An eerie silence and suppressed fear filled the quiet valley, yet no one dared to make a move.

Ming Lanshi knew, of course, that this was Fan Xian's doing, that it had been from the start. But he couldn't understand how, being a court official, the man could stoop to such shamelessness. Faced with such a formidable cavalry, Ming Lanshi didn't want to engage in a bloody fight and lose his life. However, the shattered glass shards on the ground ignited a furious blaze in his mind.

"I'm going to Kyoto to file a lawsuit!"

Ming Lanshi screamed in anger.

"Suit yourself, I won't accompany you."

Jing Ge coldly tossed out the words before leading his troops away. Before leaving, he made sure to hoist the heavy stone rollers back onto the carriages, leaving behind a tearful Ming Lanshi, Ming family's private soldiers with utterly dumbfounded expressions, and a large patch of glittering glass shards scattered across the ground.

In past years, the Ming family had secretly harbored pirates, colluding with the Jiaozhou naval forces to plunder ships and cargo in the East Sea, committing countless murders, and harming countless lives. They had forcefully seized numerous goods belonging to the court. Now, Fan Xian was taking the opposite approach, not striking on the sea but wielding his knife on land. He wasn't harming any Ming family members, nor was he seizing their goods. He was merely... destroying everything, leaving the Ming family unable to even shed tears.

The wheel of karma turns, justice is served. It should be this way.

But the matter wasn't over.

Hong Changqing, dressed in official robes, coughed twice as he walked down the mountain to Ming Lanshi's side, smiling and saying, "Young Master Ming, good day."

"Lord Hong?" Ming Lanshi was numb at this point. He wasn't particularly surprised to see Fan Xian's confidant, but he wondered what the man wanted to say to him.

"My real name is Qingwa, and I used to be a brother on that island," Hong Changqing hissed into Ming Lanshi's ear, his voice cold and ruthless. "These worthless shards of glass are my thanks to you on behalf of Brother Mengzi, Sister Lanhua, and the hundreds of brothers who died on the island... You haven't forgotten Sister Lanhua, have you? She was your favorite concubine..."

After saying those words, Hong Changqing felt a surge of vindictive pleasure. He loudly declared, "Thank you!"

Amidst his boisterous laughter, Hong Changqing left with a flourish, leaving Ming Lanshi looking ashen-faced and utterly shocked. He stared blankly at his hands, as if only now remembering that he had once used these hands to end the life of a woman who had been infatuated with him.

…

…

Back at the Ming Garden outside Suzhou, Ming Qingda's right hand trembled, causing the exquisite official kiln porcelain bowl he was holding to shatter into countless pieces on the ground. But he felt no pain.

Because the sound of those silver mirrors shattering into glass shards had already caused him too much pain to feel anything else. The old man suddenly felt that his heart, like the porcelain bowl and the silver mirrors on the ground, had shattered into countless pieces.

———————————————————————

"File a lawsuit? I'm not afraid. Even a lawsuit before the Emperor... Who will represent him?"

After enjoying a carefree half-month in Yingzhou, Fan Xian waited for Wang Qinian, finally boarding a carriage to continue his journey to Hangzhou.

News from the Overwatch Council had already reached him. Fan Xian raised an eyebrow, amused and gratified. Although he had wielded significant influence in Jiangnan last year, he had always been frustrated by that old fox Ming Qingda. Now that Kyoto was calm, he was able to play with the man in the palm of his hand, and it felt wonderful.

He had only provided a general strategy, and the specific execution was left to his subordinates. He hadn't expected that Hong Changqing would still remember the tragedy on the island to this day, refusing to let the Ming family die quickly, instead choosing to slowly bleed them.

"Slicing them with a dull knife, boiling the frog slowly," Fan Xian said to Wang Qinian beside him. "I even feel sorry for the Ming family. Pass down the order that the heat is right. Tell the boys to stop playing around and wrap things up quickly."

Wang Qinian had stayed in Kyoto for nearly a month, watching the movements within the palace. He said, "In another two days, the Eldest Princess and the Crown Prince will be too preoccupied to care about the Ming family's fate. They'll make their move before the Ming family can react. Now is the perfect time."

Fan Xian nodded, saying, "I want them to be caught off guard by my ruthless actions… The Ming family probably thinks I'll continue to slowly wear them down. I want to catch them completely unprepared."

He suddenly laughed, lifting the curtain in front of the carriage and looking at the slowly receding Jiangnan official road, unable to contain his joy as he hummed a little tune.

Wang Qinian listened to the strange, off-key tune from the side, unable to help but smile and ask, "My Lord, are you really that happy?"

