She just came here to accompany Lady Bai for dinner. It's getting late. If she doesn't go back, my mother will be worried."

Tan Huaike also said: "My Lord, there are still many things to take care of in the restaurant, and I don't..."

"You are the victim." "The lady has to go." Zhou Wencong and Aisha spoke at the same time, both saying that she must go.

"Your Highness the Third Prince and the First Prince have a point," County Magistrate Chi suggested. "Madam Shentu, please come with us to the County Magistrate's Mansion. I will definitely seek justice for you."

Tan Huaike nodded in agreement, but he was wondering in his heart, why is it worth mobilizing such a big fuss about such a trivial matter of mine?

Shen Tu Zhuo frowned, with a bad feeling in his heart.

For Tan Huaike, this trip to the county magistrate's office was probably a Hongmen Banquet.
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Shentu Ji returned to the Shentu Mansion first. As soon as he entered the door, he couldn't wait to see his stepmother and told the old lady about the people he met and all the things he saw and heard today.

After hearing this, the old lady pondered for a long time and told her not to get involved in these matters again.

Shentu Ji was unconvinced. "I originally thought those noble families and royal families were far away. Now that they have come to Zhangye, isn't this a great opportunity to make friends with them? Our Shentu family is also a famous family. It's not impossible to get close to them. Besides, I see that my second brother has a close relationship with the third prince..." "Shut up!" The old lady interrupted harshly. "Do you think the court is a peaceful and happy place? Do you think those noble families and royal families are easy to get along with? You have not experienced the lavish salary in the palace, nor the oppression and poverty of your uncle who was convicted and demoted. You know nothing about the filthiness of it. I don't blame you, but don't mention the words of currying favor with them!"

"Mother, I..."

"Now Heng'er has also died fighting for the court. Do you want your second brother to suffer the same fate?"

Seeing the old lady filled with grief and anger, Shentu Ji dared not say anything more. He hurriedly handed her tea and patted her back to help her calm down.

At the same time, the county magistrate's office also concluded today's trial.

Although the crimes of those ruffians who were causing trouble were not serious, they were still sentenced to a few days in prison and a beating according to the county magistrate's judgment.

As for those arrogant merchants, the governor of Chi County explained that when the Suan Min Order and the Gao Min Order were still in effect, they all paid high taxes. It was these taxes that supported many expenses of the four border counties. They also made a lot of efforts in building bridges and roads, constructing houses and reclaiming farmland.

Now that the news of the imperial court's selection of imperial merchants has spread like wildfire, these merchants, boasting of their merits, all desire the title. Competition among them is increasing, and their behavior is inevitably domineering. It's not that the government doesn't want to discipline them, but it's simply too much. Normally, they turn a blind eye to minor infractions, but only when they become catastrophic will they receive a lashing of the cane. After all, the subsequent development of trade routes to the western border depends on these merchants.

Afterwards, Zhou Wencong asked about the shop on Huaqi Street. Why did the master of the Tan family buy the shop with full confidence and at great expense, but now did not want to run it himself and only wanted to sell it as soon as possible to collect rent?
County Magistrate Chi sighed and said, "We also didn't anticipate this. Huaqi Street, unlike Xiangling Street and Yunhexiangjie, wasn't meant to be a place for... well, serious business. It's a bit remote, and after tidying it up, we planned to bring the county's black market and informal markets there, and add some gambling houses and Zhangtai restaurants. The merchants would definitely make a lot of money. But who would have thought..."

"What's wrong?" Aisha asked.

"Who would have thought that a new regulation would come out of nowhere, prohibiting any merchants involved in gambling, human trafficking, or Zhangtai business from participating in the selection of imperial merchants. Now, all the shops on Huaqi Street have become a hot potato. For a large merchant like the Tan family, expanding their storefronts in order to become an imperial merchant, wouldn't all their investment be wasted?"

"No wonder, I ended up losing more than I gained..." Tan Huaike understood.

The restaurant issue was resolved. The Chi County governor prepared some food and wine, and took the county magistrate who was blind to the truth to apologize. He also held a welcoming banquet for the third prince, Prince Mohe and the female historian.

The banquet was filled with harmony, but Tan Huaike did not understand such harmony.

She had gotten justice, and she had figured out why Tan Li was so anxious to get her to take over the businesses, but these weren't the most important issues. Why didn't anyone mention the marriage proposal when all these important figures gathered together?
Don’t they care about those who died in vain?
Tan Huaike drank a few cups of wine and felt a little suffocated, so he left the table to get some fresh air.

Shentu Zhuo followed calmly.

On the Nine-Curve Bridge, Tan Huaike gazed at the shimmering water and said, "A group of people closely related to the marriage alliance met, yet they didn't mention it a single word... Oh, I finally understand."

"What do you understand?" Shentu Zhuo asked knowingly.

"Every one of them knew that the princess had died," Tan Huaike said, "but they pretended nothing had happened because everyone present had reached a consensus that this marriage could continue."
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　Next chapter: Can I claim you as my stepsister?

　　(End of this chapter)