Chapter 415: Something Unusual Happened

If there is a first, there will undoubtedly be a second, and even a third.
With anxious hearts, everyone smiled and feasted, toasting Yang Yankang while waiting for him to get to the point. It took over half an hour. Under Yang Yankang’s enthusiastic urging to drink and eat, though they had little interest or appetite, they still ended up red-faced and stuffed with food.
If not for the fact that Yang Yankang still had important matters to discuss, the meal could have been considered a successful gathering for both host and guests.
Finally, after downing a cup of aged wine, Yang Yankang began speaking.
“Secondly, I’ve invited everyone here for another important matter I’d like to ask of you.”
Instantly, the noisy hall fell dead silent—so quiet that a pin falling could be heard.
Seemingly satisfied with his authority, Yang Yankang smiled, glanced around, and then slowly spoke, “There has been a large-scale outbreak of the wet worm disease in the three western prefectures of Lingnan Commandery. I assume everyone here is aware of this?”
Everyone nodded. Since they were all in Lingnan City, not to mention those well-informed among them, even the children in the city must have heard of it.
“The wet worm disease breaks out in those three western prefectures every year—it’s almost become commonplace. But while ordinary people can treat it as an ordinary issue, the county and prefectural governments cannot.” Yang Yankang said with regret, “This year, the damage caused by the disease in Lingnan Commandery is second only to its first appearance. The county magistrate of Kongwen County is undoubtedly at fault, but as the governor of Lingnan Commandery, I also bear significant responsibility. Three days ago, I submitted a report to the imperial court, asking for severe punishment for these negligent officials.”
Everyone exchanged glances. Was this really an act of self-blame by a high-ranking official, something that only existed in rumors and that 99% of people had never witnessed in person?
To be honest, no one believed Yang Yankang could be so upright and selfless. But since so many people were saying it, it couldn’t possibly be a joke.
Logically, the wet worm disease shouldn’t be a major issue for Yang Yankang. After all, he had only been in office for a year. Even if he had the power to appoint and dismiss county magistrates, it would be impossible for him to assess the merits of officials in ten prefectures and a hundred counties in such a short time. Even if someone in the imperial court tried to use this as an excuse, it would be rather flimsy.
Moreover, the symptoms of the disease were merely drowsiness and lack of energy, with deaths only occurring after three to four months. Since it was only a month now, as long as Black Fiery Grass was properly sourced from Tianfeng Commandery, the disease could still be completely controlled.

By then, the county magistrate of Kongwen County and the relevant pharmacy owners would be captured and each given a sword—Yang Yankang might even be considered to have done more good than harm. To voluntarily submit a petition to the imperial court asking for severe punishment was nothing but seeking trouble. For a moment, no one thought to praise Yang Yankang for his selflessness and strict self-discipline. Seeing everyone puzzled, Yang Yankang smiled calmly and said loudly, “Until the imperial edict arrives, I am still the governor of Lingnan Commandery. This worm disease must be brought under control.” “The governor’s dedication to the public good is a blessing for all the people of Lingnan Commandery.” “Boss Liu is right. The governor’s diligence makes me feel ashamed. If I could serve him loyally, I would be willing to give my life without hesitation.” After the initial surprise, everyone returned to normal, puffing out their chests and expressing their willingness to spend all their wealth to help Yang Yankang. In an instant, everyone in the hall became seen as the most righteous and kind people in Lingnan City. Yang Yankang raised his hand to quiet the noisy hall before speaking, “I am moved by your generosity and justice. I have a suggestion—would you like to hear it?” Normally, upon hearing this, people would assume he wanted money. But Yang Yankang’s unusual behavior today made such guesses impossible. No one could guess his intentions, but they all realized he must have gathered the city’s wealthy merchants not just for money. “Governor, please speak. If it’s within our ability, we will do it at any cost.” With this opening, the others immediately agreed, unanimously stating they would sacrifice everything if Yang Yankang asked. Of course, that was just in words; if he really dared to ask, the wealthy merchants present would surely leave immediately. Thirty or fifty thousand taels of silver—this face must be preserved. “Then I’ll speak plainly,” Yang Yankang said with a smile after everyone nodded eagerly. “Boss Niu, Boss Wang, Boss Zhang.” Wherever his gaze fell, one of the named men stood up. Everyone was surprised to see that the three were the owners of the pharmacies that controlled 50% of Lingnan City’s medicine business. Under the gaze of over two hundred intense eyes, the three felt uneasy, as this worm disease was indeed related to pharmacies. If it weren’t for their collusion with the county magistrate, the worm disease this year would never have escalated to this extent.

