"Boss, are we really going to Liuzhou?"
A sizable four-masted, nine-ship sailing vessel was slowly approaching the dock in Liuzhou, standing out conspicuously in the now desolate waterways of Liuzhou.
"There's nothing we can do..." On the deck, a dark-skinned, muscular man stood at the bow, looking towards Liuzhou with helplessness in his eyes. "Do you think we're like those big trading companies, Hundred Trades and Rongsheng? Do you think we have that many distribution channels? Trying to sell our goods from other prefectures like they do? We don't have the connections. With the current oversupply, we'll have to cut our prices by at least 30%!"
"Not to mention the other two docks are now clogged with ships, with officers deliberately blocking them. Even Boss Su next door spent four thousand taels of silver to fix things up, and he was only allowed to enter the port two days early. People like us who don't pay, who knows how long we'll have to drift on this river!"
The man called "boss" had a grim expression. "Don't forget, the interest from Master Rong will never be reduced by a single penny!"
Upon hearing this, the various merchants behind him, dressed in different styles, all wore bitter expressions.
They were a newly formed small trading group, the kind of group of dozens of merchants who got together, bought their own ships, and started their own maritime trade. As the saying goes, everything is difficult at the beginning, and starting your own business and becoming your own boss is no easy task.
The newly purchased ship cost tens of thousands of taels of silver. In addition, without the supply channels of large trading companies, the price of goods purchased was much higher than that of large trading companies. Few people could come up with the initial capital, and they had to borrow money from Boss Rong the money shop.
Merchants are all gamblers, drawn by the risk of huge profits. Money shop owners, understanding human nature, relentlessly squeeze every last drop, offering loans with a 13% return and no return, taking it or leaving it!
Carrying such interest is like racing against time. Fortunately, the crew consists of experienced sailors, and this voyage went relatively smoothly. The cargo they brought in is expected to break even. They weren't aiming for a huge profit, just enough to recoup the cost of this voyage so they wouldn't need to borrow money for the next voyage.
Who would have thought that just as the boat was about to reach their doorstep, that incident in Liuzhou would happen, it was truly a matter of life and death.
After two days of wandering, with the interest increasing day by day, everyone was extremely anxious.
"If this drags on, we're really going to lose money!" The man gritted his teeth. "We've been navigating the seas for so many years, and even the Dragon King couldn't take our lives. What are we afraid of, some damn monster?"
The others hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement. "The boss is right!"
"The boss is right. We pirates are daring to fight and kill, we're full of yang energy. What kind of reckless filth would dare to mess with us?"
With everyone agreeing, it seemed that going to Liuzhou would have a minimal impact on the group.
But within this large merchant group, a few eerie, cold eyes lurked in the shadows, smirking.
A middle-aged man who seemed quite close to the leader approached and asked, "Boss, what about the water ghost?"
"Shh!!" The other person glared at him and muttered, "Are you out of your mind? Why bring this up now?"
Despite his cursing, a hint of worry appeared in his eyes as he looked at the other crew members who were already busy checking the cargo.
Unlike the honest farmers in the Central Plains, those who ran boats and did business would inevitably encounter various problems over time. This time, they were particularly unlucky and happened to run into one.
Water ghosts are a type of unclean creature that appears most frequently in maritime legends. These creatures often appear on foggy days, boarding ships under the cover of fog, killing some less vigilant crew members, then skinning and dismembering them to take the form of the crew members, continuing to stay on the ship, looking for opportunities to harm other living people.
The leader of the merchant ship was a man named Huo Bei. He had practiced martial arts as a bodyguard in the past. He was spotted by the boss of a certain trading company and paid a high price to hire him to escort the merchant ship. In addition to preventing pirates, the most important thing to watch out for was this kind of water ghost!
In large caravans, everyone knows each other well, so water ghosts can't stay long and are easily recognized. But in small caravans like theirs, the members come from Tiannan and don't know each other very well, making it easy for them to be taken advantage of.
A few days ago, based on my experience, I spotted one. My brothers suddenly attacked and hacked it to death. In its panic, the water ghost tore through its human skin, revealing itself to be an incredibly ugly merman.
After killing the monster, he announced that it had been completely eradicated, putting everyone at ease. But in reality, he knew very well that these creatures were like cockroaches in the house; when you find one, there are usually many more hiding in the house.
