Neither the melodious music nor the dancers’ steps faltered, but the three people at their tables fell into an abrupt silence.

Chu Jiubian released Qin Xiao’s wrist and said: “The porridge tastes better.”

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes to study the dishes on the table. Then he put down his chopsticks and tasted a mouthful of the salty porridge. “It really is good.”

The atmosphere relaxed once more.

Xiao Yao’s gaze swept back and forth between them, then focused on the five dishes on his table.

He had already finished all of the soup, and had sampled the other dishes, but the porridge was the only one he felt tasted rather ordinary.

He poured himself a cup of wine, then raised it toward the two people opposite him with a smile: “I would like to offer a toast to you gentlemen.”

Having said this, he downed the cup of wine.

Qin Xiao glanced at Chu Jiubian out of the corner of his eye. When the other didn’t stop him, he poured himself half a cup and drank it in one gulp as if to give Xiao Yao face.

Xiao Yao wasn’t bothered that Chu Jiubian didn’t drink.

It was understandable for an immortal to be picky, and to disdain earthly wine.

He asked with his customary warm smile: “What do you two think of what I just said?”

If such a highly profitable business were to fall solely into the hands of the Xiao family, they would undoubtedly become a target of attack by other forces.

Whether in business or trade routes, they would inevitably encounter obstacles.

But compared to the enormous potential profits, these hardships and obstacles were insignificant.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao had discussed this matter previously, and Qin Xiao spoke up at this time: “His Majesty has already given his answer: the Xiao family must have a stake in this salt trade.”

This was Jiannan-wang’s reward, so it must be different from what was offered to others.

But Qin Xiao changed his tone, saying: “But the Imperial Court can only offer the Xiao family one-third. Any more would be inappropriate. Everyone should at least get a taste of the meat.”

No matter how many merchant caravans the Xiao family had or how extensive their trade routes were, they still couldn’t hold a candle to the Qiu family.

Moreover, these four great families originated from Langya, Lin’an, Wuwei, and Yanmen respectively, which were all distributed around the southeastern region of Great Ning.

Each of the four directions in the northeast also had their own market ranges.

Only by distributing the goods to everyone could the fine salt business quickly spread throughout the country and rake in money.

This was Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao’s primary objective at this moment in time.

They naturally weren’t in such urgent need of money that they would entrust the business to any one force in particular, especially the Xiao family.

The Xiao family already held great power. If they were allowed to grow even stronger, the current balance of power in Great Ning would be destroyed.

Xiao Yao opened his folding fan and waved it lightly.

One-third?

He understood their mindset, and supposed that one of the thirds had already been secured by the Qiu family, since their caravans sold goods outside the territory and could generate greater profits.

The remaining two-thirds would be divided among the other three families.

The fact that one of these portions was being directly handed over to the Xiao family was in consideration of Jiannan-wang’s merits from building the dams.

Xiao Yao did not undervalue the significance of this portion. With the preciousness of fine salt, this extra slice was enough for them to earn significantly more than the Wang and Lu families.

But by doing so, he would lose out on some money by giving thirty percent of the profits from the mandala trade to the Imperial Court.

“Then how will this profit sharing be calculated?” Xiao Yao decided to probe the court’s intentions first.

Qin Xiao stroked his thumb ring. After a moment of silence, he said: “We’ll forgo the share of mandala. But we’ll increase our share of the fine salt profits to fifty percent.”

He didn’t know what mandala was, but since Chu Jiubian had stopped him from eating it earlier, there must be something wrong with it.

If that was the case, then he wouldn’t touch the stuff, and would focus solely on the fine salt.

When he heard this, Xiao Yao subconsciously glanced at Chu Jiubian and noticed a faint smile on the other’s lips.

“What are the Xiao family’s intentions?” Qin Xiao asked, drawing his attention back.

Xiao Yao hesitated slightly: “We intend to sell this fine salt in the south. The losses incurred by the caravans on the way, the manpower and resources, and expenses for the associated arrangements upon arrival in the south are all considerable. If profits are split fifty-fifty, it will be difficult to carry out this business.”

Qin Xiao smiled and leaned back in his chair, his posture lazy yet elegant.

“The Ministry of Revenue will issue your salt permit. The Xiao family will be working on behalf of the Imperial Court, so no one will dare make things difficult for you.”

The subtext here was that the Xiao family’s sale of fine salt didn’t count as smuggling “private salt.” They could do it openly and honestly.

Even if the Imperial Court wanted to use this as leverage against the Xiao family in the future, it would have no way to do so.

