Luoyang City, Zhou Kingdom's capital, District dC.
Fu Sheng Tea House, third floor, street-facing window.
"Qi Ya, do you know that from last night until this morning, the Royal Guard arrested fourteen more troublemakers? Four of them tried to set fire to our District dC warehouses, eight infiltrated the palace intending to assassinate the King and Queen Mother, and two more nearly succeeded in poisoning the city's wells.
The families who vouched for these people to enter the city.
They'll likely be arrested and severely investigated next.
So, listen to my advice: never vouch for anyone, not even relatives, friends, or acquaintances. No one can guarantee they don't have other intentions."
For businessmen, being well-informed is paramount, especially in these turbulent times. It's not just about understanding market fluctuations but also about keeping abreast of changes in the political landscape.
Zhao Wu was precisely such a well-informed individual, and as soon as he received the news, he hurried to share it with his partner.
"I know, I know. You've told me many times already. I'm not as foolish as you think, alright?
But lately, there have been so many troubles. The Royal Guard catches people with ill intentions or even those trying to assassinate the King and Queen Mother almost every day.
Although those caught either remain silent or even take poison hidden in their teeth and commit suicide, anyone with a semblance of intelligence must have guessed that these individuals are undeniably linked to the various feudal lords.
Aren't they afraid of completely enraging the Queen Mother?
Or are they certain no one will defect?
It feels like the mastermind behind this isn't very clever!"
Because the assassins and troublemakers never succeeded, Qi Ya naturally believed they were incompetent and merely there for a laugh, speaking with a hint of disdain.
"Heh, then you're mistaken. The fact that these assassins are always caught isn't because the mastermind is unintelligent, but because the King and Queen Mother are quite capable.
From what I know, some of the captured assassins possess art of disguise, others have the art of bone shrinking, one is among the world-renowned Ten Great Assassins, and some have even successfully assassinated several high-ranking nobles. It's impossible to say they lack capability. The mastermind likely spent immense effort and resources just to persuade these assassins to act.
And among those who attempted arson and poisoning.
There are indeed famous individuals.
However, it seems the King and Queen Mother are almost clairvoyant about the situation within Luoyang City. It's as if they can know at any moment what everyone in Luoyang is doing, and what's happening in any given location. This allows them to apprehend these assassins and troublemakers so promptly and accurately.
If they had succeeded even once.
The structure of Luoyang City would have drastically changed.
So, the current situation is not that the mastermind is unintelligent, but rather that they are too clever. They know full well that a single success could unravel Zhou's current prosperity, or at least prevent them from being forced back into tributary status.
It's just that they underestimated the Queen Mother's power.
And thus, they failed."
Qu Hui, who had been quietly sipping tea beside them, heard the disdain in Qi Ya's voice and immediately smiled as he explained.
"That being said, as the saying goes, a thief can steal for a thousand days, but one can't guard against a thief for a thousand days. I'm a bit worried now, what if one day the King or Queen Mother's subordinates become careless? A major incident could occur.
Now, every time I send someone to fetch water, I have to feed it to the chickens and dogs first to check if it's safe before I dare to drink it. The assassin incidents have nothing to do with us, but the arson and poisoning could easily implicate us. We truly cannot afford to let our guard down. If this continues, I might not be able to stay in Luoyang anymore. I'll have to leave for a while to rest. Otherwise, being so tense every day will inevitably lead to illness and disaster!"
Zhao Wu understood the current situation but was exhausted. The perpetrators, especially those involved in poisoning and arson, often attacked indiscriminately, aiming to cause chaos in Luoyang City.
This would then facilitate the assassins' actions.
Merchants like them were truly vulnerable to being caught in the crossfire. While they hadn't been directly affected yet, and no one had been burned or poisoned, who wouldn't be afraid?
In the past, many merchants who traveled from afar to Luoyang would first enjoy themselves, then sell their goods, buy many items, and stay for a few more days before leaving. But now, many out-of-town merchants brought their own provisions and water for trade, and upon arrival, they would quickly sell their goods and depart.
They were almost unwilling to spend the night in Luoyang.
But while visiting merchants could do this, local merchants like them couldn't. They had to be extra cautious.
If this continued, living in constant fear every day.
It was truly unbearable.
"That is indeed the case. However, I estimate the Queen Mother is also reaching her limit, as Luoyang City's revenue has significantly decreased recently.
So, let's bear with it a little longer.
I believe the Queen Mother definitely has another move.
We just don't know what it will be. The last time the State of Chu claimed to be amassing a force of 400,000 troops to attack Luoyang, the King of Chu, along with his entire capital and all his nobles and ministers.
They were all arrested and imprisoned in Luoyang.
Now, these feudal states are joining forces and resorting to such insidious tactics. I don't believe the Queen Mother will tolerate this. Therefore, I won't be leaving anytime soon. I'll stay, albeit cautiously, to see what moves the Queen Mother makes.
To be honest, I'm quite looking forward to it!"
Qu Hui continued to smile calmly. Based on the Queen Mother's previous decisive actions, he clearly recognized that she was not one to suffer in silence.
Moreover, each of the Queen Mother's moves left people thinking, 'How is this possible? It can still be done this way!'
So, when Qu Hui expressed his anticipation, he was genuinely looking forward to it.
"What can be done about it? There are plenty of desperate people in the world. Everyone entering Luoyang needs to be registered, and strangers require a guarantor. Yet, people are still attempting assassinations, arson, and poisoning every day.
We can't stop strangers from entering altogether.
I think the Queen Mother might have no other move but to deal with each incident as it arises, arresting those who attempt assassination or poisoning. Otherwise, why would she have made no significant move until now?"
Zhao Wu did not entirely agree with Qu Hui's assessment.
Qu Hui, however, became more animated and straightened his back. "Oh, it seems you don't believe me!
Then shall we make a bet? While I can't predict what move the Queen Mother will use to counter the constant appearance of assassins, I bet she definitely has a way to deal with it, and at the very least, it will be resolved before the feudal lords come to pay tribute.
How about we bet a glazed mirror worth six thousand coins?"
"Uh... Alright, I'll bet with you!"
Zhao Wu, unwilling to be outdone, immediately accepted, and even asked Qi Ya, who had been silent, to be a witness.