Nine out of ten gamblers lose; I've run into a jerk!

Chapter 71 The Gentleman on the Beam Meets Again

As the sun set and crows cawed, Yuze lay in a newly dug pit, handfuls of loose soil falling and covering his body.

Gradually, only a pale, emaciated face remained. Yu Jue's hand trembled slightly as she reluctantly scattered the last handful of soil.

Shen Qing helped her build the grave mound securely, cut a piece of wood, and whittled a poorly made wooden board with rough edges and burrs.

He hesitated for a long time before writing the inscription, and finally erected a blank stele, just to remind future generations not to trample on the people buried beneath it.

Looking at this simple, lonely grave, Shen Qing couldn't help but sigh. The eldest son of the third generation of the direct line of the Duke of Yu, he didn't even have a thin coffin after his death.

The evidence brought back by Yuze was too weak to touch the powerful Duke of Liang. Yujue said that they should wait for the right opportunity, and present the Duke of Liang as a weapon to Emperor Yu when Emperor Yu could no longer tolerate him.

With such a powerful maternal relative, Emperor Yu would have to eliminate him sooner or later. What Yu Jue needed to consider was how to survive in the coming days.

Shen Qing cannot stay in Yudu indefinitely. Once he leaves, the safety of Yu Jue's family of women will be difficult to guarantee.

Shen Qing suggested again, "Cousin, why don't you come with me to Xuan Kingdom first? A gentleman takes revenge even after ten years."

Yu Jue frowned, pondering the feasibility of this matter, and after a long while said, "Let me think about it some more."

She clutched her chest, holding the list that Yu Ze had risked his life to bring back. The Yu family had more than just the Duke of Liang as their enemy. Leaving Yu State meant only a life of precarious peace; she couldn't expect anyone else to avenge her.

Shen Qing could roughly guess what was going on, so he stopped trying to persuade him. No one could truly empathize with him; he couldn't understand the deep-seated hatred of a family being destroyed and its members killed.

The return journey was smooth. Shen Qing carried the empty wooden basket and followed Yu Jue back to the Yu residence on Dongcheng Street as if nothing had happened, as if they had really just gone out of the city to offer incense.

The lookout was only surprised that Yu Jue had returned unharmed and did not pay attention to Shen Qing. Who would pay attention to a little maid?

In the side room, Yu Pingting watched Yu Jue close the door and muttered, "What has she been doing so mysteriously these past two days?"

Aunt Mo glanced at the neighbor next door and said, "Second Madam always acts according to her own rules. If she doesn't say anything, we'll pretend we don't know, so as not to get in the way."

Inside the main house, Yu Mi saw people return and immediately rushed over.

"Sister, I waited for you all day, I was so scared~ Don't leave me alone for so long next time."

Yu Jue hugged her younger sister, her brows furrowed with worry. After much hesitation, she finally decided to tell her what had happened. Although her sister was only seven years old, she could no longer continue to be a carefree child.

"Mi'er, do you want to leave Yu Kingdom?"

"Wherever my sister is, I will be there too. As long as we sisters are together, there is nothing to be afraid of. At worst, we'll die together."

Yu Jue stroked her sister's head, her heart filled with mixed emotions. Shen Qing, watching from the side, was also deeply moved. Letting go of hatred is not an easy thing, but living relatives are even more precious.

As night fell, Shen Qing changed back into her own clothes, leaped onto the roof once more, and rode away under the moonlight.

Familiar place, familiar people, a second chance, the thief unexpectedly appears again.

"Oh, what a coincidence, Lord Marquis!"

This time, Shen Qing clearly sensed that Ning Cuo's expression was somewhat unfriendly. What was wrong?

Ning Cuo ultimately said nothing, Shen Qing cupped his hands in farewell, and slipped away.

Meanwhile, in a certain mansion, a man hidden behind a screen asked in a low voice, "Have all the people who tried to ambush Yu Jue disappeared?"

