Chapter 362 - The Foshan Journey (Part 15)
Li Luoyou returned to the branch office that day to find Manager Cheng presenting an invitation.
"Centurion Lin invites you to a small dinner gathering tomorrow."
The card specified "family banquet"—meaning no official ceremony was required, merely a simple gathering. Li Luoyou was puzzled. He had just seen Lin Ming recently; why the sudden invitation to another banquet?
"What lies behind this invitation?" he asked Manager Cheng. The manager was well-connected locally and could usually ferret out such information.
"I heard his sister-in-law has just arrived..."
"Absurd." Li Luoyou frowned. "His household's womenfolk—would they summon us to accompany them at a welcome banquet?"
"No, apparently this sister-in-law was escorted the entire way by two medicine merchants. Centurion Lin probably wishes to connect them with some business opportunities—a way of repaying them." Manager Cheng shared what the Lin household servants had disclosed. "I hear Grand Shopkeeper Yang and several other pharmacy managers were also invited."
"Understood." Li Luoyou nodded. That being the case, offering some business connections would pose no difficulty. And it meant additional acquaintances.
"Send word to Master Lin that I shall certainly attend."
The following day's banquet saw every guest and host arrive without exception—no one possessed the nerve to decline an invitation from the Embroidered Guard Centurion. Yang Shiyi's expression changed dramatically when he spotted his cousin and "Lingao's famous physician" seated in the guest-of-honor positions. Li Luoyou found this quite curious.
"Master Yang, are you unwell?"
"No, no." Yang Shiyi touched his face, realizing it must appear wrong somehow.
"Elder Brother!" Yang Shixiang hadn't expected to encounter his cousin.
"Fifth Brother." Yang Shiyi returned the bow, bending considerably lower than he had a few days earlier.
"What—you two know each other?" Lin Ming was surprised.
"Indeed—" Yang Shixiang replied with composure. "This is my cousin."
"Oh? You have such a relative? I should have realized," Lin Ming clapped his hands and laughed. "He's also surnamed Yang and in the medicine trade."
"Yes, yes. He and Shixiang are cousins. Shixiang is fifth in the family order." Sweat beaded Yang Shiyi's forehead. From the look of things, Centurion Lin had invited them specifically—when had Fifth Brother established connections with the Embroidered Guard? Reflecting on his recent attitude toward his cousin, he felt a wave of panic.
"Then you're close relatives," Lin Ming smiled. "As the elder brother, you should help guide this younger brother."
"Yes, yes. We're family—naturally I shall do my utmost." Yang Shiyi hastened to agree.
Li Luoyou interjected: "Friends of Centurion Lin are naturally our friends as well. If there's anything useful we can do, just speak up." His servant promptly presented a calling card.
"Shopkeeper Yang Five, you've encountered great fortune today." Lin Ming spoke with evident pride. "This Shopkeeper Li is no ordinary person. In Guangzhou city, he's quite the figure." He proceeded to lavish praise upon Li Luoyou.
Because of his work, Liu San didn't often read the Social Intelligence Bulletin or similar internal publications. But he was quite familiar with Li Luoyou's name—having attended several joint meetings convened by the Trade Department regarding medicine purchases, where Intelligence had mentioned: this man served as the "Liaodong goods" supplier for South China, virtually monopolizing ginseng and deer antler supplies. He undoubtedly maintained close trade relationships with the Later Jin.
"Much honored! Much honored!" Everyone exchanged polite pleasantries. Liu San kept his gaze fixed on this "traitor merchant." The man appeared about forty, with a long face, short beard, and slightly plump build—the look of a shrewd merchant. But his eyes were deep, clearly marking someone who had weathered great storms.
This was a target worth noting. Liu San recalled that Trade Department people had mentioned establishing trade routes with the Later Jin—selling Lingao's growing light industrial products while obtaining urgently needed horses and livestock. Through trade, they could also insert intelligence agents and build an espionage network in Liaodong.
This Li Luoyou dealt in Liaodong goods—a potentially valuable connection.
They sat and drank. Being an intimate family banquet with relaxed etiquette, everyone chatted freely. Yang Shiyi's back dripped with sweat, uncertain what his cousin's actual relationship with Centurion Lin might be. Had Fifth Brother complained about him? Joy mingled with worry—joy that he hadn't flatly refused his cousin's requests and had shown proper courtesy; worry that his foot-dragging on medicine procurement and consignment sales might have earned his brother's resentment.
After three rounds of wine, Lin Ming broached the subject.
"Shopkeeper Yang Five," Lin Ming said, "what medicines have you and Doctor Liu brought to sell in Foshan?"
"You flatter me, Master Shi—" Yang Shixiang employed the familiar style since Lin Ming's courtesy name was "Xinshi." "These are two prepared medicines specifically for treating summer heat and noxious influences."
"So I've heard." Lin Ming seemed genuinely interested rather than merely making conversation. "This Doctor Liu saved a beggar in Yangrunkai Hall's courtyard using this medicine?"
