SWDnovel Chapter 36 Liu Da'er, I'll teach you a lesson you won't be able to eat young grass, y
Chapter 36 Liu Da'er, I'll teach you a lesson you won't be able to eat young grass, y
Before sunset, Gu Cheng and his entourage arrived at Hulu and moved into a house that had been purchased in advance.
Cao Ang pretended to say goodbye to Gu Cheng and leave, but secretly he led his troops to guard the area around Gu's residence.
I closed my eyes and took a nap for a while to rest and recuperate.
When Gu Cheng rubbed his eyes, yawned, and stepped into the hall, a sumptuous and exquisite banquet was already neatly set out.
"With such fine wine and delicious food, this is quite a lavish affair."
Gu Cheng was immediately enveloped by the strong aroma of alcohol that wafted towards him.
Da Qiao covered her mouth and smiled lightly, "Guard Xu and the others came back and said that Young Master made a fortune today, so Wan'er thought of preparing a feast to celebrate with Young Master."
"Wan'er is truly thoughtful, considering everything so thoroughly."
Gu Cheng laughed heartily and praised her.
Da Qiao was secretly delighted to receive Gu Cheng's praise, and a faint blush involuntarily rose to her cheeks.
Everyone present took their seats in turn.
Diao Chan and Da Qiao sat on either side of Gu Cheng, one attentively pouring wine and serving him food, the other carefully serving him with utmost care and consideration.
"Speaking of that fair-faced young master, he was truly very wealthy. That whole cart of gold was worth over a hundred million copper coins."
After several rounds of drinking, Zhou Tai couldn't help but click his tongue and sigh repeatedly.
"Lu Bu now occupies most of Xuzhou, so what is a mere cartload of gold worth?"
Gu Cheng spoke with a completely indifferent expression.
"Lü Bu?"
Everyone in the room looked up, their faces filled with shock and astonishment as they all turned to look at Gu Cheng.
Zhou Tai asked with a puzzled look, "Liheng, how did you figure out that the pale-faced young man was Lü Bu's subordinate?"
"That fair-faced young man's martial arts skills are quite outstanding. The middle-aged guard beside him is also quite skilled. As for the guards and soldiers they lead, they are trained in a disciplined manner, and their movements are always in accordance with rules."
"Such a group of people who keep their abilities hidden and carry such a huge amount of money, and were even robbed by Zhang Fei and his men on the way, if they are not Lu Bu's men, what other background could they be?"
Gu Cheng slowly sipped the wine in his glass and spoke unhurriedly.
The crowd then suddenly realized what was happening and understood.
Zhou Tai raised his hand and slapped his forehead, clicking his tongue in admiration, "Li Heng, you have such a sharp eye! I didn't notice anything amiss at all."
"But sir, Lü Bu and Cao Cao are clearly enemies. Why don't you just rob all their gold?"
Da Qiao's bright eyes flickered slightly, her face full of confusion.
"Lu Bu had a grudge against Cao Cao, but he didn't become my enemy, Gu Cheng."
Gu Cheng said nonchalantly, "Besides, I've said it before: if I, Gu Cheng, want to make money, I have plenty of honest and upright ways. Do you think I would take such despicable methods as murder and robbery seriously?"
Da Qiao suddenly realized her mistake, and a look of guilt appeared on her face: "It was Wan'er who asked the question. I shouldn't have said that. Wan'er should have known that you are a dignified and upright man."
Gu Cheng naturally didn't take it to heart, and laughed heartily, "Come on, let's eat and drink to our hearts' content tonight, and go home happy. Starting tomorrow, let's open our Gu's Salt Shop in Xiaopei City with dignity!"
Upon hearing this, everyone present raised their glasses.
Gu Cheng drank until he was completely satisfied before the banquet finally ended.
Zhou Tai and Xu Chu took their leave first and continued their night watch according to their shifts.
Da Qiao and Diao Chan, one on each side, supported Gu Cheng, who was already quite drunk, and slowly walked into the inner bedroom.
It took the two of them quite a bit of effort to finally get Gu Cheng safely onto the bed.
"Thank you for your trouble, Miss Wan'er. It's getting late, you should go back to your room and rest."
Diao Chan spoke, slightly out of breath.
Da Qiao turned around to take her leave, but when she reached the door, she didn't see Diao Chan come out with her.
She immediately turned around and said, "Cicada, aren't you going back to rest—"
The door had been gently closed, but Diao Chan remained inside the bedroom.
Da Qiao stood there stunned for a long time before she finally realized what was going on, and a blush involuntarily rose on her cheeks again.
"No wonder Young Master Gu always treated her so much better than ordinary maids; it turns out she had already..."
As Da Qiao stood there muttering to herself, the lights in the dormitory quietly went out.
Staring at the dark, lifeless window, she stood there lost in thought for a long time before finally turning away with an indescribable sense of melancholy on her face.