It also contained a hidden threat: the court is giving you half its money openly and honestly, so you should be content with “embezzling by Imperial Decree.”

A faint light flashed in Xiao Yao’s eyes.

This condition was difficult to refuse.

He raised his cup and said with a smile: “Serving the Imperial Court is an honor for the Xiao family. It doesn’t matter if we lose a little bit of profit.”

There was only profit to be made in the salt business. How could there be any loss?

Xiao Yao was just pretending to be well-behaved after getting what he wanted.

But Qin Xiao still gave him face, saying: “The Imperial Court will certainly remember the Xiao family’s dedication to the country and its people.”

The deal was basically settled. As for the details, such as how much the Xiao family should pay up front and how many months’ share of profits should be submitted, there were dedicated personnel for verifying and signing the contract.

Since it was Imperial Court business, Qin Xiao would let the Ministry of Revenue handle it.

Although Minister of Revenue Su Sheng appeared to be a loyal subject, he also had his own family behind him, even if they were not as wealthy and powerful as the four great families.

In possession of his own power bloc, Su Sheng would definitely seek benefits for himself and his family, and would inevitably try to make some money from the salt trade.

But the National Treasury was depleted, and Qin Xiao currently didn’t want anyone else to earn a single penny, so he would still have to send his own people to the Ministry of Revenue to supervise the sale of fine salt.

Alternatively, a new bureau could be established to oversee the operation of various government departments, which would be directly managed by the Emperor.

Qin Chaoyang was still in the south and had yet to return, so the people he could currently use were…..

Qin Xiao mentally went through his options and quickly located the most suitable one.

Qin Xiao knew better than anyone how talented Hong Fu was, as he had been personally taught by his grandfather.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him limited to the palace. He should be tasked with the matter of salt administration.

Of course, there was another reason: Hong Fu had been in the palace for a long time. Kind and gentle, he had taught many eunuchs, including Xiao Xiangzi, how to read and think critically in his spare time. As a result, many people were grateful to him for his kindness.

If Hong Fu were able to fully utilize his abilities, he would certainly have no shortage of people to serve him. He was much more suitable than a “commander without troops” like Qin Xiao.

However, from the previous dynasty to the present one, there had been no precedent for eunuchs participating in politics, so this matter required more consideration before it could be carried out.

The meal was quite enjoyable for both the host and his guests. After about half an hour, Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao took their leave and departed the pleasure boat.

Xiao Yao personally escorted the two to the shore, and only after the two figures had gone quite a distance away did he turn to go back upstairs.

The dancers and musicians had all been dismissed, and the second floor was now empty but for the three tables and the food that had gone cold.

His low table was positioned slightly higher than the dance floor, and as Xiao Yao drew near, a servant immediately laid out cushions and positioned the table for him.

He sat down on the cushions and leaned against the low table.

“How did Qin Xiao get in?” he asked mildly.

The servant who had been standing with his head bowed immediately knelt down and said in a wavering voice: “Answering Master, our men attempted to stop him but were unable to.”

That was Lord Ning-wang, alright. They really couldn’t beat him in a straight contest.

And even if they won, they wouldn’t have been able to use their full strength to stop him.

Xiao Yao knew that they had acted based on their understanding of his intentions, which was why they didn’t dare use lethal force.

Fine, why make things difficult for these fools?

He raised his hand slightly, and another servant immediately presented him with a bronze wine vessel.

Xiao Yao accepted the drink and took a small sip, then asked: “Was there no mandala added to the porridge?”

The attendant, who had just relaxed somewhat, immediately tensed up again and said: “Answering Master, the cooks felt that adding it to the porridge would ruin the taste, so they left it out.”

Xiao Yao rubbed the etchings on the wine cup, his eyes dark and unfathomable.

After a long pause, he finally said: “Bring me a few people.”

The attendant withdrew at once, and shortly afterward, he brought over seven dancers.

The dancers were all slender and graceful, each with stunningly beautiful features, but none of them could compare to a daughter of the Xiao family.

Xiao Yao found them boring, so he summoned a servant and whispered a few instructions in his ear.

The servant left again, and when he returned, he was followed by several more attendants. Each of them held a tray laden with a bowl of steaming porridge.

“This is a gift from the family head. Eat it,” the servant said to the dancers.

The dancers harbored no suspicions, as they were often rewarded by noblemen. Thanking him in soft voices, they drank all of the porridge.

The servants carrying the trays withdrew, leaving only the seven dancers, Xiao Yao, and a few attendants in the large hall.

Xiao Yao ran his eyes over each of them from right to left.

