Chapter 5: The High Cost of a Pretty Face
Li Wei'an arrived at the Shen Estate looking like a man who had accidentally wandered out of a painting.
He had abandoned the heavy wool of a merchant for a simple, flowing white robe. His hair, usually bound in a strict topknot, was let down—a waterfall of black silk that made him look less like a shopkeeper and more like a wandering immortal with a very thin wallet.
At the gates, he was met by the Shen family steward, a man whose face looked like a topographical map of disappointment. The steward sized him up, his eyes lingering on Wei'an's expensive-looking (but actually mid-range) boots.
"So," the steward grunted. "You're the lad who 'solved' the Stonebridge grain crisis with a few wagons of birdseed."
Wei'an offered a modest, practiced bow. "Just a humble merchant doing God's work for a 20% markup, sir."
"Hmph. Better than the other young masters in this city. Most of them couldn't manage a tea stall without their father's ghost holding their hand. It's a good start. Not genius—don't get a big head—but good."
"I don't like praise much, sir," Wei'an said sheepishly.
"I didn't praise you," the steward snapped.
Wei'an blinked. "Then I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, sir. My hearing is as poor as my bank account."
He gestured for his guards to wait outside. "Go find their captain. Try not to look like you're planning a heist. It's bad for the brand."
The Den of Lions
The interior of the Shen residence smelled of expensive sandalwood and "We Are Better Than You" energy.
When Wei'an walked into the main hall, the air seemed to catch. Shen Yao was standing near the window, her mourning silks rustling. When she turned to see him, her eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
A merchant's son? This handsome? she thought, her brain momentarily short-circuiting. Last time I saw him at the market, he looked like a dusty potato. Is this the same man?
Wei'an didn't give her time to stare. He bowed deeply to the Patriarch and Madam Shen Rui.
"Master Shen, Madam Shen," Wei'an said, his voice dropping into a tone of somber respect. "My family has long admired the Shen name. I was deeply saddened to hear of the loss of the Young Master. A tragedy for the city, and a hole in the sky for your house."
The Patriarch, Lord Shen Guanglin, raised an eyebrow. "Kind words from a man who is currently monopolizing the city's wheat supply. Sit, Master Li."
Wei'an sat, keeping his posture perfect. He looked at Shen Yao. "And why has the Young Madam summoned this humble seller of nails and grain?"
Shen Yao regained her composure, her face turning back into a mask of noble ice. "The Imperial Court is moving. My brother's death has left a vacuum. You know what the King does to houses without an heir."
"Landless Nobility," Wei'an said, his merchant-brain already checking the math. "Strip the land, take the taxes, leave the fancy robes. A slow death."
"Exactly," Shen Yao said. She stepped forward, her eyes locking onto his. "I have no interest in metaphors, Master Li. I need a solution. Marry me."
Wei'an, who was currently taking a polite sip of tea, nearly painted the floor with it. He coughed, wiped his chin, and straightened a stray lock of hair.
"I... I beg your pardon?" he stammered. Then, his ego flared up for a second. He leaned back and smirked. "I mean, I knew I was good-looking, but I didn't think I was 'Save-a-Viscounty-at-First-Sight' handsome."
Shen Yao stared at him with the coldness of a winter moon. "You are passable. But I am not 'into' guys like you."
The smirk died on Wei'an's face. It didn't just die; it was executed by firing squad.
Ouch. My soul. My beautiful, bankrupt soul. "I've lost my family's wealth, my father's legacy, and now my dignity," Wei'an muttered to himself. "Why do I even bother waking up?"
"You bother because you have a brain," Shen Yao countered, ignoring his self-pity. "I need a husband to secure the title and the land. You need a noble shield to protect your growing business from the city's vultures. It is a political transaction."
"So... you like me?" Wei'an asked, desperate for a win.
"No. I need you."
"But... you like me a little?"
"I need your legal status as a merchant heir with no existing noble entanglements."
"Gods above," Wei'an whispered, a string of modern-world curses almost slipping out. "Bloody... hell... monkeys."
"What was that?" the Matriarch asked, leaning forward.
"I was just... praising the Young Madam's breathtaking beauty," Wei'an lied through his teeth. "It's so radiant it makes me speak in tongues."
He looked back at Shen Yao. The comedy was over. His eyes turned sharp, the merchant coming back to the surface. "Fine. A contract. What are the terms? What does the Li House get besides a target on its back? And what do I get, besides a wife who thinks I'm 'passable'?"
The Patriarch let out a short, bark-like laugh. "The Li family has guts. I thought you'd be shaking in your boots, boy."
Meanwhile: The Jealous Competitor
While Wei'an was being roasted by a beauty, a storm was brewing back in the market district.
Master Zhou, a young heir from a mid-tier merchant clan, slammed a ledger onto his desk.
"Who does he think he is?" Zhou hissed. "He's a fallen dog! A 'useless' son! And yet the streets are talking about his 'Blue Dye' and his 'Tactical Wheat'!"
Zhou had a massive estate, 100 personal guards, and a business that had been stable for forty years. He didn't need the money—he needed the ego.
"He thinks he's cheap?" Zhou sneered. "Open the 'Red Crane' shop right across the street from his. Lower every price by 15%. Buy the stock from the Grand Capital wholesalers if you have to. I don't care if we lose money. I want to see that handsome idiot back in the gutter where he belongs."
Zhou didn't understand. Wei'an bought from the source—the villages. Zhou was buying from middlemen. He was fighting a price war with a man who had already optimized his supply chain.
But as the sun set over Jianghe City, the "Red Crane" signs were already being hammered into place.
Wei'an was about to walk out of a marriage proposal and straight into a trade war.
Next Chapter Hook:
Wei'an returns to find his shop being bled dry by Master Zhou. At the same time, he has to prepare for a "public outing" with Shen Yao to prove their engagement.