Hearing these words, He Minghu's pale face immediately flushed a deep purple.
The Deputy General's Manor provided the men, the money, and the lives, only to end up with a mere fraction in the end.
He slammed his right palm heavily onto the red sandalwood table.
"Xu Qinghuan! You..."
Under the table, a foot clad in a black boot stepped hard on He Minghu's instep.
He Minghu felt the pain, and the angry curse that reached his lips got stuck in his throat.
He turned his head and met Ma Jin'an's gaze.
Ma Jin'an sat in his original seat, a smile on his face, but his foot under the table was stepping on He Minghu.
The fiend outside the door had just slaughtered twenty elites.
If they fell out now, Xu Zhan would surely smash their heads in the next moment.
Ma Jin'an held a secret order in his hand and had made contact with Ashina Gudu, the Right Guli King of the Helian.
If Xu Qinghuan wanted to swallow this fat piece of meat, she would have to deal with the Helian people.
Once the merchant caravan left the pass and reached the foot of the Yin Mountains, facing tens of thousands of armored cavalry, the Emperor's Sword wouldn't be able to protect her either.
They had to steady her first and let her clear the mines.
Ma Jin'an released the pressure under his foot and withdrew his black boot.
"The Lord is straightforward."
Ma Jin'an picked up the wine jug, poured himself a cup, and then held it up with both hands.
"Three tenths it is, the Deputy General's Manor accepts this rule."
He Minghu's eyes widened, and he was kicked again by Ma Jin'an under the table.
Gritting his back teeth, he swallowed his anger.
"However," Ma Jin'an paused with the wine cup in mid-air, "since this is a joint business venture, and the Deputy General's Manor is providing the guards, the Lord must provide some proof."
"When the merchant caravan leaves the pass, there are many checkpoints along the way. Without the protection of the Lord's Emperor's Sword, I'm afraid these goods won't make it to the border river."
Xu Qinghuan leaned back in her chair, looking at Ma Jin'an.
Wanting the Emperor's Sword to clear the way was an attempt to use the title of Imperial Envoy to counter the inspections of the Xuanfu and the Ministry of War.
To thoroughly tie the crime of smuggling to the Imperial Envoy.
"Easy enough," Xu Qinghuan nodded.
"Tomorrow I will issue a customs pass hand order and stamp it with the Imperial Envoy's seal."
"With this hand order, all the passes in the Northern Territory will be unhindered."
Ma Jin'an tilted his head back and drained the wine in his cup.
"The Lord is decisive! This lower official toasts the Lord!"
Xu Qinghuan didn't touch the wine cup in front of her.
She raised her hand and straightened the cloud pattern on her cuff.
"The rules are set, and the business is agreed upon."
Xu Qinghuan spoke slowly: "However, there is still a difficulty at hand."
Ma Jin'an put down his empty cup, straightening his back: "What are the Lord's instructions?"
Xu Qinghuan sighed, her gaze sweeping over the mountain delicacies and seafood on the table that had barely been touched.
"Zhenbei City is suffering," she shook her head.
"In the few days since I entered the city, I have seen it with my own eyes and felt the pain in my heart."
"The soldiers haven't been paid for half a year, killing horses to satisfy their hunger, and don't even have winter clothes to keep out the cold."
"The few cattle and sheep my second brother brought back yesterday are just a drop in the bucket."
He Minghu's brows knitted into a knot.
Xu Qinghuan looked up at the two men opposite her.
"For the trade route to open, we must rely on the soldiers risking their lives to guard it. How can they wield a sword with an empty stomach?"
"Before this business even opens, there must be some capital to soothe the morale of the army."
Ma Jin'an's eyelid twitched.
She wanted money.
"The Lord is right," Ma Jin'an followed the conversation.
"This lower official will go to the Registry tomorrow to urge them and see if we can squeeze out a few thousand taels of silver to buy some brown rice for the brothers first..."
"A few hundred taels?" Xu Qinghuan interrupted him, letting out a soft laugh.
"Censor Ma is joking, for thirty thousand border troops, a few hundred taels of silver isn't even enough to fill the gaps between their teeth."
She held up one finger and tapped it twice on the table.
