Liu Bang Rising (1): A New Ally
March 15th. The streets of Peixian brimmed with the unmistakable vigor of spring. Tucked away in a quiet back alley just off the bustling main thoroughfare stood a small, unassuming shop. Though worn with age, it maintained a certain neat dignity. No proper signboard hung above the door—only a single flag bearing the words Fabric Goods fluttered in the breeze.
I paused at the entrance and scanned my surroundings. The alley was so still that even the usual stray dogs were nowhere to be seen. Drawing a deep breath, I reached into my robe and pulled out the bamboo slip Xiao He had given me, reading it over once more.
Originally from Peixian. Currently runs a modest general store. Quick with numbers and exceptionally sharp-eyed. Tight-lipped, and above all, the sort of man who blends into the background.
Xiao He’s voice echoed in my memory. At the very top of the letter of introduction he had written, the name Shen Yiqi was inscribed in neat, precise characters. I read through the entire recommendation once again before carefully tucking it back into my robes.
Historical knowledge swirled through my mind. Shen Yiqi. The man who stayed loyal to the end, protecting both me—Lü Zhi—and Liu Bang’s father, the Grand Duke, throughout the Chu-Han Contention. Later, he became one of Empress Lü’s most trusted confidants. Some even claimed he had been her secret lover. Of course, the truth was uncertain. The official Records of the Grand Historian offered no clear account—only that after Liu Bang’s death, he enjoyed the Empress’s favor and rose to the position of Chancellor of the Right. Yet in later unofficial histories and anecdotal tales, their relationship was always painted in lurid, clandestine tones.
And yes, the young Emperor Hui had apparently viewed him with such distaste that he once tried to have him killed. Fate really does have a wicked sense of humor. A dry chuckle escaped me before I could stop it. The man who might have been the historical Lü Zhi’s rumored paramour was now someone I was about to interview as a potential employee.
It feels like I’m rewriting Lü Zhi’s destiny with my own hands.
I shook off the distracting thoughts with a long, deliberate breath. Whatever history might say about Shen Yiqi’s reputation was irrelevant right now. The only thing that mattered was whether the man Xiao He had recommended was truly fit to become the administrator of the Abundance Society I envisioned.
All right. Let’s do this.
I cleared my throat, squared my shoulders, and pushed open the weathered door.
With a low creak, the scent of old wood greeted me, along with neatly arranged shelves stocked with bolts of cloth, salt, and other daily necessities.
“Welcome,” a calm voice called from inside.
I turned to see a young man standing before the shelves, ledger in hand. He looked up. Mid-twenties. Average build. Clean, unremarkable features and mild eyes—the kind of face you’d forget the moment you looked away. He was the living embodiment of the word ordinary.
So that’s Shen Yiqi…
I observed him for a brief moment. He returned my gaze in silence. Several seconds of mutual assessment passed between us. Finally, Shen Yiqi set down his brush and spoke first.
“Is there something in particular you’re looking for?”
His voice was low and composed, perfectly balancing the politeness of a merchant with the instinctive wariness one shows toward strangers.
“Are you Master Shen Yiqi?” I asked, straightening my posture.
“Yes, that is me…” His eyes narrowed slightly. A noblewoman dressed in fine clothes had entered his shop without any guards and was now asking for him by name. His merchant’s instincts were clearly sounding every alarm.
“My name is Lü Zhi,” I said politely. “I am the wife of Magistrate Liu of Sishui Commandery. I was referred to you today by Chief Administrator Xiao He of the county office.”
“Chief Administrator Xiao?” Shen Yiqi’s expression shifted—surprise, interest, and a trace of tension all flickering across his face at once. “Please wait one moment.”
He called toward the inner rooms. “Mother! I need to step out briefly. Could you watch the shop?”
“Of course, go on,” came a gentle elderly woman’s voice from the back.
Shen Yiqi quickly straightened his straw sandals, then turned back to me.
“Shall we speak in the side room? I’ll show you the way.”
He guided me through a door on the left side of the shop. It opened into a small reception area that appeared to have been converted from a storage room. Though modest, everything was impeccably clean. I cautiously lowered myself onto the worn cushion he offered.
Shen Yiqi served me a cup of warm tea, then seated himself at a carefully measured distance—neither too close nor too far. After quietly studying my expression for a moment, he finally spoke.
“You mentioned Chief Administrator Xiao’s recommendation.”
