"Your Excellency, we have arrived."
Inside the cabin, the governor cautiously made his announcement, while the atmosphere inside was eerily cold.
Mu Hongqing and the Duke of Qin sat diagonally opposite each other, neither looking at the other. However, the cold aura emanating from both sides frightened the hundreds of bloodline disciples disguised as laborers to the deck. Governor Zhou Hanyang, on the other hand, braced himself and sat between the two.
"Let's go out and take a look," Lu Ming said, getting up and walking outside. Mu Hongqing didn't say anything either, following him out. Judging from their actions, the two seemed to have temporarily put aside their grudges.
"Thank you for your hard work, Governor." The Provincial Treasurer looked at Zhou Hanyang with a wry smile.
Zhou Hanyang rolled his eyes upon hearing this, but a hint of worry flashed in his eyes. Could Mu Hongqing really be on their side?
Once outside the ship and nearing the dock, the enormous bubbles were even more spectacular up close. These bubbles almost covered the entire Nanming Prefecture and the dock area. People kept flying across the sky, giving the impression that the city and the outside world were two completely different worlds.
Seeing this scene, Zhou Hanyang's heart grew heavier. Could the Duke's plan really succeed?
"My lord," Zhou Hanyang approached cautiously and asked, "Is it the same in the other prefectures of Jiangnan?"
He had heard a lot of information about Jiangnan from Mu Hongqing, about many interesting things there. It sounded novel and gave people a sense of another world. But it was just hearsay. Now, with the huge scene in front of him, and recalling what Mu Hongqing had said before, he realized that...
Zhou Hanyang suddenly felt that perhaps the Jiangnan today really is a different world, just as rumored.
"No," Lu Ming shook his head. "I came from Yunzhou, and along the way I passed through Yangzhou, Nanyang, and Liuzhou. I've never seen such a grand display. The fact that he didn't set up something like this in his already stable base means that this exaggerated thing isn't actually widely used by Chen Qing. And now, using it in Nanming Prefecture is just to bluff people!"
"Is it just for show?" Zhou Hanyang looked at the huge bubble; it was indeed quite intimidating.
" Chen Qing has only been in charge of Nanming Prefecture for a month. Anyone with even a basic understanding of magic knows that a magic array of this scale couldn't have been set up in such a short time." Lu Ming looked at Mu Hongqing and asked, "What does the Academic Commissioner think of this barrier?"
Mu Hongqing didn't even glance at Lu Ming, but instead carefully examined the barrier. After about a quarter of an hour, he slowly said, "The energy is extremely pure, and from the outside, there are no weaknesses."
Lu Ming frowned, but then relaxed his brow. "It's alright. Since it's a stunt, it naturally has to be made to look realistic. Like those magicians, even if the audience knows it's fake, they still have to make it look convincing to win applause."
Mu Hongqing: "."
He didn't continue speaking. To be honest, logically speaking, although he disliked Lu Ming, he understood that what the other party said was correct.
Anyone with a modicum of knowledge could tell that Chen Qing's move was a bluff!
Therefore, he did not have a high opinion of Chen Qing, even though his apprentice had great confidence in him.
He had already made up his mind. If Chen Qing failed to control the situation, he would step in to help at the crucial moment to repay Chen Qing for nurturing Chen Ying. But regardless of whether Chen Ying had lost her virginity, he had to take her away!
But if Chen Qing manages to control the situation, regardless of the method used, it will demonstrate that this young man can withstand storms. Then I can confidently entrust Chen Ying with my mission and return to the capital to do what I've always wanted to do.
All these years, if it weren't for Chen Ying, he would have taken action long ago!!
"Where are you from?"
After a long queue, the ship finally entered the port. The port is no longer guarded. After walking across the dock and disembarking, there are more than a dozen passageways in front of the huge bubble.
Looking at this scene, Lu Ming felt a slight sense of unease.
In his view, Chen Qing's arrangement this time must have been extremely forced, yet he dared to allow such a large flow of merchants in and out. Was it because he was highly skilled and daring, or was he just putting on a brave face?
"Sir," Lu Ming said with a smile, "We're just following our fellow villagers, doing some tea and liquor business, what do you think?"
The soldier frowned, looked at the goods behind him, and sniffed them slightly. He immediately recognized the wine as the recently popular Fragrance in the Snow from Yunzhou, and the tea as the best-selling Que She from Yunzhou.
Then he looked at them and asked, "You... don't have Divine Seal on your bodies?"
