More than ten thousand suits of forged plate armor had now been produced throughout the domain. Over the next few days, as the Weaponsmith Workshop shifted its focus toward mass-producing farm implements and various tools, the speed of clearing land, logging timber, and building the city inside the domain increased substantially.
With no small effort, the hundred thousand mu of newly opened land cleared by the youths had finally all been sown. Looking down at the vibrant life beneath the soil as the seeds began to sprout, Wei Yuan felt an immense sense of peace and stability.
Just then, a sudden intuition stirred in his heart: a peculiar caravan was approaching the domain.
The convoy was composed of a dozen-odd cargo wagons, yet carters and escorts together totaled barely over a hundred people. Every one of the guards was sharp and hardy, far from ordinary cultivators.
Several domain cultivators rode out on horseback to halt the caravan. A middle-aged man stepped forward from the convoy and said, "We hail from the Six Realms Chamber of Commerce, come specifically to open a trade route. We request an audience with the Domain Lord."
A short while later, the caravan was led to an open area outside Yong'an City to pitch camp. Wei Yuan and Cui Yu hurried over.
Once both sides were seated inside a makeshift tent, the middle-aged man summoned two young maidens, who arranged small tables and tea ware and prepared tea. A sweep of Wei Yuan's gaze was enough to reveal that both girls were actually Dao Foundation cultivators; they concealed themselves so well that ordinary folk would never notice.
The moment the tea touched his tongue, Cui Yu praised, "Fine tea!"
The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "A single cup of this 'Water-Hued Sky Green' can match a month of cultivation. Even I could only brew this one pot. How does it strike the Domain Lord?"
Wei Yuan's expression was indifferent. Noncommittal, he merely nodded and said, "It's decent."
The middle-aged man felt a jolt of respect, thinking that Wei Yuan truly was someone of wide experience, unimpressed even by such a cup of tea.
In truth, Wei Yuan merely found the flavor acceptable, but the spiritual qi it provided was a bit too sparse—sparing him barely an hour of hard cultivation, which was little better than nothing.
The middle-aged man then said, "We are an exploration caravan under the Six Realms Chamber of Commerce. I am Xu Su, the steward of this convoy. We have come wishing to establish a trade route to and from the domain, and in the future we plan to open a branch here. We hope the Domain Lord will grant us some accommodations."
Wei Yuan remained impassive, though he was somewhat surprised inwardly. Yuan Qingyan had blockaded the surrounding area like an iron bucket; how had this caravan managed to get in?
Cui Yu asked, "The main routes to the south and east are blockaded. May I ask how you made it through?"
Xu Su smiled faintly. "We are an exploration caravan, not ordinary traders. A blockade? Heh, by stationing a military redoubt every few hundred li? In our eyes, such a blockade is riddled with holes. As long as no True Person of the Dharma Idol realm sits in guard, slipping through unnoticed is simple enough. If anything, we should thank Lord Yuan for his blockade. Were it not for him, I might be facing competition from plenty of peers. We wouldn't be the only ones here right now."
Wei Yuan said, "I know nothing of the Six Realms Chamber of Commerce. Would Mister Xu care to enlighten us?"
"The headquarters of our Six Realms Chamber of Commerce is in the capital of Zhao; we are one of the two largest merchant chambers in Zhao. Our main business is bulk essential goods, but we also handle military provisions. If the Domain Lord has need for special treasures, we can discuss those as well. As for our strength, the fact that we brought this caravan here completely unscathed should speak for itself."
Wei Yuan remarked, "Your freight wagons look quite peculiar."
"Exploration caravans use specially designed wagons. Each is equipped with a formation that reduces the weight of cargo by seventy percent. If necessary, two Dao Foundation cultivators can activate the formation to fly briefly for a hundred zhang. With wagons like these, we have the confidence to cross mountains and ridges."
Wei Yuan asked, "So, on this trip, what did you bring, and what do you intend to buy?"
