Huamei ground ink at the side and asked, “Miss, what do you want that estate for? The place is valuable, but nothing is more reliable than real silver! Three thousand shi of grain—how much silver can that really get?”
“Silver is dead weight,” Su Jinse patiently explained, also sorting through her own thoughts.
“Once spent, it’s gone.”
“But an estate is different.”
Her gaze shifted toward the distant north.
“It’s a stronghold, a foundation—a first stake I’m driving into the capital.”
Huamei nodded, half-understanding.
A tall figure appeared at the courtyard gate, carrying the crisp scent of pine.
“A fine stake,” Xiao Jue said.
He walked forward slowly, his black brocade robe fluttering slightly in the mountain wind, eyes openly admiring her.
He had just heard Su Jinse’s last words.
“Your Highness,” Huamei quickly saluted and stepped aside.
Xiao Jue approached the stone table, his gaze resting on the letter.
“Three thousand shi of grain—small change for you now.”
“But for the starving Hou residence, it’s a lifeline.”
“So in this deal, they have no room to refuse.”
Su Jinse slightly nodded; it matched her judgment exactly. She had already anticipated this outcome.
Xiao Jue shifted his tone, tapping his index finger lightly on the cold stone table.
“But one empty estate isn’t enough.”
Su Jinse lifted her eyes, meeting his gaze.
Of course, she knew it wasn’t enough.
“The personnel issue, I’ll handle once I return to the capital.”
“Too slow,” Xiao Jue interrupted bluntly. “By the time you recruit, train, and send people to the estate, it’ll be too late. And those temporary recruits—do you really trust their loyalty?”
Su Jinse fell silent.
Indeed, this was her biggest challenge at the moment, the most time-consuming and labor-intensive part of her plan.
Seeing her quiet, Xiao Jue stopped tapping and spoke deliberately:
“In the name of Jing Wang Mansion, I will send one hundred people to you.”
One hundred! And from Jing Wang Mansion!
These were not ordinary servants; they were elite guards, each capable of taking on ten men. To maintain a hundred of them for a year would cost a fortune. This wasn’t a gift—it was a mountain of gold!
Su Jinse’s heart skipped, but her expression remained calm.
She looked at Xiao Jue, eyes icy and composed. “Your Highness’s gift is too generous; Jinse… cannot accept.”
There is no free lunch, especially not from Jing Wang.
“Who said this is a gift?” Xiao Jue suddenly smiled. “This is a bribe.”
“A bribe?” Su Jinse raised an eyebrow.
“Your estate is the first stake you’ve driven into the capital,” his gaze deepened. “I want this stake to go in deep, secure, and make certain people… restless day and night.”
He leaned slightly closer, the fresh pine scent surrounding her.
“Fifty guards, fifty servants, all bound by unbreakable contracts. They will occupy the estate beforehand and prepare everything for you.”
“From the moment you step into the estate, their lives belong to you.”
“They will obey only your orders.”
The meaning was unmistakable: he was paving the way for her while using her to stir trouble in the capital.
Su Jinse remained silent.
She looked at the man before her, a subtle ripple of emotion stirring in her heart.
After a moment, she picked up a pen and added a few lines to the bottom of the letter.
The reply was quickly written and entrusted to Xuanfeng, who expedited its delivery to the capital.
Having completed this, Su Jinse moved to the teapot.
For the first time, she personally brewed a pot of tea for Xiao Jue.
The boiling water filled the cup, the leaves swirled, and the elegant aroma quickly spread.
She pushed a cup toward him; the steam blurred their features.
Xiao Jue lifted the cup, feeling the warmth in his palms, a deeper smile forming in his eyes.
The courier rode at full speed, leaving only dust in his wake.
Su Jinse stood at the cliff edge, gazing toward the capital, the mountain wind lifting her hair.
She murmured softly, her voice barely carried by the wind.
“Su Lingwei, the game has begun.”