The numbers on the system panel were still jumping.
Two hundred thousand.
The panic from earlier, the kind that turned a bully into a good person, had dissipated.
She leaned back against the soft cushion, her fingers tapping lightly on her knee.
The logic checked out.
Smashing, looting, and robbing were the tactics of lowlifes, the work of low-level villains.
A true top-tier villain deals in control.
It's about corralling people, setting the rules, making them pay for every breath they take.
That kind of suffocating order is the pinnacle of exploitation.
This method of managing people like machines is the ultimate trampling of freedom.
The system's judgment was spot on.
Xu Qinghuan pushed open the carriage door and hopped down.
Her boot soles hit the bluestone pavement with a crisp sound.
Pockmarked Liu was standing by the roadside with his men, his back ramrod straight, holding a small notebook and scribbling something.
Seeing Xu Qinghuan alight, he snapped the notebook shut with a thwack and strode over.
"Young Mistress."
Xu Qinghuan glanced at the notebook in his hand.
It was covered in crooked circles and crosses.
"Good work."
Xu Qinghuan praised him.
The scar on Pockmarked Liu's face twitched, clearly pleased.
"But it's not enough."
Xu Qinghuan's gaze swept across the entire street.
The stalls were tidy, the road was clean, but the money was coming in too slowly.
Fines were random, dependent on luck.
What she wanted was stable cash flow, a steady, unending stream of income.
"Just drawing lines isn't enough."
Xu Qinghuan pointed at the vegetable-selling auntie's stall.
"This land belongs to the county magistrate's office, and to the Xu family. They're setting up their stalls on my land, making money that's rightfully mine."
Pockmarked Liu was taken aback.
"Young Mistress means...?"
"Collect rent."
Xu Qinghuan said it matter-of-factly.
"But we can't call it 'rent.' Too crude."
She thought of all those cleverly named fees from the modern world.
"Call it a 'Franchise Operation Fee.'"
Xu Qinghuan turned and looked at Li Sheng.
Li Sheng was shrinking by the carriage. Hearing this, his legs felt a little weak.
"Go to the storeroom, find some wooden plaques, and write 'Xu Family Franchise' on them."
Xu Qinghuan spoke rapidly.
"Tie some red cloth strips on them too, make them look official."
"Starting tomorrow, every vendor on this street must display this plaque to operate."
"Ten taels of silver per plaque."
Li Sheng drew a sharp, cold breath.
Ten taels.
These peddlers slaved all year just to earn a little over ten taels. This demand would take the lifeblood out of them.
"Young Mistress, this... this will drive people to their deaths."
Li Sheng's voice trembled.
"These poor wretches can't come up with that much money. What if they riot..."
"Good, let them riot."
Xu Qinghuan cut him off.
That's exactly what she wanted.
If all the commoners in the city stormed the magistrate's office with carrying poles and hoes, she'd be just one step away from exile to Lingnan.
"And another thing."
Xu Qinghuan ignored Li Sheng's pained expression and piled on more.
"Just buying the plaque isn't enough. They also have to pay a Sanitation Management Fee."
She pointed at the excessively clean road surface.
"You sweep for them, you help them set up their stalls. That's hard labor. It can't be for free."
"Each stall, another tael of silver per month."
"Anyone who doesn't pay gets kicked out."
"Person and stall, thrown out of the city."
After saying this, Xu Qinghuan looked at Pockmarked Liu.
"Understood?"
Pockmarked Liu's eyes lit up.
When he used to collect protection money, it was feast or famine, and he had to watch people's moods.
Now this was collecting money by official decree, with a proper name and rules.
This was a real duty.
"Understood!"
Pockmarked Liu roared.
"Anyone who dares not pay will learn which way the gates of Taoyuan County open!"
Xu Qinghuan was satisfied.
That ruthless edge was just right.
"Get to it."
Xu Qinghuan waved her hand.
"Go now. I want to see the cash."
Pockmarked Liu turned and beckoned to the black-clad men behind him.
"Brothers, let's work!"
Dozens of men fanned out, pairing up and moving towards the street-side vendors.
Li Sheng had no choice but to steel himself and have someone prepare the wooden plaques.
Xu Qinghuan stood by the roadside, waiting for the show to begin.
She was even rehearsing the scene in her mind.
Vendors wailing and lamenting, commoners pointing and gossiping, someone leading a resistance, then the conflict escalating.
Finally, the authorities step in, uncover the Xu family's oppressive extortion, a royal decree comes down, and the whole family is exiled.
Perfect.
Pockmarked Liu walked up to the vegetable-selling auntie.
The auntie was neatly arranging a bunch of scallions. Seeing the black-clad men approach, she quickly stood up with an apologetic smile.