It could be said that all the pharmacies in Lingnan City were somewhat affected in terms of reputation due to this matter. Additionally, although the three pharmacies couldn’t unite through the guild to raise the price of Black Fiery Grass due to the sheer number of pharmacies in Lingnan City, each of them sent many employees to sell it separately at seven or eight taels per plant. There was no shortage of stock in the pharmacies; they simply sent people to the disaster areas to raise retail prices, so hoarding wasn’t particularly serious. But if Yang Yankang insisted on pursuing this, he could still hold these three major pharmacies accountable, with legitimate reasons that wouldn’t invite criticism.

“The three of you are well-known pharmacists in our Lingnan Commandery. Whether in terms of annual purchases or shipments, you’re among the best in the entire commandery,” Yang Yankang said, ignoring their nervousness and smiling. “The same goes for Black Fiery Grass, right?”

The three men’s knees weakened as if they might slip under the table. His words sounded like an accusation.

“Your Excellency, my pharmacy…”

Yang Yankang waved his hand to cut off their explanations, still smiling kindly. “Half of the Black Fiery Grass that flows into our Lingnan Commandery from Tianfeng Commandery ends up in your three hands. I suppose, when it comes to bulk purchases of Black Fiery Grass—whether contacting the major pharmacies in Tianfeng Commandery or in terms of price and delivery speed—your pharmacies are likely better than others, right?”

The three men nodded eagerly, feeling as if they’d escaped disaster. To them, the worst-case scenario was that the three of them pooled their funds to buy enough Black Fiery Grass to control the Wet Worm Disease and hand it over to the county government. Plus, if they gave Yang Yankang over a hundred thousand taels of silver, each of them would only need to contribute around one to one point six million taels. Even if they couldn’t come up with a single tael, the cost would still be bearable for them, though tough. With grit, they could recover within five to six years. This was still the worst outcome, and all three thought it unlikely. If Yang Yankang were willing to do something that benefited the common people at the expense of the wealthy, it would only be if his head had been crushed by a door. They believed he would rather take advantage of the situation for personal gain. To profit, he certainly wouldn’t give the Black Fiery Grass away for free but would charge a price. Even if sold at the previous market price of three taels per plant, the profit would still be substantial. Roughly calculated, the profit would exceed one million taels.

To avoid criticism, it was undoubtedly impossible for the county office to send officials to collect the money; instead, the three major pharmacies had to send their clerks to collect it. This meant that instead of the three pharmacies atoning for their sins, it became Yang Yankang exploiting them to get rich. After the money was collected, the three pharmacies handed the silver notes to Yang Yankang, who had to return at least the cost. “In that case, I wonder if you would be willing to work hard without expecting anything in return for the sake of the people of the three prefectures?” Yang Yankang asked. “The county magistrate is dedicated to serving the people; we are willing to do whatever it takes!” the three quickly nodded. “Then, I shall thank you on behalf of the people of the three prefectures,” Yang Yankang said, bowing to them. This gesture left the three in a state of panic and surprised everyone else as well. Lin Dong’s frown grew deeper. “By the way, could you tell me what the cost of Black Fiery Grass is?” Yang Yankang asked. Their relief vanished again—asking about the cost in public meant perhaps the county magistrate had lost his mind and planned to redistribute wealth. Yang Yankang smiled silently, watching them. Fortunately, the cost of Black Fiery Grass was already recorded by the merchant guild. Afraid of causing further trouble, the three did not dare speak rashly and honestly replied, “This year, the merchant guild purchased all the Black Fiery Grass from one pharmacy, and the cost is much lower than usual—two taels of silver per plant. With such a large quantity, we need at least one million five hundred thousand plants. If we go to other major pharmacies in Tianfeng City, it should also be possible to buy it for two taels per plant.” Yang Yankang pressed further, “If the three of you are responsible for transporting the Black Fiery Grass to each county in the three prefectures and sending people along with the shipments to collect the money along the designated routes, would adding an extra ten taels of silver be sufficient?” “It’s enough, definitely enough,” they replied quickly, their worries dissolving. By recovering the money at cost, the three pharmacies could secretly give Yang Yankang five or six hundred thousand taels—undoubtedly, Yang Yankang intended to reap a huge profit. This outcome was neither the best nor the worst. “There’s no time to lose. I ask you to arrange this immediately,” Yang Yankang said with a bow. The three quickly returned the gesture, promising to deliver the Black Fiery Grass as soon as possible. After they left, Yang Yankang looked around the crowd. “We don’t need to worry about Black Fiery Grass anymore. There’s one more matter I hope everyone can help with.” Everyone grew solemn and sat upright.

A faint smile appeared on Yang Yankang’s face, controlling the atmosphere of the entire place and everyone’s mood. For him, this feeling was even more valuable than silver coins.
“Shopkeeper Lin, guess what the county magistrate will say in a moment?” A low chuckle from Liang Gufeng suddenly came from behind Lin Dong.
Lin Dong remained silent.