After finishing his official duties, Shen Hao had just gotten off the carriage at his doorstep when someone called out to him.

"Lord Shen."

"Oh, Liu? Why don’t you come in and have a seat?"

"Haha, I dare not disturb Lord Shen. I was just waiting here, hoping to catch a word with you."

The visitor was none other than Liu Hengyi, the owner of Hengshun Carriage and Horse Company, who had previously dealt with Shen Hao and even helped him out.

This once prominent figure in Fengri City, the distinguished Master Liu, now looked gaunt, his cheeks sunken, and, more strikingly, his temples had grown quite a bit whiter.

"Come on, let’s go inside and talk." Shen Hao greeted him warmly, then turned and scolded Xiaoma, who had opened the door: "Are you blind? Seeing Master Liu standing outside and not inviting him in! If this happens again, I’ll gouge your eyes out!"

Xiaoma felt wronged; he had called to Liu Hengyi, but Liu Hengyi just wouldn’t come in—what could he do? Still, faced with his master’s scolding, he could only mumble apologies, not daring to argue.

Liu Hengyi, somewhat embarrassed, explained on the side that it was his choice not to come in, it wasn’t the gatekeeper’s fault.

The two entered the main room with amicable attitudes, where Hong Chou and Brocade and Silk came forward to serve tea. These two simple servants, after only a few days in the household, already looked fuller in the face, their cheeks rounder.

After serving the tea, Shen Hao gestured for Liu Hengyi to drink. Only then did Liu Hengyi pick up the cup and take a small sip.

"It’s been days since we last met, Liu. You look much more worn out."

"Forgive me for making Lord Shen laugh; to be honest, life’s been so tough recently, I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a long while."

"Hahaha, what could make a tycoon like Liu brood? I don’t buy it."

Liu Hengyi explained, "Lord Shen, I really wasn’t pretending. It’s not just me—anyone with their main business in a carriage and horse shop is suffering right now. I’m barely holding on because I made some money in the past, but most peers who don’t have cash flow have already jumped into the river. It’s tragic!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Actually, Shen Hao had heard a little about it, but his days were so busy that he’d forget rumors as soon as he heard them. Only after Liu Hengyi brought it up did he remember that business at the carriage and horse shops had indeed been tough lately.

"Ever since the Jingxi Action, carriage and horse companies across Jingxi have been sifted through like a fine mesh. The smaller ones were strangled outright; even the bigger ones had to cut their own limbs off, barely hanging on. If I didn’t have so much tied up in this business, I would’ve switched trades long ago."

Shen Hao wasn’t clear about other industries, but he knew there had always been money in transport—after all, if you want goods to connect across regions, carriage and horse shops are essential. Otherwise, the Dynasty wouldn’t spend so much on roads just for the horses and carriages.

"It’d be such a loss to switch trades. You’re not here for working capital, are you? I, Shen Hao, might not be flush, but I can still spare ten or twenty thousand taels. If you need help, just say so." Shen Hao was forthright and trusted Liu Hengyi. Besides, with his background, who would dare try to cheat him?

But this one line from Shen Hao deeply moved Liu Hengyi. Even though he was usually a reserved man, his eyes reddened.

It really was just too hard.

When you’re riding high, everyone flocks to you, bowing and scraping, calling out "Master Liu" everywhere you go. Even the officials had to show him respect. But once you fall, it’s the opposite—the higher you were, the deeper you drown. There are few to pull you up, but so many to splash water in your face, you can’t even count them all.

Ten or twenty thousand silver coins was no small sum. Liu Hengyi knew it likely wouldn’t hurt Shen Hao much, but his willingness to lend it was a huge gesture. Such friends who help when you’re desperate are rare indeed.

Liu Hengyi did need money, but cash wasn’t what would save him now. Borrowing could only delay the inevitable—he needed to patch the hole for good.

That’s why Liu Hengyi took the risk and came to Shen Hao today.

"Lord Shen, your generosity is something I’ll never forget as long as I live. But for now, I can just barely manage to keep things running. Still, I do have a favor to beg of you!"

Shen Hao put on a serious face: "Liu, go ahead."

"I’d like to ask Lord Shen to help out, say a word to those below, and get Hengshun Company back onto the list. Otherwise, no matter how much money I put in, it’ll never be enough to fill the hole."

A carriage and horse shop burns through money just feeding the horses, not to mention staff wages, carriage repairs, supplies for stations all across the region. If there’s no income coming in, it’s just an endless pit swallowing silver.

Shen Hao was stunned before he realized what Liu Hengyi meant by "the list."

This was a new system from above, aimed at fixing the chaos among carriage and horse companies. They created a list for the "rule-abiding" and "rule-understanding" shops, and from now on, all bulk transport business had to be handled by companies on that list. Anyone not on the list could only take on local, small-time business. Even if big business came knocking, you couldn’t get an official transport doc at the Government Office.

This choked the carriage and horse industry at the source: follow procedures and government rules, or break up and die small.

And with the Black Banner Battalion of Xuanqing Guard leading the Jingxi Action, every region handed audit rights for the carriage and horse industry to Black Banner. This was their first feeler into the business world.

Shen Hao had always left this to Wang Yiming to handle; he himself hadn’t paid much attention to it.

"With such history, how come Hengshun Carriage and Horse Company didn’t make the list?"

"Well... I admit, it was my own fault. Vice Officer Wang issued an order to make sure all qualifications were in order and then submit them to the various Black Banner Battalions for review. We had a rush order and wanted to ship it out first and handle the paperwork afterward. In the end, we missed the deadline and broke Vice Officer Wang’s rules, so we got taken off the list."

Liu Hengyi thought being a day or two late didn’t matter, that he didn’t need to let a few bits of paperwork ruin a perfectly good deal. Who could’ve known past experience would kill him now!

Now that Hengshun was off the list, they were completely sunk. Liu Hengyi tried everything—connections, backdoors, tricks—but nothing worked. Finally, he had no choice but to come to Shen Hao.

"You deserved this. Told you to do the paperwork, and you wouldn’t listen. Now that you’ve been punished, you know it’s hard, huh?" Shen Hao sneered, not the least bit sympathetic. If you dig your own grave, what can others do? Now, only after it’s too late, you want to work your connections and cut corners? You really think it’s still the days before the Jingxi Action? That everyone would bend the rules just for Hengshun Company?

"Lord Shen, I know this is all my own fault, which is why we were too ashamed to ask you before. But now I truly have no way out. If this goes on, I won’t be able to keep my family legacy. I may have no choice but to kill myself to face my ancestors."

Shen Hao looked at Liu Hengyi, who suddenly knelt before him, and said nothing. Lending him money was a matter of private friendship; he wasn’t worried about being stiffed. But if Liu wanted to use his connections, a couple of kowtows and a few tears wouldn’t be enough.