She Shed Bitter Tears

He sighed deeply and asked, "What do we do now?"

Chen Kang shook his head.

The two looked at each other, both at a loss for what to do.

They've already thoroughly offended Zhao Zhiwei. Is it too late for them to rush over and reconcile with Zhao Zhiwei, and to flatter Kang Shilin and Gan Lun?

Chen Kang thought for a moment and said, "We have to give it a try. You are the Crown Prince's man. If Lord Zhao doesn't want to offend you, as long as you bow your head first, she probably won't make things difficult for you."

"Try? How can I try?" Cai Yaozong said irritably. "Now that things have come to this, do you think I can fool her with those thankless tasks? I need to give her control of either salt or grain to show my sincerity. Which one do you think I should give her?"

Chen Kang's brows furrowed tightly.

The salt administration of the Great Jin implemented a merchant monopoly system, with merchants responsible for production, collection, transportation, and sales. Although Nanyang did not produce salt, salt merchants approved by the government transported salt from salt-producing areas and resold it, making a considerable profit from this transaction.

These salt merchants who specialized in this business were selected by him and Cai Yaozong from among many competitors, and they were given extremely generous sums of money every year.

Once Cai Yaozong hands this task over to Zhao Zhiwei Zhao Zhiwei, with her shrewd methods and aggressive nature, she will surely have a firm grip on these salt merchants, forcing them to side with her. At that time, not only will their annual tributes to Cai Yaozong be gone, but Zhao Zhiwei will also use the past years' accounts to find irregularities and blackmail them, perhaps even forcing them to return the money they had swallowed in previous years.

Salt is a monopoly, with no competition, and it's something everyone needs, making it extremely profitable. Therefore, this is something we absolutely cannot give up.

As for grain, Nanyang is a fertile land and a major grain-producing area of Great Jin. Every year, he and Cai Yaozong can make a lot of profit from harvesting and selling grain. The village chiefs will also flatter and fawn over them. They can get whatever they want done with a single call. They have both money and power. They are very reluctant to give this part to Zhao Zhiwei.

After thinking it over, Chen Kang said, "How about we just give them grain?"

Zhao Zhiwei newcomer, acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the government office because of her powerful background, which led Liu Hongyu and Li Li to side with her. This was because these officials were subject to the control of the court and the powerful figures in the capital.

But the wealthy merchants, gentry, and village chiefs in Nanyang were different. They had no connection whatsoever with the powerful figures in the capital. As long as they didn't break the law, Wu Huaisi and Wu Zong couldn't do anything about it. In fact, they weren't afraid of Zhao Zhiwei.

Zhao Zhiwei, a proud and aloof noblewoman, was simply not on the same wavelength as those merchants and farmers. It was virtually impossible for the wealthy merchants and village chiefs to accept Zhao Zhiwei, be willing to obey her management, and pay their taxes smoothly every year.

The grain industry involves a wide range of people and matters, including local wealthy merchants, local gentry, and ordinary people. Therefore, there are many shady dealings and intricacies involved. Those who don't understand these intricacies may not only fail to make a profit, but may also get into a lot of trouble.

Wealthy merchants, local gentry, and village chiefs can be used by their superiors, but they can also cause them trouble. If he and Cai Yaozong instigate things behind the scenes, these people can cause a ruckus and fail to pay their taxes and grain on time and in the required amount, which will be enough to give Zhao Zhiwei a hard time.

When the time comes, Zhao Zhiwei will be unable to collect enough grain tax on time and will have no choice but to return the grain to Cai Yaozong.

Therefore, weighing the pros and cons, it would be better to proactively hand over the management of the grain to Zhao Zhiwei.

Chen Kang shared his thoughts with Cai Yaozong.

Cai Yaozong nodded and said, "That's what I think too." Chen Kang's thoughts coincided with his.

"Then I'll go talk to Lord Liu and ask him to mediate?" he said.

Chen Kang nodded. "Lord Liu probably doesn't want to see you fighting with Lord Zhao either."

Cai Yaozong immediately got up and went out with Chen Kang. They saw several unfamiliar people carrying two cabinet-like objects into the courtyard.

Liu Hongyu and Li Li stood under the eaves, curiously examining the two cabinets.

Seeing the men carrying the cabinet into Zhao Ruxi's room, Cai Yaozong asked Liu Hongyu, "What is this?"

Liu Hongyu said with a subtle expression, "A safe."

He raised his eyelids slightly and glanced at Cai Yaozong: "Didn't you say that the files and accounts were extremely important and could not be lost? Lord Zhao specially brought two safes from his home to store these things."

Cai Yaozong: "..."

Chen Kang: "..."

These safes are incredibly expensive. The powerful and wealthy in the capital are bringing them home one after another, but local officials, because of their high price and the fact that they don't have many valuables to store, rarely buy them. It's the wealthy merchants who are buying them the most.

Cai Yaozong and Chen Kang had amassed considerable wealth over the years. However, half of Cai Yaozong's ill-gotten gains were handed over to the Crown Prince. Chen Kang controlled both the legitimate and criminal worlds, and while he was not short of money, he had a large number of people who depended on him for their livelihood. Maintaining his current position as a mere clerk was not easy; he received a lot of money, but he also spent a considerable amount.

Therefore, neither of them was willing to spend money.

Because of the shady accounts they had, they finally bought a safe, which they treasured and hid in their bedroom. They even did the cleaning themselves.

But now, seeing Zhao Ruxi casually move two safes to store the yellowed files and accounts from the yamen, the two almost shed tears of sorrow.

But that's not all.

Li Li had been bullied badly by Cai Yaozong and Chen Kang. Now that he had a chance to make them unhappy, he was more than happy to oblige.

He said, "Steward Zhou of Lord Zhao, just mentioned that this safe was developed by his daughter and a craftsman, and then they partnered with the Emperor to do this business. It's a kind of fate that Lord Zhao works with you gentlemen. If you gentlemen are interested in buying the safe, Lord Zhao is willing to sell it to you at cost price."

Cai Yaozong: "..."

Chen Kang: "..."

No wonder this Lord Zhao is so powerful, constantly claiming she'd write a memorial to the Emperor. She's practically doing business with the Emperor; how could he not give her that much face?

Both of them felt like crying.

Cai Yaozong increasingly regretted not having inquired more about Zhao Zhiwei's background in the capital beforehand. Otherwise, he could have simply assigned her a few tasks with great courtesy upon her arrival, and all the trouble would have been avoided.

Why did he provoke such a wicked person?

Chen Kang's eyes darted around.

Cai Yaozong clashed with Zhao Ruxi, but he didn't. He never even spoke to this Lord Zhao openly, nor did he ever offend her directly.

If he were to now cooperate with Lord Zhao and thus climb the emperor's coattails, would he still need to painstakingly maintain the situation in Nanyang and be so cautious in everything he does?