The dancers all seemed normal until the sixth one, whose face turned deathly pale as she broke into a cold sweat. Her whole body shivered uncontrollably, the effect worsening. 

Thump. Something heavy fell to the floor.

Xiao Yao shifted his gaze to the seventh dancer standing on the far left. She was lying on her back in convulsions, a large amount of white foam bubbling from her mouth.

“Ahh—” 

One of the dancers screamed, and the sixth dancer who was still holding on suddenly fell to her knees.

She clutched her chest in pain, her cheeks turning purple from suffocation.

Her face contorted as she tried to call for help, but she was unable to utter a single word.

Very soon, the fourth and fifth dancers showed signs of being affected, both shivering and falling to their knees in a cold sweat.

The third dancer was so frightened that her legs went weak and she also fell to her knees, scooting away instinctively.

Suddenly, the second dancer fell to the floor as well, clutching her head and groaning in pain. On the contrary, the first dancer was laughing, and did so with increasing wildness.

The third dancer stared in horror at the sight before her, and suddenly felt dizzy. She felt as if she had become incredibly light, and everything in front of her began to spin and turn upside down.

She began to laugh wildly, and staggered to her feet to begin an unsteady dance.

But not long after, she collapsed and began to vomit. Even after she had nothing left, she continued to heave as if trying to expel her internal organs.

Xiao Yao coldly observed this absurd scene. The veins on the back of his hands bulged as he clenched his wine cup, and blood trickled down as a delicate relief carving pierced his palm.

The servants attending him were ashen-faced, and as they watched the dancers, their own bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.

How could this be?

They had only eaten porridge containing mandala. How could this happen……

The more of the substance that was added, the stronger the dancers’ reactions seemed to be. The seventh dancer was already dead, and the sixth dancer’s eyes had become unfocused as she mechanically expelled white foam.

Xiao Yao rose unhurriedly from his seat and casually tossed his wine cup aside: “Bring the antidote.”

The servants all obeyed.

*

*

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao walked side by side, gradually moving away from the lakeshore.

But with people coming and going on the street, it was really not a suitable place to talk, so the two of them maintained a tacit silence and continued on their way to Splendid Plaza.

Splendid Plaza was more lively than usual tonight, and the shops were closing later.

The doors of the Hundred Treasure House were wide open at present, with a multitude of people coming and going.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao were truly too eye-catching, and many people had been observing them throughout their trek intentionally or otherwise. Upon their arrival at the entrance of the Hundred Treasure House, Qin Su spotted them and immediately trotted over to greet them.

“My Lord, Young Master.” Qin Su had never met Chu Jiubian before, but the only one who could accompany Qin Xiao like this and had such an unusual hairstyle was Jiu-gongzi, who was undergoing a love tribulation involving His Lordship.

When An Wuji occasionally patrolled the streets, he would stop at the Hundred Treasure House to ask for tea and food, chat with Qin Su for a while, and then resume his patrol.

Qin Su had learned about the matter between the two parties from him. The story went that the young master had descended to the mortal realm for the sake of His Lordship, wrote love poems for him, yearned for him every night, and was exceptionally kind to His Majesty.

In short, over the course of a month, not only Qin Su, but all of the Qin family members and even some well-informed commoners had heard about these two.

Seeing the two of them come in together, Qin Su couldn’t hide his excitement, and took several careful glances at Chu Jiubian.

He thought to himself, this young master and His Lordship are indeed a perfect match.

He led them both upstairs, saying enthusiastically: “Is My Lord planning to help the Young Master pick out some things? We’ve acquired some interesting little trinkets recently.”

“Later,” Qin Xiao said without stopping. “We will go to a private room first. There is something we need to discuss.”

When he heard this, Qin Su knew that something of importance was going on. He quickly composed his expression and led them to a room at the very back of the second floor.

This room should be a reception room or something similar. There was a table, chairs, and bookshelves, and everything was simple and clean.

Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian sat themselves on chairs side by side, with a tea table between them.

Qin Su ordered someone to guard the room, then quickly locked the door and busied himself with preparing tea for the two of them.

“No need,” said Qin Xiao. “Let’s talk business first.”

“Yes.” Qin Su went to the chair opposite them and sat down, but he didn’t dare sit firmly in his seat, and looked somewhat reserved.

However, much of his restraint stemmed from Chu Jiubian’s presence. He feared leaving a bad impression on the other party, which would affect the image of His Lordship in the young master’s eyes.

“Do you know what mandala is?” Qin Xiao got straight to the point.

“I do.” Qin Su nodded. Without waiting for Qin Xiao to inquire further, he told him everything he knew: “It is a strange spice from the far southeast, and was first brought to the Western Regions through caravans in its border kingdoms before spreading to Gansu.”

