People in this world are not alike — different in countless ways, some apparent at a glance, others not.

Take, for instance, the matter of negotiations. Some people detest bargaining, finding it complicated and headache-inducing.

But the people at Yongning Tongyuan Carriage Company? They loved nothing more than negotiating terms. Absolutely loved it.

If you asked them to rank their favorite things in life, negotiating terms would without question make the top three.

So when Tang Pidi heard Military Commissioner Zeng Ling pick up the thread of the conversation, the tension in his brow and eyes slowly eased, and he looked exactly like a rascal who was about to charm his way into a young lady’s heart.

Zeng Ling asked, “You said you follow Li Chi’s lead when the terms aren’t good. What about when the terms are good?”

Tang Pidi smiled. “Why don’t you tell me first, my lord — just how good are we talking?”

Zeng Ling smiled lightly and said, “Actually, just now Young Master Tang seemed to have already let slip a few conditions in passing. A man like you — some of what you say needs to be thought through carefully.”

Tang Pidi’s smile grew more relaxed and expansive.

Zeng Ling continued, “You mentioned grain just now, so let’s start there. I can provide it — the granaries of Jizhou hold a great deal, enough that I have full confidence in that. But there’s one thing I don’t understand.”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord, please ask whatever you like.”

Zeng Ling said, “Since you want to leave, you could name any other condition. Why grain?”

“Because we’re greedy.”

Tang Pidi’s answer came fast and direct, plain and simple.

Zeng Ling hesitated for a moment, then asked with some bewilderment, “If I give you grain, are you going to haul it away cart by cart when you leave?”

Tang Pidi said, “Rest assured, my lord — carts, we have plenty of.”

Zeng Ling found himself at a loss for how to respond to that.

Tang Pidi continued, “Of course, if my lord were to throw in the carts as well, that would certainly be even better.”

After a long silence, Zeng Ling said, “I’ve heard it said that people’s desire for advantage starts out not very obvious — it’s human nature, after all — but after getting stung once, it gradually becomes more apparent, until finally they no longer bother hiding their greed.”

He cast a glance at Tang Pidi, his expression complicated.

“So,” he asked, “how many times have you and Li Chi been stung before you could reach this state — where taking advantage of others knows no bounds?”

Tang Pidi said, “Has my lord perhaps misunderstood?”

Zeng Ling smiled, his tone faintly mocking.

“Where exactly have I misunderstood?”

Tang Pidi paid not the slightest attention to the mockery in that smile. Whether it was a smile, a pointed look, or even cutting words — as long as advantage could be gained, it could all be temporarily ignored.

So he explained with great patience, “My lord just said that people’s desire for advantage usually becomes more apparent after getting stung once, as a lesson learned. Others may summarize their experience that way — we do not. We accumulate experience through one successful score after another, which is why we get better, gain more, and take greater pleasure in it each time.”

Tang Pidi smiled and said, “Li Chi is especially skilled at drawing lessons from all of this. But what he usually concludes from them is probably: why wasn’t this score big enough? Something to reflect on!”

These words sounded like banter, yet they made Zeng Ling feel genuinely uncomfortable. He was a military commissioner, a regional lord, a high official of one side — and here he was, unable to stop others from taking advantage of him, while being openly teased about it. It seemed to sting somehow more than any mockery he could dish out himself.

When a man has endured humiliation, sharp words tend to come out of him.

Zeng Ling said, “You should understand — I don’t actually need to keep persuading you to leave. I have other ways of resolving this problem. Perhaps more thorough ones.”

Tang Pidi nodded. “My lord is right.”

And there it stopped.

Zeng Ling waited a moment and realized Tang Pidi had said only those five words with nothing further to add — and he felt certain he’d been mocked again.

Zeng Ling looked at Tang Pidi, and just as anger was rising he suddenly caught himself. Wasn’t this exactly what he had reflected on before?

And yet, in that very moment, he had forgotten it again.

In his conversation with Jinzu, he had said he thought he had reached an age where there was nothing left to fear — only to discover that young people were truly the ones who feared nothing at all.

Tang Pidi and his companions were not afraid.

So Zeng Ling let out a breath and smiled again, becoming considerably more affable.

“Grain is not a problem. Carts are not a problem. If you’re willing to leave, I’ll provide them. Give me a number.”

Tang Pidi visibly brightened at hearing this. Smiling, he said, “Li Chi says that people mustn’t be insatiably greedy. If greed has no limit, that’s a character defect. Even the most acquisitive person needs to set an upper bound for themselves — that way you at least avoid divine retribution.”

Zeng Ling didn’t believe a word. He asked, “So? How much do you want?”

Tang Pidi didn’t answer. Instead he turned the question around.

“My lord, how many carts do you have?”

At those six words, the corner of Zeng Ling’s mouth gave a faint, involuntary twitch.

Tang Pidi said with a smile, “I believe Li Chi is right — a person who is insatiably greedy becomes hated. Neither Li Chi nor I wish to be someone others despise.”

“Say my lord has five hundred carts, and I ask for six hundred loads of grain — that is insatiable greed.”

“But say my lord has five hundred carts, and I ask for only four hundred and ninety-nine loads of grain — that means I have a bottom line, that I retain a conscience.”

Zeng Ling stared at Tang Pidi and said, “You call that a conscience? And if I heard correctly, just now you used the word ‘only’? Only four hundred and ninety-nine carts?”

Tang Pidi explained with patient unhaste, “The word ‘only’ isn’t important. Four hundred and ninety-nine isn’t important either. What matters is — my lord, how many carts do you have?”

Zeng Ling truly detested Tang Pidi’s patience.

