The Crown Prince Personally Steals Business

The next morning, at the intersection of Dongshi Street, more than fifty trucks were stuck and unable to move.

Several businessmen surrounded Liu Neng, demanding an explanation.

"Lord Liu, the goods have arrived as you instructed, but where are we going to unload them?"

"No warehouse in the city will rent to us, and the Cui family's cart company even said that whoever helps us transport goods can forget about doing business in the capital!"

Liu Neng's head was about to explode from all the noise.

He had just finished court and hadn't even had a hot meal when he was surrounded by this group of merchants.

Let him figure it out?

If he had a way to solve it, the powerful families wouldn't be so troublesome.

Thinking of this, Liu Neng shifted his gaze to the teahouse across the street.

Wang Shun, the manager of Wang Family Grain Store, was standing at the entrance of the tea shop across the street, leisurely drinking tea.

Seeing Liu Neng's flustered appearance, a disdainful smile appeared on his lips.

As long as the aristocratic families don't resort to violence or tear down notices, the Crown Prince can't force the royal family to do business, can he?

"Lord Liu, please don't look at me!"

"The warehouse belongs to the Chen family, and the carriages and horses belong to the Cui family. They don't want to rent them out; you can't force them to at knifepoint, can you?"

Upon hearing this, one of the merchants became furious and shouted, "Yesterday we clearly agreed on an empty courtyard, but this morning the landlord said he doesn't want to rent it anymore. Did you do this?"

"Don't make baseless accusations."

He gestured with his chin toward the convoy: "Everyone, you should go back. The Wang family has been doing business in the capital for decades and knows the rules here."

"Without warehouses or trucks, your goods will rot on the streets. Don't blame me for not warning you."

The shopkeepers grew increasingly panicked as they listened, and one of them had already told the driver to turn around.

Liu Neng couldn't stop him and was getting increasingly anxious when someone suddenly shouted from the street corner.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"

Lu Yuan led He Shen over, first glancing at the blocked car, then asking Liu Neng.

"The goods have arrived, why haven't you unloaded them?"

Liu Neng recounted the whole story, and Lu Yuan's eyes flashed with murderous intent as he turned sharply to look at Wang Shun.

Wang Shun was startled by that look and quickly stepped forward to bow.

"This humble servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

"Your Highness, please understand. I haven't touched any of the merchants' goods. Surely it's not illegal for the royal family to not rent out their warehouses or lend out their carts?"

Lu Yuan glanced at him: "Who said we needed to use yours?"

Wang Shun was taken aback, not understanding what Lu Yuan meant.

"Liu Neng, the Eastern Palace has several vacant courtyards in the East and West Markets. Make them available so that this batch of goods can be stored there first."

Liu Neng was stunned.

He wouldn't dare use the Crown Prince's property without permission, but now that Lu Yuan has personally given his approval, things will be much easier.

"There are also cars."

Lu Yuan glanced at the coachmen who were hiding on the side of the street watching the commotion. "Besides the Cui family, is there no one else in the capital who owns a carriage?"

No one dared to speak.

Wang Shun chuckled dismissively from the side.

Who doesn't know that the Cui family controls the car dealership?

Today I'll make a trip for the Crown Prince, but tomorrow I might not even get any work.

Lu Yuan directly instructed Liu Neng: "From now on, anyone willing to transport goods for this group of merchants will be paid half of the transportation fee for each trip."

"When the Crown Prince's new goods leave the capital in the future, if we need carriages and porters, we should first ask the people who helped us today."

A tall, thin coachman on the street couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, are you serious? What if the Cui family doesn't allow us to drive our carriages?"

"Can the Cui family control their own cars, but can they control your cattle?"

Lu Yuan pointed at He Shen and said, "Anyone who dares to smash your car, come find General He."

The driver gritted his teeth, turned around and called to his two brothers.

With someone taking the lead, several small car rental shops that usually only take odd jobs squeezed in and announced their names to Liu Neng.

A look of panic appeared on Wang Shun's face.

If the goods are unloaded today, all the work the Wang family asked us to do will have been for nothing.

The first truck was about to drive into the yard.

He hurriedly said, "The origin of this shipment hasn't been determined yet. What if there are smuggled goods among them? Who will be responsible?"

Several of the Wang family's servants immediately grabbed the reins and stopped the carriage.

One of the workers stepped forward to protect the oil vat, but was pushed and fell next to the wheel, breaking the mouth of the vat and spilling oil all over the ground.

The smile on Lu Yuan's face disappeared.

"He Shen, arrest him."

Wang Shun hurriedly cried out, "Your Highness! I was just afraid someone might be smuggling contraband!"

