Chapter 65

The owner of Tianxiang Tower is named Cheng, with the given name Fugui and the nickname Jubao. He truly lived up to his name; in the eleven years since he came from Hangzhou to Bianliang, he had amassed a vast fortune, ranking among the wealthiest in the capital. Thus, people gave him the nickname "Cheng Dafu."

When Cheng saw the crowd from Kaifeng Prefecture rushing towards Tianxiang Tower, he was stunned. What was going on? They had just come to drink and socialize a few days ago, so why were they targeting Tianxiang Tower first when it came to serious business?

Xie Wudi was a large, burly man with a full beard, standing like an iron tower. He stood at the entrance of Tianxiang Tower, rubbed his hands, and turned his head to show a mouth full of large teeth. "Your Highness, what should we do next?"

Zhao Yougong didn't even look up. He covered his mouth with one hand and whispered, "How stupid, can't you see the sign of Tianxiang Tower? Is it blocking the street?"

"Alright, Your Highness, just watch!" Xie Wudi, who was no stranger to extortion, waved his hand, and four constables followed him over.

"Who's in charge here? Come out quickly!"

Xie Wudi's roar was like a闷雷 (thunderclap), and who could miss it? Cheng, the owner, wiped his cold sweat and hurried out. He reached into his sleeve, secretly pulled out a few banknotes, and smiled as he slipped them into Xie Wudi's hand.

"Captain Xie, please come inside, and Your Highness as well. Our shop has just received some mountain hares; you must try them!"

In the past, Xie Wudi would have taken the money directly, but today, the Prince had given strict instructions to establish the authority of Kaifeng Prefecture. From now on, protection fees could only be paid to Kaifeng Prefecture, and no one else.

"Mr. Cheng, what's with this sign? Who allowed you to put it by the roadside? Didn't you see the notice posted by the prefecture?"

Xie Wudi glared, not even looking at the banknotes. Cheng Fugui felt a deep sense of distress. What could he do?

"Captain Xie, it's just a wooden sign, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Xie Wudi's eyes widened as if he wanted to swallow Cheng Fugui whole. "What do you mean it's not a problem? With such a large sign, wouldn't carriages have to swerve to avoid it? What if a blind person walked by and bumped into it?"

Cheng Fugui's face twitched. How did blind people come into this? He wanted to say it wouldn't happen, but then he heard a painful groan. Turning his head, he saw a young man sitting in front of the wooden sign, holding his forehead and glaring with dark eyes. "Who put this here? Don't you know I'm blind? This is malicious, I'm going to report it to the authorities!"

Not just Cheng Fugui, but even the onlookers on the street were seething with anger. This was clearly a setup. As soon as someone mentioned the blind, someone else bumped into the sign. Who would believe it wasn't planned? Moreover, the young man's eyes were bright and darting around, not at all like a blind person.

Regardless of what others thought, Xie Wudi remained unperturbed and said, "Mr. Cheng, see? This is the harm it causes. How can you still argue?"

Cheng Fugui's face turned red with embarrassment, unable to say a word. Zhao Yougong felt it was time and cleared his throat, speaking formally. "Captain Xie, how can you speak to Mr. Cheng like that? We are officials, and we should speak politely!"

Xie Wudi, being quick-witted, stepped back and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Highness. I was too hasty!"

Stepping forward, Zhao Yougong looked at Cheng Fugui and shook his head. "Ah, Mr. Cheng, don't blame us. We are here for your own good. The purpose of Kaifeng Prefecture is to ensure peace and prosperity in Bianliang. We are concerned about your business. For example, if someone is injured by that wooden sign, they will report it to the authorities. When someone drums the alarm, I must preside over the case, and the constables must stand by. Afterward, we must conduct investigations. All of this costs money. Ah, if it weren't for these issues, our Song Dynasty wouldn't need to collect taxes, right?"

As he spoke, Zhao Yougong deliberately emphasized the word "tax." Cheng Fugui, with years of experience in business, could easily understand Zhao Yougong's meaning. The young prince was creating a new tax to collect more money!

"This... Yes, Your Highness is right. I also think the brothers in the prefecture work hard. Ah, our Song Dynasty should have a protection tax to ensure they don't work in vain!"

What a smart man, Zhao Yougong thought to himself. The reason he chose Tianxiang Tower first was because of Cheng Fugui's intelligence. The protection tax, hehe, not bad. From now on, they could collect protection fees openly.

Zhao Yougong and Cheng Fugui chatted casually, but the onlookers heard everything clearly. What protection tax? It was just a protection fee under a different name. How ridiculous, the government not only ignored these evils but also openly led the collection of protection fees. How could the merchants on Bian River survive?

"Mr. Cheng, your words are music to my ears. How about this, I will collect this money on behalf of the brothers. In the future, if you have any problems, you can go to the prefecture, and no one will dare to cause you trouble."

