Chapter 112
Chapter 112
The Xu Clan’s workshop spanned over a hundred mu. Inside were millions of catties of hoarded silkworm cocoons, along with countless bundles of raw silk and finished silk fabric. In modern China, the price of fresh cocoons was around seventeen or eighteen yuan per catty; in ancient times, it was even more expensive.
The total value of all the raw silk, cocoons, and fabric in the Xu Clan’s workshop exceeded one hundred thousand gold coins, accounting for about half of the clan’s total assets, including the massive workshop itself.
The thousands of baskets of cocoons purchased from the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate were stacked in dozens of storerooms, sorted by grade. The cocoons injected with white phosphorus lay quietly among thousands of others. One could not imagine how still they were.
Before long, the workshop was filled with heat. A great fire roared, boiling water in large cauldrons. Hundreds of workers toiled day and night. The busiest times of the year were once in the spring and once in the autumn. With a tight deadline, they had no choice but to work frantically. In a short time, the cocoons had to be boiled to extract the silk threads, which were then woven into fabric and dyed.
Soon, merchants from all over the world would gather in Xuanwu City to purchase silk. They would come from the north, south, east, and west of Xuanwu City, and even from the Western Regions, thousands of miles away. The saying “time is money” was clearly evident in the Xu Clan’s workshop.
A thick mist rose throughout the entire workshop, and even late on this autumn night, it was as hot as a steamer. Nearly all the workers toiled with their shirts off. The temperature in the hottest areas exceeded fifty degrees Celsius, and most places were over forty. This heat gradually seeped into the storerooms, reaching every cocoon inside, including the pupae that Shen Lang and Mulan had injected with white phosphorus.
While the rest of the workshop buzzed with the clamor of people, one corner of a storeroom remained particularly quiet. Inside an unknown pupa, the temperature surpassed forty degrees. In a humid environment, white phosphorus ignites even more easily.
*Flicker.*
Inside a pupa, the white phosphorus reached its ignition point and suddenly burst into a green flame. It was the most terrifying will-o'-the-wisp in the world!
*Fwoosh.*
The ghostly flame erupted! The white phosphorus burned fiercely, far more intensely than oil catching fire. But it didn't stop there. The will-o'-the-wisp that burst from one cocoon soon began to ignite all the others. Starting with one basket of cocoons, it spread to tens of thousands of catties of cocoons stored in several containers, all of them catching fire! The blaze that would annihilate the Xu Clan had begun!
The cocoons and the bamboo baskets were all highly flammable. Even the pillars and eaves of the warehouse were made of combustible materials, which only intensified the flames. In an instant, the entire storeroom was engulfed in fire.
"Fire, fire!"
The first worker to spot the massive blaze shouted at the top of his lungs.
"We have to put it out quickly! Fire!"
The walls of the workshop's warehouses were made of mud, which made it difficult for the fire to spread rapidly. Moreover, water jars were placed everywhere inside the workshop, so there was no shortage of water. Under normal circumstances, the fire should have been quickly contained. Dozens of workers quickly grabbed buckets and ladles, desperately trying to extinguish the flames. But then, a bizarre scene unfolded in another warehouse several hundred meters away. As two workers carried a basket of cocoons inside, a green flame suddenly erupted from within the basket.
‘A will-o'-the-wisp!’
The two workers were certain it was a will-o'-the-wisp. It looked exactly like the ones they had seen in graveyards. Another worker nearby immediately went to fetch water to douse the flames, but the water jar was dozens of meters away. Then, in a flash of inspiration, he reenacted a very famous scene.
It was as if the famous Manneken Pis statue from Earth had appeared before them. Though this worker was eighteen, the pose was similar.
He thought he could extinguish this flame, achieve great merit, and receive a reward. But despite diligently directing his stream onto the small fire, it did not go out. Instead, the will-o'-the-wisp seemed to dance in the water as it burned. A fire in this world that couldn't be extinguished by water? It truly had to be a will-o'-the-wisp!
All the cocoons in the basket began to catch fire with incredible speed. It was like a signal. What followed was an even more bizarre and terrifying scene. In dozens of warehouses across the vast, hundred-mu workshop, will-o'-the-wisps began to flicker and dance one after another. Like a ghost approaching without a sound, basket after basket of cocoons ignited without any warning, the fire spreading from one warehouse to the next. At first, they desperately tried to fight the fire, but soon they were completely dumbfounded. The sight sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"Ah! It's ghosts, ghosts!"