“Yes.” I produced the bamboo slip once more. “This is his letter of introduction. Please read it.”
Shen Yiqi accepted the slip and examined it thoroughly. His eyes narrowed, then widened with genuine puzzlement.
“The… Abundance Society?”
“Correct. It is a rural self-governing mutual aid organization in which the people of Peixian come together to assist with weddings, funerals, and the sharing of labor.”
“I see…” He tilted his head slightly. He understood the surface explanation, but his expression made it clear he couldn’t fathom the deeper purpose. “But why would you entrust such a role to someone like me? As you can see, I am merely a small-time merchant struggling to make ends meet day by day.”
“I am aware of that. It is precisely because of your circumstances that I wish to place the financial management of the Abundance Society in your hands.”
“Financial management?”
“Yes. The Abundance Society aims to be an organization that anyone living in Peixian can join. Moreover, it will collect common funds with the goal of ensuring the continued well-being of its members.”
“Well-being…”
“It sounds grand, but think of it as an emergency reserve. In the event of drought or pestilence, the organization would purchase relief supplies in its own name. Something along those lines.”
Of course, right now we’re actually gathering military funds for the great undertaking.
“I see.” Shen Yiqi nodded, though the doubt remained plain on his face. He still seemed unclear on why such an organization was necessary in the first place.
Should I give him a few more hints about the coming chaos?
I was still debating how much to reveal when Shen Yiqi met my eyes again.
“Madam Lü.”
“Yes?”
“May I ask you one thing?”
“Please do.”
“Why me, of all people?”
“It was Chief Administrator Xiao’s recommendation.”
“I understand that. However…” Shen Yiqi’s gaze sharpened. “There are many in Peixian who are quicker with numbers than I am, and many merchants with far greater wealth. Someone of Chief Administrator Xiao’s stature would not have recommended only me without good reason.”
“……”
“Therefore, what I wish to know is why you, Madam, chose me specifically.”
A rather keen observation. For a moment, I was at a loss for words. This man had instinctively sensed that my decision wasn’t based solely on Xiao He’s endorsement.
Why Shen Yiqi? The reason was simple. Because I already know him.
Through history books, I knew he would become one of Empress Lü’s closest aides. I knew he possessed the ability to rise to high office, and that he had proven himself loyal enough to protect Liu Bang’s father through the hellish conditions of captivity under Xiang Yu without ever betraying his charge. In short, he was a verified talent. An S-rank pull.
That was the entirety of my reason for choosing him.
But I can hardly say that out loud.
I set down my teacup and looked at him calmly. Then, in a measured voice, I continued.
“Master Shen.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“To be completely honest, I have not yet chosen you.”
“…Pardon?”
“In truth, I came here merely to confirm you. To see you with my own eyes and make my judgment.”
“Confirm… whether I possess the capacity you seek?”
I looked directly into Shen Yiqi’s eyes. “And just now, I became certain.”
“Certain…?”
“Yes. That you are precisely the talent I have been looking for.”
“……”
Shen Yiqi fell completely silent. A complicated light flickered in his slightly dazed eyes.
“Ha…” A breath that was half sigh, half laugh escaped him. “Madam, you are truly… an interesting person.”
“Interesting?”
“Indeed. To speak so directly to someone you’ve only just met.”
Shen Yiqi picked up his teacup again, his fingers slowly tracing its rim.
“Most merchants would phrase it more indirectly. ‘If you are interested, perhaps we could work together?’ or ‘Please consider the terms and let me know your decision.’ Something like that.” He took a sip of tea. “But you, Madam, were different. Your words sounded less like a request and more like a notification.”
“……”
Was I too rude? My fist clenched involuntarily beneath the table.
Shen Yiqi paused for a moment, then continued in that same calm tone.
“If I may be so bold as to ask one more question?”
“Go ahead.”
“On what basis do you hold such certainty?”
“Basis?”
“Yes. After speaking with me for only a few minutes, you declared that I am the talent you’ve been seeking. What exactly did you see in me to make such a judgment?”
We had circled back to the heart of the matter. I gave a small, composed nod and began offering plausible explanations one by one.
“Master Shen.”
“Yes, Madam.”
“From the very moment I entered your shop, you have been observing me constantly.”
“……”
“My clothing, my speech, my mannerisms—you were assessing what kind of person I might be.”
“That… is true.”
