Chapter 109
Chapter 109
The moment the Count of Xuanwu and Shen Lang arrived outside the estate’s fortress walls, the dozens of elders standing before them knelt in unison.
“We pay our respects to the Count.”
The Count of Xuanwu hurried forward to help the most senior elder to his feet.
“You are all my seniors. Why perform such a grand ceremony? Please, everyone, rise. Rise!”
At the Count’s humble words and actions, the dozens of men stood up.
“What brings you all to see me?”
One of the old men spoke.
“Thanks to the estate’s care, this year’s mulberry leaves grew well, and the silkworms were free of major pests. We’ve harvested far more cocoons this year, a twenty percent increase from the last.”
“Isn’t that wonderful news? Once you sell the cocoons, you’ll all be able to live comfortably.”
“Indeed. We were all overjoyed, thinking we could finally have a peaceful year, and we were grateful for the estate’s benevolence. But when we took our cocoons to Xuanwu City, they refused to accept them.”
‘Refused to accept them? They took them just fine last year, but not this year?’
Of the nearly one hundred thousand people living in the fiefdom of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, seventy percent made their living by raising silkworms. The annual income from sericulture surpassed that of rice farming. Most of the fiefdom’s peasants planted mulberry trees on their fields and hillsides to raise silkworms. With the money from selling the cocoons, they paid taxes to the Count’s estate, bought grain, and supported their families.
Because the estate’s taxes were not high, the fiefdom’s residents lived reasonably well from raising silkworms, enjoying a more comfortable life than other farmers in Xuanwu City. Moreover, two years ago, many of them had invested heavily in better mulberry saplings, which produced more leaves than before.
But now, their cocoons were being rejected? This was no small matter. It meant nearly six months of labor for the hundred thousand peasants of the fiefdom had been for naught. Without money, they couldn’t pay taxes to the estate, buy grain, or feed their families. They were all depending on the sale of those cocoons.
The income from sericulture accounted for a quarter of the estate’s total annual revenue. If that stream of funds was cut off, the estate would face a severe financial crisis. And on top of that, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate had to make biannual debt payments to the Hidden Yuan Society… Without the income from the cocoons, the cash flow would be instantly severed. Most critically, nearly a hundred thousand subjects would have no money to buy food.
“Are you saying both Xu Guangyun and the Jinshui Pavilion are refusing to buy them?”
“Yes. Both families have stated they will not accept any cocoons produced in the fiefdom of the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate.”
“Didn’t silk merchants from other commanderies come to buy cocoons last year? They were even competing with each other, driving up the prices. Did none of them come this year?”
“None. Not a single silk merchant from any other commandery has come. We have no choice but to sell to the Xu Clan or the Lin Clan. But both families are deliberately targeting us, publicly declaring they will not buy our cocoons. They also said that not just them, but no silk merchant in the entire Tiannan Province would buy our cocoons.”
The situation had become grave. The cocoons contained live pupae. If they weren’t processed within a certain time, the pupae would break out as moths, ruining the cocoons. At least half would be rendered useless—a devastating loss by any measure. This was a financial assault on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The Lin and Xu clans were merely the front; behind them were surely Zhang Chong and Zhu Rong. Otherwise, it was impossible that not a single silk merchant would show up.
“The Xu Clan Head and his daughter publicly announced that if we want them to buy our fiefdom’s cocoons, Young Master must go to the Xu estate in person. Otherwise, they will never buy our silk, and all our cocoons will rot in our homes, leaving us to starve.”
Shen Lang’s eyes narrowed for a moment.
‘Playing that card again? Lin Zhuo was beaten half to death by my schemes and is on his last legs, yet you, Xu Guangyun and Xu Qianqian, dare to use the same trick? But that’s fine. I was expecting this, so it works out perfectly!’
The New Year was only a few months away. Shen Lang planned to slaughter the fatted pig that was the Xu Clan and offer them as a sacrifice for the festivities.
“Very well. I will go and have a word with the Xu Clan.”
At that moment, the dozens of elders from the fiefdom knelt before Shen Lang and said, “Young Master, thank you for this life-saving grace.”
***
Shen Lang went to the Xu estate to negotiate with Xu Guangyun and Xu Qianqian.
His former fiancée wasted no time on pleasantries and stated her terms directly. The constant humiliation she had suffered at Shen Lang’s hands seemed to have made her stronger and colder.