Fan Xian laughed heartily and said, "I've been holding back for a year. I can finally let loose and do things freely. It's hard not to be happy."

…

…

As the carriage procession of the imperial envoy slowly made its way towards Hangzhou, the various figures in Suzhou harbored different thoughts. Xue Qing, the powerful governor of Jiangnan, received a personal letter from Fan Xian and had been sitting in his study in a daze ever since. His two advisors also knew the contents of the letter and were just as stunned as their lord.

They looked like three clay Bodhisattvas.

Xue Qing had left Kyoto early and traveled quickly, arriving in Suzhou over twenty days ago. He was well aware of the losses the Ming family had suffered in recent times, but he had assumed that it was merely the Overwatch Council further weakening the Ming family. He hadn't expected Fan Xian to be so confident in his letter, as if… as if he was preparing to finish them off in one fell swoop.

"What is Fan Xian relying on? This isn't a fight, is it?"

Xue Qing, the governor of Jiangnan, was clearly unaware of the dealings with the Merchants' Bank. He was racking his brain, trying to figure out where Fan Xian's confidence came from and why he had informed him in the letter, telling him to prepare.

"Since the imperial envoy has said so, he must have something planned," the left advisor frowned, offering his opinion. "The problem now is what we should do?"

Xue Qing fell into deep thought. If Fan Xian could really devour the Ming family, then he, as a trusted official who knew the Emperor's intentions, would naturally cooperate. But the problem was… he was also quite wary of the imperial family's influence behind the Ming family. Without a clear inclination from Kyoto, he would never dare to act first.

"Otherwise… how about we do the same as last year and just watch?" The right advisor pondered for a long time and only came up with a way to avoid taking sides.

Suddenly, Xue Qing's eyes widened, and two cold beams shot out. "Watch… of course we have to keep watching, but we can't just watch. Fan Xian is only an imperial envoy on the Jiangnan circuit. Even if he can drive Ming Qingda away on the surface, it's not convenient for the Overwatch Council to take action in the shadows… He still has to consider the people's sentiments in Jiangnan."

The governor of Jiangnan concluded, "Mobilize the state troops to watch Ming Garden and the Ming family's thousand private soldiers… If Fan Xian can't do it, we'll continue to watch. If Fan Xian succeeds, we have to help him devour these people!"

The right advisor said with a trembling voice, "My Lord, mobilizing troops and killing people… If those people in the palace find out, there will be big trouble."

Xue Qing waved the personal letter that Fan Xian had sent, saying calmly, "Since he dares to do it, he must be confident in the situation in Kyoto. This young imperial envoy is no fool… Writing this letter to me is to share the credit… But the Jiangnan circuit government hasn't done anything this year. If we want to share this credit, we have to contribute."

Suddenly, a series of urgent knocks came from outside the study. Xue Qing frowned. His advisor opened the door, and a subordinate official from the Jiangnan circuit government rushed in. Without waiting to bow, he reported directly to Xue Qing, "My Lord, something has happened to the Ming family!"

Something has happened to the Ming family?

Xue Qing was shocked in his heart, secretly sighing at how quickly Fan Xian had moved. But his expression remained calm as he asked, "Tell me the details."

The official swallowed and said, "This morning, the Internal Treasury Transportation Department went to Ming Garden to collect a batch of accounts. The item seems to be silver mirrors."

Xue Qing knew the inside story of how Fan Xian had people smash those silver mirrors. He frowned slightly and couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them, asking, "So what? The Ming family signed an agreement, so they naturally have to pay the money."

These words were clearly biased towards Fan Xian's side. That's how the court always dealt with merchants, shamelessly.

"The key isn't the money," the official said, glancing at the governor and speaking cautiously. "I heard… the Ming family is having cash flow problems. Several banks that are associated with them… are now going to Ming Garden to demand repayment!"

Demand repayment?

Xue Qing suddenly stood up. The Ming family had been in Jiangnan for a hundred years. There were few who dared to demand repayment from Ming Garden… Firstly, the Ming family had a lot of money. Secondly, no bank wanted to offend them. So… how had things suddenly changed today? Countless thoughts immediately flashed through Xue Qing's mind. Could it be that Fan Xian had been dealing with the Ming family for a year and had actually driven them to the point of desperation?

If the Ming family really couldn't repay the money and was forced to sell their businesses at low prices and their family fell into chaos… This… Xue Qing frowned. He knew what the Emperor wanted. The Ming family had to be controlled by the court, but… the Ming family couldn't fall into chaos!

Once the Ming family really went bankrupt, what would happen to the tens of thousands of people in their clan, let alone the people of Jiangnan who were closely related to them?

"Did Taiping Bank also go?"

