Chapter 188

Chapter 188

If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it grass.

The enormous profits of the private salt trade were known even to the most illiterate commoner.

Since Magistrate Yang and others had failed to resist such temptation, Yunyang's local gentry naturally couldn't either.

Almost instantly, the tension that had filled the room was forgotten.

In the blink of an eye, the strained atmosphere that had nearly led to a falling-out vanished into thin air.

All eyes were glued to the dish of snow-white, fine salt crystals, and even their breathing seemed to stall.

Lord Su was the first to lose his composure, leaping to his feet in excitement, his voice trembling with urgency:

"Lord Han! Forgive my ignorance, but this salt... where in the world does it come from? It's so pure and white, fine as snow!"

"I've been around and seen a thing or two, but even the palace's tribute salt would pale next to this in quality!"

He paused, a sharp glint in his eyes, and asked the question on everyone's mind: "Lord Han, what exactly are you getting at by showing us something like this?"

Lord Chen could barely contain his excitement either, gripping the chair arms so tightly that his knuckles turned white, staring at Han Zhang with burning intensity:

"Salt this good is practically unheard of! If you've got something in mind, my lord, just say it."

"..."

The others remained silent, but their breathing grew equally heavy.

That was fine salt—better than the palace's tribute salt, even.

These men held the reins of their families' power; they might be impulsive by nature, but not a fool among them. How could they not guess what Han Zhang was up to?

Seeing their expressions, Han Zhang knew the time was right. He stopped beating around the bush and dropped another bombshell:

"To be honest with you all, I just happen to have a new salt-making method. It can yield 1 jin of crude salt from 5 jin of seawater, and from 1.5 to 2 jin of crude salt, it can produce 1 jin of the fine salt you're all tasting right now."

"Whoa—!!"

At those words, the entire hall filled with sharp intakes of breath! Just moments ago, their gazes had been burning with curiosity; now, everyone's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets!

The reason was simple: with the Zhao State's current salt-making technology, it usually took 10 jin of seawater to make 1 jin of crude salt, and 4 jin of crude salt to make 1 jin of fine salt.

Han Zhang's salt-making method not only boosted the yield but also turned out better quality!

The sheer magnitude of profit involved was something even a fool could see.

Han Zhang calmly watched as Lord Su, Lord Chen, and the others breathed heavier and heavier, their faces flushed red with excitement, and a warm smile returned to his face:

"I'll admit, you gentlemen and I have had our differences before, but as the saying goes, 'All the world's a stage for profit and gain.' In this world, there's no such thing as eternal enemies, right?"

"Our Yunyang Prefecture is stuck on the edge of Yanzhou, with barren land and poor trade routes—it's the poorest region in the entire province. To put it bluntly, there's only so much soup in the pot; no matter how hard you fight over it, you're only gonna get a few sips."

"Therefore, I believe that rather than being trapped in this poor backwater, scheming against each other and pinching pennies, we should look outward and make money from outside, to fill our own bellies. So what do you all say?"

"Bam—!"

These words struck like another heavy hammer, hitting everyone right in the chest.

Their breathing got even heavier, and many chests were heaving—clearly, his words had hit home.

Lord Han was right; rather than fighting among themselves over scraps, it was indeed better to join forces and make money from outside!

"L-Lord Han... are you... are you for real?!"

Lord Su's voice trembled uncontrollably as he and Lord Chen stumbled to their feet again, their legs trembling slightly.

But this time, it wasn't from fear—it was from pure excitement.

They never dreamed Han Zhang had such an incredible new salt-making method, and that he'd be willing to cut them in on this god-sent fortune.

Only now did they understand why Han Zhang had been so ruthless in taking out Magistrate Yang, Secretary Xu, and the others.

Because this absolutely couldn't be allowed to leak out of Yunyang—especially not reach the emperor's ears in the capital!

So within the government office, there had to be only one voice.

And they, the local bigwigs, all had to be roped onto the same boat, so everyone had a stake in the game.

"Since I've said it, I'm not gonna mess with you all. After all, unless something unexpected happens, I'll probably be stuck in this Yanzhou land for the rest of my life."

"But you all know full well how much is at stake with this new salt, so I won't spell it out any more. However, there are some things I need to say straight up today."

"This boat of ours ain't for just anybody. What I want are partners who can share both wealth and hardship—not fools who would drag everyone down for chump change later on."

"You're all loyal, solid men I've hand-picked, so I hope you'll make the most of this chance and not let me down."

Han Zhang looked around at them all, his smile turning even warmer:

"As for what happened to Magistrate Yang and Secretary Xu, you've all seen it... So don't think I'm being ruthless—it's truly for the safety of us all, and I hope you can understand."

Understand? They understood all too well!