The fire, which had started in one or two warehouses, soon spread to over a dozen, and then engulfed all of them. The blaze was now beyond control. These were men working for pay; none were willing to risk their lives to fight the fire.
"Ghosts, it's ghosts! Everyone, run!"
"Run faster! If you don't, you'll die!"
Hundreds of workers swarmed out of the workshop. Outside, a high wall provided a measure of safety. Originally built to deter thieves, it now served as the perfect barrier. Hundreds of workers stood outside the workshop. As the autumn wind swept through, the flames inside the workshop grew fiercer, instantly becoming a sea of fire. No one could extinguish such a massive inferno.
The vast workshop, spanning over a hundred mu, held countless cocoons and immeasurable amounts of raw silk and fabric, worth well over tens of thousands of gold coins. But everything was burning. Watching the fire, the workers felt a mixture of fear and delight.
‘That vicious exploiter, Xu Guangyun, is going to be miserable.’
But a burned-down workshop also meant their livelihoods were gone.
"It's a will-o'-the-wisp. This is definitely a will-o'-the-wisp."
"I heard this place was a burial ground for prisoners."
"Vengeful spirits have come for revenge. I saw the will-o'-the-wisp appear with my own eyes."
The workers' opinions varied, but they all agreed it was a will-o'-the-wisp. They had all seen the green flames erupt without cause, even though no one had deliberately set the fire. The fire lit up the entire sky, and the eerie sound of the wind made it seem like the wailing of vengeful spirits. The workers shivered, growing more and more terrified.
Then, suddenly, someone's voice was heard.
"Smells good. I'm hungry."
At that, everyone began to sniff the air. Strangely, the aroma was indeed fragrant. After all, with so many pupae inside the countless cocoons being roasted by the great fire, how could it not smell good?
The workers didn't feel much about the workshop burning, but the general manager was one of Xu Guangyun's trusted men. At this sight, his legs went weak, and he nearly wet himself.
‘It's over, it's all over. Everything is finished.’
"Quickly, quickly, ride back to the city and report to the Clan Head!"
A dozen of the workshop's guards mounted swift horses and galloped toward the Xu Clan's estate in Xuanwu City.
***
At the highest point of the battlements of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
Shen Lang had finished his dinner and secured the best viewing spot to wait. With brewed tea, roasted pumpkin seeds, and snacks prepared, he was simply waiting for a good show to begin. About an hour after Shen Lang started waiting, the western sky began to glow brightly. The fire was so immense that the entire hundred-mu workshop was ablaze. Even from over twenty li away, the sight of the burning workshop was crystal clear. Mulan, dressed in a long skirt, stood watching beside him. Shen Lang quietly moved closer to her and took a sniff.
‘My wife smells so fragrant.’
Shen Lang’s hand wrapped around Mulan’s slender waist, but she didn’t react. His hand moved a little lower, yet Mulan still showed no reaction. Even when his hand rested on her most full and beautiful curve, Mulan remained unresponsive. This was not normal.
When Shen Lang looked at Mulan, he saw tears welling in her eyes. She wasn't sympathizing with the Xu Clan; she was simply pained by the sight of destruction. No matter whose creation it was, it must have been built with great effort, only to be consumed by fire in an instant... Shen Lang slowly moved his hand back up, wrapped it around his wife's waist, and gently pulled. Mulan fell into his embrace.
Shen Lang spoke in a gentle voice.
"My lady, we did this to survive. There is nothing in this world more important than survival. Even if you hold goodness in your heart, you must first live to see it through."
"I know. It hurts, but I don't regret it."
Shen Lang gently kissed Mulan's forehead and said.
"I always thought you were a person of unwavering strength. I have never seen you show such a vulnerable side before."
"You'll probably see it a lot from now on."
Her words were the greatest confession of all.
***
Xu Guangyun was hosting a grand banquet. The previous engagement banquet for Xu Qianqian and Zhang Jin had been an extremely high-class affair, so merchants from Xuanwu City, and even some of the Xu Clan’s own relatives and friends, had not been qualified to attend. Originally, Xu Guangyun had planned to hold another banquet the day after the engagement ceremony to invite all the merchants and relatives.
