Chapter 30: The Audit, the Asset, and the Arriving "Problem"
The air in the Jianghe City Hall was still thick with the smell of spilled wine and the cold sweat of the Yan Family. Master Yan sat slumped in the City Lord's chair—until General Sang's heavy hand physically hoisted him out of it and tossed him into a corner like a sack of expired grain.
Wei'an sat down, wincing as his bandages pulled. He laid a single, massive ledger on the table.
"Master Yan," Wei'an began, his voice dangerously pleasant. "I've been reviewing your 'management.' It's... creative. You've charged a 'Breathing Tax' in the market, a 'Wheel-Turn Fee' for carts, and curiously, a 'Sunlight Levy' for shops with south-facing windows."
"It was for the city's benefit!" Yan squeaked.
"Naturally," Wei'an smiled, his eyes cold. "However, since you were never officially the City Lord, these are not taxes. They are illegal extortions. According to the Merchant Guild's ancient code—and my own very expensive lawyers—you owe the city a refund. With interest. And a 'Management Misstep Fine.' And a 'Mental Anguish Surcharge' for the citizens."
Wei'an tapped a number on the page. "The total is 240,000 silver. Since you don't have that in cash, I'll be taking your warehouses, your townhouses, and that very shiny ring on your finger. General, strip them. Politely, of course."
As the Yan family was "liquidated" into poverty in under ten minutes, Wei'an turned to the First Audit. He had a hunch. He followed a hidden trail in the ledgers to a false wall in the cellar.
CLANG.
The wall gave way to reveal a secret stash: not just silver, but three crates of refined Iron-Wood, a rare material used for high-end crossbows.
"Oh, Master Yan," Wei'an chuckled, holding up a piece of the wood. "You were hiding strategic military assets? That's not just bankruptcy; that's treason. I'll be taking these as a 'finding fee'."
The Decree of 5%
Wei'an limped out onto the balcony overlooking the plaza. Thousands of citizens looked up, silent and expectant.
"People of Jianghe!" Wei'an's voice rang out, supported by the General's booming lungs. "The days of the 'Sunlight Tax' are over. I am Li Wei'an, and until the King appoints a successor, I will serve as your Acting City Lord!"
He paused, letting the title sink in. "Effective immediately, the market tax is slashed to 5%. The city is now a Shen Protected Zone. If anyone—merchant, thug, or noble—tries to shake you down, you don't talk to them. You talk to my General."
The silence held for a heartbeat, then shattered into a deafening roar of approval. A 5% tax was unheard of. It wasn't just a decree; it was an economic jumpstart that would make Jianghe the most attractive trade hub in the province overnight.
The Seduction "Incident"
That evening, back at the temporary manor, Shen Yao was pacing. She had seen the way Lian'er helped Wei'an onto the balcony. Her "Seduction Lesson #2" was ready.
She entered Wei'an's room wearing a silk wrap that was... well, it was mostly a battle-tunic with the sleeves cut off, but she had added perfume. Lots of it.
"Wei'an," she said, her voice a deep, forced husky tone that sounded like she had a sore throat. "You... you have worked hard. Allow me to... massage your weary soul."
Wei'an looked up, terrified. "Yao'er, why are you talking like a ghost?"
She ignored him, stepped behind him, and attempted to "gracefully" drape her arms over his neck. Instead, she accidentally caught his topknot in her bracelet.
"Ow! Ow! Yao'er, my scalp!"
"Hold still! I'm being alluring!" she hissed, trying to untangle him. As she pulled, she tripped over a footstool.
CRASH.
They both tumbled onto the bed. In the chaos, Yao'er ended up pinning his arms down, her face inches from his. She froze, her heart hammering. "I... I meant to do this," she whispered, blushing furiously.
"Really?" Wei'an wheezed, his ribs aching. "Because it feels like a wrestling match."
Before he could tease her further, the door burst open. Lian'er stood there, followed by a very panicked Shen Mu.
"Master! The 'Problem' from the Capital has arrived early!"
The Third Heroine Arrives
The morning sun hit the City Hall, reflecting off a carriage so ornate it made the Shen family's wagons look like trash.
Lord Shen Tai's envoy stepped out, but he was followed by a woman in a veil of gossamer silk. This was Su Ling'er, the cousin mentioned in the marriage contract. She didn't look like a political tool; she looked like a high-level predator.
Wei'an sat on the Acting City Lord's throne, his white robes slightly rumpled from the night's "massage," with Shen Yao standing like a stone statue on his right and Lian'er on his left.
Su Ling'er walked into the center of the hall, her eyes scanning Wei'an with a chilling, clinical interest. She ignored the General, the soldiers, and the Viscount.
"So," she said, her voice like ice clinking in a glass. "This is the merchant my family bought for me. He's smaller than the reports suggested."
She looked at Shen Yao and Lian'er. "And I see he already has a collection of pets. No matter. I am here to collect the first installment of the Su Family's interest... and to move into the City Lord's manor. After all, what's mine is mine, and what's yours is now Su property."
The Hook:
Su Ling'er isn't just a bride; she is a Grand Auditor sent by the Main Branch to find the 160,000 silver and seize the city's new 5% tax revenue. Wei'an's domestic cold war just turned into a three-way battle for the throne.