…
Jing’an Marquisate, study.
Xiao Jingyuan stood before the desk, looking at the latest secret report sent from Jiangnan, his brow tightly furrowed, his heart filled with extreme agitation.
Shen Gongzi’s origins remained a complete blank. Nianqing Ge had rapidly gained fame in Jiangnan, winning the hearts of the people, the support of merchants, and even receiving courteous treatment from the local government.
A strong sense of losing control almost suffocated him.
Just then, a maid’s voice came from outside the door: “Marquis, Miss Su requests an audience.”
Already irritated and unsettled, Xiao Jingyuan’s tone was cold and harsh: “I will not see her.”
But outside, Su Manrou’s voice, tinged with grievance and determination, came straight through: “Brother Jingyuan, I have urgent matters to discuss with you—concerning Shen Gongzi in Jiangnan and also Nianqing Ge!”
Earlier at the door, she had overheard the steward saying that the Marquis was furious over Jiangnan and someone called Shen Gongzi.
…
Jiangnan, Shen Gongzi, Nianqing Ge.
These three words instantly struck Xiao Jingyuan’s most tightly wound nerves.
His eyes darkened, and he said coldly, “Let her in.”
The door was gently pushed open. Su Manrou, her eyes slightly red, hurried inside. As soon as she entered, she spoke with a mix of grievance and anger: “Brother Jingyuan, you must stand up for me! My cousin Liu Rumei was terribly humiliated by Shen Gongzi in Jiangnan, and even the Liu family can hardly move a step there!”
She paused, then added: “And today at the flower-viewing banquet, I saw clothes from Nianqing Ge—they are truly the most beautiful garments in the world. I want to go to Jiangnan to see for myself, and at the same time, avenge my cousin!”
Xiao Jingyuan was already agitated and furious over the matter of Shen Gongzi. Now, hearing Su Manrou repeatedly mention Shen Gongzi and Jiangnan, the pent-up hostility of the past few days surged to its peak.
No trace could be found.
Origins shrouded in mystery.
Disrupting his financial interests.
Seizing the hearts of the people in Jiangnan.
And now, daring to humiliate Su Manrou’s family.
Unbearable.
His dark eyes churned with malice. His thin lips parted, his voice icy and devoid of warmth: “Since his background cannot be uncovered, then I, the Marquis, will personally go to Jiangnan to meet this remarkably capable Shen Gongzi.”
Su Manrou was stunned for a moment, then her eyes suddenly lit up. Instantly, she cast all her grievances to the winds, her heart filled with thoughts of splendid garments and asserting her authority: “Brother Jingyuan, you’re going to Jiangnan? Then I’m going too! I want to buy the most beautiful clothes from Nianqing Ge, and I want to teach that arrogant Shen Gongzi a lesson!”
At this moment, Xiao Jingyuan’s mind was wholly occupied by that mysterious and deeply unsettling Shen Gongzi in Jiangnan. He couldn’t be bothered to argue with her and merely said coldly, “As you wish.”
With that order…
…
Early the next morning, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, the carriages and horses of Jing’an Marquisate left the capital in a grand procession, heading south.
Xiao Jingyuan sat upright in the carriage, the atmosphere around him as cold and heavy as ice. His fingertips repeatedly rubbed the stack of untraceable secret reports, his dark eyes churning with malice and impatience.
Shen Gongzi of Jiangnan…
He would see with his own eyes just what kind of deity he was, capable of captivating all of Jiangnan, causing him repeated setbacks, and unsettling his mind.
Su Manrou, on the other hand, was filled with excitement. Throughout the journey, she fantasized about the splendid garments of Nianqing Ge, thinking about how to avenge her cousin, how to assert her authority in Jiangnan, and return to the capital in glorious triumph.
Traveling at full speed, within just a few days, the group arrived outside the city gates of Suzhou in Jiangnan.
…
Jiangnan.
Even before entering the city, Su Manrou lifted the carriage curtain, peering out curiously.
But in just one glance, the smile on her face froze.