If this new private salt operation ever got out, it would be no different from rebellion.

To put it bluntly, if they were in his shoes, they would have been even more merciless than Han Zhang!

Lord Su was the quickest to react, immediately cupping his hands in salute, his voice ringing with excitement:

"Rest assured, Lord Han! My Su family has operated in Yunyang for generations and prizes integrity above all else! Since you've been kind enough to bring my family aboard, I swear right here and now to follow your lead without a second thought!"

Lord Chen inwardly cursed the old fox for being so quick to speak and stealing the spotlight again, then hastily followed up, looking ashamed:

"Lord Han! Previously, we were blind and showed you great disrespect, yet you've repaid our bad behavior with kindness and still saw fit to lift us up with this path to untold wealth. I... I'm really ashamed of myself!"

"Rest assured, my lord! From this day forward, my Chen family is on your boat, and we'll stick with you through thick and thin! There will be no turning back!"

"Don't worry, Lord Han! We get the stakes!"

"We swear to heaven we'll never betray you—may lightning strike us dead if we do!"

The other gentry patriarchs chimed in one after another, pointing to the sky and swearing oaths like their lives depended on it, their faces lit up with the excitement of men about to strike it rich.

Of course, there were a few among them who had a flicker of something else in their eyes.

But Han Zhang noticed all of it.

And so, the next moment...

Han Zhang chuckled lightly and said, "If vows and promises were enough, there wouldn't be so many wrongful deaths and betrayals in this world. Talk is cheap. What I want is proof of loyalty."

"Please enlighten us, Lord Han."

Everyone understood and quickly clasped their fists in deference.

Han Zhang didn't mince words and directly named them: "Patriarch Cao, Patriarch Zhu, Patriarch Gao—the three of you, step forward."

The three who were called thought something good was coming and walked up cheerfully, smiling obsequiously. "What instructions does the Lord have? We'd brave fire and water, even death, without a second thought!"

Han Zhang looked at the three faces before him, filled with expectation and flattery, his smile turning even more genial as he raised his hand and tossed something.

With a sharp clang, several coldly gleaming, wickedly sharp daggers landed with deadly precision on the empty ground before Lord Su, Lord Chen, and the others.

"Kill them—"

"...What?"

Everyone was dumbfounded, momentarily unable to process the command, half-convinced they'd misheard.

Han Zhang explained: "They are also members of the Xu family."

What's the most stable bond between partners?

It's not about empty promises, not about sentiment, and not about who's got the biggest fists.

It's about binding interests! Binding loyalties!

Money is earned together, kills are made together—no one's hands can be clean!

And so—

"Schlick!"

The first to snap into action was Patriarch Li, who'd been lurking in the corner, easy to overlook. The instant Han Zhang's words died out, he shot forward like an arrow, snatched up a dagger, and before Patriarch Cao could recover from his shock, clamped down on his shoulder with an iron grip and slashed the blade viciously across his throat.

Hot blood sprayed out in a sudden gush, soaking half of Patriarch Li's sleeve crimson and splattering onto those nearby.

"Ah... ah... how... how did you know... know..."

Patriarch Cao's eyes bulged, glaring at Han Zhang in utter disbelief, his hands futilely clutching his gushing throat. His body went limp and crumpled to the ground. His eyes, even in death, burned with shock and defiance.

The second to react was Lord Su.

Don't let Lord Su's age fool you—he didn't hesitate for a second. He didn't even bother picking up a dagger—he grabbed the nearest target, Patriarch Zhu, and snapped his neck with his bare hands.

Lord Chen drew the short straw; his reflexes were too slow, and he could only join the others in taking down the last one, Patriarch Gao.

Before they died, Patriarch Zhu and Patriarch Gao also shot Han Zhang one last, bitter look of defiance.

They racked their brains, unable to understand. They'd covered their tracks so thoroughly that even within their own clans, only a handful knew how deeply they were tied to the Xu family. How did Han Zhang find out?

How could he possibly know?!

The three died with their eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace.

Seeing this, Han Zhang nodded in satisfaction, raised his cup, and said with a laugh: "Everyone has been startled—cleaning house is bound to get a little bloody. Now that these hidden nails have been pulled out, we can all sleep easy from here on out."

"Now that it's just us, regarding the plans for the new salt operation, here is what I propose... If anyone has suggestions, speak freely now."

"From this day on, we'll share our wine and our meat, and we'll make Yunyang Prefecture truly ours! What does everyone think?"

What did they think? Of course, they had no objections.

"We're at your command, Lord!"

"As you command, Lord!"

Lord Su and the others hastily raised their cups as well, replying with radiant, eager smiles, turning a blind eye to the corpses around them.

When profit's on the line, grudges and scares are just passing clouds.

Only silver's the real deal!