Chapter 589
Chapter 589
Shen Lang's residence received two new guests: the nephew-in-law of Duke Bianwu and a close friend of the Duke's third son, Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, and his wife. It was the first time Shen Lang had met Yan Jin. His appearance, whiter than snow, befitted a young master who stood out in a sullied world. Young Master Lotus carried himself with an air of great pride and confidence.
“Young Master Shen, I plan to host a poetry gathering in three days. Why don't you and Yun Mengze join us? We could have some fun together…”
“I will not be going!”
Shen Lang’s cold reply startled Young Master Lotus.
‘Does Shen Lang have no regard for others’ dignity? Does he not know how to conduct himself?’
The smiles on his and his wife’s faces instantly froze. Young Master Lotus continued.
“How about Young Master Shen tries to persuade His Highness Ning Zheng?”
“No!”
“Young Master Shen, one never knows when misfortune will strike in life. In such times, one will surely need the help of friends.”
At that moment, Yan Jin’s wife, Duke Bianwu’s niece, Bian Xin, spoke directly.
“Shen Lang, the Flesh Guild’s business involves Bian Geng. He is the pride of my uncle, Duke Bianwu, and someone Consort Bian thinks of as her own son. Do you intend to let the sparks fly onto Bian Geng and Consort Bian? If that happens, can you handle the consequences? Our Bian Clan will be Ning Zheng’s greatest backer in his fight for the throne. He may not be quick-witted, but you, his strategist, should not be the same, should you?”
Shen Lang lifted his teacup and said, “Show our guests out!”
Young Master Lotus’s expression changed drastically as he shouted coldly, “Young Master Shen, the implementation of the Spring Thunder Operation is a truly fine thing. It has cleaned up the entire capital, allowing people to sleep with their doors unlocked at night. The citizens all praise His Highness Ning Zheng, so it is already a great success. But if the water is too clear, no fish will live. The fire you’ve started will eventually reach you. I may not have been clean in the business of the Flesh Guild, but this not only involves the Bian Clan, it will involve you as well. You are not clean in this matter either!”
Hearing this, Shen Lang was taken aback.
“This is the secret ledger of the Flesh Guild. Young Master Shen, take a good look. Isn’t Jinshan Pavilion a business of the Jin Clan? Doesn’t its manager send you money every month? The Flesh Guild gives a share to Jinshan Pavilion in its dealings, so Shen Lang, you are by no means clean. You receive money from the Flesh Guild every month.”
Shen Lang took the ledger and examined it. The entries were clearly recorded. For the past several months, Lianhua Pavilion, the headquarters of the Flesh Guild, had been making payments to Jinshan Pavilion. Someone had gone to great lengths, using any means necessary. They had engaged in inhuman trafficking and were now shifting the blame onto Shen Lang. The mastermind behind this was not just Bian Geng; it was far more complex. Now that the Spring Thunder Operation was set to wipe out the Flesh Guild, they had decided to detonate this landmine in advance.
Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, stared at Shen Lang and said, “If something happens to me, this ledger will be made public, and you won’t be able to escape. So, Shen Lang, nothing must happen to me! Go to Ning Zheng and persuade him. I believe you have the skill to change his mind!”
After speaking, Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, patted Shen Lang’s shoulder, laughed loudly, and turned to leave.
“Shen Lang, we are in the same boat. Don’t you dare let the sparks fly onto yourself!”
Upon hearing this, Shen Lang chuckled once and replied, “Very well. Don't worry. I will be sure to persuade His Highness Ning Zheng.”
“Young Master Shen is a man who knows what must be done. I shall take my leave then.”
Young Master Lotus, Yan Jin, led his wife out of the marquis's estate. Shen Lang gestured, and several shadows approached him.
“Make preparations, then kill Yan Jin’s entire family. Including Bian Xin!”
“Yes, my lord!”
“Thirteen!”
Shen Shisan stepped forward.
