gnovel Chapter 44 "This man is destined for great things."
Chapter 44 "This man is destined for great things."
The official granary in the west of the city.
Song Jiang relayed Shi Wenbin's words.
After listening, Liu Bei did not immediately express his opinion.
He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and put it down.
"We can't refuse to give Lord Shi face."
Song Jiang breathed a sigh of relief: "So, what does brother mean?"
Liu Bei stood up and walked to the door.
The merchant protection team in the courtyard was training. There were 120 people, divided into four teams of 30.
Wu Song stood in front, holding a wooden stick in his hand, and shouting a work song.
One hundred and twenty wooden swords cleaved down simultaneously, accompanied by a whooshing sound.
Liu Bei watched for a while, then turned around.
"Go and tell Master Shi that Chao Gai will be at the appointment on time tonight."
Song Jiang cupped his hands in greeting, then turned to leave.
"Brother," Liu Bei called out to him, "you must come tonight too."
Song Jiang paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes."
.........
Evening, at Shi Wenbin's residence.
A banquet was set up in the flower hall in the backyard.
Shi Wenbin sat in the main seat, with an empty seat to his left reserved for Liu Bei.
Song Jiang was sitting on the right.
Li Wanchun, Zhao Demao, and Qian Guangcai sat at the lower end of the table, their wine cups full, but none of them dared to pick them up.
As darkness fell, the maid lit the lamps.
Footsteps came from outside the door.
Shi Wenbin put down the walnuts in his hand and stood up.
Li Wanchun and the other two also stood up, unsure of what to do with their hands and feet.
Liu Bei walked in.
She wore a dark silk robe, her hair was tied up with a jade hairpin, and her beard was combed.
Wu Song followed behind him, a knife at his waist, and stood by the door without coming in.
Shi Wenbin greeted him with a smile: "Brother Chao Gai, come, please have a seat."
Liu Bei clasped his hands in a fist and said, "You're too kind, my lord."
His gaze swept over Li Wanchun and the other two, who all lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
Liu Bei walked to the seat on the left and sat down.
Wu Song stood behind him, like a door god.
Shi Wenbin winked at Li Wanchun.
Li Wanchun understood, stepped forward with the wine pot in hand, and poured a cup of wine for Liu Bei with both hands.
"Chao Baozheng, I, Li Wanchun, was blind to your greatness. What happened before was my fault. I apologize to you."
His voice trembled, and his hands shook.
Liu Bei picked up his wine cup but did not drink it.
He looked at Li Wanchun, then at Zhao Demao and Qian Guangcai.
"My three shopkeepers, I, Chao Gai, am a businessman. When you open a business, you hope to make money peacefully. I understand that you are afraid I will steal your business. There are only so many people in Yuncheng County, and only so many mouths to feed. If I sell one more bushel, you will sell one less. If I were you, I would be anxious too."
Li Wanchun quickly replied, "Your Excellency is magnanimous, I..."
Liu Bei raised his hand to stop him from speaking.
"But you hired people to vandalize my rice shop and injure my people. This matter cannot be left unresolved."
The flower hall fell silent.
Zhao Demao's legs were trembling, and Qian Guangcai's face was as white as paper.
Shi Wenbin picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, and said nothing.
Liu Bei continued, "However, since you, Lord Shi, have taken the initiative to host this event, I cannot refuse. I have three conditions. If the three managers agree, all past issues will be forgiven. If they do not agree..."
He didn't continue speaking, but picked up his glass and drank it all in one gulp.
Li Wanchun quickly replied, "Please speak, sir! I will certainly comply!"
Liu Bei put down his wine cup and held up three fingers.
"First, Meng Zhanpeng is not returning your 120 taels of deposit. Consider this money as mine, Chao Gai's, taking it. If you feel you've been cheated, you can go to Meng Zhanpeng for it. Whether he's willing to return it or not is his business."
Li Wanchun nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course. I will never mention it again."
"Secondly, starting today, all three of you grain shops will purchase grain from Chao's Rice Shop every month. The quantity will be calculated based on the market price. I won't make money off you, but you can no longer purchase grain from other places and engage in price wars with me."
Li Wanchun opened his mouth and looked at Zhao Demao and Qian Guangcai.
The two nodded slightly.
"I agree."
"Third," Liu Bei looked at them, "from now on, I will set the rules for the grain market in Yuncheng County. You will follow me and make money together; I guarantee you won't lose out. If anyone tries anything underhanded again, don't blame me for being ruthless."
After saying that, he reached for his wine glass and poured himself a glass.
"Three managers, please sit down."
Only then did Li Wanchun, Zhao Demao, and Qian Guangcai dare to sit down.
