Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne Chapter 1029 - 100: Seeking Cooperation with a Tiger

The original Dragon Guard A, also referred to as Hidden Guard A, acted with great efficiency and delivered the investigative findings to Zhao Yao at the crack of dawn.

Upon reviewing the document, Zhao Yao’s face broke into a radiant grin: "Hahaha, fortune truly favors me; it seems even the Heavens are lending a hand." The revelation that Liang Dingyuan hailed from the Pei bloodline had not yet been leaked to the public by the Southern Wei operatives in Swamp Prefecture. Furthermore, the details regarding his assistance to Liang Dingyuan and his awareness of the Southern Wei faction remained firmly contained within the prefecture.

"Your Highness, how shall we proceed?" Hidden Guard A queried respectfully.

Zhao Yao commanded, "Summon Song Dachuan to my presence."

"As you wish, Your Highness." With that directive, Hidden Guard A vanished silently from the study.

Examining the dossier once more, Zhao Yao chuckled with amusement: "It appears the internal fractures within the Southern Wei are just as volatile as the feuds among my own royal brethren."

The Song Dachuan whom Zhao Yao mentioned served as one of the primary handlers for the Southern Wei presence in the Swamp Prefecture. Given his status, it was inevitable that others held similar positions. Indeed, there was a counterpart named Duan Jiangcheng. These two rivals harbored deep-seated animosity, each wishing nothing more than the other's downfall.

Their primary mandate for being stationed in the Swamp Prefecture was to oversee commercial ventures while keeping a watchful eye on Prince Han, reporting every development back to the capital.

To the outside world, however, both Song Dachuan and Duan Jiangcheng masqueraded as simple cloth merchants hailing from Jiangnan.

It is worth noting that Song Dachuan possessed ties to the famous Jinling Song clan, albeit as a minor, overlooked collateral member. His mother was of Southern Wei origin, and his father had successfully launched a fabric enterprise in Gusu, largely thanks to his mother’s influence. With the backing of the Southern Wei network, their firm had blossomed into one of the most prominent textile merchants in the Gusu Prefecture.

Though the Southern Wei diaspora had infiltrated various corners of the Great Zhou, a vast majority remained cloaked within the prosperity of Jiangnan. The Southern Wei leadership understood that a grand restoration required immense capital. To hasten their cause, they prioritized profit, and Jiangnan had long been the ideal cradle for trade and wealth.

When it came to lucrative industries, nothing surpassed the trade of fine fabrics.

Jiangnan textiles were highly coveted, frequently selected as imperial tribute and exchanged as prestigious gifts for foreign dignitaries. Overseas nations harbored a deep fondness for the fabrics of Great Zhou, silk in particular, and the quality of Jiangnan silk remained unrivaled.

Even the Song family’s products had reached the status of imperial tribute, supplying one out of every ten outfits worn by the ladies of the inner harem.

Beyond mere fabric, their embroidery was similarly designated as imperial-grade. The textile crafts of Gusu were not merely a regional pride, but possessed a reputation that echoed across the globe.

Kingdoms such as Annan and Johor, along with various states in the Western Regions, held a fixation for Gusu embroidery, importing massive quantities from the Great Zhou annually.

As the youngest son, Song Dachuan enjoyed significant favor and trust, which was why he was entrusted with the assignment to the Swamp Prefecture. He had initially assumed he was the sole operative sent there, only to be surprised by the arrival of Duan Jiangcheng.

Duan Jiangcheng belonged to the Jinling Duan clan, another powerhouse in the textile sector whose embroidery and fabrics were also honored with tribute status.

Both the Gusu Song family and the Jinling Duan family held immense influence in Jiangnan. They were constantly scrutinized, with onlookers and envious rivals frequently debating which house truly held the title of the region's premier merchant.

Though both houses maintained an air of indifference toward these comparisons, they were engaged in a fierce, clandestine rivalry. Nevertheless, since both clans were bound by their Southern Wei heritage, they maintained a facade of unwavering cordiality in public.

Apart from the Song and Duan factions, the Chen family was another major player in the Jiangnan textile trade. The Chen clan had long coveted their market share, actively spreading rumors to sow discord in hopes of sparking total conflict between the two rivals. The Chen family had anticipated that their meddling would lead to a devastating war between the Song and the Duan, allowing them to scavenge the remains; to their immense frustration, however, the target families remained harmoniously aligned.

While the Song and Duan clans often locked horns, they stood united against the Chen family. The internal tensions of the Southern Wei were certainly fierce, yet they possessed an instinctive solidarity when confronted by external threats.

As the youngest sons of their respective houses, Song Dachuan and Duan Jiangcheng had been pitted against each other since birth, both by the public of Jiangnan and their own kin. Every facet of their lives was measured against the other, from the gold their businesses generated to the sheer number of concubines they maintained within their estates.