“The Hidden Yuan Society’s forces will mobilize in three days to make a major move against me. On that day, I will completely annihilate their branch!”
* * *
Jinshan Pavilion was the Jin Clan’s business in the capital. After Shen Lang arrived in the capital, Jinshan Pavilion essentially had only one mission: to do its utmost to earn money for Young Master Shen. The profits from the Jinshan Pavilion in the capital no longer needed to be sent to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate; they were all to be sent to Shen Lang. This was because his father-in-law and mother-in-law knew that Shen Lang was a prodigal who wore the finest clothes, ate the finest food, and drank the finest wine. Thus, Jinshan Pavilion’s sole purpose was to sustain Shen Lang’s unrestrained and extravagant lifestyle. As for Jin Mucong, he couldn’t even spend ten gold taels a month, so money could be sent to him whenever it was convenient.
So, how much did Jinshan Pavilion earn each year? After deducting all business costs, the net profit was over several thousand gold taels. The profit was quite astonishing. That was the amount earned from just one shop in the capital. So, what did Jinshan Pavilion sell? It sold only luxury goods. While there were no items like Gucci or Prada, it sold things that women found irresistible. For example, face masks, perfumes, shampoos, soaps, glass necklaces, and earrings. Recently, it had even started selling nearsighted glasses and magnifying glasses, and a few months ago, it had introduced cigarettes. In any case, anyone not carrying ten thousand gold taels on their person couldn’t even step into the shop.
Everything sold in the shop was expensive. Moreover, apart from daily necessities, the rest of the items had purchase limits, and some could only be bought by nobles. What if a wealthy merchant came into the shop and desperately wanted to buy one of those items? Apologies, but the manager would very politely inform him that it was a non-sale sample and that the shop had no more stock of that item. But an hour later, if a count came to buy the same item, stock would magically appear. This was their method. The shop sold items that allowed one to show off and maintain one's dignity.
Although business at Jinshan Pavilion wasn't booming to the point of being overwhelming, it took the entire capital by storm. The daughters of powerful families felt they weren't even qualified to attend formal social gatherings if they didn't use the perfumes and face masks from Jinshan Pavilion. Later, Jinshan Pavilion also sold a small quantity of exquisitely designed, form-fitting undergarments and leggings, which soon became fashionable among the highest echelons of the nobility. Because the products were simply too alluring. When a woman wore the form-fitting underwear from Jinshan Pavilion and stood before a mirror, even an ordinary woman would look like a great beauty, causing her husband to become utterly infatuated with her.
Of course, whenever an item became popular, counterfeits were bound to appear, and the goods sold at Jinshan Pavilion were no exception. Many shops replicated the products sold at Jinshan Pavilion, even copying the gold-engraved logo. But the strange thing was, Shen Lang was abroad at the time and couldn't crack down on the fake goods, yet in the end, the nobles of the capital took it upon themselves to eliminate all imitations.
At gatherings, many noble ladies would openly take out their purchased items to distinguish between genuine and fake, and if any woman dared to bring out a counterfeit, she would be ostracized from their circle. The nobles had spent a great deal of money on Jinshan Pavilion's products and wanted to maintain its prestige. If someone of a lower status tried to use the same items as them, and counterfeit ones at that, would they think that person was qualified to associate with them?
Thus, even before Shen Lang had to lift a finger, the counterfeit products vanished from the market. And the most peculiar thing was that all the nobles were hostile toward Shen Lang, holding a "you die or I live" mentality. Yet, even though they all knew Jinshan Pavilion was Shen Lang’s business, they didn't boycott it. Instead, they considered it an honor to use its products.
Of course, Jinshan Pavilion was merely a place that sold creations Shen Lang made in his spare time, so he paid it no mind. In fact, many of the products currently sold there were not even designed by him. Furthermore, the astonishing annual profit from this shop was nothing compared to the speed at which Shen Lang squandered his fortune. Our Master Shen spent hundreds of thousands of gold taels every month; not even a luxury shop, but a grand emporium, would be insufficient to fund his profligacy.
