But Qin Shan remembered that all of the Sixth Master’s banknotes had special marks. If anyone went to the money house to exchange them for silver, the money house would report it at once.
Qin Shan waited at the money house, hoping to catch the liar, but no one came. With no other choice, he returned to Sixth Master to admit his failure.
Qin Shan was shaking with fear. He punished himself by drinking three cups of wine, then knelt down and said, “Sixth Master, it is all my fault. I should not have suggested buying a girl in Nongchao Alley. I was wrong. Please punish me!”
He stayed kneeling for a long time before he heard the Sixth Master’s calm voice above him.
“You mean… the real Miss Jiang left before entering the room, and someone took her place, signed the contract, and tricked me out of my money?”
Qin Shan did not dare to raise his head. He said, “Please give me more time. I will find another suitable woman for you. If I fail again, I will bring my own head to you!”
There was no reply for a long time.
Qin Shan became more and more nervous. He knew how important this matter was. It was important enough that the Sixth Master had rushed to Ningbo just for this—to find a woman who could keep secrets and cooperate.
But Qin Shan had ruined it, and there was not much time left.
The Sixth Master was probably very angry.
Qin Shan carefully raised his head and saw the Sixth Master staring at the fake contract, his eyes fixed on the bright red fingerprint.
It was as if he saw the woman behind the screen again, saying lightly, “I agree,” like a blade cutting the throat. Even the pair of innocent bare feet under the screen had truly fooled him for a moment.
Suddenly, he laughed. The sound was very soft and short, like air stuck in his throat, but the air in the room seemed to freeze.
It sounded like cold self-mockery, but deep inside was wild pride and cruel contempt, as if he had already crushed the other person to dust.
Who would dare to trick him like this?
Just then, a voice outside broke the heavy silence.
“Is the Sixth Master here? Old Master Lu has come to visit.”
Sixth Master raised his eyes, A little surprised. Why would Old Master Lu come so late at night?
Old Master Lu was the officially approved leader of the Ningbo merchants. Over many years, his merchant group had become part of the city itself. All seventy-two trades had their own halls and rules. Blacksmiths went to their guild hall to honor their founder, tea sellers went to their own hall to register. Each trade set rules and took a cut from business. Outsiders who wanted to open shops had to pass several guild checks first. Brokers at the river ports also held merchant permits. Rice, silk, and fish markets were all controlled by these brokers.
Under this system, even street peddlers wore wooden tags showing they paid monthly road fees to the merchant guild. Every year in winter, shops had to pay a large “festival fee” based on their profits, said to be for the gods.
Because of this tight control, all trades in Ningbo were like pieces on the merchant guild’s chessboard. Everyone knew that to survive here, you must follow the merchant guild.
Zheng Tong understood this very well. Whenever something happened, he went to Old Master Lu. It was not that he really needed advice, but to show loyalty and say, “I need your support.”
Today, he casually mentioned the matter of the inspector’s wife to Old Master Lu, but it made Old Master Lu alert.
Old Master Lu never supported Zheng Tong selling bad salt, because it hurt the guild’s reputation. But he also knew that huge bribes were paid to officials, and the salt system was always greedy, so he usually pretended not to see it.
Old Master Lu had only one rule: don’t go too far, and clean up after yourself. For years, there had been no big trouble. But now, a woman who knew exactly where to take bribes and even dared to ask to attend the Ruyi Harbor banquet—was she just using her power, or did she hold some dangerous evidence?
This was not a good sign.
After thinking carefully, Old Master Lu came to a conclusion. He believed the salt inspector already knew the truth about Ningbo’s salt business. His wife might only be a cover, sent first to test the merchants. When they hurried to give bribes, they exposed themselves. This time, the court might not be sending an inspector just to look at account books and leave, but to investigate deeply. If so, the entire Ningbo merchant guild would suffer.
If Xu Miaoxue had heard this, she would not know whether to feel lucky or unlucky. Lucky, because her poor acting had fooled even an old fox like Old Master Lu, who truly believed she was from the inspector’s family and treated her as a serious threat. Unlucky, because this overreaction would soon bring great danger to her.
After hearing this, Zheng Tong’s legs almost went weak. The sound of wind hitting the metal chimes under the roof felt like death bells. He begged Old Master Lu to save him.
Old Master Lu thought for a long time, then said, “In Ningbo, only one person can help you. Go and ask him.”
Zheng Tong thought they would go to some hidden master in a quiet place. But instead, two sedan chairs quietly went to the Peach Blossom Ferry by the sea. The road became more and more empty, and his heart became more uneasy.
The dock was crowded with abandoned fishing boats without masts. Their rusty bodies were covered with shells. When footsteps came near, seabirds flew up in shock. Light could be seen from inside one small boat. Old Master Lu sent someone to announce his arrival and went in first, telling Zheng Tong to wait outside.
Zheng Tong saw two shadows on the cloth of the boat, moving gently with the waves. The older one bent deeply in greeting. Zheng Tong’s throat tightened. Who could make Old Master Lu bow like this?
He only heard Old Master Lu call him, “Chengju.”
In Ningbo, no new rich merchant was known by that courtesy name.
“Brother Zheng—”
After a while, Old Master Lu called out. Zheng Tong rushed in, his footsteps loud on the deck.
“Old Master Lu, this brother—”
But when he opened the door, his flattering smile froze. His eyes widened, and he swallowed the words.
This was clearly—
Old Master Lu was not surprised at all. He said calmly, “Here, just call him Sixth Master.”
Zheng Tong’s heart turned over. That face looked almost the same as in his memory, but something felt very different.
Back then, the man had politely called him “Uncle,” and he had warmly replied “nephew.” Now Old Master Lu told him to respectfully call him “Sixth Master.” And Old Master Lu treated him as an equal partner.
What kind of person was worth such respect, even late at night? It must be about something even Old Master Lu could not handle alone.
Suddenly, Zheng Tong understood. Recently, there had been rumors in the merchant guild that a big figure from Guangdong had come and was helping Old Master Lu do sea trade.
Years ago, Chen Sanfu’s sudden wealth had planted a seed in many hearts. Water could make money, and the sea was a mountain of gold and silver. But Ningbo had strict sea bans, and even Old Master Lu did not dare to cross the court’s red line. Now that cracks had appeared in the ban, everyone wanted to rush in. But this big figure was very mysterious. Only Old Master Lu could contact him.
He never expected it to be this man. But when he thought about where this man had stayed all these years, it did make sense. Still, if he had reached such power, was he still the same person Zheng Tong once knew?
Zheng Tong finally realized what had changed—his presence was now deep and frightening. Before, he was bold and open, and you could read his thoughts on his face. Now he was like a monster wearing human skin, impossible to understand.
But what confused Zheng Tong was this:
Why would such a powerful man stay in this broken boat cabin?
Shouldn’t he be enjoying luxury in beautiful mansions with music and women every night?