Protect Our Clan Leader

Chapter 1049: Chapter 65: The Grand Scheme! The True Foundation of the Wang Family’s Prosperity (Vote for Monthly Ticket)_6 Chapter 1049: Chapter 65: The Grand Scheme! The True Foundation of the Wang Family’s Prosperity (Vote for Monthly Ticket)_6 Upon hearing this, Jiang Yusong’s expression also turned solemn. He set down his teacup and seriously said, “Brother Shu Yong, rest assured, everything is proceeding as planned. This time, we’ll surely make them fail to steal and lose their rice, costing them both their wife and their troops.”

…

Changning Ferry Port.

As night fell, the ferry port was still bustling with activity. A lantern after lantern of Fluorescent Stone Spirit Lamps was hung around the ferry port cottages, illuminating the entire Changning Ferry Port as if it were daylight.

There was no helping it, the throughput of this ferry port was too high, and places like New Peace Town and Ping’an Town also consumed too many resources.

The junior and senior tax officers hadn’t returned empty-handed this time; at least they had purchased a whole cartload of the Wang family’s local specialties, some mid and low-grade glass products, ordinary Wang family paper, and even some common-grade grain seeds, as well as various agricultural tools of lower price but still decent quality.

Delivered to those “sinking markets” that the Qian Family couldn’t reach, these goods could earn a profit that was anything but low, besides the need for exhausting travel. It would have been suspicious if they hadn’t taken any goods away.

Because no peddler would dislike those budget goods from the Wang family that targeted sinking markets.

The master and disciple passed through the checkpoint smoothly and entered the jurisdiction of Changning Wei. Although Changning Wei also had cement roads, they were much worse than those in Ping’an Town, with some sections pitted and uneven, not timely repaired.

Moreover, the “street lamps” along the road became increasingly sparse and dim.

“Make way, make way~” Just as the master and disciple were slowly advancing with their horse-drawn cart, from another direction, several horse-drawn carts, pulled by several Northland draft horses, emerged from a nearby storage facility at the ferry port, crossing a fork in the road and heading westward into Changning Wei.

The tax officers quickly pulled their horse cart to a stop, nearly colliding with the other vehicles at the fork.

After those Northland draft horse carts had gone a distance, the young tax officer spat out, “What’s with these people, rushing so fast in the dead of night? What if they hit someone?”

“Something’s not right,” the senior tax officer said, frowning.

“Teacher, what could be wrong?”

“Don’t forget, your teacher is known as the ‘Tax Eye.’ I’ve worked at the border for decades, and I can spot a problem with any horse cart load at a glance,” the senior tax officer said. “Those horse carts carried loads that seemed light, but the cargo was extremely heavy, and the yokes and frames were specially reinforced.”

“Then it must be carrying iron ingots, copper ingots, or other metals,” the young tax officer said. “Teacher, this is Changning Wei, where the demand for metal ingots is probably high; hauling cargo in the dead of night isn’t unusual. Besides, Teacher, your Tax Eye faltered in Ping’an Town.”

The senior tax officer shot his disciple a glance that tore his setup apart but still keenly pointed out the crux of the matter: “The demand for metal ingots is mostly concentrated in Ping’an Town and newly developed places like New Peace Town. Why would these goods not be hauled to Ping’an Town but from Changning storage toward the western side of Changning?”

“Perhaps a new workshop opened there, or there’s a construction project needing metal…” the young tax officer yawned as he countered, “Teacher, I’m sleepy, let’s head to the posthouse to rest early.”

“Look at this cement road, it’s damaged in multiple places, the ruts have cracked and crumbled,” the senior tax officer said, jumping off the cart and examining the road. “Judging from the mix of soil and cement fragments, this road must frequently be damaged, and shortly after each repair, it gets damaged again. It clearly indicates not just an overload but a chronic overload.”

“Teacher, what are you trying to say?” the young tax officer asked, his eyes heavy with fatigue.

“There’s definitely a problem,” the senior tax officer squinted, sniffing an unusual hint in the air. “The Wang family’s demand for metals is extraordinarily high, bordering on massive. Previously, we covertly checked the government’s main accounts, and there was nothing amiss in the records; each metal usage transaction had a clear destination. They said it went into roads, buildings, various checkpoints. In short, there was no fault to be found.”

