Chapter 346 - 333: Visitors
Liyang City, Zhou Mansion.
The last heavy, iron-strapped wooden chest was carried into the storeroom and stacked with the other chests that already formed a mountain inside the room.
The storeroom door slowly closed, and the heavy bolt fell with a dull CLACK.
Standing guard outside, Chen Shouheng finally let out a long sigh of relief, the tension he had been holding finally easing. "Thankfully, the Jiangkou County Black Market reopened in time," he said, his voice laced with relief. "Otherwise, we might have had to travel all the way to the Wuzhou Black Market to make the exchange. We never would have made it back in time."
"You’ve worked hard, Husband. I’ve already had the maids prepare hot water. Go wash up and get rid of your fatigue."
Zhou Shuwei replied softly.
Ten days prior, a clerk from the Commandery Magistrate’s Office had officially delivered a document bearing the Official Seal to the Zhou Mansion. It stated that the Sun Family’s assets would be publicly auctioned in half a month and invited the Chen Family to participate.
This was all within their expectations.
At almost the same time, however, all sorts of rumors about the matter spread like wildfire both inside and outside the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, creating a huge stir.
The content of these rumors was surprisingly consistent, and no one seemed to be trying to hide it.
This time, the Sun Family’s assets would be divided into three parts and sold separately to the Lingxi Chen Family, the Commandery City’s Cao Family, and a Tan Family that almost no one had ever heard of.
The fact that this information was so readily available made Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei wary.
They immediately had Bai San contact Suo Li Weng, their spy embedded in the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, but the reply was that he also knew nothing about this Tan Family’s background.
However, he did provide a crucial clue.
In the rear hall of the Governor’s Mansion, the secluded courtyard where the late Governor He Mingyun used to live had recently been occupied. It was now heavily guarded, and no one could get near it.
The person living inside clearly had an extremely high status, but their specific identity could not be determined.
This vague information, however, made everything instantly clear to Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei.
This suddenly appearing Tan Family, along with the mysterious figure in the rear hall of the Commandery Magistrate’s Office, were likely the true forces behind this sudden turn of events.
Although they couldn’t get the most critical information, the two of them did not panic.
However, with the Cao Family and that mysterious Tan Family suddenly in the picture, the amount of silver they had originally estimated would likely no longer be enough.
Due to huge investments in purchasing silkworm cocoons and other things, the Chen Family’s vault back in the old Lingxi residence only had a little over 1.3 million silver taels left. They did, however, have 6,300 taels of gold remaining.
They had previously used one thousand taels to bribe Zhao Yuanhong, leaving 5,300 taels.
Just then, news arrived that the Jiangkou County Black Market had reopened as the recent turmoil subsided.
After discussing it, the couple decided that Zhou Shuwei would remain in Liyang to manage the situation and keep an eye on the Commandery Magistrate’s Office.
Chen Shouheng, on the other hand, would take a full five thousand taels of gold, return to Lingxi, bring Elder Zhan along, and travel to the Jiangkou Black Market to exchange it all for silver.
The trip to Jiangkou went quite smoothly; five thousand taels of gold were exchanged for one million taels of silver.
Afterward, Chen Shouheng and Elder Zhan didn’t dare to delay, immediately transporting the one million silver taels back to Liyang City and depositing them in the Zhou Mansion’s silver vault.
At this point, the Chen Family’s available funds for the auction reached the enormous sum of two million three hundred thousand taels of silver, enough to handle any potential price inflation.
Besides, the most they would actually need to spend was one million taels of silver.
Once the silver was in the vault, the porters who had transported it settled their wages and began to disperse.
Just as Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei were about to head to their room, they suddenly heard the faint sounds of scolding and arguing from the front courtyard.
The two exchanged a puzzled glance.
Chen Shouheng frowned slightly and started walking toward the front courtyard.
Zhou Shuwei followed close behind, half a step slower.
「In the front courtyard.」
A sturdy man in coarse linen clothes, one of the porters who had carried the silver chests, had not taken his payment and left like the others. Instead, he stood his ground, calmly surveying his surroundings.
A Zhou Mansion steward was approaching him, his tone already impatient. "You there! Haven’t you been paid? What are you still dawdling here for? Leave at once!"
The man in linen ignored the servant’s rebuke. "I have business and need to see the master of the house alone."
The steward’s brow furrowed, and he raised his voice. "This is a private residence. It’s not proper for outsiders to linger."
The man remained silent, acting as if he hadn’t heard the steward’s scolding at all.
Chen Shouheng raised a hand to stop the steward, his gaze falling upon the man.
