Chapter 773: Commoners Smash the Port

Du Yi looked up, his face filled with horror. "Master..."

Xiang Minghou didn’t speak, but his expression said it all. He would not allow someone who had loyally served another for ten years to remain by his daughter’s side.

Du Yi watched his retreating back, the shock not yet fading.

’The Master is abandoning me...’

Downstairs, Elder Chen and Gu Shuo had been waiting for quite a while before they saw Zhan Chi lead Ye Qianning down the stairs.

Today, Ye Qianning wore a light, jade-green dress, a stunning departure from her attire the day before.

Elder Chen stroked his beard, his eyes crinkling into a smile. ’Who would have thought that the little doll he took in back then would blossom into such a beauty? Truly, no one in the world could compare.’

Gu Shuo had been shocked enough yesterday, but seeing her now, he still couldn’t help but be taken aback.

He had met nearly all the nobles of the Four Countries, yet none exuded a more dignified air than his daughter. Her innate grace was entirely natural, beyond what any ordinary person could match.

Gu Shuo subconsciously touched his own face. ’They always say daughters take after their fathers. Looking closely, the little girl’s nose is quite similar to mine.’

He touched the tip of his nose, feeling absolutely wonderful.

"Master, Gu-daddy," Ye Qianning said as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Quick, sit down." Dean Chen’s eyes narrowed into slits as he smiled.

Ye Qianning sat down at the table. The noisy hustle and bustle of the crowd reached her ears, and she glanced out the window. "The breakfast crowd is packed."

"They’re not here to eat. They’re all here to see the things you had placed downstairs," Dean Chen chuckled.

"A lively scene creates buzz." Ye Qianning had intentionally arranged for over twenty rare treasures to be displayed.

People from all corners of the continent came to Dayu City for the Four Countries Chamber of Commerce. Anything that happened here would spread across the lands in no time.

"Here, have some congee." Gu Shuo ladled a bowl for her and placed it in front of her.

Qian Fanji came down from upstairs and approached the table.

"Where’s Dad?" Ye Qianning asked, looking up and past them.

"He’s discussing something with Du Yi."

Ye Qianning nodded slightly. ’Dad really dislikes the Eighth Prince. After I left, Du Yi followed Sang Zhi for ten years. Dad must not trust him anymore.’

’Du Yi really has changed a lot compared to Luo Xuan and the others.’

"Boss Gu, Boss Gu..." The shopkeeper hurried up to the second floor.

"What is it?"

"The port manager, Da Cheng, just came. The people of Nanyuan are causing trouble at the port. Not only have they injured people, but now a large crowd has gathered and is destroying the port."

Gu Shuo’s eyes darkened. He stood up. "You all eat first. I’m going to take a look."

"I’m going too."

"What are you going to do there?"

"I want to see for myself just how shameless those people from Nanyuan can be." Ye Qianning could already guess why the people of Nanyuan were causing trouble.

Gu Shuo glanced at her. "Alright."

"I’ll go take a look too," Qian Fanji said, standing up.

"Then I..."

"Zhan, my boy, don’t you go. I have a small favor to ask of you in a bit," Elder Chen said, stopping Zhan Chi as he started to rise.

Zhan Chi could only watch as the group went downstairs. He scratched his head. "Elder Chen, what is it?"

"Help me deliver a letter."

Many precious items were displayed on the ground floor of the Immortal Sea Building. Waves of onlookers came one after another, and the crowd had become congested.

Gu Shuo led Ye Qianning out the back door. As they got into a carriage, he couldn’t help but glance back inside.

"Aren’t you afraid they’ll be stolen?"

There were about twenty pieces, each one a treasure. Anyone who managed to get one would be in a hurry to hide it, yet she had simply placed them all next to the counter.

"The Xianyue Sect is not to be trifled with," Ye Qianning said, sitting at the far end of the carriage.

"You really do trust them."

"Of course. I trained both Luo Wen and Luo Xuan, so I know their capabilities very well. The people selected for the Xianyue Sect all have excellent potential." This was where Ye Qianning’s personal agenda from all those years ago lay.

"Indeed."

