CHAPTER 457: 351. SEIZING THE SALT PERMIT

The store manager of the Chen Family Salt Shop, Chen Yue, stood at the threshold, hands behind his back, watching as Chen Ji’s figure disappeared into the thin mist.

He brushed off nonexistent dust from his brocade robe and instructed his staff with a cold sneer, "Remember, if that brat comes again tonight, treat him politely, don’t give him any obvious handles. But if he asks about the managers of the salt shop, just use the excuses I taught you before, say none of them are here."

"Yes."

Chen Yue walked towards the back courtyard.

In the back courtyard, next to a pomegranate tree, there was a square table around which a few people were gathered playing dominoes.

An old man with graying hair pondered for a moment while holding an ivory card, then flicked it to the center of the table with his finger: "Eight characters.

Chen Yue returned to his seat, glancing across his cards laid out before him: "Ladies and gentlemen, whether we can continue to live well depends on our unity. If we let this snot-nosed kid ride on our heads, life will be worse than a dog’s."

To his left, a middle-aged man with a goatee played a nine bamboo tile: "Store Manager, after all, the kid was sent by the master as the new landlord, just let him cool off a bit. Don’t really lose your temper, I’m afraid we won’t be able to end it."

Chen Yue gave the middle-aged man a sideways glance: "Ye, if you dare to secretly submit to him, I’ll yank out your guts to feed the dogs."

Shopkeeper Ye stroked his goatee: "Don’t try to scare me, even if your surname is Chen, my relationship with the master is closer than yours. Let me remind you, this vast Chen family, people like you and me are as numerous as the branches and leaves, with or without us, the Chen family is still the Chen family. Don’t take yourself too seriously."

Chen Yue laughed coldly: "The second master already instructed me yesterday, drag it out as long as possible, under no circumstances let this kid get hold of the salt shop."

Shopkeeper Ye raised his eyebrow: "Did the second master really say that?"

Chen Yue said mysteriously: "This matter is very significant, don’t mess it up. Besides, if we let this kid take over the salt shop, over time he will surely discover those dirty deeds of the past, do you think you can escape unscathed? Remember, this time we must put aside past grievances and advance and retreat together."

At this moment, the graying old man at the table leisurely asked: "What if we can’t stall? I heard this kid is quite fierce."

Shopkeeper Ye mocked: "No matter how fierce he is, he has to tone it down in the Imperial Capital, it’s not a place where martial arts speak. And he’s an eighteen or nineteen-year-old kid, the intricacies of the salt shop cannot be grasped overnight. Look at his behavior today, he came unprepared, said a few words, and then slinked away like a fool, probably crying somewhere now... Two characters."

Chen Yue focused on the ivory card before him: "When he comes again tonight, let’s shut him out, see how many more times he can come."

...

...

The outer city was bustling in the early morning, much more lively than the inner city.

Chen Ji walked along the slate road, the air filled with the tang of grass.

In the past, there were always ox carts passing in front of the Taiping Medical Hall, and when they did, they would occasionally recklessly leave cow dung behind, filling the whole street with the grassy smell.

Whenever this happened, Old Yao would stand at the door, scolding the carters a few times, then instruct Chen Ji to sweep the cow dung to someone else’s door. So much so that Chen Ji found the scent of grass in the air somewhat familiar.

At this moment, an ox cart carrying vegetables slowly headed towards Zhengyang Gate, and Chen Ji smiled at the old man driving it: "Uncle, give me a ride, would you?"

The old man glanced at him: "Climb aboard, you’re young and don’t even want to walk a few steps, life is full of detours."

Chen Ji laughed heartily: "Uncle, your tone is much like an old acquaintance of mine."

The old man muttered quietly: "Not a bad look, but quite odd."

Chen Ji sat sideways on the edge of the cart, propping himself up with his hands on the planks, watching the gray tiles and white walls slide backwards.

He jumped off the cart at Chessboard Street, throwing something over his shoulder towards the cart without turning back: "Thanks, Uncle!"

A few Copper Coins clinked onto the cart, making the old man’s face light up with a smile: "Now that’s more like it."

As he entered the Yulin Army Commander’s Mansion, Lin Yanchu and others stepped forward to salute: "Mr. Chen."

Chen Ji asked: "Where are Lord Li and Lord Qi?"

Lin Yanchu instinctively glanced at the Covered Building of the Governor Mansion: "They went to the Eight Great Hutongs again last night, it’s said that Lord Li’s wife led people to smash the Qingyin Small Class there, and chased everyone from the Qingyin Small Class out of the Imperial Capital. Lady Qi also warned that anyone in the Eight Great Hutongs who does business with Li Xuan should beware of dying without a place for burial."

Li Xuan married into the family, so the Qi family woman is not called Lady Li, but Lady Qi.

Chen Ji looked at Lin Yanchu: "Do you want to make money?"

Lin Yanchu was taken aback, he didn’t expect Chen Ji to be so straightforward, even the humble Yulin Army behind him exchanged uncertain glances.

A moment later, Lin Yanchu gritted his teeth: "I do! If it weren’t for your help back then, we might have already died unjustly in the Imperial Prison. It’s not just about making silver; we also want to follow you, Lord!"

The Commander of the Left Brave Guard of the Yulin Army is in the Imperial Prison, with an unknown release date, and the Right Brave Guard Commander is perpetually drunk, and the governor is disheartened.

Lin Yanchu and others are not so much loyal as having no other way out besides Chen Ji.

Chen Ji pointed at the Covered Building of the Governor Mansion: "Each of you take a basin of cold water and wake those drunkards up."

Lin Yanchu’s pupils tightened slightly: "Including Lord Li?"