“Then a Gansu merchant caravan owned by surnamed Gu brought it to the Central Plains region. It was only about half a month ago that the news reached the capital.”

This stuff had been around for half a month?

Chu Jiubian frowned: “Has it been sold elsewhere?”

Qin Su hurriedly replied: “Young Master, this mandala is very expensive. Ten taels of it is worth one ingot of gold. Few people in Gansu could afford it, so since the Gu family caravan happened to be coming to the capital, they bought some and brought it with them without selling it along the way.”

Relief swept over Chu Jiubian.

It was good that it hadn’t spread to other places. There was still time.

Qin Su continued: “Boss Gu previously said that if it didn’t sell well in the capital, they could only head to the prosperous Jiangnan region. However, people in the capital were very interested and he sold all of his goods.”

“How much was sold?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Su noticed his slight frown and knew that there must be something wrong with the mandala. A little unsettled, he was quick to say: “Not much was sold, only about one stone.”

Old Boss Gu hadn’t known whether the mandala would be profitable when he brought it back from the Western Regions, so he had only brought a small amount to test the waters.

“I bought a few taels from him yesterday, and it’s just sitting in the warehouse. I haven’t had time to try it out yet,” Qin Su said.

Chu Jiubian calculated that one stone in the Great Ning Dynasty was equivalent to about 120 kilograms.

For a traveling caravan, this amount may only represent the weight of one or two bags of goods, but since this was a drug, its quantity was quite large.

“Do you know who the goods were sold to?” Chu Jiubian asked.

“Most of it was sold to the Xiao family,” Qin Su said. “Old Boss Gu mainly deals in spices and fragrances. Since there are many women in the Xiao family, he has a regular business relationship with them. However, judging from what Old Boss Gu said, it seems he will no longer be in the mandala business and will hand it over to the Xiao family.”

For a medium-sized caravan that regularly traveled to the capital for business, there were various concerns related to safety on the road, and one ingot of gold for ten taels of spice was really not worthwhile.

Of course, the most important aspect was that the Xiao family had their eye on the business, so there was no chance for anyone else to have it.

Old Boss Gu was a shrewd man. After weighing the pros and cons, he decided to do the Xiao family a favor, and handed over the identities and contact information of the wealthy merchants in the Western Regions to the Xiao family’s purchasing manager.

“I’ve been keeping an eye on things, and managed to identify those wealthy merchants. In order to seize this business opportunity in advance, I sent people to the Western Regions yesterday,” said Qin Su.

He had originally intended to make more money through this venture and help replenish the National Treasury, which was why he’d gone to such trouble to inquire about it.

In retrospect, it seemed that he had indeed accomplished something valuable.

He just didn’t know what was wrong with the mandala. 

Qin Su wanted to ask, but hesitated due to his status.

Chu Jiubian, on the other hand, felt completely relieved.

It seemed that the substance hadn’t spread widely yet, and it wasn’t too late to stop it.

It was just that they didn’t know who the Xiao family sold the remaining goods to. Perhaps they simply kept it for themselves.

Chu Jiubian recalled Xiao Yao’s appearance earlier and knew that he had grown addicted.

And with Xiao Yao’s intelligence, he must have realized long before that there was something wrong with the mandala, but since he had just started using it and hadn’t suffered any negative effects as of yet, he wasn’t very concerned.

Of course, drug addiction affected the human brain, and Xiao Yao’s unthinking consumption of the drug might be due to his altered cognitive function.

If that was the case, then this “fine and upstanding” man was destined to be ruined by the stuff.

But Chu Jiubian wouldn’t mind this at all.

The Xiao family toyed with and schemed against people’s hearts, regarding human life as worthless.

Being such a liability, their own lives weren’t necessarily much more valuable.

“Send people to investigate and see who has been exposed to the mandala,” Qin Xiao said.

Qin Su agreed and immediately went to make the arrangements.

When only the two of them remained in the room, Qin Xiao sent Chu Jiubian a look.

Before he could inquire, Chu Jiubian said: “This substance is addictive. Once consumed, it creates an insatiable craving, and not taking it feels like a thousand ants gnawing at one’s heart.”

The look in Qin Xiao’s eyes chilled slightly.

It seemed that it was precisely this characteristic that caused people to enjoy it, and also made Xiao Yao feel that it could be compared with the value of fine salt.

“An overdose of the substance can cause instant death,” Chu Jiubian said in a heavy voice. “Even if only a little bit is consumed each time, it will gradually damage the body, and within a few years, a person may be rendered completely useless.”

