Chapter 169
Chapter 169
"You're asking me to take a risk for you."
"Lord of Raging Tide, isn't this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you? You have a large army and are invincible at sea, but you can't touch the land."
That was true. The States of Yue and Wu had a secret pact with Qiu Tianwei. They didn't care if he called himself king or overlord of the seas, but he was never to encroach upon the land. Otherwise, even if they couldn't vanquish him, they would thoroughly obstruct or interfere with everything he did. No one would trade with him, and Raging Tide City would become isolated.
Qiu Tianwei had always abided by that line, but he salivated at the sight of Gold Mountain Island and Wang'ai Island. With his formidable fleet and an army of twenty to thirty thousand, he could easily take the two islands. Yet, he had consistently restrained his greed, content with collecting protection fees, never daring to seize the islands for himself.
Count Tang Lun continued.
"But now, you have a legitimate reason to come ashore. Of course, Gold Mountain Island is an island, not the mainland, but it's an extension of it. Nevertheless, the King will surely turn a blind eye. His Majesty would rather see Gold Mountain Island fall into your hands than into the hands of the Jin Clan."
Qiu Tianwei remained silent.
"If you obtain Gold Mountain Island today, won't you be able to obtain Wang'ai Island in the future?"
Qiu Tianwei still maintained his silence. Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, pressed on.
"Raging Tide City is fine, but isn't it an isolated place far out at sea? The land is our root. Only by putting down roots on land can the Qiu Clan become a true noble family for a hundred, even a thousand years, don't you think?"
"How many soldiers must I station on Gold Mountain Island?"
At last, the pirate king spoke. It seemed he had always harbored a desire for the two islands. Now, the look in his eyes showed a resolve to possess them.
Count Tang Lun was overjoyed and replied.
"Five thousand. Only then can you fend off Count Jin Zhuo's army."
"Then what will happen to the miners and smelting artisans in the mines?"
"Our family will manage them as before. Leave all the mining and sales to us."
Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, had it all calculated. They needed to continue mining the iron ore on Gold Mountain Island, so they would pretend to return it to the Jin Clan while shouting to others, "Disaster has struck! The pirate king Qiu Tianwei has seized Gold Mountain Island!" In the end, the Qiu and Tang clans would split all the profits from the island.
However, his actions did not align with Prefect Zhang Chong's instructions. The Prefect had told Tang Lun to first hand over Gold Mountain Island completely to the Jin Clan, letting them invest a great deal of manpower and resources, and only then have Qiu Tianwei send troops to seize it. That way, the Jin Clan would spill copious amounts of blood on the island.
Tang Lun found Zhang Chong's proposal utterly distasteful. Such a battle of capture and recapture would cause a long delay in mining the iron ore on Gold Mountain Island. Production would halt for at least a year and a half, which would be a huge loss for the Tang Clan! So, he took the initiative and negotiated with Qiu Tianwei beforehand. Had Zhang Chong known of Tang Lun's actions, he would have furiously called him a fool. In truth, Tang Lun wasn't a fool, just greedy.
"I want seventy percent."
Qiu Tianwei's blunt statement made Tang Lun's face change dramatically.
"Lord of Raging Tide, the miners and smelting artisans are all employed by my family. You are merely dispatching troops to guard Gold Mountain Island; you'd be profiting while sitting idle."
"Seventy percent!"
"Lord of Raging Tide, if you insist on this, we cannot cooperate."
Qiu Tianwei said calmly.
"It doesn't matter. You'll have to hand Gold Mountain Island over to the Jin Clan soon anyway. Even if I don't take it now, I can just send troops to seize the island later. Then, it will all be mine, won't it? By cooperating with you, I avoid a war, so I am offering you thirty percent. As for miners, we have plenty of slaves in Raging Tide City. Of course, your family has many smelting artisans, but when the time comes, I can simply hire them with money."
Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, wept tears of blood inwardly. But he was like a fish on the chopping block, with no other choice. Gritting his teeth, Tang Lun said.
"Fine, seventy percent it is. Let's draw up a contract."
"Why write a contract? Is it of any use?"
Ugh! That was true. For those with power, a verbal promise was more precious and weightier than gold. A signed contract was a useless formality created by the powerless to compensate for their lack of strength. Tang Lun asked.
"Then what about the marriage between our two families?"
"I will do my best! Which son of your family do you intend to marry to my daughter?"
"My heir, Tang Yun, of course."
"Isn't he already engaged?"
"An engagement can be broken."
"The world must truly be in decline. Even an esteemed noble like you no longer abides by the old rules."
*You bastard.*
Tang Lun cursed him inwardly.
"Men! Assemble five thousand troops and prepare to go to Gold Mountain Island. We will build a fortress there."
Tang Lun was startled.
*So soon? He moves like lightning?*
"Regarding the marriage between our families, I can only say that I will do my best. My daughter is truly not like the ordinary women of this world."
***
The Sword King, Li Qianqiu, was escorting Shen Lang. They had entered the territory of Nujiang Commandery and were scheduled to arrive at Xuanwu City the next day. Shen Lang, accustomed to fine food and lodging, had no desire to eat and sleep on the road. So, he went straight to the official inn established by the Nujiang government office.
"I am Shen Lang, the live-in son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. Give me your best room. No one is to be allowed near my quarters."
