Chapter 0044: Sycophantic Governor Liang Who Bullies the Weak and Fears the Strong, Liang Wan Da, the Head of the Province
Dismount the carriage?
Suddenly surrounded by government soldiers, who would dare to step out of their carriages? What if they ended up getting stabbed full of holes?
The merchant bosses sat inside their carriages, none daring to respond. They only dared to lift a corner of the carriage curtains to secretly observe the situation outside.
Why had Liang Wan Da surrounded them? Was he planning to force a sale, or was he outright intending to rob them?
The merchants remained silent, and Liang Wan Da said nothing either. The atmosphere between the two sides remained tense for a while before Liang Wan Da finally cleared his throat and said, “Gentlemen, are you displeased that I arrived late? My apologies, I had some urgent business to attend to outside the city. As soon as I returned, I rushed here to meet you.”
“Governor Liang is the head of the province. We are merely lowly merchants of little influence—how could we dare to be displeased with Governor Liang? It is only right that we wait,” a sarcastic voice from a northern merchant boss echoed from the convoy. “However, this humble commoner notices that there are already many merchants here. I’m afraid you no longer need our meager grain supply, Governor. Perhaps it’s best if we leave now and save ourselves the trouble.”
They had come here only because they saw an opportunity for huge profits and, incidentally, were entrusted by others to see if they could use this chance to open up trade routes between the north and south.
But they were not from Yi Province and did not often deal with southern merchants. The fact that they could bring so many grain carts from thousands of miles away demonstrated that the strength behind them was not to be underestimated. Therefore, they had no fear of Liang Wan Da’s official authority. Moreover, with Yi Province currently suffering from a grain shortage, the saying “he who has milk is a mother” held true. Even though Liang Wan Da was the governor, in their eyes, he was now nothing more than a destitute figure begging for grain.
If he thought he could throw his official weight around in front of them, he was sorely mistaken.
“Hahahaha, gentlemen, there’s no need to worry! Yi Province has a large population—we can absorb as much grain as you have!” Liang Wan Da laughed heartily and magnanimously, speaking in a conciliatory tone. “Rather than worrying about that, why not unload the goods right here? In the meantime, we can discuss the grain prices. How does that sound?”
“Unload the goods right here?” Another merchant boss couldn’t help but lean out of his carriage. “Your Excellency, you must be joking?”
“Is there a problem?” Liang Wan Da asked, feigning an expression of innocent surprise.
The merchant boss was exasperated by Liang Wan Da’s reaction. He patiently explained, “Governor Liang, we heard that the magistrates of the disaster-stricken counties in Yi Province have all gathered in Jiangdu City, and you intended to assign us to sell grain in various counties. That’s why we gathered here.”
“But now you’re telling us to unload the goods outside the city? What is the meaning of this?”
If they unloaded the goods now, they would only have to reload them later to transport them to other counties. Why go through such unnecessary trouble?
Liang Wan Da waved his sleeve and laughed. “What are you talking about, gentlemen? Aren’t we already inside Jiangdu City? The ground beneath your feet is Jiangdu City!”
He pointed meaningfully at the city gate behind him and said, “Outside the city gate—that’s where the refugees are.”
The merchant bosses: ???
Wait, what kind of nonsense are you spouting? Why is it that every word makes sense on its own, but when strung together, it becomes completely incomprehensible?
“Hahaha, esteemed merchants, you may not be aware that in recent days, many refugees from flood-stricken counties have fled to Jiangdu Xian. I was concerned they might become desperate from hunger and loot your grain carts if they lingered here, which is why I specifically opened the city gates to let them in and temporarily confined them…”
Liang Wan Da pointed at the ground beneath his feet, then gestured toward the city gates, explaining with a smile, “Now, this area here is inside the city, while over there is outside the city.”
The merchants: Ohhh~!!
So that’s how it is!
This Governor Liang speaks with such peculiar humor!
