Chapter 263 - 261: Ultimatum
Amid the clamor.
One afternoon, a group of riders shattered the festive atmosphere.
There were five or six of them, all dressed in the uniforms of a government office. They were travel-worn and stern-faced, a stark contrast to the smiling officials who had come to offer congratulations earlier.
They rode straight to the Chen Family’s main gate but did not dismount. One of them barked at a servant, "We are officers from the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau, here on official business to question Zhou Shuwei. Announce us at once."
Seeing their menacing demeanor, the servant dared not delay and hurried inside to report.
When Zhou Shuwei heard the servant’s report, her heart sank. A sense of foreboding instantly gripped her.
She walked out into the courtyard and gave a slight curtsy to the leading official. "I am Zhou Shuwei. May I ask why you gentlemen are looking for me?"
The lead official remained seated on his horse, looking down at her. His cold gaze swept over Zhou Shuwei as he produced an official document from his robes, stamped with the great seal of the Textile Bureau. He announced loudly, "Zhou Shuwei, listen closely. The Zhou Family was contracted to provide Official Tribute Silk, with a required delivery of forty thousand bolts this year. You are now five months overdue, and not a single bolt has been delivered. This is a serious breach of contract."
His voice wasn’t loud, but each word struck her heart like a hammer.
The lead official continued reading: "The Jiangzhou Textile Bureau has ruled that you have two months to deliver the forty thousand bolts of Official Silk owed. If you fail to meet this deadline, the Textile Bureau will pursue a penalty fine for breach of contract, amounting to two million four hundred thousand taels of silver.
"If you are unable to pay the fine, all Zhou Family assets—your ancestral home, workshops, farmlands, and liquid assets—will be seized and publicly auctioned to cover the official debt. Should the proceeds from the sale be insufficient, we will continue to pursue you for the remainder until the principal and interest are paid in full."
Zhou Shuwei’s expression faltered. She looked up and said, "Sir, the Zhou Family’s assets have already been seized by the Liyang Commandery Magistrate’s Office. I implore you, sir, to have the Textile Bureau send a formal request to the Commandery Magistrate’s Office to first release our assets so that we may raise the necessary funds."
The lead official sneered. "The Commandery Magistrate’s Office’s seizure is a local matter. It has nothing to do with our Textile Bureau. If you have an issue, Miss Zhou, take it up with the Commandery Magistrate’s Office yourself."
With that, he gave Zhou Shuwei no chance to argue, reined his horse around, and galloped away in a cloud of dust.
Zhou Shuwei stood alone outside the courtyard, her face pale, frozen in place for a long time.
Returning to the Chen residence, she went to the study to bid farewell to Chen Li. "Uncle, the Textile Bureau is pressing me hard. I must leave for the Commandery City at once."
Chen Li had clearly heard the ultimatum from the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau officials in the courtyard. He asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Zhou Shuwei gave a bitter smile. "It’s already impossible to gather forty thousand bolts of silk. The only option now is to go to the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and ask them to return the Zhou Family’s seized assets—our farmlands, residences, shops, and other properties.
"I’ve calculated it carefully. If those assets can be sold smoothly, they might fetch over one million taels of silver. Adding the liquid assets I brought with me before, like the Secret Manuals and Elixirs, that’s another million taels. As for the remaining deficit, I’ll have to figure out a plan later and pay it back slowly."
Chen Li shook his head. "Don’t be in such a hurry to go to the Commandery City. There’s something strange about this."
Zhou Shuwei looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion.
Chen Li said, "The Textile Bureau and the Commandery Magistrate’s Office both hold legal authority. If they truly wanted to liquidate the Zhou Family’s assets, they could have just sold them directly. Why go to the trouble of sending someone to inform you, not just once but multiple times? On the surface, it seems they’re following procedure, but it’s more like they’re forcing you into a trap. If you go to the Commandery City now, you’ll likely be walking right into it."
