Chapter 387: Sowing Discord
Chapter 387: Sowing Discord
September 25, 2017
Spring Breeze Pavilion, despite its name, which could easily be mistaken for a brothel, was actually a high-end restaurant and inn.
This establishment was built by the Zhang family, specifically by the very individual who had been terrified by Lu Haikong at the County Government Office.
Surprisingly, despite his timidity, this fellow had a natural talent for business management.
Under his management, the Spring Breeze Pavilion was transformed from an ordinary inn in Qiangyin County into a high-end establishment. It offered not only exquisite cuisine and fine wine but also a group of talented songstresses who could sing and dance beautifully. With Zhang Ke's status, the inn had become quite successful in less than a month since its opening, despite being just a casual pastime project for Zhang Ke. However, he had no idea that this pastime would become the catalyst for his tragic downfall.
Ever since Qiangyin County had begun to flourish, young scions from various influential families had flocked to the area, naturally including a significant number of them.
As the legitimate heir of Zhang Yi, Zhang Ke stood out among these scions. With his important responsibilities, he was like the moon surrounded by countless stars in Qiangyin.
Although Zhang Ke had a flamboyant and domineering personality and showed some cowardice when threatened by Lu Haikong, he was indeed a capable individual, especially when it came to interpersonal relationships. He was exceptionally skilled in this area, ensuring that the Spring Breeze Pavilion was almost always packed, and he hosted banquets there daily.
On this particular day, Zhang Ke, as usual, invited a group of young scions from influential families to gather at his Spring Breeze Pavilion.
The songstresses sang and danced, creating a lively atmosphere filled with delicious food and fine wine. The young scions quickly immersed themselves in the ambiance.
When the group had indulged in enough wine to feel warm and tipsy, one of the scions suddenly asked, "We heard that Zhang Ke, alone, went to the County Government Office and, with his silver tongue, managed to secure several million gold from the County Magistrate. Is this true?"
Upon hearing this, everyone became alert, their eyes fixed on Zhang Ke, awaiting his response.
Normally, Zhang Ke's wit would have allowed him to smoothly change the subject in response to such a question.
However, today was different. Zhang Ke had been offered too many drinks by some particularly enthusiastic scions, and he couldn't refuse. He had already been feeling a bit tipsy when he heard this question, and the intense gazes of the other scions made him even more flustered.
Zhang Ke, not knowing how to respond, let the alcohol take over: "How could it not be true? Let me tell you, when I entered the County Government Office alone and demanded the profits from the Livestock Market, Lu Haikong's face darkened, and he waved his hand. Dozens of soldiers surrounded me, their blades drawn and pointed at me."
"You all know what Lu Haikong used to do, right? He once led his troops to repel the imperial court's forces repeatedly. His soldiers are battle-hardened, having risen from mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Imagine if such a man pointed his blade at you—wouldn't you be afraid?"
Alcohol, as they say, can make one do unpredictable things. Zhang Ke, in his drunken state, began to boast, and a few of the scions played along, seemingly with ulterior motives.
"Afraid? How can we compare to Zhang Ke? Please, tell us more about what happened."
Encouraged by their flattery, Zhang Ke, already drunk, became even more animated: "What else could I do? I relied on my silver tongue, of course! I confronted him."
"I said, 'What do you think you're doing? Do you know who I am? Do you know your own identity? Do you know that my Zhang family can shut down this shabby market with a single move?'
"Lu Haikong may look tough, but he's actually a coward. I scared him so much that he quickly dismissed his soldiers and personally served me tea, apologizing profusely. He even agreed to give us a large portion of the profits directly."
At this point, a few scions with hidden agendas smirked and said, "So, the County Magistrate gave you all that money, but it wasn't much, was it?"
Hearing this, Zhang Ke immediately became defensive. Didn't they have any sense? He was in the middle of boasting, and now they were trying to ruin his moment.
"How could it not be much? I'm telling you the truth—there was over ten million gold! Is that not a significant sum? Do you think this amount is insignificant?"
Zhang Ke, already deeply intoxicated and unaware that he had fallen into a trap, continued to boast, challenging the scion who had just spoken.
"Over ten million? That's indeed a substantial amount!"
The scion smirked, looking at the other scions who were visibly shocked by the figure Zhang Ke had mentioned.
The number was likely exaggerated, but that didn't matter. What mattered was that Zhang Ke had spoken those words, and in certain contexts, they could carry significant weight.
"But for your Zhang family to take all that money for yourselves seems inappropriate, doesn't it?"
Chapter end
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