The servant who reported bowed even lower, feeling the oppressive atmosphere emanating from the inner room. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead as he replied tremblingly, "It was indeed a bizarre disappearance."

The man remained silent for a moment. This morning, a scout reported that Yu Jue had purchased incense and offerings to prepare for a ceremony outside the city, but had no one to help him. It was understandable that he would turn to the gods and Buddhas for help.

At the time, he thought Yu Jue was foolish, after all, she was a woman. If you don't cut the weeds at the root, they will grow back in the spring. Of course, you should take advantage of such a good opportunity to eliminate any future troubles.

They thought they had it all figured out, but none of the dozen or so thugs returned, and Yu Jue returned to the city unharmed.

Those people are probably doomed, but Yu Jue certainly can't deal with them all on his own. Someone must be secretly helping him. Who is it? He thought of his various political enemies and analyzed them one by one.

It's difficult to reach a conclusion in the short term, so we can only put it on hold for now. It's not advisable to take any rash actions now.

Yudu Post Station

Shen Qing squatted in the corner, covering his head with his hands, "Brother, let me explain... let me clarify!"

Shen Che, holding a ruler he'd somehow acquired, sneered, "Going to the brothel for drinks and pleasure, huh?"

"..." What happened to keeping your mouth shut? A wide-mouthed jar, huh!

"Still not coming home at night!" Shen Che slammed the ruler on the table, making Shen Qing's hand go numb and causing him to wince in pain. Fortunately, Shen Qing kept his head down.

"The eldest brother is like a father, and today I..."

"Father, I was wrong!"

"..."

Shen Qing knelt down too quickly, and Shen Che could hardly bring himself to strike her with the ruler he had raised.

After an incense stick had burned, Shen Che's expression turned somewhat grave as he listened to Shen Qing recount the whole story.

"The situation in Yudu is dangerous; we should set off to return home as soon as possible."

Shen Qing agreed wholeheartedly, "Has the task you asked me to complete been finished, brother?"

The three kingdoms of Xuanqi, Yu, and Sanguo have formed a strategic alliance. As for military deployments, Shen Che could not say that it was not under his jurisdiction, and only mentioned some minor matters.

"After the fall of the Great Qian Dynasty, the sixteen kingdoms ruled independently, and trade was disrupted. Now that the three kingdoms are allied, they naturally need to exchange strategic materials. I have come here to discuss the details."

For example, tariffs. Shen Qing couldn't help but sigh. These days, it's tough for businessmen. Logistics are inconvenient, and the cost of going out is too high. The key is that without the backing of the country, it's impossible to do cross-border business. Anyone caught smuggling will be punished as treason.

No wonder none of my fellow townsmen have become big business tycoons. Without a background, it's impossible to build a large business. Even a good idea can be snatched away in a minute, just like Sanya.

When Shen Qing heard Shen Che say that Xuan Kingdom had traded salt for iron ore with Yu Kingdom, he was shocked and speechless.

Trading iron ore for salt? Have the upper echelons of Yuguo lost their minds?

"Brother, I saw Yu Tu in the study. Yu Kingdom seems to be located by the sea, right?"

While the accuracy of the map may not be as good as that of later dynasties, it is impossible for it to be wrong about such a large ocean. Not only Yu State, but also Xuan, Qi, An, and Nanji all had coastal territories.

Shen Che was puzzled. "What happened to Linhai?"

Shen Qing's lips twitched. "Have the fishermen in the coastal area never tried boiling seawater?"

Shen Che seemed to understand Shen Qing's meaning and said, "There were fishermen in our country who boiled seawater because they couldn't afford salt, but they didn't live long after eating it."

Yes, directly boiled sea salt is not purified and contains a lot of impurities. A small amount is okay, but eating too much can be fatal. It can only be used to solve an immediate problem.

It seems that a lot of complicated processing steps are needed to make it safe to eat. How do I do it again?

Sigh, I thought I'd discovered a huge business opportunity. It turns out that working people aren't stupid after all.