Chapter 95: The Imperial Princes' Faction, Three Houses Settling Accounts

Suddenly, the gray hound stirred from its languor, transforming into a blur of gray light that shot out from the hidden cave. In a matter of moments, it landed within the Glutton’s Tower, identified the master bedroom, and flickered inside with a subtle shimmer.

Seated upright at the head of the bed was a corpulent man in a golden robe, regarding the intruder with an oddly amused expression.

Fury flared in the gray hound’s eyes; it was about to crush this irksome fellow with a swipe of its paw when, abruptly, its eyes bulged in shock and it collapsed to its knees with a thud. Before it stood Han Chong, restored to his true form, gazing down with a hint of a smile.

“Spare me, master! Your humble servant had no idea you were here—please forgive my offense!”

“Rise.”

“Yes, master. It was that wretch from the Qi family at the Weaving Bureau—he brought a letter from the Sixth Prince himself, commanding your servant to come and eliminate a wealthy merchant named Jin.”

“Oh?” Han Chong mused inwardly. So, it turned out that the Qiongzhou Chamber of Commerce was backed by none other than the Sixth Prince and the Qiongzhou Weaving Bureau.

“Master, these days I have also sought you at the provincial office, but it was already in ruins, guarded only by a few bailiffs. I truly could not find you—please do not hold it against your humble servant.”

“I understand. So, you’ve been staying at the Weaving Bureau all this time. Have you discovered anything?”

“Reporting to master: that Qi fellow once confided in me that the Prefect of Qiongzhou is a protégé of the Crown Prince. The Weaving Bureau and the Chamber of Commerce are controlled by the Sixth and Seventh Princes, while the Ghost Gang and Salt Transport Office are under the influence of the Third and Fourth Princes. I haven’t been able to learn the whereabouts of the other vengeful spirits; after all, I am the weakest among the Nine Spirits and know little else. Ah, yes—soon, these three factions will secretly reconcile their accounts.”

“Reconcile their accounts?” Han Chong arched an eyebrow in suspicion.

“Yes. Every year, these three gather to settle their accounts, tallying up a year’s worth of plunder, balancing the shares, and then turning over the lion’s share to the princes.”

“I see,” Han Chong murmured, eyes narrowing. So, the official ledgers were just for show, while the real evidence of their crimes was hidden away. Annual reconciliation, done openly, left no room for error. These princes were certainly bold—petty corruption might be commonplace, but this was on another level.

Now, Qiongzhou, once a land of wealth, had become a den of predators, its common folk driven to despair and misery.

“Listen. Take me to see that Qi official. Tell him we are old friends, and that I am willing to negotiate peace with the Chamber of Commerce—provided I am given the post of vice president, to help me infiltrate the Sixth Prince’s inner circle.”

“Master, do you mean to—?”

“Do not ask what you should not know.”

“Yes, your servant obeys!”

Han Chong and the gray hound took flight together, heading straight for the rear courtyard of the Weaving Bureau, and soon entered the private chambers of the slightly plump official.

The commotion roused him and his concubine; they hurriedly dressed and greeted their visitors with anxious respect.

“Lord Xie, and this one is—?”

“Useless! Isn’t this the wealthy merchant Jin you were told about? You’ve never even seen his face?” The gray hound bared its teeth threateningly.

“Yes, yes, I am at fault. But may I ask why Lord Xie has brought him here?”

“It’s a simple case of mistaken identity. This man is an old friend and a master of the Celestial Realm—no wonder the Ghost Gang could do nothing against him. Listen, Brother Jin has agreed to join the Chamber of Commerce, but he must be given the role of vice president. From now on, we are all on the same side.”

“Oh my, so it’s Brother Jin! I failed to recognize greatness. I’ll summon Chairman Gu at once. This is wonderful—now we can make peace, and better friends for it!”

Within the better part of an hour, Chairman Gu arrived in a flurry. He, too, was surprised by the turn of events, but since Jin was willing to join the Chamber, he couldn’t have wished for more. He immediately appointed Jin as the sole vice president, to everyone’s delight.

All four, now wide awake, called for wine and food and gathered around the table. After a round of drinks, Han Chong signaled to the gray hound, who cleared its throat and said, “Lord Qi, Chairman Gu—the day of reconciliation approaches. Why have we yet to see any movement from the Prefecture or the Salt Office?”

The two men exchanged uneasy glances. The portly official forced a laugh. “Lord Xie, I, too, am in the dark about the reconciliation. We’re just waiting for a trusted agent from the Sixth Prince to organize it—it shouldn’t be long now.”

“Ha! I’m newly inducted into the Sixth Prince’s retinue, so I’m not clear on the details. I leave these matters to you. Manager Jin, the reconciliation of these three powers is the annual grand affair of Qiongzhou. You must be careful not to offend the other bigwigs.”

“Lord Xie speaks true. I will remember that well,” Han Chong replied with feigned anxiety, bowing solemnly.

The official and the bearded chairman exchanged silent doubts. This Lord Xie was a formidable demon, a favorite of the Sixth Prince. Since coming to Qiongzhou, he spent his days in idle pleasures—who knew what he really wanted? And now he had suddenly recruited Jin and shown keen interest in the secret reconciliation, even hinting that Jin should be included on the list—truly odd.

But both men knew better than to cross these powerful figures, so they played along with forced smiles.

…

On the streets of Qiongzhou, word spread swiftly that the once-mighty Glutton’s Tower had abruptly closed its doors, and that Manager Jin had joined the Chamber as vice president. All across the city, vendors and common folk beat their chests in despair.

It seemed that, in the end, Manager Jin had chosen to consort with the corrupt merchants, and they were doomed to suffer once again.

“Elder Han, to see those profiteers oppress the common people pains me deeply. Why did you suddenly close the Glutton’s Tower?” Mi Ling asked, bewildered.

“Do not worry. Their days of comfort are numbered. Their end is near.”

…

Three days later, the atmosphere in the Prefecture, Weaving Bureau, and Salt Office grew tense, as though some great personage were about to arrive.

In front of the Glutton’s Tower, a carriage drew up. The bearded chairman hurried in and gestured for Han Chong to join him inside; together, they rode straight to the rear gate of the Weaving Bureau.

Han Chong followed him calmly, passing through several checkpoints until they reached a secret chamber.

There, the Qi official and two other high-ranking members of the Bureau were already present, bowing respectfully before a middle-aged man in white with hair draping over his brow, as well as the gray hound, to whom they were reporting.

Chairman Gu dared not speak, but quietly pulled Han Chong aside to wait.

After a moment—

“So, you are Manager Jin?” The white-robed man narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Han Chong, and asked coolly.

“Yes, I am,” Han Chong replied, glancing at the Qi official for confirmation.

“Manager Jin, this is Lord Zuo, special envoy from the Sixth Prince’s household, with full authority over weaving and commerce in Qiongzhou.”

“Lord Zuo, a pleasure and an honor.”

“I hear from the Weaving Bureau that you are an old friend of Lord Xie, and a man of immense wealth. The Sixth Prince is in need of such talent as yourself.”

“You flatter me, Lord Zuo. My humble fortune is but the blessing of my ancestors—surely not worthy of the Prince’s attention.”

“Heh. There is, however, a certain difficulty at hand which requires your help. The only question is, are you willing?”

Han Chong’s mind sharpened. Clearly, he was being tested. He and the gray hound were outsiders, and the reconciliation involved the secret accumulation of wealth by several princes—hardly something they would entrust to an outsider lightly.

“Please speak, Lord Zuo. If it lies within my power, I will do all I can.”

“Excellent. Straightforward as expected.”