Building a Martial Dao Celestial Family by Laying Low

The study door closed softly.

Zhou Shuwei stood in the center of the room, looking directly at Chen Li.

She skipped the pleasantries and got straight to the point. "Patriarch Chen, I implore you to save the Zhou Family."

Chen Li didn’t answer immediately, only shaking his head slowly. "Patriarch Zhou, you overestimate my Chen Family. We are but a countryside family. What ability do we have to provoke the Textile Bureau?"

Zhou Shuwei gritted her teeth. "Just as Shouheng said earlier, this matter is definitely not the will of the Court. Based on my own judgment, someone must be coveting my Zhou Family’s Official Tribute share. They’ve bribed the garrison eunuch of the Textile Bureau, colluded with him, and are using the Court’s name to carry out this blatant robbery."

Chen Li pressed, "Then, according to your deductions, Patriarch Zhou, who might this mastermind be?"

Zhou Shuwei pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "I... don’t know for certain yet. However, it must be one of the other eight families with an Official Tribute Contract from the Textile Bureau. Only they would have the audacity and the means to plot against my Zhou Family.

"Over the past two years, while my Zhou Family has been contracting and acting conservatively, the other eight families have all been taking advantage of the ’rice to mulberry’ decree to madly annex the common people’s fields and expand their mulberry plantations. They all have a motive. But as for which specific family it is, I have no definitive proof."

Chen Li glanced at her. Although the Zhou Family hadn’t gotten their own hands dirty, they had still gotten a piece of the pie through their cooperation with his family.

’This Patriarch Zhou is quite good at absolving herself of any blame,’ he thought.

Zhou Shuwei continued, "After thinking it over and over, I believe that besides the Official Tribute Contract itself, their elaborate scheme against my Zhou Family is likely aimed at our one thousand-plus looms and more than two thousand skilled weavers."

"In the end, all of this is just your speculation, Patriarch Zhou."

Chen Li shook his head again.

"We’ll know whether it’s true or not if we test them!"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhou Shuwei’s eyes. "If they are truly trying to swallow my Zhou Family whole, they definitely won’t let this go so easily. As long as they’re plotting something, they’re bound to slip up."

She looked up at Chen Li and laid out her plan. "I will spread a rumor that Elder Zhan is gravely injured with no hope of recovery and that his days are numbered. Second, I will order all of the Zhou Family’s Textile Workshops to halt production. I will then spread another rumor that my family has purchased forty thousand bolts of silk from Bazhou, which will soon be delivered to Liyang.

"If this plan succeeds and the mastermind truly has designs on us, they will see that the Zhou Family has resolved this crisis and will inevitably be unable to resist jumping out to make another move. At that time, we’ll just need you, Patriarch Chen, and Elder Zhan to lie in wait, strike at the opportune moment, and capture them. Then we will surely get to the bottom of this."

Chen Li gave Zhou Shuwei a deep look, slightly surprised.

’For this woman to clear her head from despair in such a short time and come up with a plan to lure the snake from its hole—a strategy of finding life in a dead-end situation...’

’Her quick-wittedness and courage are truly beyond that of any ordinary woman.’

He nodded. "The plan is feasible. But what if no one takes the bait? Or what if the person who does has power far beyond what the Zhou Family, or even my Chen Family, can handle? What will you do then, Patriarch Zhou?"

Zhou Shuwei was silent for a long time. The color drained from her face, eventually replaced by a bitter smile. "If that’s truly the case... then it means the Zhou Family’s time is up, and we were fated to be destroyed. I... can only accept my fate."

Chen Li asked, "Have you only thought about self-preservation, Patriarch Zhou? Have you not considered taking the initiative to strike?"

Zhou Shuwei froze, her head snapping up. A brilliant light burst forth from her beautiful eyes. "Do you have a masterstroke, Patriarch Chen? Please, enlighten me!"

Chen Li shook his head. "I don’t have a masterstroke, but I do have a risky gambit. However... when all is said and done, this is the Zhou Family’s business. It doesn’t have much to do with my Chen Family."

