Chapter 9: The Return of the "Drugged" Husband
At the Jade Pavilion, the air was thick with the scent of jasmine and the low hum of zither music. Li Wei'an leaned back, looking every bit the carefree playboy, though his mind was busy mapping out supply routes and military blind spots.
He stood up to leave, but before he did, he took Lian'er's hand. He didn't just shake it; he bowed with the exaggerated grace of a prince and pressed a lingering kiss to her knuckles.
"Lian'er," he murmured, his eyes dancing with mischief. "You're far too brilliant for this smoke-filled room. Tell me, what's your price? I think I'd like to buy this pavilion just to have you manage my future information network."
Lian'er flushed, a genuine laugh breaking through her professional mask. "Master Li, you haven't even been married for twenty-four hours! Are you trying to get me executed by the Shen family?"
Wei'an winked, a dangerous, playful glint in his eye. "A merchant always looks for the best assets. Thanks for the company, beautiful."
He vanished into the night, but he didn't go home yet. He spent the remaining dark hours meeting with his 25 Iron Vanguard mercenaries and his 17 Li guards.
"Spread out," he commanded. "I want four men at each of the new Zhou shops I bought. If a single 'Red Crane' loiterer so much as sneezes near my doors, toss them into the river. We aren't a 'fallen' house anymore. We're a franchise."
By dawn, the Li Clan wasn't just a name; it was a visible force in Jianghe City.
The Breakfast of Champions
Back at the Shen Estate, the atmosphere was less "peaceful morning" and more "imminent volcanic eruption."
Shen Yao sat at the breakfast table, her knuckles white as she gripped a tea cup. Her mother, Madam Shen Rui, looked on with concern.
"Yao'er, you said the sedative would keep him down until noon," the Matriarch whispered. "Why is the window open and the bed empty?"
"Because," Shen Yao hissed, "my husband is a cockroach with the instincts of a stray cat."
Just then, the doors swung open.
Li Wei'an strolled in, looking suspiciously refreshed. He was wearing a new set of dark robes, his hair perfectly styled, smelling faintly of expensive perfume and high-grade tea.
"Good morning, family!" Wei'an chirped, sliding into the seat next to Shen Yao. He reached over and casually picked a steamed bun off her plate. "The air in this city is so lovely at 4:00 AM. Really clears the lungs."
Shen Yao slowly turned her head to look at him. Her eyes were like twin daggers. "You jumped out of a window. On our wedding night. To visit a courtesan."
"Visit? That sounds so scandalous," Wei'an said, taking a large bite of the bun. "I prefer to call it 'market research.' Also, the wine you gave me? A bit too much lavender. It makes me sleepy, and I hate missing the sunrise."
"You... you used the money I gave you to go to the Jade Pavilion!"
"I used the money to secure our future," Wei'an corrected, leaning in close. The smell of jasmine from the pavilion drifted toward her. "I know why our supply lines are failing. I know who Commander Sang is really hitting. And most importantly," he lowered his voice to a whisper, "I know that your 'substitute' maid is a terrible snorer. I could hear her from the hallway before I jumped."
Shen Yao's face went through a rapid transformation: from rage, to shock, to a deep, burning embarrassment.
"You—"
"Shhh," Wei'an interrupted, placing a finger over his lips. "The servants are watching. Act like you love me. Or at least act like you don't want to poison my next cup of tea."
He turned to the Patriarch, who was watching the scene with an amused, terrifying grin. "Father-in-law, the shops are restocked. The guards are in place. The Li Clan is officially open for business. Now, about that Rogue Commander... I think it's time I took a little road trip."
Shen Yao slammed her hand on the table. "You aren't going anywhere alone. If you're going to meet a madman with 150 swords, I'm sending Shen Qiu (the Steward) and a dozen of our house guards with you. I won't have my 'investment' dying before the Censor arrives."
Wei'an smiled, a genuine, merchant's grin. "A joint venture? I love it when you talk business, Dear Wife."
Next Chapter Hook:
Wei'an and the Shen House's "stern" steward head out to the mountains to find Commander Sang. But they aren't the only ones on the road. The corrupt Commander Lu Fang has sent a "tax collection" unit to intercept them, and Wei'an has to prove that his "wooden sword" training was worth every copper.