Qin Xiao’s expression turned grave.

He had never possessed the power to deal with the minor kingdoms in the Western Regions, but now that they were spreading such a thing to Great Ning, was it that they were truly ignorant of the possible harm or that they were knowingly committing the offense?

Chu Jiubian looked at him and said: “All of this substance must be confiscated.”

The drug was addictive. The more people who came in contact with it, the greater the demand would become.

Due to its rarity, it was only in the hands of high-ranking officials and nobility at present, all of whom possessed considerable influence and resources.

Even if the government issued a crackdown, they would still find ways to obtain some.

In Chu Jiubian’s era, such drugs were universally abhorred, but they were impossible to eliminate entirely due to the existing market demand. 

Now that Chu Jiubian held power in his hands, the people of Great Ning must not be allowed access to this substance. The most ruthless means must be utilized to strictly control and suppress it.

Qin Xiao stood up and said: “Let’s return to the palace.”

That very night, guards carrying an Imperial Decree went to the residences of various powerful figures in the capital to confiscate their mandala.

This naturally included the four great families.

Wang Qichen had just returned from a pleasure boat, and hadn’t yet entered the manor when he glimpsed two squads of Imperial Guards standing outside the main courtyard.

He raised an eyebrow and, showing no hint of worry or surprise, walked with great interest to the manor gates.

The Imperial Guards simply pretended they didn’t notice him.

Wang Qichen took the initiative to strike up a conversation, but when none of them paid him any heed, he went inside and walked until he reached a magnificent courtyard.

Several Imperial Guards were standing at the courtyard gate, while their commander, An Wuji, spoke with Wang Huanzhi inside.

Wang Huanzhi remained expressionless, maintaining his aloof and superior demeanor.

An Wuji was carrying a cloth bag the size of a human head. After saying something to Wang Huanzhi, he turned and walked out of the courtyard.

He didn’t stop when he passed Wang Qichen, simply proceeding onward.

Wang Qichen watched his departing figure until he was far away, then turned his gaze back and peered into the courtyard.

Inside, his half-brother Wang Wenfu was being berated by Wang Huanzhi.

His dear aunt Yuan Yu, who was now the madam of the family, was shielding Wang Wenfu and tearfully pleading with Wang Huanzhi.

Wang Wenfu was very much unresigned, and raised his voice: “Father, don’t listen to their nonsense. Mandala is just a delicious spice, how could it be poisonous? I’ve been eating it for so many days, and I haven’t died from it, ah.”

“Do you even know who issued this decree?!” Wang Huanzhi roared, furious at his son’s lack of self-awareness. “It bears His Majesty’s seal, yet you’re still hiding that stuff and refusing to hand it over. Do you intend to disobey an Imperial Decree?!”

“My Lord!” Yuan Yu exclaimed, interrupting him.

Wang Huanzhi’s anger had caused him to speak recklessly, and now he could say nothing further. All he could do was glare at his son and turn to leave the courtyard.

Wang Qichen didn’t try to avoid him, and they met face to face outside the courtyard gate.

“Where have you been gallivanting off to again?” Wang Huanzhi regarded him with a frown. “Can’t you learn from your second brother? You are a grown man, and should act with more maturity and composure!”

Wang Qichen leaned against the wall with his arms crossed and said with a smile: “Father, what are you saying? Wang Wenfu and Wang Wenyao were born from the same mother, yet they’re worlds apart. A son like me born to the first wife cannot be compared to my outstanding second brother, who was born to a concubine.”

Wang Huanzhi knew that he couldn’t control his rebellious son, but in the end, he didn’t intend to let him amount to anything.

His second son Wang Wenyao was proficient in both civil and martial pursuits, and was chosen by the Wang family to be the next family head. As for the current Young Master Wang Qichen, he would naturally be forced to make way for him in the future.

Wang Huanzhi scoffed coldly and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Inside the courtyard, now that his father had left, Wang Wenfu raised his voice even more: “I think Ning-wang wants to monopolize the mandala business. That’s why he said it’s poisonous – he just wants to snatch it from me. Despicable! Shameless!”

“Be quiet!” Yuan Yu was also quite angry, but she couldn’t bear to scold her son, and could only pat him on the shoulder.

The maids coaxed and persuaded Wang Wenfu to return to his room, and the young man’s cursing eventually subsided.

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard, causing Wang Qichen’s hair to sway slightly.

He lowered his eyes and looked at a small pebble near his feet.

Wang Wenfu had always been a bit willful, but he wasn’t too much of an idiot; he knew that some things could be said and some things could not.

