The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 27: If you want to move, then move seriously

"They are siblings! Born from the same mother. How can you expect Dad to believe it?"

Shang Mingshu's words broke through Shang Jinliang's mind about human nature and the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues.

"Is this true?" Shang Mingshu expected her father's reaction. "It's okay if you don't believe me, Dad. I told you this because I wanted you to think about it carefully. If the poison sac Luo Jin mentioned came from the Shi family..."

Shang Jinliang didn't believe that Shi Qingyu killed his brother. Shang Jinliang had many advantages and disadvantages. He would not think too badly of people. He had been doing business outside for many years and had seen the dangers of the world. Perhaps it was because he always tried to do good deeds, so his luck was very good. The biggest deception he had experienced was when he was doing business with a partner and was cheated out of several hundred kilograms of tea.

His thoughts were drawn to Shang Mingshu. The poison sac came from the Shi family, which meant that the Shi family was colluding with the Japanese pirates...

"His parents are still alive, he has two sons and one daughter, and he is rich and powerful. Why did he collude with the Japanese pirates? What did he want?" Shang Jinliang couldn't understand. Collaborating with the Japanese pirates was a serious crime that would lead to the confiscation of property and the extermination of the entire clan!

"Maybe... Dad can go and ask him in person?" Shang Mingshu suggested sincerely.

Shang Jinliang choked, feeling rather annoyed. He waved Shang Mingshu away, "Go back and rest."

"Dad, you should go to bed early." Shang Mingshu turned and left.

She just came in person to remind her father that he was too kind, not without cunning. After what she said today, no matter how much he believed it, he would be more cautious in dealing with the Shi family in the future.

The next morning, He Sui came to tell her that Shang Jinliang asked Xiao Yu to contact Shang Mingshu's martial arts master and hire a few more people who are knowledgeable and trustworthy to protect her.

Shang Mingshu was very satisfied with this, as she hoped that more people would be able to use her in the future.

Xiao Yu had mentioned it before, but Shang Jinliang was reluctant because he was afraid that others would criticize him for being ostentatious and trying to imitate other families in everything, but he brought the elderly, weak and sick home instead of following their example.

After the matter was settled, Shang Mingshu and Shang Zishu said goodbye and took Xiao Yu back to the city. Shang Jinliang had some things left to deal with. It would take nearly two days for a carriage to travel from She County to Fengyang Prefecture, so they left early and returned home on the third night.

Shang Wenshu kept the mansion in perfect order, and the kitchen had everything needed for hot water and hot meals.

After waking up early in the morning, Shang Wenshu went straight to Shang Mingshu's courtyard to have breakfast with her.

"Third sister, I found out that the food donated by the Shi family was actually rice salvaged from a shipwreck!" After breakfast was served on the table, Shang Wenshu sent away the two maids, and while serving fish soup to Shang Mingshu, she lowered her voice and said.

"The rice that was salvaged?" Shang Mingshu fell into deep thought.

"Last year, three large ships of the Huang's Rice Shop sank into the sea." Shang Wenshu handed the bowl to her sister and filled one for herself as well.

Shang Mingshu took the porcelain bowl and nodded, "I know about this. It's said that they were robbed by Japanese pirates. Huang Dalang, who was accompanying them, knew he was no match for them, so he ordered his servants to scuttle the ship, preferring to let it sink to the sea rather than allow the pirates to do what they wanted."

He was commended by the government for this. You must know that if the rice on the three large ships fell into the hands of Japanese pirates, it would be a serious threat to the imperial court.

The head of Huang's Rice Shop is also from Huizhou Prefecture. He has been engaged in the rice industry for a hundred years. In recent years, the Huang family has been entrenched in the Xihang area. After this disaster, their vitality has been severely damaged.

However, when the news of Huang Dalang's heroic feat of sinking the ship was reported, everyone was grateful for the Huang family's righteousness. The merchants in Huizhou had always been united, and even Shang Jinliang went to Hangzhou in person to present hundreds of coins.

