Chapter 21: The Liquidation of Ambition
The air over the Shen Fortress was thick with the smell of spent smoke and the iron tang of blood. In the center of the scorched courtyard, a simple wooden table had been set. On one side sat the Count, his ornate armor dented and caked in common mud. On the other sat Li Wei'an, looking remarkably clean, tapping a bamboo brush against a stack of thick parchment.
"This isn't a treaty, it's an execution," the Count hissed, his voice trembling as he read the first line.
"No, Count. An execution is free," Wei'an replied, not looking up. "This is a restructuring. You mobilized an illegal war, damaged my 'assets'—by which I mean my brave soldiers—and interrupted my quarterly growth. Someone has to pay for the overhead."
The terms were brutal, yet calculated to keep the Count just wealthy enough not to commit suicide-by-rebellion:
* Territorial Restoration: The Count was to immediately vacate and return the two disputed Shen districts.
* Reparations: A payment of 120,000 silver taels over three years to repair the fortress and compensate the families of the fallen.
* Military Forfeiture: All heavy siege equipment brought to the field remained Shen property.
* The Non-Aggression Clause: A twenty-year vow of peace, backed by a blood-oath and a hefty "security deposit" held by the Lord of Blue-Stone City.
"I cannot pay this and keep my own knights fed," the Count argued desperately.
"Then sell your horses and walk," Wei'an said, finally looking him in the eye. "Or, I could buy your southern timber rights at a 40% discount? I'm all about options, Count."
With a shaking hand, the Count pressed his signet ring into the wax. He walked away without his sword, leaving behind a disgraced army and a legacy of debt. He wasn't destroyed, but he was hobbled—exactly where a merchant wants his competition.
The "Hero's" Reward
That evening, the fortress transitioned from a war zone to a victory banquet. Wine flowed, and for the first time, the 800 guards cheered when the "Merchant Master" entered the hall.
Wei'an, riding high on the adrenaline of victory, found Shen Yao standing on a quiet balcony overlooking the flickering campfires of their new Blue-Stone allies. He approached her with a swagger that was 80% confidence and 20% exhaustion.
"So," he began, leaning smoothly against the railing. "I saved the house. I doubled our territory. I hired a General. I even turned a profit on a siege."
He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "Don't you think it's time we updated my status? The 'Virgin Hero' title is starting to feel a bit... heavy. I think I've earned the right to at least enter the room without being pelted by ledgers."
Shen Yao turned to him. The moonlight softened her features, and for a second, Wei'an thought the fortress gates of her heart were finally swinging open.
"Wei'an," she said softly.
"Yes, Yao'er?"
"You fought like a man today. You planned like a genius." She stepped closer, her face inches from his. "But the moment you opened your mouth just now, you reminded me that you are still a shameless, opportunistic, and utterly irritating scoundrel who thinks a kiss is a currency."
She patted his cheek—not a slap, but a condescending tap. "You aren't a 'Virgin Hero.' You're a merchant who tried to buy his way into a woman's bed with a peace treaty. That is a transaction I am not interested in. Go sleep on the couch, Hero. I believe the cushions are quite 'heroic'."
She walked away, leaving Wei'an staring at the moon in stunned silence.
"She crushed me," Wei'an muttered, clutching his chest. "No silver, no glory, and now... no bed. I've been liquidated."
The Whispers of a New Market
The celebration was short-lived. By midnight, a messenger from Wei'an's original city arrived, his clothes torn and face pale.
"Master Li! The city has fallen into anarchy!" the messenger gasped. "The two Great City Lords have moved their battle elsewhere, but they left our city a ghost town. With no City Lord, the guards have turned into looters. The markets are burning, and the merchants are being bled dry!"
Wei'an stood up, the playful glint in his eyes disappearing instantly.
In the power vacuum of a leaderless city, there was only one thing more powerful than a sword: Order.
"The city is small, weak, and currently for sale," Wei'an whispered to himself. He looked at his hands, then at the map. "Why be a son-in-law to a Viscount when I can be the Lord of my own domain?"
He turned to the messenger. "Tell my shopkeepers to hold whatever ground they have. Tell them the new 'Management' is coming."
New Conflict: The City Lordship is vacant. To win it, Wei'an won't just need an army; he'll need to win the hearts of the starving citizens and out-bribe the corrupt officials who are picking the city's bones clean.