"Tsk, tsk. It's only been a few days, and here comes another dividend payout." Seeing Wei Yuefu deliver the second batch of dividend money, Xu Cheng'an grinned from ear to ear.
His earlier demand for a fifty-percent cut of the gross had naturally been dropped.
Even if he dared to take that much, what would the prefectural authorities and Six Doors have to say about it?
Of course, it was also because the profits were simply staggering, far exceeding his expectations, forcing him to let go of that demand.
Besides, he was still pocketing a fortune. To rake in this much, multiple departments had to work in coordination; relying on him alone would never work.
"It was all thanks to the Commandant's guidance. Otherwise, this subordinate would have been like a clever housewife trying to cook without rice," Wei Yuefu said, deftly pushing the credit onto him.
Pocketing the money, Xu Cheng'an said, "I have noted your service."
"As I recall, you don't get along with that new Patrol Envoy Shen from Six Doors, do you?"
Hearing this, Wei Yuefu immediately replied, "Indeed, Commandant. However, I no longer serve in Six Doors, so we barely ever cross paths. No matter how poorly we get along, that's all there is to it."
Xu Cheng'an shook his head. "That may be so, but he doesn't see it that way. It seems this patrol envoy has set his sights on you."
Wei Yuefu was not particularly surprised. After all, their illicit business involved Six Doors.
With Shen Qianjun's capabilities, following the clues back to him was hardly difficult.
"With you here, Commandant, it surely won't touch me," Wei Yuefu replied, perfectly confident and unbothered.
Anyone wanting to move against him would first have to get past his network of vested interests.
As for someone trying to kick him out and install one of their own in his place?
Did they really take Wei Yuefu for a pushover? He now commanded two hundred well-equipped soldiers.
Every single one of these ventures depended on him, and he had made sure to leave contingency plans in place.
If anyone tried to swoop in and harvest the fruits of his labor, all they would get was rotten fruit.
If a replacement actually had the competence to run this, they wouldn't need to take over—they would have made it happen themselves long before.
His success didn't come from himself alone; it relied on the intelligence advantage provided by Six Doors' Windwhisper Bureau and his little brother.
Lacking even one of those factors, nobody could pull it off.
"The imperial court has issued an order requiring all prefectures surrounding Dingyuan Prefecture to dispatch troops and quell the rebellion," Xu Cheng'an said. "Six Doors must cooperate as well."
"Then... what are your plans, sir?" Wei Yuefu guessed Xu Cheng'an's intention, though he did not voice it aloud.
Xu Cheng'an gave a knowing, half-mocking smile. "On a campaign to quell rebels, the death of a mere patrol envoy from Six Doors is nothing out of the ordinary."
"Doesn't this Patrol Envoy Shen love playing the hero? Heh, this time we'll let him play the hero to his heart's content."
In Xu Cheng'an's eyes, this Company Commander Ding had many fine qualities, but because he was accustomed to keeping his head down and behaving, he was timid and feared death.
Still, that was a good thing for Xu Cheng'an; only someone like that would continue obediently generating money under him.
Hearing this, Wei Yuefu's mind immediately began racing.
If a patrol envoy could die, then a commandant could die too, couldn't he?
If Xu Cheng'an died, could he take his place?
Although he hadn't been here long, he brought in an immense amount of money.
Once Xu Cheng'an was dead, his campaign platform would be simple: he could make everyone rich.
"Commandant, should I go as well?" Wei Yuefu asked in a timid whisper.
"Look at you, scared out of your wits," Xu Cheng'an chuckled. "I'll take care of it for you."
"No, no, no, you misunderstand me, sir," Wei Yuefu said hurriedly. "I was hoping to go and pad my record. I'd like to climb the ranks a bit."
Hearing this, Xu Cheng'an was amused and couldn't help remarking, "So you're an ambitious climber, eh? Fine, we'll go together. But our business ventures can't fall behind. If this dividend dries up, the prefect will have me by the throat."
Wei Yuefu hastened to reply, "Rest assured, sir, I will see everything arranged properly. It's just that the expenses for this expedition..."
Xu Cheng'an waved a dismissive hand. "Forget about expenses! Consider this one on me. You've been here all this time, and I never even threw you a welcoming banquet. That was my neglect as your superior. The expenses this time will serve as your welcome reception."
"Thank you for your patronage, sir!" Wei Yuefu put on an expression of tearful gratitude.
The reason he wanted to go along was, of course, to find an opportunity to kill Xu Cheng'an.
If he left such a task to someone else, he wouldn't feel at ease.
If the man failed to die and came back alive, Wei Yuefu would be the one suffering the headache.
Secondly, he worried that when the next Descent came, his quest might still revolve around Shen Qianjun. If Shen Qianjun left and Wei Yuefu didn't follow, he wouldn't be able to complete the mission. This kill-two-birds-with-one-stone move solved both issues.
This campaign to pacify Dingyuan Prefecture was unlikely to go smoothly. With Shen Qianjun involved, unexpected complications were guaranteed.
"Since you're going to pad your credentials, you'll naturally have to bring your troops," Xu Cheng'an shifted the topic smoothly. "Those two hundred soldiers you just recruited haven't had much training, have they? Why not purchase some more horses and equipment from me, along with a few bows and crossbows? When the time comes, your men can just stand in the rear and loose arrows."
Wei Yuefu marveled at how Xu Cheng'an never missed an opportunity to stick his fingers into someone's purse. It was a miracle the man had climbed all the way to commandant; had his rank been any lower, he would have been killed off long ago. Wei Yuefu reckoned Xu Cheng'an had set his sights on the dividend Wei had just pocketed.
"Sir, this... isn't ideal, is it?" Wei Yuefu whispered meekly. "This money hasn't even warmed in my hands yet."
"I'll give you a discount—ten percent off market price." Xu Cheng'an was dead set on wringing coin out of Wei Yuefu.
In any case, these goods had all been embezzled by him. He couldn't claim zero cost, but selling them at even a tenth of market value would still turn a profit; it was merely a matter of how much he made.
Last time, Wei Yuefu had been pressured into buying weapons and armor; this time it was bows, crossbows, and horses. Truth be told... this hit right where he wanted it to.
In these twilight years of the dynasty, money was useful only if one had the arms to back it up.
Xu Cheng'an had never lived through the events in Dingyuan City, so he felt little urgency about it. The other company commanders were the same. After all, hearing a description and experiencing something firsthand were completely different matters.
Thus, they carried on just as before, going their own way without the slightest sense of tension.
In this expedition to quell the rebellion, there was a fifty-fifty chance they would suffer a crushing defeat, and the other fifty percent hinged on Shen Qianjun turning the tide to scrape a victory.
Wei Yuefu made a point of demanding a suit of heavy armor far superior to what he had before. Of course, Xu Cheng'an threw it in as a complimentary bonus.
"Then... could I take a bit less?" Wei Yuefu wore a pained, reluctant look—an act strictly for Xu Cheng'an's benefit, of course.
He had to cater to the man's logic so as not to arouse suspicion.
In truth, equipping his soldiers had all been carefully calculated; he had played into Xu Cheng'an's greed so the commandant would 'force' the sale on him.
"What do you mean, 'a bit less'?" Xu Cheng'an said with feigned displeasure, though delight surged within him. "One set per man! Otherwise, outsiders will think you can't afford it."
Chapter 47