The next day, a merchant entered the city with three carriages behind him. Normally, it would have been easy to enter the city, but this time, the soldiers actually blocked his way. "Stop!"
"Eh? What's wrong?" The merchant furrowed his eyebrows, looking oblivious.
"There will be an inspection!" The soldier explained.
"What inspection? I have been going back and forth to the Dragon City for over five years and there is not a single inspection the whole time!"
"Sorry, but this is the Magistrate's order. If any merchant is trying to skip the process, they either have to leave or be executed on the spot." The soldier shook his head helplessly as if not wanting to do both of them.
The merchant gritted his teeth, looking very frustrated. However, he also had gotten a message from a fellow merchant on the way, carrying the merchant association's message. Everything went according to the message. So, he had known that there would be an inspection.
It was at this time a lady walked toward them. The lady didn't wear a fancy dress. Instead, she wore a black martial clothes like that of a soldier, but there was an embroidered bronze dragon on her chest, indicating that she was directly related to the government. She was none other than Ren Yexiang, who had been tasked by Hao Yu to lead the inspection.
Cupping her hands politely, she said, "My apologies for taking a bit of your time, but I have to inspect your goods. Will you have your goods inspected or not enter the city?"
"Of course, you can inspect my goods. There is nothing to hide." The merchant nodded pridefully, but there was a coded message in his words.
Without hesitation, Ren Yexiang moved to the back of the carriages before opening the boxes one by one. Everything looked normal at first. There were only some food and other items that the merchant usually sold. However, when she came deeper and deeper, she noticed another box that looked lighter than it was supposed to be. It carried a few metals, but once she removed it, there was black powder underneath them.
After checking that no one was watching her, Ren Yexiang used a glove and took a handful of black powder before hiding it inside a pouch. After that, she smoothened the surface again to make it look like it had never been touched. After that, she carefully stored the glove and the pouch so as to avoid smearing her clothes. Then again, this was the reason why she wore a black-colored martial uniform.
Then, she continued moving to a few boxes and noticed that the merchant carried more than three boxes of explosive powder, in which she took a portion from each of them.
After ten minutes, Ren Yexiang finally finished her inspection and nodded to the soldiers. "I'm done. There are no dangerous goods or any sign of smuggling cultivation resources."
"In that case, please excuse me." The merchant cupped his hands while the soldiers stepped aside and continued forward. He was completely unaware that a bit of her explosive powder had been stolen. But considering the amount he carried, that much wouldn't cause any trouble.
And even if Ren Yexiang only got a small amount, it was enough for Hao Yu since they were just going to do it a lot of times. That small pile would build up, and Hao Yu would finally acquire a weapon without spending any money.
On the other hand, the merchant continued riding his carriage to the merchant association, realizing that the atmosphere in the city was far different from what he saw previously.
The festive mood was filling up the city, the people were going back and forth to get some stuff, and the merchant happily traded with them at a discounted price. He never thought that he would see this kind of sight when entering the city.
Just like other merchants belonged to the association, they had known the fact that the Dragon City wasn't as glamorous as it seemed.
But seeing that the situation had changed greatly, it was clear that there was a transformation going on.
…
Outside the city.
Leng Xiu was overseeing the preparation of the dam as well as the living areas. There were a few hundred workers scattered in the area, so with just a nod from him, they would begin the construction.
Suddenly, another official approached him and cupped his hand, reporting, "Sir. It seems that the conflict between the merchant and the people has been resolved."
"Hoh?" Leng Xiu smiled. Hao Yu had piqued his interest, but he still didn't expect him to be able to solve this issue in just a single day.
"We don't know what's going on, but the merchants seem to have been preparing for the festival since last night. The festival allows the merchants and the citizens to repair their bonds. They even offer a discounted price… approximately twenty percent of the original price."
"Oh? To think it would be that much… What's going on there?"
"The citizens are happy and the merchants don't seem to be that concerned. They are singing two names, Sir Hao Yu and you."
"In that case, Hao Yu must have used the dams to negotiate. I can kind of understand, but even then, without the right skill, he can't convince that money grabber manager." Leng Xiu nodded. "I guess I will visit Hao Yu personally later."
"But…" The guy suddenly stopped him with a troubled look.
"Is there something wrong?"
"We've just gotten the budget plan from Sir Hao Yu. He requests a lot of money."
"Isn't it for the dam and other things? If that's the case, then just give him. I mean, this project is the joint effort of the main office and his division. He should know our progress and won't clash with us."
"No… There is another portion of the budget… It's said to feed the poor."
"Feed the poor?" Leng Xiu couldn't help but frown. Of course, he wanted to take care of the poor, but if he approached them incorrectly, there would be chaos.
"Yes. From the explanation, it was to buy the almost expired food from the merchant association and give them to the people in the slum."
"Interesting…" Leng Xiu contemplated for a moment before waving his hand. "Approve everything he wants. If there is something amiss, I will confront him later on."
"Yes, Sir."
Leng Xiu didn't know that Hao Yu's plan was running deeper than he could've imagined.