Wang Shouzhong smiled and said, "Brother Jia, you've come here to cooperate with us, not to make enemies. Today's events were a mistake by the Hengsheng Wang family, so we will certainly make amends. However, if you go to Dongsheng, you will become our Wang family's mortal enemy. We merchants ultimately pursue wealth. Brother Jia's visit to Hengsheng was presumably for this purpose. And his decision to go to Dongsheng Cloth Shop was also for this purpose. The outcome is the same, and we will certainly offer more. But if you choose us, you will gain the friend of Hengsheng Cloth Shop; if you choose Dongsheng, you will create a mortal enemy. With your intelligence, Brother Jia should understand which choice to make."
Jia Yun looked at him. Wang Shouzhong sneered, "You think you've got me cornered? You're right, I do need a partner right now, but it doesn't necessarily have to be your Hengsheng Cloth Shop."
Wang Shouzhong's smile suddenly froze. He exhaled softly and looked at Jia Yun, saying, "Brother Jia, do you really want to be an enemy of the Wang family?"
Jia Yun chuckled and shook his head, "Don't worry, I won't give this formula away for now. After all, besides blue, I also have red. I can just find another partner for red, right? But remember, I've taken today's matter to heart."
Having said that, he said in a deep voice to Tie Tou and Zhu Zi, "Let's go."
Tie Tou released Old Manager Zhou and then protected Jia Yun on either side, preparing to leave.
Wang Shouzhong's expression changed drastically again. He suddenly opened his arms and shouted, "Brother Jia, wait!"
Tie Tou and Zhu Zi immediately stepped forward, along with the two burly men beside Wang Shouzhong. The atmosphere was tense, ready to erupt at any moment.
Jia Yun narrowed his eyes and said softly, "Hengsheng, do you really want to keep me here?"
Wang Shouzhong hurriedly cried out, "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding!" He then quickly dismissed the two guards and shouted loudly through Tie Tou and Zhu Zi, "Brother Jia, I guarantee that my Wang family will give you an explanation for this matter. Please calm your anger and give me a chance to talk and atone for my sins."
If it were anyone else in this situation, the Wang family's power would never have led to this.
However, after recognizing the standard weapons of the two guards, he knew that Liangzhou Governor Lu Ming was definitely behind it all.
Currently, Lu Ming controlled two of the four gates of Chang'an City, having started with one.
He had purged wave after wave of troublesome nobles from the city, leaving only those who had cooperated with him in the past.
The honest, loyal, and neutral were all purged.
The Wang family, besides being members of the Langya Wang clan, had a crucial connection with Lady Wang Qing, the wife of the Marquis of Zhao. Coupled with the complex relationships within the city, they were virtually untouchable.
Now, the Governor of Liangzhou had risen unexpectedly, seemingly poised to swallow Chang'an whole.
During this period, in Luoyang and at the imperial court, memorials impeaching Lu Ming were plentiful, but what use were they?
Completely useless!
Furthermore, Lu Ming had transported vast amounts of wealth to Luoyang to offer as tribute to the emperor. The emperor himself benefited from this, so why would he possibly punish Lu Ming?
Even with the fiercest protests, it was futile.
The new emperor, Liu Xie, did want to make a difference, but he was still the crown prince. What could he possibly accomplish?
Firstly, he was still young; secondly, he had no one to rely on. The clash of such a behemoth's power was something no single person could withstand.
Therefore, in the Three Auxiliary Regions, there truly was no way to deal with Lu Ming.
Fortunately, Lu Ming was reasonable; otherwise, he would have been truly unlucky!
Jia Yun cupped his hands and said, "I wonder if I'll have a chance to leave here alive today. Wang Shouzhong, your honesty and shrewd calculations are rare indeed. You are a formidable figure, but in this life, I cannot tolerate being wronged or threatened! You think you can control me with money? You think the Wang family's enemies can intimidate me? What a joke!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhong cupped his hands again and apologized, "Forgive me! Forgive me! My merchant background influenced my judgment; I had no intention of underestimating Brother Jia!! Yes, Brother Jia comes from a prestigious family, so how..." "Would you even consider such a paltry sum of money a consideration? I implore Brother Jia to be magnanimous and give the Wang family a chance."
Jia Yun shook his head. "A gentleman loves money, but he acquires it through proper means. There's nothing wrong with loving money, but it must be done ethically. For example, your old manager is commendable for his loyalty, but his behavior is ugly, vicious, and despicable. A merchant's lowly servant is indeed unfit for refined conduct. With a manager like this, I simply cannot discuss anything with you, because in my view, with such a manager, there's bound to be such an employer."
Wang Shouzhong, upon hearing this, looked troubled.
He understood Jia Yun's meaning and sympathized with him.
How could he possibly blame the old manager, Zhou, who had worked diligently and conscientiously at Hengsheng Cloth Shop his entire life, since his grandfather's time? His actions today were also for the Wang family.
How could he possibly blame the old man?
However, Old Manager Zhou was indeed a loyal servant. Upon hearing this, he smiled bitterly, knelt down, and asked, "My lord, today is all my fault. I was heartless to do such a thing. If you can cooperate with Hengsheng Company using this formula, just say the word, and I'll end it all myself. I won't dirty the hands of the master or any nobleman."
Upon hearing this, Wang Shouzhong's face showed even more pity, and the four or five key managers of Hengsheng Company around him also cried out, "Old Manager Zhou!"
Jia Yun had little pity. If he hadn't been incredibly lucky and had some connections, he would have been the one suffering today.
However, the arrival of General Liu Feng later resolved the situation.
Although Liu Feng was a hereditary general, he had no military power and wasn't particularly prominent in Chang'an. But no one would ignore him, nor would anyone dare to offend him.
Liu Feng never stooped to belittling others, always maintaining a low profile and harmonious relationships, earning him an excellent reputation in Chang'an.
This wasn't for any other reason than that Liu Feng was a descendant of Emperor Gaozu (Liu Bang), a lineage with verifiable records. Even though they weren't the emperor, their status remained exceptionally high, and successive emperors bestowed rewards upon their lineage. Combined with the Divine Martial General's family's low-key approach, this allowed them to endure to this day.
With such a figure involved, Jia Yun was merely following orders and naturally didn't pursue the matter further.
Both sides had thoroughly searched the area, successfully exchanging the formula for a sum of money, and simultaneously spreading the word that they still possessed the formula.