"Shopkeeper Li, please take a seat," Qi Xuan's voice was low yet clear, and the entire main hall fell quiet in an instant.
Every pair of eyes turned in unison to fix on Shopkeeper Li, who had just stepped through the door. His legs felt like jelly, and he nearly collapsed into the chair, half-supported by the assistant at his side.
"Everyone is here now," Qi Xuan's gaze was calm as he swept across the room. "I've invited all of you here today to act as witnesses. The matter involving the Double Wood Cake Shop is not only about the cake shop's business, but also concerns the rules and reputation of our Food and Beverage Guild. That is why today, not only my Riverside Tower is present, but several highly respected senior elders of the guild have also been invited to attend."
He raised his hand to gesture toward the several elderly men seated in the grand armchairs. All of them wore solemn expressions and nodded slightly. It was then that the crowd realized the occasion was far more formal than they had imagined.
Qi Xuan stood up, his gaze drifting slowly over the several rice sheet shop owners who were squirming in their seats, too anxious to stay still.
"I've asked all of you shop owners here today only to clarify two matters."
"First, there have been rumors going around that the Qi family of Riverside Tower, after failing to obtain a recipe they wanted, abused my authority as the guild head to suppress Shopkeeper Lin's Double Wood Cake Shop. This statement not only slanders the good name of the Qi family for no reason, but also harms the dignity and rules of the entire Food and Beverage Guild, sowing discord among our fellow tradespeople. Such a harmful trend cannot be allowed to fester, and today we will clear the air and put a stop to it once and for all."
"Second, Shopkeeper Lin's shop has been placing regular orders for rice sheets all this time, yet every single one of you shop owners here has made excuses and refused to sell to her. Is this all a coincidence, or is someone pulling the strings behind the scenes? Today we must get to the bottom of this right here, in front of everyone, to set the record straight."
With that, he turned to face the elders, cupping his hands in a respectful salute. "Uncles, all of you have been in this trade for decades, holding the rules in the highest regard and always acting with complete fairness. I ask that you listen closely to everything that is said today. If anyone dares to utter a single falsehood to mislead everyone, do not blame the Food and Beverage Guild for showing no leniency. Those found guilty will be punished strictly according to the guild rules, no exceptions."
After these words, the faces of the several rice sheet shop owners paled even further. The Food and Beverage Guild had strict regulations. If they were truly found guilty of maliciously suppressing a fellow tradesperson and breaking the guild's rules, the punishment could range from a fine and public notice, to being expelled from the guild entirely — leaving them with no way to make a living in Huzhou's food industry.
Qi Xuan then turned to Lin Wu. "Shopkeeper Lin, since this whole matter started with your shop, you may speak first. When did you first find yourself unable to buy rice sheets? Before that, did you have any disputes with any of the shop owners present here today?"
Lin Wu stood up at his words, first bowing respectfully to the elders and to Qi Xuan. Her gaze landed directly on Shopkeeper Li across the room, her tone steady and unhurried.
"Since the day Double Wood Cake Shop opened, nine out of ten portions of the rice sheets we needed have been purchased from Shopkeeper Li's Rice Sheet Shop. I found that the rice sheets from his shop were of excellent quality and fairly priced, and deliveries were always reliable, so we kept working together without any interruption — let alone any falling out between us. As for the shops of the other shop owners here..."
She swept her gaze across the rest of the group. "Since my business is small, I never needed to buy large quantities, so we rarely crossed paths, and there are no personal grudges between us. But the day after I expanded the cake shop, I went to Shopkeeper Li's shop to buy rice sheets again, and he told me the beans had gone bad and he had no stock to sell. I believed him at first, and then went to Shopkeeper Chen's shop one after another..."
Her tone was calm, simply stating the facts in a clear, well-organized way, with dates and names all laid out clearly enough that anyone listening would be inclined to trust her.
The onlookers listened closely the entire time.
As soon as she finished speaking, a murmur of discussion rose in the main hall, and many people began to look at Shopkeeper Li and the others with obvious disapproval.