"Sir, the ground is swept clean, nothing's out of place."
Pockmarked Liu kept a stern face, not looking at the ground, only at her.
"By order of the Young Mistress."
His voice was loud; several nearby stalls heard him.
"From today, this street is under Xu family management."
"To set up a stall here, you must buy a Xu family plaque."
"Ten taels of silver per plaque, plus one tael monthly sanitation fee."
"No plaque, get out immediately."
The smile froze on the auntie's face.
The nearby vendors also stopped what they were doing, their eyes wide.
Ten taels.
This was robbery.
Xu Qinghuan clutched her handkerchief, her heart racing.
Curse him now.
Flip the table now.
Throw rotten vegetables at him.
The auntie didn't move.
She looked at Pockmarked Liu, then at Xu Qinghuan standing in the distance.
Her expression was complex.
Not anger, nor despair.
More like she was calculating.
After a few breaths.
The auntie suddenly bent down, fumbling around under her apron.
She pulled out a cloth bundle and unwrapped it layer by layer.
Inside were some broken silver and copper coins.
"Sir."
The auntie held the money in her hands, her hands trembling slightly, but her tone urgent.
"This is ten taels. Please count it."
"This plaque, I'll buy it."
Xu Qinghuan was stunned.
Li Sheng was stunned too.
Pockmarked Liu was even more caught off guard, holding the wooden plaque that hadn't even warmed in his hand, forgetting to hand it over.
"I'll buy one too!"
The old man selling tofu pudding rushed over from next door, clutching a handful of silver notes.
"This is my coffin savings, exactly ten taels! Give me one!"
"Don't push! I was first!"
The butcher selling meat slammed his cleaver onto the chopping block, making the meat strips sway.
He grabbed a handful of silver from his cash box, didn't even count it, and shoved it directly into Pockmarked Liu's arms.
"Give me two! I'm getting one for Old Wang next door too!"
The scene descended into chaos.
But not the kind of chaos Xu Qinghuan had anticipated.
No one was crying, no one was cursing, no one was resisting.
Everyone was pulling out money.
The fervor wasn't like being extorted; it was more like scrambling for some rare treasure.
"Everyone will get one! Stop shoving!"
Pockmarked Liu was surrounded in the middle, pushed this way and that.
His arms were filled with silver, so heavy they sagged.
"Form a line! Have you forgotten the rules I just taught you?"
The black-clad men hurriedly rushed forward to maintain order.
Soon, a long line formed.
Everyone held money in their hands, their eyes fixed on the basket of wooden plaques Li Sheng had just had delivered.
Xu Qinghuan stood rooted to the spot. The wind was a bit strong, making her head ache.
This script was wrong.
She walked over and grabbed the auntie, who had just gotten her plaque and was happily hanging it on her stall.
"Are you insane?"
Xu Qinghuan lowered her voice, her tone urgent.
"Ten taels of silver! That's a year's worth of your blood and sweat! And you just hand it over?"
The auntie straightened the plaque and even wiped the dust off it with her sleeve.
"Young Mistress, what are you saying?"
The aunt looked at Xu Qinghuan, her eyes filled with gratitude.
"This money is well spent."
"Well spent?"
Xu Qinghuan found the word grating.
"Before, when we set up our stall on the street, we were always on edge."
The aunt pointed towards the street corner.
"Today, local thugs come to collect 'protection fees'; tomorrow, constables come for 'encroachment fines'; the day after, some gang comes to smash up our stall."
"In a year, just the 'tribute money' alone costs seven or eight taels, and on top of that, we suffer insults and beatings."
The aunt patted the wooden plaque.
"Now, with this plaque, this is a stall recognized by the Xu family."
"After paying these ten taels, this becomes a legitimate business from now on."
"Who would dare bully us now? Who would dare come collect money?"
The aunt pointed at Pockmarked Liu standing by the roadside.
"With those gentlemen standing there, they're like door gods."
"Even if it were fifteen taels, I'd buy it."
Xu Qinghuan loosened her grip.
She watched the aunt turn to greet customers, her back straighter than usual.
This is the Xu family's licensed stall! The vegetables are fresh! Look at this plaque if you don't believe me!
The aunt's voice was bright and clear.
The customer buying vegetables didn't haggle either. After glancing at the plaque, they paid willingly.
With this plaque, it meant the stall wasn't going anywhere, and the goods were guaranteed.
It was a form of credibility.
Xu Qinghuan turned around.
Li Sheng was leading the men in collecting money.
Silver flowed into the basket like water.
The basket was originally for rotten vegetable leaves, but now it was filled with gleaming silver taels.
"Miss, we're running out of plaques."
Li Sheng ran over, sweating profusely, his face beaming.
