Agricultural work was in full swing. Implements like sickles for harvesting palm fruit, hoes and shovels for turning the soil, and iron plows hitched to oxen and horses could not be forged on the Yangshan Archipelago in time, so they had to be purchased. The procurements were massive—thousands of pieces at a time—which ordinary shops could not supply. Ding Zuodong's stewards had to scour merchant guilds everywhere to place orders and arrange shipments.
To their dismay, even these items had surged in price. The wholesale price of a single palm-harvesting sickle actually reached a hundred wen!
It was merely two pieces of worn wood sandwiching a blade; under normal circumstances, it wouldn't even cost forty wen. Yet when Yangshan buyers negotiated, back and forth, they couldn't push the price below eighty wen.
Infuriated, Ding Zuodong sent men door-to-door through Blade Harbor and surrounding villages and towns to buy up used sickles. They didn't need to be new, so long as they got the job done.
Other farm implements were no exception—ludicrously expensive no matter who they tried to buy from.
The problem was that every merchant association and trade guild in Bailie and Blade Harbor, large and small, charged the same inflated price. Sometimes the Yangshan people tried placing orders with local smithies, only for the smiths to come back the next day after settling on a price to cancel the order, saying they wouldn't sell after all.
There was no wall that didn't leak wind. When Ding Zuodong discreetly inquired with a merchant, the man bluntly admitted, "The higher-ups ordered us to drive up prices."
As for who the higher-ups were, he didn't know either.
In addition, the Qing Kingdom and Bailie were shipping supplies to the Mou Kingdom, and oxen, horses, and mules served as transport capacity. Strong beasts of burden were expensive to begin with, and with official procurements surging, their prices naturally shot up.
Even now, transport capacity remained in short supply across the Yangshan Archipelago.
Ding Zuodong added, "Following your instructions, I secretly contacted Third Lu, Lu Zhenlian, to buy livestock and boots, and Sixth Lu, Lu Zhenxian, to buy stone and grain. Sure enough, the prices dropped considerably."
These two men were Lu Zhensheng's cousins, and both were clan elders despite their relatively young age.
The Lu family was the overlord of Bailie, but Lu Zhensheng and his sons were not the only ones with privileges.
Anyone with the surname Lu owned businesses under their name, whether profitable or not.
When the overlord demanded that merchant guilds coordinate to raise prices, what ordinary merchant would dare disobey? The only ones capable of gouging an opening in such a united front were members of the Lu family itself.
At this point, Ding Zuodong stepped out for a moment and returned with a brocade box.
"This is a gift from Third Lu for you."
Inside the box was a pair of dark brown swift boots. The slanted cuffs were stitched with gilded thread and inlaid with malachite, exuding an understated elegance.
The boots were a magic artifact. Not only were they impervious to water and fire, but they also possessed an inherent Shadow-Skimming divine ability; whoever wore them could run like the wind with extraordinary lightness.
He Lingchuan slipped his feet into them, and the boots automatically adjusted for a snug fit. Walking a few paces, he found them remarkably comfortable.
"Fine goods." It might not be extravagantly priced, but it was highly practical. "Third Lu is quite thoughtful."
"We canceled our orders with other merchant guilds and bought four hundred head of livestock from him alone, along with ordering over a thousand pairs of combat boots. Third Lu might not land a deal that big once in six months. He was grinning ear to ear and came to receive me in person." Ding Zuodong chuckled. "If you ask me, Third Lu knows how to handle people better than Lu Zhensheng. He's just suppressed within the clan with no chance to shine."
He Lingchuan recalled Steward Feng mentioning the ramshackle, cavernous mansion of Third Lu's household, the weasel that hopped across the wellhead at night just to scare people for fun...
as well as the complaints voiced by Third Lu and his wife.
Even knowing that the main branch might be scheming against the Yangshan Archipelago, no one could turn down benefits handed to them on a platter—or cold, hard silver—especially not a household as strapped for cash as Third Lu's.
