Chapter 816: Chapter 816: The Little Beggar
At the same time, on the other side of Xuanzhou Prefecture City, a man tossed the reins to the stable boy and briskly led a few people into a tavern, heading straight for the private room labeled ’Tian’.
Inside awaited a corpulent man with the appearance of a wealthy merchant. Upon seeing the newcomer, he immediately approached, nodding obsequiously: "Master Guo, it was my fault for mishandling things, that batch of tea was... intercepted by the government, I beg you to ask Young Master Guo to help smooth things over."
With a gloomy expression, the man tersely asked, "Why was it intercepted?"
This matter was crucial, and he had been sent on instruction from Guo Neng to investigate. A few days ago, he had taken a fast ship to Yangzhou but gained nothing, and just as news arrived from Xuanzhou Prefecture, he returned once more.
This affair must be resolved with swift action, no delays are permissible.
The man was none other than Guo Shun.
The merchant, frowning in worry, said, "Alas, who would know why out of the blue a mysterious official appeared, seemingly for inspections, hovering around the Jiangnan area, rendering all prior connections void, and the originally assigned officials dared not act."
He gestured above: "I don’t know the temperament of this mysterious official either, it’s said he won’t stay long. There’s word from above that scrutiny is tight, as you know, business isn’t as easy to conduct as it was before, especially with..." smuggling.
The New Emperor has only been on the throne for three years, yet the world has drastically changed, not even a year passed before the Rebel Prince was eliminated, noble families were forced to relinquish much land to the common people, and those of us distant from the Son of Heaven’s foot became collateral victims.
Over the two subsequent years, the New Emperor enacted numerous policies, particularly dispatching officials south to silently resolve the major salt affairs, executing many individuals, thoroughly reforming salt governance, frightening us so we dare not smuggle salt anymore, and now profitable ventures are challenging to manage.
Recalling these, the merchant became increasingly melancholic, remembering someone, he ground his teeth and declared, "Our batch of tea was so concealed, how could it suddenly be intercepted? It must be that Sun from Yangzhou Prefecture secretly undermining us, Master Guo, Sun Da is not to be underestimated. His tea business reportedly reaches the Capital, and Yangzhou is his hometown, deeply rooted..."
Guo Shun raised a hand to interrupt, "Relax, regarding this person, the young master has plans, henceforth he is of no concern."
Sun Da and his young master have numerous conflicts in business, a large enterprise indeed, yet regrettable that such a vast estate has only one heir, control the sole descendant of their family, and fear not that others won’t obediently yield?
The merchant, a trace of delight in his eyes, inquired, "Master Guo, do you intend..."
Guo Shun glanced at him, not intending to reply, briefly considered before asking a crucial question, "What is this mysterious official’s name?"
The merchant, furrowing his brow, revealed what he knew, "Seems to be Xie, carrying a tobacco pouch wherever he goes, word is during the Late Emperor’s reign he served in the Ministry of War, unable to ascertain more specific details."
Cautiously he asked, "Master Guo in the Capital, is there anyone you’ve heard of matching this description?" So mysterious, inquiries yield only fragmentary traces.
Hearing this description, Guo Shun felt a jolt within. Such a formidable individual in the current administration, surname Xie, carrying a tobacco pouch, who else but the valiant and mighty Xie Qing, Minister Xie indeed, even Xue Ping presently must defer to him.
Yet why someone far at the border appears here without the slightest bit of information, surely acting in secrecy.
He eyed the merchant, face inscrutable, finally resolved, "Abandon that batch of goods, before that official departs, under no circumstances make rash moves."
Having said his piece, he promptly stood to leave with his entourage, ignoring the merchant’s calls from behind.
Several months ago, word from the court spread that the New Emperor dispatched a minister to inspect the border, appointing none other than Xie Qing, Minister Xie.
Some speculate the foreign tribes are restless, the New Emperor intends to intimidate them through this border inspection; others surmise the New Emperor plans to review the military, reforming discipline, perhaps preparing to wage war externally; yet others guess, after ascending the throne, the New Emperor hasn’t surveyed the border, wishing to assert the Son of Heaven’s might — in brief, opinions vary widely.
Now this person turns up in Jiangnan, it signals no good!
Guo Shun unable to deduce the New Emperor’s intentions, but linking the border with Jiangnan, surely involves major relations with border smuggling, could it be the New Emperor’s underlying agenda targets smuggling?
Realizing this, Guo Shun felt a great sense of crisis within, he must swiftly convey this suspicion to Guo Neng, sever all smuggling operations first, also tidy up traces of the intercepted tea batch, under no circumstances let Minister Xie trace it back to the Guo family.
Guo Shun rode with his men on swift horses, darting down the street incessantly, pedestrians scattered in avoidance wherever they went, causing chaos at every turn.
A small figure entered his sights, Guo Shun heedlessly galloped by, after some distance, abruptly reined in his horse, looking back, that figure had long since disappeared.
Not right!
This was Guo Shun’s first reaction, that little beggar’s wide eyes held sheer terror, unlike the awe and fear expressed by pedestrians, that beggar displayed other emotions, seemingly recognizing him, besides terror, there was hatred.
He meticulously pondered discrepancies, that beggar stared directly at him, entirely unlike the instinctive shrink and avoidance when typical beggars encounter a strongman.
Recalling past enemies, of such stature and age appearing here, could it be the remnants of the Lian Family?!
Guo Shun slightly squinted, though not entirely certain, he couldn’t overlook this discovery.
Cursing inwardly: those ignoramuses, such incompetents, couldn’t even locate a young girl, despite earlier instructions, now he must personally intervene.
To root out weeds thoroughly, Guo Shun never harbors wishful thinking.
Instructing his men to relay messages to those incompetents, he glanced behind before looking ahead, calculating the Shichen, mentally forming a plan.
Xiao Lian Hua hid within the crowd, winding onto another street, only stopping after traversing a considerable distance, leaning against a wall, gasping heavily, heart pounding.
It was him, the one who said he would kill her in the woods.
What to do?
Xiao Lian Hua squatted at the street’s edge, troubled, tentatively recalling, clearly several days had passed, deliberately avoiding yet still encountering him?
From the adjacent storefront, people came and went, no one noticed her, a large curtain above had a bold ’Gamble’ character written.
Xiao Lian Hua rested her head on her hands pondering, earlier he hadn’t seen her, now she’s disheveled, likely wouldn’t recognize her?
Yet unease nagged her, recalling in the woods he looped back impressively, sharper than her family’s tabby cat Fortune in catching mice, as if sniffing the wind’s scent detected anomalies, had she not been caught stealing bird eggs and didn’t promptly scramble down, she might have been caught by him.
Thinking hard yet failing to devise a good plan, suddenly, a small round object rolled to her feet, snapping her back to reality.