"No."

"Send someone to watch outside Ming Garden." Hearing that Taiping Bank, the Ming family's biggest partner, hadn't participated, Xue Qing felt a little relieved, but his expression remained gloomy. He ordered, "Tell those people that the court won't interfere with the disputes between the Ming family and the banks, but the Ming family is not allowed to collapse!"

…

…

Fan Xian and Xue Qing both understood the Emperor's meaning. The Ming family had to be eaten, and it had to be eaten whole. But the way they ate had to be presentable, and the Ming family's own strength couldn't be diminished too much, so as not to affect the stability of Jiangnan as a whole.

So he wouldn't stand idly by and watch the Ming family collapse. Ming Qingda couldn't possibly watch the Ming family collapse either. Therefore, this time, the demand for repayment wasn't meant to liquidate them, but to seek some… extremely great benefits. And today, the reason why several banks went to Ming Garden to demand money together… was purely because Fan Xian still harbored a glimmer of hope… that he could conceal the backer of the Merchants' Bank.

———————————————————

In this world, those who owe money are always more justified and have more confidence than those who lend it out. Therefore, Ming Qingda, the current head of the Ming family, held a lukewarm teacup and slowly sipped his tea, not even bothering to glance up. Although the people sitting below him were representatives of various banks, who were nominally his creditors.

And those bank managers didn't have the awareness of being debt collectors. They sat awkwardly on their chairs, only daring to put a third of their buttocks on the seat. Occasionally, they would look up at the Ming family's head, and a hint of fear would flash in their eyes. They didn't look like they were there to collect debts at all.

These bank managers knew that they were all small ants. As long as the Ming family's head moved a finger, he could crush them to death and drive them out of Jiangnan. But today, they had no choice but to come, because the storms and stresses that the Ming family had experienced over the past year had made them worried. Coupled with the instigation of someone with ulterior motives, they had all gathered in the Ming family's reception hall today.

They represented capital. Although the money wasn't much, it was still capital. Capital cherished itself the most and couldn't tolerate losses. Especially in the past month, everyone knew that the Overwatch Council's attacks on the Ming family had intensified. The Ming family had suffered continuous losses… And the recent destruction of that batch of silver mirrors, and the Internal Treasury Transportation Department's demand for silver this morning, had finally successfully crushed the bank managers' psychological defenses.

An old manager said with a bitter face, respectfully, "Master Ming, the Ming family has been the leader of Jiangnan's business community for nearly a century. If you say you can't repay the money… no one would believe it. It's just that there are many rumors in the market lately, and we all want to ask you for a definite answer."

"Definite answer?" Ming Qingda frowned in disgust. These shameless leeches! In the past, they would come kneeling at the door, and he wouldn't even bother to look at them. Now they actually dared to… ask him for an answer!

The old Master Ming didn't care about these bank managers at all. Even if the Ming family's cash flow was difficult right now, it would still be more than enough to pay off these debts. He just glanced faintly at the manager who had been sitting quietly at the back.

That manager was the head of the Merchants' Bank, and behind him stood a handsome young man. Not many people knew about the relationship between Merchants' Bank and the Ming family. Merchants' Bank didn't have a prominent reputation in Jiangnan, so he sat at the back. Ming Qingda had a bad feeling in his heart. What was Merchants' Bank doing here today?

He had no interest in saying anything more to these managers. He picked up his teacup to see them off, and at the same time coldly ordered these people to go to the accounting room to clear all the loans. A total of over one hundred thousand taels of debt. The Ming family couldn't tolerate this kind of humiliation.

The bank managers were overjoyed and then greatly alarmed. First of all, they finally got their money back. Although they lost some interest, they were shocked by the Ming family's generosity… Could it be that the news they had received was wrong?

…

…

All the managers retreated, Ming Qingda tilted his head and looked with great interest at the manager who hadn't moved, saying softly, "I know, they were all persuaded to come by you."

The head of the Merchants' Bank smiled gently, not refuting the statement.

Ming Qingda frowned slightly and said, "Speak, what do you want."

They were all old foxes who had been floating in the business world for countless years. Judging from the cooperation with the Merchants' Bank this year, Ming Qingda knew in his heart that this previously unknown head of the bank must have been a ruthless character back then. Now that all the unimportant small fries were gone, the two of them could speak more directly.

Ming Qingda knew exactly how much money the Ming family had borrowed from the Merchants' Bank. If the Merchants' Bank had also joined the team demanding repayment and liquidation earlier, the Ming family would have had to sell their fields and houses. Even if they survived this time, the family would be severely weakened… And since the other party had remained silent until now, they definitely weren't here to watch the Ming family make a fool of themselves. They must have something else they wanted.