This is why he hesitated to go to Liuzhou Liuzhou dock after hearing the news.
It wasn't just because there were demons and ghosts in Liuzhou City that were frightening, but also because there were water ghosts lurking in the boat!
These creatures have an extremely strong fishy smell, making them undetectable at sea. However, they are easily spotted in cities with many people. Apart from being strong and able to disguise themselves as humans with human skin, these monsters do not possess many special abilities. Once discovered, government soldiers can easily kill them with a few slashes!
Therefore, these monsters often find opportunities to escape beforehand when they are near busy ports.
However, if they disembark at small ports and enter less bustling cities or places with lax security, these monsters are bold enough to continue mingling with the crowds.
They would even inquire about their own home, return disguised as sailors, and devour their wives and children!
He'd seen this kind of thing at least ten times in his years of sailing!
The wives and children who were waiting for their husbands to return instead encountered a demon who skinned and dismembered the entire family, sparing even the infants!
In Gu Bei's view, it was fate that they were doing business together at sea. Even if he couldn't protect them at sea, he couldn't let these monstrous things harm his friends' families.
But now... there's really nothing I can do!
Gu Bei gritted his teeth and whispered, "Keep a close eye on things after we enter the city. Make a good note of anyone who likes to pry into your family background!"
The underling next to him nodded in agreement, but he knew in his heart that his Laoda was just saying that to put his mind at ease. Once they got to the city, everyone was busy selling goods, so how could they possibly care about others?
If there really is a water ghost in the group, there's a high chance that something like that will happen.
But the Laoda had no choice; interest rates were rising every day, and if he didn't sell his goods, it would be a disaster.
" Laoda, is it true that Liuzhou doesn't collect commercial taxes?"
"It's highly likely to be true!" Gu Bei's mood improved upon hearing this. "The news came from the Nanming Prefecture government. I heard that many managers of large merchants have been attracted to Liuzhou to collect goods. The imperial court has come up with a good idea to restore Liuzhou."
"If that's really the case, then that's great..."
Another man beside him smiled and said, "If there were no taxes, with the goods we bought this time, we should be able to break even, and most likely even make a profit."
The others nodded in agreement.
Unlike the previous dynasty, the Great Jin did not believe the nonsense of those scholars about not competing with the people for profits. Instead, it collected commercial taxes, and the taxes were extremely heavy. If taxes were exempted, the profits would conservatively increase by another 30%!
" Laoda, look ahead!"
As they were talking, a shirtless man excitedly pointed ahead. Gu Bei quickly looked over and immediately saw the familiar Liuzhou Wharf.
The fog had not yet dissipated, but one could vaguely see the lights of several ships, all belonging to large merchant firms!
"Boss, it's Rongsheng's ship!"
"Good, good, good!!" Gu Bei clapped his hands and laughed.
It seems the rumors were true; a manager from a major merchant guild really came to Liuzhou to collect goods. This time, the sales are secured!
Northern furs and horses were hard currency that large merchants sold at great prices, and then some Western gems could be sold in the districts and counties at unusually high prices. It seemed like a good deal.
"Boss, look, there are really few soldiers on the dock, just a handful."
Gu Bei nodded. "It seems the rumors about the Liuzhou navy being transferred are true."
"Should we talk to the manager of Wansheng privately...?"
"Bullshit!" Gu Bei's eyes widened in anger as he roared, "If you want to die, go die yourself, don't drag us down with you!"
Upon hearing this, the underling immediately shrank back and dared not speak again.
The other veteran merchants on the ship shook their heads with amusement, thinking to themselves, "Young man, you're too bold and don't know your own limitations."
The imperial court had zero tolerance for smuggling; once discovered, it was a matter of losing one's head. Large trading companies that got involved would suffer greatly, and if they encountered officials who wanted to punish them, their businesses would be shut down immediately!
Large trading companies wouldn't be foolish enough to engage in such a risky business where the potential rewards outweighed the risks; they strictly required their managers in various regions to never engage in smuggling.
As they were talking, the ship docked, and the hired sailors rushed forward to anchor the ship. The young merchant, without waiting for the sailors' help, began to unload the cargo in a hurry.
"Oh, Gu Erlang?"
After disembarking, a familiar voice rang out. Gu Bei quickly looked over, a smile immediately spreading across his face, " Shopkeeper He!"
