Chapter 11: Trying to get something for nothing? No way!

“Wait!”

Zhang Qi’s heart skipped a beat, and he blurted out, blocking Lu Jia’s path.

It wasn’t that Zhang Qi was soft-hearted; it was simply that the Xie family had truly been thriving in the capital back in the day.

Old Master Xie had originally entered the capital to do business by leveraging the influence of a former classmate he had once sponsored. This classmate held a modest official position in the capital. Through his connections, the Xie family first secured the business of supplying grain, rice, and regional specialties to the teahouses and taverns frequented by official households. Once they had opened those doors, they went on to become medicinal herb procurers for the nobility.

Having dealt extensively with official households, the Xie family was naturally well-versed in the ways of the bureaucracy. In that sense, while Lu Jia’s words were exaggerated, they weren’t entirely baseless. However, what truly shook Zhang Qi was the demeanor the brat had displayed when she dropped those words.

That lecture she had just given, topped off with that scoff—where was the useless little girl he had always known?

He said, “You’re just a brat, yet your tone is quite bold. Since your grandfather passed, the only male descendant left in the Xie family is Yi-ge’er. Even if you and your mother have the heart to cling to connections in the capital, who would pay you any mind?”

It wouldn’t hurt to listen for a moment.

If she dared to play any tricks, his Zhang family had plenty of ways to make her regret it!

“What’s it to you?” Lu Jia looked at him with haughty arrogance. “I have urgent information right now. Within three days, the prefectural office will issue a notice ordering at least thirty percent of the cargo ships at Tonghuo Gate to dock at Shawan. A month from now, more than half of the cargo ships at Tonghuo Gate’s wharf will have to be diverted there.

“Because of this, many large merchant firms at Tonghuo Gate have already made preparations. They are currently raising funds, intending to use the full strength of the Chamber of Commerce to build a series of shops along the upper and lower ends of the current Shawan wharf.

“You should have already learned of these matters from Prefectural Vice Magistrate He. So, do you still have no idea whether I have access to information or not?”

Watching Lu Jia lean in, the shock on Zhang Qi’s face had turned into pure alarm!

The Prefectural Vice Magistrate, He Qing, was a local of Tanzhou. Through several years of cultivation, Zhang Qi had become a frequent guest at the He residence. Although there was a chasm between officials and merchants, who doesn’t love money? Officials love money, too. If they didn’t, where would they get those fine Huizhou inksticks, Duan inkstones, and calligraphy and painting collections? Not to mention, if they wanted to climb the ladder, they had to spend money to grease the wheels.

For the sake of the Zhang family’s money, no matter how aloof He Qing was, he had to give something back from time to time.

The news Lu Jia mentioned was indeed something he had learned from the He residence just a few days ago. It was precisely because this information was so accurate and reliable that he had been willing to pay any price to buy the Li family’s warehouse.

This matter was truly confidential. How could she, Lu Jia, know about it? And know it in such detail! She even knew about the Tanzhou merchants’ plans to expand the wharf at Shawan?

“You brat, did you eavesdrop on this somewhere?!”

Lu Jia crossed her arms. “Believe what you want. It’s not my loss if you’re delayed. Once the Imperial Censor for Waterways arrives from the capital next month, even your Vice Magistrate won’t have the guts to help you!”

If Zhang Qi had been somewhat dismissive before, hearing the mention of the Imperial Censor for Waterways left him stunned and speechless!

This girl actually knew that the capital was sending an Imperial Censor for Waterways?

Even he didn’t know about that!

With a heavy heart, he looked Lu Jia over twice more before returning to his seat.

A moment later, he turned back to her: “Why don’t you tell me first, what way do you have to get the warehouse?”

This kind of information was simply not something a little girl could have the ability to touch. This brat seemed truly strange.

In any case, listening wouldn’t cost him anything. Compared to three hundred taels of silver, the warehouse was clearly more important.

Besides, it wasn’t as if he couldn’t get the three hundred taels back later; what was he in such a rush for?

Lu Jia said, “You want to catch a wolf with empty hands? That won’t work.”

Zhang Qi’s face grew angry again: “Are you asking for a reward?”

Lu Jia curled her lips and pushed a piece of paper toward him: “I’ve calculated it. Over the past three years, the assets you’ve borrowed from us under various pretexts amount to at least two or three thousand taels. Plus the shop in front of Tangxing Temple that my maternal grandfather left behind.

“These are all things that belong to my Xie family. It is only right and proper for me to ask for them back. How can you call that a reward?

“I don’t want to bicker with you, and I won’t even ask for interest. Just return the shop and the three thousand taels to me, and that will be that.”

“What?!”

Zhang Qi was stunned, then laughed in anger. “I was wondering why you were talking to me about all this for no reason—it turns out you’re trying to swindle money out of me! You’ve certainly got a clever scheme!”

He threw down a harsh threat: “If you want the silver and the shop, keep dreaming!”

With that, he turned and walked out the door without looking back.

Once outside, however, he didn’t head toward the county office.

Limping into his own gate, he immediately called for someone: “Take two boxes of tea and go to Magistrate He’s residence to inquire—is there really any talk of the capital sending an Imperial Censor for Waterways?”

What did people coming from the capital have to do with small merchants like them? But he had to verify this!

He had to know if that brat from the Xie family was just spouting nonsense, or if she really had a source of information.

Ever since she woke up, she had been far too different. He had to get to the bottom of her!

Less than a stick of incense later, the person sent to the He residence returned, legs moving like wheels of fire, his face full of shock: “Master!

“I had just arrived at the He residence when I ran straight into a yamen runner from the Tanzhou Prefectural Office delivering news. The message was exactly that: the Imperial Court has decided to send several imperial envoys to inspect the waterways in various provinces, and the Prefect has ordered all counties along the river to properly manage the wharves within their jurisdictions!”

Zhang Qi sprang up from his recliner: “Is this true?!”

The servant slapped his thigh: “Absolutely true! Would I dare to lie to you?”

Zhang Qi stared out the window with wide eyes, as if he could see through the heavy walls all the way to Lu Jia at the Xie residence.

The brat had been right about everything!

Not only did she know the news He Qing had given him privately, but she even knew things that He Qing didn’t know yet!

Zhang Qi felt as if he had a boil on his backside; he couldn’t sit still any longer.

After pacing back and forth a few times with his limp, he gritted his teeth and stepped out the door again.

A morning was enough time for Lu Jia to sort out what would happen in the coming days. The reason she had brought up the arrival of the Imperial Censor for Waterways at this juncture was, naturally, because Zhang Qi would be able to verify it immediately.

Given his greedy nature, how could he bear to let go of Lu Jia, who held so much classified information?

Lu Jia had just finished washing her clothes and was hanging them to dry under the eaves. Seeing Zhang Qi walk in again, she unhurriedly brushed the wrinkles from her clothes and picked up the wooden basin.

“Why are you back again?”

Zhang Qi gritted his teeth: “Don’t play dumb with me. Do you really still have connections with people in the capital?”

“So, you still can’t bear to part with the warehouse.”

Lu Jia held out a hand: “Where is the thing I asked for?”