"Enough nonsense, let's get down to business," said Zhou Fugui to Huang Shirun within the prefect's yamen of Donghai Commandery.
What did "nonsense" mean? Perhaps rambling on about irrelevant things? Huang Shirun inwardly mused, wasn't it you rambling on about irrelevant things? And you're blaming me?
"No matter how difficult it is for your Huang and Xu families, can it be more difficult than for the common people, or for me, the Grand Governor?" Zhou Fugui continued. "Even a landlord has surplus grain, let alone your aristocratic families? Are you going to stand by and watch the people of Donghai Commandery starve and die of illness with folded arms?"
"Great Governor, my Huang family does have some surplus grain, but if we take it all out, over a thousand mouths in the Huang clan will starve to death." The more they argued, the more heated it became, Huang Shirun snorted coldly.
"What if I use force?" Zhou Fugui said angrily.
Damn it, he's truly Huang Shiren, stingy to the bone, Zhou Fugui cursed inwardly.
"Great Governor..." Huang Shirun retorted. "How did you obtain Donghai Commandery? If you use force, you'll be crossing the river and demolishing the bridge, repaying kindness with enmity!"
"I've shouldered enough ill repute, what's one more instance of crossing the river and demolishing the bridge, or repaying kindness with enmity? For the sake of the people of Donghai Commandery, what does it matter if I bear it? From this day forward, members of the Huang and Xu families are forbidden to leave their homes, awaiting my men to conduct inspections. As for the two of you..." Zhou Fugui finished and waved his hand.
"Mighty!" Over two hundred guards simultaneously drew their sabers halfway and roared, glaring fiercely at Xu Ruyan and Huang Shirun.
Xu Ruyan, a scholar with no strength to even truss a chicken, accustomed to reading behind closed doors and rarely involved in worldly affairs, had never witnessed such a spectacle. His face turned ashen, his lips trembled, and he was rendered speechless.
"Swish!" Huang Shirun, unfazed, opened his folding fan once more, gently fanning himself and chuckled, "The Great Governor has so many men, how imposing! You'll scare little... people to death!"
"Slap!" Huang Shirun then closed his fan, tapped it on his palm, and looked at Zhou Fugui, saying, "Great Governor, if you were like those others, my Huang family would not fear you! The Huang family of Donghai is not inexperienced; we know to repay kindness with kindness and to avenge every wrong. King Murong Hong of Donghai has repeatedly engaged in blackmail and extortion, and in the end, he is like a stray dog."
The Xu and Huang families had colluded with Zhou Fugui, surrendering the city of Donghai Commandery. This was partly due to their fear of being implicated, and partly due to their resentment of Murong Hong's actions.
Murong Hong's rebellion required vast sums of money and grain, leading him to dig three feet into the ground in Donghai Commandery, ransacking it extensively. The Xu and Huang families had suffered greatly as well.
Huang Shirun then smiled faintly, "Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows, let alone my Huang family, who have resided in Donghai Commandery for generations. Even if the Great Governor seals the gates of the Huang family in Donghai Commandery, will my Huang family submit? The Great Governor thinks too simply! Great Governor, allow me to offer a reminder: in such a chaotic world, a single grain of rice can incite a person to fight desperately!"
"Good!" Zhou Fugui said hatefully, "It seems Young Master Huang is quite the fellow? In that case, let me show you my methods!"
"I await your pleasure!" Huang Shirun replied indifferently.
Thus, they were locked in a stalemate. Zhou Fugui was neither able to act nor refrain from acting, caught in a dilemma, utterly at a loss. His guards and attendants, without his command, dared not make a move.
Donghai Commandery truly has capable individuals! Zhou Fugui sighed inwardly.
Zhou Fugui could indeed use force, dispatch troops to forcibly confiscate the properties of the Xu and Huang families and claim them as his own. However, this would be no different from plundering, like the barbarians. And Zhou Fugui abhorred the plundering of civilians the most.
The Xu and Huang families were prominent aristocratic clans in Donghai Commandery, but they were also its people. Therefore, Zhou Fugui would not resort to such a drastic measure unless absolutely necessary.
Furthermore, as Huang Shirun had said, if Zhou Fugui resorted to violence, it would cause immense trouble for him and his Snow Bear Army, potentially even leading to his defeat and expulsion from Donghai Commandery.
Donghai Commandery was not a battlefield where enemies were clearly defined and could be charged at. Stirring up the indignation of the people of Donghai Commandery, or provoking the desperate resistance of its aristocratic families, would mean that with Zhou Fugui's meager forces, even if they worked themselves to death, they could not quell the flames of rebellion across the commandery. With soldiers among the populace and populace among the soldiers, the resistance would be unending and unmanageable.
Zhou Fugui could not possibly slaughter all the people of Donghai Commandery, could he? Even if he could, how could Zhou Fugui establish himself in Donghai Commandery? And even if he could, what would be the use of it?
Therefore, Zhou Fugui's previous words were merely meant to intimidate what he perceived as two inexperienced youths. But Zhou Fugui had never expected that Huang Shirun, less than twenty years old, would be so formidable, putting Zhou Fugui in an awkward position of dilemma and indecision within a few sentences.
"Alas, Great Governor, please calm your anger. Young Master Huang, please be patient!" Xu Ruyan hurriedly intervened between the two glaring at each other. "Everything can be discussed, why the need for such hostility?"
"Indeed, this is how we discuss matters." Zhou Fugui, relieved, seized this opportunity to dismount.
