The gate of the We Mansion was tightly closed, shutting Zhu Kui out.
On the grounds that it was getting late, We Mao declined Zhu Kui's visit; the gifts in the carriage didn't even catch a glimpse of We Mao's face before they were pulled away, sent back the way they came.
"Cousin, we're all family. Why act so cold? Decency is part of networking after all," Lu Bei said curiously on the yard path.
We Mao was a stern but warm-hearted man, fully aware of social etiquette; his attitude towards Zhu Kui was evidently evasive, trying to get him to leave as fast as possible.
"He's your Mrs. Zhu's distant relative, not mine. Likewise, he's also not your relative."
We Mao emphasized, then continued, "Zhu Kui's business has collaborations with the Elixir Workshop, supplying a significant amount of raw materials for alchemy. Your Mrs. Zhu, being responsible for the Workshop's accounting and being distantly related to Zhu Kui, should be even more cautious of any suspicious relationship."
Furthermore, considering your sister's muddled mind, she's likely to fall into traps when people climb up the family tree.
"So he's actually pretty impressive and he has a big business," Lu Bei said.
"His uncle is the Governor of Dongqi County."
"..."
That's too realistic!
Lu Bei rolled his eyes, "Cousin, considering Zhu Kui's name, his lineage should have relinquished power. How can they have an uncle who holds such an important position?"
"There's always an exception."
Mentioning Governor Zhu Ting, We Mao spoke respectfully, "It has nothing to do with one's origins. Some people, even if they give up their identities, can still climb to high positions through their own abilities."
"In that case, Cousin, you shouldn't coldly turn your back to him."
Lu Bei worriedly said, "He might badmouth you to the Governor and try to make trouble for you."
"It's okay, I obey the commands of the County Guardian. The County Guardian and the Governor have average relations."
"..."
So that's the reasoning for his caution.
...
On the other side, Zhu Kui's on the departing carriage, his face was dark and unsettled.
We Mao's blunt refusal was expected, but what puzzled Zhu Kui was Lu Bei's attitude, which was cordial yet insincere - he looked at him as if he were merely a passerby.
Three months ago, through the connection of his Uncle Zhu Ting, he squeezed out the original elixir workshop supplier and successfully acquired the business.
In just two months, he had made a fortune by pursuing small tricks to lower the quality of the raw material.
Not much, just taking advantage of the price difference.
Those in the business know, taking advantage of the price difference is like making a loss for the sake of appearances, basically laborious yet fruitless.
As for the impact of the decline in raw material quality...
Apart from making it difficult to refine high-quality pills, there was no other impact.
The elixirs produced by the Great Victory Pass Elixir Workshop were not top-grade, mainly Qi-Keeping Elixirs and Blood-supplementing Elixirs. The Imperial Sect retained some for inventory, and the rest were distributed to various places in Dongqi County.
Since they were not high-grade elixirs, the users were mostly for low-level soldiers. For these people, as long as it wasn't waste elixir, it didn't matter whether it was top-quality or not.
Within Wu Zhou territory, all Zhu family businesses operated this way. Businesses not under the Zhu family would also secretly lower the quality of raw materials for a few months time.
You can't say that no craft lacks deceit, only that following gains is their intent, all businessmen are like this.
They can do it, so can I. Zhu Kui made this money with a clear conscience.
He was not one to monopolize. If there was money to be made, they could all make it together. The alchemists working in the Elixir Workshop had all received his favors. Nobody was gossiping, nor would anyone meddle in the Zhu Family's business affairs. Things were basically secure.
But he didn't expect things to still be exposed.
An undercover agent was parachuted into the Elixir Workshop, continuously refining Spirit Awakening Elixirs for a month and every bottle produced was perfect. According to Lin Bohai, each and every one was of unrivaled quality, as though measured by a ruler.
This was not alchemy, who drove their mind to refine Spirit Awakening Elixir for a whole month, under normal circumstances!
He's obviously conducting experiments and gathering evidence!
In the early stages, Zhu Kui did not take Lin Bohai's undercover agent seriously, until after an investigation and test, he was shocked to find trouble at his doorstep.