But considering this explanation, Governor Liang had actually protected their grain carts? If they hadn’t been delayed at the Yi Province checkpoint those few days earlier, they might indeed have encountered these starving refugees.
Had the refugees started looting then, they would likely have faced complete financial ruin!
“So we misunderstood Governor Liang!” The merchants quickly disembarked from their carts and regrouped, particularly those from the northern regions, having their servants present the prepared gifts they’d brought.
Although these out-of-town merchants weren’t intimidated by Liang Wan Da’s official authority, since they might establish trade routes between the regions in the future, maintaining good relations was naturally preferable, hence some gestures were necessary.
Liang Wan Da didn’t stand on ceremony, accepting everything offered.
One merchant suddenly recalled something and asked, “Governor Liang, where are the other county magistrates? Weren’t all the magistrates from the disaster-stricken counties supposed to come here?”
Liang Wan Da paused briefly, then sighed with serious regret, “Unfortunately, they encountered bandits on their way here and were all killed. I considered bringing their bodies to meet you as promised, but thought it rather inappropriate, so I didn’t bring them.”
The merchants: ?
What nonsense is this???
Seeing their stunned and bewildered expressions, Liang Wan Da quietly wiped what appeared to be sweat from his forehead from the heat.
Of course the magistrates weren’t actually dead, but in the eyes of Lord Shen and the Second Prince, they might as well be corpses already.
And that ridiculous explanation had been specifically taught to him by the Second Prince to maintain the deception and placate these merchants.
Admittedly, this kind of absurd and nonsensical drivel felt much more exhilarating to spout than the usual sycophantic official rhetoric he’d used throughout his career!
“Don’t be alarmed, esteemed merchants,” Liang Wan Da cleared his throat and kindly reassured them, “Although the magistrates are dead, the refugees are still alive! Aren’t they all waiting outside the city for grain distribution? Now you don’t need to make special trips to other counties – you can simply sell your grain to me right here!”
After speaking, he clapped his hands. Shen Yuan, who had been observing nearby, stepped forward and opened the small wooden box in his hands.
The merchants crowded around to look and were immediately astonished.
The small wooden box was filled with banknotes, with the top one showing a denomination of ten thousand taels. Judging by the thickness of the stack, it likely contained over a million taels in total!
How could Governor Liang be so wealthy?
Was this silver for disaster relief from the imperial court? Since when did the court have so much money?
“This money isn’t just for purchasing relief grain, but also for…” Liang Wan Da trailed off meaningfully, wearing an expression that suggested untold depths.
The astute merchants immediately sensed something significant.
If it wasn’t just for relief grain, then what else was it for? Was some major project about to commence in Yi Province?
Could it be for constructing the Jiangdi?
“No, no, no,” the merchants from Li and Yu provinces shook their heads repeatedly. Based on their experience, building a Jiangdi shouldn’t require such massive investment.
Then what could it possibly be? And what business opportunities could they find in this situation?
The merchants were scratching their heads in anxiety when one of them impatiently asked, “Then what does your honor mean?”
Liang Wan Da smiled faintly, “I won’t keep you in suspense. Regarding the grain prices, you cannot set them too high. Of course, I understand how difficult it has been for you to transport grain all the way here, and you certainly need to make profits. Therefore, I’m willing to purchase your rice at prices above market rates.”
“However…” Liang Wan Da paused briefly, then continued calmly under the merchants’ eager gazes, “Our Yi Province is about to launch a major construction project. But currently, many counties have been devastated by mountain floods, leaving local supplies extremely scarce. Most materials can only be purchased from external merchants. If you gentlemen are willing to sell your grain to me at reduced prices, then regarding the customs duties for future cargo transportation and sales taxes…”
He gave the merchants a meaningful look, “With my official permits, these would naturally be significantly reduced. It wouldn’t even be problematic to exempt you from taxes for several years.”
The merchants’ eyes widened instantly:!!!
What did you just say?
Official permits that reduce customs duties and taxes?!