King of Creation Chapter 2104 - 2089: Total Loss
Previously on King of Creation...
To be precise, it was the eleventh day.
After Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan returned to the mansion, he enjoyed a few days in high spirits amidst various hopeful and reverent gazes.
Quickly, the time reached the agreed repayment and military equipment return date made by Ye Zhen’s transfiguration of the fake ’Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’.
On the evening of the tenth day, high-ranking officers in the garrison and the mansion’s deacon and butlers, along with shopkeepers from the town, began casually appearing before Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan.
Trying to remind Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan that the time was approaching.
Unfortunately, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan, acting as if nothing was amiss, turned a blind eye.
When the tenth day passed, on the morning of the eleventh day, a vague sense of urgency spread across the entire Zhengyao City.
Grand Steward Hee Xun was equally anxious, as were the middle and high-ranking officers who borrowed large amounts of Spirit Stones.
They wanted to inquire and urge the garrison commander but didn’t have the courage, leaving Grand Steward Hee Xun overwhelmed with questions.
As for Grand Steward Hee Xun, he dared not do so either and felt incredibly anxious.
But the most unbearable was the two Military Commanders Jin Jun and Hua Su.
The matter of military equipment was of grave importance, yet no indication from their garrison commander on the tenth night left them sleepless.
On the morning of the eleventh day, with no sign of returning the equipment from Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan, the two became frantic.
Pacing back and forth at the door of the garrison commander’s mansion, they decisively stepped in to seek an audience with Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan.
"Oh, early in the morning, both you Military Commanders come together to see me—is there something urgent?" Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’s attitude was friendly toward these trusted aides.
But upon hearing this, Military Commanders Jin Jun and Hua Su’s expressions changed drastically.
Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan asking about urgent matters when the confiscated military equipment was of utmost importance!
Such questioning seemed like feigned ignorance despite understanding.
"Sir, we are not urging you, but the matter of the military equipment is of critical importance. Over thirty thousand brothers affected have been confined for ten days, and the atmosphere is tense.
If this continues, it might become uncontrollable, and leaks might occur. Sir, please return the confiscated equipment promptly." Military Commander Jin Jun stated straightforwardly.
The next moment, Zhengyao City Guardian, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan was dumbfounded, "What confiscated equipment? What confinement? What have you done?"
"Huh?"
Military Commanders Jin Jun and Hua Su were bewildered on the spot.
They thought their master intended to deny everything, hurriedly protesting while defending themselves, "Sir, we acted on your military order to confiscate the equipment."
To prove their claim, Jin Jun and Hua Su produced the confiscation military order stamped with the garrison commander’s Grand Seal.
With just a glance at the order, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan sprang to his feet, stared fiercely, and roared, "How dare you two forge a military order?"
This left Military Commanders Jin Jun and Hua Su thoroughly stunned.
Being military-born, they were not easy to deal with and immediately refused, shouting out in defiance.
"Sir, documents can be faked, but military orders can’t. This military order bears your garrison commander’s Grand Seal, and it has been duly filed with the Military Judge."
After speaking, Hua Su felt something amiss and added, "Sir, if the equipment matter gets exposed, it could be disastrous.
You’d better find a way to return it.
If this matter spreads, it benefits no one."
"Moreover, sir, even if you wanted me to be the scapegoat, higher-ups wouldn’t acknowledge that confiscating the equipment of over thirty thousand troops or taking the Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbow from the armory is beyond the capacity of us two commanders."
Upon hearing this, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan was left speechless.
What Military Commanders Jin Jun and Hua Su said was true.
Such matters were beyond and would never be dared by them.
But the problem was, he never issued such an order.
Upon detailed inquiry, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan learned of the events from eleven nights ago and was immediately terrified, breaking out in cold sweat.
This .... was true!
The military order was indeed signed by him!
What terrified Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan even more was discovering from the two that he had borrowed large amounts of Spirit Stones from officers and merchants in Zhengyao City at high-interest rates, even leaving many IOUs.
The IOUs had his Zhengyao City Guardian’s Grand Seal.
Stunned, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan felt blood rushing to his head, causing blackouts in his vision.
If this was true ....
Moments later, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan stormed out of the study, kicking Grand Steward Hee Xun inside.
His waist sword flashed out, pressed against Grand Steward Hee Xun’s throat, piercing it as blood flowed, and Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan gritted his steel teeth audibly.
"You old slave, tell me, what did you secretly do with my garrison commander’s Grand Seal? What are you trying to do? Haven’t I treated you well, yet you harm me like this?"
As soon as these words came out, the Grand Steward Hee Xun cried out for grievance, banging his head on the ground, his face covered in blood as he defended himself.