Did Shen Lang intend to make money through Jinshan Pavilion? My apologies, but he had just swindled five million gold taels. Oh, no, he had earned five million gold taels through donations. But contrary to Shen Lang’s thoughts, for Jin Wan, the manager of Jinshan Pavilion, the shop was her everything. This woman was Mulan’s wet nurse. Naturally sociable, she had been managing the Jin Clan’s villa in the capital. Later, she managed Jinshan Pavilion, becoming a prominent figure among the trendsetters of the capital. Yet, despite being in the same city, Shen Lang had only interacted with her a few times. She was already over forty, and whenever she visited, it was not Shen Lang she met to go over the ledgers, but Bing'er.
* * *
Right now, Jin Wan, the manager of Jinshan Pavilion, was kneeling before Shen Lang. Her elegant face was pale and bloodless, her entire body trembling. Shen Lang carefully examined the ledger and asked her, “Half a year ago, Jinshan Pavilion invested in Yan Jin’s Lianhua Pavilion?”
“Yes!”
Shen Lang looked at the investment contract from that time. There was nothing wrong with it; it looked like a normal business collaboration. It was a matter that Jin Wan didn't even need to mention to Shen Lang, or even have him review, so she had reported it to Bing'er. Bing’er, her face pale, asked in a trembling voice, “Young Master, did I cause trouble? I was the one who approved it. I did investigate. Lianhua Pavilion is a place where Her Highness Consort Bian has donated items, and the plaque for the Lianhua Academy was written by Her Highness. And at that time, we had a very close relationship with Her Highness Consort Bian.”
This matter was an incredibly deep conspiracy. Lianhua Pavilion—did the name sound like a brothel? In fact, it was not a brothel but a very refined organization. It was half business, half charity. On the surface, it seemed to have no connection whatsoever with the Flesh Guild, which bought and sold people. Firstly, it was an auction house, and a significant portion of the money earned from auctions was used to raise homeless orphans. Secondly, it was also an academy, exclusively taking in unfortunate children to educate them. In any case, Lianhua Pavilion was a very respectable place, which was why Consort Bian had donated items and written a plaque for it.
Consort Bian truly loved children; the greatest regret of her life was not having a child of her own. Since Lianhua Pavilion took in homeless children and even educated them, it naturally moved her heart. Moreover, Young Master Lotus was her nephew-in-law and a schoolmate and close friend of her nephew, Bian Geng. After some gentle persuasion from Yan Jin’s wife, Bian Xin, Consort Bian wrote the characters for the Lianhua Academy's plaque. In her view, it was not a violation of regulations or an act that would invite suspicion of meddling in state affairs. With Consort Bian’s calligraphy, the reputation of Lianhua Pavilion and Young Master Lotus soared, and he came to be seen as an incarnation of an angel.
At the time, Jin Wan had also seen this and decided to collaborate with Lianhua Pavilion. Jinshan Pavilion consigned some of its very precious limited-edition luxury goods to Lianhua Pavilion for auction. Additionally, Jinshan Pavilion donated a certain amount of money to Lianhua Academy each year to help the unfortunate children. Because he ran Lianhua Pavilion, Young Master Lotus Yan Jin’s fame skyrocketed overnight, and he gained an angelic reputation. It was for this reason that Ning Zheng had considered him worthy of employment.
Who would have thought that he was the mastermind behind the human-trafficking Flesh Guild? The Flesh Guild had a poor reputation but had never broken the law. This was because it was the Sunflower Gang that kidnapped children for money. But this Sunflower Gang was merely working for Young Master Lotus. Yan Jin was an extremely clever man, having set up a double buffer. In public, he pretended to be a benevolent angel, while in the shadows, he ran the filthiest, most sinful business. Yan Jin was truly no ordinary person.
‘Impressive, very impressive!’