Qian Fanji couldn’t deny it. The people who followed her were all outstanding, whether in terms of skill or martial strength.

"Gu-daddy, you and Master were invited to the Nanyuan Imperial Palace some time ago. What was it about?"

"The Emperor of Nanyuan wanted, one, to invite Elder Chen to tutor the princes and princesses, and two, to raise the price of Nanyuan’s seafood."

"Raise it by how much?"

"A fifty percent increase on the price of seafood, and a forty percent stake in the Immortal Sea Building."

Ye Qianning was stunned. "What a huge appetite."

’A fifty percent price hike leaves almost no profit margin. And asking for a stake in the Immortal Sea Building on top of that... a truly shameless request.’

"That’s not all. He wanted me to be the head of the Nanyuan Chamber of Commerce and planned to enfeoff me as a second-rank Nanyuan official." Gu Shuo found it laughable just talking about it. The Nanyuan Emperor’s plan was utter fantasy.

Ye Qianning had never met the Nanyuan Emperor, but this series of moves truly made him sound like a cunning old fox. He didn’t want to cooperate with Gu Shuo, but he was afraid that cooperating with others wouldn’t be secure, so he tried to win Gu Shuo over instead.

"In any case, the seafood business with Nanyuan is no longer possible." Gu Shuo had already decided to let it go.

"If it can’t be done, then let’s not do it. It’s a thankless effort, and ten years is enough." Ye Qianning leaned against the carriage window. ’If you can’t carry them, there’s nothing to be done.’

’Nanyuan is prosperous now; they must feel more confident.’

Hearing this, Gu Shuo looked at her, a pang of guilt in his heart. The little girl was born in Nanyuan, and she wanted to see Nanyuan prosper. That was why she had gone to such great lengths all those years ago to help Nanyuan partner with him.

’But what she comes back to is the collapse of the business...’

Several hundred people were now gathered at the Dayu City port. Passing ships couldn’t dock and could only wait in the distance.

The morning’s catch of seafood couldn’t be loaded onto the ships. It was piled on the gangways, only to be knocked to the ground by the troublemakers, scattering everywhere.

"If we don’t get an explanation today, no other ships can even think about approaching this harbor!"

"Gu Shuo makes his fortune off Nanyuan, but he has no respect for the people of Nanyuan! We won’t sell our seafood to him!"

"That’s right, we won’t sell seafood to the Gu family! Come on, let’s smash this port!"

The leader, wielding a large sledgehammer, led the crowd in smashing the port facilities and the docked ships. The port’s workers couldn’t stop them and were even injured by the sharp weapons in the crowd’s hands.

"Aiyo, stop smashing things!" Da Cheng cried out, his old face etched with misery as he saw the situation spiraling out of control.

"Smash it! Everyone, smash it all! He’s earning nothing but dirty money!"

"Others pay nearly thirty copper coins for it, but she’s paid eight copper coins for ten years straight! A single seafood meal at the Immortal Sea Building costs dozens of taels of silver! It’s pure greed!"

"Forget the money, yesterday at the Immortal Sea Building, she dared to anger our Old Prince Feng so much he coughed up blood! Smash it! Smash it all! Avenge Old Prince Feng!"

By the time Gu Shuo, Qian Fanji, and Ye Qianning arrived, the scene was already in complete chaos.

Several hundred people were vandalizing the port, and in a short time, it was severely damaged.

Many of the onlookers were merchants from various places. Seeing the port being destroyed, they winced with sympathy. It cost a lot of money to build a port.

’Tsk tsk, what they’re smashing is real gold and silver.’

The port workers couldn’t stop them, and Da Cheng didn’t dare order his men forward. With several hundred people, the consequences of a full-blown riot would be severe.

"Boss Gu is here! Make way, Boss Gu is here!" someone shouted upon noticing Gu Shuo.

Hearing the shouts, the crowd turned. When they saw the people getting out of the carriage, their gazes fell upon Ye Qianning. They all froze, unable to look away.

Seeing Gu Shuo was like finding his backbone. Da Cheng rushed over. "Proprietor, look at this mob! Aiyo, they’re completely unreasonable."