Chen Ji answered seriously: "Including him."

Lin Yanchu turned to exchange looks with the other Yulin Army members, and after a few moments, they gritted their teeth, each taking wooden basins from beside the stables, fetching cold water, and rushing to the door of the Covered Building, dousing before running away.

Chen Ji casually remarked: "Not stupid, at least they know to run."

From within the Covered Building came the roar of Qi Zhenzhuo: "Who is it, courting death?"

Chen Ji stood quietly outside the threshold, looking at Qi Zhenzhuo: "Had enough fun yet? Previously I didn’t bother to manage you all, but now you’ve disrupted others’ business to the point where they’re forced to leave the Imperial Capital overnight. What’s wrong with them working hard to make a living? I’m throwing this cold water today as a reminder that if you want to go crazy, find a place with no people and don’t implicate others. If you’re done with your madness, there’s something I need you to do."

The Covered Building fell silent, Duobao wiped the cold water off his face and turned to look at Li Xuan.

After a long time, Li Xuan’s eyes were bloodshot: "What is it?"

...

...

The evening drums sounded, eight hundred beats, from slow to rapid.

In the Chen family’s salt merchant main hall, the staff swept the floor if they had to, tidied the salt scoops if they had to, but they kept glancing outside the door, absent-minded.

A young assistant whispered: "Second Shopkeeper Ye said, this time the boss sent a new landlord over, they’re dissatisfied with the number of workers in the salt shop, planning to cut three-tenths, is this true or false?"

"Second Shopkeeper Zhou said the same thing, it should be true. Just remember the managers’ instructions, we have to stand united, whatever the other side asks we know nothing, let them wait for the managers to return before saying anything."

The assistant muttered: "It’s the first time seeing the managers so amiable, usually when they meet it’s always an argument, today they actually sit together playing dominoes."

Someone advised: "Make sure not to leak anything, also, on the surface be respectful, don’t let them get any obvious handle."

At this moment, the evening drum sounds ended.

The staff suddenly started, turning to see Chen Ji stepping over the threshold.

Seeing everyone frozen, an elderly assistant coughed, and the staff hurriedly bowed together in greeting: "Landlord."

The elderly assistant politely said: "Landlord, the store manager he..."

Chen Ji raised his hand to stop the other’s words, walked straight to the counter to peruse today’s accounts: "What’s your name?"

The elderly assistant replied: "Responding to the landlord, I am Chen Bin."

Chen Ji acknowledged: "And the store manager, I mentioned in the morning, have him wait for me in the salt shop."

Chen Bin quickly cupped his hands: "Reporting to the Landlord, today the Salt Field Commander from Changlu returned to the capital, the store manager went to pay respects. This is important, concerning whether our salt shop can source salt from the field, so he asked me to apologize, he can’t wait for you in the salt shop today."

Salt Field Commander?

Chen Ji asked indifferently: "And where are the other Second Shopkeepers?"

Chen Bin replied: "Landlord, Second Manager Ye went to discuss next month’s salt shipment with the Cao Guild, Second Shopkeeper Zhou was called away by the Qing Officials Division of the Ministry of Revenue... none are here."

After speaking, he cautiously raised his head to glance at Chen Ji.

He originally thought this young Chen Ji would fly into a rage, but unexpectedly, Chen Ji just nodded, not angry at all.

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "The managers aren’t secretly selling our Chen Family Salt Shop’s salt permits, now afraid of the boss’s investigation, so all are hiding?"

Chen Bin smiled slightly, replied calmly: "Landlord, you misunderstood, the managers of our salt shop wouldn’t do such a thing. The salt permits exchanged after New Year’s Day from the Ministry of Revenue are right in the salt shop, all accounts are complete, not a single omission. Chen Ertong, lead someone to bring out the salt permits and accounts."

This time, Chen Ji didn’t stop them.

He leaned against the counter, silently watching the salt shop’s staff carry out over twenty large boxes, one by one opening the lids, revealing blue-covered account books inside.

To inspect so many account books by one person might take years. By the time the accounts are cleared, the salt shop managers would have new tricks to fob off this new landlord.

Chen Bin bowed to Chen Ji: "Landlord, please inspect."

Chen Ji confirmed again: "All the managers are not present?"

Chen Bin assured: "None are present."

Chen Ji turned towards the door and shouted: "Men, take these salt permits and account books, I want to inspect them overnight."

As he spoke, six wagons appeared from nowhere, stopping in front of the Chen Family Salt Shop. Lin Yanchu and a dozen humble Yulin Army soldiers rushed inside, carrying each box as they walked out.

Chen Bin’s face instantly changed: "Landlord, this is the lifeblood of our Chen Family Salt Shop, it mustn’t be taken away."

He signaled the staff with his eyes, only to see over a dozen staff rush to hold onto the boxes, refusing to let go, some even began to shove Lin Yanchu.

But Lin Yanchu, holding the iron ring of the box with one hand, grabbed the reaching hand with the other, gently twisted, and the opposing staff cried out in pain, kneeling on the ground: "It hurts... mother!"

On the other side, the salt shop staff who rushed to grab the box suddenly saw stars, as a plainclothes Yulin Army soldier backhanded them with a slap, making them spin on the spot.

The dozen or so staff who rushed up were all lying on the ground in no time, completely helpless.

Chen Bin hadn’t expected Chen Ji to disregard the rules, bringing a group of martial artists to seize the account books and salt permits, and in panic, he turned to shout to the back yard: "Manager..."

Chen Ji suddenly asked: "Oh, didn’t you say all the managers were absent?"

Chen Bin choked back the words he was about to say!