Chapter 585: The Covert Struggle Begins
Chapter 575 of "The Great Ming in the Box" opens showing developments: Wu Shen spat âPah!â towards the fleeing servants of Qin King Mansion. Turning to check... Keep reading!
Wu Shen spat âPah!â towards the fleeing servants of Qin King Mansion. Turning to check the injuries among âhis own peopleâ, he discovered not a single member of the Li Family was hurt. They all seemed completely at ease.Overjoyed, Wu Sheng exclaimed, âAmazing skill! None of our people were injured.â
Li Daoxuan replied, âIf anyone got hurt fighting these servants, theyâd all be punished to the extent of crying when they got back.â
Wu Shen asked, âWould they really punish such fine subordinates?â
Li Daoxuan smiled without answering.
Wu Shen glanced around. Townsfolk, emboldened, now dared to enter the street. Seeing Qin King Mansionâs servants driven off, they were visibly delighted.
Some bolder, politically astute citizens began analyzing: Qin King sent fifty men this time and still got beaten back. He probably wonât send larger servant groups to fight openly now.
If he escalates further, heâll actually succeed in getting impeached.
Even if the emperor indulges Qin King, there are limits. The emperor wonât permit Qin King to openly amass large private forces. So, Qin King wonât parade more servants through the streets inviting suspicion.
Meaning, open fighting ends here. At most, covert struggles remain, but thatâs not for us commoners to worry about.
A bold farmer rushed into the fertilizer store shouting, âI want to buy fertilizer!â
His action sparked a flood of townsfolk surging inside. âUs too! We all want some!â
Wang Tang straightened his robes, rumpled from the scuffle, and resumed his place behind the counter. Smiling warmly, he announced, âAlright, no shoving! Form a line, one by one. Everyone buying fertilizer gets a free gift! One invoice per personâno cheating the good citizens!â
Wu Shen frowned. âWhatâs an invoice?â
Wang Tang eagerly explained the concept to him again.
After hearing him out, Wu Shen shrugged dismissively. âSeems pretty useless to me.â
Wang Tangâs spirits sank. Even a knowledgeable official finds it useless? Ordinary folks wonât care then. Ah! Deity was right⌠Too early. Much too early.
Feeling triumphant in this phase of his clash with Qin King, Wu Shen swaggered off, supremely satisfied.
But upon returning indoors, Li Daoxuan summoned Wang Tang, Ground Rabbit, and Zheng Gouzi. âThe opponentâs open assaults likely end here. What you must guard against now is their underhanded tactics.â
Ground Rabbitâs eyes widened. âDoes Deity mean⌠will Qin King muster an army to chop us down?â
âThat wonât happen.â Li Daoxuan knew Qin King wouldnât openly deploy troops. Covert operations required planning and patience; haste wonât serve him. Changing the subject, he addressed Ground Rabbit: âWord of our victory over Qin King Mansionâs servants will spread citywide before sundown. With our fame soaring, itâs time to execute last nightâs mission.â
Ground Rabbit stood tall, rushing with pride as he recalled the assignment clearly. âAt once! Iâll begin immediately!â
He turned to Wang Tang. âWang Tang! You can read, write, and calculate. Come with me.â
Wang Tang, puzzled, glanced furtively at Li Daoxuan. Seeing the Deity nod approvingly, he followed Ground Rabbit. âAlright. Iâll see what this is about.â
Exiting the fertilizer store, they turned two corners and reached the grand restaurant theyâd seen the prior evening.
Ground Rabbit declared, âOur mission: buy this restaurant.â
Wang Tang staggered. âWhat?! You canât be serious!â
Ground Rabbit grinned fiercely. âDead serious. Deity approved. AndâŚâ a dark chuckle escaped him, âwe wonât stop here. Weâll buy, buy, buy! Every business we can seize across Xiâan Prefecture! We canât conquer Xiâan openly⌠but weâll become its unseen rulers! Mwahahaha!â
Wang Tang froze, puzzled brieflyâŚ. then comprehension dawned. Xiâanâs strategic importance to the Ming court meant Gaojia Village couldnât seize it outrightâthat meant war. Controlling its commerce was the solution. Master its vital businesses, control the food, clothes, housing, and movement of both commoners and wealthy nobles.
Pumping his fist, Wang Tang shouted, âThis is MY kind of battle! Everything I studied in writing and arithmeticâIâll use it all here!â
Two hours later.
Ground Rabbit and Wang Tang swaggered out of the restaurant, clutching thick sheafs of contracts handed over by the previous owner.
Deeds to land, the building, and even the indentured contracts of the lowly kitchen help lay in their hands.
Under the Deityâs relentless mountain of gold, the restaurant changed ownership.
None could resist that terrifying golden tide. If one pile failed, two would overwhelm.
Gathering the entire staff, Ground Rabbit flashed a menacing grin. âFrom today, I, Mr. Rabbit, am your new Master. I am a tyrannical, capricious, unreasonable brute. Defy me? Youâre fired instantly!â
Every employee thought, He certainly looks every bit the tyrant.
Pointing directly at the trembling main manager, Ground Rabbit growled, âYou. You just thought I wasnât a good man.â
The manager choked. â!!!â
Ground Rabbit barked, âGet lost.â
Horrified, the manager pleaded, âNo, Master! I didnât think that! Truly!â
Ground Rabbit drew his sword halfway with a lethal shring! âOut! NOW!â
Feeling the killing intent, the manager hastily grabbed his things and fled.
Only when he vanished did Ground Rabbit slide his sword back. He pointed to a young waiter heâd noted before. âYou! I like your face. From today, youâre the assistant manager.â
The waiter gaped, struck dumb by fortuneâs abruptness. Stuttering, he managed, âSmall⌠small one? How could I? I⌠I canât even write!â
Just as Deity predicted, Ground Rabbit realized. This guy really canât writeâwould ruin this place as main manager. Thank the Heavens Deity warned me.
Smiling kindly, Ground Rabbit reassured him, âNot writingâs fine. Youâre the assistant manager, after all. A proper main managerâs coming for the books and management. You just handle the daily mess.â
The waiter beamed. âThank you, Dong Weng!â
Ground Rabbit boomed with laughter. âRight! One more thing: From today, donât toss scraps to pigs. Dispose of them as you see fit, Assistant Manager.â