Protect Our Patriarch

……

Longzuo Commandery City.

It is the political, economic, and military center of the entire Longzuo Commandery.

Any family with some strength will plan to have a business in the commandery city, selling local specialties while also having a foothold in the city.

This way, they can procure necessary supplies for the family at any time and also get the latest news.

"Changning Wang's Trading Company"

This is a sole proprietorship of the "seventh-rank family" Changning Wang's Clan in Longzuo Commandery. Although the scale is not large, it sells exclusive high-end "glass" products, silk crafts, and a series of products most loved by the noblewomen of Longzuo, such as [Ice Skin Jade Moisturizing Cream], [Red Luan Purple Phoenix Pill], [Immortal Reflection Treasure], [Soft Silk Green], [Butterfly Hundred Flowers Fragrance].

[Ice Skin Jade Moisturizing Cream] is made from deep-sea golden clam spirit pearls, various "precious" spirit herbs, and "spiritual beast fat." Long-term use can make the skin as smooth and delicate as ice and snow.

The other products are also for women, and their effects are quite good. It is said that even the esteemed figures like Binglan from the Purple Mansion Academy and the Commandery Prince's wife from the Commandery Prince's household use these treasures.

However, these products have two major drawbacks: they are expensive and scarce. Therefore, these goods often need to be pre-ordered, and even then, they are often out of stock.

Because of this, the threshold of Changning Wang's Trading Company has been worn out by the noblewomen of the commandery city.

The third eldest of the Shou generation, Wang Shounuo, who is in charge here, is surrounded by noblewomen from various families and clans every day, using all sorts of means just to secure a stable supply of skincare products.

The noblewomen of this world are not like those of ancient China who never stepped out of their homes. When their maids and servants are not effective, they often personally deal with Wang Shounuo.

The "poor" Wang Shounuo doesn't know how many fierce women he has to deal with every day, and he still has to remain chaste in such a situation, with his wife not by his side.

Such torment can be described as hell mode.

However, the small trading company now has an annual turnover of 400,000, with a gross profit of over 300,000! No matter how hard it is, Wang Shounuo will persevere.

Moreover, those noblewomen of various sizes are one of the best sources of information. Various rumors and gossip are compiled by Wang Shounuo and sent back home through the flying carriage express system.

On this day.

Wang Shounuo was diligently guarding the trading company as usual, dealing with wave after wave of noblewomen.

Suddenly!

He heard a piece of news that [Qingfeng Trading Company] opened today, and from now on, it would only cost thirty big coppers to take a flying carriage to Baidao Garrison for tourism. Not only that, the prices for mailing letters and goods were far lower than [Shouda Trading Company].

"What?" Wang Shounuo was shocked, hurriedly inquiring from the noblewoman, and then rushed to [Qingfeng Trading Company] in a hurry.

He knew that Shouda Trading Company was now quite profitable and was one of the pillar industries of the Wang's Clan. The rapid development of Xin'an Town in the outer regions over the past decade was largely due to the surplus profits from Shouda Trading Company.

If Shouda Trading Company faced a crisis, it would inevitably curb the Wang's Clan's current favorable situation.

Half an hour later.

In front of the newly opened [Qingfeng Trading Company], a crowd had gathered, attracted by the low-price strategy of the company.

Flying carriages had become common for nearly twenty years, no longer a rarity.

The people of Longzuo Commandery City, being in the flying carriage transit center, found it most convenient for sending goods, letters, or going out for a trip.

Even wealthy people would sometimes take a flying carriage for a trip when they were in a bad mood and return after a few days with bags of local specialties, ready to resume the high-paced life of the commandery city.

And the merchants of the commandery city could sell various high-quality goods throughout Longzuo Commandery using the flying carriage delivery system, making huge profits.

Shouda Trading Company thus made a fortune, becoming one of the most profitable industries in Longzuo Commandery, attracting much envy. However, building a flying carriage system was not easy.

Firstly, acquiring so many flying carriages was a problem. Secondly, the Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery, a fifth-rank family, was not easy to bully. Thirdly, Shouda Trading Company was backed by the Purple Mansion Academy, and the annual rent paid to the academy was a significant amount.

As a result, Shouda Trading Company had formed a monopoly in Longzuo Commandery, with no competition.