Firstly, Lu Bei arrived with a mysterious background, reaching Great Victory Pass at night. In just two days, he entered the Elixir Workshop with Zhu Yan's introduction.
Zhu Yan also helped to arrange his household registration in due process during that period, which was clearly suspicious.
Secondly, observed by Zhu Kui's spy in the Elixir Workshop, Lu Bei kept a low profile. In a month at the Great Victory Pass, he always moved between We Mansion and Elixir Workshop, no social or entertainment activities, not even a stroll out of the door.
The most terrifying part was that even when the alchemists in the Elixir Workshop repeatedly brought up the Cloud Water Tower, and invitations had been made, he didn't take any action.
Normal men generally fall into two categories: those who are lustful and those who are extremely lustful.
If a man cannot do either of the above, it's enough to conclude that this man is not normal!
Zhu Kui had also tried to trace back from Zhu Yan. She only said that Lu Bei was a distant relative of the family and refused to say more.
For the entire month, Zhu Kui had lost his appetite. Just when all the stock was depleted and he was preparing to supply normal materials to the Elixir Workshop, Lu Bei suddenly disappeared and went to the military camp overnight.
The news struck Zhu Kui like a sudden thunderbolt, and then…
No more news followed.
After calming down, Zhu Kui realized.
That's right, he's a Zhu from Wu Zhou. This is nothing compared to rebelling and losing his head. Even if they caught him, they wouldn't punish him severely. Lu Bei was merely amassing evidence to coerce and frighten him, probably seeking benefits while he was at it.
As expected, after squatting outside the We Mansion for a few days, Lu Bei showed up on his own.
What puzzled Zhu Kui was, it was understood between them and they had met face-to-face. Why would We Mao refuse his gifts?
Did he think it wasn't enough?
You didn't even look, how can you say it wasn't enough?
Zhu Kui couldn't understand. Considering that We Mao, who holds military power, was present, he assumed We Mao also wanted a share. Thus, he instructed the coachman to turn the carriage around and headed to Governor Zhu Ting's Mansion.
...
At the Governor's Mansion.
Governor Zhu Ting was around forty years old, with a sophisticated scholar's demeanor, and he was just as tall and robust as Zhu Kui.
After hearing all about the course of events, Zhu Ting didn't move an inch while holding his tea. He took a small sip of the hot tea, calmly said, "I'll make a greeting to Lin Bo Xian in the Imperial Sect. You admit your mistake, compensate for the loss, then the matter will be finished."
Lin Bo Xian was the chief steward of the Imperial Sect in the Great Victory Pass. He was highly skilled in cultivation. Zhu Ting and Lin were close acquaintances despite their age difference. Their close personal relationship played a significant role in the peaceful coexistence between the Imperial Sect and the local government within Dongqi County.
"Uncle, what about that spy and We Mao? Should we just not deal with them and let it pass?" Zhu Kui asked cautiously.
"We can't just let them pass. Tomorrow morning, send an invitation to We Mansion. Tomorrow night, you'll accompany me to a banquet at Bright Moon Tower in honor of General We. As for the spy..."
Zhu Ting pondered for a moment, "Give him some benefits so it doesn't seem like he worked for nothing. If he gets excessively greedy, tell the truth to the Imperial Sect. Get rid of the problem quickly so it doesn't cause any extra trouble."
"But doesn't that mean I lose my business?"
"Hehe."
Zhu Ting let out a cold laugh at the question, and slammed the teacup onto the table, "Don't seek short-term gains at the risk of long-term losses. The loss of your business can be compensated elsewhere, but if one's reputation is tainted, one will lose everything. Do you understand?"
"You are correct, Uncle." Zhu Kui lowered his head in acceptance, not daring to oppose.
"What about your eldest brother, any news?"
"Not at the moment."
Zhu Kui shook his head and added, "Calculating the time, he should be back in a few days."
"Let him come to see me when he's back. I have something for him to handle."
"Yes, understood."
Zhu Kui nodded solemnly, not asking what Zhu Ting wanted his older brother to handle. Grabbing the invitation written by Zhu Ting, he hastily left the Governor's Mansion.