Qi Xuan raised his hand at the right moment to quiet the noise, then pointed to several people standing in the crowd. "These folks are all regular customers of the rice sheet shops, and I've invited them here today. Everyone, in the days since Shopkeeper Lin expanded her shop, have any of you gone to these rice sheet shops to buy rice sheets? Were you able to get what you wanted without trouble?"
The several people quickly stepped forward, nodding vigorously, their voices loud and clear.
"I could buy them! I go to Shopkeeper Li's shop every day, and I've never heard him say he was out of stock."
"I bought five catties of rice sheets from Shopkeeper Chen just yesterday, they were right there on the shelf."
"Same for Shopkeeper Wang's shop — he had as much as you could ask for, no one mentioned anything about bad beans."
With these people speaking up, the "out of stock" excuse that Shopkeeper Li and the others had been using completely fell apart.
Only then did Qi Xuan turn his attention back to Shopkeeper Li, who was sweating profusely. "Shopkeeper Li, is there any discrepancy between what Shopkeeper Lin said and what these neighbors have testified? Tell us now, why did you have stock but refuse to sell it to Shopkeeper Lin? If this was your own idea, did you think Shopkeeper Lin's shop was small and easy to bully? Or were you unhappy with the price? You can speak freely now, in front of all these elders and neighbors."
"I... I..." Shopkeeper Li's lips trembled. Under the gaze of the entire hall, he could no longer get the words "we have no stock" out of his mouth.
Qi Xuan spoke in a calm, unrushed tone. "Shopkeeper Li, you need to think this through. Ever since the Food and Beverage Guild was first established, we have set rules to make sure that every business in our trade, big or small, can make a living based on their own skills, without facing unwarranted oppression.
If you were only forced to do this against your will, you can still confess now. The guild may take your difficult situation into consideration and give you a lighter punishment, and we will also ensure that you are protected. But if you choose to stay silent, and you are in fact suppressing a fellow tradesperson for personal gain..."
The moment the accusation of "suppressing a fellow tradesperson" hung in the air, Shopkeeper Li shuddered all over, and slid off his chair onto his knees with a loud thud. "Shopkeeper Qi, I'll talk! I'll tell you everything... It wasn't me who wanted to make things hard for Shopkeeper Lin. It's Steward Xu from the Grain Merchant Guild!"
Once he started speaking, the weight on his shoulders lifted, and the words came out smoothly, fast and urgent. "Steward Xu sent word that if I sold any rice sheets to Double Wood Cake Shop, he would cut off all my supply of beans, and make sure I could never do business in Huzhou again. My whole family relies on this shop for a living, I didn't dare to disobey him! I was forced to do it! I beg Shopkeeper Qi and all the elders to see the truth of this!"
Once he broke the silence, the other rice sheet shop owners could no longer bear the pressure, and started chattering to beg for mercy one after another.
"Shopkeeper Qi, me too..."
"It was Steward Xu from the grain business who told us to..."
"He said it would only be for a few days, that we just needed to make up an excuse to turn her away. The grain merchants hold the lifeline of our shops, we had no choice!"
The words of the several shop owners were like cold water poured into a pot of hot oil, and the entire hall erupted immediately.
"The grain guild?!"
"So it was the grain guild pulling the strings behind this?!"
The murmuring grew far more heated and intense.
The matter had dragged in the grain guild. This was no longer a simple case of competition between fellow food tradespeople, but cross-industry oppression — the nature of the situation was completely transformed.
No one could have expected that today's gathering would turn out to be a big drama involving two entire major trades. Everyone's hearts were gripped with curiosity, their eyes wide, ears pricked up, and a faint hint of excitement even in the air.
One of the elders frowned deeply. "Shopkeeper Li, if what you are saying is true, then the grain guild has overstepped their bounds for no reason, ordering you to cut off supplies to a member of our guild. When faced with such an unreasonable demand, you, as members of the Food and Beverage Guild, did not immediately report to the guild leaders to seek justice, but instead obeyed their orders and helped them do wrong. This violates both the guild's rules and the moral principles we hold as fellow tradespeople."