Xu Su smiled. "I heard that the Domain Lord established Qingming not long ago, but does not find favor with Western Jin. Therefore, we have brought some introductory gifts for the Domain Lord to express our chamber's sincerity. Here is the inventory."
Wei Yuan took the jade paper and swept his spiritual sense over it. On the list were copious amounts of grain seeds, as well as seeds for textiles and medicinal herbs. While the quantities were not massive, the varieties were complete, and many were specifically suited for planting in humid environments—precisely what Wei Yuan urgently needed.
Those were mortal goods. In terms of cultivation resources, they had also brought medicinal sprouts and seeds of some fifty to sixty varieties. Given time, the domain would be able to become self-sufficient in all manner of entry-level cultivation pills.
Finally, Xu Su ordered his men to bring over a heavily sealed box. When opened, inside lay seven foot-long saplings, jade-green and lustrous throughout, radiating dense spiritual qi. One look was enough to tell they were no ordinary spiritual plants.
"These are seven saplings of Water-Hued Sky Green. Once mature, each tree can yield three liang of Water-Hued Sky Green tea each year—the very tea we just drank."
Wei Yuan was finally moved. Taking the box to examine them closely, he confirmed that these tea saplings were indeed high-grade spiritual plants, only slightly inferior to the Ruby Lantern while sharing the same tier.
Seeing that Wei Yuan was pleased, Xu Su smiled. "Does this introductory gift please the Domain Lord?"
Wei Yuan replied, "The gift is too lavish; I would feel ashamed to accept it without cause."
This greeting gift was worth ten thousand liang of immortal silver, enough to support ninety new disciples of the Palace of Grand Beginning for a full year. The seven tea saplings alone were worth over eight thousand liang.
Xu Su laughed. "This gift is merely in exchange for a promise from the Domain Lord."
"What sort of promise?"
"Any favorable terms the Domain Lord grants to other merchant chambers in the future must not exceed what you grant the Six Realms Chamber of Commerce. If there are indeed better terms, whatever conditions you offer others must also be extended to us."
Wei Yuan shook his head at once. "I cannot agree to this. I will not accept the greeting gifts. Mister Xu, please take your leave."
Xu Su was taken aback. "Domain Lord, our condition is hardly excessive. We merely ask to be treated the same as everyone else."
Wei Yuan said coolly, "If you want something once-and-for-all, lasting for all time, this alone is far from enough, nor do I intend to make such a pledge. I am pleased that you have come, sir. I can purchase the goods on your wagons at market price. If there is anything here that catches your eye, you may purchase and take that with you as well."
Xu Su gritted his teeth and said, "Since the Domain Lord refuses to agree, we shall drop the proposal. We still wish to open a branch here in the future—how does the Domain Lord view that?"
Wei Yuan smiled. "That, of course, is fine! In fact, I have already selected locations for you. If Mister Xu has nothing pressing, you may go inspect them right away and pick a plot of land you like."
Xu Su's expression turned solemn. "Might I ask what deed tax is levied here? Is it the same as in Western Jin?"
This was a critical matter. Western Jin's commercial tax took thirty percent of cargo value, and with countless checkpoints across the realm, traders suffered extortion under all sorts of pretexts. After a moment of thought, Wei Yuan replied, "Handing over twenty percent will suffice."
"Twenty percent of revenue? That works..." Xu Su nodded. Hauling goods across thousands of mountains and rivers while breaching layer upon layer of blockades incurred enormous costs; such a tax rate was hardly light, but still acceptable.
Yet Wei Yuan added, "No, twenty percent of your net profits."
Xu Su was shocked and shot to his feet. "Are you serious?"
"Indeed," Wei Yuan said.
With Wei Yuan's confirmation, Xu Su was instantly overjoyed. The difference between twenty percent of revenue and twenty percent of net profit was not minor—it could easily be seven or eight times, or even more than tenfold! With this, whether that earlier promise was given or not no longer mattered.
He immediately said, "Splendid! The Domain Lord is so generous! Once I return, I will surely report this to the head shopkeeper. The Six Realms Chamber of Commerce will fully support you!"