On the official road leading into the city, the commoners, merchants, scholars, and noble ladies coming and going…
More than half of them were actually wearing new clothes with unique styles and exquisite patterns.
At a glance, the unified style and distinctive charm were unmistakably…
Nianqing Ge’s ready-made garments!
Su Manrou’s pupils contracted, her heart jolting violently.
How could this be?
How could a newly opened ready-made clothing shop become so wildly popular?
As the carriage slowly entered Zhuque Street, Su Manrou was utterly stunned.
On both sides of the street, almost every woman from every household was wearing Nianqing Ge’s clothing.
Maidservants wore elegant, simple blouses.
Matrons wore gentle and graceful ruqun skirts.
Noble ladies wore flowing cloud-like skirts.
Even the women setting up stalls by the roadside were tied with Nianqing Ge’s uniquely embroidered waistbands.
Looking around, the entire city was filled with Nianqing Ge.
What shocked her even more was—
In every street and alley, teahouses and taverns, she could hear the voices of commoners discussing everywhere.
“Shen Gongzi is truly a divine being! Not only did he save all the people in our city, but the ready-made clothing shop he opened is also so beautiful!”
“Yes, yes, I’ve never worn such comfortable and beautiful clothes in my life!”
“Shen Gongzi is kind-hearted and skilled. Having him in Jiangnan is truly our blessing!”
“From now on, when buying clothes, I’ll only recognize Nianqing Ge and only trust Shen Gongzi!”
Word after word, voice after voice.
All were praises, all were admiration, all were support.
The color drained from Su Manrou’s face bit by bit, her fingertips clutching her handkerchief tightly.
She had thought that Nianqing Ge was merely a slightly famous shop in Jiangnan.
But what lay before her eyes was far from just slightly famous.
This was clearly controlling the entire fashion trend of Jiangnan’s clothing and accessories, capturing the hearts of all the city’s people!
…
The carriage stopped at the street corner, and Xiao Jingyuan lifted the curtain and stepped down.
With just a faint sweep of his gaze, his dark eyes suddenly contracted.
The entire city’s clothing unified, the streets filled with the praises of thousands.
The commoners revered him, the merchants supported him, the officials protected him.
One person, in just two short months, had grasped the hearts of Jiangnan’s people so tightly.
This level of influence had long surpassed that of a mere merchant, approaching… that of a local ruler.
The pressure around Xiao Jingyuan instantly sank to its extreme, his knuckles slowly clenching, a coldness spreading from the depths of his eyes.
A Shen Gongzi.
A Nianqing Ge.
No wonder his covert investigations had yielded nothing, no wonder Jiangnan was shaken by this.
This person’s methods, his hold on the people’s hearts, his tactics, were far more terrifying than he had imagined.
Su Manrou walked to his side, her expression extremely grim, a mix of shock, anger, and jealousy: “Jingyuan brother, look… this Shen Gongzi is too glorious in Jiangnan! It’s simply lawless!”
The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she felt, the more her anger burned.
How could a person of unknown origin command such influence in Jiangnan?
How could his Nianqing Ge drive all the women in the city to such madness?
His thin lips pressed slightly, his voice cold as if tempered by ice: “Let’s go take a look.”
He wanted to meet in person that Shen Gongzi—
The one who had captivated Jiangnan, unsettled him, and weighed heavily on Su Manrou’s mind.
Su Manrou immediately nodded, a vengeful fire igniting in her eyes: “Let’s go!”
Xiao Jingyuan lifted the curtain and stepped down, his black brocade robe accentuating his tall, straight posture like a pine tree. His handsome face was covered with an unyielding coldness, and he exuded the oppressive aura of one long accustomed to high position.
Just standing at the street corner, he caused passersby to instinctively step aside, not daring to look directly at him.
He raised his eyes, his gaze fixed directly on the imposing and elegant building at the center of the street.
A gilded plaque hung high, its calligraphy vigorous and elegant—Nianqing Ge.
A cold glint flickered in Xiao Jingyuan’s ink-dark eyes.