Killing a city lord would normally be a major event. However, Xi Munan's situation was different.
The source of the plague had not yet been found, but Xi Munan was undoubtedly the one responsible for allowing it to spread to this extent.
Whether for his family's sake or his own position, once the plague broke out fully, the man had become a target of universal condemnation in the State of Yang. Killing him was the will of the people.
For Jiang Chen to draw his sword and strike him down was an act of righteousness in the eyes of the public.
Moreover, Jiacheng's truth had only come to light because of his efforts. His contribution needed no boasting—it was there for all to see.
Furthermore, the Chongxuan family's thirty-year governance rights in Green Goat Town were officially recognized by the Yang court. Jiang Chen had inherited these rights. To risk his life for the people was justified both by reason and sentiment.
Thus, even a steward from the Four Seas Trade Alliance dared to say he could mediate. He knew perfectly well that the Yang court might not react at all.
In other words, if the Yang court were truly to respond to this incident, Steward Qian's "mediation" would be less than a fart.
So Jiang Chen only treated it as a joke.
So, would the Yang court actually react to this?
Jiang Chen believed they would not!
First, with the plague raging, the entire Yang court was too busy to look after itself. It had even entrusted the national task of distributing supplies to the Four Seas Trade Alliance from the State of Qi. This exposed the weakness of the State of Yang as a vassal state. It was also the tragedy of a vassal with no voice in the world's affairs.
Second, it was also because of the plague. In the entire State of Yang, Jiang Chen was one of the earliest to take the plague seriously, and he was also the first to expose it. He had almost single-handedly revealed the truth. While many people hated him, many more saw him as a hero. The Yang court could not ignore this.
Third, the Yang court's lack of control over its various regions had been fully exposed. The court's most pressing task now should be to use the plague prevention efforts to strengthen its actual control over local areas. Any ruler with insight would not overlook this.
And to gain control of Jiacheng, what would the Yang court need to do first? Settle accounts with the Xi family!
Coincidentally, the Xi family had concealed the plague, providing themselves with a perfect crime.
If the Yang court were to use this as a pretext to press charges, then any grounds for blaming Jiang Chen would also become untenable.
So Jiang Chen was not worried about these things at all.
The reason he did not kill Xi Zichu was simple: in this moment, no one else in Jiacheng could mobilize more resources and strength than Xi Zichu. No one else could replace his role in saving lives.
Of course, he was confident that he could never be surpassed by Xi Zichu. So even if there was a suspicion of raising a tiger to create future trouble, he could temporarily restrain his killing intent to save more lives. Even if the other party truly became a "tiger," he had the confidence to slay him.
If Xi Zichu had shown the kind of talent that Yin Guan or Wang Yiwu possessed, Jiang Chen would not have made this choice. He would have struck him down the moment the grudge was formed. After all, only the living could observe propriety, and only those who rose to prominence could benefit the world.
There was also an unspoken reason: someone as clever as Xi Zichu would figure it out once he calmed down. Especially after learning that the State of Rong had exposed the epidemic a full day earlier.
In truth, after seeing Xi Zichu's efforts to combat the plague, Jiang Chen had given him this opportunity for an "exchange"—using his mobilization of the Xi family's full strength for disaster relief as the price, in exchange for the chance to transfer the family's bloodline and seeds during this window of time.
Once the Yang court freed its hands to fully take over Jiacheng, given the crimes the Xi family had committed, the possibility of their complete annihilation could not be ruled out.
Watching Steward Qian of the Four Seas Trade Alliance leave with a full bag of Dao Essence Stones, and seeing the bald escort commander walking with an arrogant swagger, Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth in hatred. But she would not question Jiang Chen's decision.
Zhang Hai, however, couldn't help but speak up: "Two hundred Dao Essence Stones? You really just gave them away like that?"
How many pills could that have refined!
In his heart, he actually resented Xiang Qian a little. Although the past period had been tough, Jiang Chen had never been stingy with them. Resources were provided without fail.
Two hundred Dao Essence Stones was not a small amount. Although these stones had come from Jiang Chen's own pocket, weren't Jiang Chen's stones the same as this small group's?
