Chapter 23: The High Cost of Beauty
The night was a race against the clock. Wei'an didn't have a kingdom's treasury; he had a bag of silver and a very narrow window of opportunity. While the regional City Lords were busy arguing over border maps and who would take over the leaderless Jianghe City, Wei'an slipped into the chaos with a small escort of five elite guards.
To delay the arrival of the neighboring City Lord's "Selection Committee," Wei'an had instructed Commander Sang to have the men "accidentally" spill several wagons of timber across the only main road into the city. It wouldn't stop an army, but it would buy him exactly two hours of bureaucratic confusion.
The Pavilion's Final Auction
Inside the Jade Pavilion, the atmosphere was desperate. Lian'er sat on the stage, her eyes fixed on the door. A local wealthy magistrate, a man with a face like a dried plum and a reputation for cruelty, was currently the highest bidder at 1,500 silver taels.
"Going once, going twice—" the auctioneer barked.
"One thousand, six hundred," Wei'an's voice rang out from the entrance. He walked in, looking tired and wind-blown, tossing a heavy leather pouch onto the counter. It was nearly every bit of the personal "Jade Fund" he had managed to scrape back together.
The Magistrate sneered. "A merchant? You think you can outbid a government official?"
"I don't need to outbid you by much," Wei'an said, leaning against the doorframe. "I just need to remind you that the road to your estate is currently blocked by 'unforeseen logistics.' If you spend your silver here, you won't have enough left to pay the guards you'll need to get home through the looters."
The Magistrate looked at the silver, then at the darkening streets, and grunted. He gathered his robes and left.
Lian'er exhaled a breath she'd been holding for hours. She looked at Wei'an—her savior, her "Master"—and a devious glint returned to her eyes.
The Homecoming Disaster
Back at the Shen Estate, Shen Yao and Shen Mu had just finished the war-gain comparison. They were ecstatic. The family was finally breathing.
"Where is he?" Yao'er asked, her pride in the victory beginning to sour into suspicion. "Mu, why is the 'Jade Fund' ledger missing from the desk?"
Before Mu could answer, the gates creaked open. Wei'an walked into the courtyard, looking like a man who had just run a marathon. But he wasn't alone.
Lian'er was practically glued to his arm. She was wearing a silk travel cloak, her head resting on Wei'an's shoulder. The moment she saw Shen Yao standing on the stairs, she nuzzled deeper into Wei'an's neck.
"Master," Lian'er cooed, her voice loud enough to echo off the stone walls. "The carriage ride was so bumpy. Thank you for rescuing your poor, helpless servant from those awful men."
Shen Yao stood frozen. The warmth she had felt for Wei'an after their night together turned into a boiling, white-hot geyser of rage.
"Master?" Yao'er repeated, her voice dangerously low. "Rescued servant?"
"Now, Yao'er, let's be professional," Wei'an said, sweating under the dual pressure of a clinging courtesan and a wife who looked like she was channeling the God of War. "She's an asset! Information! Logistics! She knows every secret of the rival merchants!"
"Oh, yes," Lian'er purred, sliding her hand down Wei'an's arm to lace her fingers with his. She looked at Yao'er with a victorious, feline smile. "Master has so many plans for me. He was so... insistent on buying me tonight."
Internal Thought (Shen Yao): I am going to burn this estate down. I am going to bury him in the silver mine. I HUGGED HIM! I CRIED ON HIS CHEST! And he used the first moment of peace to go buy a 'logistics asset' with a zither!
"Wei'an," Yao'er said, her voice trembling with the effort not to scream. "I gave you a hug because I thought you had a heart. It turns out you just have a shopping list."
She turned to Shen Mu. "Mu, double the interest rate on his personal allowance. And get me my spear. I feel like 'training'."
"Wait! Yao'er! It's a business acquisition!" Wei'an shouted as she stormed off.
Lian'er leaned in, whispering in his ear. "She's very pretty when she's angry, Master. Are you sure you can handle two 'investments' at once?"
The Hook
The comedy of the household was interrupted by a sharp knock at the gate. A courier, bearing the seal of the Main Branch of the Shen Family in the Capital, stood there.
"The Head of the Main Branch has heard of the 'Merchant Son-in-Law' and his victories," the courier announced coldly. "They are coming to Jianghe City to inspect the books... and to decide if a merchant is 'fit' to hold the Shen name."
The regional war was over, but the Civil War for the Shen family's soul had just begun.