A week after the successful business reforms, trouble arrived at the Wan Clan gates.
Representatives from the Zhao Clan’s Jiangling branch and the cowardly yet greedy House Peng marched into the outer courtyard, demanding an audience.
The Zhao branch, viewed as lesser by their main family in the imperial capital, was known for aggressive expansion.
House Peng, opportunistic and spineless, saw a chance to exploit what they perceived as Wan Clan weakness during the transition of power.
The receiving hall was tense as the group was led inside.
Tianqi sat calmly on the patriarch’s seat, his posture straight and commanding.
Mu Ronghua stood gracefully beside him with her hand resting lightly on his shoulder, her elegant presence radiating quiet authority.
The rivals clearly underestimated the “changed” young master.
The lead envoy, a smug Zhao steward named Feng, stepped forward with arrogant confidence.
Behind him stood the Zhao branch head, a burly man with a scar across his cheek, and several armed guards.
From the Peng side, the Peng Patriarch himself arrived with a small contingent of guards, his face a mask of false righteousness mixed with greed.
Feng spoke first, his voice loud and dripping with disdain.
“Patriarch Tianqi, or should we still call you the young master who miraculously recovered?
The Zhao Clan and House Peng demand immediate repayment of old debts incurred under the previous patriarch.
Those loans, trade imbalances, and compensation for damaged goods total a significant sum.
We expect full settlement within three days.”
The Peng Patriarch nodded vigorously, his jowls shaking.
“Indeed.
The Wan Clan under your father caused us great losses through unfair contracts and delayed payments.
We have been patient during your…
recovery period.
But now that you claim to be reforming the clan, it is time to settle accounts.
Refusal will force us to take stronger measures.”
Mu Ronghua’s fingers tightened slightly on Tianqi’s shoulder, but she remained composed.
Her alluring eyes swept over the visitors with cool disdain.
“Steward Feng, Peng Patriarch, you come to our home making demands with armed guards at your back.
Is this how alliances are conducted in Jiangling now?
My son has worked tirelessly to restore honor to the Wan Clan.
Your sudden demands seem timed suspiciously with our recent successes.”
Feng laughed mockingly.
“Honor?
The Wan Clan speaks of honor after years of bullying smaller houses?
The Zhao branch has records of every transaction.
You owe us for three disrupted caravans and several unfavorable silk deals your father forced upon us.
The main Zhao family in the capital has been informed.
They will not look kindly on a declining merchant house refusing legitimate debts.”
The Peng Patriarch stepped forward, emboldened by Feng’s words.
“We have suffered similarly.
Your father’s arrogance cost my family valuable trading partners.
Now that the Wan Clan is supposedly changing, we expect compensation plus interest.
If not, we will join the Zhao in blocking your trade routes and petitioning the imperial court for arbitration.
You cannot ignore us forever, young Patriarch.”
One of the Zhao guards sneered.
“The Zhao branch head has personally authorized this.
Pay what you owe or face the consequences.
Your recent reforms mean nothing if you cannot settle old scores.”
Mu Ronghua’s voice remained elegant but grew sharper.
“Old scores?
How convenient that you bring these claims now, when the Wan Clan is stabilizing and expanding.
My son has already begun reviewing all past agreements.
Many of those so-called debts were the result of your own families’ greed and attempts to take advantage during my late husband’s unstable rule.
You speak of fairness while arriving with armed men at our gates.
This is not negotiation.
This is intimidation.”
Feng crossed his arms, his smug expression deepening.
“Call it what you will, Matriarch.
The facts remain.
Documents have been prepared.
Sign them and pay, or prepare for war in the markets.
The Zhao Clan does not tolerate weakness.
Your father was a tyrant, but at least he paid his dues when pressed.
Will the new young master prove even weaker?”
The Peng Patriarch added fuel to the fire.
“My daughter spoke highly of your vision at the recent banquet, Patriarch Tianqi, but words mean nothing without action.
Settle these debts generously, and perhaps we can discuss future cooperation.
Otherwise, House Peng will have no choice but to align fully with the Zhao branch against you.”
Mu Ronghua’s hand remained steady on Tianqi’s shoulder, but her tone carried cold warning.
“You dare threaten the Wan Clan in our own hall?
My son has shown mercy and reform to loyal allies.
To those who come with greed and threats, he may show a different face.
The Wan Clan is not weak.
We are reborn.
