326 Five Merchants’ Negotiations
Music House.
"They say there are one hundred and six entertainment houses, both large and small, in Heavenly Revelations, but these other one hundred and five combined cannot compare to your one Music House. Only because this Music House has you, Madam Hu." Mu Chunfeng spoke mildly as he sat there.
Madam Hu was not her usual flirtatious and unrestrained self. At the moment, she was seated properly beside Mu Chunfeng and said respectfully, "Young master, you exaggerate in your praise."
Mu Chunfeng laughed, raised his head, and looked at the people in front of him. "Everyone, you all look so serious."
Seated before him were Madam Hu, the owner of Music House, Li Qing, the top salt merchant in Heavenly Revelations, Gongsun Xiao, the young patriarch of the Gongsun family, and Old Master Chen, the president of the Heavenly Revelations Chamber of Commerce. The four of them were indeed very serious. When dealing with the Qingzhou Mu family, no merchant could afford to be not serious.
Not to mention standing behind this Young Master Mu were the four managers that could move all under Heaven.
Mu Chunfeng cleared his throat and said with a smile, "Manager Tian told me that Madam Hu is a romantic and passionate lady who loves to take liberties with the young and handsome noble sons. Before coming, I was even looking forward to it a little…"
Madam Hu's face reddened and she looked somewhat embarrassed.
Li Qing continued drinking his tea quietly, as if he didn’t hear anything.
Gongsun Xiao, however, laughed out loud. "Rumours say that the Eldest Young Master Mu is an old hat when it comes to affairs of the heart. Looks like Third Young Master Mu is the true hero amongst flowers to dare take liberties with Madam Hu?"
Old Master Chen closed his eyes, looking as if he’d dozed off, but at some point, someone had placed a dish of peanuts, a plate of braised beef, and a flask of rice wine in front of him.
Mu Chunfeng turned his head and asked Tian Mozhi, "Manager Tian, how was my joke?"
Tian Mozhi replied solemnly, "Young Master, you were clearly speaking from your heart. How could you call it a joke?"
Young Master Mu chortled to himself for a while before he turned back around and continued to look at the others. "Everyone, we merchants of Qingzhou don't like to come to Heavenly Revelations, as you know. There are too many rules in Heavenly Revelations City, and we Qingzhou merchants never liked following rules."
"Then why did the young master come here this time?" Li Qing asked.
"I have a friend who wants to accomplish something, but you may obstruct him. I would like to invite you to give way to him," Mu Chunfeng said respectfully.
Madam Hu raised her pretty eyebrows. "Give way? Young Master said it yourself, there are many rules in Heavenly Revelations City. It's true that you are a guest from afar, but you want us, the hosts, to give way…"
Mu Chunfeng tapped the table lightly with his hand. "Didn't I also say? We don’t like following rules. There are four managers behind me, and I believe you’re familiar with them. There are four of them, and there are four of you. If you should make a rash move, they will be willing to play this game with you."
"Is that a threat?" Old Master Chen opened his eyes.
"It's not a threat." Mu Chunfeng shook his head. "As long as you carry out your own businesses and stay within your place, we won’t do anything. We’re even willing to help you."
"And what if we don’t?" Old Master Chen continued to ask.
"Everyone will lose your fortunes." Mu Chunfeng stood up.
The four managers behind him remained silent, but their silence meant that there was no negotiation in this matter.
"It’s no easy task to bankrupt your families, but the Mu family can do it. We don’t mind paying the price for it. Although this price could be a little big." Mu Chunfeng walked towards the door and the four managers followed closely behind.
Old Master Chen sighed. "Does the Qingzhou Mu family really want to step into the muddy waters of Heavenly Revelations City?"
"Old master, you don't know. When you’re number one, it’s really lonely." Mu Chunfeng walked past and patted Old Master Chen on the shoulder. "I brought this rice wine from Yunjian. It’s rated as one of their finest products, worth a taste."
"Thank you, Young Master Mu." Old Master Chen raised his wine cup.
Mu Chunfeng walked out of the Music House.
Old Master Chen hurled the cup of wine to the ground. "Qingzhou Mu family, do they really think I have no one in the Heavenly Revelations Chamber of Commerce?"
"But, Old Master. You only dared to throw the cup after the person had left," Gongsun Xiao said mildly.
Li Qing furrowed his brow. "What do we do now?"
"Business will remain business." Madam Hu sighed. "The Qingzhou Mu family may not be so scary, but he represents the merchants of Qingzhou. If he leads the merchants of Qingzhou and brings them into Heavenly Revelations, we will have no chance."
"But what do we do about the Red Prince?" Li Qing whispered.
"Maintain our relationship. He wants money, we give. But, in the future, we cannot openly support him to oppose Yong'an Prince," Old Master Chen said.
Mu Chunfeng walked out of the Music House and asked Tian Mozhi, "Manager Tian, how was my performance just now?"
Tian Mozhi nodded. "You showed them the Mu family style!"
"That’s right. Now, we will go to Autumn House." Mu Chunfeng gathered his sleeves. "Let’s go!"
Tian Mozhi's expression flipped. "Why are we going to Autumn House?"
"I arranged to meet my future little shifu there." Mu Chunfeng grinned.
Tian Mozhi, who had always been unflappable, immediately became anxious. "Third Young Master, you can give away anything else in Heavenly Revelations City, but not Autumn House! That’s the Mu family’s most valuable asset in Heavenly Revelations!"
"When it comes to assets that have a fixed value, Manager Tian has far more insight than me. But, for assets that cannot be calculated, Manager Tian does not have my foresight. Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Instead of a dragon-slaying sabre, learn a dragon-slaying technique. I have the most valuable medicinal ingredients in the world, but if I can’t save that person, these medicinal ingredients are just weeds. And if I give her Autumn House, in the future, she will pass it on to her disciple, so won’t it still return to the Mu family in the end?" Mu Chunfeng stepped onto the carriage. "Let's go."
Outside Autumn House, Hua Jin was already waiting there, but beside her stood a figure whom one must not show contempt for - Eunuch of Sword, Jin Wei Gonggong. Presently, in the whole of Heavenly Revelations City, there were very few people more important than Hua Jin, so when she went out on usual days, she would be accompanied by Lanyue Marquis’s heavily armed guards or a martial expert from the palace like Jin Wei Gonggong.
"Little genius doctor," Mu Chunfeng greeted respectfully.
Hua Jin was displeased. "Genius doctor is genius doctor. Why do you need to add a ‘little’ in front?"
"Genius doctor, please follow me." Mu Chunfeng hurriedly changed his words and brought Hua Jin to walk inside.
Jin Wei Gonggong looked at the surroundings and said indifferently, "So this is the Autumn House? It’s said that when a medicine can’t be found in the apothecary of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, it can be obtained from here?"
"Yes. This is Autumn House. They used to call it the Hundred Medicinal Garden but my father thought it was a poor name so he changed it to Autumn House." Mu Chunfeng brought Hua Jin into a small garden behind the house and said, "Medicinal herbs are planted in the yard, while all kinds of miracle drugs are stored inside the house. Is the genius doctor satisfied?"
Hua Jin walked into the yard, then she looked left, looked right, and continued mumbling to herself, "Blue costus root, compassion immortal, qilin blood, crane stone… This, this, this, this, this is a heart-replenishing herb? King dragon leaf? Heavens, this lingzhi is at least 800 years old, if not a thousand."
"Looks like the genius doctor is quite satisfied." Mu Chunfeng grinned.
Hua Jin rolled her eyes. "Why are you still calling me genius doctor?"
Mu Chunfeng was taken aback. "What do you mean?"
"Call me shifu!"