Ye Qingcheng huffed out a series of threatening words, casting a sidelong glance at the little old man before her, hands on her hips in a fierce pose.
Her words had the desired effect. Upon hearing them, the prefect hastily bowed respectfully and offered apologies.
"Your Highness the Princess Consort is correct. It is this subordinate’s fault. I beg His Highness and the Princess Consort to show leniency and forgive this subordinate!"
As he spoke, he hurried to order his attendants to welcome the pair into the city, completing all the necessary courtesies.
He had initially assumed these two were merely leisurely royalty, but when they used their status to intimidate him, he, as a mere prefect, found himself unable to confront them.
Moreover, this prefect of Ningcheng was far smarter than Luo Qin Quan. He did as Xiao Wang Ye and Ye Qing Cheng said without any hesitation.
Unlike Luo Qin Quan, who often feigned compliance while making excuses for himself.
At least on the surface, aside from his initial perfunctory attitude, there was nothing to fault the prefect of Ningcheng on.
The entourage proceeded directly to the Ningcheng prefectural office. This building was indeed more grand and imposing than the one in Fengdu City, with numerous yamen runners guarding it.
As soon as they were seated, Xiao Wang Ye got straight to the point, inquiring about the matters of the Japanese merchant caravan:
"Regarding the issue of the Japanese merchant caravan maliciously inflating grain prices, which my imperial brother tasked me with investigating, what is the prefect’s opinion?"
Taking a sip of tea, Ming Shi Yin’s expression was unreadable, his gaze placid as he looked at the prefect of Ningcheng.
The latter remained composed, seated below, and answered flawlessly.
"This subordinate is aware of the matter. Furthermore, in my humble opinion, this matter has been blown out of proportion. The Japanese merchant caravan has traveled a great distance from beyond the pass, and considerable effort was expended in transporting the grain. It is reasonable for the price to be higher."
His words were reasoned and well-supported, not entirely without merit.
"If this subordinate were to be tasked with lowering their prices, there would be no valid reason to do so. Moreover, besides the grain prices, the prices of other goods from the Japanese merchant caravan have not increased significantly. They have come here to do business, and naturally, they aim to profit."
The prefect of Ningcheng added a few more sentences, speaking with utmost sincerity, his arguments holding up both in terms of logic and reason.
According to his logic, there seemed to be no fault.
However, Ye Qingcheng on the side let out a cold scoff, her expression uncommitted.
After the Luo Qin Quan case, they knew perfectly well that the grain sold by the Japanese merchant caravan might not even have been transported from Japan!
Furthermore, domestic grain was already sufficient for the populace. Why then insist on buying from Japan?
When the Japanese merchant caravan began selling grain at inflated prices, domestic grain merchants immediately followed suit and raised their own prices. Wasn't this behavior disrupting the market?
Ultimately, it was the common people who would suffer!
Xiao Wang Ye also understood the underlying logic, but some matters could not be discussed openly, such as Luo Qin Quan's collaboration with the Japanese merchant caravan.
This was a trump card in his hand. As of yet, he had not uncovered which officials in Ningcheng were cooperating with the Japanese merchant caravan. Revealing this information too soon would only alert them.
Once those officials with ulterior motives learned that Xiao Wang Ye had obtained this information, they would undoubtedly take action, ultimately making his investigation more difficult.
After all, colluding privately with foreign merchant caravans was no minor offense, let alone embezzling funds!
Ye Qingcheng and Xiao Wang Ye exchanged a look, understanding each other perfectly. They offered no further comment on the prefect of Ningcheng’s words.
Subsequently, Xiao Wang Ye asked a few more questions, to which the prefect answered fluently but managed to absolve himself of all responsibility.
After this exchange, Xiao Wang Ye had gained no useful information whatsoever and had found no flaws.
From this, the two understood that the prefect of Ningcheng was very astute, and it would likely be difficult to unearth any clues from him.
As it was getting late, the prefect arranged accommodations for the pair. After escorting them to their lodgings, he departed.
Xiao Wang Ye and Ye Qingcheng discussed the matter throughout the night, finding no immediate way to proceed or an entry point.
In their predicament, it seemed as though fate itself was conspiring against them. The young emperor in the capital, as if aware of their current struggles, sent someone to urge them on.
This time, the person sent was an imperial eunuch from the inner palace, whom Xiao Wang Ye had met before. The eunuch appeared to be returning to Ningcheng for a family visit and coincidentally brought an imperial decree.
The old eunuch met Xiao Wang Ye, stating that the Emperor had repeatedly emphasized the importance of handling this matter properly!
Otherwise, it could easily lead to a war between the two countries. In such a case, regardless of whether their country was in the right, a disaster would be unavoidable.
The eunuch's message undoubtedly added to Xiao Wang Ye's pressure, making it difficult for him to act.
It seemed the young emperor also knew how tricky the matter was and deliberately wanted to make things difficult for him by imposing many demands.
Xiao Wang Ye calmly accepted the envoy's message and, turning back, resumed discussing countermeasures with Ye Qingcheng.
"I only have one last trump card in my hand now, but this matter still cannot be easily revealed."
Xiao Wang Ye frowned deeply, contemplating.
In reality, he did have a way to deal with the current deadlock.
That was to make use of the incident where the Japanese had attempted to assassinate him earlier, forcing the Japanese side to provide an explanation.
However, this was his final piece of leverage, and deep down, he was unwilling to hand it over so readily.
According to the information investigated by Can Jian, the assassins on that day were indeed Japanese, and the person behind them was likely of high status.
But Xiao Wang Ye could not yet ascertain their true identities. Using this matter as bait was too risky.
Yet, at present, this was his only option.
As Xiao Wang Ye hesitated, Ye Qingcheng suddenly pursed her lips and smiled, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes.
"I do have a method, but I wonder if you are willing to bleed a little?"
"What method?"
Hearing her say this, Xiao Wang Ye paused for a moment, then looked at her with curiosity.
Ye Qingcheng smiled mysteriously, not elaborating on her plan. Instead, she extended a hand and waved it.
"First, give me a sum of money to fund the opening of a medical clinic!"
A medical clinic?
Xiao Wang Ye was somewhat bewildered. He knew she possessed medical skills, and she did indeed have a clinic in the capital.
But why open a clinic in Ningcheng? They were only here temporarily to investigate the matter of the Japanese merchant caravan maliciously inflating grain prices and would not be staying for long.
Once the clinic was opened, how would Ye Qingcheng have the time to manage it?
Facing Xiao Wang Ye's questioning, Ye Qingcheng offered no explanation, merely blinking her eyes and smiling.
"You don't need to worry about anything else. Just wait to watch the show!"
Seeing her so confident, Xiao Wang Ye decided not to ask further and chose to trust her.
As the Prince Regent, Xiao Wang Ye was not lacking in funds. He generously allocated a large sum of silver to Ye Qingcheng.
As the saying goes, money makes the world go round.
With the heavy investment, Ye Qingcheng quickly acquired the medical clinic she desired, located on one of Ningcheng's most prosperous streets.