Chapter 1282: [YeXi] Alias

Usually one chose a common surname when picking an alias, all the more to avoid suspicion. But this smuggler chose Ning and combined it with Wintercrow Countrys largest slave trader clan, the Le. Why?

His deposits a substantial sum, Han Yunxi murmured. Despite thishes still not demanding the goods?

Abruptly, she realized something. Long Feiye, Ning Le didnt want the goods at all. Hes doing this on purpose!

Long Feiye understood as well. This Ning Le wasnt an actual smuggler, but simply setting up a trap for Treasurer Cao before reporting the incident to Long Feiye so he could notice the private salt trade.

This personcouldnt be Ning Cheng, right? Han Yunxi muttered to herself. That was her first reaction upon hearing the name.

If it was him, why use the Le name? Long Feiye had his guesses too, but he wasnt sure. He looked at Han Yunxi with furrowed brows in thought.

If Ning Cheng had used this deposit to get their attention, was he trying to say that the human trafficker Le Zheng was interested in Great Qins private salt trade? If it wasnt Ning Cheng, then they had to uncover the smugglers ident.i.ty. In these matters, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi didnt dare jump to conclusions. They could only wait for news from Treasurer Caos side. With Long Feiyes trap and Treasurer Caos eagerness, they were certain to receive any news fast.

After leaving Changning, Han Yunxi and Long Feiye continued south privately while awaiting progress reports from Treasurer Cao. Ten days later, Treasurer Cao sent off a hundred carts first. He wasnt careless enough to leak their route to Long Feiye, but only said the first delivery had started and would arrive within a month to Three-Way Black Market.

100 carts was a sizable load. If it was purely land transport, itd take at least two months to arrive. Long Feiye estimated that the goods might be taking the ca.n.a.l this time. There was only one ca.n.a.l connecting south to north and it was full of customs and gates!

Transporting such a large volume of goods by ca.n.a.l? Thats too blatant! Han Yunxi was angry. This meant that the three great clans of Jiangnan had a lot of unseen activities going on the riverfront!

Long Feiye didnt stir any local officials or alert the higher authorities; he simply sent people to investigate in secret.

Five days later, the second delivery went out. Treasurer Cao told them once again that it would take a month. Without a doubt, this delivery was traveling the ca.n.a.l route too.

Ten days after that, the third delivery was sent. This time Treasurer Cao estimated an arrival time of two months.

Han Yunxi only smiled coldly. These locusts have men in the river and on sh.o.r.e!

Long Feiye still didnt move and only sent his trusted subordinates to continue the investigation. Just like that, the ministers at court a.s.sumed the emperor and empress had gone for a private visit in Northern Li while the duo was investigating the private salt trade in Jiangnan.

One month later, the first and second deliveries of salt arrived at a large warehouse near Three-Way Black Market as scheduled. Treasurer Cao asked Long Feiye whether he wanted to forward them to Wintercrow Country. Long Feiye replied that hed wait until the third s.h.i.+pment arrived to send them all together. It did a month later.

Within these two months, Long Feiye had more or less investigated all the people involved in both lines of trafficking and collected evidence. Many were officials bribed by the Jiangnan three clans. There were also those who took initiative to curry favor with them, and those who were forced to cooperate out of sheer fear. At this point, Long Feiye was still in no rush. He continued to use Sir Yes name to have Treasurer Cao send the first s.h.i.+pment into Wintercrow Countrys Mt. Xiao Fort.

This time, Treasurer Cao actually said he needed one month!

One month? Han Yunxi was surprised.

It would take two months to travel from Three-Way Black Market to the border between Northern Li and Wintercrow Country. The distance between the two places wasnt far, but there were no straight roads. One had to bypa.s.s multiple mountainsincluding snowy ones. In other words, it should take no less than three months to s.h.i.+p the salt there!

Long Feiye looked at Han Yunxi wordlessly.

Could they have another way to reach Wintercrow Country? Han Yunxi wondered.

I get it! Long Feiye suddenly came to his senses as his gaze chilled. It must be Ning Cheng! What a man, turns out hes hiding in Wintercrow Country to beg for wine!

Han Yunxi didnt understand, so Long Feiye explained it simply. Wintercrow Country horses were extremely fine steeds suitable for war. Northern Lis emperor had spent years and multiple amba.s.sadors to buy horses from Wintercrow Country, but never succeeded. However, Jun Yixie brought a couple imperial princes with him to negotiate and succeeded. The route he took that year was different from the general amba.s.sadors: a secret path that didnt fear snow blockages even in the middle of winter. This way, they were able to timely deliver the warhorses back to Northern Li.

