Chapter 479: One of the Eight Great Shanxi Merchants

Iron Bird Flies gave a low chuckle and first presented a small tray of silver.With one glance, the salt tax office knew it was at least fifty taels of fine silver. He rejoiced inwardly; such a generous introductory gift meant this scheme was surely big.

A smile spread across his face. “Speak. What do you want?”

Iron Bird Flies: “My purpose here today is to ask Your Excellency to grant me the salt rights to another village.”

The salt tax office deliberately put on a stern face. “Last time I sold you the salt rights to a village, and look what you did! You fattened up those salt craftsmen! Now they’ve got money in their hands, they’re no longer obedient to my control. They all fled in the middle of the night, emptying the village entirely. You’ve caused significant losses for my production!”

Iron Bird Flies chuckled inwardly: Those salt craftsmen were lured away by us to make smuggled salt, but you just think they ran. Ha, ha! This time, I’m coming to take another village’s worth of craftsmen from you, but you think I’m just here to buy salt?

Laughing inside, but he couldn’t let it show. Iron Bird Flies said, “The craftsmen fleeing wasn’t my fault, Your Excellency. The wages you paid them were too meager. I inquired; they only got two coins per catty from you. Yet, I paid you twenty coins per catty! If you just spared a few more coins for them, they wouldn’t have run.”

The salt tax office retorted with a mocking laugh, “Do you take me for a merchant, having to spend money to maintain subordinates? Those craftsmen aren’t part of our official staff. They’re merely this official’s dogs! If they get a bone to gnaw on, that’s fine enough. They crave meat?”

Damn it! Iron Bird Flies cursed silently.

Yet outwardly, he remained smiling. “Alright, alright, let’s stop fussing about those craftsmen. Your Excellency, I genuinely need the salt. Grant me another village, would you?”

The salt tax office shook his head. “Mr. Tie, I’d very much like to give you another village, but it can’t be done this time. There’s a major merchant arranging a delivery with me. Too many salt craftsmen have fled; my own stocks are becoming insufficient to meet demands. I must fulfill this merchant’s order first.”

Iron Bird Flies: “I can pay more, Your Excellency. Name your price.”

The salt tax office again shook his head. “Paying more won’t help, either. This merchant isn’t an ordinary one… He’s a supplier specially approved by the court for the border army. They hold salt licenses. Their salt must take precedence.”

Hearing this, Iron Bird Flies immediately understood.

Shanxi merchants!

Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, established nine border towns on the frontiers. These border army forces needed supplies, but the court’s capacity was limited. Thus, the “Kai Zhong System” was implemented: The court invited capable merchants to transport supplies for the border troops, and in return, granted them salt licenses. With these licenses in hand, the merchants could proceed to Hedong Road’s Jie Pond in Shanxi, find the salt tax office, extract official salt, and sell it for profit.

And so, this breed known as “Shanxi merchants” was born.

Compared to the power of the Shanxi merchants, a salt smuggler like Iron Bird Flies seemed insignificant—the difference akin to clouds and mud. A mere finger from one of those Shanxi merchants could crush Iron Bird Flies’s finances.

Damn it! Iron Bird Flies mentally cursed. Why would a Shanxi merchant come to compete for stock at this crucial moment? If I fail to execute the Deity’s Decree, I’d be offending a celestial being!

He was about to argue further when he saw a man dressed in merchant clothes walk in. The aura of commerce radiating from this man was almost palpable.

The salt tax office didn’t introduce him, as Iron Bird Flies was involved in shady dealings and thus didn’t warrant an introduction.

Yet Iron Bird Flies recognized him instantly. The newcomer was one of Shanxi’s famous Eight Great Shanxi Merchants: Huang Yunfa.

This man’s operations were vast: salt, tea, ironware, all sorts of handcrafted goods—he traded all kinds of chaotic equipment. However, whispers circulated that this man sold significant quantities of goods beyond the passes, delivering them to the Jurchens…

Yet, this was only rumor; no one had ever caught him red-handed.

Iron Bird Flies knew he stood no chance against this man. He could only clasp his fists respectfully toward the salt tax office and withdraw.

A trusted subordinate approached. “Boss, what do we do?”

Iron Bird Flies: “Cold comfort! We head back to the ancient ferry dock to implore the Deity. Only through the Deity’s arts can we hope to match Huang Yunfa financially and fight him for the business.”

Having said this, the two prepared to leave. Unexpectedly, just then, a clamorous alarm sounded from the eastern city wall. A fast horse charged through Hedong Road’s city gate, the rider shouting frantically, “Bandit rebels are coming! Bandit rebels are coming! The rebels are here to seize salt!”

This startled Iron Bird Flies immensely.

He had some urge to flee, but knew that leaving now would mean gathering no intelligence. He needed to stay to uncover more.

He saw the Hedong Road officials immediately mobilize, grabbing weapons.

Climbing the city wall and looking east, Iron Bird Flies saw a dense mass of heads approaching. Above the crowd, a large flag fluttered: “Chuang”(闖 – To Charge Through / To Plunge Ahead).

His heart skipped a beat. “That’s the King of Disruption, a top general under Wang Jiayin, ranked third among Wang Jiayin’s subordinates—a formidable force. Hedong Road is in for a disaster.”

Before the Chuang army masses, large groups of officials and salt craftsmen were fleeing desperately towards the Hedong Road city. It seemed that with the Chuang army’s approach, the garrisons and villagers at the various salt villages by the pond were abandoning their homes and converging on Hedong Road, creating a scene of utter chaos.

The salt tax official rushed frantically from his residence, fastening his helmet as he ran. “Bandit rebels are coming?! Damn it, Hedong Road isn’t some ordinary county town. How dare they come?!”

Arrogant in his assumption that the rebels wouldn’t dare attack a “military district,” he ascended the battlement walls and was instantly terrified. Spread before him were vast, uncountable multitudes.

He nearly wet himself in fright.

The Shanxi merchant Huang Yunfa followed him out, appearing entirely unflappable. Giving the Chuang army outside a sidelong glance, he sneered coldly. “Merely a rabble of misfits, nothing more. Your Excellency needn’t panic. Once my men go out to engage them briefly, Your Excellency can then have your troops charge in to mop up. Victory shall be ours in one battle.”

The salt tax office: “???”

Huang Yunfa turned to speak to a close subordinate behind him. “Take our guard unit out to play with these rebels.”

At his command, a large contingent of guards sprang into action.

Instinctively, both the salt tax office and Iron Bird Flies looked toward his security force. To their shock, this merchant’s guards were actually a cavalry unit in gleaming armor! Among them, a small squad appeared particularly tall and powerfully built, their features seemingly not those of Central Plains people…

Are that small squad… Jurchen troops? Iron Bird Flies’s heart clenched, and he whispered, “Rumors say he has dealings with the Jurchens.”

The subordinate beside him whispered back, “Based solely on appearance, he’d deny it to death, just say they’re herdsmen from the northern border.”

“Charge!”

With a collective shout, Huang Yunfa’s men surged out of the city. Their horses’ hooves flew, sweeping forward like the wind. The small squad at the forefront was especially ferocious. Brandishing long spears and cavalry sabers, they swept through the advancing rebel forces, sending them stampeding in panic.

The salt tax official gawked. Holy mother! Huang Yunfa’s men are so fierce? Then why wait?

Hurriedly, he too shouted, “Charge!”

The city’s officials troops swarmed out in response, forcing the army of the King of Disruption into a chaotic retreat.