...
Over the next ten days, Gu Cheng acted swiftly and decisively, opening five Gu's Salt Shops in succession throughout the streets and alleys of Xiaopei City.
The finest salt, meticulously crafted from Xudu's own saltworks, is continuously transported by truck to Xiaopei City for sale.
The Gu family's salt, in terms of both quality and price, was far superior to the Mi family's Xuzhou sea salt, and it quickly dominated the entire salt market in Xiaopei City.
The Mi family's sea salt quickly fell into an embarrassing situation where no one cared about it at all.
Inside the main hall of the prefectural government in Xiaopei County.
Liu Bei's face was so gloomy it could drip water, his brows furrowed tightly as he listened to Mi Fang pouring out his grievances.
"In this small town of Pei, five salt shops suddenly appeared overnight, all selling green salt transported from Xudu."
"These salts are not only of superior quality, but they are also sold at an exceptionally low price. Our Mi family's sea salt simply cannot compare with them. Now, no one in Xiaopei City is willing to buy our Mi family's salt anymore."
"My lord, if we continue to let them do this, our Mi family will lose the entire salt business in Xuzhou."
With a mournful face, Mi Fang poured out his grievances to Liu Bei.
"Green salt?"
Liu Bei turned his gaze to Zhao Yun beside him, lowered his voice, and asked in a deep voice, "Is this the salt that you mentioned before, Zilong, that kid named Gu Cheng, made?"
"That's right," Zhao Yun replied softly, his eyes lowered.
"You audacious Gu Cheng!"
Liu Bei clenched his fist and roared angrily, "It's one thing that you helped that traitor Cao relieve the salt shortage in Xuchang, but now you dare to open a salt shop right under my nose! You've really gone too far!"
"Big brother is absolutely right!"
Zhang Fei suddenly jumped up from his seat and roared angrily, "Brother, give the order now! I'll take the troops over there right now and shut down that Gu family's salt shops! I'll make sure they don't sell a single grain of salt in Xiaopei City!"
Liu Bei immediately nodded in agreement.
Zhao Yun quickly stepped forward and said, "My lord, the Mi family previously sold salt in Xuchang, raising prices fourfold, yet Cao Cao didn't order the closure of their salt shops. Now we're going to close the Gu family's salt shops, which will probably make the world laugh at you, saying that your magnanimity is inferior to Cao Cao's!"
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei's eyes widened in surprise, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, hesitating for a moment.
"My lord, if our Mi family loses the salt business in Xuzhou, we will have even less financial resources to support your grand ambitions in the future. Please, my lord, prioritize the overall situation."
Mi Fang spoke with a solemn expression and a heavy tone, offering her reminder.
Liu Bei's brows furrowed sharply, and he shouted sternly, "Nothing is more important than the overall situation! We can't worry about anything else! Yide, immediately take your men and shut down all the Gu family's salt shops in the city!"
"promise!"
Zhang Fei, beaming with joy, immediately accepted the order in a loud voice.
Zhao Yun wanted to step forward and offer further advice, but he didn't know what to say, so he could only shake his head and sigh softly in the dark.
...
In the courtyard of Gu Cheng in Hulu County.
The news that Gu's Salt Shop had been completely shut down had been delivered to Gu Cheng overnight by express messenger.
"That big-eared scoundrel Liu Bei! Even Cao Cao didn't shut down his salt shops in Xuchang back then, yet now he dares to turn around and shut down ours! He's truly petty and narrow-minded!"
Zhou Tai, his face full of anger, angrily began to curse.
Xu Chu stepped forward, cupped his hands, and reported: "Reporting to the young master, Liu Bei not only shut down all our salt shops, but also forcibly confiscated nearly four thousand bushels of salt that we had stored in the shops!"
"Liu Bei, since you broke the rules first, don't blame me, Gu Cheng, for being impolite to you."
A cold glint flashed in Gu Cheng's eyes.
Suddenly, he looked up at Xu Chu and asked, "Zhongkang, I heard that Liu Bei is planning to marry a young lady from the Mi family. What is the exact date of the wedding?"
Xu Chu was taken aback at first, then quickly cupped his hands and replied, "Reporting to you, young master, the wedding date should be set for five days from now. What is the purpose of your question?"
"Bang!"
Gu Cheng slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, laughing coldly, "That big-eared scoundrel dared to shut down my salt shop, so I dare to steal his bride! I want to see how this old ox, who's always trying to eat young grass, manages to snatch that tender grass from the Mi family!"
In the eastern part of Xiaopei City, at the Mi residence, the inner courtyard was already bustling with activity.
Mi Fang was directing his servants to load thousands of pieces of Shu brocade and chests of pearls and jade onto carts as part of his younger sister Mi Huan's dowry.
