Many shopkeepers came one after another.
Ma Shang knew many of them. After a few words of greeting, he asked them all to go into the house and wait.
What puzzled Ma Shang was that everyone was staring at the two big dark circles under their eyes, but they didn't think much about it. Maybe they didn't sleep well.
Continue to wait at the door for the arrival of the prince.
Soon he saw a carriage approaching, with more than twenty guards surrounding it. The leader was very familiar to him, and he was Juan the Chou Niu.
"Ma Shang, a grassroots man, please see King Dingbei!"
"Get up, is everyone here?"
Hu Yunqing got off the carriage, stretched and looked at Ma Shang, and asked him with a smile.
"Your Majesty, more than a dozen shopkeepers are here, waiting for you inside."
Just after Ma Shang finished speaking, several people hurriedly got off the carriage and came behind Hu Yunqing. The few people who came saw Hu Yunqing's clothes and quickly knelt on the ground.
"I'm late, see you, Your Majesty."
"See you, Your Majesty."
"Your Majesty, how should we deal with this?"
Ma Shang looked at the few people who came late. They were all merchants with certain strength, and he was hesitant in his heart. If these people joined, they would definitely get greater benefits. If he couldn't make up his mind, he could only see what the prince wanted. .
"Hmph, I don't care about this matter, you can decide for yourself."
Hu Yunqing didn't even look back, snorted coldly and walked towards the house.
"You go, I've said it before, if someone comes late, don't blame me!"
Ma Shang knew very well what the prince meant. For him, these people were simply dispensable. It was just because he couldn't eat anymore that he found people to cooperate. It was not necessary.
"Wait a minute, Shopkeeper Ma, we can talk."
After listening to what Ma Shang said, several merchants at the door quickly said angrily.
But Ma Shang is just Hu Yunqing's pawn. Those who arrange to collect money here have no control at all. The prince doesn't even intend to let them in, and there is no need for him to bring them with him.
He quickly followed the prince and entered the mansion.
Juan was waiting outside the mansion. Ma Shang was one of their own, and there were other secret guards in the mansion, so he didn't need to worry about the prince's safety.
"Ma Shang! You bastard, if you dare not let me in, you will never take any goods from me in the future!"
"That's right! Remember it!"
...
When the shopkeepers of three or four merchants saw that Ma Shang had no intention of coming back, they all revealed their true colors in Lushan and began to insult him wantonly.
"court death!"
Huan and Wu Ma were also from the same group, and they were both very good brothers. When they saw someone scolding their brothers, they pulled out their swords and chopped them off.
The person who yelled the most fiercely fell down without any breath.
The other people did not expect that the prince's guards would suddenly kill people, so they quickly backed away and prepared to get on the carriage and leave.
"Catch them all!"
Juan watched these people prepare to leave and ordered the guards with a knife.
Soon everyone was controlled and tied up and kneeling outside the mansion.
"Today you will bump into my knife edge yourself!"
Juan shook off the blood on his knife and swung the knife to chop at these people.
"Brother Niu, please. Calm down."
Seeing that Juan was about to go on a killing spree, the other guards quickly stopped him.
"Why are you stopping me? These businessmen have grown up eating the blood of the people! Kill them once and for all! It can be regarded as eliminating harm for the people!"
"Okay, don't be impulsive. It's better to wait for the prince to come out."
The other guards were also speechless, unable to persuade them even if they were pulled like this.
"Okay, then let's wait until the prince comes out and spare their lives."
Hu Yunqing also entered the lobby.
"See you, my lord!"
When everyone saw that Hu Yunqing was coming, they quickly stood up and raised their hands.
"Everyone, sit down."
Looking at more than a dozen businessmen, his eyes fell on Duolong among them, and then looked at others.
"Your Majesty, please take a seat."
Seeing that Hu Yunqing was about to sit on the first seat on the left, Ma Shang quickly stopped and motioned for Hu Yunqing to sit on it.
"What did you come to see me for today?"
Hu Yunqing sat on the chair and found that no one spoke first. He looked at Ma Shang and asked.
"Fellow shopkeepers, I have also invited the prince here. Isn't it time to honor the benefits you mentioned before?"
Ma Shang has also been with Hu Yunqing for a long time, and he has also learned the face of profiteers.
"this....."
When Ma Shang finished speaking, Hu Yunqing smiled and hugged the shopkeeper in the lobby as if watching the fun.
Ma Shang was also made speechless by this operation. These things were all said behind his back, how could there be any advantage in being so straightforward in front of the prince.
"I prepared this."
"I prepared this."
They also wrote it on the list in advance, knowing that it would not be that easy to invite the prince over this time, so they handed it over to Ma Shang one after another.
"Okay, thank you all, we can talk about business now."
Ma Shang briefly looked at the list and found that the things written on each list were not small figures. They had already caught up with the palace's annual expenses.
Then he handed the list to the prince. Ma Shang also knew very well that even if he earned too much, he would have to give it to the prince.
Giving the list to the prince can also make those people give up, making it impossible for them to default on their debts.
"Your Majesty, we also want to go out and do business."
The shopkeepers looked at each other and sent an old man to stand up and explain.
"No, there is only one caravan leaving the customs. This has been discussed with Jiannu a long time ago and cannot be changed at all."
While looking at the items on the list, Hu Yunqing was a little dull. For businessmen, these items can be quickly earned through mutual trading.
"Your Majesty, please give us a way to survive."
"If these goods cannot be sold, we will lose everything."
...
Everyone thought that King Dingbei could make the decision and let them leave Shanhaiguan. Unexpectedly, this matter had already been decided.
This caught them off guard. Not only did they have the goods in their hands, but they also gave Ma Shang a benefit for no reason.
This allowed them to come here and not make a penny, but instead lost a lot.
"My lord, are you a little too strong?"
Just as Hu Yunqing was watching all this with cold eyes, a voice came out.
Hearing this voice, Hu Yunqing raised his head and looked over.
Hu Yunqing was not surprised to see Duolong standing up.
"Shopkeeper Zhang! How dare you be rude to the prince!"
After Ma Shang heard Duolong's words, he said to him very angrily.
After all, he knew the prince's character very well, and he invited him here himself. I'm afraid that the prince will blame me for this.
"This is because the prince did not give us a way to survive! Are you right?"