But today, this monopoly was broken.

Amid the excited discussions of the crowd, Wang Shounuo learned that the newly opened [Qingfeng Trading Company] was actually a business of the famous fourth-rank Zuoqiu's Clan from Qing'an Commandery, and most of their flying carriages were rented from [Lingyun Holy Land].

With the endorsement of Zuoqiu's Clan and the Holy Land, Qingfeng Trading Company's reputation was naturally not an issue, and their prices were only 30% of Shouda Trading Company's, gaining the support of various merchants.

Some merchants signed contracts with Qingfeng Trading Company on the spot.

"This is bad." Wang Shounuo felt a sense of crisis, hurriedly running back to write a letter to Wang Shouzhe.

In fact, it was not only Wang Shounuo who notified the family. The headquarters of Shouda Trading Company in Longzuo Commandery, its branches in various places, the Longzuo Wang's Clan, the Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery, and others quickly transmitted this information.

In an instant, a storm was brewing. Shouda Trading Company, established for nearly twenty years, faced its greatest crisis.

But this suppression of the Qian Clan and Wang's Clan seemed to be just the tip of the iceberg.

At the same time.

In the northwest of Qing'an Commandery, near Monan Commandery, there is a trade route that has existed for nearly three thousand years, known as the "Qingbei Corridor."

Because Daqian is mountainous, Qing'an Commandery's terrain is relatively flat, convenient for transporting large quantities of goods, and the distance is short. Therefore, the caravans from Longyuan, Lingbei, and Longzuo Commanderies mostly take this "Qingbei Corridor" to go to the capital.

The caravans of the Qian Clan of Longzuo Commandery are no exception.

Over the years, the Qian Clan's caravans have traveled this route countless times, becoming very familiar with it.

Qian Zhong is a manager of Qian's Trading Company, responsible for the Qingbei Corridor transportation line for many years.

He travels back and forth between the capital and Longzuo several times a year.

Over the years, he has traveled this route countless times, becoming very familiar with everything on this road.

When running a business, he knows exactly when to set off, at what speed to travel, and where to rest, with a time estimate error never exceeding an hour.

On this day, he set off with the caravan as usual, timing it to leave the pass in the afternoon so they could reach the inn near the capital by evening.

Qian's Trading Company has been operating for many years, and transportation has always been one of its main businesses, transporting raw iron from Monan to iron-deficient Longzuo, handling part of the grain transportation for Zuoqiu's Clan of Qing'an Commandery, and transporting glass products from Wang's Clan to the capital.

Accordingly, Qian's Trading Company has developed a mature industry chain related to transportation, with warehouses in various commanderies for storage and transfer, and well-developed transportation tools.

Qian's long-distance carts are pulled by specially purchased northern wild oxen, which are larger, stronger, and faster than southern oxen.

The carts are specially modified, with locked, fully enclosed compartments that are rainproof, windproof, and have some defensive capabilities, with a high probability of protecting the goods even if attacked by beasts.

The front half of the cart, near the front, has a small compartment separated from the main compartment, accessible only from the front, with windows on both sides, just enough for two beds, allowing the drivers to rest in shifts. Occasionally, when camping in the wild, it can accommodate people.

The modified carts are not only convenient and practical but also have 1.5 to 2 times the carrying capacity of ordinary ox carts, greatly increasing Qian's Trading Company's transportation capacity and reducing the loss or damage of goods during transportation.

Transportation capacity and reputation are the foundation of Qian's Trading Company.

With excellent transportation capacity and years of reliable service, Qian's Trading Company has gained the trust of other families, who entrust their goods to them for transportation.

However, today, something went wrong on this usually smooth route.

"What's going on ahead? Go and find out."

Seeing the ox carts ahead not moving and blocking the road, Qian Zhong felt something was wrong and instructed his assistant.

The assistant immediately got off the ox cart, took a horse from the escort, and rode ahead.

This caravan, though just one of many of Qian's Trading Company, was not small, with forty-eight ox carts and escorts, stretching nearly two miles.

Although Qian Zhong had the strength of the Lingtai Realm, he was stationed in the center and couldn't see or hear what was happening nearly a mile away. So he was quite puzzled.