Zhou Shuwei was exceptionally bright and immediately understood Chen Li’s implication.
’It’s not that I don’t realize this might be a trap.’
But she felt she had no choice. She smiled bitterly. "Uncle, I also know this is strange, but if I let the Commandery Magistrate’s Office and the Textile Bureau handle it, I’m afraid our Zhou Family assets wouldn’t even sell for five hundred thousand taels.
"At that point, I’d be saddled with a massive debt and might never recover in this lifetime. Even knowing it’s a trap, I have no choice but to... walk into it."
Chen Li took a prepared gift list from his desk drawer and handed it to her. "Since you are betrothed to Shouheng, you are a member of the Chen Family. According to custom, our family must present a betrothal gift. Take a look at this list. See if it is to your liking. If you find it acceptable, then please take it."
Zhou Shuwei froze on the spot.
Her mind was a tangled mess, completely consumed by her family’s crisis.
’Why would Chen Li suddenly bring up the matter of a betrothal gift?’
She blankly accepted the paper, utterly bewildered. As instructed, she unfolded it. Her eyes scanned the characters, and when she saw what was written, she froze as if struck by lightning.
On the gift list were just five words: "Forty thousand bolts of silk."
Forty thousand bolts of silk!
The exact amount the Textile Bureau had ordered her to deliver.
Zhou Shuwei snapped her head up, her beautiful eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Chen Li.
Her lips parted, but not a single word came out. Her mind went blank.
The Chen Family...
’Where did they get forty thousand bolts of silk?’
Chen Li didn’t explain the origin of the silk. He simply said, "If you are satisfied, then accept these bolts of silk. Take them to the Textile Bureau and settle this matter. As for the Commandery City, there’s no need to go for now."
As for why he was giving Zhou Shuwei the silk, Chen Li had his own calculations.
The thirty thousand bolts of silk he had taken back from the Liu Family on behalf of the Zhou Family were difficult to sell.
Holding onto them served little purpose.
In fact, it required manpower just to guard them.
It was better to let Zhou Shuwei use them to settle the official tribute with the Textile Bureau.
In truth, the idea had occurred to him ever since Zhou Shuwei returned from the Commandery City to Lingxi and told him how the Commandery Magistrate’s Office was making things difficult by using the delayed tribute as an excuse to withhold her documents.
It was precisely because of this plan that he had taken the opportunity to demand fifteen thousand bolts of silk during his secret talk with Luo Pingyuan.
Zhou Shuwei was intelligent. Although she didn’t know the inside story, seeing Chen Li’s confidence, she knew he must have a plan.
A hundred emotions welled up inside her. The immense pressure on her shoulders suddenly vanished, replaced by a warm current that brought tears to her eyes. She choked out, "Uncle, this kindness... I don’t know how I could ever repay it."
"We’re family. There’s no need for thanks."
Chen Li waved his hand and gave another instruction. "However, before that, I need you to do one thing. Go find Shouye and have him seek out Qian Laibao. Tell him to spread the word that our Chen Family wishes to purchase a large quantity of silk at market price."
Zhou Shuwei paused, frowning slightly in confusion. "Uncle, there are only a few hundred bolts of silk circulating in Jingshan. Even looking at all of Liyang County, it would be nigh impossible to gather five thousand bolts in a short time."
Chen Li just smiled without offering an explanation.
His true intention wasn’t actually to buy a large amount of silk.
It was merely to let it be known that the Chen Family was looking to buy silk. That was all.
As a perceptive person, Zhou Shuwei quickly realized Chen Li must have another motive. She didn’t ask further questions, simply bowing and saying, "Yes, I understand. I’ll go find Brother Shouye now."
When she found Chen Shouye, he was strolling in the courtyard holding his young son, Chen Zhiyuan, enjoying a rare moment of leisure.
"Brother Shouye."
Zhou Shuwei called out.
"Sister-in-law?"
Seeing her grave expression, Chen Shouye asked, "Is something wrong?"