Wang Wenfu would never have slandered and insulted Ning-wang like this before.

Today, he seemed a little overly agitated. 

Mandala…..

Wang Qichen strode out of the manor.

Meanwhile, An Wuji had already led the Imperial Guards to search the homes of the wealthy and powerful, and found nearly thirty catties of mandala powder.

After leaving the Wang family, he recovered an additional forty catties from the Lu, Qiu, and Xiao families.

All of this, he took back to Yangxin Hall.

Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao sat in the council hall, which was illuminated by a dim yellow light.

Upon entering, An Wuji found the two of them sitting opposite each other amid a slightly strange atmosphere.

But he was slow on the uptake, so even though he noticed it, he didn’t pay it much attention.

He now considered Chu Jiubian to be firmly one of their own, so he simply set the bag of spice on the ground and sat in a chair to begin his report: “I searched everyone on the list provided by Qin Su, but even including the amount that was kept at the Hundred Treasure House, there is less than seven hundred taels in total.”

Seven hundred taels was about seventy catties.

Out of the 120 kilograms of goods, 50 kilograms were still missing.

It was unknown if it had all been consumed, or if people were hiding it.

The investigation warrant in An Wuji’s hands only granted him the authority to freely enter and exit the homes of noble families, but it definitely didn’t allow him to search them thoroughly.

“If they’re hiding it, then we won’t be able to find it,” Chu Jiubian gazed at the bag on the floor, his eyes darkening.

He had already given them a chance. If they failed to take advantage of it and insisted on ruining themselves, they would make their own fates.

“But is this stuff really so formidable?” An Wuji asked curiously.

Chu Jiubian said: “You can give it a try.”

An Wuji immediately shook his head: “Forget it, it’s best to heed the Young Master’s decision. But what do we do next?”

Chu Jiubian looked toward Qin Xiao.

Qin Xiao had his legs crossed, his posture somewhat indolent.

He lifted his eyes to meet Chu Jiubian’s gaze, then paused for a moment before saying: “Have someone draw up an Imperial Decree.”

There was no morning court session the next day, as it happened to be a day off.

But even the officials who weren’t on duty received a message from the palace.

His Majesty had issued an Imperial Decree that morning, which stated: [The highly-poisonous mandala, also known as opium poppy, is strictly forbidden from consumption by any citizen of Great Ning. Violators will be executed immediately! This decree must be passed down and remembered by future generations!]

Upon receiving the decree, the Imperial Guards relayed it not only to all of the various levels of government offices, but also ordered their subordinates to shout it door-to-door. They even thoughtfully drew several variations of mandala, from the flower to the powder, and from the fragrance to the reaction after accidental ingestion. It was imperative to inform all of the citizens of its danger, including the potential for death if consumed improperly.

Moreover, it was conveyed to local government offices of all levels by dedicated personnel that if anyone under their jurisdiction were to consume this substance, the local officials would also be punished.

This was the most stringent decree issued by Bai Lihong since his ascension to the throne, and nearly everyone understood how dire it was.

Of course, there were also those who didn’t fear death, or those who simply couldn’t resist the temptation and consumed it at home.

These types were restrained by fear, but there were also those who were not restrained at all and acted contrary to the repeated warnings.

For example, on the eighth day of the seventh month, the very day the Imperial Decree was issued.

In the Free Spirit Parlor, the most bustling brothel in the Western Market, two young men openly consumed mandala by drinking it with wine.

Whether they drank too much or were under the influence of the drug, the two of them became somewhat deranged.

Arm in arm with girls from the brothel, they stumbled out of their private room while spouting nonsense.

“That Qin Xiao, what kind of lousy regent is he? This young master has disliked him for a long time.”

“And he even banned mandala, with death as the penalty for disobedience. Laozi will still eat it!” The young man in blue thumped his chest. “Laozi is Wang Wenfu of the Langya Wang family. Let’s see if Qin Xiao dares to cut me down!”

The other young man burst into laughter: “This young master is Lu Xingwen of the Wuwei Lu family! Let’s see if Qin Xiao dares to cut me down!”

The two of them appeared to be out of their minds. The women in the building were terrified, trembling and pale-faced.

Who was Lord Ning-wang?

The scene of the massacre at Shenwu Gate a month ago was still fresh in their minds. These two were courting death!

Of course, Qin Xiao might not touch them, seeing as they were from powerful families. But unimportant people like them were very likely to become scapegoats and suffer the brunt of his anger.

Other scholars, officials, and members of the military who were drinking and making merry in the establishment were also alarmed, and fled for fear of being implicated.