After a while, the assistant hurried back on horseback, with a worried expression: "Uncle Zhong, the road ahead is blocked by roadblocks, guarded by soldiers from Qing'an Commandery, saying they are repairing the road and not allowing passage."

"Repairing the road?" Qian Zhong was puzzled, "This Qingbei Corridor has been used for so many years, with carts and oxen trampling it daily, the compacted soil is even firmer than the official road, why repair it? And I've never heard of Qing'an Commandery repairing this road."

He had a bad feeling.

"Uncle Zhong, what should we do now?" the assistant asked, "Rest here and wait for the road to be repaired?"

"No." Qian Zhong shook his head, "This batch of goods includes not only the usual north-south miscellaneous goods but also a significant portion of custom-made glass products from the Heavenly Workshop's main store, which I have a contract to deliver within a month. We can't afford any delays."

Wang's Clan had completed the custom-made glass products two months ago and handed them over to Qian's Trading Company, leaving ample time for transportation. If they still missed the delivery time, the responsibility would be entirely on Qian's Trading Company, and they would have to pay a large amount of liquidated damages.

Moreover, liquidated damages were not the most troublesome issue. The most troublesome issue was that the owner of the Heavenly Workshop was the third-rank Gongye Clan, which Qian's Trading Company couldn't afford to offend.

If the manager of the Heavenly Workshop got angry and reported to the owner, the hard-earned foothold of Qian's Trading Company in the capital might be lost.

Thinking of this, Qian Zhong had a headache. After pondering for a moment, he instructed the assistant: "Let everyone rest here for a while. I'll go ahead and see if I can persuade the soldiers to let us pass."

With that, he took the assistant's horse and rode ahead.

Soon, he saw the rows of tall, dark roadblocks.

The Qingbei Corridor follows the direction of the water flow, with the Lock Spring River less than a mile to the south and a forest to the north, where beasts occasionally appear. The roadblocks were made of sturdy hardwood to temporarily withstand beast attacks.

At this moment, the continuous roadblocks almost completely blocked the road, with only gaps revealing soldiers in uniform.

Qian Zhong removed the sword from his waist and handed it to an escort, then rode forward, shouting, "Are you soldiers from Qing'an Commandery? I am Qian Zhong from Qian's Trading Company. Please allow me to see your commander."

A helmeted head peeked out from the roadblock, glanced at him, and then said, "Wait here," before jumping down and running to inform the commander.

Soon, a section of the roadblock was moved, and a middle-aged soldier in a commander's uniform walked out.

"Hey, isn't this Manager Qian?" The commander greeted Qian Zhong with a smile, "It's been a long time."

"Commander Zhao?" Qian Zhong was surprised, quickly approaching to make small talk, "It's been over ten years. Have you been promoted? Congratulations on becoming a colonel."

Qian Zhong had dealt with Zhao Zhibang when he was a manager in Qingbei Garrison. This man, though smiling on the surface, was shrewd and not easy to deal with.

"I've long left Qingbei Garrison. Now I'm a roving colonel in Qing'an Commandery, responsible for northern patrols with other colonels." Zhao Zhibang said, patting the roadblock behind him, "Today, I'm here to assist with road repairs."

After some small talk, Qian Zhong pulled Zhao Zhibang aside and whispered, "Colonel Zhao, I don't know how long this road repair will take. My goods are urgently needed. Can you make an exception?"

As he spoke, he took out a gold ticket and tried to slip it into Zhao Zhibang's hand.

However, Zhao Zhibang, who seemed easygoing, refused the gold ticket and righteously rejected the request, citing safety concerns during road repairs.

No matter how Qian Zhong pleaded, Zhao Zhibang refused to budge, blocking Qian's Trading Company's caravan behind the roadblock.

Qian Zhong felt both aggrieved and angry but was helpless.

Seeing Zhao Zhibang about to leave, he hurriedly grabbed him, suppressing his anger and said, "Colonel, at least let me understand. My goods were detained for several days in Qing'an Commandery City, and now I'm blocked here. What's going on? I haven't offended you, have I?"

As he spoke, he forced the gold ticket into Zhao Zhibang's hand, holding it tightly.

"Manager Qian, you've been a manager for so many years, how can you not see the situation?"