Someone standing nearby also spoke up in doubt. "Shopkeeper Li, is what you are saying right now just a desperate lie to save your own skin? Are you trying to shift the blame onto the grain guild to get yourself off the hook?"
Shopkeeper Li waved his hands in terror, stammering urgently, "No, I would never dare! Even if you gave me ten guts, I would never slander the grain firm out of thin air! It was Steward Xu from the grain firm who said it himself. He said that the Double Wood Cake Shop is nothing but a tiny, unrooted establishment, that teaching it a little lesson is no big deal, and it could never stir up any trouble..."
His voice trailed off as he spoke, "And, and he promised that during these few days when the cake shop is cut off from supplies, the price of beans and grain for our shop would be discounted by fifty percent. I was so blinded by greed, and genuinely terrified that the grain firm would cut off our own supplies, that I ended up... ended up acting so foolishly!"
"Yes, yes!"
"We had no choice, we were forced into this!"
"The grain firm holds our livelihoods in their hands. We run small businesses, how dare we disobey them?"
The other owners of the sheet jelly shops quickly chimed in, all of them wearing bitter, miserable looks.
Among them, the owner of the Chen Family Sheet Jelly Shop, who seemed to have prepared well in advance, hurriedly took an account book out from his bosom, held it with both hands and presented it, "Shopkeeper Qi, all respected elders, this is the detailed record of all incoming and outgoing goods of my shop over these past few days. The preferential bean price Steward Xu from the grain firm promised is all clearly noted in it. Please all take a look, to prove that every word I just said is true."
Qi Xuan took the book and flipped through it quickly. Right after that, he passed the account book to the elder standing next to him. The book was passed around for the several elders to read one by one.
When the account book was passed back to him, Qi Xuan placed it on the table. He looked up at the several sheet jelly shop owners.
"All of you are registered merchants under our Food and Drink Guild, protected by the guild, yet you completely ignored the guild rules, for the sake of your own petty benefits, listened to orders from an outside industry, joined forces to oppress your fellow merchants, cut off other people's livelihoods, and nearly caused internal strife within the guild, tarnishing the good reputation of our Food and Drink Guild. For such conduct, according to the guild rules, you are each fined ten strings of copper coins, your mistakes will be publicly posted as a warning to others. The shops involved will have their priority purchasing rights within the guild suspended for three months. Do you accept this punishment?"
Not only the fine, but the suspension of priority purchasing rights would deal a heavy blow to their business. This punishment was undeniably severe.
Shopkeeper Li and the others turned as pale as death, yet they could only kowtow repeatedly, "We accept! We willingly submit to the guild's punishment!"
After handling the sheet jelly shop owners, Qi Xuan changed his tone, "As for the grain firm... The grain firm and our Food and Drink Guild each perform their own duties, we have been like water and oil that do not mix. Today, the grain firm can arbitrarily order merchants within our guild to cut off supplies to one shop; tomorrow, could they not order others to cut off the grain supplies to ten, a hundred of our shops? Once this precedent is set, where are the rules of Huzhou's business community? How are the numerous small, self-reliant merchants supposed to make a living?"
As he spoke, he looked at the several elders, whose expressions had also turned grave, "Uncles, what happened today is no longer just a grievance for the Double Wood Cake Shop, nor just a humiliation for my Riverside Tower. This concerns the very foundation on which our Food and Drink Guild stands, the order of our industry. Whether for public interests or private concerns, for every member of our Food and Drink Guild, we must get a clear, proper explanation from the grain firm. I wonder what you uncles think of this?"
One of the elders thumped his walking stick on the ground, his voice deep and steady, "Brother Xuan is completely right. If we swallow this anger today, what prestige will our Food and Drink Guild have left in Huzhou in the future? We absolutely must get an explanation."
"Exactly, the rules cannot be broken."
"The grain firm's actions are far too arrogant and overbearing!"
Seeing that all the elders were of the same mind, Qi Xuan did not say any more unnecessary words.
