Chapter 173
Chapter 173
“Envoy Shu, we've done our best just to repay a million gold coins over the past twenty years. Now, all the gold we have left in our estate doesn't even amount to twenty thousand. We can't possibly produce seven hundred thousand gold coins, no matter how hard we try.”
This was true. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate couldn't produce even ten thousand gold coins, let alone twenty thousand, even if they emptied all their vaults. This was because Shen Lang had spent most of it. Shen Lang said to him,
“Hasn't the Hidden Yuan Society been friends with our family for a hundred years? For old times' sake, could you not extend the deadline? How about a year?”
Shen Lang then bowed deeply and continued.
“Envoy Shu, please grant our family a one-year grace period. I, Shen Lang, will be eternally grateful for your immense kindness. Please, I beg you!”
“I am truly sorry. I deeply sympathize with your estate's situation. But even if I wanted to help, I do not have the authority.”
Jin Mulan said in a sorrowful voice.
“Shu Tingyu, are you trying to drive us to our deaths? Do you want to stand by and watch every member of the Jin Clan hang themselves?”
“Please return the seven hundred thousand gold coins within a month, as stipulated in the contract. Otherwise, the Hidden Yuan Society will have no choice but to take possession of Wang'ai Island, which was put up as collateral.”
Jin Mulan said angrily.
“We've already lost Gold Mountain Island, and now you want to take Wang'ai Island from us too? I would rather die than give it up. You'll have to step over my dead body to take it.”
“The terms were clearly stated in the contract. If you do not return the seven hundred thousand gold coins in a month, I will have no choice but to report the matter to the King, request his direct intervention, and seize Wang'ai Island from the Jin Clan.
Young Master Shen Lang is a brilliant strategist. Why not use those talents to earn money? Who knows, you might even be able to make seven hundred thousand gold coins within a month.”
How much was seven hundred thousand gold coins? The entire income of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate—including taxes, profits from salt and iron production, and revenue from silk weaving—amounted to less than seventy thousand gold coins a year. Therefore, to save seven hundred thousand gold coins, the Count of Xuanwu would have to live frugally for a full decade. The entire fortune of the renowned tycoon Xu Guangyun was merely two hundred thousand gold coins, and the total annual tax revenue of the entire Tiannan Province did not reach seven hundred thousand. Thus, seven hundred thousand was a truly astronomical sum.
To demand such a large sum be earned within a month was nothing short of a blatant mockery. Everyone believed the Count of Xuanwu's Estate was doomed to lose Wang'ai Island. If the Jin Clan lost Wang'ai Island, they would lose seventy percent of their current assets and would be forced to disband their private army. Without a private army, how could they protect their fiefdom? Losing Wang'ai Island was tantamount to the Jin Clan's destruction.
After Shu Tingyu left, Mulan let out a long sigh. She was not a natural actress, but her husband had insisted she perform. Every moment of the act just now had been agonizing for her. Shen Lang couldn't resist and gave her a kiss.
“My lady, you were a brilliant actress!”
“Husband, even though we were acting, what they said was real. Earning seven hundred thousand gold coins in a month is unimaginable. Can we really do it?”
“My lady, do you not trust in my abilities?”
“Of course, I do. But... it defies all logic. How many families in the world can produce seven hundred thousand gold coins at once? Even the entire tax revenue of Tiannan Province doesn't amount to that much. Earning that kind of money is harder than climbing to the heavens!”
“My lady, shall we make a wager?”
“Tell me.”
“If I earn more than seven hundred thousand gold coins within a month, you will... take the lead... and sleep with me!”
* * *
Jin Hui returned to his quarters, his face etched with sorrow. The arrogant young lady from the powerful family he had rescued had been staying at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate for over a month. She had witnessed the process of a family's downfall firsthand and felt a deep sense of kinship.
During that month, Jin Hui had fallen deeply in love with her, treating her with the utmost respect and courtesy, as if she were an honored guest. He gave her the best of everything but never approached her, content to admire her from a distance. The famous saying of unrequited love, 'I'm happy just being able to see you,' seemed to perfectly describe Jin Hui at this moment.
He did everything for her that a man in love could do. Under the care of Jin Hui and his sister, the arrogant young lady, who had a congenital heart condition, found her emotional wounds slowly healing. She felt that this small garden where she lived was the happiest place on earth. But now, that happiness seemed to be coming to an end. Because the Jin Clan was about to be destroyed...
Then, for the first time, Jin Hui stepped forward and spoke.
“Miss Hongxian, I... I will take you home.”
The arrogant young lady of the powerful family was startled.
“What? You'll take me home?”
“The Young Master said that a great disaster will soon befall the Jin Clan. We cannot let you get caught up in it. If you tell me where your home is, I will escort you there. You are an innocent person; there's no reason for you to be buried with us here.”
The arrogant young lady's eyes instantly turned red. She stared at Jin Hui with a dazed expression and said.
“Jin Hui, do you like me?”
Jin Hui's face turned crimson all the way to his ears, and he couldn't say a word. The arrogant young lady asked him again.
“I was... violated by another man. Don't you despise me for that?”
Jin Hui shook his head desperately.
“No, no. Because of that, I feel I must respect you even more. To me, you are purer and more innocent than anyone.”
“Then from today, I am your bride. And this room is our bridal chamber.”
For a moment, Jin Hui looked dazed with immense happiness, then he quickly shook his head.
“I... I am not worthy of you, my lady. The Young Master said you come from a powerful family. I am not worthy...”
