“This is the scene I wanted to see. Because water transport has opened up, the common people have a way to make a living. Those who are talented and virtuous will become officials, those who enjoy commerce will become merchants, those with courage and strength will join the military, and those without these abilities can only properly rely on their own strength to make a living.”
“Yesterday, the Ninth Elder cried to me in complaint, saying he had neither martial prowess nor business acumen. Holding a hundred thousand silver coins in his hands but with nowhere to put them to use, he feared your purchases would transform his hundred thousand silver coins into carpets and timber, or buy a few cups to take home. If that were the case, he would only be able to find a good spot on Xiangyang Slope to bury himself.”
“Yun Ye, the Ninth Elder and the others don’t trust you. They gave the hundred thousand silver coins to me, wanting me to help them purchase some goods that make quick money. Ideally, they could transport them to Jinyang and immediately sell them for a huge profit. I never expected that after traveling thousands of miles to Yuezhou, they would make such a request—only asking to make one big profit to improve their clan members’ lives. I believe this is not excessive at all. What do you say?”
Yun Ye said with a bitter smile, “At first hearing, it’s quite grating—not only demanding guaranteed profits with no losses, but also demanding huge profits. If anyone else said this, they would be scorned to death by merchants. But ah, just because their clan chief is Your Majesty, this request is indeed not excessive. Your Majesty seeks to preserve capital while pursuing profit—this is already a blessing for all people. The clan members also don’t intend to seize wealth through trickery and force—this is already extremely rare. Leave this business to this humble subject.”
“I won’t turn their hard-earned money into a few carpets or transform it into a few chairs, nor will I use their funds to purchase a few tea sets. Although doing so might earn more profit, this humble subject will definitely load their ships completely full. I wonder if triple the profit can satisfy them? If this condition still doesn’t satisfy them, this humble subject will help them purchase opium. The Lingnan Maritime Trade Commission has confiscated quite a lot of this substance. Selling opium can easily yield thirty times the profit without any problem.”
“Nonsense! How can that thing from hell be discussed openly? I’ve been worried sick even with Sun Simiao growing half an acre. This kind of thing should be destroyed on the spot once obtained. Why are you hoarding it in Lingnan?”
“Ludongzan has remained in Chang’an without leaving, constantly wanting to take some things from the Central Plains. This humble subject believes that good things like opium should be enjoyed by those high masters who regard themselves as divine spirits. Bon practitioners live in drunken dreams and death—clearly they are mortals yet they worry about immortals’ concerns. Perhaps they truly are divine spirits, and opium cannot harm them in the slightest.”
Li Er’s expression became very unnatural. He solemnly asked Yun Ye, “If I haven’t guessed incorrectly, that opium has probably already been brought to Yuezhou by you, hasn’t it?”
“No. This humble subject dares not act independently regarding that hellish poison, nor does he have the authority to make any disposition of it. Your Majesty once said that those who privately possess this substance shall die! This is the forbidden line—this humble subject dares not cross it by even one step. This humble subject is the temporary leader of the Lingnan Bai Qi Si. I received an order from Bai Qi Si to transport this substance to Chang’an. Here is the secret directive—this humble subject has been keeping it close to his chest. Please, Your Majesty, examine and verify it.”
Li Er took that secret directive and casually handed it to Yan Song. Yan Song pulled out another piece of paper and cross-checked the two. Seeing that the torn edges of the two papers matched perfectly, only then did he say to the Emperor, “Indeed correct.”
Li Er breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Bai Qi Si’s secret report stated that there are three chests on the Great Emperor that are absolutely secret, and only I have the authority to order them opened. These past few days, I’ve been wondering what they could be and why only I have this right to unseal them, so I’ve delayed giving the order. Now it seems this must be it. Yun Ye, people can harm others by any means necessary, but they cannot deceive Heaven. My Great Tang is at its zenith—I don’t believe our brilliant heavenly authority cannot make them submit respectfully. Such a vicious thing—I will not use it, lest one day it bring calamity upon our descendants. Yan Song, take my token. After inspecting the goods in the three chests from the Number One Storage Room in Section A of the Great Emperor, destroy them on the spot. If even one or two ounces are missing, take your own life.”
Yun Ye didn’t ask who had issued this secret directive. These past days, he had been driven nearly to collapse by this matter. He had long told the Emperor that opium was a cancerous tumor that needed to be removed early. On ships coming from the West, whenever opium was discovered by the Maritime Trade Commission, the cruelest punishment awaited them. Not all the corpses on Crab Island belonged to pirates.
On merchant ships from the Kulan Kingdom, many sailors possessed this substance. Some wealthy merchants even presented this thing as gifts to Li Rong and Feng Ang. After tremendous effort, these were finally confiscated in Yongzhou and Guangzhou. When preparing to destroy them, however, he received this strange secret directive from Bai Qi Si. Today was merely testing the Emperor’s attitude. Yun Ye discovered that the Emperor was actually unaware, yet Yan Song could immediately produce the other half of the secret directive for quick verification. This was very strange indeed.
After the Emperor learned the inside story, his first reaction was not to swiftly investigate who had issued the secret directive, but rather to destroy all evidence. There must be a very significant story here. Yun Ye dared not ask and could not ask, because Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui, the two people Yun Ye had specifically brought along as witnesses, had their eyes closed, resting their spirits, completely deaf to the conversation between Yun Ye and the Emperor.
Using Tubo as an excuse was a way out that Yun Ye had left for himself in advance, and also a way to give the Emperor face to step down. Unexpectedly, the Emperor had absolutely no intention of using this substance. Who could it be, then?