"Inspecting the goods is the government's job; what right does your Wang family have to interfere?"

Lu Yuan pointed to the oil on the ground, "Blocking the street, pushing people and destroying goods, and daring to inspect the goods without authorization. Take them to the Jingzhao Prefecture and let Wang Jingwen come and collect them!"

He Shen led his men to take Wang Shun and several of his servants away.

Wang Shun struggled a couple of times, and when he saw the broken oil vat beside him, he realized that he had acted too hastily.

Liu Neng immediately ordered people to unload the goods, and several shopkeepers ran over to pick out grain and oil.

The fabric shop that was still observing yesterday has also taken down its doors and received two truckloads of fabric.

An old man on the street, holding an empty bag, hesitated and asked, "Your Highness, will we be able to buy anything from now on? I'm fifty-two years old, and this is the first time I've ever had money that I can't spend."

"Don't worry, old man. If anyone dares to cut off your livelihood, I will cut off theirs."

After Lu Yuan finished speaking, he turned to Liu Neng and said, "Don't just focus on the East Market; open the courtyards in the West Market as well. If we sell out this batch of goods today, we'll need to restock tomorrow."

"Your subject obeys the decree!"

By nightfall, more than twenty shops in the East and West markets had reopened.

At the banquet in the Prince's mansion, the heads of the four major families of Zheng, Chen, Cui, and Xie were discussing with Wang Jingwen how much silver they should pay to the court after the Crown Prince yielded.

The head of the Zheng family slammed his fist on the table, shouting, "Zhang Tian must stop! The Zheng family elders who died must be accounted for!"

However, the head of the Chen family was concerned about the grain supply in the palace and wanted the court to take grain from the Chen family's warehouses for the next three years.

Wang Jingwen, holding his wine glass, listened with considerable satisfaction.

The fiercer the fight among these people, the more reluctant they are to back down.

When the Emperor's birthday arrives, the Crown Prince will have no choice but to agree.

The steward rushed in, saying hurriedly, "Master, Wang Shun has been arrested by the Crown Prince! More than twenty shops have opened in the East and West Markets, and there are still caravans coming into the city from outside!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Jingwen's smile faded: "Where's the Chen family's warehouse? Where's the Cui family's carriage?"

"They're useless. The Crown Prince even paid the drivers' fares after leaving the courtyard. People who were unwilling to drive before are now rushing to Liu Neng to sign up!"

The head of the Chen family immediately stood up and asked, "Did they bypass my warehouse?"

The head of the Cui family couldn't sit still any longer: "Brother Wang, if this continues, who will my family's carriage shop be for?"

Wang Jingwen held his wine glass, remaining silent for a long time.

What he feared most was not earning less money today, but that merchants would never need the Wang family's grain stores, the Chen family's warehouses, or the Cui family's carriages again.

Are you really going to let Lu Yuan dismantle the trade routes built up over hundreds of years in just a few days?

The head of the Chen family was already clamoring to open a few warehouses to receive goods again, and the head of the Xie family also advised him not to push through any more.

Wang Jingwen was furious upon hearing this.

If he leads several businesses in a strike and forces them to open their own shops, who will respect him in the future?

"Shut up, all of you!"

He chased Wang Chengye and the servants out, and only when the five heads of the household remained in the room did he say with a gloomy face, "Goods can enter the city, but they also need to be alive to sell them."

The Chen family head was startled: "Brother Wang, what are you planning to do?"

"Send assassins to intercept the caravans outside the city a few times. Burn down two warehouses inside the city at night. There are so many bandits in the mountains around the capital, who knows who did it?"

The Xie family head immediately shook his head: "Murder and arson? If the Crown Prince finds out, no one will live!"

"If you back out now, will Lu Yuan return the Chen family's warehouse and the Cui family's car?"

The head of the Zheng family sneered, "The Zheng family has already lost members, and you still think you can escape unscathed?"

The heads of the families argued for a long time, and none of them were willing to send someone out personally.

Wang Jingwen then instructed the Wang family to arrange for assassins, while the other families pooled their money.

Once the money is paid, no one can claim ignorance later.

Outside the door, Wang Yan was carrying the account books of the Wang family's trade route, which he had originally delivered on the orders of the steward.

Hearing from inside that they were going to kill people and burn the granary, he immediately panicked.

He also hoped to use the Wang family's information to curry favor with Lu Yuan and marry Princess Jing.

If the caravan was really killed, and the Crown Prince found out that he knew about it but didn't report it, wouldn't all his previous efforts be wasted?

Wang Yan wanted to leave quickly, but his sleeve got caught on the lamp stand under the corridor.

Clang!

Wang Jingwen's angry shouts came from inside the house.

"Who's outside!"