Chapter 350 - Chapter 350: Capture
Chapter 350: Capture
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Zhou Jia and Li Yu took the words and bowed. When they came out, they couldn’t be bothered to exchange pleasantries with Chu Sihai. Zhou Jia looked at Chu Sihai solemnly. “Head Shopkeeper, please follow me. I have something to discuss. ”
When Chu Sihai arrived at Yunzhou City, he also realized that there were many more guards at the city gate. Seeing that Zhou Jia had just accepted the emperor’s reward, but wanted to discuss something with a solemn expression, he had a feeling that something big had happened.
He nodded with a heavy heart and followed Zhou Jia to the study in the main courtyard. Li Yu was already waiting in the study.
After the three of them sat down, Zhou Jia asked Li Yu to tell Chu Sihai what she had discovered. Chu Sihai stood up in shock. “I was still wondering why there were more guards at the city gate. Lord Zhou, General Shen…”
“Shopkeeper, calm down. General Shen has already brought people to Mount
Spindle. There’s another big matter.” Zhou Jia raised his hand to stop Chu Sihai. “I arrived at the government office just before you did. Madam just told me about her finding Qi soldiers when she went hunting in the mountain. She also said that she found two jars of pickled vegetables made from her formula in the bags of the two Qi soldiers.”
“Is there a problem with pickled vegetables?” Chu Sihai asked curiously.
“Head Shopkeeper, you might not know this, but my wife made the pickled vegetables in the West Mountains. Later, she sold the formula to the Wei family’s head shopkeeper, Wei Wencheng. My wife stopped making the pickled vegetables after that. Think about it. The Wei family’s pickled vegetables fell into the hands of the Qi army’s Eagle Guards, and then think about the Four
Seas Bank, don’t you think the Wei family and the Four Seas Bank are similar?”
When Chu Sihai heard this, he was enlightened. “That’s right! His Majesty can have the Four Seas Bank, and the State of Qi can also have the Wei family’s trading company. The Wei family has shops in all the state capitals of Great Yong and the Four Seas Bank in Great Qi… ” The more Chu Sihai spoke, the more terrified he became. Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly stood up and cupped his hands at the two of them. “Senior Zhou, Madam Li, thank you. I’ll take my leave.”
Zhou Jia stood at the door and watched Chu Sihai leave quickly. He turned around and returned to the study. Li Yu looked at Zhou Jia and sighed. “If you’re not the magistrate of Great Yong, we’ll bring people to find a hidden place to live in seclusion and not care about these terrible things.”
Zhou Jia went forward to hug Li Yu and comforted her. “Yu’er, no matter where we go, there will be disputes. Don’t worry too much. Great Yong is not defenseless against Great Qi.”
“I know.” Li Yu leaned against Zhou Jia and smelled the sweat on his body. She smiled and pushed him away. “Alright, go wash up and eat something before we talk. ”
Zhou Jia shook his head. “Get someone to send it to the front office later. I still have to go to the front office to check how many shops the Wei family has in Yunzhou City and the other villages and counties.”
Li Yu nodded. “Alright! Business is more important.”
Chu Sihai rushed back to the Four Seas Bank. Chu Feng went up to him. Chu Sihai looked at him and instructed, “Hurry up and send someone to investigate the Wei family’s shop.”
“Yes.” Chu Feng did not know why it was necessary to investigate the Wei family, but he quickly arranged the matter. He turned around and found Chu Sihai to talk about Li Yu.
Chu Sihai said to him, “I already know what you want to say. You sent news that the Tian family colluded with the shopkeeper of the grain shop to control the new rice seeds and even sold them to the Qi people’s caravan. How did the Tian family know in advance that grain seeds would be transported? When did they start luring the son of the grain shopkeeper to gamble?”
Chu Feng was stunned by a series of questions. He hurriedly bowed and apologized, “Head Shopkeeper, please punish me. It’s my negligence.”
Chu Sihai looked at him and thought about how he had only just learned from Zhou Jia that there was something wrong with the Wei family. That was why he thought of what had happened with the Tian family and the grain shop. He had agreed to the shopkeeper’s arrangements, so he could not blame him completely.
“We’ll talk about your dereliction of duty later. Let’s go and interrogate Tian Kun again. Ask him who told him the news?”
Chu Feng’s heart was gloomy. He felt that it must be the Wei family’s doing. Only they were so well-informed. In that case, their rice seeds might have long fallen into Great Qi’s hands.
When the two of them arrived at the dungeon, Tian Kun, who used to be fair and fat as a white steamed bun, had already lost a lot of weight. His originally arrogant appearance had become humble and submissive.
When Chu Sihai asked, he told him the reason for the matter. “When I was drinking in the garden, I happened to hear Shopkeeper Wei and a few merchants discussing how good the rice seeds on their farmstead were and how high the yield was. They even said that there would be new grain seeds on the market in Yunzhou’s Fenggu Food Store soon. Shopkeeper Wei was the one who introduced me to that traveling merchant in Great Qi. Shopkeeper Chu, I’m really innocent! I just wanted to sell them for two more taels of silver. I never thought of doing anything to let Great Yong down.”
Chu Feng looked at him and asked, “Tian Kun, do you know that the son of the grain shopkeeper is addicted to gambling?”
Tian Kun looked at Chu Feng with a confused expression. “How would I know if he gambled or not? I bought the grain from his father.”
“You don’t even know that you’ve been used.” Chu Sihai and Chu Feng turned around and left.
Seeing the two of them turn around and leave after asking, Tian Kun shouted anxiously, “Shopkeeper Chu, I was set up by that bastard Wei Wenzhong.
Please spare me this time, Shopkeeper Chu…”
The two of them ignored Tian Kun’s shout and quickly left the dungeon.
Chu Sihai said to Chu Feng, “I’ll go spread the news. Send more people to quietly surround the Wei family’s shop and don’t let anyone go. Go to the government office and ask Lord Zhou to bring more people to seal the Wei family’s shop immediately.”
Chu Feng arranged for Yun Yi to check the blueprint and realized that the Wei family actually had more than 20 shops in Yunzhou. They were involved in all kinds of industries, including inns, fur, cloth shops, and grocery stores… The two of them hurriedly copied it down and marked the locations. Everyone in the Four Seas Bank was mobilized and quietly rushed towards the Wei family shop on the street.
The weather was getting cold. The Wei family’s fur shop on East City Street was doing well. There were people coming and going into the shop, and they were all customers and hunters trading fur. The miscellaneous shops on West Street were much quieter. Occasionally, customers would come to visit…
Chu Feng rushed to the government office. Zhou Jia was leading Wu Tingxian and a few scholars to investigate the Wei family’s shops. He realized that there were fur shops in Great Yong County, which were close in proximity to Great Qi. Zhou Jia felt that some of the hunters were their spies.
Seeing Chu Feng rush over anxiously, Zhou Jia guessed that they had already found out something and hurriedly returned to the escort room with him.
“Brother Zhou, quickly bring the people from the Wei family’s shops and the families and servants of those shopkeepers back to the government office. We have to check the household records of people leaving the city at the city gate. Those who are suspicious can’t be let in.”
Zhou Jia immediately replied, “Alright, I’ll send someone over now. I’ll inform the bailiffs guarding the city gate. You have to rush over and inform the city guard generals.”
The two of them split up. Zhou Jia sent out bailiffs and prefecture soldiers according to the location Chu Feng had marked. Everyone split up and rushed towards the shops Chu Feng had marked. Fortunately, there were soldiers patrolling the streets every day these days, so it did not cause much panic. The Wei family’s fur shop was the largest and had the most traffic. The soldiers suddenly arrive and surrounded the shop..