And with the IOU notes that the Merchants' Bank held in their hands, they were indeed qualified to ask for something from the Ming family.

The head manager smiled slightly and said, "Master Ming, my boss wants… to cooperate with you."

Cooperate? Ming Qingda's eyes narrowed, a cold light flashed and disappeared. A bank cooperating with a merchant, what kind of cooperation would it be? He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before saying softly, "No."

Although the word "no" was light, it was sonorous and unchallengeable.

The head manager didn't seem to expect the Ming family to refuse so directly. After a slight pause, he still smiled and said, "Whether you want to or not… you have to."

Ming Qingda suddenly opened his eyes and stared at the manager with a hint of pity and disdain. A cold voice seeped out from between his teeth, "You… are you threatening me?"

"I wouldn't dare." The head manager of the Merchants' Bank said gently, "It's just a request."

Ming Qingda fell into deep thought again. He didn't ask the other party what they were relying on to threaten him. The fact that they had borrowed a lot of money from the Merchants' Bank this year was enough to give the other party a bit more confidence to speak.

The head manager said unhurriedly, "In business, it's all about business. You know the current situation, Master Ming. If my bank demands silver based on the notes, the Ming family's cash flow will be cut off immediately. What will you use to supply the Internal Treasury with the subsequent money? That little Lord Fan is waiting for you not to be able to get the money out… so he can cut off your road rights. The Ming family is wealthy and powerful, but… you can't do without the identity of an Imperial Merchant, and you can't do without the money flowing out of the Internal Treasury."

Ming Qingda fell silent, knowing that the other party had hit his weakness. The biggest problem for the Ming family right now was that the water flow of their cash flow was gradually drying up.

"The loan agreements are written clearly. Before the time comes, you can't take back a single tael of silver." Even now, Ming Qingda still didn't have a trace of panic, because he had enough confidence.

Unexpectedly, the head manager of the Merchants' Bank smiled slightly and said, "Who says we can't take it back? The agreement states that if the bank is willing to sell the contract at a shallow water price, you must return the silver within five days. Even if the lawsuit goes to Kyoto, I will win. You still have to return the silver."

"Shallow water price!" Ming Qingda suddenly stood up, an incredulous expression on his tired face. He lowered his voice and scolded grimly, "Are you crazy! You're going to lose thirty percent!"

The head manager's expression remained unchanged. "If we really can't cooperate… even if we lose thirty percent of the silver, our bank will still ask you to repay the silver in advance."

Ming Qingda stared at him coldly, seemingly trying to judge whether the other party was a madman. He slowed down his tone slightly and said, "If you really do this, my Ming family can just sell our fields and land. It's not like we can't repay you, but your bank will suffer a big loss…"

"This just proves our determination and sincerity." The head manager smiled gently, "My boss has always been in the banking business, but he is very interested in your country's trade. He is an ambitious man and is willing to cooperate with a hero of the world like you, so please be sure to do him the honor."

Ming Qingda slowly sat down. He finally understood. It turned out that the boss of the Merchants' Bank had wanted to use the relationship of borrowing and lending a year ago to join the Ming family's business. This scheme… had been planned for too long.

"Who is your boss?"

"On the day the agreement is reached, my boss will definitely come to thank Master Ming in person."

"But what if I really don't want to?" Ming Qingda had regained his composure and said indifferently, "Whether it's a lawsuit or anything else, my Ming family will be with you all the way. But as for this money, it can still be delayed for a year and a half."

"Can it really be delayed?" The head manager smiled gently, "A lawsuit before the Emperor is just a joke. According to the Qing laws, the first three articles regarding civil affairs, you should understand, Master Ming, that private lending lawsuits can only go to the Jiangnan circuit government… to Lord Xue Qing's face. Are you… sure you want to do this?"

Of course Ming Qingda didn't want to do this. The imperial court had been eyeing his family for a whole year. If they encountered this kind of lawsuit, they would definitely try to kill him.

He didn't expect that the Merchants' Bank had calculated all the escape routes and understood the disputes between the Qing Dynasty's court and merchants so well. Ming Qingda's fingers trembled slightly as he stared at the head manager. His tired heart was roaring, "This is a conspiracy!"

…

…

After a long silence, Ming Qingda said wearily, "How does your boss want to cooperate with me?"

"Debt for silver, transfer shares." The head manager said cleanly.

…

…

(Yesterday I wrote Hong Changqing as Hong Qingda, what a brain I have… Yesterday I said I was having diarrhea again, and then in the evening I found that the toilet flush was broken. This is really so-called bad luck never comes alone… I, suspect, this is, a conspiracy.)