Inside the private room, fragrant incense curled gently through the air.
Zhao Chengze wore a dark robe patterned with subtle designs, his long hair loosely tied with a single jade hairpin. He reclined lazily on the couch, yet the aura surrounding him was nothing like that of a merchant, but rather the detached authority of one long accustomed to power.
“M-Master Zhou.” Xie Wenyuan pushed the door open, a thin sheen of sweat on his forehead. “What you requested, this official has completed.”
Zhao Chengze gave a soft hum without lifting his head, merely casting a glance toward Thirteen.
Understanding at once, Thirteen stepped forward, accepted the thick document, and presented it to Zhao Chengze.
Zhao Chengze set aside his dagger and casually flipped it open.
At a single glance, a faint glimmer passed through his deep phoenix eyes.
The handwriting was Xie Wenyuan’s, but the logic within, the scope, the precise grasp of human greed, were far beyond what that fool’s mind could produce.
“…Under the name Curio Pavilion, it shall be divided into three series: Heavenly Craft, Earthly Treasures, and Human Harmony. The Heavenly Craft series will gather ingenious works from artisans across the land. The Earthly Treasures series will collect rare antiques from all corners of the world. The Human Harmony series will… sell calligraphy from contemporary figures, and even… literary works?”
A slight smile curved Zhao Chengze’s lips.
Interesting! She had even outlined the rudiments of what would later be called intellectual property.
He found himself imagining Xie Qingyan as she wrote this proposal.
Closing the document, Zhao Chengze turned his gaze toward the uneasy Xie Wenyuan.
“Magistrate Xie,” he said calmly.
That single form of address made Xie Wenyuan tremble.
“This prince… ahem, this merchant, is very satisfied.” Zhao Chengze interlaced his fingers and leaned forward slightly. “This proposal is ingenious in conception and clearly reflects the great talent of its author. I have decided to invest two hundred thousand taels of silver in Leping County to establish the first Curio Pavilion dedicated to this enterprise.”
Two hundred thousand taels!
Xie Wenyuan felt dizzy, his breathing quickening. Such an investment could open a sizable establishment even in the capital. Securing this would almost guarantee him a superior performance evaluation.
“Many thanks, Master!” Xie Wenyuan hurriedly bowed deeply.
“But—” Zhao Chengze’s tone shifted, turning cold.
Xie Wenyuan’s heart leapt to his throat.
Zhao Chengze glanced at Thirteen.
Thirteen immediately stepped forward. “Magistrate Xie, my master says that this venture is intricately designed, each step linked to the next. To ensure success, the one who proposed this strategy must personally participate in the initial preparations.”
“Do you… understand?” he emphasized the words “the one who proposed it.”
Cold sweat broke out on Xie Wenyuan’s back.
He knew that this mysterious Master Zhou had seen through him from the very beginning.
If he continued to conceal the truth, this investment would surely vanish, but…
“This…” Xie Wenyuan hesitated. “Master Zhou, to be frank, this plan… was not devised by me, but by my daughter, Qingyan…”
“Xie Qingyan…” Zhao Chengze silently repeated the name, a trace of gentleness flickering in his eyes, one he himself did not notice.
“If it was Miss Xie’s idea, then it should be Miss Xie who leads it,” Thirteen said coldly.
“But… My daughter is unmarried. To appear in public and manage commercial affairs, this… this is against propriety!” Xie Wenyuan protested anxiously.
“My master recognizes only the one who proposed it.” Thirteen did not yield an inch.
Zhao Chengze lifted his teacup and gently blew away the foam, no longer sparing Xie Wenyuan a glance.
Xie Wenyuan fell into a dilemma.
The matter with the Wang family had only just passed, and the county’s eyes were now fixed on Xie Qingyan. If she were to interact with so many men again, it would surely stir more gossip. Yet this opportunity, these two hundred thousand taels… it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. If he missed it, he might never rise again.
On one side lay his daughter’s reputation and what little remained of his own integrity, on the other, wealth and a flourishing official career.
“Master Zhou,” he said with difficulty, “may I… return and consider this?”
“As you wish,” Zhao Chengze’s voice came from behind the teacup, “but my time is valuable, and Leping County is not my only option.”
Xie Wenyuan returned home in a daze.
He shut himself in his study for two full days.
On the third day, with bloodshot eyes, he sent someone to invite Thirteen to Qingfeng Teahouse.
He still found it inappropriate.
“Sir Thirteen,” Xie Wenyuan adopted an unusually elder-like tone, “it is not that I am unreasonable. It is simply that my daughter is frail and has been sickly since childhood. She is truly not fit to go out and labor.”
He tried to pass himself off as a caring father.
“All requirements, all of Master Zhou’s instructions, can be conveyed and supervised by me. I pledge my official rank that the Curio Pavilion will be handled flawlessly!”
Thirteen lifted his teacup but did not drink, merely brushing aside the tea leaves with the lid.
“Magistrate Xie,” he said evenly, “are you questioning my master’s sincerity, or… attempting to toy with him?”
“I would not dare! I truly would not dare!”
“My master has said,” Thirteen set down the cup with a soft sound, cutting him off, “he recognizes only the one who proposed the plan. The doors of the Curio Pavilion can only be opened by Miss Xie.”
“If Miss Xie finds it inconvenient,” Thirteen stood, preparing to leave, “that is no matter. The magistrate of the neighboring county has already sent invitations four times as of yesterday. It seems the business environment there is also quite favorable.”
It was a naked threat, effectively an ultimatum.
This lifeline was slipping through his fingers.
“Wait!” Xie Wenyuan sprang to his feet.
He thought of the whispers behind his back, of the years he had wasted in this impoverished county.
Reputation?
What reputation did he still have?
“I agree!” he ground out through clenched teeth.
“But!” he added, presenting his own conditions as his final line of defense.
“My daughter may participate, but there are three conditions.”
Thirteen looked at him silently, signaling him to continue.
“First, when she goes out, she must wear a veiled hat and must not reveal her face.”
“Second, she must be accompanied at all times by guards from the Xie household.”
“Third,” Xie Wenyuan stared fixedly at Thirteen, “she will deal only with you, Sir Thirteen. That Master Zhou… holds a distinguished status. My daughter is of humble bearing and it would not be appropriate… for her to meet him in person.”
At this, a faint trace of a smile seemed to flicker across Thirteen’s usually expressionless face.
“As you wish.”
Thirteen relayed Xie Wenyuan’s conditions one by one.
“Oh?” Zhao Chengze stood by the window, watching the bustling street below. “A veiled hat, and she will not meet me?”
“My lord, should I—”
“No need.” Zhao Chengze let out a soft laugh. “He has thought this through quite thoroughly.”
He turned, his gaze deep.
Xie Wenyuan feared inviting a wolf into his home, yet he had no idea that he had already released the most untamable young tiger with his own hands.
As long as she could be brought out, that was enough.
Meeting her could come later.
“Tomorrow, I will personally see how the skies of Leping County will change because of her,” Zhao Chengze said, his tone calm yet filled with unquestionable authority.