“And when you led me to this side room, you seated yourself at precisely the right distance. Not too close, not too far. Close enough to avoid giving me any sense of pressure, yet far enough to maintain your own vigilance. A truly exquisite balance.”
“……”
“Furthermore, the way you served the tea was efficient and free of unnecessary movement. The temperature was perfect, and you placed the cup in the exact spot most convenient for my right hand. These are signs of long-honed efficiency and consideration.”
I held his gaze steadily.
“That is why I chose you. You possess a keen mind, sharp instincts, and an observant eye for people. You also know how to adapt flexibly to any situation. These are precisely the qualities I believe are essential for the administrator of the Abundance Society.”
“Essential qualities… I see.”
Shen Yiqi repeated the words quietly. I could sense countless calculations flashing behind his eyes. How much time passed in that silence, I couldn’t say. Eventually he looked at me again and spoke.
“It seems this Abundance Society of yours involves something far more complicated—and dangerous—than I initially imagined.”
“……”
It was a sharp observation. He was no ordinary man. Perhaps mentioning the emergency fund sounded too forced… Even as I had spoken the words, I’d felt it was a slight overreach.
I cleared my throat lightly and began again. “That fund is actually—”
“I accept.”
“…Pardon?”
“I will take on the management of the Abundance Society.”
Shen Yiqi nodded without the slightest hesitation. His clean acceptance left me momentarily stunned.
“Didn’t you just say it seemed dangerous?”
“I did. Which is precisely why I must accept your proposal—to satisfy my own curiosity.”
Shen Yiqi smiled brightly. Yet the reason still felt difficult to accept. I let out a bewildered laugh.
“You would step into such a suspicious organization without any guarantees? Your life could be at risk.”
“Haha, was it that suspicious?”
“Ah, no, not exactly, but…” I let my words trail off ambiguously.
After chuckling for a while longer, Shen Yiqi composed his expression into something more serious.
“To be honest, this is a form of gambling.”
“Gambling?”
“Yes, Madam.” Shen Yiqi’s eyes gleamed sharply. “I am a merchant. And if a merchant wishes to earn great wealth, he must know when to boldly leap into opportunities others cannot see.”
“In other words… you believe the Abundance Society has potential.”
“More precisely, I believe you have potential.”
“Me?”
“Yes.” Shen Yiqi nodded with absolute conviction. “I have heard the rumors about the Lü family’s trading house. And today, upon meeting you in person, I was able to confirm the intense determination I sensed in those stories—the will to accomplish something.”
He smiled faintly.
“Working under someone who possesses such powerful resolve is not a bad choice. Especially when the esteemed Chief Administrator Xiao himself has vouched for you.”
“……”
For a moment, I was speechless. Someone was looking at me not as Liu Bang’s wife, but as Lü Zhi, the master of the Lü family’s trading house. The actions I had taken of my own free will were slowly beginning to change history.
The future is changing.
And for me, who had sworn not to follow in the footsteps of the historical Empress Lü, that realization struck with profound force.
I straightened my posture and bowed my head deeply.
“Thank you for accepting. I am truly grateful, Master Shen.”
“Not at all. I look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
Shen Yiqi returned a gentle smile, then added, “Ah, and since I am now your subordinate, you may speak to me more casually.”
“More casually?”
“Yes. Calling me ‘Master’ is far too much. Please feel free to use me as you see fit.”
“Ah…”
It was true. Unlike Fan Kuai or Xiao He, who belonged to Liu Bang’s inner circle, Shen Yiqi was someone I had personally hired as an employee of the Lü family’s trading house. So here, I shouldn’t call him “Master Shen,” but rather…
“Understood. Then from now on, Yiqi…”
I stopped mid-sentence. The word felt somehow terribly wrong the moment it left my lips.
“…Madam?” Shen Yiqi tilted his head.
He stared at me for a moment, then continued cautiously. “Yes, from now on just call me Yiqi…”
“No, no! That’s quite all right!”
“…?”
His expression grew even more puzzled. I quickly regained my composure.
“Then… for now, I will call you Chief Shen.”
“…? Ah, yes. As you wish.”
Shen Yiqi still looked somewhat confused. How can a person’s name sound so… I forced an awkward smile and extended my hand.
“Then I look forward to working with you, Chief Shen.”
“Ah… yes. The pleasure is mine, Madam.”
Though clearly still a little awkward, Shen Yiqi took my hand in his.