Zhou Fugui then waved his hand, signaling Pi'e, Hu Jue, and others to withdraw from the hall.
As Pi'e led his men out, he cast a worried glance at Zhou Fugui, who responded with a reassuring gaze.
Why was Pi'e worried about these two younglings? Zhou Fugui mused inwardly; with just one hand, he could pin both of them to the ground and rub them.
In truth, Pi'e was worried that the glib young gentleman would anger Zhou Fugui to the point of internal injury.
"Great Governor, why the smile?" Zhou Fugui's thoughts of pinning the two young gentlemen, especially Young Master Huang, to the ground and repeatedly rubbing them brought a faint smile to his face, causing Xu Ruyan to ask in surprise.
Huang Shirun was extremely vigilant, knowing that he was brewing some mischievous scheme again.
"Young Master Xu speaks with reason..." Zhou Fugui said after retracting his smile. "In business, there is buying and selling. I set an exorbitant price, and you can offer a reasonable counter-offer."
"Hmph, what are you selling?" Huang Shirun snorted coldly.
"Are you a pig? Grunting and snorting, endlessly..." Zhou Fugui chuckled. "Don't merchants value investment? Uh... that is, putting in capital to seek profit... by first expending some capital and then striving for profit..."
"A stake?" After Zhou Fugui's lengthy explanation, Xu Ruyan and Huang Shirun finally understood what he meant, and they asked in unison.
You are the pig, your whole clan are pigs! Huang Shirun cursed Zhou Fugui inwardly and then asked, "What will you stake?"
"How about me?" Zhou Fugui asked, pointing to his own nose. "I have neither money nor possessions. How about using me as the stake to seek profit?"
"You?" Huang Shirun said disdainfully, "You're not worth much even if dismantled..."
At this point, even Xu Ruyan couldn't help but find it amusing. These two seemed like mortal enemies, confronting each other the moment they met, bickering endlessly.
"I am in my early twenties, young and strong, and I am the Grand Governor of Donghai for the Great Yan Kingdom, the Prefect of Donghai, the Marquis of Pingliang, and the General of Jianzhong. Am I not worth anything?" Zhou Fugui said triumphantly.
"Hahaha!" Now Xu Ruyan and Huang Shirun burst out laughing together.
Zhou Fugui's words were like Granny Wang hawking her melons, or parading oneself to be sold. The key was that he himself was completely unaware of it, still wearing a proud expression, which was indeed amusing.
"What are you laughing at?" Zhou Fugui asked, his face darkening.
"Ah, ah, Young Master Huang, what the Great Governor said, using a person as capital, is not without merit." Xu Ruyan quickly said. "In ancient times, there were those who used people as capital. Like Lu Buwei of Qin, who aided Prince Yiren of Qin, who was held hostage at the time. Lu Buwei, originally a great merchant from the state of Wei, met Yiren in Handan and considered him a rare commodity worth investing in. Thus, he supported him and brought Yiren back to Qin. After Yiren was enthroned as King Zhuangxiang of Qin, Lu Buwei was appointed Prime Minister, enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wenxin, with ten thousand households in Luoyang, Henan, as his stipend. He rose to prominence, becoming a marquis and prime minister, enjoying immense prestige!"
"Young Master Xu is knowledgeable of the past and understands the present; you truly possess great talent!" Zhou Fugui said, overjoyed, and praised him profusely.
"Hmph, speaking of the Warring States period, have you forgotten the matter of Prince Dan of Yan and Jing Ke?" Huang Shirun snorted coldly. "Prince Dan befriended Jing Ke, who failed to assassinate the King of Qin and died in the Qin king's palace. Prince Dan's head was also severed and sent to King Ying Zheng of Qin!"
"Am I that worthless?" Zhou Fugui said angrily.
Zhou Fugui was certainly aware of the story of Prince Dan of Yan and Jing Ke. Prince Dan befriended Jing Ke, invested in him, and ordered him to assassinate King Ying Zheng of Qin. The result was Jing Ke's failed assassination and death, and Prince Dan of Yan was pursued by the Qin army until his head was severed and delivered to King Ying Zheng of Qin.
Huang Shirun's mention of this anecdote meant that the investment risk was too great, implying that investing in Zhou Fugui was too risky.
"What's so good about the Great Governor? I'd like to hear about it," Huang Shirun said with a light smile.
Zhou Fugui held up three fingers and said, "Your Xu and Huang families must have a lot of business. And businessmen fear chaotic times the most, and love peace the most. With me in Donghai Commandery, I can certainly pacify the four seas and open up trade routes for you. Once the trade routes are open and the four seas are pacified, wealth will pour in. Isn't that worth your investment? This is the first point. The second point is that businessmen also fear heavy taxes and numerous checkpoints. As long as you provide me with money and grain, I will not only return it to you but also grant you permission to carry my command flag for free passage, and various heavy taxes will be reduced by more than half. Isn't that worth your investment? Third, I am under thirty years old and hold a high position. My future prospects are limitless. And if your Xu and Huang families maintain a good relationship with me, the benefits... hehe... will also be limitless."
Zhou Fugui was indeed going all out to borrow money and grain.
"This..." Xu Ruyan was quite tempted, looking hesitantly at Huang Shirun.
"What about outside Donghai Commandery?" Huang Shirun asked coldly, opening his folding fan with a "swish."
Zhou Fugui was rendered speechless.