As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to freezing point.
Those present had either come out of gratitude for Shen Gongzi’s kindness or genuinely admired the garments.
Liu Rumei’s remarks not only insulted Nianqing Ge but also slapped everyone present in the face.
Manager Zhang immediately stepped forward, neither humble nor arrogant, and clasped his hands in a respectful gesture. “Miss Liu, our shop’s fabrics are all top-quality cloud-patterned brocade and mermaid silk, and the designs are exclusive. If they do not meet your standards, you are welcome to visit another establishment. Please choose your words carefully.”
Having worked with the Water Transport Guild for many years, he was steady and measured. At this moment, he naturally knew that when it was time to stand firm, he must not show weakness.
“Choose my words carefully?” Liu Rumei sneered and raised her hand to slap Manager Zhang hard across the face. “A lowly shopkeeper dares to lecture me? I think you’re just inflating prices and swindling the gentry! Today, I will tear down this black-market shop on behalf of the people of Jiangnan!”
“Men, smash it! Tear up all these rags and wreck this shabby store!”
The servants responded immediately, grabbing wooden stools to smash into the shelves.
Just at that moment—
A stern shout suddenly came from outside the door: “Stop! In broad daylight, you dare to smash a shop on the street? Do you have no regard for the law?”
Everyone turned to look and saw several constables escorting an official who strode in quickly. It was none other than the Deputy Prefect of Suzhou Prefecture.
Upon seeing this, the commoners bowed in respect.
Liu Rumei was taken aback for a moment, but her arrogance remained undiminished as she invoked her backer: “I am a relative of Vice Minister Su of the capital. What business is it of yours if I teach a black-market shop a lesson?”
The Deputy Prefect’s expression darkened. Just as he was about to speak, the surrounding commoners could no longer contain themselves and erupted in an uproar.
A woman holding a child immediately stepped forward, pointing at Liu Rumei and speaking indignantly:
“Your Honor, please see the truth! She isn’t complaining about the clothes at all! She saw several ladies on the road wearing new clothes from Nianqing Ge and wanted to snatch them by force. When they refused, she held a grudge!”
A cloth vendor nearby also angrily testified:
“That’s right! I saw it with my own eyes! She sent someone to buy clothes, and when she learned that the ready-made garments were sold out and she would have to wait in line for two months, she flew into a rage on the spot. She came here deliberately to cause trouble and wreck the shop!”
“She couldn’t snatch them, couldn’t buy them, so she wants to ruin Shen Gongzi’s shop!”
“Shen Gongzi saved all the people of our city during the flood season, stabilizing grain prices and calming the populace. Now that he has opened his shop peacefully, she dares to come here and cause trouble!”
“Relying on some connections in the capital to act tyrannically—she simply has no regard for the law!”
The commoners spoke one after another, exposing Liu Rumei’s vile intentions right then and there.
Liu Rumei’s face turned pale, then flushed with anger. Panicked and furious, she shrieked in rebuttal: “You’re lying! Slandering me!”
The Deputy Prefect took everything in, his expression cold and stern as frost. He spoke loudly, each word resounding and intimidating the entire hall: “You’ve heard it all! In broad daylight, you provoked trouble, assaulted the manager, and smashed the shop!”
“Shen Gongzi saved the people of Jiangnan in times of crisis, stabilized grain prices, and calmed the populace during the great flood. Who in the entire city does not remember his kindness?”
“You dare to deliberately cause trouble here? Do you have any regard for the law or for the people of Jiangnan?”
As his words fell, the entire hall erupted in applause.
“Your Honor is wise!”
“Please, Your Honor, uphold justice for Shen Gongzi!”
The Deputy Prefect said no more and issued a stern order: “Provoking trouble and disrupting a shop—the evidence is conclusive!”
“Men, seize her! According to the law, administer twenty strokes of the cane, expel her from Zhuque Street, and never allow her to cause trouble here again!”
The constables immediately stepped forward and firmly restrained Liu Rumei.
Liu Rumei was terrified out of her wits, screaming desperately: “My cousin is Su Manrou, the wife of the Jing’an Marquisate! You can’t arrest me!”