Zhao Zhibang sighed, looked at the gold ticket, thought for a moment, and finally accepted it, whispering, "This is an order from above. There's no way to make an exception. You'd better let your family head think about who you've offended recently."

With that, he shook off Qian Zhong's hand and returned behind the roadblock with the gold ticket.

The tall roadblock closed again.

Qian Zhong looked at the dark roadblock, feeling gloomy.

It seemed his bad premonition was true.

There were indeed forces in Qing'an Commandery targeting the Qian Clan. This was far more serious than just missing a delivery.

If this situation wasn't resolved, today it was the order from the Heavenly Workshop, but in the future, who knew how many more orders would be affected.

In the long run, could the Qian Clan's business continue?

The transportation line was one of the lifelines of the Qian Clan.

And the line between Qing'an Commandery and the capital accounted for nearly 30% of the Qian Clan's transportation profits. If something went wrong, the losses would be significant.

Although the Qian Clan was large and wealthy, the managers responsible for specific affairs were usually at the Lingtai Realm. If Qing'an Commandery was determined to cause trouble for the Qian Clan, he, as a small manager, couldn't withstand it.

He had to quickly send a message to the family head to find a solution.

With this thought, he rode back to the caravan with a dark face.

Soon, two white birds flew out from the caravan's window, flapping their wings towards Longzuo Commandery City.

However, similar incidents were not isolated. Qian's Trading Company's caravans encountered similar problems in various places.

……

Longzuo Commandery City.

In a high-end private room of the Purple Mansion Palace, an industry of Longzuo Wang's Clan.

Wang Shouzhe, who had rushed to the commandery city upon hearing the news, was leisurely drinking a pot of top-grade spirit tea, a gift from Commandery Governor Taishi Ankang, called "Immortal Tea."

This tea, produced by the Han Yue Immortal Dynasty, not only had a long-lasting and mellow taste but also had the effect of nourishing the Lingtai and divine sense. At his level, every bit of divine sense was precious.

As the saying goes, it's easy to go from frugality to luxury. Wang Shouzhe had already entrusted various channels to purchase the spirit tea seeds.

"Master Wang Shouzhe." Qian Xuehan, sweating profusely, said anxiously, "At this critical moment, you still have the leisure to brew tea and taste it. Please think of a solution quickly."

"Don't be anxious." Wang Shouzhe smiled calmly, handing over a cup of tea, "Try this Immortal Tea, it can calm the mind and clear the spirit. We can talk slowly."

"Gulp gulp." Qian Xuehan took the cup and drank it in a few gulps, wiping his sweat, "Master Wang Shouzhe, Zuoqiu's Clan is pressing us hard. I don't have your leisure."

After spending a long time with Wang Shouzhe, Qian Xuehan had picked up some strange new words.

He was in a terrible mood.

This time, Zuoqiu's Clan's comprehensive suppression targeted all of Qian's Trading Company's industries, causing significant losses every day.

For the past decade, Qian Xuehan had watched the Cao's Clan from Longyuan Commandery suffer.

Now that it was Qian's turn to be suppressed by Zuoqiu's Clan, he truly understood the pressure and helplessness. The gap between a fifth-rank family and a fourth-rank family was indeed significant.

Moreover, Zuoqiu's Clan was not an ordinary fourth-rank family. They had six Zifu Ancestors (one of whom was in Qing'an Academy), dominating Qing'an Commandery.

"Master Wang Shouzhe, you must stand up for our Qian Clan." Qian Xuehan said miserably, "There are rumors that Zuoqiu Qingyun was killed by us working together. And Zuoqiu's Clan always thought that your Wang's Clan was just our Qian Clan's pawn... So all their efforts are targeting our Qian Clan. It's unjust, it's killing me."

"Master Wang Shouzhe, you must be responsible for our Qian Clan..."

"Calm down." Wang Shouzhe reassured Qian Xuehan, "Zuoqiu Qingyun's death is a scandal. Zuoqiu's Clan doesn't dare to violate Daqian law and directly attack the Qian Clan. At most, they will use some underhanded tactics."

Underhanded tactics?