"Reporting to the general, our group hasn't been in Yunzhou for very long, only about a month. To be honest, we used to be a fairly well-off family, and those laborers were our servants."
"Didn't the officials in Yunzhou say that keeping slaves is forbidden now?" The soldier's face turned ugly.
"Of course, of course!" Lu Ming quickly replied, "Well, these servants—I mean, these house slaves—were all born into the household and have served us since they were young. Even though they've been dismissed, they didn't know what to do outside, so we decided to give it a try and start our own business. We haven't continued to keep slaves; they all followed us voluntarily. We will pay them their wages as per the wishes of the City Lord of Yunzhou City, and we won't restrict their freedom."
"Oh, a son born into a family, looks like a nobleman?" the soldier teased, his eyes filled with sarcasm.
In recent years, under Lord Chen's rule, the people of Jiangnan have shown less and less respect for the former landlords and nobles, especially these Fighter Army, who look down on the landlords more and more.
"It's in the past, it's in the past," Lu Ming said with a forced smile, waving his hand.
"Hmph!" The soldier sneered, "Good that you know it's all in the past. Behave yourselves. Things aren't like they used to be. I don't care about your dim-witted servants, but if anyone tries to leave and you dare to stop them, you'll have your hands chopped off!"
"No, no, sir, don't worry, we are a law-abiding family, a law-abiding family."
"That's great, let's go!"
"Yes, yes, sir, this is a tribute to you." Lu Ming, with the air of a shrewd businessman, ordered two large jars of wine to be brought out.
The soldier glanced at it coldly, picked up one of the jars to use as a base, and then said, "Just one jar. Take the other one back. I can't afford that many. Wine is expensive these days. Here, this is the money for the wine. Is this the price in Yunzhou now?"
"Where can I accept money from a soldier like you?" Lu Ming quickly waved his hand.
"Looks like this is your first time doing business," the soldier said coldly. "Bribery in Jiangnan is severely punished. Are you trying to harm me?"
"These two jugs of wine are nothing, how can they be considered bribery?"
"Two jugs of Fragrance in the Snow, worth a hundred taels of Incense Silver, how can that not be considered bribery? My monthly military salary is only thirty taels of Incense Silver. Alright, hurry up and go in, don't delay the ships behind."
"Yes, yes, yes," Lu Ming quickly replied with a smile, "It was my oversight."
"If you want to continue doing business on the water, it would be best to have faith in a deity. Your first time as a merchant is an exception, but if there's a next time, you won't be allowed into the city!"
"Yes, yes, it's our first time too. We need to think it over carefully and decide whether it's better to worship the Sea God or the Mountain God."
"If you're just a maritime merchant, then worshipping the Sea God Sea God naturally the best option. Those who follow the Sea God Guard for half the price—where else can you find such a bargain?"
"Thank you for the reminder, sir. I'll arrange it as soon as I get back."
Lu Ming bowed and scraped, his manner and actions leaving Zhou Hanyang and his group behind him dumbfounded.
They never expected that the dignified First Duke of the Great Jin would play the role of such a shrewd businessman so naturally!
Mu Hongqing stared coldly at Lu Ming, his eyes filled with even more mockery.
He had witnessed the Duke's many faces when he was very young.
In front of his younger sister, he was a doting father who would even bend down and let her ride on his back like a horse.
In front of his mother, he was a devoted husband, as if he would have eloped with her if it weren't for the burdens of his family.
In front of him was a strict father who always considered his future and seemed to be thinking of him in everything.
But when she returned to the Duke's mansion, haha, it was that same Duke who wouldn't even glance at her sister who had been turned into a human pig!
"Find a cheap inn to rest and wait for my news!" After entering the city, Lu Ming whispered to Zhou Hanyang before heading towards another bustling street.
Zhou Hanyang was stunned. Before he could react, Lu Ming had already disappeared.
"What is the Duke going to do all by himself?" Zhou Hanyang frowned immediately.
"Murder," Mu Hongqing said coldly from the side.
Zhou Hanyang was taken aback. "Kill whom? Shouldn't we wait for the right opportunity?"
"Waiting for what opportunity?" Mu Hongqing sneered, "Are you really stupid or just pretending? The person from the imperial court is Minister Hong of the Ministry of War. If you let him live, why would your Duke have 50,000 troops obey him?"
Zhou Hanyang: "."
Two updates in a row, and two more tonight! Thank you all for your support. The list of those who donated will be released tonight. Thank you again to all the readers who supported me with donations!