He smiled. "It seems Tao Ran's information is spot on. Lu Zhensheng and his sons keep all the best industries in their own grip, tossing only scraps to their clan uncles and cousins. If the clansmen want to live well, they have to hang on Lu Zhensheng's every breath."
Tao Ran, the Mount Rong native, had infiltrated Lu Zhensheng's household to gather intelligence, frequently sending word back.
He Lingchuan was certain the Lu family was doing the exact same thing to the Yangshan Archipelago, so they were even.
"Yet Third Lu and Sixth Lu have businesses of their own, and whenever they graze Lu Zhensheng's interests, friction ensues." He Lingchuan's gaze shifted slightly. "In that case, let's add more fuel to their fire. Old Ding, deliver two invitations for me. I'd like to treat these two old stags to a meal at Qianbin Tower."
His reason for seeking out these two clan elders was hardly just to save a few coins on purchases. "It's time to make contact with other members of the Lu family as well. By the way, I hear Sixth Lu has a capable pair of children?"
"Indeed, though it wasn't Sixth Lu who trained them, but his father-in-law, Miao An. Supposedly, their cultivation and martial arts are both quite impressive."
He Lingchuan nodded. Marriage alliances were among the best ways to consolidate territory and strength. As an ancient family handed down through generations, the Lu clan knew this well.
"Miao An has guarded eastern Bailie with his troops year-round. Last year, he was severely wounded fighting against the Ya Kingdom. Bailie's defensive line was shattered, leaving them no choice but to pay reparations and sue for peace. However, Sixth Lu's daughter—Miao An's granddaughter, Lu Feiyan—was already taking the field to kill enemies at fifteen, and she achieved an impressive record across several battles. Sixth Lu bragged to me that she served as the left vanguard in Miao An's army last year. After Miao An was injured, she covered the main force's withdrawal brilliantly. But since the army lost the war, they couldn't make a big show of it."
"Then she does have real skill." He Lingchuan had led troops in battle himself and knew full well that managing a retreat was far harder than orchestrating an assault. In defeat, morale wavered, no one had any stomach for fighting, and the slightest misstep would trigger a rout like an avalanche.
In such circumstances, anyone covering the main force or staying behind as rearguard had to be truly capable.
"Supposedly, she chose the name 'Feiyan' herself," Ding Zuodong continued. "As for Sixth Lu's son, Lu Qingbang, he previously studied abroad in Lingxu City and only returned to Bailie this year."
"I knew the name sounded familiar." He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "It feels like I've seen or heard it before."
The mirror in his breast pocket immediately chimed in: "Lingxu City! You met him in Lingxu City!"
Where else could He Lingchuan have seen Lu Qingbang? Lingxu City, of course.
Back then, he had spent his days drinking heavily—no, debating lofty ideas—with scholars from various nations at the Lingxu Imperial Academy, making quite a few acquaintances. Although Lu Qingbang had not been among his closer circle, he remembered the name, and recalled Lu Qingbang joining other scholars to offer him a toast. The moment Ding Zuodong mentioned him, everything clicked into place.
He Lingchuan could even guess with near certainty why Lu Qingbang had ended his studies and returned to Bailie:
Like so many other students, he had been caught up in the fallout of the Lingxu Incident sparked by Fang Canran.
Individual destiny counted for nothing in the face of the era.
"The old Lu family has a few talents in this generation after all. Not quite as feeble as I imagined. Not bad, not bad."
"It's just a pity they're overshadowed by Lu Qinglin's radiance, fading into the background," Ding Zuodong said with a smile. "Sixth Lu is proud of his children, yet secretly indignant deep down. Even if he hasn't shown it openly, I can sense it."
It was his father-in-law defending the country in Bailie, and his own children putting their lives on the line, yet Lu Zhensheng was the head of the main branch now. All the clan's finest resources and prestige were lavished on Lu Zhensheng's second son—while Lu Qinglin was off in the Mou Kingdom.
Chapter 938