The Huang family's old man selected a few families to sign the IOUs, while the rest politely declined. Today, the Huang family still stands strong in Xihang. "This batch of grain was later salvaged," Shang Wenshu couldn't help but glance towards the closed door, wary of someone suddenly pushing it open. "It ended up in the Wang family rice shop."

"Falling into Wang's Rice Shop?" Shang Mingshu savored Shang Wenshu's choice of words.

"Yes." Shang Wenshu suppressed her excitement. "Third sister, let's find a proper way to spread this news. What do you think?"

The donated grain has been soaked in sea water. If those who purchased the tea knew about this, wouldn’t they cause an uproar?
Shang Mingshu turned to look at Shang Wenshu, whose beautiful face was filled with joy. "Eldest sister, after hearing this news, this is the only way you can think of to deal with the Shi family? No other way?"

"Anything else?" Shang Wenshu was puzzled.

Shang Mingshu sighed, "Eldest sister, have you checked if anyone who received the free food has contracted a disease?"

"I asked around, and there are only one or two people."

"So, they handled this batch of grain very well." Shang Mingshu swallowed the soup in her mouth, "The Shi family must have known the source of this batch of old grain, so they put it in the middle and lower grade tea as a gift.

First, only these people would be tempted by a few pounds of grain. Second, they were not physically delicate, so eating it would likely be safe. Third, if it were ever revealed how precious grain really was, many people would still be haunted by the severe drought three years ago. Since it was harmless for them to eat it, they naturally wouldn't mind.

If you reveal the source of the food, you won't hurt them at all, and you'll just alert them."

"We're just going to sit back and do nothing?" Shang Wenshu thought that it wouldn't be a big blow to the Shi and Wang families, but she was unwilling to do nothing!
"What kind of person could salvage such a large amount of food?"

"Japanese pirates?" Shang Wenshu thought about all this carefully.

In order to salvage a large number of goods, the salvage workers must know the location of the shipwreck, have vehicles that can transport food, have a large number of people, and all of them must be able to swim. Doesn't this meet the requirements?
Shang Mingshu shook her head: "If it were the Japanese pirates, the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas would not be so peaceful now."

The food is edible, and the Japanese pirates have enough food and fodder, so they will definitely take action. Moreover, this batch of food must have been soaked in water for a short time, otherwise no matter how it is processed, it will not be abnormal after only a few people eat it.

"Eldest sister, send someone to inquire in the fishing village near the shipwreck to see if a group of people collectively made a fortune at the beginning of the year." Shang Mingshu had a guess. "It would be best if we could get solid evidence!"

"What are you going to do?" Shang Wenshu always knew that Shang Mingshu would not easily take action, and if she did, it would cause serious injuries.

Now, the nursery rhyme about the rich but unkind Fang family pawnshop business is still being sung throughout Fengyang Prefecture. Many people whose heirlooms were stolen by Fang Degui have reported them to the government. Fang Degui was just beaten with thirty sticks yesterday and is still lying on the couch.

"As I expected, there happened to be fishermen hiding in the dark on the day the rice sank. It's very likely they took advantage of the chaos to salvage a batch, and Wang's people came across and bought it. Wang's certainly didn't go through a pawnbroker." Shang Mingshu's eyes were slightly cold. "This is the crime of 'impersonating a pawnbroker's port'."

The government has regulations that anything like buying fish, salt, beans, grain, hiring a car, boat, mule, or horse, cannot be done without a broker.

Not all transactions had to go through a brokerage firm, but large quantities of grain did.

The Great Ming Code clearly stipulates the punishment for those who act as private pawnbrokers: sixty strokes of the cane, and the money earned will be confiscated by the government.

"I'll check it out right now!" Shang Wenshu didn't even have the mind to eat breakfast. Once she got the evidence, Wang would be in big trouble. Then the news that the Shi family was cooperating with illegal businessmen would be spread.

This is more effective than letting the people know that their food is fished out of the sea!