“Let’s go check it out together; perhaps we’re about to make a significant accomplishment,” the senior tax officer, excited, drove the horse cart, following the trail somewhat shakily.

The pair’s investigation led them to the western side of Changning, to an extremely secluded estate by the water, hidden deep within the dense woods.

The senior tax officer, with his Sky Human Realm Cultivation, led the young tax officer stealthily and eventually discovered a shocking truth.

Behind the sequestered estate, inside the mountain, there was an extremely concealed port.

The goods were transported through this hidden port and loaded onto riverboats that had been waiting in the port, then transported down the Peace River heading west.

The cargo was ordinary; it mainly consisted of metal ingots led by iron, refined salt, and various grain seeds from the Wang family.

The grain seeds were a minor concern, as the Wang family primarily made their money by selling them, which was one of their main businesses.

However, the Wang family did not produce refined salt, and they had a voracious appetite for metal ingots, seemingly never satisfied.

But now, they were transporting them out of Changning Guard?

The old tax official felt a sensitive string in his heart twitch immediately.

He had a premonition that this time, he might have really caught a big fish.

Using his decent skills and years of undercover experience, he discreetly gathered information at the port. The other party was not a tough nut to crack, and after some interrogation, they confessed honestly.

Still, he did not know who the master behind it all was, only that these ships were heading southwest along Peace River, reportedly a long distance away.

To the southwest? A long distance?

In just a moment, the old tax official’s face showed a mix of complex emotions including shock, thrill, and disbelief.

It was indeed a major issue!

This explained the Wang family’s endless and abnormal demand for iron ingots and other metals.

It turned out it was all for smuggling, to obtain extraordinarily high profit returns! Moreover, it was not just smuggling, but also treasonous collusion!

Because to the southwest of Peace River, there was only one country, one of Da Qian’s arch-enemies—South Qin.

Salt, iron, grain seeds—these were all contraband items prohibited from being exported to South Qin. Naturally, it was because South Qin had a significant demand for such materials. Once the trade route was established, how high would the profits be?

No wonder the Wang family had developed so quickly in such a short time and had such excessive demands for resources!

“Pah!” The young tax official trembled with anger, “I thought the Wang family was truly clean, but I never imagined they would do such, such a thing… Alas~~” The faith of the young tax official seemed greatly shaken, as he became listless.

“Kid, your teacher has said it before, there are no cats that don’t steal fish. The Wang family, haha~~ this time, you’re doomed.”

…

Leaving aside the change in Changning Guard, in the Da Qiyan Palace, Emperor Longchang was finally reminded of Wang Shouzhe.

“Right, where is that fellow Wang Shouzhe?” After his complaint, Emperor Longchang frowned and said, “What has he been busy with recently, and why hasn’t he come to see me yet?”

“He’s just been drinking tea daily, mingling and exchanging ideas with Wang Yuchang, Wang Zouhui, and others,” Old Yao responded helplessly. “Your Majesty, I feel that Shouzhe lacks initiative; once he settles down somewhere, he doesn’t move. How about I, your old servant, go and fetch him for you?”

Emperor Longchang’s mouth twitched: “No, we must keep our composure at times like this. Whoever loses their composure first will fall into disadvantage. By the way, I heard someone reported the Changning Wang Clan for tax evasion? Has the Three Talents Section been alerted and acted upon it?”

“Yes, Your Majesty. It’s reported that it’s a joint action coordinated by the Three Sections, initiated by the cabinet to ensure that no stone is unturned yet no scare is caused, to first verify the evidence,” Old Yao said with a frown. “Your Majesty, no prominent family can be flawless in taxation. This matter, likely, someone is targeting the Wang family.”

“Targeting? Isn’t that good?” Emperor Longchang laughed, “As long as Wang Shouzhe is in trouble, if I then extend a helping hand, wouldn’t he be grateful and devoted to me? From then on, wouldn’t he wholeheartedly pledge allegiance under my command?”

“Uh… Your Majesty, you didn’t orchestrate this, did you?”

“Nonsense, would I do such a thing?”

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by novlove.com