*

*

The Imperial Palace.

Today was a rare sunny day.

After a meal, Bai Lihong, along with Eunuch Hong and several palace servants, took a stroll through the palace gardens while Chu Jiubian and Qin Xiao lagged behind them.

“Eunuch Hong will be quite busy in the coming days,” Chu Jiubian said.

The previous night, Qin Xiao had mentioned to Chu Jiubian that he wanted Hong Fu to handle the salt administration, and even intended to create a dedicated bureau for him.

Chu Jiubian’s first reaction was to reject the idea.

With the bloody knowledge of corrupt eunuchs causing chaos in the government, Chu Jiubian naturally held some preconceived notions.

However, he was in the Great Ning Dynasty now. The previous two dynasties had no precedent for allowing eunuchs to wield power, and there was naturally none of that so-called political chaos.

Even the concept of “disorder caused by Imperial relatives” had been used by civil officials to criticize Qin Xiao after he came to power.

Therefore, with no precedent to follow, Chu Jiubian’s hasty and direct negative answer would be seen as an attempt to sabotage Hong Fu.

Chu Jiubian was well-aware of the position he held in Qin Xiao’s heart. He was just a business partner, unlike Hong Fu, who had known Qin Xiao for a long time and had a relationship with him built on trust.

Moreover, Hong Fu was genuinely loyal to Bai Lihong and was indeed very capable.

It would be a waste of his talents to keep him as Head Eunuch.

Qin Xiao’s mindset was simple: he had no people in his hands, but Hong Fu was very useful and had a great many eunuchs willing to follow him.

And as eunuchs, none of them had offspring, and were less likely to seek benefits for their families. It was also more difficult for them to form cliques for personal gain.

In addition, because their power was granted to them by the emperor, who could take it back at any time, they could only be utterly loyal officials.

But everyone had selfish motives.

No matter what the force or power, once it grew and changed, it would become uncontrollable.

Chu Jiubian was considering these factors and didn’t respond to Qin Xiao’s question for a while, but the man didn’t rush him.

This was exactly why An Wuji felt that the atmosphere between them was strange when he walked in.

However, Chu Jiubian quickly realized that every system would reveal its drawbacks in the later stages.

Therefore, specific problems required specific analysis. Given the current situation in the capital, both he and Qin Xiao were short of manpower – so it wasn’t unreasonable to temporarily allow Hong Fu, the loyal Head Eunuch, to take charge of the salt administration work.

Once more talents passed the Imperial Examinations and the power of those influential officials in court was weakened, they could talk about it again.

Qin Xiao watched Hong Fu’s retreating figure and suddenly said: “He entered the palace for my elder sister’s sake.”

Chu Jiubian froze.

He looked up into the man’s deep eyes, sensing that he had a lot he wanted to say.

But in the end, Qin Xiao only gave a light chuckle: “What I mean to say is that he’s very trustworthy.”

“En.” Chu Jiubian responded, turning away.

He naturally knew that Hong Fu was trustworthy, and that to Qin Xiao, even Xiao Xiangzi was more trustworthy than an outsider like Chu Jiubian.

Qin Xiao gazed at his side profile before restraining himself and looking away.

A gentle breeze slowly swept across the young man’s long, loose hair, the ends of which brushed lightly against the hand resting by his side.

Qin Xiao lowered his eyes, and his fingertips curled briefly.

The two walked in silence side by side, the two palm-widths of space between their shoulders amplifying the subtle sense of estrangement.

It was only when Xiao Xiangzi, who was walking behind, received a note from a guard and quickly caught up with them that the atmosphere between the two seemed to shift.

Qin Xiao opened the note and glanced at it, then smoothly handed it to Chu Jiubian.

Chu Jiubian read the names on the note, one surnamed Wang and one surnamed Lu, and knew what this was about.

The man beside him called over a guard and casually ordered: “Inform An Wuji to arrest the men and execute them at Shenwu Gate before the morning court session tomorrow. If they resist, kill them on the spot.”

The guard accepted the order and left.

Xiao Xiangzi also accepted the note handed to him by Chu Jiubian, and gradually fell behind the two of them. Only when he was standing shoulder to shoulder with Shui Qing and Shui Yun did he take out a tinderbox and burn the note to ashes.

Looking at the backs of her two masters standing side by side, Shui Qing couldn’t help whispering to Shui Yun: “Jiejie, when will the masters embrace each other? I really want to see it.”

Shui Yun’s brow twitched, and she hurriedly shot a look toward Qin Xiao’s receding figure. Seeing no reaction from him, she glared reproachfully at the younger girl and said in a low voice: “Are you out of your mind? His Lordship has excellent hearing!”

