Chapter Twenty-Four: Retribution

“Mojia Village has contributed to the nation by presenting the method of artificial fish cultivation. As a reward, Mojia Village is permitted to engage in labor and commerce; it is not considered a lowly status. However, Mo Dun, the son of Mojia, is known for his unruly character, indulgence in pleasure, and lack of academic diligence. By imperial order, Mo Dun must enter the Imperial Academy for studies immediately after the Lantern Festival next year, without delay! This decree is bestowed by the Emperor!” Pang De cheerfully tucked away the imperial edict, looking at Mo Dun, who was kneeling before him.

“I accept the decree!” Mo Dun forced a bitter smile and respectfully received the imperial edict. He knew that his intentions had been discovered by Li Shimin; since Li Shimin had agreed to his request, he had no reason to refuse becoming the emperor’s test subject.

“Lord County Earl, what good fortune! The Emperor has personally granted you admission to the Imperial Academy. This is a rare favor; I hope you do not disappoint His Majesty’s expectations.”

Pang De’s smiling, amiable face seemed to Mo Dun more like a threat. What exactly were the emperor’s expectations? Did he expect Mo Dun to become a great scholar? More likely, he was eager to see what mischief Mo Dun would stir up at the Imperial Academy.

“Please relay to His Majesty that I will do my utmost to satisfy him!” Mo Dun replied with a wry smile.

“Excellent, Lord County Earl. With such resolve, His Majesty will surely be pleased.” Pang De nodded with satisfaction.

Pang De departed, taking with him several of the most nourishing soft-shelled turtles caught by Mojia Village, as tribute to the emperor.

Mo Dun returned to the fresh fish shop, regret gnawing at him. He wished he could slap himself—why did he mention the catfish effect? If only he’d brought up the boiled frog analogy; surely the emperor wouldn’t have boiled him alive.

“Wonderful! Truly double joy upon us!” Old Fu wept with excitement. His two greatest wishes in life had been for the young master to become accomplished and for Mojia Village to prosper and grow wealthy. Now, both dreams had come true at once.

Mo Dun rolled his eyes in silence. Entering the Imperial Academy felt like a lamb entering a den of wolves—he’d surely lose a layer of skin. What was there to celebrate?

“Young master, you may not realize it, but the Imperial Academy is the place where our Great Tang nurtures its officials. Once you graduate, you’re guaranteed a government post,” explained Li Yi.

“Indeed!” The others nodded in agreement.

In their view, with the young master’s abilities, once he became an official, Mojia Village’s prospects would only improve. As for the privilege of engaging in commerce, it paled in comparison to the honor of entering the Imperial Academy.

“Well, since the emperor has issued the decree, the matter is settled. No one can change it. With His Majesty’s support, I doubt the scholars at the Imperial Academy will dare go too far,” Mo Dun comforted himself.

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“Alright, now that Mojia Village’s crisis has passed, our most urgent task is to earn enough money and provisions for the village before the New Year,” Mo Dun declared, his eyes sharp. It was time for the Wang Family Fish Shop to pay their debts.

At Mo Dun’s command, all five thousand villagers mobilized. The women handled logistics, the men built waterwheels, fished, and transported goods. Mojia Village ran like a finely-tuned machine, working at full throttle.

Three days later, all the fish ponds in Mojia Village had sold out.

Next, Mojia Village reserved every fish pond within ten li of both sides of the main road leading into Chang’an. The scope gradually expanded to include all of Chang’an, and along the main road, Mojia Village’s fish transport carts became a constant sight.

Outside the South City Gate, even though Chi Zhiyong had long been exiled to the frontier and the gate guards no longer dared trouble Mojia Village, the village’s transfer fish ponds were still in use—not for secrecy, but for convenience. Despite repeated expansion, these ponds could barely meet Chang’an’s demand for live fish.

Mo Dun looked upon the transfer fish ponds outside the city gate, crowded with floating fish heads, and the long line of fish vendor carts outside the pond. Satisfied, he nodded. Mojia Village had transformed from a small fish dealer into the largest fish merchant in Chang’an.

“From today, reduce the wholesale price of live fish by thirty percent. Tell the fish vendors to lower their prices!” Mo Dun ordered.

“But young master, tomorrow is Little New Year. Many people are preparing for the festivities—it’s the perfect time to sell fish. Won’t a price drop mean a big loss?” Li Xin asked in surprise.

“We must consider the long term. Mojia Village has already earned enough. It’s time to give a little back—and to collect some interest from the Wang Family Fish Shop,” Mo Dun replied.

Though Li Xin did not fully understand, he dutifully relayed the young master’s orders.

“Oh!” All the fish vendors cheered. It seemed everyone had to drop their prices by thirty percent, but the loss came out of Mojia Village’s profits. The vendors’ own profits remained unchanged, and with lower prices, sales would increase, earning even more.

It seemed everyone was delighted: fish vendors sold more, Chang’an’s citizens benefited from lower prices, but one person was furious.

“Mojia live fish price drop! Come buy fresh fish!”

“Mojia live fish, the most nourishing!”

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“Abundance year after year! Brother, the New Year is near—buy a fish for luck and prosperity!”

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At the Wang Family Fish Shop, Manager Wang looked out at his deserted storefront, while across the street, the rival fish shop bustled with customers. Rage simmered within him.

Bang! Manager Wang smashed his purple clay teapot to pieces and gritted his teeth.

“The Mojia boy has gone too far!”

Accountant Zhang smiled bitterly, “Master, since the fish guild incident, Mojia Village has repeatedly targeted our shop. Their fresh fish branch opened directly across from us and lets those small vendors sell live fish. Our business has steadily declined, and now this price drop from Mojia Village has brought live fish prices down to those of dead fish. The ten thousand catties we just stocked are stuck in our hands.”

To seize the New Year sales opportunity and snatch orders from Mojia Village, Manager Wang had paid extra to buy a huge batch of fish, even putting down deposits for future shipments. Now Mo Dun’s move had trapped the Wang Family Fish Shop in a pit.

“Intolerable! Chi Zhiyong has been exiled, the fish guild thrown in prison—what more does he want?” Manager Wang raged, yet failed to see his own role in these troubles. Had he not been the culprit, none of this would have happened.

“Hurry, prepare the carriage! We must go see the master!” Manager Wang ordered. Though he ran the shop, it truly belonged to Imperial Censor Wang; Manager Wang was merely a servant. Now with such heavy losses, he could no longer conceal the situation.

The carriage departed from the back door of the Wang Family Fish Shop, with Accountant Zhang at the reins. Manager Wang pondered how to report Mojia Village’s actions to his master, unaware that another carriage was speeding toward them. The two vehicles were destined to collide.

“Whoa!” Accountant Zhang hastily pulled the reins to avoid a crash. The carriage lurched, and suddenly, it lifted off the ground. Horse, carriage, and men smashed into a nearby storefront. As luck would have it, a beam from above crashed down onto the carriage, and the cries of Manager Wang and Accountant Zhang rang out in misery.

Across the street, the opposing carriage’s driver quietly removed his cloak, revealing the scarred face of Master Yu. He drove away in silence, leaving behind what appeared to be nothing more than an accident.

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