The two imperial princes also died by Jun Yixies hands during the trip, leaving Jun Yixie and his men the only people with knowledge of the secret route. Later on, his Black Clan members fell under the command of Jin Zi and Ning Cheng. Long Feiye couldnt be certain that Jin Zi knew the secret route, but Ning Cheng would definitely find out by himself. Treasurer Cao could deliver to Wintercrow Country so quickly precisely because of Jun Yixies path.

I get it! Han Yunxi muttered.

After Northern Li fell, its lands fell under Jin Zis jurisdiction. But he was so busy dealing with disaster relief and reconstruction that hed hardly had time to relax until now. He didnt report anything about the secret route either, while Long Feiye was preoccupied with Jiangnan matters to remember its existence. In other words, n.o.body controlled the pa.s.sage right now, nor did it have any customs. Both smugglers and human traffickers could use the path!

Ning Chengs alias contained a Le character, which matched the name of Wintercrow Countrys largest slave traders. Without a doubt, he was hinting to them that Le Zheng was related to this matter. With Le Zhengs skills, it wasnt difficult to find the secret pa.s.sage between two countries. No matter whether he was smuggling salt, slaves, or had other purposes, he must have ambition to control the secret pa.s.sage! No doubt the three families of Jiangnan knew of its existence as well. Undoubtedly, they were in cahoots with Le Zheng!

The three great clans arent necessarily in the slave trade too, Han Yunxi declared. Long Feiye, they must be colluding together to smuggle goods. How much business could one do with a tiny Wintercrow Country? Le Zheng used to be part of the slave trade between Wintercrow Country and the Mysterious Continent. The three great clans of Jiangnan must have their eyes on the Mysterious Continent, ah!

Now she was truly furious.

Before, she had entertained thoughts of trading tobacco, wine, and tea with the Mysterious Continent through proper business channels. Gu Beiyue suggested Long Feiye raise tariffs to make it possible, but these Jiangnan merchants were actually smuggling goods to avoid taxes! They originally came to investigate the private salt trade but stumbled on something bigger instead.

Ning Cheng has good intentions, Han Yunxi declared.

But Long Feiyes voice was cold. Beating around the bushhehe, he better hope I dont find him!

Long Feiye and Han Yunxi immediately canceled their journey to Plum Blossom Sea to head north with Ruier. On the way they pa.s.sed by Medical City and left their son with Gu Beiyue. Once the delivery of salt entered Northern Li borders, they found Jin Zi in secret. He was the same as ever, doing plenty of practical things for the Northern Li people in the past two years despite his high status. The one thing he didnt change was his thin frame and dislike of loose robes. He preferred close-fitting black clothes, short hair, and thin slanting bangs that covered the covers of his eyes to make him look gloomy.

Those who didnt know him would guess he was some cold, silent a.s.sa.s.sin instead. In truth, his martial arts were average at best. His best skills were still making money the easiest way. While cleaning up Ning Chengs mess in Northern Li, he had secretly started his old business and opened an underground bank. The cash naturally came from Mu Lingers gold card. The cash that Mu Linger paid back to him had long been donated to Northern Lis disaster relief. The overdraftor rather, money hed cheated overwas used as capital to open the small bank. Despite its size, his skills would ensure it grew within one to two years.

He had been waiting this entire time for Mu Linger to get back at him. After all, hed calculated the dates and figured Kanggan Private Bank should be collecting debts from her by now. Unless her brother-in-law Long Feiye stepped in to waive her debt and seal her card, there was no reason for the girl to avoid him.

Recently, Jin Zi had been taking the gold card to the bank daily to take out silver drafts and check if itd been banned. But he still succeeded in withdrawing money every time. Thus, he was looking forward more and more to the day Mu Linger came to quarrel with him. He never expected to see Long Feiye and Han Yunxi knocking on his door first.

In fact, Kanggan Private Banks Manager Luo had asked Long Feiye about the matter of the gold card, but he was too lazy to care and handed it off to Han Yunxi instead. She thought over a night before deciding not to get involved. Her answer to Manager Luo was, Treat public affairs with public methods!

Inside the tent, Long Feiye and Han Yunxi sat drinking tea while Jin Zi stood on one side. Besides dealing with the luggage, he hadnt said a word. Han Yunxi thought that Jin Zi could probably stand there for an entire day if she and Long Feiye didnt speak. She was really curious: was he naturally taciturn or just silent when it came to them? Did he talk a lot while working under Ning Cheng?

If he didnt like to talk, why did he take a fancy to a girl like Mu Linger? She was a garrulous sort who could chirp incessantly like a bird. Han Yunxi wanted to test how long Jin Zi could keep standing silent, but Long Feiye had no such interests.

He asked coldly, Ning Chengs in Wintercrow Country?

Hearing this, Jin Zi looked up. Really?