Although the Mi family's business suffered a severe blow, they were still one of the three most powerful merchants in the world, and they could still afford this dowry. Inside the boudoir.
Mi Huan, standing in front of her dressing table, stared blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Footsteps sounded, and Mi Fang rushed in excitedly.
Seeing that her younger sister hadn't changed into her wedding dress yet, Mi Fang frowned: "Little sister, the lord is coming to fetch the bride soon, why are you still in your wedding dress?"
"Second brother, are you in such a hurry to marry me off?" Mi Huan glared at him, her tone full of resentment.
Mi Fang understood the implied meaning and dismissed the maids, leaving only him and his sister. With no one else present, Mi Fang whispered, "Little sister, even now, haven't you figured it out yet? Are you still unwilling to marry our lord?"
Mi Huan coldly retorted, "Are you really willing to marry your younger sister to a man nearing forty?" Mi Fang was taken aback by the question and didn't know how to answer for a moment. After a long while...
Mi Fang smiled wryly and comforted him, "Although my lord is over forty, he is still very healthy. Moreover, he is a hero of our time and a descendant of the royal family. Such a husband is worthy of you, sister."
"hero?"
"If he were truly a hero, why did he forcibly confiscate the Gu family's salt shop, making the world laugh at him for lacking heroic spirit?" Mi Huan retorted coldly, clearly disapproving of Liu Bei's actions. "This..."
"My lord has no choice. If we don't shut down Gu's Salt Shop, our Mi family's salt business will collapse. Then where will we find the funds to support your thousands of soldiers?"
Mi Fang looked helpless and tried to exonerate Liu Bei.
Mi Huan sneered, "A mere few thousand soldiers can't survive without our Mi family. Does Second Brother truly intend to bind our Mi family tightly to this lord?"
Mi Fang was speechless.
"Eldest brother is still serving as an official in Xuchang. If second brother forces a marriage alliance with Liu Bei, I'm afraid it will anger Cao Cao and be detrimental to eldest brother." "Second brother, you should think carefully!" Mi Huan reminded him in a deep voice.
Mi Fang said helplessly, "You saw Guan Yu's attitude when he came to visit the other day. If I don't agree to this marriage, Guan Yu won't let us off without the lord taking action. I really have no choice."
"So, just because you're afraid of death, you insist on forcing me to marry Liu Bei?" Mi Huan's eyes were filled with sarcasm.
Enraged by his sister's sarcasm, Mi Fang snapped, "The eldest brother is like a father. Now that my elder brother is gone, I'm in charge of this family. This marriage is yours to do, whether you like it or not. Hurry up and change into your wedding dress!"
He asserted his authority as an elder brother.
Mi Huan's delicate brows furrowed deeply, her lips bitten until they bled, her eyes filled with bitterness and helplessness, unsure of what to do. Just then...
A commotion arose outside the mansion gates, as if a fight had broken out. Mi Fang's expression changed slightly; without thinking, she rushed to the front courtyard. Mi Huan also had a bad feeling and immediately followed. Inside the mansion courtyard...
The servants of the Mi family were in a panic, retreating in disarray, each one terrified. "What happened?" Mi Fang demanded.
"Young Master, a group of men has suddenly broken in! We can't stop them!" the steward cried out in alarm. Mi Fang was startled and took a half step back, momentarily at a loss. Mi Huan, on the other hand, remained calm and stepped forward to see what was going on.
At that moment, accompanied by the clanging of armor, over a hundred fully armed generals stormed in. Xu Chu, wielding his elephant-trunk saber, stood like an iron tower before the Mi family. "It's him! He's that Young Master Gu's subordinate!" Mi Huan recognized him at a glance, her eyes filled with surprise and suspicion. Mi Fang, forcing herself to remain calm, stepped forward and questioned, "Which battalion are you from? Do you even know where you are? How dare you barge in like this!"
"Shut up!" Xu Chu cursed impatiently, and kicked out. Mi Fang screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily to the ground. Everyone was startled and rushed forward to help her up.
"You, how dare you!"
Mi Fang forced herself to stand, both angry and in pain, but dared not utter another sound, only glaring hatefully at Xu Chu. "Brother Xu, I have some connections with your young master Gu. How can you be so disrespectful to the Mi family?"
Mi Huan finally couldn't sit still any longer and stepped forward to question him.
"Young Master Gu, could this fellow actually be one of Gu Cheng's subordinates?" Mi Fang exclaimed in surprise, turning to his sister hastily. Mi Huan ignored his astonishment, her gaze fixed on Xu Chu. "So, you're actually the Miss Mi!" Xu Chu recognized Mi Huan, a flicker of surprise crossing his eyes. Then, his surprise vanished, and Xu Chu coldly snorted, "What kind of relationship? You shut down my young master's salt shop, forcibly seized our salt, and you still have the nerve to claim you have a relationship with my young master!"