He instructed the steward standing at his side, "Take my name card, go to the grain firm and invite Steward Xu over for a talk."
He then added in a gentle, slow tone, "If Steward Xu is too busy with important affairs, or the grain firm thinks that I, Qi Xuan, am too insignificant to summon, that is no problem either. You just come back, and I will personally return to my residence, report every detail of what we have seen and heard in this hall today to my father, and let him go personally to consult Guildmaster Liang."
"Yes, young master, this old servant understands." The steward bowed to take his order, then turned and quickly walked out of the great hall.
The matter was temporarily put on hold, but the great hall grew even noisier.
More and more onlookers gathered, the doors and windows were packed full of people, who whispered and chattered among themselves, craning their necks to watch, for fear of missing a single word.
This was truly an enormous, exciting spectacle.
One of the upright elders was so angry that his beard trembled, and he kept slapping the armrest of his chair, "Preposterous! This is absolutely preposterous! The grain firm is far too overbearing! They are sticking their hands way too far into other people's business!"
There were also people who were still completely confused, muttering to the people beside them, "What kind of background does this Double Wood Cake Shop have? It's just such a tiny shop, how did it catch the grain firm's eye? Is it worth them going to so much trouble, going through such a big loophole, even provoking a conflict between two guilds just to take it down?"
Many gazes drifted over to Lin Wu. She had been sitting quietly by the side the whole time, her eyes slightly lowered, looking somewhat thin and helpless.
At this moment, she seemed to have heard the whispers, shook her head and sighed, then turned to the nearby onlookers, her voice carrying a hint of exhaustion, "To be honest with everyone, our shop only expanded its storefront a few days ago, added a few more tables and chairs. Who would have thought that the very day after we expanded, we would run into such trouble."
She paused for a moment, as if thinking of something, and a faint trace of anger gradually crept into her voice, "Just now I heard Shopkeeper Li say that the steward from the grain firm told him that the Double Wood Cake Shop is nothing but a tiny shop, that teaching it a little lesson is no big deal, and it could never stir up any trouble..."
Her voice rose, "Just because our shop is small and has no backing, does that mean we can be picked on arbitrarily, and have our livelihoods cut off? If the shop were a little bigger, would they not dare to bully us so blatantly? This is nothing but picking on the soft persimmon!"
Many of the onlookers were small business owners and stall operators themselves, who had endured no end of unfair grievances from various powerful figures in their daily lives. At this moment, hearing Shopkeeper Lin's words, they immediately felt a deep sense of kinship, and spoke out in agreement one after another.
"Shopkeeper Lin is absolutely right! They just think we are easy to bully!"
"Those powerful, well-connected characters can crush us to death as easily as crushing an ant! Why don't we ever see them go after big establishments like Riverside Tower or Cloud Weaving Firm?"
Lin Wu's voice grew a little tearful, "What's more... that's the grain firm we are talking about. Which of us who run food shops can do without the grain firm? White flour, polished rice, beans... every single thing we use has to come from them. Today, if they take a disliking to any shop, they can arbitrarily cut off their supplies, then what about tomorrow? The day after? For all of us who make a living working behind stoves, how can we ever run our businesses in peace?"
"Yes!" Those words immediately sparked more angry unease, "Today it's the sheet jelly for the Double Wood Cake Shop, tomorrow it could be my shop's white flour!"
Someone suddenly asked in confusion, "Hey, if the grain firm is so well-connected, and really wants to make things hard for Shopkeeper Lin, why not just cut off the Double Wood Cake Shop's white flour and rice directly? That would be much more straightforward. Why go through all the twists and turns to target the sheet jelly?"
Someone who understood the situation immediately scoffed, "It's obvious, isn't it? If they cut off the grain and flour directly, everyone would trace it straight back to the grain firm. By taking a detour, and using the sheet jelly shops to do their dirty work, they can make you suffer, and when things go wrong, they can even dump all the blame on our Food and Drink Guild! If those few shop owners hadn't caved and told the truth today, the rumors outside would all be saying that Riverside Tower is bullying its fellow merchants, wouldn't they?"
