Ministry of War, No. 5 Courtyard, Main House.
Fan Ming froze briefly, then smiled and picked up the teapot. "Brother, although I had... a much better starting point than you, I still got where I am through my own efforts. When it comes to putting projects together and sweet-talking people everywhere, I think we're about evenly matched."
With that, he pushed the teacup toward Ren Ye. "Just tell me what you need. I'll do what I can."
Ren Ye had figured that since he and Fan Ming had only recently met and weren't particularly close, he naturally ought to offer something in return if he wanted to ask for help.
Knowing how to handle people never went out of style, no matter where you were.
To Ren Ye, opening trade was far too important. It determined whether the whole of Qingliang Prefecture could function properly again. The robbery of the caravan and murder of eight merchants had an appalling impact. If this wasn't resolved, who would dare trade along that route again?
Moreover, those eight people who had been killed were on their side-people close to the authorities who had been selling precious materials for Prince Huai's private estate. Their intention had also been to invigorate Qingliang Prefecture's economy, reopen the trade route, and do something for their hometown.
On this trip, they had only been earning a fee for their legwork. They hadn't brought much merchandise of their own, nor had there been any extra profit to pocket, yet now... they had all been killed.
This left Ren Ye furious and guilt-stricken.
He could accept the goods being stolen. That was merely a financial loss. What he couldn't accept was the other side not only seizing the goods but killing people on such a scale.
So Ren Ye's visit