Chapter 14

Panzhi looked at the astonished Ye Yu opposite him and then said confidently and calmly, "The so-called goose, 'e,' means evil, implying that Lu Kun is not a good official, oppressing the people as a local magistrate; the goose, 'e,' also means fraud, implying absurd extortion; under the pretext of a birthday, he openly gathers unrighteous wealth..."

"Oh, is there more?" Although Ye Yu was surprised, he still maintained his composure.

"Items like gold, silver, treasures, and rare antiques can be stored in the treasury for future use, but the white goose that Brother Ye offered as a birthday gift cannot be stored or slaughtered... Isn't this deliberately making things difficult for our magistrate?" Panzhi couldn't help but laugh at the end.

After hearing Panzhi's explanation, Ye Yu indeed felt an urge to laugh. At the birthday banquet, he had spared no effort in praising the white goose, making it a symbol of Lu Kun's rise to power and longevity.

In this way, slaughtering the white goose would be like destroying his own fortune and longevity! But if it wasn't slaughtered, it couldn't be stored like other gifts. Now that Panzhi mentioned it, he was quite curious about how Lu Kun had handled the white goose afterward.

"Master Pan is truly a man of great talent, and I am truly admiring!" Ye Yu said, but then gave a strange smile, "But these are all Master Pan's subjective speculations, and have nothing to do with me!"

"Ha ha! Brother Ye is indeed cautious. Since I didn't say anything at the banquet, I naturally won't spread rumors afterward. Besides, as an onlooker, how could I not see that Brother Ye was in a difficult position?"

Ye Yu gave a dry laugh but didn't respond, instead looking out the window and saying to himself, "Life is not easy. Brother Pan, you haven't experienced it, so you wouldn't understand the taste of it..."

Panzhi shook his head and didn't say anything, but changed the topic, "I heard that Brother Ye has been preparing a dyeing workshop recently. How is it going?"

"It seems that in Qingliu County, nothing can be hidden from your Pan family!"

Panzhi took a sip of wine and said matter-of-factly, "Our Pan family is in the business of silk and cloth, so we naturally pay special attention to this! Especially Brother Ye, the cloth you dye can rival our Pan family, even I, who don't manage the business, have heard of it..."

Ye Yu didn't expect that his newly opened dyeing workshop would be so well-known to the Pan family. Every move in Qingliu County seemed to have no secrets. This made Ye Yu both surprised and self-reproachful for being too careless.

Now, even before the cloth was on the market, the Pan family already knew about it. To maintain their monopoly, they would certainly take some countermeasures. If he handled it improperly, the cloth he had spent a fortune dyeing might end up stockpiled in his hands...

Seeing Ye Yu's expression change, Panzhi smiled faintly, "Since I have the intention to be friends with Brother Ye, I might as well give you a couple of warnings!"

Ye Yu's eyebrows raised in surprise, "I am willing to hear more!"

"To be honest, the major merchants in the county, led by Li Tong, have already reached a tacit agreement with our Pan family! When your dyeing workshop starts producing cloth, no matter how low the price, they will not accept your goods! So you need to be prepared!"

"Brother Pan, this matter concerns your Pan family's interests. Why are you telling me this?"

Although Ye Yu was surprised by the information Panzhi provided, what puzzled him most was why Panzhi was doing this. Was it just for the sake of friendship? He wouldn't be so naive to think so!

Panzhi, asked by Ye Yu, replied calmly, "If I say it's just for friendship, Brother Ye would probably find it absurd! To be honest, I do have my own motives!"

"Oh?" Ye Yu's eyebrows slightly furrowed. At this moment, he felt that the young man in front of him was not as he had heard.

"Our Pan family may be wealthy, but I must say that my grandfather, like most merchants, believes that a monopoly is the foundation of the family's prosperity. However, I believe that this is precisely the root of decline!" At this point, when Panzhi talked about business, he instantly became emotionally charged, unlike his usual calm and refined demeanor.

"I believe that a monopoly is like blocking a river, which may have immediate effects, but in the long run, it will become a hidden danger to business development! Therefore, to ensure the prosperity of our Pan family for generations, this monopolistic mindset must not exist. Unfortunately, neither my grandfather nor my uncles agree with me..."

Ye Yu listened quietly to Panzhi's words, feeling quite shocked. If someone like Su Quanzhong or Li Tong had said this to him, he could have accepted it appropriately.

After all, these people are merchants who have been in business for decades, and it's normal for them to have such insights.

But Panzhi was under twenty, and although he came from a merchant family, he had never managed any business. In the eyes of Ye Yu and the people of Qingliu County, Panzhi was a genuine scholar.

It was precisely this contrast that made Ye Yu feel very surprised. Such foresight was not something everyone could possess.

Panzhi's excitement gradually subsided. He drank a cup of wine and said calmly, "Therefore, I don't think it's a bad thing to tell you this, as it doesn't harm the interests of the Pan family!