But that night, Shen Lang had emerged victorious from the engagement banquet, and the Xu Clan had suffered a crushing defeat, losing all face. Thus, he couldn't bring himself to hold a banquet the next day. Today, however, was different. It was a very good day. That scoundrel Shen Lang had lost the contest, and the Xu Clan had won a great victory! Clan Head Xu invited all the prominent merchants to a banquet. Today was tantamount to breaking every bone in that damn Shen Lang's body.
"Did everyone see that wretched Shen Lang's face today? Not only did he bow his head and apologize to Clan Head Xu, but he also personally burned several thousand copies of the book he wrote. The sight was truly satisfying."
"Indeed. I heard he even fainted. They say that after being carried back to the Count of Xuanwu’s Estate, he even coughed up blood."
"Clan Head Xu will make a huge profit this time. Buying three hundred thousand catties of cocoons at sixty percent of the original price—where else could you find such a good deal?"
"And that's not all. The Count of Xuanwu's fief still has over three million catties of cocoons left. I plan to buy the rest for just thirty percent of the original price."
Hearing this, everyone present envied and grew jealous of Clan Head Xu. Becoming in-laws with the Prefect was already a remarkable achievement. They had thought the Xu Clan would just be pouring money into the Prefect's family like water into a bottomless pit, but they never imagined they would earn such a huge sum. It seemed the union of power and money was indeed the most potent force.
"Do you think that fellow Shen Lang can refuse to sell? If he doesn't, the moths will hatch from the cocoons. And when that happens, do you think the hundred thousand subjects of the fief, chirping for food, will let Shen Lang off easy? Perhaps over a hundred thousand starving people will burn the Count of Xuanwu's Estate to the ground."
"And what will the Count of Xuanwu do? Will he use his own money to buy grain to feed four hundred thousand people? Where would he get that kind of money? I'll let you in on a secret. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate is not only broke, but it's also burdened with enormous debt. A debt so large it couldn't be repaid in several generations. The Jin Clan is as good as dead; they'll be finished soon! Since I've compromised with Shen Lang once, I don't need to hold back anymore. What if he asks our Xu Clan to buy the remaining three million catties of cocoons? Of course, I can buy them. That is, if he kneels before everyone, kowtows, and begs for forgiveness. Hahaha."
"That's right! Make that scoundrel Shen Lang kowtow and apologize to Clan Head Xu!"
Everyone clamored to flatter Clan Head Xu. Xu Qianqian did not drink with them; she was in a room in the waterside pavilion, drinking alone. She wanted to quietly celebrate this victory by herself. As they said, Shen Lang had suffered a truly fatal defeat. Today, he burned his books in public; tomorrow, he might kneel and kowtow. When a person's dignity is broken, they become capable of doing even more degrading things. The thought of Shen Lang's future misery brought Xu Qianqian such joy that she even felt a sliver of pity for him.
"Shen Lang, you shouldn't have become the matrilocal husband of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. You should have remained a servant in our clan. You might have been living a better life now."
A dog should live its whole life as a dog. How could it possibly change its station? In the future, when the Count of Xuanwu's Estate falls, Shen Lang would die a gruesome death with no place for burial. But now, he wouldn't even last until that day. Xu Qianqian raised her wine cup and opened the window. She gazed at the bright moon in the sky and smelled the fragrance of the osmanthus flowers. A little drunk from the wine, she suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to compose a poem.
"Raising my cup to the bright moon, we become three: myself, the moon, and my shadow."
Xu Qianqian couldn't compose great poetry. Besides, she disliked writing poems and had no desire to be a talented woman.
‘A cup for the bright moon, and a cup for all that is destroyed. Shen Lang, your short life will soon come to an end.’
Xu Qianqian drained her cup in one go. Then, she seemed to see a light outside the window. To be precise, it wasn't just a light, but a red glow in the western sky that seemed to cover the heavens. In that moment, a chill ran down her spine.
‘That's the direction of the Xu Clan's workshop.’
Though the Xu Clan was wealthy, they were merely merchants and couldn't build their estate on a mountain like the Count of Xuanwu. Their estate was built on lower ground, so the fire in the west was not clearly visible. Xu Qianqian stood stunned for a moment, then began to run frantically toward the highest point of the estate.
‘Could it be...? No! It can't be, it absolutely cannot be our workshop!’
As Xu Qianqian ran like a madwoman, she prayed desperately in her heart.