Focusing his attention, he realized the man actually had the Cultivation of the Second Level of the Spirit Realm, the Profound Acupoint Pass.
’When did such an unknown Spirit Realm expert appear?’
’And why did he have to show up in the very crew I hired to transport my silver?’
Chen Shouheng’s expression changed slightly.
This time, because the transport was within Liyang’s territory and the distance wasn’t far, and with Elder Zhan escorting them, he hadn’t hired an escort agency. Instead, he had just used a porter service.
There were many porters, and he hadn’t indeed inspected each one of them carefully beforehand.
"Who are you? And what business do you have with my wife and me?"
Zhou Shuwei took a step forward to stand by Chen Shouheng’s side.
Seeing that the masters of the house had arrived, the man in linen stopped beating around the bush. "There are too many eyes and ears here; this is no place to talk. I ask that you two move to a more secluded spot, and I will naturally explain my purpose."
Chen Shouheng stared at the man and pondered for a moment.
’If he really had malicious intent, he wouldn’t have waited until now.’
He glanced at Zhou Shuwei beside him. Seeing his wife give an almost imperceptible nod, he agreed, "Very well. Please, follow me."
The three of them went to the study in the inner courtyard.
"This place is secluded enough. You can speak freely now, can’t you?"
Chen Shouheng said in a low voice.
The man in linen took a neatly folded and wax-sealed calling card from his robes and presented it with both hands in a clean, swift motion. "By my master’s order, I am to present this card to you both."
Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei exchanged a glance, both seeing the confusion in the other’s eyes.
Chen Shouheng took the card and broke the wax seal.
On the card were a few lines of text written in elegant, hairpin-style small script:
To my dear Chen and Sister Shuwei: It has been years since we parted. When I heard that you, my senior brother and sister, had wed, Wenxuan was unable to congratulate you in person. I am filled with regret and apologies.
I only recently arrived in Liyang and learned that you both were here. While I was overjoyed, I felt even more uneasy about my previous oversight.
The memory of our friendship as classmates at the He Niu Martial Arts Academy feels like it was only yesterday. Today, I shamelessly wish to host a humble banquet to express my sincere feelings, and perhaps to make up for the regret of not being able to congratulate you in person.
I dearly hope my senior brother and sister can find the time to join me tonight at 7:45 PM for a gathering at the Purple Qi Pavilion on the third floor of the Drunken Creek Pavilion in Liyang. I will be waiting eagerly for your esteemed presence.
Sincerely, your little sister, Wenxuan.
The signature at the bottom was written in an elegant hand... Cao Wenxuan.
Seeing this name, Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei both started, then looked at each other, seeing the deep surprise and confusion in each other’s eyes.
’Cao Wenxuan? She’s in Liyang?’
Of course, they both remembered her. This Cao Wenxuan was their former classmate from the He Niu Martial Arts Academy.
Back then, they hadn’t been particularly close; Chen Shouheng, in particular, had even had some friction with her.
What’s more, she was a daughter of the Cao Family.
And the Cao Family was one of their public competitors in the upcoming auction of the Sun Family’s assets.
’Why is she sending an invitation now? To reminisce about old times? Or is it related to the Cao Family’s bid for the Sun Family’s assets?’
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Chen Shouheng looked up at the man in linen and nodded. "Thank you for your trouble in delivering this message. Please reply to Miss Cao that my wife and I will be there on time."
The man in linen cupped his fist. "In that case, my mission is complete. I will now report back to my master. We will await your arrival."
With that, he did not linger, turning to exit the study. His figure quickly disappeared from the courtyard.
Silence returned to the study.
"Cao Wenxuan..."
Chen Shouheng put down the invitation card, his brow furrowed as he looked at his wife. "Why would she invite us to meet at a time like this?"
Zhou Shuwei gently set down the card, looked at her husband, and shook her head. "There’s no point in guessing. But since she invited us on the basis of our past friendship as classmates, we should go tonight. We’ll know if she’s a friend or foe, and what her intentions are, once we meet her."
...
Night fell, and the festive lanterns were lit.
「At the Drunken Creek Pavilion.」
Compared to the one in Jingshan County, this establishment was many times grander.
The five-story main building featured upturned eaves, intricate brackets, and carved beams and painted rafters. Carriages filled the entrance as guests streamed in endlessly.
Today, Chen Shouheng wore a sapphire-blue brocade robe with a subtle dark pattern, cinched at the waist with a jade belt. By his side stood a young man dressed in a moon-white scholar’s shirt and a matching square cap—it was Zhou Shuwei, disguised as a man.
