The Heaven Character Room No. 1.
Fragrant incense curled softly in the air.
Prince Wu, Zhao Chengze, reclined on a cushioned couch by the window, idly toying with a jade pendant in his hand.
Thirteen pushed the door open and entered, reporting in a low voice, “Your Highness, Xie Wenyuan has left.”
“Oh?” Zhao Chengze’s hand paused. “How did he perform?”
“…Reporting to Your Highness,” Thirteen’s expression remained as cold and unmoving as ice, “he was no different from the others. He was equally baffled and could not answer. In the end, he even attempted to use his official authority to pressure others, but was frightened away by this subordinate.”
“Heh.” Zhao Chengze let out a soft laugh, the tone filled with contempt.
“A corrupt pedant who only knows how to maneuver for personal gain. If he could answer it, that would truly be a miracle.”
“Your Highness…” Thirteen asked in a low voice, “it has already been five days. All the prominent merchants, wealthy households, and scholars in Leping County… nearly everyone has come.”
“Should we… continue waiting?”
Hearing this, Zhao Chengze looked at his most capable shadow guard with a faint, knowing smile.
“Thirteen.”
“This subordinate is here.”
“Normally when I do not ask you anything, you remain as quiet as a mute gourd. Why are you so talkative today?”
“….” Thirteen’s expression stiffened slightly.
Lowering his head, he muttered softly, “This subordinate only… feels that the person Your Highness is waiting for…”
Thirteen swallowed.
“That Miss Xie… may still be confined in the ancestral hall and unable to hear this news.”
“Hmm?” Zhao Chengze’s gaze suddenly sharpened.
“Get out.” He laughed and scolded.
“Yes!”
Thirteen fled as if granted amnesty, disappearing instantly through the door.
The room fell silent once more.
Zhao Chengze leaned back against the couch again, his fingers tapping idly against the window frame.
“That small ancestral hall could never hold you.”
He was waiting.
“Xie… Xie…”
“This trap was set only for you.”
A hint of a proud smile curved his lips.
“That Xie Wenyuan cannot resolve the troubles caused by Wang Yushi. He is as anxious as an ant on a hot pan.”
“And I,” he said, glancing down at the long queue still stretching outside, “am his only lifeline.”
“You… will not be able to resist.”
“In this entire world, aside from you and me, who else could come up with such a business?”
“Xie… come quickly.”
“I cannot wait to see you… take the bait.”
The “Zhou merchant caravan” in Leping County was like a massive stone dropped into the stagnant waters of the Xie family.
At the center of the storm, Xie Qingyan remained confined within the ancestral hall, completely cut off from the outside world.
Her only channel of information came through Chun Cao.
“Miss! Time to eat!”
Chun Cao pushed the door open, her young face a mixture of excitement, confusion, and disdain. She placed down the usual bowl of plain porridge and steamed buns, then eagerly began her Chun Cao Daily Report.
“Miss! You wouldn’t believe it! Everyone outside has gone mad! That Lingyue Tavern has practically become a second county office!”
While helping arrange the dishes, Chun Cao vividly described the unprecedented spectacle using every bit of vocabulary she could muster.
“…That steward said their master wants to find partners to do business with! Their master provides the money, handles all connections, and deals with everything! We just need to show up, and we can take seventy percent of the profits!”
Xie Qingyan’s hand holding the spoon paused slightly.
They cover everything? And give away seventy percent? Such a bold move. What exactly are they after? Could it be that even in ancient times, there were schemes like those from northern Myanmar or pig-butchering scams?
“But guess what?” Chun Cao curled her lip, full of disdain. “It turned out to be a huge scam!”
“Oh?” Xie Qingyan finally looked up, her interest piqued.
“Exactly!” Chun Cao felt the whole thing was ridiculous. “That steward gave me a challenge! He said the items they want to sell include both ‘gold’ and ‘stones.’ Then he insists on selling the gold and stones at the same price!”
Chun Cao burst out laughing. “Miss, tell me, how could such a business exist? Who would pay the price of gold to buy a stone?”
“But that’s not even the most absurd part!” Chun Cao said indignantly. “They also said that before buying, you cannot see the item! You must pay first! Only after paying and opening it will you know whether you made a profit or a loss!”
Clink!
Xie Qingyan’s porcelain spoon slipped from her hand and fell into the bowl, splashing a small amount of porridge.
Chun Cao’s laughter abruptly stopped. “…Miss?”
Xie Qingyan did not move.
On her delicate, pale face, the color slowly drained away.
It was not fear.
It was… shocking.
A kind of indescribable shock, as though her soul had been struck heavily.
…Selling common and rare items at the same price… information asymmetry… paying first, verifying later… exploiting human greed and the gambler’s mentality…
This…
This sounded familiar…
This was not a scam…
It was something she had known all too well in her previous world, something that had driven crowds into frenzy…
Blind boxes.
A form of commercial strategy that achieved dimensional reduction against its time.
How could people of this era possibly understand it?
And in Leping County, such a mastermind actually existed?
She had always believed this was a backward, feudal ancient world. Yet unexpectedly, in this small county, there appeared… a genius from another era.
“Miss, tell me,” Chun Cao tugged at her sleeve when she remained silent, “who in the world would buy such a thing?”
“They would,” Xie Qingyan said calmly.
“Huh?”
“Not only would they, but if executed properly,” Xie Qingyan took another spoonful of porridge, “this business could generate immense profits, and tens of thousands of people would line up to buy it.”
Chun Cao stared at her, mouth agape, as though she had just heard something out of a legend.
For the first time, Xie Qingyan developed a strong interest in this business genius.
“My father,” she suddenly asked, “did he go?”
According to Xie Qingyan’s assessment, Xie Wenyuan would not pass up such an opportunity. He was already on the verge of losing his position, and if he could unite with merchants to bring prosperity to Leping County, it would be a valuable achievement.
The public was already half skeptical of the rumors, but if their own magistrate acted for their benefit, who would bother investigating such trivial rumors?
“Huh?” Chun Cao paused, then nodded vigorously. “Oh! He went! He went! The master joined the queue on the fifth day! I heard from the servants at the yamen that he came out after half an hour with a dark expression… it seems he could not answer it either.”
“Heh.” Xie Qingyan let out a quiet laugh.
She had already expected this outcome.
A mind stuffed with empty classical phrases could never solve such a problem.
She understood now. This puzzle was her opportunity.
Her only chance to escape her confinement, to break free from Xie Wenyuan’s control, and to remove the looming threat of Censor Wang.
“Miss…?” Chun Cao called.
“Chun Cao,” Xie Qingyan set down her bowl, “prepare brush and ink.”
She was going to present a proposal.