Zhao Yougong's words were quite encouraging. What did a tavern owner fear most? It was the troublemakers. If Kaifeng Prefecture really handled this, it would be a great benefit. "Your Highness, is this true?"

"Of course, why would I lie to you? Rest assured, if anyone dares to cause trouble here, go to Captain Xie, and they will be dealt with. I don't believe there is anyone in Bianliang who can escape my jurisdiction!"

Zhao Yougong spoke with righteous indignation, but he didn't overpromise. He only dealt with troublemakers, not the sons of officials. The five brave men of Kaifeng Prefecture were already grinning from ear to ear.

It was unprecedented for the government to collect protection fees, and to do so so openly. Perhaps only under the leadership of the young prince, Zhao, could this happen.

However, this couldn't be entirely blamed on Zhao Yougong. In previous dynasties, if the prefect of Kaifeng had led the collection of protection fees, he would have been thrown in jail. But now, with Emperor Huizong in power, the government was full of exaggeration and corruption. Nine out of ten officials were corrupt, and Zhao Yougong was merely taking advantage of this trend. The five brave men of Kaifeng Prefecture were already laughing uncontrollably.

Leaving Tianxiang Tower, the next target was Deyue Tower. According to the young prince's plan, they would start with the most prominent businesses on Bian River Street, and Deyue Tower was naturally on the list.

Upon hearing that the young prince had arrived, Mother Li was terrified. Deyue Tower and Xiefang Tower were natural rivals, and now, because of Nian Nuer, she didn't know what the young prince would do to Deyue Tower.

Mother Li ran over, her hips swaying, and as she approached, a fragrant breeze blew. Unfortunately, the scent was too strong, and Zhao Yougong quickly stepped back. However, Mother Li seemed determined to stick to him, extending her arm and wrapping it around Zhao Yougong's arm tightly.

"Oh, what is the prince doing? Look, with all these weapons, it's quite scary!"

"Go away!" Zhao Yougong couldn't handle Mother Li's enthusiasm and pushed her away. However, he pushed her in the wrong place, causing her to coo, "Prince, you're so naughty. How about we go to the room, and I'll do whatever you want..."

"Cough, cough... What nonsense? I am the prefect of Kaifeng, how could I accept your bribe?" Zhao Yougong was afraid of this woman, so he kept his distance and pushed Xie Wudi to the front. "Captain Xie, repeat our words to avoid any accusations of bullying by the government!"

Xie Wudi nodded and solemnly explained the protection tax. He spoke with such passion and emotion that anyone who didn't know better would think the constables had done something great for the country and the people.

Mother Li shuddered and approached with a pained expression. "Your Highness, I can pay the protection fee, but... but I've already paid it to the Qinghong Gang..."

"Shut up! What Qinghong Gang? Listen carefully, this is a protection tax, not a protection fee. If you dare to speak nonsense, I'll have you locked up for two days!"

Mother Li felt wronged. It was just a change of words, wasn't it still a protection fee? It just sounded better.

With no choice, Mother Li took out two banknotes. Zhao Yougong looked at them and immediately became angry. "Mother Li, what do you mean? If you keep joking, don't blame me for being harsh. Two hundred guan? Do you want me to search you myself?" Zhao Yougong was furious. Deyue Tower earned tens of thousands of guan monthly, and according to the rules, they should pay at least a thousand guan. She was only giving two hundred guan, which was like giving alms to a beggar.

Mother Li's face twitched, and she had to take out three more banknotes, making it a total of five hundred guan. Zhao Yougong's expression improved. With the money in hand, he didn't bother with further talk and turned to leave.

Zhao Yougong was happy with the money, but Mother Li was furious. If she had known Zhao Yougong would become the prefect of Kaifeng, she would have treated him better in the past. But life is unpredictable, who would have thought that a rogue prince could become the prefect of Kaifeng?

From the morning to noon, Zhao Yougong led a group of constables from north to south, raiding businesses, but he skipped Xiefang Tower. Everyone knew the reason, and no one was foolish enough to point it out.

After raiding Bian River Street, it was time for Caiyi Street. Caiyi Street was very different from Bian River Street. If Bian River Street was a commercial hub, Caiyi Street was a high-end residential area, home to the wealthy and powerful. Only with his status as a prince could Zhao Yougong dare to raid Caiyi Street; no one else would have the courage.

The first house on the corner was the Fu family, with the head of the household, Zhu Gui, also known as Bo Cai, serving in the Military Council. If you mentioned Zhu Bo Cai, perhaps no one would pay attention, but his daughter, Zhu Lian, was very famous.

Zhu Lian was renowned in the capital, not for her beauty, but for her skill in landscape painting and her literary talent. In the original history, she married Zhao Huan and became an empress.

If you mentioned the Zhu family, the most famous member wasn't Zhu Lian, but her cousin's great-grandson, Zhu Xi. If not for Zhu Xi, women in later generations wouldn't have suffered so much.

---

(End of the excerpt)