Chapter 414: Going with the Flow

Led by the bailiff, Lin Dong arrived at the back courtyard of the government office. In the main hall of the back courtyard, a space of over 200 square meters was filled with about twenty large round tables. On these tables lay tea and snacks that clearly were not ordinary. More than half of the tables were already occupied. People dressed in fine clothes sat there; aside from a dozen men in thick cotton coats sitting at a table in the far corner, everyone present, judged by their attire, was either wealthy or noble.

At the four corners of the hall, four large copper pillars, thick enough for one person to wrap their arms around, emitted a gentle heat—clearly indicating that charcoal fires were burning inside. Thanks to this, the temperature in the hall was not low; at least none of the people present seemed to be cold.

“Shopkeeper Lin, this way!” The bailiff led Lin Dong to a large round table below the main seating area.

Lin Dong glanced at the people seated at the head of the table. He recognized a few of them—two were renowned tycoons from Lingnan City, and another was a marquis whose family had held the title for over a dozen generations. Compared to these three, Lin’s Inn, with its financial resources and Lin Dong’s nominal status as a county merchant who spent 100,000 taels of silver each year, was still far inferior.

Following the bailiff to the second round table, Lin Dong greeted the wealthy merchants and nobles seated there while simultaneously using his senses to investigate the six people at the head table. None of those six were warriors, which meant the county government had not invited the heads of various powerful families.

If it were good news, Yang Yankang would not want to offend those families and would surely invite them. If it were bad news, he still wouldn’t risk offending them by inviting them. Undoubtedly, everyone present had come to face trouble.

Although none of them had enough status or wealth to openly challenge Yang Yankang, if provoked, their combined strength could still pose a serious threat to him. Lin Dong frowned. He couldn’t understand why Yang Yankang would go to the trouble of offending so many people at once.

Even if, out of courtesy, each family agreed to donate 30,000 to 50,000 taels of silver, the total would still be substantial—but Yang Yankang would have to swallow it all. After all, it was a clear sum that could be calculated. If he tried to take it all at once, it would surely give the others leverage in the future. It would be better to post a notice announcing that those who donated generously would be treated personally by the county official. Although the amount collected this way would be less than the total from all together, it would remain hidden. Aside from those who intended to give money to Yang Yankang, no one could guess the exact total.

Afterward, he spent tens of thousands of taels of silver to buy some Black Fiery Grass and distributed it for free in the name of the county government, so no one could pin any blame on Yang Yankang.
Millions of taels of silver was indeed a substantial amount for a county magistrate, but still less significant compared to the position itself. As long as one held that position, there was no need to worry about lacking funds.
Lin Dong’s gaze involuntarily shifted toward the rather unique table in the corner.
“Boss Ma, what do you think? Why would Lord Yang summon us here?”
Across from Lin Dong, a middle-aged man with a large belly whispered to a familiar person beside him. Though his voice was soft, every word reached Lin Dong’s ears clearly.
“Boss Li, that’s a good question… It’s definitely related to the Black Fiery Grass. We’ll surely have to contribute some silver.”
“In my opinion, it might be more complicated than that,” said Boss Li, puffing out his huge belly.
“How so?” Boss Ma became interested.
Boss Li glanced around to ensure no one was paying attention to them before whispering, “Think about it—if Lord Yang really just wanted silver, would he go to the trouble of summoning us all at once?”
“That makes sense,” Boss Ma replied after a pause, speaking even quieter than Boss Li. “Actually, I thought the same thing. Look at those people in the corner—I don’t know any of them. Judging from their clothes and uneasy expressions, they seem unimportant. There’s something strange about this.”
“So Boss Ma noticed too? I hope Lord Yang won’t resort to any harsh tactics this time. To be honest, I’m afraid there might be some underhanded moves waiting for us,” Boss Li murmured. “Tens of thousands of taels isn’t much. If we lose it, it’s lost. After all, since the chamber of commerce was established, we’ve already saved that amount just by giving gifts to the county government during our free time over the past year. What worries me is that Lord Yang might think nothing has progressed this year and decide to target some unlucky people, preparing some schemes that would leave them trapped. If we’re not careful, we might become those unlucky ones.”
“That makes sense. Later, I hope Boss Li can keep an eye out and warn me if anything seems off.”
“I hope Boss Ma can do the same.”
“Of course, of course. It’s been a while since we’ve met. Tomorrow, I’ll reserve a private room at Lin’s Inn so we can catch up properly.”
“Let me treat you! Boss Ma, you forgot—last time at Maple Forest Restaurant, it was you who paid.”
“Alright then!”
The two laughed together. Having an ally would surely make things safer.