"This trick is so insidious and malicious, it's absolutely disgusting!"
"So underhanded!"
The more everyone talked, the angrier they got, and the whole crowd was filled with shared, united indignation.
Right in the middle of this surge of public indignation, the steward of the Food and Drink Guild returned, followed by a man in an indigo blue long gown — none other than Steward Xu from the Grain Guild.
When Steward Xu stepped into the great hall, he was immediately met with several glares brimming with fury. This scene was far more troublesome than he had anticipated.
A flicker of unease stirred in his heart, yet his expression remained perfectly calm, with no trace of nervousness. He took a seat on the reserved empty chair, his demeanor even bordering on unhurried composure.
Qi Xuan skipped all formal pleasantries and laid out the full sequence of events that had brought everyone there today, concise and to the point.
Steward Xu listened attentively, putting on a perfect show of being a receptive audience. Only after Qi Xuan finished speaking did he let out a faint, bewildered yet helpless chuckle, shaking his head. "Shopkeeper Qi, what you've said has truly left me, Xu, quite confused."
"From where I stand, this entire mess is nothing more than a petty spat between several merchants within your own guild — the sheet jelly shop, the flatbread shop, and that restaurant that got dragged into this for no good reason. How did the conversation somehow twist around to point fingers at our Grain Guild? That seems rather far-fetched, doesn't it? It simply doesn't hold up to logic."
Qi Xuan's expression did not shift. "Whether it is far-fetched or not, Shopkeeper Li and the others have already given their confessions just now, and the account books serve as solid proof. The one who ordered them to cut off the supply of grain is none other than you, Steward Xu from the Grain Guild."
"Confessions? Account books?" Steward Xu's smile faded. "If they say so, that makes it true? Shopkeeper Qi, we're all seasoned operators in the market. Everyone knows that empty words are the easiest to spout. As for those account books — I could sit down at my desk back home and churn out eight or ten fake ones just like that before the day is out."
As he spoke, his eyes fell on Lin Wu, sizing him up from head to toe with a look of undisguised contempt. "What's more, what line of work is our Grain Guild in? And what status does the Liang family hold? Why on earth would we go to such lengths just to target a tiny flatbread stall on the street, and risk leaving behind such damning evidence? That's nothing short of a ridiculous joke!"
His words were like dousing a fire with oil, stoking the already seething anger of the crowd in the great hall, who now glared at him even more fiercely.
Qi Xuan said nothing in response, merely raising a hand to gesture to the clerk at his side.
Soon, Master Liu of the Liu Family Wonton Shop was led into the hall.
The moment Master Liu stepped through the door and caught sight of Steward Xu sitting composedly in his seat, a flicker of panic flashed across his face. But as he drew nearer and saw that Steward Xu's expression remained perfectly unruffled, his heart settled a little, though his eyes still darted about nervously.
Qi Xuan turned to Master Liu. "Master Liu, you and Steward Xu are related through a marriage alliance. When your wonton shop saw its business take a minor hit after the Two Trees Flatbread Shop expanded its operations and started selling wontons as well, you grew resentful. You went to your relative Steward Xu, hoping to use the Grain Guild's influence to teach this newly risen flatbread shop a lesson. Is that not the truth?"
Master Liu's heart clenched, cold sweat breaking out across his back. He and Steward Xu had planned this matter in total secrecy — how had their every move been uncovered so thoroughly?
He stole a quick glance at Steward Xu, and seeing that the other man remained impassive, he stiffened his neck and retorted, "Young Master Qi, that's a baseless slander! It's true that Steward Xu and I are relatives, but does that automatically mean I used the Grain Guild's clout to bully a fellow merchant? If that's the case, then from now on, whenever any wonton shop in Huzhou runs into trouble, everyone can just pin the blame on me? What kind of absurd logic is that?"
Steward Xu chimed in right away. "Shopkeeper Qi, you can't condemn someone just because of a distant family tie. That's hardly going to convince anyone. Our Grain Guild runs a perfectly clean, legitimate business, and we have no desire to get dragged for no reason into what is clearly your guild's internal dispute."
