On the Great Martial Continent, the gold-to-silver ratio was 1:12—meaning 1,000 taels of gold equaled 12,000 taels of silver.
Just by mentioning that figure, Jiang Shangxian had made a clean profit of 11,000 taels. Truly, this deal was a jackpot.
As for making money off his own family? Well, that kind of moral boundary could bend a little.
From another perspective, he was still serving the Great Chu Empire with utmost loyalty, wasn’t he? This should be considered a well-earned reward.
Jiang Mengxuan found the 1,000 taels of gold for the operation reasonable. After all, the Imperial Guard would be dealing with Qingyi Tower, and there was always a risk of casualties during the mission. Treating the money as a form of compensation wasn’t inappropriate.
So she told Jiang Shangxian, “Imperial Uncle, I will personally hand this money to you later. If it’s not enough, just let me know.”
“It’s enough, it’s more than enough. A thousand taels of gold will do. Thank you, Your Majesty.” Jiang Shangxian quickly declined, pretending to be modest, but inwardly he was ecstatic—already dreaming of the massage service at Shuyu Pavilion.
“If there’s nothing else, Your Majesty, I’ll take my leave.”
“Mm, take care, Imperial Uncle.”
After seeing Jiang Shangxian off, Jiang Mengxuan returned to reviewing the memorials at her desk.
At that moment, Shuyue reentered the Imperial Study.
“Your Majesty, I’ve already informed Liu Qinghuan from Purple Cloud Sect Sect. She said she’ll arrive in the capital by noon and meet you at Wenxiang Restaurant.”
“Good. I understand. You may withdraw.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
After Shuyue left, Jiang Mengxuan read a few more memorials before glancing at the sky.
“Another hour until noon. It’s about time to head out.”
She set down her imperial brush and moved into her inner chamber.
Before long, she reemerged dressed in a flowing white silk gown, shedding her imperial aura. Her presence now exuded pure elegance mixed with heroic charm.
“There’s still time. I might as well collect more evidence against the Chancellor’s Estate along the way.”
With that thought, Jiang Mengxuan vanished from sight.
In truth, she was a perfection stage expert in the Innate Realm. She had hidden her strength since childhood, never revealing it except to a few trusted aides. It was her final card, reserved for when all else failed.
…
At noon, outside Wenxiang Restaurant, Shen Lang strolled around under the pretense of maintaining public order, then walked boldly through the main doors carrying a pipa. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
The busy staff, seeing his official uniform, immediately welcomed him enthusiastically, “Sir, are you here to dine or on official business?”
“Grabbing a meal. Also handling a private matter. Reserve a seat for me on the first floor. I’ll be back down in a bit.”
Without waiting for a response, he headed upstairs.
By this time, all the private booths on the second floor, separated by screens, were already packed. Wenxiang Restaurant wasn’t considered a high-end venue in Jinling, but in the commoner districts, it was a top-tier establishment.
In a booth by the window on the left side, Jiang Mengxuan sat across from a woman dressed in white, her face hidden beneath a veil. The two spoke softly.
Jiang Mengxuan personally poured tea for the woman. “Senior Sister, I’m truly troubling you this time.”
Liu Qinghuan waved her hand. “Junior Sister, I already understand the situation. There’s bad blood between Qingyi Tower and Purple Cloud Sect Sect. This is a good opportunity to knock them down a peg.”
Jiang Mengxuan exhaled gently, her breath fragrant. “I still miss those days we spent on the mountain together. Life was simpler then.”
Liu Qinghuan said, “Those days are behind us. Now you’re the ruler of a nation. Everything you do must be for the sake of the empire. Master already said—whenever you need anything, Purple Cloud Sect Sect will give its full support.”
Jiang Mengxuan shook her head. “Dragging your sect into this really weighs on me.”
“Don’t forget what you promised Master.”
Jiang Mengxuan nodded and held the tea with both hands, offering it to Liu Qinghuan. “Overthrow the Ye family, restore order to the Court, lead troops westward, and reclaim the lost lands of Great Chu.”
Taking the cup, Liu Qinghuan replied, “With those words, Purple Cloud Sect Sect will give its all. Leave Qingyi Tower to me. You can rest easy, Junior Sister.”
Jiang Mengxuan sighed. “With you personally stepping in, I’m beyond relieved.”
Liu Qinghuan narrowed her eyes. “What’s wrong? You seem distracted. Don’t tell me you don’t trust me?”
“You misunderstand. Before I came, I was reviewing memorials. There’s unrest in Yong and Liang Prefectures up north. I’ve been worried about how to handle it.”
“Unrest? What happened?”
“You know, the old capital of the Great Chu was in Chang’an, located in Yong Prefecture, which borders Liang Prefecture. Liang has long been home to Hu tribes who’ve resisted our culture and frequently raided Chang’an. They’ve even captured it multiple times, leaving the region in chaos.
Back in the Xuan Yuan Era, the imperial court had to move the capital to Jinling. Since then, the Hu tribal leader Li Yuanhao seized control of Chang’an, claimed Yong and Liang as his own, and forced the emperor to grant him a title, calling his realm the Xia Empire. It’s been over 200 years now.
This latest uprising was blamed on a drought. The current Xia ruler, Li Tang, personally wrote asking Great Chu to send 500,000 shi of grain and fodder to relieve the people.”
Liu Qinghuan said, “That scoundrel Li Tang dares to ask for aid? It’s clearly extortion, not a natural disaster.”
Jiang Mengxuan smiled bitterly. “Of course I know his tricks, but Chancellor Ye said that the Great Chu Empire is the suzerain, and those two prefectures are historically our land. If the people there are suffering, how can we ignore them?”
Liu Qinghuan said, “That Chancellor’s Estate really holds too much power. Just transporting 500,000 shi of grain—each storage ring barely holds any. Even low-grade ones would need dozens.”
Jiang Mengxuan replied, “The grain itself isn’t the problem. I’m just afraid the Chancellor’s Estate has connections with the Xia Empire. If so, this might be a test… and I still haven’t decided how to respond.”
She glanced at another booth nearby, where three men and one woman sat.
“Senior Sister, look. Those are the Chancellor’s lackeys. With the Ye family backing them, they act like tyrants in the capital. No one dares oppose them. Even I must tread lightly—one wrong move and the Chancellor’s Estate might retaliate.”
Following her gaze, Liu Qinghuan glanced at the group.
“Junior Sister, I live in the martial world. I don’t understand your court politics. If they displease you, I’ll deal with them right now.”
“Don’t be rash, Senior Sister. I was just venting. Dealing with them is nothing, but if it draws the Chancellor’s attention, it’ll create trouble.”
“Sigh, I thought being an Empress meant standing above all. But from what you’re saying, it’s anything but easy.”
“Exactly. Commoners think imperial power is supreme, ruling life and death with flair. Who would guess the danger hidden in every step, like walking on thin ice?”
Liu Qinghuan was about to offer more words of comfort, when suddenly Shen Lang’s voice rang out on the second floor.
“Is Chen Jiao here? Someone asked me to pass on a message. Show yourself so I know who to give it to.”
Liu Qinghuan patted Jiang Mengxuan’s hand. “Junior Sister, who is that loudmouth?”
Jiang Mengxuan turned her head and looked.
“Someone from the Imperial Guard?”
When she saw the black brocade uniform and cloak Shen Lang wore, her eyes showed a trace of surprise.
“Strange… I don’t remember assigning the Imperial Guard to patrol the western market recently. Could there be a case going on here?”
With growing curiosity, Jiang Mengxuan began watching Shen Lang’s every move.
Little did Shen Lang know—while he was doing his side job, his CEO was observing everything.