“Shen Lang, do you want our family to buy the cocoons produced by the peasants in the Count of Xuanwu’s fiefdom? The condition is simple. If you hand over the secret formulas for the purple and rainbow dyes, free of charge, we will consider buying your fiefdom’s cocoons at a low price. I repeat, at a low price.
Otherwise, the cocoons produced by the nearly one hundred thousand people of your fiefdom will rot in their homes, and they will starve to death. Are you perhaps thinking of transporting the cocoons outside the State of Yue to sell them? To sell such a large quantity of goods, you need official customs clearance. Without it, you have no choice but to let them rot at home.
Shen Lang, when you so brazenly and recklessly provoked us, you should have known a day like this would come.”
Shen Lang spoke in a voice filled with utter sorrow.
“Xu Qianqian, you’ve gone too far. This is about the livelihood of a hundred thousand people.”
“That is the Count of Xuanwu’s problem, not ours.”
“Xu Guangyun, Xu Qianqian. Have you already forgotten the lessons I taught you before? Why are you provoking me again?”
Xu Qianqian said with a scornful tone, “Yes, we were repeatedly and greatly humiliated by you, and our reputation was tarnished. But so what? Did you manage to harm us in any way?”
He certainly had not.
“So your victories were merely spiritual ones, hollow glories that looked good on the surface. Did you save the Count of Xuanwu's Estate from its predicament? Not at all. In fact, you’ve only caused it to be attacked from all sides, and with even greater ferocity.”
Xu Guangyun poured a cup of tea, took a light sip, and said, “Shen Lang, you certainly won a great victory at the engagement banquet. But what did you gain from it? A moment of pleasure, and nothing more. The Xu Clan’s reputation may have suffered, but Qianqian will still marry into the Zhang Clan, and I have had an epiphany. What use is a good reputation to a great merchant? All that matters is making money.
Shen Lang, you asked what gives us the confidence to provoke you again?”
Xu Guangyun suddenly shouted, “Look there! Do you see what that is?”
Shen Lang naturally looked toward the main hall. A plaque hung there, four characters shining brilliantly in gold.
*The Xu Clan's Embroidery Shall Cover the Southern Province*
Judging by the signature, it was a personal gift from the Crown Prince. No wonder every character on the plaque was made of gold. Xu Guangyun had used several hundred catties of gold to gild these four characters. This was not just an immense honor, but a powerful protective talisman. With a personal gift of calligraphy from the Crown Prince himself, what did it matter if the reputations of the Xu father and daughter were slightly tarnished?
Xu Qianqian said, brimming with pride, “This is our foundation! And for that, Shen Lang, we should probably thank you. Our family obtained your new golden-yellow dye formula, which has brought us to where we are today. The silk dyed with your new formula had a golden-yellow hue even more precious than before. It was so much more magnificent that the Crown Prince and other royals said that wearing clothes made from it made them look more dignified than the royalty of other nations, giving them a psychological edge. The Crown Prince was so pleased that he bestowed this piece of calligraphy upon us.
Without you, we would not have received this gift from the Crown Prince, so it is a truly moving occasion. But you won’t be able to enjoy any of this glory. We took your golden-yellow dye formula without paying a single gold coin.”
Xu Guangyun said, “This is what it means to gain a true advantage. And what did you gain?”
Shen Lang seemed to tremble with rage, his face flushing red.
“Shen Lang, now we are pressuring you again to hand over the formulas for the purple and rainbow dyes. And still, we will not give you half a gold coin. You will offer them to us for nothing.”
Shen Lang said angrily, “You must be dreaming!”
“Then you can watch as the cocoons hatch into moths and fly away. Time is of the essence, and no one in the entire Tiannan Province, or even the whole State of Yue, will buy the cocoons from the Count’s fiefdom. Alternatively, the Count’s estate could use its own money to buy the cocoons from the peasants. But do you have the workshops? Can you spin the thread? Can you weave the silk?
The nearly one hundred thousand people in the Count of Xuanwu’s fiefdom all depend on selling cocoons to survive. If no one buys them, not only will the Count’s estate be unable to collect taxes, but those hundred thousand people will struggle to eat. If you can’t feed them, they will devour the Count’s estate first… When a hundred thousand people go hungry, won’t a rebellion break out?”
