Chapter 107: "True Collaboration"

Once the matter was reported to the imperial court, the authorities in Luojing immediately dispatched personnel to handle it. Upon catching wind of the news, the bandits fled overnight to other regions.

Chief Magistrate Wang’s expression was exceptionally grim. He had been acting under orders from above to reclaim all the copper mines, never expecting that anyone would dare to openly defy an imperial decree. It was an act of utter insolence. Yet, for now, they were powerless to do anything about it.

"Magistrate Chen, what is the background of these bandits? Do they have any kin in the city?" Magistrate Wang asked slowly, his tone bordering on foolishness.

"None. They have no families to speak of. Some of them used to work in these mines, and now that the imperial court is reclaiming them, they have nowhere else to go." They were merely trying to scrape by. Previously, the authorities had turned a blind eye, and the mining experience offered by the local homestays had provided these commoners with a way to earn a living. Now, however, that was no longer an option, and they were forced to find other ways to survive.

"The existing copper ore can be transported directly to Luojing. As for the unmined sections, we can station troops there to supervise," Chen Tianwei said bluntly. Some people were indeed pitiful, but one could not prioritize them above all else.

"Your suggestion is feasible," Magistrate Wang nodded. He immediately deployed soldiers to transport all the excavated copper ore to Luojing and stationed a detachment of troops at the site, effectively resolving the lingering issues. However, such significant upheaval inevitably sparked murmurs of discontent within Blue City.

Ever since Old Master Zhou was taken into custody, the Zhou household had grown much quieter. They stopped sending people to sabotage the homestays and instead focused diligently on managing their spinning industry. Even Young Master Zhu began to think that the man might truly be willing to submit.

"With your latest move, those people don't dare to act rashly anymore, do they?" Young Master Zhu remarked with admiration.

"The Second Young Master Zhou you speak of? It’s likely not that simple. Besides, when I initially spoke of supporting him, my intention was merely to have them collapse from within; I never said the Zhou family would end up in his hands," Han Qing replied.

"Wait, you mean you are secretly supporting someone else?" Zhu asked, incredulous. He could hardly believe what was happening right before his eyes.

"Yes. Do you remember the shopkeeper from the hotpot restaurant?"

"The little thug you picked up from the bustling district in the east of the city? I haven't seen him in days." Prompted by this, Young Master Zhu patted his head, suddenly recalling the person. He had never held the man in high regard, let alone suspected him of anything.

"I hear that the current spinning projects of the Zhou family are all being handled by him."

Impossible! "How could he possibly infiltrate the Zhou family? For a small-time thug to earn your favor and become a shopkeeper was already quite an achievement," Zhu shook his head, finding it truly unbelievable.

"He is actually a child that Old Master Zhou had out of wedlock long ago. That is why he had the opportunity to secure a twenty-percent stake in the spinning industry."

One shocking revelation after another left him completely dazed. He had never imagined such a grand scheme was at play.

"Brother Han, you aren't joking, are you?"

"There is no need to," he said calmly.

So, could that former thug really take control of the Zhou family? That was no simple task.

"This was a gamble from the start. It matters little who I support; what matters is who, in this place, is truly beneficial to us," Han Qing said slowly, indifferent to the truth. Having managed several homestays, he naturally prioritized profit above all else.

"Truly formidable!" Zhu nodded. He had failed to see through the game from the beginning, assuming it was merely about supporting Second Young Master Zhou to take the helm of the family. Who would have guessed that he had not been supporting anyone at all?

As they suspected, although Old Master Zhou was forced into prison, there were still several managers left in the Zhou house who had begun following the instructions of the former thug. They had successfully negotiated several major contracts for the textile industry, which caused many to view him in a new light. The Zhou clan was vast, and while some seemed to follow the arrangements of the Second Young Master, they were not truly convinced of his competence. Now that they had a choice, they were certainly willing to fight for their own interests.

However, that night, the Old Beggar suddenly received a secret letter. Without time for further explanation, he left behind a few words and hurried away. Han Qing was left bewildered—why had he left so suddenly? He had not yet mastered much of the martial arts he had been taught, and for now, he was only at the introductory level. It seemed he still needed to be extremely cautious.

Meanwhile, Second Young Master Zhou was furious, berating his subordinates for their incompetence. "How did you handle this? How could that illegitimate son possibly secure other orders?"

His subordinates looked at each other in dismay. Several wealthy merchants had already agreed to deals, but when they went to sign the contracts, the other party suddenly backed out. After long inquiries, they discovered it was the work of someone else.

"Young Master, he has snatched away two-thirds of our orders this month. If this continues, the Zhou family's spinning industry will be finished," one of the more sensible subordinates explained, urging the Second Young Master to come up with a plan before they all became the sinners of the Zhou family.

"Where is that man now?"

"We don't know. We only heard that he had a close relationship with Old Master Zhou in the past, and this..." The subordinate stopped mid-sentence.

Was he not just a bastard? Did he think the Zhou family clan was a place an outsider could enter at will? Second Young Master Zhou refused to believe it. He ordered his men to continue contacting buyers, offering even lower prices. But the buyers refused to budge; they had already signed ten-year contracts. If they broke the agreements, the penalties were astronomical—not based on the contract terms, but on the market value of the seasonal silk.

The emergence of these agreements left the Second Young Master feeling deeply unsettled. Why would someone go to such lengths? He had already sent people to monitor the illegitimate son, yet there were still no leads.