"Precisely." Liu San replied, privately reflecting that these Embroidered Guard possessed excellent intelligence—they knew of every street quarrel. "It was Zhuge Marching Powder."
"Zhuge Marching Powder?" Lin Ming said. "Is it the Martial Marquis's formula?"
Romance of the Three Kingdoms had already become a popular bestseller, and Zhuge Liang's fame was universal—quite the celebrity endorsement.
Liu San smiled: "It's compounded from an ancient validated prescription with additions and modifications. The ancient formula claims it was 'left by the Martial Marquis.' I take that attribution with a grain of salt."
"I see. Still, the medicine is excellent—most useful." Lin Ming nodded repeatedly. He had received news that same day about Liu San's treatment in Yangrunkai Hall's courtyard, reported as social intelligence to the Embroidered Guard. He was keenly interested in this summer medicine. Though the Embroidered Guard sounded imposing and could lord it over Foshan, their work often required travel and outdoor assignments. Colleagues dying from plague infection or heatstroke en route were quite common. Having such prepared medicines ready would certainly earn praise from superiors and colleagues alike.
His thoughts were obvious to Liu San and the others. Fortunately, this expedition had included sample medicines specifically intended to open sales channels. He distributed samples to everyone at the table.
Li Luoyou inquired: "Why two kinds? One Plague-Repelling Powder, one Martial Marquis Marching Powder. Both are cooling openers, are they not?"
Liu San smiled: "Actually, Plague-Repelling Powder is somewhat less effective than Marching Powder. It omits several expensive ingredients and adds more cooling aromatics. Though marginally less efficacious, it wins on low price—affordable for everyone. Consider it a charitable formulation."
"I see." Li Luoyou nodded. He picked up some "Plague-Repelling Powder" with his fingernail and sniffed it. Immediately, a cool aromatic sensation pierced his nostrils, clearing his head at once.
Looking again at the label paper on the small porcelain bottle: "Prepared by Runshitang, Lingao." Li Luoyou paused. This pharmacy was based in Lingao? Because of the Australians, he had grown somewhat sensitive to that location. He studied Shopkeeper Yang and Doctor Liu more closely. Both wore and behaved properly, displaying no obvious flaws. Were they merely ordinary merchants from Lingao? Shopkeeper Yang came from the same clan as Yang Shiyi—that much was clear. The remaining question concerned this Liu San.
"Doctor Liu," he probed, "do you operate a pharmacy in Lingao?"
"Not at all." Liu San replied calmly. "Runshitang is Brother Shixiang's property. I merely contributed the formula."
"Ah." Li Luoyou had already concluded: this Liu San was of the same ilk as Shopkeeper Guo whom he had met previously—their Mandarin bore the same strange accent, decidedly not that of native Ming subjects.
Having such a ready-made Australian before him, Li Luoyou studied the man carefully. He suddenly realized the man was actually young—despite the three wisps of beard, he was probably not yet thirty. His complexion was warm, physique robust, eyes bright. His hands were both dark and rough, suggesting past farm work. Quite a puzzling character to read.
But the medicines were certainly useful. Given his ginseng and deer antler trade, Li Luoyou dealt extensively with medicine merchants and possessed some pharmaceutical knowledge. These two medicines were good standbys for summer safety. With the Dragon Boat Festival past and daily heat intensifying, summer medicines sold briskly. He resolved to purchase a batch—a sure profit, and it would curry favor with Centurion Lin.
"Shopkeeper Yang, I want three thousand boxes of Plague-Repelling Powder and five hundred boxes of Zhuge Marching Powder. When can you deliver?"
Neither Liu San nor Yang Shixiang had expected him to place an order on the spot. Yang Shixiang considered for a moment: "One month."
"Good, one month then. Where do I take delivery?"
Yang Shiyi quickly intervened: "Runshitang prepared medicines are consigned exclusively through our Yangrunkai Hall. Master Li can collect directly from our shop."
"Then I must trouble Elder Brother." Yang Shixiang smiled, clasping his hands in thanks.
"We're family brothers—naturally this is how it should be." Yang Shiyi assumed a pose of brotherly solidarity.
After the banquet concluded, Lin Ming was thoroughly satisfied. Both Li Luoyou and Yang Shiyi had shown him proper face, and he had received useful summer medicines. He ordered special boxes made for gift-giving purposes.
Liu San's party returned to their lodgings. Yang Shixiang was elated: "I never expected Elder Yang to prove so accommodating!" He glanced at Liu San. "Old Liu, I hadn't realized you possessed connections with the Embroidered Guard."
Liu San was privately vexed. The last thing he wanted was entanglement with the Embroidered Guard—foolish of him not to realize that with Qianqian being from an Embroidered Guard family, her "relatives" would likely be the same sort. He had blundered into escorting her here. Fortunately, Centurion Lin seemed upright enough—not some villainous type.
(End of Chapter)