The newcomer looked to be in his early forties, with a large belly and a thick waist. His skin was as smooth as a woman's, and he was clearly a wealthy person living a life of luxury.
"It looks like you've had a very successful haul this time," Shopkeeper He said with a smile, looking at the continuous stream of goods on Gu Bei's ship.
"Not at all, just a small business!" Gu Bei chuckled. " Shopkeeper He is here, then it seems the rumors are true. How is things in Liuzhou City now?"
"It's desolate..." Shopkeeper He shook his head. "It's as deserted as a ghost town. The staff almost couldn't find a restaurant to eat at. Sigh, Liuzhou used to be so prosperous, and now, in just half a month..."
"Yes..." Gu Bei echoed, then quickly asked the question that concerned him most, "Is the rumor about tax exemption true or false?"
"If it were fake, why would I come to this godforsaken place?" Shopkeeper He said with amusement.
"Tax exemption really?" the waiter exclaimed in surprise. "What's the government after? Has the new prefect lost his mind?"
"What do you know?" Gu Bei rolled his eyes at the waiter next to him.
Shopkeeper He chuckled and shook his head.
"But to be fair, this new prefect is quite a capable man," Shopkeeper He whispered. "He's said to be a newly appointed scholar, yet his methods are more sophisticated than some seasoned officials. He's remarkable."
Gu Bei nodded in agreement. Given the current situation in Liuzhou, it would require extraordinary measures to bring businesses back, but such a large-scale move as tax exemption truly requires courage.
"Is Shopkeeper He busy right now? If not, could you please accept my goods first?"
"Haha, good!" Shopkeeper He nodded, "Then let's go into town!"
"Alright!" Gu Bei grinned from ear to ear and shouted to the back, "Brothers, hurry up and unload the goods, we're heading into town!"
"Alright, Laoda!"
A group of merchants responded excitedly, while some hidden figures, seeing the sparse crowd at the dock and the few soldiers, had a glint of green in their eyes, let out a cold laugh, and followed the main group.
"Erlang..." Shopkeeper He and Gu Bei walked at the front. He whispered to Gu Bei, "Did any of those things sneak into the group this time?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Bei's expression tightened immediately. After hesitating for a few seconds, he nodded slightly. "Yes..."
Shopkeeper He was an old hand and naturally understood what the other party's words meant. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and he nodded, saying, "You've had a tough time too. Let's hurry into the city and try to deliver the goods before dark."
"Good!"
--
The wharf in Liuzhou was not far from the south gate of the city. The procession quickened its pace, and with the help of the carts arranged by Shopkeeper He and the horses that had already been brought in, the procession easily arrived at the city gate in less than fifteen minutes.
But when Gu Bei and the others saw the South Gate now, they were all stunned.
When was the south gate of Liuzhou changed?
The others stared blankly, their attention drawn to the imposing new city gate of Liuzhou!
The open city gate looked extremely heavy, at least twice as thick as the previous city gate, with a strong metallic texture, and the two huge metal wolf heads on both sides of the city gate looked quite domineering.
Especially the one hanging on the city gate, its imposing presence can be felt from a distance, it truly has prestige!
"Does Liuzhou City still have the money to build such lavish decorations?" Gu Bei asked with some curiosity.
He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but he thought he saw the metal wolf's eyes move slightly...
Ahem, dear reader, you must have noticed that some comments were deleted. Hehe, Mofang's nothing we can do about it. Some comments were too encouraging for new authors. We're about to enter the third round of the competition, which is about ranking up and becoming stronger. This step is crucial, so we naturally have to clean up some of the more extreme comments in the comment section, otherwise it could easily affect the number of favorites.
Those who have been following the story know that there is no such thing as being cheated on or cuckolded in this book; those are exaggerated. The plot is written according to logic. It is normal for the emperor to be forced into a desperate situation and for the protagonist to be subjected to some means.
As for whether the Thousand-Faced Fox will become the female lead, how could that be?
The comments section is full of concerns that the protagonist becoming Boss Cao would have too narrow an audience. This book follows a plot-driven approach, so it naturally wouldn't do something that appeals to a niche audience.
Okay, that's enough for now. Mofang to get back to writing and preparing for a big update.
Thank you all for your support. I hope you'll continue reading. The Mofang book is doing well so far, so please continue to support it. There are many great new books out there lately, so please keep reading! Hehe.