Chapter Forty-Three: A New Vulnerability

These matters were clearly not fit to be entrusted to Yang Chuan.

Besides, the whole point of seeking out Yang Chuan this time was to have him act as an intermediary and get Liu Pei out.

Without Liu Pei, not only would the kickbacks from the Bamboo and Timber Extraction Office vanish, but even if the confiscated Wanquan Trading House were reopened, it would no longer be able to turn a profit. Deprived of these two great sources of income, Liu Zeqing would soon have to begin eating into his old savings. How could that fail to make him anxious?

At this thought, Liu Zeqing finally fixed Yang Chuan with a solemn gaze and asked, “In Mr. Dongshan’s view, how should this Qin Xia be dealt with?”

Seeing that Liu Zeqing had at last come to the real matter, Yang Chuan’s spirits lifted. His eyes glittered, concealing emotions difficult to put into words.

“Dealing with that villain Qin Xia is not so hard. We scholars have always detested the chaos sown by the eunuch faction. Just think back to the first year of the Tianqi reign...” Yang Chuan said with a smile, yet he would not get to the point.

Liu Zeqing understood at once.

So this Yang Chuan was putting on airs.

At the thought that the two thousand taels of silver he had already thrown out had bought nothing more than a few light, vague words, Liu Zeqing gritted his teeth in fury.

But Liu Zeqing was a man of war, and not one with many capable advisers at hand. The few cultured retainers he kept were good only for drinking, amusement, and a little worldly polish; beyond that, they were useless.

After much thought, it seemed that only the local notable before him, the learned gentleman of Linqing, could truly help.

At that, he clenched his teeth and said, “I hear that in ten days it will be your honored mother’s sixtieth birthday, Mr. Dongshan. I have nothing worth offering, only nine luminous pearls, each as large as a chicken egg. I hope your mother will not disdain them.”

Seeing that Liu Zeqing had finally come around, Yang Chuan immediately laughed. “Since Your Excellency says so... then you are far too courteous. Very well, in that case, I shall be disrespectful and accept them.”

Liu Zeqing gave a low chuckle and said nothing.

Yang Chuan narrowed his eyes and went on, “As for dealing with Qin Xia, that really is not difficult. If it were someone like me, the worst would be to exchange one thing for another.”

Liu Zeqing lifted his brows, rather pained. “Exchange?”

Yang Chuan said softly, “Of course, the matter of what to exchange for what must be handled with some finesse. We must never let Your Excellency lose face or diminish your dignity. Still less should anyone think that Your Excellency fears that Qin Xia.”

Liu Zeqing nodded slightly, his expression easing as he became more receptive. “And what exactly does this finesse in exchange consist of?”

“First, apply pressure. Let Qin Xia know how formidable Your Excellency is, so that fear takes root in his heart,” Yang Chuan said.

Liu Zeqing smiled and nodded.

Yang Chuan’s voice took on a more elusive quality. “Then tempt him with advantages. Yield just a little, and Qin Xia will feel deeply indebted, convinced he has gained a tremendous bargain, and will be forced to retreat in great strides. Perhaps, in that case, not only can Your Excellency bring Liu Pei safely back, but you may even secure a share of the benefits from the tax-collection branch office.”

Liu Zeqing nodded more and more enthusiastically. “Reasonable, reasonable. But how exactly do we accomplish that? How do we learn what Qin Xia wants? What can we use to bargain with him? And how do we make him understand how formidable we are, so that I must give out less and take back more?”

Liu Zeqing was not a simpleton; he grasped the key point at once.

After all, however capable this gentleman might be, he was equally adept at tricking people. It would not do to spend so much money only to hear a few vague and airy words.

As he spoke, the pained look on his face returned in full force. After all, if anyone was going to bleed for the sake of dealing with Zhu Cilang in the end, it would still be him.

Especially when the matter of what to exchange for what came up, his expression of heartache was impossible to miss.

Yang Chuan did not seem at all discouraged by this. On the contrary, he felt a secret easing in his heart. He was rather pleased, thinking that Liu Zeqing was much easier to handle than Qin Xia.

With that in mind, he assumed an air of absolute confidence and said, “As for what Qin Xia seeks, it so happens that I already know.”

Liu Zeqing’s gaze sharpened slightly.

Yang Chuan smiled faintly. “And what can be exchanged for it is precisely something that need not cost Your Excellency much gold or silver in the end.”

Liu Zeqing’s eyes lit up.

Then Yang Chuan changed tone, becoming especially spirited. “As for making Qin Xia understand how formidable we are... that is precisely where Your Excellency excels. So long as you make up your mind, you can certainly make Qin Xia suffer a crushing setback. By then, Qin Xia will not even be able to protect the benefits of the tax office branch; he will have no choice but to come begging before us, meekly, and surrender a share of those benefits!”

At this, Liu Zeqing finally grew excited. “Mr. Dongshan, why not say it plainly at once? What exactly does that little thief Qin Xia want? And what means do we have to deal with him? If we can truly lay hands on the profits of the tax office branch, I will share twenty percent with you then and there!”

Once Liu Zeqing was stirred up, his tone at last acquired a few rough, swaggering edges.

Yang Chuan felt no displeasure at this. He merely lifted a hand, shook four fingers slightly, and said, “Forty percent. The prefectural office will need its own share, and the great hereditary families of Linqing, as well as the heroes of the martial world, must all be allotted a portion.”

Hearing this, Liu Zeqing showed no anger at the objection. Instead, he gave a light laugh and nodded. “Fine! If Mr. Dongshan wants forty percent, then take forty percent! As for how it is divided, I shall not concern myself with that.”

“Your Excellency is generous,” Yang Chuan said with a smile.

“Now that the spoils are settled, can you tell me how to deal with that Qin Xia?” Liu Zeqing narrowed his eyes, a hint of killing intent surfacing.

“As for the idea of dealing with Qin Xia... I rather admire what General Liu Pei did,” Yang Chuan said with a measure of praise. “To be able to make such a firm decision, to shut the Linqing river gate completely, and even to produce such an honorable pretext in official circles, was indeed a superb stratagem. If Qin Xia had not also been fully prepared, and had not obtained the imperial decree so quickly, I fear even I would not know how to unravel it.”

“Last time, General Liu Pei seized Qin Xia’s vital point: the Grand Canal.”

“This time, I too have found Qin Xia’s new vital point. That is... merit! What Qin Xia wants is to go west to Kaifeng, relieve the siege there, and win peerless military glory!” Yang Chuan said gravely. In the end, though, he suddenly laughed.

At the sound of that laugh, Liu Zeqing was stunned speechless. “What did you say? Go fight the rebel horde? Go to Henan, to Kaifeng? You agreed to that?”

At that moment, the hint of killing intent that had just risen in Liu Zeqing vanished without a trace. His face was full of shock and panic as he stared at Yang Chuan, with even a faint, almost imperceptible fear in his eyes.

Yang Chuan had naturally expected such a reaction.

Still, he did not hurry to soothe Liu Zeqing.

For the highest military commander in all of Shandong, Yang Chuan felt little fear. He only smiled and looked at Liu Zeqing, a trace of amusement in his eyes.

Liu Zeqing’s agitation lasted only a moment before he calmed down again. He noticed Yang Chuan’s expression and sensed that something was not quite right.

At that, Liu Zeqing forced down his restless emotions and said, “Mr. Dongshan, please speak plainly! I, Liu Zeqing, have rolled through the battlefield for decades, and I can still wield the blade in my hand!”