Chapter 1098: Chapter 934: Spreading the News

When he returned to the inner study, Gu Chengyu picked up the letter and began to read it carefully. Is this a letter from his senior brother?

Gu Chengyu found it strange. Could it be that his senior brother had something urgent to discuss?

After a few breaths, Gu Chengyu had read the gist of the letter.

The Emperor has fallen ill? Gu Chengyu frowned, recalling that the Emperor had taken the Lifespan Extension Pill last time. Could it be that the pill was just a facade?

The letter also mentioned Xia Qing’s disagreement with the Chamber of Commerce’s issues. The court is still deliberating and has yet to decide.

Currently, the Crown Prince is managing state affairs, with Xia Qing assisting, which is detrimental to him.

Gu Chengyu calculated the approximate date. If this letter came through the post station, it would take at least five or six days to arrive.

So the situation in the court must have changed by now, and he didn’t know what it actually was.

As for the Chamber of Commerce issues, even if Xia Qing objected, he could think of a solution once he returned to the Capital.

Actually, it would be better if the Chamber of Commerce issue were postponed. Achieving merit now is not worthwhile, there is no promotion to be had, and he would waste such a great opportunity, but his real concern now is the Emperor’s health.

If the Emperor’s health does not recover this time, and he eventually passes away, it is very likely to happen, given the Emperor’s advanced age.

If a new Emperor ascends the throne, will he still be as valued as he is by the current Emperor? It’s not that he lacks confidence, but every Emperor has his own preferences and ideas.

Maybe they have their own team, or maybe they just don’t like him. In any case, he won’t be able to act as freely as he does now in the future.

As for whether the next Emperor will be the Crown Prince, he didn’t think it was a sure thing.

Prince Gong and Prince Jing alike are ambitious individuals. The Third Prince, who has become a monk, seems honest for the time being, but who knows if he won’t make quiet moves in private.

It seems he needs to prepare; the Emperor probably doesn’t have much time left.

"My lord, the Xia Family has started selling grain too," Ming Mo entered the room, speaking excitedly.

"Oh? At what price?" He temporarily set the matter aside. Hearing this good news, Gu Chengyu was relieved.

"It’s the same price as the previous home grain store, nine wen per jin for brown rice, while the Jiang Family is already selling it at eight wen per jin," Ming Mo said with a satisfied smile, pleased with the result.

Previously, because of the grain issue, he almost lost all his hair. He had made two trips because of this, and these people finally became restless.

However, what he admired most was his own master, who managed to plan things for so long—doesn’t he feel any urgency?

"Oh! Go tell those Government Officials that we’re now selling at eight wen per jin. Remember, just sell a thousand jin, no more."

Now is the crucial moment to wrap things up; Gu Chengyu cannot afford to be careless.

The grain in the granary needs replenishing promptly; he dares not keep owing. According to the Crown Prince’s style, officials will soon be dispatched to take over the Yingnan Prefecture Magistrate position.

If a new Lord Prefect arrives and finds the granary half empty when they inspect it, wouldn’t that be a disaster?

So he needs to apply a bit of force, causing the Xia Family to get flustered. If that’s not enough, then a bit more pressure is necessary.

"Yes!" Ming Mo now understands his master’s intentions; there is reason behind everything he does.

"Check the Xia Family’s grain price again after two hours."

"And keep an eye on the Jiang Family," Gu Chengyu was somewhat curious about the Jiang Family; their price reduction was rapid!

Previously, the home grain store opened first, and the Jiang Family followed closely. Unexpectedly, the Jiang Family now sells even cheaper than the home grain store, as if eager to offload quickly, which is quite strange.

"Also, have the people you arranged been instructed to disperse and purchase grain at various stores, buying more at once?"

Gu Chengyu tilted his lips slightly. It would be perfect if these three families could be pitted against each other.

But he couldn’t send people to buy grain on a large scale; otherwise, the Xia Clan Leader, that old fox, would immediately sense something was amiss. So he needed more people to spread out and buy more at once.

This was truly a troublesome task, but the common folk have now stockpiled a lot of grain. As long as the purchase amount isn’t excessive, it won’t attract attention.

Once the court sends the Yingnan Prefecture Magistrate, he can return to the Capital.

But before leaving, he must remove the poison sac Da Xing left in Jiangnan.

Gu Chengyu was still puzzled as to why the assassins hadn’t moved these last few days. Had they given up?

Or had they already learned about Man Niu’s confession? Trying to lure the snake out of its hole, but the opposite side showed no reaction at all.

Their purpose in the Dayan Dynasty was obvious; Da Xing had long been coveting Dayan openly, showing no restraint in their ambition.

"Ming Mo, spread the news that we caught Man Niu," Gu Chengyu had intended to wait a while and capture a few more for interrogation.

Among these people, there must be others who know more than Man Niu. That Young Master is an important figure; these people mainly aim to find him.

But why come to Dayan to find this Young Master? That’s a strange point. Gu Chengyu rubbed his chin, pondering for a long time. That so-called Young Master might be young and have been lost in Dayan during childhood.

Otherwise, would an older Young Master still need his subordinates to search for him? Were their appearances in Yingnan Mansion because the Young Master resides there?

Gu Chengyu squinted his eyes slightly. If they could find that so-called Young Master next, wouldn’t that mean seizing the initiative?

"My lord! These people have shown no movement these days. Have they abandoned their plan to assassinate you? Maybe they have more important things to do? If we spread the news that Man Niu was caught, to avoid leaking secrets, they might not only kill Man Niu but also revive the assassination mission. What should we do then?"

Ming Mo valued his lord’s safety most. Coming to Jiangnan, they didn’t bring many people. If those people feared Man Niu might reveal something vital, sending experts to assassinate his lord and Man Niu would exhaust them.

Gu Chengyu smiled, "Your analysis is correct, but Man Niu only confessed to some insignificant information. The best way to determine whether he has concealed anything is to see how much the other side values him."

Earlier in the prison, because Lu Chen was present, Gu Chengyu didn’t ask for much important information.

Even though he cooperates with Lu Chen now, he doesn’t wish to share all information with him. Man Niu must be hiding something; he can’t be ignorant about the Young Master.

Ming Mo finally realized, after listening, that if Man Niu knew much, the others wouldn’t possibly let him live. If he knew little, it wouldn’t matter if he got caught.

They wouldn’t sacrifice more competent subordinates for one Man Niu.

However, Ming Mo had another question. Didn’t Ding Shi previously report that his lord had made Man Niu open up in the prison? Why didn’t his lord press a bit harder to make Man Niu clarify everything?