Chapter 541: Taking Advantage of the Situation

Less than ten meters away, the arrogant expression on the middle-aged man’s face vanished instantly, replaced by the usual smile of a businessman—only more friendly and approachable this time.

This sudden change came when he saw the plume on Wang Chengyi’s helmet at the city gate. That plume was a symbol of a fourth-rank official.

The middle-aged man’s name was Zhang Tianquan, the largest tea merchant in Qianhuang Commandery. He had seen fourth-rank officials before; in Qianhuang Commandery, as a third-rank governor, he had some interactions with them, and a few of his subordinates who were fourth-rank officials could even be considered brothers.

But this was the capital city, where officials were as numerous as grass. On the streets, almost anyone you met was the son or nephew of some sixth- or seventh-rank official, who in turn knew some third- or fourth-rank officials… In such a network, outsiders in the capital, unless they were severely oppressed, could usually get by by giving in.

Zhang Tianquan didn’t care about ordinary people in the capital, nor about the city guards who might have gotten their lucrative positions through connections—he could simply ignore them, at most offering them some silver.

But he dared not offend a fourth-rank general. Anyone who held an official position relied on one or two higher-ranking officials, or might even belong to a certain faction. Since Wang Chengyi held such an important position as city guard general, it was almost certain he had a powerful backer. If provoked, any pretext could be used to seize his over a hundred carts of tea. And once investigated, he could only cry helplessly—there was nothing he could do. Even if his relationship with the governor of Qianhuang Commandery was average, or even very good, the governor might hold great influence in his own region, but in the capital, not everyone would listen to him.

For this reason, Zhang Tianquan not only forced a smile but also instinctively touched the pocket of his robe, where he kept many silver bills. They say it’s easier to deal with the King of Hell than petty demons, but in the eyes of a man like him, a billionaire, the King of Hell was the most troublesome.

At about five meters away, seeing Wang Chengyi stepping forward, Zhang Tianquan’s heartbeat quickened. It was his first time in the capital, so he naturally didn’t know anyone here. A fourth-rank general approaching him must be after the over a hundred carts of tea behind him, not because he was wealthy enough to earn such attention.

A fourth-rank general, moreover one tasked with guarding the city’s main gate for the emperor—let alone a wealthy man from a county, even a wealthy man from the capital might not deserve his personal welcome. Four meters, three meters… Zhang Tianquan’s heart seemed about to burst out of his chest. He couldn’t understand how such a high-ranking general would personally accompany a few city guards to defend the city in the bitter cold. Though they were under the emperor’s rule, it wasn’t necessary to go to such extremes in fulfilling one’s duties. But since the situation was already before his eyes, Zhang Tianquan took a deep breath, raised his hands, and bowed to Wang Chengyi with a smile, saying, “General, I am Zhang Tianquan, the owner of Xiafeng Tea House in Qianhuang County. May I ask how to address you, General?” Wang Chengyi bowed in return but turned to Lin Dong with a smile as well, asking, “Shopkeeper Lin, have you brought the guest?” Lin Dong nodded, and Ma Chun bowed in response, saying, “We owe our gratitude to General Wang and Boss Zhang for their kindness.” “Congratulations!” Wang Chengyi quickly offered his regards. Ma Chun could only smile and express his thanks. Meanwhile, Zhang Tianquan was somewhat confused. Did this situation not seem to be about the over a hundred carts of tea he brought? “Shopkeeper Lin, Manager Ma, please come inside,” Wang Chengyi gestured for them to enter. After thinking for a moment, he turned to Zhang Tianquan and politely said, “Boss Zhang, please come inside.” Zhang Tianquan felt greatly honored and quickly nodded, taking out a stack of silver bills from his clothes and placing them in his sleeve. Then he stepped forward and handed them to Wang Chengyi, saying, “General, this is a humble gift to show my respect. In such cold weather, it’s meant to buy some hot tea for my brothers.” “Boss Zhang, what are you doing?” Wang Chengyi suddenly became stern, staring coldly at Zhang Tianquan, his expression turning deadly serious. To become a city defense general, one needed not only strong connections but also real skills. That stern expression carried a fierce killing aura—something Zhang Tianquan couldn’t withstand. His legs turned weak, and if it weren’t for his experience in handling such situations, he would have almost fallen to the ground in fear. “T-tea!” Zhang Tianquan’s teeth trembled. He didn’t understand—were the officials in the capital not officials anymore? How many officials would refuse silver? Moreover, before coming here, he had already consulted merchants in the capital and even learned about the usual bribes to the guards. But the situation now was clearly not as he had expected—just having silver wouldn’t guarantee smooth dealings. He had no idea that it wasn’t that Wang Chengyi didn’t want it. The top bill in the stack clearly read “one thousand taels.” If all the bills were the same, it meant over ten thousand taels of silver—already a substantial amount for him. But unfortunately, the owner of Lin’s Inn was present.

