I am a living immortal.

Chapter 492 The Disappearing Silver, King Cheng

The carriage stopped in front of a yard.

This courtyard is the headquarters of the trading company in Jizhou. It is a three-courtyard building. It can be seen that the Shenzi Trading Company is wealthy and powerful, and is prepared to stay for a long time.

Of course, while the merchant company didn't receive any grain this time, it wasn't completely idle. From Yuannan to here, they constantly collaborated with local silver houses. Where they refused to cooperate, the merchant company established its own. They built silver houses along the way, a desperate move. The establishment of silver houses was a crucial step, a crucial step in disrupting the north-south trade.

To convince the people of their strength and build their credibility, each newly opened silver shop would display a few boxes of silver in public, not much, ranging from a thousand to ten thousand taels. Dozens of silver shops sprang up along the way, stretching from Yuannanpu to Jizhou.

This was to show everyone that he was wealthy and powerful. Being high-profile had its pros and cons. Some envied him, but the waters seemed deep, and anyone who stepped into it would drown in the bottomless pit. How could it be easy to snatch these shares from these local tyrants? Daring to put money out in the open, how could a few hooligans be able to pry?

Although the bloody storm involved is not known to outsiders, any intelligent person will understand that this is the result of the game between various parties.

That is because the Shenzi business is so powerful that even the local tyrants have to bow their heads.

After everyone's attempts failed, they began to inquire about the background of this Shenzi Trading Company.

But we know nothing about it, it's very mysterious.

Therefore, the effect is very significant. Although these silver shops serve as the vanguards of the north-south grain routes, it does not prevent merchants from seeking convenience. Who doesn't like to carry light silver bills in their pockets rather than carrying boxes of silver?

So it became prosperous right after it opened, which was a good start. As long as deposits and withdrawals were smooth, this silver shop would not go bankrupt.

That's why those people in Jizhou who are resisting are so disgusting, because you can't drag down the other side, and the other side has plenty of time to waste with you.

Blocking the news temporarily is not a big deal, but maintaining it is difficult. There is no such thing as an impenetrable wall in this world. Many people are eyeing this piece of fat meat, but they are currently holding back due to the unclear situation and the fear of offending the northern faction.

And they had no reason to care, after all, His Majesty was watching.

However, if anyone said something in front of His Majesty that made Him react, it goes without saying that these onlookers would turn into hungry wolves and tear him apart without hesitation.

All of this was caused by that damn trading company. The prefect of Jizhou was furious, but he could do nothing about it.

They've already been pissing off the small merchants by preventing them from selling grain, and now they can't even exchange them for silver bills. That's unacceptable. Merchants are driven by profit, and will do anything. Cutting off my financial resources is like killing my parents. It's best you don't interfere too much.

Otherwise, both sides will be destroyed.

Although most of the grain is controlled by the wealthy families, the grain in the hands of these scattered small merchants is also a considerable amount.

If the problem gets started, this impregnable defense line will collapse. Small merchants will profit, and big merchants will become jealous, and then try to please both sides, forbidding it outwardly but keeping it secret behind the scenes.

It was precisely because he knew too much about it that he was in such a dilemma. He actually blamed his superiors. Why would they stop a win-win situation? Wasn't it just a share of the profits? But he was just a prefect. How could he know the depths of the situation? He wouldn't dare approach rashly. What was the background of this Mirage Company that could make those behind it tremble in fear?

There is no choice but to endure it.

On the other side, outside the third courtyard, Chen Tao got down from the carriage, and everyone saw this airborne manager.

"Sir, we are here. Please come in."

Chen Tao nodded. His temperament had changed somewhat after all these years as a martial artist, but the dignity of his high position hadn't diminished much. There were also many loyal martial arts masters present, cultivated by Mirage Dragon using the speed of time in the cave.

However, after Chen Tao glanced at this group of people, they all lowered their heads subconsciously, including the original shopkeeper.

Although these people are loyal, sometimes there is a trade-off. Mirage Dragon prioritizes loyalty first, followed by martial arts talent, and finally operational talent.

So there might be some clumsiness in how you handle things.

After all, time is too short, and the loyalty of smart people is questionable. In order to avoid mistakes, they still have to make choices. And these people need someone like Chen Tao to coordinate them. Then these people will operate accurately like gears interlocking with gears.

Chen Tao quickly got into work mode.

"Let's go in and talk about the information I asked you to look up." As he said that, he stepped into the yard. Before leaving, he glanced in one direction and then ignored it.

The former shopkeeper also noticed this action and approached Chen Tao to ask, "Do you want to deal with it?"

Chen Tao shook his head: "Don't worry, just give them a warning, these things are harmless. Since I came here openly, I'm not afraid of these people investigating."

The shopkeeper nodded and followed Chen Tao.

The screen wall of the courtyard blocks the view.

When he arrived at the lobby, someone had already brewed tea and placed it on the table. Those present were all the backbone of Jizhou. Chen Tao didn't waste any words and asked directly, "Did you find out?"

The original shopkeeper nodded.

"This matter seems to be related to Prince Cheng. Following your suggestion, we checked the account books of various grain stores and granaries from previous years, but we didn't find anything unusual. The numbers in the account books match the numbers in the granaries, so there's nothing to suggest."

"But the silver is gone."

"I sent some skilled hands to investigate. Logically, the various additional taxes should provide these officials, both large and small, with an unimaginable windfall each year. However, despite their extravagant lifestyle, their income is often disproportionate to their expenditure."

"There's a difference of about four to five million taels of silver per year."

"After so many years, the whereabouts of this huge amount of money are unknown. So we followed the officials and dug deeper. We found that the money was transferred to Prince Cheng's palace through many twists and turns. This has been the practice since Prince Cheng moved his palace from Yongzhou to Jizhou six years ago."

"In addition to the additional taxes every year, there are also tributes from merchants from all over the country. So much silver has flowed into Prince Cheng's palace, yet not even a single drop has been seen."

"There are many experts around Prince Cheng's mansion. We dare not get too close, but Prince Cheng is definitely doing something in secret."

"What I don't understand is why those officials, both big and small, would give up such huge benefits without hesitation. The title of King Cheng alone is not enough."