At this moment, Cui Yu suddenly interjected, "Mister Xu, for your chamber to arrive here first speaks volumes of your capability. Surely you do not deal only in lawful commerce?"
Xu Su smiled. "You must be Young Immortal Cui Yu. Those of prestigious clan lineage truly have superior insight. Correct, we do indeed handle gray-area business. It all depends on what the Domain Lord desires."
Wei Yuan asked, "What if I want people dead?"
Xu Su paused, then smiled. "Most people have a price. It only depends on how much the Domain Lord is willing to pay, and who you want dead."
Wei Yuan said, "The family of Ningxi Commandery Governor Yuan Qingyan—specifically his direct offspring."
Xu Su frowned. "Involving a True Person of the Dharma Idol realm who is also a commandery governor... this is..."
Wei Yuan said coolly, "What, afraid of a mere dharma idol with no road ahead?"
Xu Su gritted his teeth and said, "Matters of this sort aren't something our chamber hasn't done before. Under Western Jin's official system, the dependents of regional governors posted to the frontiers must reside within a hundred li of the Jin capital. I will report this upon my return, but the price... I fear it won't come cheap."
Wei Yuan's expression softened slightly. "Is an advance payment required?"
"No need! We trust the Domain Lord's credit. Once the deed is done, we will present you with the price. You may pay in immortal silver or deduct it from our future taxes. Does the Domain Lord have any other requirements?"
"Two small matters. First, once the deed is done, leave a mask at the scene—any kind of mask will do. Second, there is no need to kill the children; wipe their memories and send them south, find them an ordinary peasant household, and let them live out poor, hardscrabble lives."
"That is easy enough. The south is mountainous, with many Li villages that have no dealings with the outside world from birth to death. Once sent into a village, they may never travel beyond fifty li for the rest of their lives."
"Very well. Now, I shall take Mister Xu to see the land."
At this point, the designated commercial area in the domain was naturally not around the hall where Qingming was enshrined, but had been relocated into Yong'an City. Xu Su went back to the caravan to fetch a feng shui compass and measuring tools, while Wei Yuan and Cui Yu waited outside.
While waiting, Cui Yu asked, "Why did you suddenly decide to move against Yuan Qingyan's family?"
Wei Yuan said, "He used an extinction plot. If he had actually succeeded, the domain would now be strewn with corpses of the starved. For that alone, exterminating his entire household wouldn't be excessive! We cannot pretend he did no evil simply because his plot failed. Since the opportunity presented itself, I merely played an idle move on the board to collect a little interest first. Though perhaps his children hold little weight in his heart, and I might just be wasting immortal silver."
Cui Yu frowned. "The imperial court has always had unwritten rules: misfortunes do not extend to family, and sins perish with the dead. Doing this will likely violate a major taboo."
"That's only because the hatred wasn't deep enough. What 'misfortunes do not extend to family,' what 'sins perish with the dead'? In court struggles, have widespread implicative purges and slaughter filling the fields ever been scarce? In Great Tang alone, over the past three hundred years, there have been nine major cases where collective punishment implicated more than a hundred thousand people. The only reason these rules are unwritten is that they cannot withstand scrutiny in the light of day, and they cannot be relied upon in the slightest."
Wei Yuan paused, then added, "Yuan Qingyan is nicknamed the 'Mad Dog,' but he isn't truly insane. Moving against his family is firstly to see whether he feels fear, and secondly to let him know that for a man like me, my only bottom line is having no bottom line."
Cui Yu sighed. "You are destined for great things; reputation matters as well. Yuan Qingyan will surely mobilize a swarm of censors, and when the time comes, their vilification will be foul indeed. Your reputation could be ruined."
Wei Yuan gave a hearty laugh. "No need to worry about reputation! If the day ever comes when we command mighty armies and sweep across the realm, when we march through the pass, great scholars will naturally interpret the scriptures in our favor."
Chapter 298