The three men were so restless that their bottoms barely touched half of the chairs.
Liu Bei picked up his wine cup and raised it towards Shi Wenbin.
"Thank you, my lord."
Shi Wenbin smiled and raised his glass: "Harmony brings wealth, right? Come on, let's all have a drink together."
Everyone raised their glasses and drank.
Shi Wenbin put down his cup, looked at Li Wanchun and the other two, and then at Liu Bei.
"Brother Chao Gai, and the three managers, let me speak fairly. In business, give and take is the norm. But it's always good to leave room for maneuver in the future. Let's drink this cup of wine today and let bygones be bygones. From now on, let's work together to expand the grain market in Yuncheng County. As for the imperial court, I will naturally speak on your behalf."
Li Wanchun quickly stood up, picked up his wine cup, and said, "Your words of wisdom are invaluable, sir. I will remember them well."
Zhao Demao and Qian Guangcai also stood up and raised their glasses in a toast.
Liu Bei did not get up. He picked up his wine cup, gestured to the three of them, and took a sip.
He put down his wine glass, pulled a piece of paper from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and pushed it in front of Li Wanchun.
"This is the quantity and price of grain we receive from Chao's each month. Take a look, and if there are no problems, sign here."
Li Wanchun picked up the paper and read it carefully.
The price is fair; it's not cheaper than the market price, but it's certainly not more expensive.
They can save on shipping costs both ways.
Li Wanchun handed the paper to Zhao Demao and Qian Guangcai.
After the three finished reading, Zhao Demao took out a pen from his pocket and signed his name.
Qian Guangcai and Li Wanchun also signed.
Liu Bei put the paper away and stood up.
"Sir, I apologize for disturbing you today. I will treat you and the three managers to drinks at Zuixianlou another day."
Shi Wenbin laughed and said, "No problem, no problem."
Liu Bei clasped his hands in greeting to Shi Wenbin, glanced at Li Wanchun and the other two, and then turned and walked towards the door.
Wu Song followed behind him, his steps steady, his boots making a clattering sound on the bluestone slabs.
Only after the footsteps faded into the distance did Li Wanchun finally let out a long sigh of relief.
He plopped back into his chair, only to find his back was soaked with cold sweat.
Zhao Demao wiped his face: "It's finally over."
Qian Guangcai didn't say anything, picked up his wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.
Shi Wenbin looked at the three of them and shook his head.
"You should be thankful. Chao Gai isn't an unreasonable person. If it were someone else, you wouldn't be sitting here today."
The three nodded in unison, not daring to say anything more.
The maid removed the leftover food and replaced it with fresh tea.
Shi Wenbin picked up his teacup and blew away the foam.
"Your grain store gets its grain from him every month. The profit margin is thinner, but it's stable. From now on, no one in Yuncheng County will compete with you for business, so you don't need to worry about anything anymore. Let me make this clear—if anyone tries anything underhanded again, I won't be able to protect them."
Li Wanchun stood up, bowed, and said, "Rest assured, my lord, I will never dare to do it again."
Shi Wenbin waved his hand.
"You all go back first. Behave yourselves for the next few days and don't cause any more trouble. Song Jiang, you stay."
Li Wanchun and his two companions felt as if they had been granted a pardon. They bowed repeatedly and backed out of the flower hall.
The footsteps gradually faded at the end of the corridor.
The flower hall fell silent.
Song Jiang stood aside and did not leave.
He knew that Shi Wenbin must have something to say if he kept him here.
"Please sit down."
Shi Wenbin pointed to the chair next to him.
Song Jiang sat down, placed his hands on his knees, and straightened his back.
Shi Wenbin leaned back in his chair, looking at the night view outside the window.
The moon has risen, casting the sparse shadow of the locust tree in the courtyard onto the window paper.
"Sir Song, what kind of person do you think Chao Gai is?"
Song Jiang carefully considered his words: "Chao Baozheng is brave and resourceful, and generous with his wealth. This time, he subdued the ruffians and integrated the grain market with swift and efficient methods, without harming anyone. The public anger has been appeased, the trade routes are smooth, and even those three grain merchants have submitted. Yuncheng County hasn't produced a person like him in many years."
Shi Wenbin nodded.
"You're right. But you only talked about his abilities, not his thoughts."
Song Jiang was taken aback: "What do you mean, sir?"
Shi Wenbin did not answer directly.
He picked up his teacup, took a sip this time, and swallowed slowly.
"He took in thugs not to stand up for Sun Sheng. He opened a rice shop not for the profits. He forced Li Wanchun and the other two to sign and affix their fingerprints today, not for that little bit of grain."
He put down his teacup and looked at Song Jiang.
"This person has the makings of someone who can accomplish great things."