Wang Chengyi was aware of the reputation of Lin Ji Inn—it was beyond praise. Naturally, the owner of such a place would be upright and honest; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to make friends with an equally upright person like King Qingliu. If the innkeeper saw him accepting a large sum of silver, it would still be manageable if he spoke up in person and returned the money. But if King Qingliu mentioned it casually while visiting Lin Ji Inn, it could get him into serious trouble. Given King Qingliu’s aversion to corrupt officials, even without evidence, things might be fine, but with evidence, his head could be at risk.

Ten thousand taels of silver was a significant amount, but it wasn’t enough to make Wang Chengyi take reckless risks. Naturally, he acted with utmost integrity.

“Tea? Does tea cost this much? Besides, we’re working for the emperor. Giving so much silver—could there be something wrong with your goods?” Wang Chengyi snapped coldly. Unable to get over ten thousand taels, he didn’t dare complain about Lin Dong. Instead, he vented his frustration on Zhang Tianquan.

Why bring out so much silver to tempt him without giving it secretly? Who else could he blame but this Mr. Zhang?

Zhang Tianquan was panicked, not knowing what to do. He couldn’t decide whether to accept or reject the silver notes. He had dealt with officials before—some upright, some hypocritical, some arrogant—but they were all people he wasn’t particularly afraid of. As a wealthy man in the county, aside from respecting the county magistrate, he wasn’t shaken by other officials, even if they were enemies.

This fourth-rank general, like the magistrate, held power over his life and wealth. But unlike the magistrate, who remained aloof despite seeing silver, this general wasn’t fickle.

“Mr. Zhang doesn’t realize General Wang is fair and honest. He mistakes him for other generals in other cities, thinking it’s normal. Those who don’t know are not guilty. Please calm down, General Wang,” Lin Dong suddenly interjected. There was no choice—this Mr. Zhang was the first customer to use their inn’s storage room. It wasn’t just about the money; it was also a test to see if the storage room met expectations.

“Of course not!” Wang Chengyi was startled and waved his hands repeatedly, the murderous look on his face disappearing. He realized he had overestimated this innkeeper’s sense of justice. After all, this innkeeper was also just a human being who favored the guests of his own inn.

Zhang Tianquan’s eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Lin Dong, filled with deep respect.

He finally understood—General Wang had come all this way just because of Lin, the innkeeper, whom he had sharply rebuked earlier. For a fourth-rank general to fawn over an innkeeper, one must have quite powerful backing to do so. Inns are small businesses everywhere; an inn that requires its owner to go out and attract customers clearly isn’t doing very well. Yet it could still cultivate connections with someone who made even a fourth-rank general bow down. Zhang Tianquan truly understood now the saying that anyone you meet on the streets of the capital might have astonishing connections behind them. The man before him was the best proof of that.

“Thank you, thank you, Manager Lin, for your kind words. I apologize for my rude behavior earlier. Please forgive me.” It was early winter, with cold winds blowing, yet Zhang Tianquan’s forehead was covered in cold sweat—faster even than when facing Wang Chengyi before. He suddenly remembered that his attitude toward Manager Lin had not been good.

“What are you saying, Boss Zhang? General Wang, may we start inspecting the goods now?” Lin Dong shook his head smilingly and looked at Wang Chengyi.

“Inspect the goods?” Wang Chengyi was taken aback. He glanced at Lin Dong carefully; seeing his calm expression, he realized Lin Dong didn’t seem to be deliberately causing trouble. He quickly nodded and waved his hand. “Enter the city!”

Zhang Tianquan felt relieved. Though this experience was brief, it had been the most nerve-wracking moment of his life. Thankfully, it was over now.

Zhang Tianquan ordered the head of the guards to lead the team into the city to check the safety of the goods, while he himself began to talk nonstop to Lin Dong, treating him as a distinguished guest, afraid that any silence might offend him.

After checking each cart, it was confirmed that they all contained tea. The convoy then began entering the city.

Upon arriving at Lin’s Inn not far away, seeing the scale of the inn and the clothing of the guests coming in and out, Zhang Tianquan was once again astonished and puzzled.

As for the accommodation conditions, Zhang Tianquan couldn’t find any faults. And although the price was a bit high, even without what had happened at the city gate, it would have been a drop in the bucket to him, so he had no objections.

After settling the convoy, Lin Dong, accustomed to overseeing everything personally on the first day when special offerings were made, went back to the city gate with Ma Chun and a group of workers.

Unlike before, this time Lin Dong and Ma Chun sat in the doorway, enjoying the fine tea prepared by Wang Chengyi himself.

The reason, naturally, was that Lin Dong had realized that using Wang Chengyi to attract customers could achieve twice the result with half the effort. Although Wang Chengyi didn’t usually stand at the entrance blowing cold air, helping to boost the reputation of Lin’s Inn all day long was beneficial for him in every way. After all, associating with Lin’s Inn indirectly meant establishing ties with the influential Wang family. After that, everything went smoothly. As the sky gradually darkened and it was nearing the time when the city gates would close, Lin Dong was about to get up when, in the distance, three fine horses rushed toward them.