He picked up his teacup and took a sip of the cold tea. "If you want me to intervene, Patriarch Zhou, you’ll need to give me... a reason persuasive enough for me to do so."

Zhou Shuwei instantly understood Chen Li’s meaning.

After a brief silence, she took a deep breath. Without any beating around the bush, she laid her cards on the table. "Patriarch Chen, I am willing to offer all the looms and weavers from my Textile Workshops as a dowry...

"I hope the Chen Family will form a marriage alliance with the Zhou Family, and that Shouheng will marry my niece, Qingyi. From then on, the Zhou and Chen families will be bound together, sharing all fortunes and glory. I only ask that you act, Patriarch Chen, and help the Zhou Family survive this deadly crisis, preserving the small foundation our ancestors left behind."

When she finished, she stared intently into Chen Li’s eyes, her breathing slightly ragged.

This was the only way she could think of to save the Zhou Family.

Forget the Jiangzhou Textile Bureau; in its current state, the Zhou Family was powerless to resist even the other Noble Families.

The Eldest Branch of the Zhou Family no longer had a successor.

As for the side branches, although a few were competent, none of them had a Grandmaster. Nor did they have deep roots in the Court. They couldn’t provide any substantial help.

Showing weakness to the side branches now would only give them an opportunity to take advantage. It was highly likely they would be supplanted, and the Eldest Branch’s assets would be completely swallowed up.

Such things were not uncommon among the great Noble Families.

The Chen Family, on the other hand, though not famous, had a true Grandmaster like Chen Li at its head.

If their families united and supported each other, even someone with ulterior motives would have to think twice about whether they could handle the backlash from two Grandmasters at once.

After all, among the Jiangzhou Five Surnames and Seven Hopes—the twelve Noble Families—even the lower-ranked ones only had one or two Grandmasters presiding over them.

As long as they could get through this crisis, the Zhou Family would at least gain some breathing room to safely pass through these most difficult years.

As long as their foundation remained, they wouldn’t have to fear being unable to rise again.

Furthermore, Chen Shouheng was already on the verge of the Spirit Realm Second Level. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to pass the examination to become a Martial Scholar.

Once he entered the Court, the Zhou Family would have an ally there.

They could slowly plan for the future after that.

This was the best solution Zhou Shuwei could find at the moment.

However, Chen Li didn’t answer immediately after listening.

The looms and weavers were both things he wanted.

His family’s more than five thousand seven hundred acres of land had all been planted with mulberry trees.

If they only sold silkworm cocoons, they would only ever make a small profit.

Five catties of fresh cocoons produced one catty of silk.

Seven catties of silk produced one bolt of silk cloth.

The material cost for one bolt of silk cloth was merely three taels and five maces of silver.

But the market price for a bolt of silk cloth was around twenty taels of silver.

Even after adding the costs of looms, weavers, and other expenses, the total cost was no more than seven or eight taels of silver.

The Jiangzhou Textile Bureau bought it at a discount, and there was still a 100% profit margin.

With his family’s five thousand seven hundred and five acres of land, once the mulberry trees matured, selling only cocoons would bring in just forty to fifty thousand taels of silver.

If he could get the looms and weavers, they could produce at least thirty thousand bolts of silk cloth a year, bringing in an annual income of over two hundred thousand taels.

Only then would his family truly have a foundation comparable to that of a Noble Family.

Relying solely on the output of their fields was simply not enough.

But this wasn’t what he wanted most.

After all, without the Official Tribute Contract from the Textile Bureau, trying to sell thirty thousand bolts of silk cloth a year on the open market would take forever. The Jiangzhou market simply couldn’t absorb that much.

Seeing Chen Li staring at her intently and slowly shaking his head, Zhou Shuwei’s heart sank.

However, Chen Li’s next words left her completely stunned.

"A marriage alliance is possible."

Chen Li’s voice was calm.

Zhou Shuwei had just begun to breathe a sigh of relief.

Chen Li continued, "But the one Shouheng will marry is not Zhou Qingyi."