If a peasant rebellion were to break out within the Count of Xuanwu’s fiefdom, the Prefectural and Governor’s offices would immediately intervene, using the situation to swiftly bring about the collapse of the Count’s estate.
“The Count of Xuanwu's Estate could use its own money to buy grain and feed the hundred thousand people. But given your current financial state, is that even possible? Shen Lang, you are a very clever man, so I’m sure you understand what the outcome will be.”
Shen Lang trembled as he spoke.
“You’ve gone to great lengths to block the Count of Xuanwu’s finances. Was this a direct order from Governor Zhu Rong?”
“Did you think the all-out assault on the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was a joke? Shen Lang, stop struggling and hand over the formulas for the purple and rainbow dyes. We will buy the cocoons produced by your fiefdom’s people at half price.”
Shen Lang asked in a seemingly shocked voice, “Half price? Xu Qianqian, you people are too much. That’s an absurd price.”
“That’s right, half price.”
If they sold their cocoons at half price, the peasants of the fiefdom wouldn’t even be able to pay their taxes. The money would be just enough for them to buy grain and fill their bellies.
“Nonsense. You’re talking absolute nonsense. I refuse to believe that your Xu Clan is the only one who will buy these cocoons.”
Shen Lang shouted, then stormed out in a fit of rage, slamming the door behind him. Xu Qianqian called out calmly toward the closed door.
“Shen Lang, I’ll give you three days to think it over.”
***
After returning to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, Shen Lang’s angry demeanor vanished without a trace. He was leisurely playing chess with his wife, winning game after game.
“My lady, I have an interesting riddle for you. Care to guess?”
“No. I don’t want to hear it!”
Mulan didn’t want to fall for Shen Lang’s tricks again.
“There were people milking cows at a dairy farm. Everyone filled a whole bucket with milk, but Xiao Bing only managed to get half a bowl. Do you know why?”
Mulan’s face turned red, and she said nothing. Beside them, Xiao Bing asked, “Young Master, was the cow I was milking one that doesn’t produce much milk?”
“No. It’s because you picked the wrong cow. The one you chose was a bull.”
Xiao Bing was taken aback.
“Young Master, don’t be ridiculous. Bulls don’t produce milk.”
“That’s enough, Xiao Bing, don’t engage with him.”
Mulan tried to stop her, but a moment later, Xiao Bing understood the implication. Her face flushed crimson, and she stumbled.
“Young Master, you’re so hateful. I hate you so much. I’m never speaking to you again.”
Xiao Bing clenched her fists and playfully punched at Shen Lang. With her movements, her chest heaved vigorously. Though still young, her impressive, sharp figure was on full display. Mulan couldn’t bear to watch and immediately turned her face away.
“Young Master, you’re hateful. I’m going to hit you. I’ll hit you until you’re dead.”
As Xiao Bing hit Shen Lang, tears streamed down her face. Her appearance was so alluring that Shen Lang couldn’t control his hands and pulled her into an embrace. Xiao Bing’s delicate body trembled, and she looked at Shen Lang with eyes full of disbelief, her entire body seemingly turning red.
“Hateful!”
Then, with an even quicker motion, she puckered her small lips, planted a kiss on Shen Lang’s cheek, and scurried away. Throughout this entire process, Mulan had her back to them, which was why the pair had been so bold. When Mulan turned her head back around, Shen Lang said with a straight face, “My lady, I was just teasing Xiao Bing. You know how silly she is.”
Shen Lang acted as if nothing had happened just moments before.
“Husband, I think you need some physical training today. Let’s go practice the Five-Animal Frolics.”
Shen Lang felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
“Why? I didn’t do anything. You’re going to punish me for a single joke? Jin Mulan, aren’t you being too harsh?”
Jin Mulan said nothing, simply pointing her finger at a certain spot. There was a glass object there, its surface so polished that it reflected a distorted, inverted image like a mirror. Even with her back turned, Mulan had clearly seen what the pair had been up to.
“Ah…”
Shen Lang’s head throbbed.
‘To hunt geese all day, only to be pecked in the eye by one. How unjust!’
A woman’s jealousy was a fearsome thing. Soon after, the sound of Shen Lang’s pig-like, desperate screams echoed from their courtyard.
“Ah… Ah…! Ouch. My lady, be gentle, please be gentle… My lady, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. I’ll never do it again!”
He was made to perform the Five-Animal Frolics ten times, and Shen Lang once again experienced a pain that made him wish for death.