Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Thirteen was practically trembling as he listened to the conversation between Shen Lang and the head of the Lin Clan. Although he was watching Shen Lang under the orders of his adoptive father, Tian Heng, he never imagined Shen Lang would actually succeed in their agreement. Tian Heng himself must have felt like he was making a gamble when he struck the deal with Shen Lang.
But Shen Lang had actually done it!
Because of this, Tian Heng would gain a thousand gold coins, and Thirteen, who was in charge of this matter, would also receive a handsome reward.
"Impressive. I'm truly impressed."
Thirteen gave Shen Lang a thumbs-up. But Shen Lang, acting as if it were nothing, merely glanced at Thirteen before heading to the backyard kitchen, locking the door, and starting to create the dye.
"Master Lin, please wait for two hours."
"Very well. I'll go and prepare the gold coins."
* * *
The process of making the golden-yellow dye was quite simple. On modern-day Earth, it was described in detail in a book titled *Silk*, published in 2001, and there was even a hands-on workshop at the Silk Museum in Hangzhou. You boil pagoda tree flower buds in water to create a yellow liquid, then remove the dregs to get a yellow dye. Add alum to it and continue boiling, and the yellow transforms into a shimmering, splendid, and noble bright gold.
In just two hours, Shen Lang produced half a bowl of the golden-yellow dye. Finally, he threw the alum and the remaining pagoda tree flower buds into the fire, burning them completely to leave no trace.
Lin Mo, the owner of the Brocade Pavilion, and Thirteen entered with expectant expressions. Shen Lang handed over the half bowl of golden-yellow dye. Lin Mo's hands trembled slightly as he carefully examined the new dye under the sunlight. This dye was a precious treasure that would bring fame to the Lin Clan, so his hands couldn't help but shake as he held it.
"This golden-yellow dye not only has an outstanding color, but it also sets very well on silk, and the color barely fades after dyeing. So, Master Lin, are the two thousand gold coins ready?"
Lin Mo pointed to a table. On it sat a box. When he opened the lid, it was filled with gold coins. A single gold coin weighed half a tael, so the two thousand coins here weighed dozens of pounds. Two thousand gold coins! Even after giving a thousand to Tian Heng, he'd still have a thousand left—a fortune large enough for his family to live in luxury. Shen Lang had never earned so much money in his entire life, even in the modern world.
"Where is the secret formula?"
Lin Mo asked.
Shen Lang took the written formula from his robes and handed it over. Lin Mo was surprised to see only a few dozen characters written on it and asked,
"Is it this simple?"
"Yes. It's very simple."
"The cost of materials isn't high."
"Correct. It's very low. The principles of this world are often simple and straightforward; it's just that realizing them is difficult. Surely you don't think these few words aren't worth two thousand gold coins, Master Lin?"
Lin Mo said with a smile,
"No, they are worth every bit."
Shen Lang said,
"If you test this formula yourself right now, Master Lin, you'll be able to create this golden-yellow dye in an hour. I'll take the gold and leave after I see you succeed."
Lin Mo didn't have a servant do it; he prepared the ingredients himself and went to the backyard kitchen to test the formula Shen Lang had given him. An hour later, the golden-yellow dye Lin Mo produced had an even better color than the one Shen Lang had made.
Lin Mo laughed heartily and said,
"With the successful creation of this dye, the Lin Clan will soon prosper greatly."
"Then I wish you success in defeating the Xu Clan and taking their place, Master Lin. I'll be on my way."
He picked up the two thousand gold coins and prepared to leave immediately.
"Wait!"
Just then, a familiar voice called out from behind him, and two completely unexpected figures appeared. One was his former father-in-law, the head of the Xu Clan, and the other was his former wife, Xu Qianqian. At their appearance, Shen Lang felt the hair on his neck stand on end.
The head of the Xu Clan looked at Shen Lang and said in a cold voice,
"Shen Lang, I won't blame you for holding a grudge against our family after we kicked you out. But to steal the secret formula for the new dye our family researched and developed... That formula is the lifeblood of the Xu Clan. Not only have you committed theft, but you've also incurred the wrath of the royal court. Do you have any idea what crime that is?"
Lin Mo, the owner of the Brocade Pavilion, said in feigned surprise,
"Master Xu, are you saying Shen Lang stole this formula?"
"Brother Lin, surely you've heard of Shen Lang's reputation here. He's as stupid and lazy as a pig, completely useless. How could he possibly create a golden-yellow dye with his own abilities? The Xu Clan invested vast fortunes and resources to create that formula, and that thief stole it. Why do you think I threw him out of the Xu household? It was because he not only stole but also harassed one of our maids. I've never seen such a despicable person. And now he comes here to try and deceive you, Brother Lin."
Xu Qianqian said in a gentle voice,
"If I'm not mistaken, he must have seen the formula in my drawer and secretly copied it down. Shen Lang, even if you hate our family, you shouldn't have done something like this."