"One hundred thousand taels of silver, five thousand shi of grain and forage."
The hall fell silent.
He Minghu suddenly stood up.
The armchair beneath him was knocked back half a foot, making a harsh scraping sound.
"One hundred thousand taels?! Five thousand shi?!"
He Minghu's voice cracked: "Do you think the Deputy General's Manor is a bank?! Where the hell am I supposed to get you one hundred thousand taels of silver!"
The family fortune the Deputy General's Manor had embezzled over the years amounted to a million taels at most.
This woman was demanding his entire savings right from the start.
Ma Jin'an sat in his original seat, his face twitching. This wasn't about soothing the army's morale at all; this was disarmament.
The Deputy General's Manor had troops because they used the money and grain accumulated over the years to support death squads and trusted followers.
Once the one hundred thousand taels of silver and five thousand shi of grain and forage were handed over, the Deputy General's Manor's storehouse would be diminished.
Without money and grain, how could they recruit troops and buy horses? How could they satisfy certain people's appetites?
This woman wanted to strip the Deputy General's Manor bare, completely reducing them to running dogs who could only take orders.
"Lord," Ma Jin'an's voice was hoarse, "this amount is too large, the Deputy General's Manor really cannot produce it..."
"Cannot produce it?" Xu Qinghuan picked up her teacup and brushed aside the floating leaves.
"General He just said that the business at the border market brings in four hundred thousand taels in taxes every year."
"The Deputy General's Manor has been operating in Zhenbei City for so many years, one hundred thousand taels of silver is just a drop in the ocean."
She put down the teacup.
"Two Lords, let's consider this money and grain a voluntary donation from the Deputy General's Manor for the thirty thousand soldiers of Zhenbei City."
Xu Qinghuan looked at them, articulating every word clearly: "I am a newcomer, with no money or grain in my hands, I can only rely on the generosity of the two Lords."
He Minghu clenched his teeth: "What if I refuse!"
Xu Qinghuan ignored him and stood straight up.
She picked up the cup of Huadiao wine in front of her and held it high.
"This official thanks the two Lords for their high righteousness on behalf of the thirty thousand soldiers of Zhenbei City!"
Xu Qinghuan's voice was clear and bright: "Tomorrow morning, this official will personally go to the Commander-in-Chief's Manor to commend the two Lords in front of the entire army!"
"Let everyone in Zhenbei City see how Deputy General He and Censor Ma ruin their families to relieve the country's distress and show compassion for the soldiers!"
He Minghu stood frozen in place.
If it was announced to the whole army tomorrow morning, the starving wolves of Zhenbei City would all know that the Deputy General's Manor was going to give one hundred thousand taels of silver and five thousand shi of grain.
If they didn't give it.
Those tens of thousands of hungry, red-eyed rogue soldiers would swallow the Deputy General's Manor alive.
That old fox Tie Lanshan would definitely stand by and watch, and might even add fuel to the fire.
This was roasting them over a fire, cutting off their retreat.
"Two Lords," Xu Qinghuan drained the wine in her cup, showing the bottom.
"Why aren't you drinking? Could it be that you've changed your minds and don't want to aid these thirty thousand soldiers?"
He Minghu fell back into his chair, looking at the wine cup on the table, his hands trembling violently.
Ma Jin'an closed his eyes.
He opened them and picked up the wine cup in front of him.
"This lower official... accepts the order."
Ma Jin'an tilted his head back and poured the cup of Huadiao down his throat.
The liquid entered his throat, bitterly astringent.
Seeing this, He Minghu could only pick up his wine cup and drain it in one gulp.
Xu Qinghuan watched the two of them finish drinking and nodded.
"It's getting late, this official will not disturb you any longer."
Xu Qinghuan turned and walked towards the door.
When she reached the door, she stopped but didn't look back.
"Censor Ma."
Ma Jin'an looked up.
"The wind in the capital is strong, and often blows so hard that people can't open their eyes," Xu Qinghuan's tone was calm.
"When the two Lords choose a side, you must plant your heels firmly. If you step on empty air, you'll fall into a bottomless abyss."
With that, she stepped over the threshold and merged into the night.
Inside the hall.
Ma Jin'an's hands and feet were ice cold.