Shen Lang spoke arrogantly to the official managing the inn. If the Sword King, Li Qianqiu, hadn't been by his side, Shen Lang would never have dared to be so presumptuous, nor would he have announced his name. What if someone heard it and came to kill him? But with the Sword King nearby, he was perfectly safe. The Sword King's chicken-neck-wringing sword style was truly magnificent.
Li Qianqiu said, "No such sword style exists."
Shen Lang's status alone didn't qualify him to stay in the best courtyard suite, or even to enter the official inn at all. But the station official hastily agreed.
*I may be a worthless, ninth-grade official, but I know full well who I can and cannot afford to offend.*
Soon, Shen Lang was settled in the best courtyard suite in the Nujiang official inn, but no one came to curry favor with him. Usually, such rooms were occupied by high-ranking envoys or powerful figures, and it was standard for one or two people to come and pay their respects.
*We can't afford to offend you, Shen Lang, but the Count of Xuanwu's Estate is finished, and you are an enemy of our Prefect Zhang Chong. We certainly won't be fawning over you.*
Damn, everyone in the bureaucracy was so worldly and shrewd. Shen Lang entered the room within the luxurious courtyard. The Sword King, Li Qianqiu, refused to go in with him, saying he would sleep in the carriage. Shen Lang asked him.
"Why? The rooms in this inn are so comfortable."
"The aura of officialdom is too strong. I can't sleep in a place like this; it makes me restless."
Hearing this, Shen Lang's desire to practice martial arts faded to almost nothing.
*Ugh! Living off my wife's family is the best. By attaching myself to a great noble house, I can enjoy wealth and glory, and even throw my weight around. What's the point of practicing martial arts to become a grandmaster if this is the alternative?*
Shen Lang lay down comfortably on the large bed. Though this was just a commandery's inn, its most luxurious courtyard suites were on par with a five-star hotel's. The bed, the blankets, were all of the finest quality, and the chairs were made of mahogany. Some items were even more lavish than those in the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. These suites were exclusively for welcoming powerful figures; magnates like Governor Zhu Rong had stayed here. It was only because no high-ranking officials were visiting today that Shen Lang was able to stay in this room. With the Sword King standing guard outside, Shen Lang slept more soundly than he ever had.
But! Less than two hours into his sleep, Shen Lang was woken up and about to be kicked out of his room. A group of lavishly dressed nobles from a powerful family had arrived at the Nujiang official inn. They presented two wooden passes: one from the Zhong Clan and one from His Highness, the Third Prince.
"Since when can any stray dog stay at the official inn? What is Zhang Chong doing? Who did he let stay in the best courtyard?"
Shen Lang heard a woman's voice. He had never heard a woman so arrogant and demanding.
"What? They gave the best room in the inn to a mere live-in son-in-law like Shen Lang? I, Xue Li, don't even give a damn about the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, let alone some live-in son-in-law! A lowly country bumpkin, no better than a dog, acting like a master just because he married into the Jin Clan. The nerve of that dog!"
The woman was Xue Li, who had just come from the Count of Xuanwu's Estate after breaking off her engagement. Though she had entered the estate alone, a hundred cavalrymen had accompanied her for protection. Her procession was even more imposing than Shen Lang's usual entourage. Then, Xue Li's voice came from outside again.
"Men, go in there and throw Shen Lang out. No, just toss that mutt outside."
Enemies are bound to meet on a narrow path. A vicious smile spread across Shen Lang's lips.
*If I don't teach you a lesson you'll never forget for the rest of your life, I'll call myself your son.*
How should one go about taking revenge on a woman like Xue Li? Humiliating her physically was out of the question; the consequences would be unimaginable. Killing her was even more unthinkable. Infecting her with some foul venereal disease? No, that was too wicked! As fiercely as she had come to break the engagement, she wasn't a mortal enemy of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. The girl was just a bit arrogant and rude, not deserving of death.
The key was that she was also the adopted daughter of Imperial Consort Zhong. If she were to die, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate could not bear the responsibility. The revenge had to be something that would make her feel so miserable she'd wish she were dead for a time, but leave her physically unharmed. Moreover, it had to create a situation so embarrassing that she wouldn't dare publicize it, a secret she wouldn't even feel she could confide in anyone.
An idea quickly came to Shen Lang, but he placed a hand on his chest and asked himself, *Isn't this revenge too vicious?* Just then, Xue Li entered the luxurious courtyard and shot a glance at Shen Lang. That look infuriated him. She looked at him as if he were an insignificant ant.
*Damn it! I, Shen Lang, am this handsome, and you look at me like that? Other noble ladies might look down on my status as a live-in son-in-law, but the moment they see me, their eyes sparkle, their hearts race, and their faces turn beet red.*
Shen Lang instantly knew that the woman before him had a man in her heart, a man she loved passionately. It was this passionate love that made her completely oblivious to a handsome man like him. Xue Li asked Shen Lang.
"You are Shen Lang?"
Shen Lang bowed and replied.
"Greetings, Miss Xue."
"Don't bother. You are but a live-in son-in-law, your station only slightly higher than a slave's. You are not qualified to pay such respects to me."
Xue Li covered half of her face with a handkerchief.
"Lower your eyes. Someone of your station does not have the right to look at me."