Great Tang still had many secrets. Yun Ye only knew the tip of the iceberg. Today he had risked lifting one of those veils, but behind the veil remained layer upon layer of fog.
Yun Ye decided to abandon his curiosity about exploring mysteries. Reporting this matter to the Emperor was something he had to do. Saying nothing would bring troubles upon himself. Right now, accompanying the Emperor on his incognito inspection of Yuezhou was the real business.
Li Tai accompanied his mother at the rear, proudly pointing to the Taihe establishment’s storefront to boast to his mother. The mulberry situation in Shu had been poor these past few years. Raw silk had opened up sales routes in Yuezhou and was sold to Shu, so the production of Shu brocade had greatly increased in recent years. The silkworm farmers in his fief benefited enormously, and he also earned a great deal of money. Naturally, at this moment, he wanted to report his achievements to his mother.
Li Er looked at the solemn and dignified Yuezhou government office and said with a smile, “Guan Tinglong is quite interesting. Other officials never repair their offices when in service, fearing bad influence. He, on the other hand, built the office grandly and magnificently. This is the most impressive government office I’ve seen.”
Fang Xuanling replied, “He had no choice. The funds allocated to Yuezhou are all earmarked for specific uses. The money given to him to repair the government office cannot be used elsewhere. Otherwise, the Ministry of Revenue and the Censorate would give him trouble.”
“Minister Fang, which shop belongs to your family? Is it on this Yuhua Street?” Li Er asked Fang Xuanling with a smile that was not quite a smile.
Fang Xuanling said with great embarrassment, “This subject is ashamed. My humble wife said that Yuezhou is a treasure land for doing business, so she opened a medicinal herbs shop here. This Qianshun establishment is it.”
Li Er laughed heartily and took the lead in striding into Qianshun. Fang Xuanling’s face turned black as the bottom of a pot. Li Er clearly did not intend to leave him any face.
The shop’s storefront was not small. After the four-panel door was removed, many people came in and out to pick up medicines. There were also two resident physicians in the shop. A clerk saw Li Er’s extraordinary bearing and ran over to attend to him, but was chased away by the shopkeeper behind the counter, who personally came out to receive Li Er. He didn’t recognize Li Er, but seeing his own master following behind, the identity of this man in black became self-evident.
“Honored guest, you’ve come to our small shop. I don’t know whether you’re picking up medicine or seeking a pulse diagnosis. Please rest assured—the raw medicines sold in our small shop are all genuine, high-quality products from their places of origin. If even one ingredient is found to be wrong, this old man’s head is yours to take. The physicians practicing in our shop are also renowned good doctors in Yuezhou City. As long as you pick up medicine at our small shop, the consultation fee is completely waived.”
After finishing these few sentences, the shopkeeper looked as if he had been pulled from water. Sweat had already soaked through his clothes. His two legs were bent, as if ready to kneel at any moment. Knowing full well that the person before him was the Emperor, yet having to treat him as an ordinary customer—this was an enormous test of his heart.
Li Er very impolitely pulled open drawers to inspect medicinal materials. This was generally Sun Simiao’s work. For Li Er to discern the authenticity of medicinal materials himself would require at least ten years of hard study.
Looking at the embarrassed Fang Xuanling, Yun Ye’s childish spirit stirred. He also followed behind the Emperor, pulling out the densely packed drawers while shouting as he pulled, “This is terrible! You’re running a black shop! You even have arsenic! Good heavens—aconite, Erycibe obtusifolia, murraya, toad venom, Gelsemium elegans, nux vomica—nothing is missing! Minister Fang, is this a medicine shop or a poison shop?”
Fang Xuanling’s expression remained unchanged, but the shopkeeper was nearly scared to tears, trembling as he said, “Please have mercy! Arsenic is for killing parasites, aconite is for stopping spasms, Erycibe obtusifolia and murraya are for reducing swelling and relieving pain. Gelsemium elegans and nux vomica are all good medicines for treating fractures and chronic conditions. Every medicinal herb shop sells them—it’s not just our small shop.”
“Then good! Give me two jin of arsenic. My stomach has been uncomfortable recently—I might have worms. I’ll take it home and steep it in water to drink.”
With Yun Ye’s disturbance, Li Er turned around and said angrily to Yun Ye, “What are you causing a ruckus about? This old man feels his deficiency fire rising lately, with discomfort in mouth and tongue. I’m preparing to find some sterculia to make a decoction. Who asked you to talk nonsense? Get out!”
The shopkeeper hurriedly pulled out the box containing sterculia and placed it on the counter, inviting Li Er to select. Yun Ye had no choice but to roll out. At the door, Fang Xuanling cupped his hands and said, “Marquis Yun’s kindness—this old man accepts gratefully.”
“I’m helping you now—in a moment when His Majesty goes to my family’s shop, you must also help me.” Fang Xuanling seemed not to hear Yun Ye’s words, still maintaining his serene, carefree appearance.
When Li Er and Zhangsun were sitting in the Yun family’s wine house drinking tea, Yan Song returned. He handed back Li Er’s golden token and said quietly, “Three hundred thirty-seven jin and six liang—not one liang off. All has been completely destroyed.”
“What about the people?” Li Er raised the hot tea, took a sip, and asked Yan Song.
“Except for the Lingnan division who acted under orders and are therefore without guilt, seven heads have been severed. The remaining eleven heads are still being pursued.” Yan Song’s words were concise and to the point.
“Give them honorable burials. There’s no need to strip away official ranks and titles.” Li Er sighed and instructed Yan Song. Turning his face, he said to Yun Ye, “You were right. This thing cannot be kept. Regardless of what reasons there might be, it must not be used.”