Your demands will be reviewed thoroughly, but do not mistake patience for helplessness.”
Feng laughed again.
“Reborn?
The stories of your heavenly awakening are amusing, but business is business.
Three days, Wan Clan.
Bring the silver and signed agreements, or face blockades, lost contracts, and imperial scrutiny.
The Zhao main family has influence you cannot match in your current state.”
The Peng Patriarch nodded.
Pay what is owed.
Our patience has limits.”
Tianqi smiled coldly, his voice steady and ruthless.
“You dare come to my home making demands?”
The temperature in the receiving hall dropped noticeably.
Tianqi snapped his fingers.
From the side entrances, hidden Wan Clan guards dragged forward several bound figures.
The wives and eldest daughters of House Peng, including Lady Peng and Peng Mei, were brought in, gagged and restrained but otherwise unharmed.
Beside them were two young children from the Zhao Clan branch, a boy and a girl no older than ten, who had been quietly taken days earlier as leverage.
The children looked terrified but untouched.
Gasps and shouts erupted from the visitors.
Feng, the Zhao steward, turned pale with rage.
“What is the meaning of this?
You dare kidnap members of the Zhao Clan?”
The Peng Patriarch’s face turned ashen.
“My wife…
my daughter!
You monster!
Release them at once!”
Tianqi stood slowly from the patriarch’s seat, his presence suddenly dominating the entire hall.
Mu Ronghua remained at his side, her elegant hand still on his shoulder, her alluring eyes cold and supportive.
“Your women have been very…
informative,” Tianqi said, his tone laced with menace.
“Peng Mei here was especially eager to share details about your secret dealings with the Zhao branch, your hidden stashes of silver, and your plans to betray other allies once you gained more power.
And these Zhao children prove how careless your security is.
It was almost too easy.”
The Zhao branch head roared in fury.
“You filthy bastard!
Touch those children and the entire Zhao Clan will descend upon you!
The main family will burn your entire merchant empire to the ground!”
Feng pointed a shaking finger.
“This is an act of war!
Release them immediately or you will regret the day you were born!”
The Peng Patriarch fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
“Please…
my family is innocent in this.
They have nothing to do with our disputes.
I beg you, Patriarch Tianqi, show mercy.
We will withdraw our demands.
Just let them go.”
Peng Mei struggled against her bonds, her eyes wide with terror and betrayal as she stared at Tianqi.
Muffled sounds came from behind her gag.
Tianqi walked forward calmly, his steps measured.
He stopped in front of the bound children and drew a sharp dagger from his waist.
The blade gleamed coldly in the hall’s light.
He pressed the edge gently against the young boy’s neck.
The child whimpered, tears falling freely.
The Zhao branch head exploded with rage.
“Stop!
You coward!
Hiding behind children!
Release them right now!
I demand their immediate release or I swear on the Zhao name that your clan will be annihilated!”
Feng joined in, voice cracking with anger.
“This is barbaric!
The Zhao main family will hear of this outrage!
You will pay in blood for every scratch on those children!”
Tianqi’s voice remained ice-cold and controlled.
“Barbaric?
You come into my home threatening blockades, imperial petitions, and destruction of everything I have built.
You call me weak and expect me to roll over like a beaten dog.
I am simply showing you the true cost of challenging the Wan Clan.”
He pressed the blade a fraction harder, drawing a tiny bead of blood on the boy’s neck.
The child cried out.
The Zhao branch head looked ready to lunge forward, but the Wan guards held him back firmly.
“Release them!” the Zhao branch head bellowed.
“Name your price!
Silver?
Trade rights?
Whatever you want, just let the children go!”
Tianqi’s smile did not waver.
“A proper payment will suffice.
Double the amount you claimed we owed you.
In addition, I want a complete list of all your loyalists within Jiangling City.
Every merchant, official, and spy you have cultivated.
Hand it over, and the children return unharmed.
Refuse, and I will demonstrate exactly how ruthless a ‘changed’ young master can be.”
The Peng Patriarch sobbed openly.
“We agree!
We agree to everything!
I will give you all the names you want.
Our alliances, our hidden contracts, everything.”
Feng glared with pure hatred but eventually lowered his head.
“The Zhao branch will comply…
for the children.
But know this, Wan Tianqi.
The main family will not forget this insult.”
Tianqi kept the blade steady for a few more agonizing seconds, letting the tension peak.
Then he slowly lowered it and handed the children over to waiting guards who began untying the women as well.