Faced with their coordinated, back-and-forth denials, Qi Xuan did not grow the least bit annoyed. He merely picked up the tea cup by his side and took a slow, gentle sip.
Listening from the side, Lin Wu thought to himself that this was exactly what he had expected. At the end of the day, the wonton shop's little scheme was no more than a trigger. The real reason why the Grain Guild would go to such roundabout lengths to interfere was rooted in the years-old grudge between Liang Fourth Son and Shen Guanting. But that matter was far harder to bring out into the open and prove than a petty dispute between a few food shops.
Qi Xuan set his tea cup down slowly. "Steward Xu, Master Liu, what you both said makes perfect sense. Empty words prove nothing, and no one can be judged guilty on hearsay. Our Food and Drink Guild is no yamen. The reason we've invited everyone here today is simply to sort out the full context of this matter openly, in front of several respected elders and our fellow townsfolk. Everyone here can judge for themselves what is right and what is wrong. As for assigning guilt, that is the duty of the government authorities, not something our guild has the right to overstep into."
He looked at Steward Xu with a calm, steady gaze and continued. "The Grain Guild and the Food and Drink Guild oversee the two most critical aspects of Huzhou's people's livelihood — grain supply and the street's food and drink stalls. The two are so closely linked that any ripple can affect the whole. When our two guilds get along in harmony, the market stays stable, and the people live in peace. If personal grudges or improper actions by a few individuals spark conflict between our two guilds, it will bring nothing but harm to Huzhou's business community and its residents.
This matter may seem trivial at first glance, but its implications go far beyond an ordinary commercial dispute. To avoid any lingering entanglements later, and to give every merchant, and all the people of Huzhou, a clear and thorough accounting of the truth —"
He paused for a moment, then his voice rang out even clearer and firmer. "I have decided to submit the full account of this incident, along with all relevant witnesses and physical evidence, directly to the local government. We will let the authorities step in, investigate the facts, and deliver a fair and impartial ruling. The government will decide who is right and who is wrong."
"Report this to the authorities?!"
The moment those two words left his mouth, Steward Xu's face drained of color, and his hand trembled slightly. He had never expected that Qi Xuan would be willing to blow the matter completely out of proportion and drag it all the way to the local yamen.
He had assumed that today would be nothing more than a drawn-out haggling session within the guilds, where everyone would eventually make concessions and the whole thing would be brushed under the carpet. The Grain Guild held far more power, so the Food and Drink Guild would surely show them some respect. There was no way they would take such a trivial matter to court.
No, this absolutely could not happen! Once the government got involved, the commotion would be enormous. Not only would the entire city of Huzhou hear about it, but word would surely spread all the way to the Grain Guild's inner circle, and to Master Liang himself...
The mere thought of Master Liang sent a chill running down Steward Xu's spine.
"S-Sshopkeeper Qi," he said, his voice dry and tight, hurrying to speak. "That course of action you're suggesting is hardly appropriate. This matter clearly has nothing to do with the Grain Guild — it's just an internal misunderstanding on your side. Why on earth do you need to alert the authorities? You're taking a tiny issue and blowing it up into something huge, creating unnecessary trouble for our Grain Guild, and damaging the harmony between our two guilds!"
Qi Xuan's tone remained as even as ever. "How is this unrelated? Shopkeeper Li, Shopkeeper Chen, and several other merchants have all testified that they were acting on your Grain Guild's orders. Since both sides are sticking to their conflicting stories and the truth is hard to untangle, having the government investigate is the fairest possible solution. What — Steward Xu, do you doubt that the authorities can get to the bottom of this, or is it that..."
His gaze sharpened. "You're afraid, aren't you? You're scared that once the government digs into this, they'll uncover the truth, and you'll have no way to explain yourself to Guildmaster Liang?"
"Shopkeeper Qi, that's not what I meant..." Steward Xu was so choked by the retort that he could not find words for a moment, still trying to argue back.