As the ancient saying goes, 'Prosperity comes from adversity, and complacency leads to ruin.' I hope that through Brother Ye's hands, a warning bell can be sounded! This will not only benefit the Pan family's business adjustments but also help lower the price of cloth in Qingliu County.

Merchants are driven by profit, and people often mock them as 'harming others.' But merchants are originally meant to enrich the country and benefit the people. If they can ensure that the people have no worries about clothing, why not do it?"

"Indeed, why not! Brother Pan's words have enlightened me! Come, let me offer you three cups of wine in gratitude!"

"Please!"

Ye Yu drank the three cups of wine and then sighed, "Business and state governance, though different, ultimately have the same goal! If the court is monopolized by one voice, it will be detrimental to the country and the people in the long run!

As the saying goes, 'extremes lead to their opposites, and prosperity leads to decline.' This is the principle! Brother Pan, with such insights into business, will surely be a capable statesman in the future!"

"Ha ha! Brother Ye, to be honest, passing the imperial exams and entering government service is not my life's ambition. Unfortunately, my grandfather has high hopes for me, so I can only follow his wishes!"

Ye Yu smiled awkwardly, "You're talking without feeling the pain! But I will remember Brother Pan's frankness today!"

"Then, is Brother Pan a worthy friend for you to associate with?" Panzhi raised his wine cup and smiled kindly at Ye Yu.

"If I refuse, wouldn't it seem pretentious? Ye Yu solemnly raised his wine cup, and the two cups clinked together with a clear sound.

"But I have one more question!"

"Oh? Speak freely!"

Holding his wine cup, Ye Yu asked with interest, "I really want to know, how did the magistrate finally handle that white goose?"

Mentioning the white goose, Panzhi almost spat out the wine in his mouth, "Although the magistrate knew you were being clever, he still set aside a special place in his residence to raise the white goose you sent..."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was another burst of laughter in the room.

...

When Ye Yu came out of the tavern, it was already night, and the streets were quiet under the night sky. Sitting in his wheelchair, Ye Yu remained silent for a long time. It wasn't until they reached a stone bridge that he asked Guo Xiaotian to stop the wheelchair by the side of the bridge.

Looking at the quietly flowing stream, Ye Yu patted his legs and said to himself, "Xiaotian, do you think my legs have a chance of recovery?"

In recent days, he had sought out several renowned doctors in the city, but they were still unable to cure his leg condition. He had heard their comforting words and taken countless herbal medicines...

But the results were unsatisfactory. His initial hope for a cure had gradually faded. He didn't want to show how much he cared about his leg condition in front of others, but that didn't mean he didn't care!

Guo Xiaotian pondered for a long time before finally speaking, "Master, I think there is still a chance!"

"Oh! Really?" Ye Yu's eyes, which had been dim, suddenly brightened, but then quickly returned to their dim state. He knew this was just Guo Xiaotian's comforting words.

"Master, to be honest, two years ago, I was pursued by the Jin soldiers while fleeing. I fell into a ravine and broke my right arm. Although I knew some bone-setting techniques, my right arm remained weak and useless..." Seeing Ye Yu still so dejected, Guo Xiaotian recalled his past.

"I didn't know you had such an experience..." Ye Yu said in amazement, but then his heart suddenly stirred, and he asked, "But your right arm now..."

The usually serious Guo Xiaotian smiled and suddenly grabbed the tree trunk beside him. With a 'rip,' a piece of bark was torn off.

Ye Yu, seeing this, couldn't help but gasp. He hadn't expected Guo Xiaotian's martial arts to be so formidable. It seemed that the skills he had seen before were just the tip of the iceberg.

"Later, I met a monk on the way. He was crazy but had excellent medical skills. Seeing that I was disabled, he treated my arm!"

Ye Yu, impressed by Guo Xiaotian's strength, asked excitedly, "Where is this monk now? What method did he use to cure your arm?"

"This monk was crazy and had no fixed abode. When I thanked him, he had already disappeared! As for the method, I am not a doctor, so I don't know what medicine he used..."

Although Guo Xiaotian's answer disappointed Ye Yu, since the monk could cure Guo Xiaotian's arm, there was hope for his legs to recover. Although he didn't know where the monk was, at least he had a glimmer of hope.

Thinking about this, Ye Yu felt much more at ease and sighed lightly, "Perhaps the time has not come. When everything is on track, I will personally seek out this great man... Xiaotian, let's go back!"

Guo Xiaotian nodded and pushed the wheelchair across the stone bridge, gradually disappearing into the night.

Note:

The term "monopoly" (monopoly) originates from Mencius, "One must seek a monopoly and climb it to control the market." Originally, it referred to standing on a high ground in the market to manipulate trade, and later it became a general term for control and exclusivity. In ancient China, monopolies were called "que." For the convenience of reading, the author has used the term directly.

Page Flip AD Start

Page Flip AD End