Zhou Shuwei froze, stunned. "Then... who is it?"

Chen Li dropped the bombshell, his gaze like a torch. "It’s you, Zhou Shuwei."

"Me?!"

Zhou Shuwei’s pretty face flushed crimson, then the color drained away just as quickly, leaving her pale. "Patriarch Chen, you must be joking. I am more than eleven years older than Shouheng. I am long... long past the suitable age for marriage.

"Besides, all these years, I have been showing my face in public to support my family, dealing with merchants and Officials. How could I possibly be worthy of a young talent like your son? I beg you, Patriarch Chen, please state another condition."

But Chen Li slowly shook his head, his tone decisive and leaving no room for negotiation. "Regarding the marriage alliance, if the bride is you, we can talk. If it’s Zhou Qingyi, there’s no need to mention it again. As for how much of a dowry you bring to my Chen Family, that is your own business."

Zhou Shuwei stood frozen, her mind in a tangled mess. Her face shifted between red and white, a complex mix of shame, shock, and embarrassment swirling within her.

"This... this matter."

Her voice was hoarse and tinged with bewilderment. "I’m afraid... I’m afraid Shouheng... probably wouldn’t agree. Besides, if he were to marry me, I can’t imagine how much gossip it would cause."

She struggled to find a seemingly reasonable excuse.

Chen Li’s expression was indifferent. "A marriage is decided by the parents’ order and the matchmaker’s word. Shouheng will not refuse. Of course, I can also ask for his opinion. You may also think it over carefully. You don’t need to reply immediately."

He gently pushed the choice back to Zhou Shuwei.

As far as Chen Li was concerned, of all the women his eldest son Shouheng had met, the one he actually favored the most was Zhou Shuwei.

Shouheng was both the eldest son and the son of the primary wife.

Although it was still early, Chen Li planned to pass the family enterprise down to him.

This was also why Chen Li had sent Shouye to open an apothecary in the county town early on.

Therefore, Chen Li was being extra cautious in choosing a wife for Shouheng.

That Zhou Qingyi... Chen Li had met her once last year when delivering silkworm cocoons. She was spoiled, willful, and had many odd quirks.

She had been in charge of the family for less than a year and had already been too quick to trust others, leading the Zhou Family to the brink of collapse.

Chen Li didn’t dare accept someone with such a temperament, judgment, and ability into his family.

Neither Mu Yuanying nor Liu Ruoyi—a junior who had come to visit Liu Zongying two days ago—could compare to the woman before him now, Zhou Shuwei, in Chen Li’s mind.

Although she was slightly older, for a martial artist, breaking into the Spirit Realm granted a lifespan of one hundred and fifty years. As one’s Realm grew higher, one’s lifespan would increase accordingly.

The eleven-year age gap was truly nothing.

Of course, the most important factors were her resolute and decisive character, her calm demeanor in the face of trouble, and her considerable wisdom. Even rarer was her years of practical experience managing a household.

Although the Zhou Family had been in decline under her leadership in recent years...

...that was due to an overwhelming trend, not something a single person could reverse.

To be able to keep the family from collapsing after losing their backing in the Court and being besieged by problems both internal and external was a testament to her ability and character.

If she could genuinely marry into the Chen Family and assist Shouheng, Chen Li would be more than happy to see it happen.

Of course, besides all that, there was another important reason why he was entertaining the idea.

After reaching the Void Transformation level, Chen Li’s Cultivation sessions were no longer like before, lasting a few hours at most.

Now, whenever he settled down to cultivate, he needed to enter seclusion for at least several days.

He could foresee that the higher his Cultivation, the longer his periods of seclusion would become.

With Shouheng away, the family truly needed someone to manage its affairs.

His wife, Song Ying, was ultimately from a Humble Family and had a limited perspective.

He was at ease letting her manage the household’s internal matters.

But when it came to running the entire family, Chen Li was not at ease.

And the woman before him now was a perfect fit.

However, it seemed her heart was still with the Zhou Family; otherwise, she wouldn’t have proposed that her niece marry Chen Shouheng.