Chapter Thirty-Two: The Expert in Finishing Moves

The two men paid no further attention to Zheng Yongxiang’s bewilderment, but instead turned and strode toward the basket in front of Dou Wen’an. For the true spectacle had only just entered its most thrilling phase—the coming climax required their continued performance.

Let the bullets of heartbreak keep flying a moment longer; once the gathered townsfolk were sent on their way, then would come the time for unrestrained posturing.

The assistants quickly arranged large wooden chests in a circle, within which stood the so-called Magistrate of Chang’an, Dou Wen’an, together with Feng Jingzhe and Sun Fugui.

Wu Dayong proved most efficient, at once posting a squad of Jinwu Guards to ring the perimeter.

“My good friends and neighbors,” Feng Jingzhe announced, “I have always stood by my word—each promise, as solid as iron! Since I have agreed to repay my debts, not a single copper will be missing from your due…”

With a grand sweep of his hand, he flung open the first chest, revealing a gleaming expanse within.

The dazzling brilliance of the silver nearly blinded every eye in the crowd.

“Wow… Silver… Those chests are filled to the brim with silver!”

“So much silver… Who was that bastard just now claiming Feng’s family was finished?”

Sun Fugui began opening each chest in turn, making the truth plain for all to see; no argument could stand against what one witnessed with one’s own eyes.

“Heavens… I’ve never seen so much silver in my entire life…”

“Damn it, if Feng has enough silver, doesn’t that mean we’ll all get our money back with interest when the month is up?”

Remembering Feng Jingzhe’s earlier promise to double their interest, the entire crowd felt their hearts bleeding, wailing with regret.

“How… How is this possible… It’s fake… The silver must be fake… There’s no way they have this much money… Impossible…”

Zheng Yongxiang was like a wounded beast driven mad. He seized Manager Liu by the collar, roaring, his bloodshot eyes wild.

Some things required no deep thought. As a principal in this drama, he quickly guessed at the part he must have overlooked.

But just as Manager Liu had done before, the moment the image formed in his mind, he dared not pursue it further.

He prayed, he hoped—clinging to that last sliver of wishful thinking.

But his so-called reality was this: in the distance, Feng Jingzhe picked up each voucher from the basket, read the name, paid out the money, then tossed the paper into a brazier.

“Impossible. Even if Feng Jingzhe managed to scrape together this silver, he can’t possibly pay everyone here! Eighty thousand taels! That’s eighty thousand! Not counting the cost of renovating his mansion—those goldthread roots had to be bought with hard cash!”

As if struck by another realization, he all but lifted Manager Liu off his feet.

“It’s you… You must know the truth, don’t you? You know why, after buying all that goldthread, they still have so much money left, don’t you?”

Zheng Yongxiang had already guessed, but refused to believe it.

“Master… The goldthread… We’re stuck with all the goldthread ourselves… Fourteen thousand catties… All that Feng bought was never shipped to Longxi at all; instead, they ground it to powder and sold it at a premium in Lixian, Hongnong, and Liyang…”

Hearing the answer he dreaded, Zheng Yongxiang collapsed to the ground as if his spine had been ripped out.

Manager Liu, his voice choked with tears, wiped his eyes, caring nothing for his young master.

“That fat Sun is ruthless! He bought raw goldthread from us, ground it up, mixed in yellow clay, and sold it back to us! Three full cycles, driving the price up sixfold…”

“Damn it, that fat man is no fool—he’s shrewder than a monkey, young master…”

With every secret laid bare, Zheng Yongxiang, who had once hoped to see Feng Jingzhe’s house ruined and his family destroyed, now found himself hoisted on his own petard.

Just from the sixfold markup on goldthread, the Zheng family alone would lose at least thirty thousand taels.

As the instigator, Feng Jingzhe now showed his true fangs after burning the last voucher.

The crowd had not yet fully dispersed; from the original two or three thousand, nearly two-thirds remained.

Yet on each face was not joy at regaining what was lost, but the pain of missing out on a windfall.

“My friends and neighbors! I, Feng Jingzhe, have now repaid every copper I owed you! My elders always taught me: fortune should not be enjoyed to excess, nor wealth hoarded alone. I had hoped to make money together with you all, but petty men have sown discord and ruined the trust between us!”

As Feng Jingzhe’s gaze swept over them, all eyes turned toward the seated Zheng Yongxiang and Wang Song.

Just now, before the vouchers were collected, Feng had promised to double the interest—only to be forcefully stopped by these two.

Feeling the waves of resentment from all directions, the illustrious young master of the Zheng family shivered and snapped out of his daze.

“Feng Jingzhe, what are you doing… You fraud… You swindler… I’ll sue you… Sue you for defrauding good citizens…”

“I’m a fraud? I’m a swindler? The people have eyes as sharp as snow! It was you who mixed earth into the goldthread powder and, when I exposed you, spread rumors to spark this run on my funds. Not only that, you incited the crowd for your own selfish gain, almost causing a riot. Fortunately, General Wu Dayong and Magistrate Fang acted swiftly to nip it in the bud…

This is Chang’an, the political and financial heart of Great Wei. Did you consider what might happen if thousands of people rioted?”

The crowd erupted. So Zheng was the villain behind everything! Not only had he cost them their interest, but had nearly tricked them into turning on the authorities.

Seeing the armored Jinwu Guards all around, the people now realized the seriousness of it all.

At the same time, a deep and unquenchable hatred for Zheng Yongxiang rose within them.

“My friends! In truth, I am the greatest victim here! Who could have imagined the Zheng family’s famous pharmacy would sell fake medicine? We went to great lengths to haul the goods to Longxi, only to be saved by a last-minute suspicion…”

At that moment, Li Changsheng carried over a sack, stitched with the Zheng Pharmacy’s insignia.

Another assistant brought a bucket of clear water; Feng Jingzhe grabbed a handful of goldthread powder and scattered it in.

A thin layer of brown powder floated on the surface, but most of it sank straight to the bottom.

“Come see for yourselves! Judge for yourselves! Isn’t this the Zheng family bullying us? Half medicine, half dirt—were they trying to kill us?”

Curious townsfolk came forward. Sure enough, the lighter goldthread powder floated, but the heavier earth sank as soon as it got wet.

“Master Feng is right! The goldthread powder is adulterated, and with plenty of earth…”

“The Zhengs are shameless! Selling fake medicine will bring ruin on their descendants…”

“Who would have thought such a venerable name would stoop to such black-hearted tricks? They’re smearing filth on their own signboard…”

By now Zheng Yongxiang was ashen, trembling uncontrollably, a hollow shell.

Feng Jingzhe, seeing this, curled his lips in a cold smile.

“My friends, if the Zhengs can fake even the most common goldthread, who knows how much of their medicine is false? If any of your friends or family have bought medicine from the Zheng Pharmacy, best return it at once. The money is trivial—if it harms your health, that’s a disaster indeed…”

With this final blow, Feng Jingzhe nailed the Zhengs to a pillar of shame, never to recover.

Upon hearing those words, Zheng Yongxiang’s face suddenly flushed; he spat a mouthful of blood and collapsed unconscious.