But Qi Xuan had no interest in listening any longer. He raised a hand to cut him off. "Any remaining points you wish to make, Steward Xu, you can state them at the yamen in due time."
Steward Xu sat rigidly in his chair, his legs turning to jelly, his mind spinning in total chaos. If this really went to the authorities, how on earth was he supposed to explain himself to Master Liang? What if Master Liang found out that this entire mess was sparked by the young master's personal grudge against Young Master Shen, and that it had spiraled into such an embarrassing public spectacle? He could barely bring himself to imagine the consequences.
Just as he was in the depths of panic, scrambling to think of a way to salvage the situation, a sudden commotion broke out outside the hall.
"It's Master Liang!"
"The head of the Grain Guild is here!"
A man around sixty years old, walking with steady, deliberate steps, stepped into the room.
Wearing an affable smile, he slowly swept his gaze across the full hall of people, each showing a distinct expression, before finally settling on Qi Xuan.
"Young Master Qi," Master Liang spoke in a composed tone, "this Zhenhe Tower is far livelier than it is on ordinary days. I was passing by, heard some commotion going on, and took the liberty of dropping by. I hope I am not interrupting the important business of all of you?"
The moment his voice rang out, Steward Xu shot up from his chair like a spring, his face as pale as a sheet of paper. "S-Sir, y-you—what brings you here?"
Master Liang acted as if he had not heard Steward Xu, not even sparing him a glance. He only looked at Qi Xuan with a smile and said, "As I walked over just now, I caught snippets of conversation. It seems some unruly fellow from my firm has acted improperly, offended your firm, and caused trouble for Young Master Qi and all the folks from the Food and Beverage Guild?"
Qi Xuan had already stood up, cupping his hands in a formal greeting. "Uncle Liang, this is no major issue. It is just that a recent dispute has cropped up in our guild. Coincidentally, several shopkeepers involved have all stated that the matter is tied to a steward from your firm. To avoid being biased by one-sided accounts, prevent any wrongful accusations, and get to the absolute bottom of the truth, my nephew was just about to report this case to the local authorities and ask them to conduct a thorough investigation. That way, no matter what the outcome is, everyone will be convinced, and we can avoid hurting our friendly relations."
"Oh? You intend to bring this to the yamen?" Master Liang looked slightly surprised, then slowly nodded. "Young Master Qi has thought this through thoroughly, and your handling is most proper. Since this involves both our guilds, having the local government investigate impartially is indeed the most prudent approach. This way, no one can accuse the Liang family of using their influence to bully others, nor can anyone say the Qi family has acted unfairly."
At this point, he abruptly changed his tone. The smile on his face faded, and he turned to look at Steward Xu, his voice sinking. "Little Xu."
Steward Xu's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed to his knees, barely managing to stay upright. "S-Sir..."
Master Liang stared straight at him. "You are a member of my grain firm. If you have truly engaged in any underhanded overreaching acts, you will confess every single detail right now. My Liang family and our grain firm have always acted with integrity and openness. We will never tolerate any wrongdoing, nor will we allow anyone to use the name of our grain firm as a cover to violate guild rules and commit evil deeds! Speak!"
"I... I..." Under the weight of this line of questioning, Steward Xu's psychological defense crumbled completely.
Seeing him in such a state, none of the crowd could still believe he had nothing to do with the matter. Murmurs of discussion immediately broke out again, as people began pointing and whispering among themselves.
Master Liang turned away from him, no longer bothering to look at him, and faced Qi Xuan instead, a look of apology on his face. "It seems I have indeed failed to properly manage my people and allowed such a scoundrel to emerge. It is truly a shame that I have intruded on Young Master Qi today and delayed all of you from your business."
Without wasting any more time, he raised a hand and waved at the accountant standing behind him. "Go on, tell everyone the full story clearly, in front of Young Master Qi and all our fellow merchants here."