Detested it enough to want to curse.

This time it took Zeng Ling quite a while to collect himself. He sighed and said, “I don’t have five hundred carts. Not even two hundred.”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord is being modest.”

All at once Zeng Ling lost control. He bellowed at Tang Pidi, “I am not being modest!”

Tang Pidi nodded. “I believe you, my lord. If you say you don’t have them, then you don’t. That’s nothing that can’t be worked around — no need to argue over things that can be solved. We’ll find the carts ourselves. My lord needn’t feel too guilty about not having enough. We can make up the difference. My lord can simply cover the cost of the carts.”

Zeng Ling glared at Tang Pidi. “I feel guilty?”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord, there is no need to feel guilty.”

Zeng Ling breathed deeply, trying to regulate his emotions. He could not find any words to say to himself that might soothe the fury he could barely contain.

Perhaps the only thing to do was conclude this business quickly, before Tang Pidi managed to infuriate him to death.

“Let us be direct.”

Zeng Ling said, “I don’t want to go around in circles anymore. You state your demands, I’ll state my limits, and if we can reach agreement we’ll keep talking.”

Tang Pidi said, “Five hundred carts, then.”

Zeng Ling shook his head. “Impossible.”

Tang Pidi asked, “Four hundred and ninety-nine?”

Zeng Ling rose to his feet.

Tang Pidi said, “Many thanks for my lord’s generosity.”

Zeng Ling took another deep breath, then pressed his hands on the armrests of his chair and slowly sat back down. He had gripped them so hard that his knuckles had gone slightly white.

“Young Master Tang. Two hundred carts. Not a single one more.”

Tang Pidi said, “Two hundred and one?”

Zeng Ling demanded, “Is this amusing to you?!”

Tang Pidi said, “I just wanted to try once more… Li Chi says a person shouldn’t give up so easily. One must have the heart to keep attempting.”

Zeng Ling said, “You take the two hundred carts of grain and leave at once.”

Tang Pidi said, “Has my lord perhaps misunderstood?”

Zeng Ling, pressing down his fury, asked, “What have I misunderstood now?”

Tang Pidi said, “Grain is not the only condition on the table. My lord doesn’t think that once the grain is settled, everything else can simply be dropped, does he? Two hundred carts of grain — when you get down to it — is not actually a significant matter. For my lord it is a drop in the bucket, is it not?”

In an instant, Zeng Ling felt himself grow considerably calmer.

He had worked himself into such a rage — nearly shattering with anger — and all of it over two hundred carts of grain?

For a man of his standing, the grand Military Commissioner of Jizhou — why on earth had he let two hundred carts of grain reduce him to this state?

This reflection brought him some relief. But then he immediately realized that if he had been reduced to this state by a mere two hundred carts of grain, the moment Tang Pidi stated his next condition, it would surely be…

He looked at Tang Pidi and asked, “Your lot also sells medicine, yes?”

Tang Pidi nodded. “We do!”

Zeng Ling said, “Before you state your next condition — do you happen to have something along the lines of a calming, qi-soothing tonic? Have some prepared for me first.”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord jests.”

Zeng Ling said, “You’re the one who jests. I’m quite serious — have someone bring some medicine.”

Tang Pidi said, “Very well.”

He called out toward Yu Jiuling at the door, “Little Nine, go find some calming tonic for the Commissioner.”

Yu Jiuling responded and shuffled off, muttering under his breath as he went, “Calming tonic, he wants — what’s the point of that, a labor-easing tonic’d do more good…”

Zeng Ling apparently caught some of that. The corner of his mouth twitched again involuntarily.

He took one more deep breath, steadied himself, then asked Tang Pidi, “Tell me everything you want, all at once if you can. What I can give, I’ll give. What I cannot, no amount of flowery talk will move me.”

Tang Pidi said, “Grain is one part. Beyond that — before we leave, we intend to fulfill as much of the previously agreed-upon trade with my lord as possible. Li Chi promised to supply your army with a batch of medicine. We’ll deliver it, and my lord will settle the silver in full.”

Zeng Ling said with great sincerity, “The medicine isn’t urgent. I can pay you directly in coin. The medicine itself can wait — with or without it, I’ll pay you the silver.”

Tang Pidi’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Zeng Ling said, “Give me a rough figure on the quantity of these medicines and I’ll estimate the corresponding silver.”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord would be short-changing himself.”

Zeng Ling asked, “You think I’m the one taking advantage here?”

Tang Pidi said, “My lord’s virtue and magnanimity—”

Zeng Ling: “Shut your mouth!”

Tang Pidi nodded. “As you wish… let us move on to other matters.”

Zeng Ling: “There are other matters?”

He paused, then said in a tone that conveyed I might as well see how far this goes, “Go on then. Say what you have to say.”

Tang Pidi said, “Actually Li Chi’s instructions cover three things. First, grain. Second, silver — both of those have been discussed. Third, weapons and armor. If my lord would—”

Before he could finish, Zeng Ling said with a frown, “That one — is non-negotiable.”

Zeng Ling looked at Tang Pidi and said, “Whatever weapons and armor I give you now could very well be worn and wielded by Yanshan Camp soldiers when they come marching back against Jizhou.”

Tang Pidi looked faintly troubled.

Zeng Ling said, “I said there’s nothing to discuss, which means there’s nothing to discuss. If you want to negotiate, find something else.”

Tang Pidi looked even more troubled and said, “Well then… I suppose we’ll have to convert it. Give us silver instead.”

Zeng Ling nodded, and even seemed to let out a small breath of relief. “That can be arranged.”

Then he froze for a moment — because there was a vague, nagging sense that something was not quite right.

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