"This is the value of the Four Seas Trade Alliance's brand!" Jiang Chen said. "But if they keep abusing it like this, it won't be worth this much for long!"
Xiaoxiao looked thoughtful.
Looking at the people in the town hall, Jiang Chen continued: "I hope that one day, our brand will be just as resounding when we put it out there. A name alone will make others yield and soften. When that day comes, I beg you to cherish it."
What he did not say was that these two hundred Dao Essence Stones, while intended to quickly crush the Four Seas Trade Alliance's ambitions to blow things up, also contained a portion of premium for one person—Xiang Qian.
From beginning to end, Xiang Qian, who still looked like a down-on-his-luck uncle, had not said a word.
He kept his dead-fish eyes lowered, as if he cared about nothing.
Only when Jiang Chen finished speaking did he nod slightly, indicating he was listening.
...
"Steward, that Jiang fellow has plenty of fat to squeeze. Why didn't you ask for more?"
Leaving the Green Goat Town hall and still on the road, the escort commander couldn't help but ask: "Would he really dare to fall out with our Four Seas Trade Alliance?"
"Idiot!" Steward Qian rebuked. "What fat could a mere Jiang Chen provide? The trade alliance's relief business across the entire State of Yang is where the real profit lies. I won't short you a single copper of the extra thousand gold. And don't you dare skim from the warehouse again. If you dare mess up the big picture, I'll kill you myself!"
"Yes!" The bald escort commander was reluctant but could only nod in agreement.
He wasn't truly stupid. He knew perfectly well where the real money was. Profiting from the entire State of Yang was far beyond what could be squeezed from a minor lord like Jiang Chen. But what did the Four Seas Trade Alliance's profits have to do with him? Only what ended up in his own hands was truly his.
He had long known of Steward Qian's stinginess, but he never expected it to go this far. After collecting two hundred Dao Essence Stones, he was only giving him a thousand gold!
But power dynamics were what they were. A single rank higher meant crushing authority.
There were hundreds of stewards in the entire Four Seas Trade Alliance, and Steward Qian was nothing special among them. But dealing with an escort commander like him was as easy as pie.
After this incident, he had come to understand something. Compared to the one who had kicked down the door, stolen the eggs, and shaved him bald, that young cultivator named Jiang Chen was the truly ruthless one.
Throwing out two hundred Dao Essence Stones in one go, making Steward Qian shut up cleanly and decisively—that demonstrated an attitude.
After so many years in the trade alliance, he understood one thing most clearly: the more extravagant and seemingly generous someone appeared, the more vigilant you needed to be.
Those willing to spend big to get things done were also the ones willing to pay any price to take your life.
Let alone the fact that he had personally killed the lord of Jiacheng!
Since he had persuaded Steward Qian to hold back, the bald escort commander decided he would behave himself from now on.
After all, with the thousand gold from Steward Qian, plus the batch of "plundered" goods worth another thousand gold, the profits were quite substantial.
Once he resold them, in the current market, they would likely fetch more than a thousand gold.
It was just a pity he hadn't managed to get any Dao Essence Stones. He would have to buy some separately.
He was calculating his own little ledger in his mind.
The trade alliance warehouse in Green Goat Town would just continue operating normally from now on. After all, being as stingy and petty as before would hardly squeeze out another thousand gold anyway.
...
"That's why they say the Four Seas Trade Alliance is full of cunning people!"
In the Ethereal Realm, Chongxuan Sheng's eyes narrowed until they were almost invisible: "A steward has a steward's cunning, and an escort has an escort's cunning."
"Otherwise, how could they, having developed for so many years as the State of Qi's oldest merchant organization, gradually lose ground to the Treasured Wealth Chamber?"
Jiang Chen looked at him suspiciously: "What are you planning?"
"What do you mean, what am I planning?"
"When you narrow your eyes, you're thinking of killing someone!"
"Oh?" Chongxuan Sheng rubbed the triple-fold of flesh under his chin. "I'll have to watch that in the future."
"As for what exactly..." He looked at Jiang Chen and smiled. "Military orders are absolute. I cannot say!"
Le Wen