Coming to a place like this as a woman was inconvenient and would easily attract gossip.
The moment they stepped into the main hall, a graceful middle-aged beauty in a silk dress, still possessing great charm, came forward to greet them, fanning herself with a round fan and smiling.
Her gaze swept over Chen Shouheng, and she knew at once he was a young master of status. Then, she glanced at the young man beside him, and a knowing smile flickered in her eyes, though she didn’t say anything.
"You two young masters look unfamiliar. Is this your first time here?"
The beautiful woman’s voice was soft and sweet. "Are you here to meet someone, or would you like me to call a few elegant ladies to join you for drinks and songs?"
Chen Shouheng didn’t want to say much. He waved his hand and said, "We have an appointment. Please lead the way to the Purple Qi Pavilion, Madam."
As soon as he said "Purple Qi Pavilion," the smile on the woman’s face froze for a moment. She asked no more questions, covering her red lips with her fan and smiling. "Ah, so you are distinguished guests! Please, follow me."
Upon reaching the third floor, it was noticeably quieter. The occasional sound of stringed instruments and laughter that drifted out was subtle and subdued.
Reaching a room at the end of the hallway, the beautiful woman gently knocked on the door’s ring.
After a moment, the door opened a crack without a sound, and a maidservant peeked out. "What is it?"
Chen Shouheng said, "I’m here for an appointment."
The maidservant’s eyes flicked between Chen Shouheng and Zhou Shuwei before she asked, "Are you perhaps Master Shouheng?"
"I am."
The maidservant curtsied. "Please come in. My lady has been waiting for some time."
The two of them stepped inside.
The Purple Qi Pavilion was extremely spacious and exquisitely furnished. A soft carpet from the Western Regions covered the floor, and a massive rosewood screen inlaid with jade divided the room into inner and outer sections.
The maidservant led them around the screen.
The inner section was even more tranquil. A soft couch was placed by the window, with a low table set upon it.
On the couch, a woman in her early twenties sat waiting.
She had a refined beauty, her skin was fairer than snow, and her features held a scholarly tranquility.
It was Cao Wenxuan.
"Chen, Sister Shuwei."
Cao Wenxuan rose gracefully. As if reuniting with old friends, she gave a solemn curtsy, her voice tinged with apology. "It has been years. When I heard you two were married last year, I was far away in the provincial capital and couldn’t congratulate you in person. It is a true regret, and I have felt uneasy about it ever since. I hope that by inviting you so abruptly today, Brother Shouheng and Sister Shuwei will not think me rude."
Zhou Shuwei quickly reached out a hand as if to help her up, a smile on her face as she spoke softly, "Little Sister Wenxuan, what are you saying? It was we who were inconsiderate for not widely inviting our former classmates to our wedding. We should be the ones apologizing to you. We are already grateful that you don’t blame us for the slight."
Cao Wenxuan straightened up, taking Zhou Shuwei’s hand and smiling. "You are too kind, Sister. But inviting you to a ’den of smoke and flowers’ like this, I have truly wronged you."
She added with a hint of helplessness, "The situation in Liyang is delicate right now, and there are many eyes and ears. As a newcomer, I must be cautious about my movements. I thought that although this place has a certain reputation, it also draws a motley crowd, making it easier to speak freely. That’s why I dared to invite you here. I hope you don’t find it presumptuous or disrespectful, Sister."
Zhou Shuwei chuckled lightly. "Your intentions are good, little sister, how could I not know? In fact, it is I who have been negligent. Since you’ve come to Liyang, I should have been the one to host a welcome banquet for you at my home. I am the one who has been rude."
The two sides exchanged pleasantries.
Chen Shouheng observed quietly from the side, chiming in with a word or two now and then. The atmosphere was quite harmonious.
They chatted for a while longer about old times at the He Niu Martial Arts Academy.
After the warm-up conversation, Zhou Shuwei saw that the time was right and got to the point. "Little Sister Wenxuan, if I may be so bold as to ask, are you here in Liyang for a short visit, or... is it for some important business? If there is anything Shouheng and I can help with, please don’t hesitate to say so."
Hearing this, Cao Wenxuan’s smile faded, and her expression turned serious. "Sister Shuwei, you always speak your mind, so I won’t beat around the bush either. I came to Liyang for two reasons."
"First, for the assets originally belonging to the Sun Family that the Commandery Magistrate’s Office is about to sell."
Cao Wenxuan paused, her gaze burning as she looked at Chen Shouheng. "And second, at the request of my family’s elders, I wish to go to the grave of Mr. Chen Yongxiao to pay my respects."