Across from him, Lin Dong remained calm and composed, focusing inward as if oblivious to his surroundings. After listening to the conversation between the two men and observing Liang Gufeng’s behavior, he was almost certain that Yang Yankang’s actions today were likely related to Lin’s Inn. It was very likely that he himself was the target. At that time, he could only respond as the situation demanded.

“Shopkeeper Lin, I must admit I’m impressed by your speed,” said Liang Gufeng, who sat down right behind Lin Dong.

Lin Dong remained as still as a meditating monk—silent, motionless.

With so many people around, Liang Gufeng felt frustrated. Though he was eager to continue the confrontation, he couldn’t bring himself to persist, so he forced down his excitement. The awkward situation surprised the wealthy patrons at the nearby tables.

Before long, the lobby, already filled with whispered conversations, had fewer and fewer empty seats. Soon after it was fully occupied, a shout came from the back door: “Lord Yang has arrived!”

Everyone stood up in an instant.

“Sit down, everyone!” Yang Yankang glanced at the subdued crowd, his gaze briefly flickering over Lin Dong’s calm face before he sat down at the head of the table with a friendly smile.

The others followed suit, sitting upright with their eyes fixed on Yang Yankang.

“I’ve invited everyone here today because it’s been almost a year since I took office. Aside from meeting with you all in the first month, I haven’t had another gathering,” Yang Yankang said with a smile. “To be honest, I feel deeply guilty about that. You’ve all supported me wholeheartedly, and you’ve played a crucial role in making Lingnan City what it is today. After much thought, I decided that if I didn’t treat you to a meal, I would surely be a sinner in Lingnan City’s eyes.”

“Please, Lord Magistrate, you’re too kind.”

“You’ve dedicated yourself so much to Lingnan City that it’s we who should treat you. It’s an honor to have you do this for us. We’re truly humbled.”

Although the marquis at the head of the table was now nothing but a shell after dozens of generations, even a dead camel is still bigger than a horse. In terms of rank, a third-class marquis was actually more prestigious than a provincial governor like Yang Yankang. That’s why he was the first to stand up and shake his head.

One after another, the pawnshop magnates stood up to speak, followed by the next, in an orderly sequence, as if they had agreed in advance.

Yang Yankang’s words sounded exaggerated, but everyone understood that Lord Yang was complimenting them, not trying to trip them up. Having received such praise from the county magistrate, their own compliments in return were naturally even more earnest. Even when it was Lin Dong’s turn, he followed the trend and praised Yang Yankang for his effective governance. Except for those at the large round table in the corner who were too nervous to speak, everyone spoke in turn, and it took a full fifteen minutes to finish. During this time, the maids in the county yamen brought dishes and drinks on trays like butterflies among flowers, with two people standing by each table ready to pour wine and tea at any moment. The table was filled with delicacies and rare foods, along with two low-grade spiritual materials—not extravagant, but certainly sumptuous. With Lin Dong’s discerning eye, he could tell that the cost per table was probably around ten taels of silver.

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Yang Yankang raised his full glass and spoke in a rhythmic tone, “I thank you all for your support over the past year. Here, I raise a glass to you.” There was a rustling sound as everyone stood up in surprise. By convention, Yang Yankang should have praised Emperor Qianwei first and wished him longevity and good health. After that, it would be everyone’s turn to toast Yang Yankang. No one expected him to humble himself and toast the others instead. Many present thought that if Yang Yankang truly only wanted to extort a few tens of thousands of taels from each family without any hidden motives, this alone was worth it. Amidst words of admiration and praise, Yang Yankang tilted his head back and, once again unexpectedly, drank the glass in one gulp.

When something goes against expectations, there’s usually a reason. This time, no one felt flattered anymore; instead, they felt deep suspicion. It was possible that among those present today, one or two families might suffer severe losses. No one could guarantee that they wouldn’t be among those unlucky ones. Of course, despite their suspicion, everyone still wore expressions of admiration, and they drank their wine eagerly, finishing it to the last drop.

“Come on, let’s eat. The food and wine are simple, prepared by the county yamen’s cooks. Please don’t disdain them,” Yang Yankang laughed. “I’ll try to save more of my salary in the next one or two years so I can treat you to something better then.” Everyone laughed and made light of it, trying to keep the conversation going. No one dared to respond, nor could they. Saying the food was good might imply that Yang Yankang was greedy for money, while saying it was bad could be seen as insulting him. Even praising the cooks’ skills might lead to misunderstandings.

Lin Dong, who had always gone with the flow, seemed to have grasped something, but no matter how hard he tried to figure it out, he couldn’t discern the key to it. Logically, Yang Yankang shouldn’t have said such things. Among those present, who hadn’t tried to curry favor with him as the prefect? His words carried a much more obvious hypocrisy than the polite remarks before.