Is There No Justice Anymore

Princess Jade Hayes gave a mysterious smile. "Uncle Arthur, you'll see soon enough. Come on, time is tight—we need to move now!"

The two of them followed the original plan and headed out to visit the three selected shops.

At the first two shops, Princess Jade Hayes conducted on-site inspections and found their operations too small and the porcelain quality lacking. She wasn't impressed, so she only browsed around without asking any questions.

That left only the last shop.

This last shop was the largest of the three. Its owner, Jonathan King, was said to be from out of town, straightforward in temperament, and clearly unhappy about the Qians' oppressive taxes and protection fees in Kingston.

But Jonathan King was just a merchant and could only grumble about it.

When Princess Jade Hayes and Arthur Evans entered the shop, Princess Jade Hayes's eyes lit up at the sight of the porcelain on display.

The King Family's porcelain was top-notch, rivaling that of the Ma Family.

Jonathan King happened to be in the shop himself. Seeing two well-dressed guests, he hurried over to greet them personally.

"Honored guests, looking for porcelain? Feel free to browse—our selection is second to none!" Jonathan King welcomed Princess Jade Hayes and Arthur Evans warmly.

Princess Jade Hayes and Arthur Evans wandered around the shop, both quite satisfied with the King Family's porcelain. Princess Jade Hayes turned to Jonathan King, "Mr. King, we'd like to discuss a major business deal with you. How about finding somewhere private to talk?"

Jonathan King didn't know Princess Jade Hayes's true identity, but the mention of a big transaction thrilled him. He eagerly led them to a private room in the back and served tea and refreshments.

"How many pieces of porcelain do you need?" Jonathan King asked with a smile.

Arthur Evans glanced at Jonathan King and then gestured a number with his hand.

Jonathan King stared at the number, blurting out, "That many!?"

Jonathan King paused, seeming to realize something, and looked Arthur Evans up and down. "Wait, are you Mr. Evans?"

Arthur Evans snorted lightly. "That's right, I'm Evans. Mr. King, did you receive orders from above not to sell porcelain to me?"

Jonathan King hadn't expected Arthur Evans to be so blunt. He gave a wry smile, "Ah, so you know, Mr. Evans. I'll be honest—making a living in Kingston isn't easy. The powers that be have told us porcelain merchants not to do business with you. Even if we wanted to, we wouldn't dare! If we defy them, our shop could be shut down in no time."

Arthur Evans's face turned angry. "The Qians—just one family, and they're running Kingston like their own fiefdom. Is there no law and order anymore!?"

Jonathan King sighed and agreed, "Tell me about it... To survive in Kingston, you have to listen to the Qians, or your whole family suffers. Sorry, Mr. Evans, as much as I'd love to do business with you, I'm just a small merchant trying to feed my family. I can't risk getting caught up in all this trouble. You'd better look elsewhere."

Arthur Evans's expression darkened. This was the last shop—their final hope. Was it really all about to fall apart?

Arthur Evans instinctively looked at Princess Jade Hayes, hoping she might have a solution.

Princess Jade Hayes said to Jonathan King, "Even if we can't do business, we can still be friends. May we look around your shop, Mr. King?"

Jonathan King felt guilty and said, "Of course, feel free to look around. The powers that be only forbade us from selling to you, not from letting you browse! Business these days is suffocating—taxes everywhere, always paying this fee or that. It's enough to drive a man mad! If not for my son's education, I wouldn't put up with this. Merchants like us have no status. All I know is porcelain, so there's not much hope for me. I just pray my son passes the imperial exams, earns an official rank, and brings honor to our family one day."