“Even imperial relatives, if they break the law in Jiangnan, will be dealt with according to the law!”
The deputy magistrate showed no mercy whatsoever. With the government taking action, justice was on their side, and it was entirely justified.
…
Under the second-floor corridor.
Shen Miao watched this scene quietly, her eyes beneath the silver mask calm and unruffled.
From beginning to end, she had always known that those who win the hearts of the people will naturally receive heaven’s aid.
Zhao Chengyu walked slowly to her side, his voice low and steady: “The government has upheld the law. Leave the remaining merchant houses and waterways to me.”
Shen Miao lifted her eyes slightly, her tone light yet cold: “Don’t wipe her out completely. Let her go, let her return to the capital.”
Zhao Chengyu’s eyes darkened, instantly understanding.
This wasn’t mercy—it was luring the snake out of its hole.
So it seemed that this Liu Rumei was also one of Shen Miao’s enemies.
If that was the case, then Shen Miao’s enemies were also his enemies.
“Alright, wait a moment. I’ll finish handling this right away.”
…
Downstairs.
After being dragged out and punished, Liu Rumei stood at the street corner, limping and trembling in pain, her clothes disheveled and her appearance utterly wretched.
Just then, Zhao Chengyu, dressed in snow-white robes, walked slowly out of Nianqing Ge.
His posture was tall and straight, his presence steady and imposing. His gaze fell on Liu Rumei as he spoke calmly, his voice carrying across the entire Zhuque Street: “Madam Liu publicly insulted Shen Gongzi, disrupted Nianqing Ge, and provoked the merchants of Jiangnan.”
“From today onward, the Water Transport Guild’s waterways will permanently cut off all cargo transport for the Liu family.”
“Of the seventy-two merchant houses in Jiangnan, any who dare to trade with the Liu family will be considered enemies of my Water Transport Guild.”
“I will not seal your doors—only, from this day forward, the Liu family will find it impossible to take a single step in Jiangnan.”
A statement neither light nor heavy, yet it pulled the rug out from under them, cutting off all avenues of survival for the Liu family.
Liu Rumei collapsed to the ground, tears of humiliation and hatred streaming down her face as she stared venomously at the silver-masked figure on the second floor.
Shen Gongzi…
I will remember this grudge!
Water Transport Guild disciples stepped forward and dragged her away.
The guests in the hall watched with fear and trepidation. When they looked again at the indistinct figure on the second floor, only reverence remained in their eyes.
…
Zhao Chengyu did not linger any longer. He turned and returned to the private room on the second floor. When he pushed open the door, the sharpness around him had completely faded, and his tone returned to its usual gentle warmth: “A Shen, it’s been handled.”
Shen Miao nodded lightly, her gaze turning back to the window. On Zhuque Street, people came and went in a lively bustle, while the gilded plaque of Nianqing Ge shone brilliantly under the sunlight, glaring yet secure.
The corners of her lips slowly curved into a faint, icy smile.
Liu Rumei was nothing more than a dog by Su Manrou’s side, bullying others by relying on her master’s influence.
Today’s beating of the dog was, from the start, meant to deliver the most direct declaration of war to its master hiding in the capital.
Thinking that she would soon confront Su Manrou face-to-face, the pent-up resentment Shen Miao had carried for years finally eased a little. The carefully laid plans of recent days were at last about to meet their first true confrontation.
She turned and looked at the gentle man in snow-white robes before her, her voice softening slightly, losing some of its usual aloofness and coldness: “A Yu, there’s no time like the present. Since today is just right, let me treat you to a meal as thanks.”
A faint smile instantly rippled in Zhao Chengyu’s eyes, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, tender beyond words: “Alright.”
…
In a private room by the window of the famous Riverside Pavilion in Jiangnan, the river flowed softly, and a gentle breeze brushed against their faces.
On the table were arranged several delicate Jiangnan dishes, fresh and subtly elegant, their fragrance curling upward. Shen Miao had removed her mask, only a light veil covering her face, revealing a section of smooth and delicate jawline with soft contours.