Qian Xuehan's eyes were gloomy. Master Wang Sh ouzhe, you say it so lightly. Do you know how much we lose each year just from these underhanded tactics? As the head of the Qian Clan, the pressure I bear is immense.

Moreover, now everyone knows that Zuoqiu Qingyun was killed by your Wang's Clan... but we have to take the blame! The most frustrating part is that for the sake of our long-term friendship and mutual interests, our Qian Clan has to continue bearing this burden.

"However, problems always need to be solved." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "But before that, let's pay a visit to the Commandery Governor."

"The Commandery Governor might find it difficult to handle this matter, right?" Qian Xuehan was full of doubts. In fact, the Qian Clan had already sought an audience with Commandery Governor Taishi Ankang but had not received a satisfactory response.

Nevertheless, Qian Xuehan respected Wang Shouzhe's suggestion and accompanied him to visit the Commandery Governor once again.

Inside the Commandery Governor's mansion.

Taishi Ankang, "amidst his busy schedule," took the time to meet Wang Shouzhe and Qian Xuehan, treating them with good tea and fruits. The Qian Clan, being a fifth-rank family, naturally received attention. And Wang's Clan was not simple either, so Taishi Ankang would not neglect them.

"Clan Head Qian, as I mentioned before," Taishi Ankang said, "Zuoqiu's Clan is following the law, setting up a business in Longzuo Commandery and engaging in normal commercial activities. As the Commandery Governor, I'm afraid there's nothing I can do."

"Commandery Governor, our Qian Clan is practically your own people." Qian Xuehan said unwillingly, "If it were normal commercial competition, neither Shouda Trading Company nor Qian's Trading Company would be afraid. But Zuoqiu's Clan's actions are truly disgusting. They ignore the great flying carriage market in Qing'an Commandery and come to Longzuo Commandery to compete with Shouda Trading Company."

"This is clearly bullying. They protect their own meat but put their chopsticks in our bowl to snatch our meat. How is this reasonable?"

Taishi Ankang's face also showed some displeasure. Indeed, Zuoqiu's Clan was somewhat bullying and did not take him, the Commandery Governor, seriously. But he said helplessly, "Zuoqiu's Clan's actions are indeed despicable, but there's nothing I can do." He then looked at Wang Shouzhe and asked, "Master Wang Shouzhe, do you have any solutions?"

After all, the Qian Clan, Shouda Trading Company, and Wang's Clan were all considered his own people. It felt like his own children were being bullied, but he was helpless.

"How about the Commandery Governor personally visit Qing'an Commandery, pay a visit to the Commandery Governor of Qing'an and the Commandery Prince, and formally protest, saying that Zuoqiu's Clan's behavior is too ugly and asking them to control Zuoqiu's Clan, not to go too far," Wang Shouzhe suggested.

Taishi Ankang's face turned dark.

He looked at Wang Shouzhe with disappointment and said, "Master Wang Shouzhe, do you think I, Taishi Ankang, don't care about my face? How can I go to Qing'an Commandery to be humiliated?"

"Sir, please calm down." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "The reason I want you to take this step is because the next steps I plan to take against Zuoqiu's Clan will be even more disgusting, more excessive, and uglier than what Zuoqiu's Clan is doing to us..."

"To avoid the Commandery Governor of Qing'an, the Commandery Prince, and others from coming to you to cry, putting you in a difficult position... it's better for you to go first, let them be arrogant for a while, and block the mouths of the people."

Taishi Ankang's eyes lit up, and he said in a low voice, "Wang Shouzhe, what brilliant plan do you have? Tell me quickly to make me happy."

Qian Xuehan, who was beside him, was also extremely excited, saying repeatedly, "I knew it, Master Wang Shouzhe always has a plan..."

Wang Shouzhe smiled and whispered his plan.

A quarter of an hour later.

Taishi Ankang and Qian Xuehan's expressions kept changing, finally looking at Wang Shouzhe with a mixture of astonishment and fear.

This plan was not just more excessive; it was clearly intended to destroy Zuoqiu's Clan. Even as Wang Shouzhe's "own people," they felt a chill down their spines. It was a stark reminder to never cross Wang Shouzhe.

Wang Shouzhe had been laying the groundwork for this plan for fifteen years, gradually tightening the noose around Zuoqiu's Clan's neck.

……

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