Zhou Shuwei’s face flushed slightly as she quietly relayed Chen Li’s instructions.
After listening, Chen Shouye nodded. "Alright, I understand. I’ll go to the county town and find Brother Qian now."
He handed the child to Li Jinru and said softly, "Jinru, I’ll trouble you to look after Zhiyuan."
Li Jinru took the baby and nodded. "Be safe, husband, and come back soon. Be careful."
After quickly packing a few things in his room, Chen Shouye left on horseback.
He arrived in Jingshan County Town.
Chen Shouye found Qian Laibao at Qian’s Silk Shop.
After hearing the purpose of Chen Shouye’s visit, Qian Laibao’s chubby face filled with surprise. He said with some difficulty, "Shouye, to be honest with you, in the current market, raw silk is hard to come by, and finished silk is in high demand. Between what’s left in my shop’s inventory and what I can get from a few workshops I know well, at the absolute most... I could probably scrape together a thousand bolts. That’s the limit."
This wasn’t a surprise to Chen Shouye. "Thank you for the trouble, Brother Qian. Just get whatever you can. My father’s intention was also to ask you to inquire in the neighboring counties. The more, the better."
"Alright!"
Qian Laibao nodded, then couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Shouye, forgive your brother for prying, but why does your family suddenly need such a large quantity of silk? In this market, hoarding for speculation is a big risk."
Chen Shouye shook his head. "To be honest, Brother, my father didn’t state the specific reason. I’m just following orders."
He guessed it had something to do with the Zhou Family, but of course, he couldn’t mention that to an outsider.
Seeing this, Qian Laibao’s small eyes twinkled. He suddenly stood up and mysteriously ushered Chen Shouye into a back room.
He closed the door and lowered his voice even more. "Shouye, if your family is in truly urgent need of a large amount of silk, your brother here knows a way that might... solve your pressing problem."
Chen Shouye paused. "Please tell me, Brother."
Qian Laibao leaned closer. "A few days ago, I heard from a traveling merchant who works the Nanjiang Waterway that the Tuo Long Bang seems to be in a hurry to offload a batch of silk. A huge quantity. I heard the price is extremely low, just this much..."
He held up five fingers and flipped his hand three times: "Fifteen taels a bolt."
"Fifteen taels?"
Chen Shouye was shocked.
That price was far below the market rate.
The market price for silk had risen slightly and was now twenty-five taels a bolt.
This was a full forty percent lower.
He immediately asked, "How large is ’a huge quantity’?"
"The exact number isn’t clear, but rumor has it... it’s at least in the tens of thousands of bolts."
Qian Laibao squinted his small eyes and chuckled. "I heard the Tuo Long Bang approached several major Silk Shops in the county, but none of them could afford to take on such a massive stock at once. They say the gang is now as anxious as ants on a hot pan."
"The Tuo Long Bang?"
Chen Shouye frowned. Instead of being pleased, he grew more cautious and asked, "What kind of power is this? Is their merchandise legitimate?"
Qian Laibao laughed. "Don’t worry, Shouye. The Tuo Long Bang aren’t some common Water Bandits or thugs. They’re a major gang that monopolizes several waterways, including the Lishui and Nanjiang.
"The order at countless docks along the river and the safety of merchant ships all depend on them to maintain. I hear they have deep connections within the Government Office too."
He paused, then said vaguely, "As for the origin of this batch of silk... your old brother here isn’t too clear on that. I can’t guarantee that the goods they’re selling are one hundred percent clean. But generally, there shouldn’t be any major problems. They probably acquired it through some special channel and are just in a hurry to liquidate."
Chen Shouye knew this was a serious matter and he couldn’t make the decision himself. "Thank you for telling me this, Brother. However, with such a large quantity, I must report back to my father for a decision as soon as possible. If my father is interested, I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you to make an introduction."
"Of course, of course!"
Qian Laibao readily agreed. "Leave it to me."