“See?
Reasonable men can always reach an agreement,” Tianqi said calmly.
“You have three hours to deliver the payment and the full list.
My men will escort you back to prepare it.
Any delay or trickery, and next time it will not be a warning.”
XXXX
The visitors, broken and furious, were led away under heavy guard.
The hall fell silent once more.
The heavy doors closed with a resounding thud, sealing away the echoes of threats and desperate pleas.
The receiving hall, once filled with arrogant demands, now carried only the faint scent of fear and the lingering tension of a decisive victory.
Tianqi turned to Mu Ronghua, his expression softening slightly.
The cold ruthlessness he had displayed moments ago melted away as he looked at his mother, the woman who stood as his true partner in every sense.
She squeezed his shoulder with quiet pride, her elegant fingers pressing firmly through his robes, conveying both approval and deep possessive affection.
Mu Ronghua’s alluring eyes met his.
“My son, will the main Zhao family truly do nothing?
That branch head spoke as if their entire clan would descend upon us.
Should we prepare for greater retaliation?”
Tianqi placed his hand over hers on his shoulder, his voice calm and assured.
“They will not.
The main Zhao family is an egotistic bunch.
They view their Jiangling branch as little more than a minor outpost, useful for local profits but not worth significant investment or risk.
This branch has embarrassed them multiple times with failed expansions and petty squabbles.
They will see this as the branch’s own incompetence rather than a direct challenge to their core power.
As long as we do not touch their main assets or reputation in the capital, they will remain distant and dismissive.
A minor loss of face for a lesser branch is beneath their notice.”
Mu Ronghua listened carefully, her graceful head tilting slightly.
A slow, satisfied smile spread across her lips.
“I see.
Your assessment is as sharp as ever.
Then we have more breathing room than they realize.” She turned her attention to the Peng ladies, who were still bound and kneeling in the centre of the hall under guard.
Lady Peng and Peng Mei looked utterly devastated, their eyes red from crying and wide with terror.
Mu Ronghua’s voice became soft and elegant, yet carried an unmistakable undercurrent of cruelty.
“Do not worry, dear guests.
I will look after you personally while the men settle the accounts.
The Wan Clan treats its…
visitors with care.
You will be given comfortable quarters, food, and whatever you need.
We are not monsters, after all.”
Her smile deepened as she spoke, the expression beautiful on her face yet terrifying in its implications.
The cruel glint in her alluring eyes revealed the depths of her obsessive protectiveness and willingness to do whatever was necessary for her son’s empire.
Tianqi’s own smile disappeared the moment he saw that particular cruel smile on his mother’s face.
He knew exactly what it meant.
Mu Ronghua’s love for him was all-consuming, and any perceived threat or tool to be used could bring out a side of her that was as ruthless as it was elegant.
He stepped closer to her, his voice low but firm.
“I need them alive, Mother.
At least for now.
They still hold value as leverage and sources of information.
Do not let your enthusiasm…
damage them permanently.”
Mu Ronghua turned back to him, her expression softening instantly at his words.
She nodded gracefully.
“Of course, my son.
I will be gentle.
They will remain useful to you.”
Tianqi leaned in and kissed her deeply.
It was not a brief, polite kiss between mother and son for appearances.
It was a full, passionate embrace of lips, slow and claiming, filled with the sacred resonance they shared.
His hand cupped the back of her head, fingers threading through her long dark hair as he pulled her closer.
Mu Ronghua melted into the kiss, one hand rising to caress his cheek, completely unconcerned by the audience still present in the hall.
When they finally parted, both were breathing slightly heavier.
Tianqi gave her one last lingering look of affection before turning and leaving the hall with measured steps.
His robes flowed behind him as he departed to handle the next phase of this conflict.
The Peng ladies stared in absolute shock.
Lady Peng’s eyes were wide with disbelief, her face pale as she witnessed the intimate kiss between the Patriarch and his own mother.
Peng Mei looked equally horrified, her gag preventing any sound, but her expression spoke volumes, betrayal, revulsion, and dawning terror at the true nature of the Wan Clan leadership.
The mother and daughter exchanged glances, their world shattering further as they realized the depth of the depravity and power they now faced.
The guards began leading them away toward the prepared quarters, but the shock remained etched on their faces.
The Wan Clan’s secrets were far darker and more dangerous than they had ever imagined.
End of Chapter 17
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