Before Jin Hui could finish, the arrogant young lady silenced him with a kiss. She immediately pushed Jin Hui onto the bed and spent the day with him. Jin Hui was truly something. He had consummated his marriage before Shen Lang!
* * *
After Mulan fled, Shen Lang was left alone in the study. But as Mulan ran out of the study, she gave a barely perceptible nod. Seeing that, Shen Lang's heart pounded wildly, and it took a long while for him to calm down. He looked to the east. The game board was turning quickly, and everything was proceeding according to plan. The only uncertainty in his plan now was Xu Qianqian in Raging Tide City.
Her role was crucial, the key that would determine the success or failure of everything. Since she hadn't sent any news, he had no idea how her part of the plan was progressing. Had she really become Qiu Yao'er's confidante? Don't tell me I, the great Shen Lang, have to resort to using a honey trap myself?
Shen Lang feared the female demon would clamp him between her legs and crush him in one go—no, kick him to death. Rumor had it that Qiu Yao'er was extremely hostile towards men, especially handsome ones. Just then, Jin Zhong rushed in and said urgently.
“Young Master, someone has come to collect a debt.”
Shen Lang asked in surprise.
“Didn't Shu Tingyu from the Hidden Yuan Society just leave?”
“It's Lin Mo from the Brocade Pavilion. He claims you borrowed a thousand gold coins from him and that several months have passed, so with interest, he demands you immediately return thirteen hundred gold coins.”
Shen Lang was dumbfounded. Back when he had framed and killed Lin Zhuo, Lin Mo had fled that very night. He was such a minor character that Shen Lang hadn't even bothered to hunt him down. And now this insignificant worm had come to humiliate him.
Has Lin Mo gone mad? This was more than just kicking a man when he's down. When had Shen Lang ever borrowed a thousand gold coins from him? They say even the powerful are bullied by the weak when they lose their status. The Count of Xuanwu's Estate hasn't even fallen yet, and some mere merchant dares to come looking for trouble? Does he have a death wish?
Enemies at the top of his list, like Tian Heng, Xu Guangyun, and Viscount Zhu Nanting, were far more formidable than Lin Mo, yet they were all dead. Lin Mo, you should be grateful you're still alive, yet you come barging in, courting death?
'What a cockroach! Impressive, truly impressive! For someone as resilient as you, I'll have to take special care to grant you an exceptional death.'
In the reception hall, Shen Lang met Lin Mo once again. The owner of the Brocade Pavilion was the first person to betray him. Lin Mo had not come alone; he brought an official with him, one who appeared to hold a rather high rank. Because his son Lin Zhuo had died at Shen Lang's hands, Lin Mo made no effort to hide the resentment he harbored.
“Shen Lang, you once sold me the secret formula for the golden-yellow dye and took a thousand gold coins from me. But that formula was stolen from the Xu Clan, so shouldn't you return my thousand gold coins? Even if you are the son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu, you can't just ignore your debts!”
'What? Even a nobody like you can twist the truth and make false claims. When did I ever take a thousand gold coins from you?'
Just then, another enemy, Zhu Wenhua, arrived, accompanied by the Lord of Youwu Rock and two unfamiliar officials.
“Shen Lang, I have filed a complaint against you. You are accused of murdering my father, Viscount Zhu Nanting. Come with me to the Prefect's office!”
Shen Lang laughed to himself.
'Interesting. This is getting more and more interesting. This show is about to get a lot more entertaining!'
Shen Lang was extremely curious.
'Lin Mo of the Brocade Pavilion, how has this cockroach managed to stay alive all this time? It seems he's even plotting to use me as a stepping stone. And who is that official with him? He looks familiar...'
The man was an official from the State of Yue's Weaving Bureau.
'The Royal Weaving Bureau originally worked with Xu Guangyun, but now that he's dead, has Lin Mo taken his place?'
“Manager Lin, have you taken over Xu Guangyun's business?”
“That is correct. Unworthy as I am, I received the undeserved favor of the esteemed lords of the Weaving Bureau and have taken Lord Xu Guangyun's place.”
“Congratulations. Manager Xu's death was a truly unfortunate affair. As the Count of Xuanwu's Estate also raises silkworms, we are in need of a major client. I hope Manager Lin will be of great assistance in the future.”
Lin Mo feigned a smile.
'Your Count of Xuanwu's Estate has no future.'
He used to be a man so cautious he was almost timid, but after the death of his son, Lin Zhuo, he shed that pretense. But how had he managed to replace Xu Guangyun and form a partnership with the Weaving Bureau's merchants?
It was all thanks to the Count of Jing'an's Estate.
Wu Zhaozhong had sent men to kill Lin Zhuo, but he had spared his father, Lin Mo. To him, Lin Mo was a very useful pawn.
When Xu Guangyun died and the Xu Clan fell, the Weaving Bureau needed someone to continue the business, and the sericulturists of Tiannan Province needed a client to buy their goods. The sudden collapse of the Xu Clan left a huge market share vacant, and someone had to fill that void. In this process, the stock of Lin Mo from the Brocade Pavilion naturally skyrocketed.
The interests of the Count of Jing'an's Estate and Lin Mo aligned perfectly, and from then on, Lin Mo handled the Wu Clan's dirty work. In return, the Count of Jing'an secured Lin Mo the right to trade with the Royal Weaving Bureau, establishing a partnership between the Brocade Pavilion and the bureau. And so, Lin Mo, the owner of the Brocade Pavilion, became triumphant once more. Not only that, but to humiliate Shen Lang, he had even brought an official from the Weaving Bureau to the estate for backup.