"How dare this old servant harm the Marquis? I am but a useless person. Without the Marquis, I’m no better than a pest. How could I dare to harm the Marquis? I did it all on the Marquis’ orders!"
Hearing this, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan was also dumbfounded. Hee Xun is a eunuch, without him, he truly is nothing, indeed this is the case.
There must be something strange going on here.
Immediately, Marquis Kaiyuan suppressed his fluctuating Qi and carefully inquired about the events that took place late at night eleven days ago.
Upon listening, a chill ran from the soles of Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’s feet straight to his head.
He felt as if he had lost his backbone, collapsing into a chair, turning into a puddle of mud.
Two million six hundred thousand High Grade spiritual stones! Each stone had a promissory note along with his Grand Seal as the garrison commander. Plus, there’s a twenty percent interest!
The worst part is the loans taken in spirit stones involved over ten thousand people, all officers and nearly ten thousand soldiers.
If it were just officers, it might still be controlled.
But those ordinary soldiers, for a few High Grade spiritual stones, would fight till heads were broken and blood flowed. With so many borrowed, if not repaid, it’s possible these fighters could start a mutiny.
As a Marquis with a fiefdom and duties, he was quite affluent, but he was also extravagant in his spending.
To fill such a huge gap, even if he cleared out his entire Marquis Kaiyuan’s Residence, it might not be enough.
But problems that can be solved with spiritual stones are not life-threatening problems.
He’s willing to countenance some loss of face and delay repayment, and repay part of it, to press the matter down temporarily.
However, that’s not all.
What about the three hundred and sixty thousand plus High Grade spiritual stones borrowed from so many city merchants?
Behind these merchants stood the powerful nobles of Great Zhou. If he were to deny the debts, these nobles could thoroughly ruin his reputation, leaving Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan with no place to stand in Great Zhou.
Still, as they say, the issue of spiritual stones is, in the end, just a spiritual stone issue.
Even if he had to sell his fiefdom’s ancestral property, repayment is still possible.
But what about all those military armaments?
Those are the most advanced military armaments equipped by the Military Department, aside from the Imperial Guard, over thirty thousand sets, including the Sky-Breaking Dragon-Slaying Crossbows.
Where could he possibly get those?
As for his uncle Prince Lik Ji Yuan, telling him would be a mistake; if told, Prince Lik Ji Yuan might want to kill him.
Others at most smuggle some obsolete or ’reported as damaged’ military armaments, which is already extremely daring.
Selling-off garrison’s military armaments for profit, this Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan can guarantee, in all of Great Zhou, it’s a unique case.
A truly earth-shattering, unique case!
"Who’s the bastard screwing me over!"
"Screw your ancestors for eighteen generations!"
"What deep hatred do you have against me to screw me like this?"
....
Early in the morning, Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’s bitter wails echoed throughout the garrison commander’s mansion.
In the study, Military Commander Jin Jun, Hua Su, and Grand Steward Hee Xun exchanged grim looks, cold sweat pouring down their faces, completely pale.
Though the mastermind is Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan, if this matter were exposed globally, it would also be disastrous for the others; exile and family extermination would be considered lenient....
Selling off and smuggling the garrisoned Human-Demon Battlefield military armaments, though it’s from the rear, even just privately smuggling military armaments is a capital offense.
If the quantity exceeds three thousand, it’s a charge warranting clan extermination.....
...
There are no walls that don’t leak air; even events within the Imperial Palace of Luoyi, it’s only a matter of time before they spread throughout Luoyi, let alone events happening within the small garrison commander’s mansion.
Especially many stewards, deacons, and servants within the garrison commander’s mansion were involved in this matter.
In almost half a day, the news of Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’s failed business investment and total loss spread like wildfire throughout Zhengyao City and beyond.
Just past noon, over six hundred shopkeepers who lent out spiritual stones within the city, along with their staff, made a grand march toward the main gate of the garrison commander’s mansion, waving the loan notes of Ji Guan, demanding Ji Guan repay the spiritual stones.
But this was still the lighter issue.
The deadly matter was the news coming from the military camp.
The news of Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan’s failed business investment and total loss had somehow spread into the camp.
Soldiers, who were originally under house arrest due to confiscated military armaments, began to riot, the commotion growing larger each time, especially since lower-ranking officers were unwilling to maintain order, making a mutiny possible at any moment.
Military Commander Jin Jun and Hua Su had already taken some of the spiritual stones Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan personally took out and rushed to suppress the situation.
As for Marquis Kaiyuan Ji Guan, at this time, he was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, running up and down, hating to the extreme the person who trapped him!