The accountant stepped forward in response, taking a booklet out of his breast pocket. "Guildmaster, Shopkeeper Qi, according to our investigation, Steward Xu did privately order that preferential treatment be granted to seven noodle sheet shops including Li's and Chen's a few days ago. Since Steward Xu is usually in charge of liaising with some of our business partners, he does have the authority to offer small discounts to regular customers to attract more business. There were similar instances of this before, so no one in the firm suspected anything, and the orders were processed as usual..."
With every sentence the accountant spoke, the color on Steward Xu's face faded further, until he looked utterly haggard.
After hearing the full account, Master Liang let out a long sigh, then cupped his hands and bowed to Qi Xuan. "Young Master Qi, I offer my sincerest apologies. This is all due to the poor management and lax oversight of my grain firm. I let this crooked, ill-intentioned person abuse the small power he held, pursue personal gains under the guise of public duty, and stir up unnecessary trouble. Not only has he broken the rules of our grain firm, he has also overstepped his bounds to interfere in the affairs of your guild, damaging the years-long friendship between our grain guild and the food and beverage guild. This is my fault."
He then turned to Lin Wu, his expression solemn. "You must be Shopkeeper Lin from the Shuangmu Cake Shop, right? On behalf of the grain firm, I offer you my apologies. My lack of vigilance has caused you so much trouble and loss, and I am truly ashamed. As a token of my apology, for the next six months starting today, all grain supplies Shopkeeper Lin purchases from any shop under our grain firm will be priced at cost, with no profit taken whatsoever. I only hope that Shopkeeper Lin will not hold a grudge against our entire grain firm because of the despicable acts of this petty villain."
Lin Wu stood up and returned the gesture of respect. "Master Liang, you are far too gracious. As a woman running a small shop, I only wish to make an honest and fair living. To have justice served today with the support of all of you here is more than I could have hoped for."
Master Liang nodded, then looked back at Qi Xuan. "Young Master Qi, I also owe you my thanks today. It is thanks to your sharp insight and fair handling of this matter that this rot that was corrupting the reputation of my firm has been rooted out. If left undiscovered, who knows what kind of huge disaster it would have caused sooner or later.
To express my gratitude, and also to make amends for the disruption I have caused today, all the tea and refreshment expenses for everyone present at Zhenhe Tower today will be covered by the Liang family. This is my way of apologizing to all our fellow merchants here, and I hope you will all be magnanimous enough to forgive us, and not lose trust in our grain firm because of this one rogue's misdeed."
After saying this, he looked at Steward Xu, who was now as pale and lifeless as ash. "As for you, Little Xu, you have abused your position for personal gain, sown discord between the two guilds, and disrupted the commercial atmosphere of Huzhou. You are nothing but a harmful black sheep. Effective immediately, you are expelled from the grain firm, and you will never be rehired. All your past misdeeds will also be documented and publicly posted as a warning to others! Young Master Qi, do you find this disposition satisfactory?"
Qi Xuan cupped his hands in greeting. "Uncle Liang, you are deeply righteous and decisive in your handling of matters, which is truly admirable. Now that the facts have been clarified and the chief offender has been punished, this matter can be put to rest. Thank you so much for taking the time to come in person and resolve everything so properly and thoroughly."
A smile returned to Master Liang's face, and he waved his hand repeatedly. "Young Master Qi, you are far too polite. This is my responsibility to begin with. Since that is settled, I will not intrude on everyone's enjoyment any longer. This good-for-nothing fellow will be taken back by me to be strictly disciplined, so he does not continue to be an eyesore here."
With that, he gave a slight nod to everyone present. The attendants behind him stepped forward and unceremoniously dragged Steward Xu away, who had gone limp like a puddle of mud.
It was not until Master Liang's figure had vanished through the door that the tense, taut atmosphere in Zhenhe Tower finally dissolved.
"Master Liang actually came in person!"
"And he is paying for all our food and drinks here today? Is that for real?"
"Of course it's real! Master Liang said it in front of all of us, how could that be a lie? What a day this has been! We got to watch a good show and eat and drink for free too!"
"This story is going to be talked about for a whole year!"
Everyone returned to their seats, chattering nonstop while calling over the restaurant staff to order more food and snacks.