Lin Mo, the owner of the Brocade Pavilion, bowed slightly and said,
"My apologies, Master Xu. I was nearly taken in by this thief! For the foolish Shen Lang to produce such a brilliant formula... I was already thinking it was suspicious. But if he stole it from the Xu Clan, then it all makes sense. I'll report this to the authorities at once and have them arrest this thief!"
Master Xu stared at Shen Lang with cold eyes and said,
"Confess the truth right here. This golden-yellow dye formula belongs to the Xu Clan, does it not?"
"Shen Lang, if you admit your guilt, our family will consider our past connection and won't pursue this matter further. But if you continue to deny it, my father will make a serious issue of it."
From the moment he first saw them, Shen Lang had considered the possibility of such a situation, but he never imagined it would actually happen. He felt a strange sensation but didn't show it, looking at her and the clan heads.
The Lin Clan had always been a rival to the Xu Clan. Although the situation was turning awkward, as the saying goes, 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend.' It was impossible for the Lin Clan not to covet the new formula Shen Lang had brought. With this formula, they could deal a heavy blow to the Xu Clan.
"Master Lin, could we speak privately?"
"Of course."
At Shen Lang's request, Lin Mo led him to the empty backyard. Having barely escaped the previous situation, Shen Lang immediately asked Lin Mo,
"Did you call Master Xu and Xu Qianqian here?"
"I did!"
"Why?"
"I know this formula could deal a heavy blow to the Xu Clan's business. But I had no choice but to call Master Xu."
Shen Lang didn't press further and waited for him to continue. Lin Mo said calmly,
"Shen Lang, for an ordinary person like you, money is enough. But for people like us, power and influence are more important than money. Without power and influence, no amount of money can be protected; you just become someone's prey."
"If the Lin Clan becomes the merchant that supplies silk to the royal court, power will naturally follow."
"No, that kind of power is unpredictable. My son, who studies at the Southern Sky Martial Academy, will soon take the military examination. With his scores, he could hold any official position in the future. To me, that's more important than the Lin Clan making a lot of money. Have you perhaps heard of Xu Qianqian's new fiancé, Zhang Jin?"
It seemed the Xu Clan had arranged Xu Qianqian's engagement to Zhang Jin right after kicking Shen Lang out.
"The Zhang family is backed by the Zhu Clan. You know how powerful the Zhu Clan is in our country."
The Zhu Clan was the most powerful and influential family in the State of Yue. They were the queen's maternal family, and Zhu Rong of the Zhu Clan served as the governor of the Southern Sky Province, his power so vast it seemed to cover the heavens. With such backing, it was highly likely that Zhang Jin was marrying a merchant's daughter like Xu Qianqian not just for her looks, but for the vast wealth of the Xu Clan.
Lin Mo spoke again.
"Zhang Jin's father was recently appointed as the Prefect of Nujiang, and Zhang Jin himself is a skilled martial artist who has become the garrison commander of Xuanwu City. If I use the new dye formula to take away the Xu Clan's business, I'll fall out of favor with the Zhang family. What would happen to my son then?"
"Then you should have just not bought my formula and let it go as if nothing happened. Why did you betray me?"
Lin Mo, the owner of the Brocade Pavilion, said with a smile,
"Shen Lang, you are an insignificant person with no reputation or backing. That means you have little value. Nevertheless, I have a way to use you. By using the grudge between you and the Xu Clan, I can sell you out to them. If I do that, the Xu Clan will owe me a debt. Besides, the dye formula is also in my hands, so couldn't I gain other benefits from it as well?"
"Originally, the Xu Clan didn't even care about someone like me. They treated me like a passing ant. But thanks to my attempt to sell you the new dye formula today, a grudge that didn't exist before has ironically been created."
"Is that so? Then the deeper the grudge between you and the Xu Clan, the greater the value of the debt they owe me. In that case, wouldn't it have a considerable influence on my son's future?"
"You are truly a born merchant, Master Lin. I understand your intentions perfectly."
After speaking, Shen Lang immediately walked out.
* * *
Shen Lang returned to the main hall. The warriors of the Lin and Xu clans had completely surrounded him in the center. Thirteen stood at the edge of the hall, his eyes closed as if he were asleep. A few officials from Xuanwu City had also rushed in.
Among them, a young official was the Registrar, in charge of punishments in Xuanwu City. As Shen Lang looked at him closely, a memory of the man surfaced. Xu Qianqian said gently,
"Shen Lang, tell the official. You stole this new dye formula, didn't you? You did this because you were angry that I abandoned you, right? If you admit your guilt now, I'll consider it a moment of foolishness and won't press the matter further. But if you remain stubborn, the Xu Clan will not stand by idly."
Faced with the scene before him, Shen Lang calmly began to think. Watching the Registrar who had appeared, Shen Lang nodded, his expression showing he had made a decision.
"Hahahaha."
Shen Lang suddenly burst into loud laughter.