"There are dozens more people in line, even vendors from the next street have come running, saying they want to buy some peace too."
"This... in just this short while, we've collected five thousand taels."
Li Sheng handed a stack of banknotes to Xu Qinghuan.
"These are the large denominations, you keep them."
Xu Qinghuan took the banknotes.
The money felt scorching hot.
Looking at the thick stack of paper in her hand, the sense of absurdity in her heart grew heavier.
She wanted to exploit, but ended up providing security.
She wanted to extort, but ended up selling the franchise rights.
Were these common people just too accustomed to being squeezed dry?
Were they so grateful for a mere chance to survive?
Did they mistake a shackle for a talisman?
"Miss?"
Seeing her silent, Li Sheng tentatively asked.
"Should we make more plaques?"
Xu Qinghuan took a deep breath.
She looked at the task progress bar on her system panel.
It was only halfway before, but now it had shot up to ninety percent.
The money was real.
The task was real.
As for how this money came about, how her reputation had turned out like this...
Who cares.
She was the villain anyway. As long as the result was bad... or as long as the task was completed, that was enough.
"Do it."
Xu Qinghuan stuffed the banknotes into her robe and coldly gave the order.
"Raise the price."
"For those who come later, fifteen taels per plaque."
"Take it or leave it."
Since you think it's a talisman, then make it more expensive.
I don't believe I can't squeeze you dry.
Li Sheng was stunned for a moment, then immediately gave a thumbs up.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
"This is called scarcity marketing! This is called price gouging on the spot!"
"I'll go take care of it right away!"
Li Sheng turned and ran off, his steps as light as a rabbit's.
Xu Qinghuan stood by the roadside, watching the long line.
When the people in line heard about the price increase, they didn't disperse. Instead, they pressed closer together.
Afraid it would increase again.
This world.
Xu Qinghuan shook her head.
She wanted to be a villain. Why was it so difficult?
Not far away.
The teahouse window was open.
Xiao Jingyan stood by the window, watching the scene below.
He held the "001" numbered cardboard plaque in his hand, his fingers rubbing over its surface.
"Your Highness."
The guard captain stood behind him, looking puzzled.
"This Xu woman is amassing wealth. This is blatant exploitation of the common people's hard-earned money."
"Exploitation?"
Xiao Jingyan smiled.
He pointed at the vegetable-selling aunt below.
"Look how happily she's smiling."
The guard captain leaned out to look.
The aunt was counting copper coins, her face creased with smiles.
"What the people want is not money, but stability."
Xiao Jingyan withdrew his gaze.
"The stability the court cannot provide, the Xu family has given."
"Though the methods are crude, though the price is ruthless."
"But once this contract is established, rules are formed."
"This Xu Qinghuan..."
Xiao Jingyan paused.
"Understands governance."
"Only, the methods she uses are those of merchants, are domineering methods."
"But in these chaotic times, perhaps this kind of domineering is precisely what's needed."
Xiao Jingyan tucked the cardboard plaque into his sleeve.
"Let's go."
"Where to?"
"To the Xu residence."
Xiao Jingyan turned and walked out.
I'd like to have a good chat with her about this franchising method.
Xu Qinghuan sneezed.
She rubbed her nose, feeling a chill on her back.
She had a feeling someone was watching her.
It must be that system plotting something again.
She counted the banknotes in her hand.
It was enough.
Adding what Li Sheng had collected before, and what these vendors paid.
The hundred-thousand-tael task was within reach.
She just needed to spend this money now.
Xu Qinghuan looked at the men in black who were still counting money.
Maintaining these men cost money.
Making plaques cost money.
Since these common people liked order so much, she'd give them a higher level of order.
"Pockmarked Liu."
Xu Qinghuan called out.
Pockmarked Liu hurried over, still holding a pile of loose silver in his arms.
"Your orders, Miss."
"Go find all the carpenters in the city for me."
Xu Qinghuan pointed at the shops lining both sides of the street.
"I want to do renovations."
Uniform signs, uniform storefronts, uniform lanterns.
"I'll pay."
"I want to make this street the number one street in Daqian."
Since she wanted to squander the family fortune, she'd squander it on appearances.
Since she was collecting money, she had to give them some sweetness.
This was called taking from the people, using it for... vanity projects.
This counted as extravagance and waste, right?
Xu Qinghuan thought to herself, finding the logic flawless.
Pockmarked Liu listened, his blood boiling with excitement.
The number one street in Daqian.
The title alone was inspiring.
"At your command!"
Pockmarked Liu turned and ran, even more eager than when he was collecting money.
Xu Qinghuan watched his retreating figure and sighed.
This generation of villains, why were they all so career-driven?
Hard to lead.
Really hard to lead.
