The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 31 Hilly Fight
"Dad, I want to improve the tea garden." Shang Mingshu organized her thoughts and stated her purpose.

She had never expected to persuade Shang Jinliang not to give the "bribe" money, but she did not expect Shang Jinliang to tell her the dark side beyond her cognition. She was unhappy, but she did not forget to wait until the matter could not be negotiated, and then make another request as a compromise.

Shang Jinliang wanted to cheer his daughter up, so he asked, "Improve the tea garden? How do we improve it?"

"Plant pearl orchids among the tea trees..." Shang Mingshu told Shang Jinliang what she and Shang Zishu saw and thought at Fuqiu Peak, as well as Shang Zishu's reply letter yesterday. In the letter, Shang Zishu happily told Shang Mingshu that many tea farmers recognized their idea because it was very likely to improve tea.

Shang Jinliang knew very well that the tea from Shang's Tea House lacked something unique. Seeing that his two daughters had investigated and verified every aspect, and even asked many tea farmers about how to transform it and the planting ratio of tea trees and orchids, he naturally couldn't let his daughters' efforts go to waste.

"Once the tribute tea issue has a result, Dad will persuade the clan members to agree. However, this is a big matter, so I can only open a tea garden for you to try it out first." Shang Jinliang promised.

"Listen to Daddy." Shang Mingshu didn't intend to make all the changes at once. It was still unknown whether it would succeed.

After a sincere conversation, the father and daughter seemed to have become much closer. Shang Jinliang and Xiao Yu sat in Shang Mingshu's yard for more than an hour before leaving.

As soon as Shang Jinliang left, the gentle smile on Shang Mingshu's face disappeared. She turned around and wrote two letters, one to inform Shang Zishu that Shang Jinliang had promised to improve the tea garden, and the other to inform Cheng She that something had changed.

I originally thought it was an ordinary person who was committing the fraud, but now he is committing the fraud on orders, and I cannot let Cheng She’s people be implicated.

Unexpectedly, the message Cheng She asked He Sui to bring back was: things have changed, and he will personally bring people to complete the deal for her.

Shang Mingshu felt that Cheng She's sudden involvement was definitely not due to the relationship between the two families. It was rumored that Cheng She had a powerful backer in Kyoto, so perhaps this was a deeper dispute.

She shouldn't have gotten involved in this. Regardless of the final outcome, she should just consider this 100,000 yuan as a way to ward off disaster.

Counting the time, Shang Mingshu couldn't calm down in the mansion. She used the inkstone given by Cheng Mian to write the word "Jing". Her handwriting was sharp and the end of the stroke was hasty.

She threw down her pen and said, "He Sui, go tell Doctor Du that I'm going out for a while and ask him to cover for me."

He turned around and went into the house to get his nightgown, then sat in front of the dressing table, combed his hair into a man's bun, put on a conical hat, picked up his mask and sword, and just as he reached the door, he ran into He Sui who had returned.

"Third Madam, Doctor Du is making excuses and is unwilling to come."

"Go look for him again. If he doesn't come, I will ask my elder sister to find him a suitable partner." Shang Mingshu said this and left.

Du Zhong was an orphan raised in the Shang family nursery. He showed a talent for medicine since he was a child. Shang Jinliang invited an old imperial physician who had retired from the Imperial Hospital to be his teacher. The old imperial physician praised Du Zhong highly and wanted to recommend him to the Imperial Hospital several times, but Du Zhong refused every time.

Du Zhong claimed that he was grateful to Shang Jia for his cultivation and wanted to work for him. This made the old imperial physician feel very disappointed and he refused to continue teaching him medicine. Du Zhong then returned to Shang Jia to work as the court physician.

How could such a kindness of cultivation make him give up his future? It was just that once he went to the capital, he would be separated from his beloved and there would be no chance for him to do so.

In the entire Shang family, Shang Wenshu is the only one who is devoted to Wen Sanlang and cannot see Du Zhong's feelings for her.

Shang Mingshu was not sure whether Cheng She would attack at the agreed place, so she could only chase in this direction. When she came, there were traces of fighting everywhere, with some dried blood seeping on the ground, but no one was seen.

Judging from the traces, there were actually three groups of people. She hesitated for a moment, but still followed the traces all the way to chase them.

Outside Fengyang Prefecture, there were many plains and hills. Shang Mingshu quickly caught up. Corpses, blood-stained weapons, and messy traces intertwined in her mind a series of scenes of fierce fighting. "Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and Shang Mingshu's heart tightened.

They have muskets!
The matter was indeed not simple. Shang Mingshu knew the danger, but since Shang was involved, she had to find out the truth.

Firearms are powerful but difficult to refill. As Shang Mingshu approached cautiously, she heard two noises. She quickly adjusted her position and got behind the group of people from whom the noises came.

If the one using the musket was Cheng She, she would be safe behind Cheng She; if it was an enemy, she could just lend a helping hand to Cheng She.

Shang Mingshu held her breath, her steps light and silent. She encountered several fallen bodies. Judging by their attire, they were unlikely to be Cheng She's men. Using the shelter of the trees, she quietly entered the enemy camp.

Climbing onto a big tree, she took in the general situation on both sides, but she did not find anyone using a musket.

Several people on Cheng She's side were scattered behind rocks and giant tree roots. They gestured to each other, meaning that one of them should lure out the person holding the musket, and this person would most likely be sacrificed.

Cheng She refused.

Their companions were all very anxious. They had just seen the enemy fire flares, which meant that reinforcements would arrive soon. If a few more people came with muskets, they would be completely wiped out.

When Cheng She was thinking about countermeasures, a ray of golden light shot towards him. He should have avoided it, but he subconsciously caught it and opened his palm. It was a golden bead.

Inexplicably, he thought of Cheng Mian telling him about how Shang Mingshu rescued him.

Shang Mingshu only took a handful of gold beads with her when she went out for easy carrying. She should have worn a pair of plain hoop earrings. I wonder if Cheng She could understand.

As it turned out, Cheng She understood. He quickly used gestures to convey the message to several people. After they received it, he estimated the distance of the enemy's approach and the position of the musket holder, then turned over and rushed out.

The man holding the musket was ready to fire, aiming at Cheng She's position. He fired a shot almost as soon as Cheng She appeared.

Shang Mingshu saw the long sword flying out of the man's hand, and at the same time she jumped up and chased after the long sword.

The sword penetrated the neck of the man holding the musket. The man next to him reacted very quickly and tried to grab the musket immediately. He didn't have time to refill the gunpowder. Shang Mingshu kicked him in the jaw, and he was knocked over and the musket fell out of his hand.

Shang Mingshu landed gracefully on the ground, pulled back the sword with one hand, and quickly rushed towards the place where the musket was left.

Without the threat of the musket, Cheng She and his men quickly charged over. These men were quite skilled, and Shang Mingshu had a weapon in hand, so killing them was not difficult. Cheng She and his men rushed over, and she quickly broke through. Seeing the musket in front of her, she was about to turn over and grab it, but was knocked away by a strong force: "Be careful!"

Shang Mingshu was dragged by Cheng She and rolled on the ground for several rounds, and arrows pierced into the mud they rolled through.

Enemy reinforcements arrived.

"Retreat first!" While the other party was changing arrows, Cheng She pulled Shang Mingshu and ran away.

　Happy New Year’s Eve, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, I wish you all the best, peace, happiness and prosperity.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)