Shui Qing pouted, feeling wronged. She really wanted to see it, ah.

Up ahead, Qin Xiao was silent for a while longer before saying at last: “Does the Young Master find this lord cruel?”

“What?” Chu Jiubian stared at him with some surprise.

Only then did Qin Xiao turn his gaze to the other’s face.

Chu Jiubian had to take a moment to process his words, then realized that he was talking about the execution of the two scions of noble families.

A formidable villain who once killed people for three days and three nights in front of Shenwu Gate was now calling himself “cruel?”

“It’s not like I just met you yesterday.” Chu Jiubian chuckled softly, saying in an exceptionally calm tone, “The profits from mandala are enormous; simply issuing a decree won’t be enough to deter those people, and they need to be made an example of. Since these two were so eager to stick their necks out, then just kill them.”

Qin Xiao stared at him in silence for two breaths. Then he said: “That Wang Wenfu is Wang Huanzhi’s biological son.”

This person’s status was not on the same level as that of the direct descendant of the collateral branch of the Lu family.

“Are you afraid?” Chu Jiubian asked.

Qin Xiao laughed: “Afraid of what? I have an immortal protecting me.”

Chu Jiubian: “……”

There it was again. When would this person finally believe him?

*

*

The ninth day of the seventh month.

A light drizzle began early in the morning.

The officials gathered at the gate were unusually silent today, and their seemingly casual gazes often drifted toward Wang Zhiyuan and Lu Youwei at the front.

The outrageous remarks made by members of the Lu and Wang families at Free Spirit Parlor the previous night were known to almost everyone.

The fact that the Imperial Guards arrested the men on the spot had shocked them all.

However, everyone harbored their own judgements. The situation in the capital had not yet descended into chaos, and in fact, Qin Xiao still needed the power of the noble families in order to replenish the National Treasury, so he couldn’t afford to offend them completely.

He had presumably arrested those two people last night in order to make deals with the two families and incidentally take this opportunity to intimidate everyone, warning them not to underestimate Qin Xiao’s ruthless methods.

It seemed there would be quite a spectacle at today’s morning court session.

Although Lu Youwei didn’t care for this good-for-nothing junior in his family, it would be shameful for him not to rescue him from Qin Xiao after the man arrested him like that.

It would have been better if Qin Xiao had just chopped that useless bastard down in a single stroke last night; that way, he wouldn’t have to go to the trouble of saving him.

Wang Zhiyuan shared similar thoughts.

The only difference was that Wang Wenfu was the family head’s eldest son, and given his valuable status, Wang Huanzhi had repeatedly urged him to help save the child.

For this reason, Wang Huanzhi was able to utter the childish sentence: “The Wang family is willing to pay any price.”

The thought of being manipulated by Qin Xiao during the morning court session caused Wang Zhiyuan’s face to darken.

But there was nothing to be done.

The Wang and Lu families hadn’t received offers for the fine salt trade yet, but the Qiu and Xiao families already had theirs.

If they offended Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian over the matter of Wang Wenfu, they would gain far fewer benefits and fall behind the Qiu and Xiao families.

This absolutely could not be borne.

So even if Qin Xiao embarrassed him today, or even killed Wang Wenfu in front of him, he would have to praise the other party for killing him well.

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. When he opened them again, his expression had recovered its tranquility.

Xiao Huaiguan had been in much better spirits lately, and his hunched back seemed to have straightened considerably.

He glanced at Wang Zhiyuan’s expression, and the fake smile that always hung on his lips seemed a little more genuine.

Qiu Xuanzheng had just signed an agreement with the Ministry of Revenue and Hong Fu the previous day for the sale of fine salt, and he would receive the first batch of goods later today.

Now that he was in the same camp as Qin Xiao and Chu Jiubian, he was happy to see the Lu and Wang families make fools of themselves.

Of course, if these families were to completely break with Qin Xiao in order to protect those two fools, the Qiu family could absorb their shares of the salt trade as well.

Everyone had their own considerations.

At that moment, the palace gates slowly began to open.

Before the six ministers could take a step, they froze in place.

Just a dozen meters inside the palace gate, two disheveled young men were kneeling on the ground, bound hand and foot with coarse cloth stuffed into their mouths.

It was Wang Wenfu and Lu Xingwen, who had made those outrageous remarks yesterday.

Behind them stood two Imperial Guards, both holding longswords.

After confirming that everyone could see the scene in front of them, without giving anyone time to react, the Imperial Guards swung their swords down.

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Chapter 37 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 39