Shen Miao stood quietly before her, looking down from above. The eyes beneath the silver mask were as cold as a frozen pond.
Su Manrou.
This is only the first step.
This is just a small taste of interest.
What you owe me, what you owe the Shen family—
I will reclaim it all,
bit by bit,
principal and interest combined.
Today, I will make you lose all your dowry and leave you destitute.
In the future, I will ruin your reputation and make your life worse than death.
…
Inside the courier station, the atmosphere was as gloomy as a torrential downpour.
Su Manrou, in a state of disarray with her hair ornaments askew and her skirt stained with fabric scraps and broken porcelain shards, knelt on the cold floor of the study, weeping pitifully and trembling all over.
She had just been cornered by Shen Miao, with no way out, and could only stumble back to the courier station.
As soon as she saw Xiao Jingyuan, she burst into loud sobs, embellishing the events at Nianqing Ge with exaggerated details.
As for the matter of smashing the shop, she glossed over it lightly.
She repeatedly accused Shen Gongzi of extortion, threats, and lawlessness.
She thought Xiao Jingyuan would protect her as usual, stand up for her, support her, and even lead troops to raze Nianqing Ge.
But she never expected that what awaited her was not gentle comfort, but overwhelming fury.
“Bang—”
Xiao Jingyuan slammed his palm hard on the desk. The corner of the fine pearwood table cracked with the impact, teacups jumped from the vibration, and boiling water splattered everywhere.
Dressed in dark casual attire, his entire being seethed with a fierce aura. His ink-black eyes burned with a rage that seemed capable of consuming everything.
“Even now, you dare hide the fact that you smashed the shop.”
He spoke, his voice as low as tempered ice, each word carrying a bone-chilling coldness: “Who gave you permission to smash the shop without authorization? Who allowed you to stir up trouble? Who gave you the audacity to openly commit violence in Jiangnan, ruining this prince’s plans!”
Su Manrou was so frightened that her sobs choked off. She froze, unable to believe what she was hearing, and looked up: “Jingyuan Gege, I—I was avenging my cousin, I was…”
“Silence!”
Xiao Jingyuan cut her off sharply, his gaze as cold and sharp as a blade, almost piercing through her: “This marquis came to Jiangnan to investigate Shen Gongzi’s background, to control Jiangnan’s commerce, to stabilize the overall situation in Jiangnan!”
“And what do you do? Behind this marquis’s back, you barge into Nianqing Ge, smash shops, provoke the people, offend Shen Gongzi, and throw this marquis’s plans into complete disarray!”
He had endured patiently, intending to observe quietly, uncover Shen Miao’s trump cards, and then decide whether to kill or spare, suppress or win over.
But Su Manrou’s outburst had directly pushed him into the eye of the storm, grinding the face of the Jing’an Marquisate into the dirt.
Even worse, it made the people of Jiangnan witness a farce—that those from the Jing’an Marquisate were such domineering, unreasonable individuals.
One wrong move, and the entire game falls apart.
Xiao Jingyuan’s chest heaved violently with anger, his knuckles clenched white. The look he gave Su Manrou held not a trace of pity, only icy disgust.
“Su Manrou, do you know what a disaster you have caused?”
Su Manrou panicked completely. Tears gushed forth as she trembled uncontrollably: “Jingyuan Gege, I was wrong, I won’t dare do it again. Please help me. Shen Gongzi is demanding three hundred and twenty thousand taels in compensation, I—I don’t have that much money…”
“You don’t?” Xiao Jingyuan sneered, his tone cruel and indifferent: “If you don’t, then figure it out yourself.”
“Before sunset tomorrow, deliver the three hundred and twenty thousand taels in compensation, not a single coin less, to Nianqing Ge.”
“Su Manrou, I warn you…”
He leaned down, his gaze fixed intently on her, each word sharp as a blade, carving into her very bones: “If you delay this marquis’s important matters, do not blame me for disregarding past affections. I will abandon you in Jiangnan, leaving you to fend for yourself—even the Su family will not be able to protect you!”
The final sentence shattered all of Su Manrou’s pride and illusions.
Her entire body turned cold, as if she had plunged into an icy abyss.
She finally understood that Xiao Jingyuan was truly enraged and would not protect her.
In his heart, the court’s grand schemes, the interests of Jiangnan, and his ambitious plans were far more important than her, a thousand times over.
“I… I understand,” she replied in a trembling voice, tears silently streaming down her face, despair filling her heart.
Three hundred and twenty thousand taels—how could an unmarried young lady like her possibly come up with such a sum?
There was only one way: to sell everything.
Sell all her dowry, sell her jewelry and hair ornaments, sell her silks and accessories, sell all the private assets her mother had given her…
Overnight.
Once the celebrated daughter of Vice Minister Su, adored and admired by all in the capital, she was now penniless, without a single tael of silver to her name, not even a decent piece of jewelry left.
Her once opulent room was now empty and desolate, a scene of utter desolation.
She sat on the cold edge of the bed, staring at the empty chests, weeping as if her heart would break, yet there was no one to comfort her.
Hatred, like poisonous vines, coiled tightly around her heart.
…
Meanwhile, in the study.
Xiao Jingyuan dismissed his attendants and stood alone by the window, his expression dark, his eyes deep and brooding.
Ah Er stood respectfully below, reporting in a low voice: “Marquis, as per your orders, I have investigated all six cities in Jiangnan. The common people, merchants, officials, and the Water Transport Guild—all sing the praises of Shen Gongzi.”
“During the great flood, he opened the granaries to distribute grain, sold rice at fair prices, and saved tens of thousands of lives.”
“After opening his business, his fabrics were of the highest quality, his prices fair, he treated his subordinates well, and he aided the poor. Throughout Jiangnan, he is hailed as the Bodhisattva Shen.”
“The Water Transport Guild Young Master, Zhao Chengyu, is inseparable from him.”
“The Assistant Prefect of Suzhou holds him in high esteem.”
“All seventy-two merchant guilds look to him as their leader…”
Each report, falling upon Xiao Jingyuan’s ears, did not deepen his wariness but instead ignited a flicker of determined fervor in his eyes.
A rare find.
This person was undoubtedly a rare and exceptional talent.
Young in years, yet possessing the people’s trust, skill, foresight, and courage.
In just two short months, he had taken root in Jiangnan. Even Xiao Jingyuan’s covert agents could uncover no trace of his past, a testament to how deeply he concealed himself.
If such a person could be brought under his control, if he could be drawn into the ranks of the Marquis of Jing’an, the entire Jiangnan region would fall firmly under his grasp.
To kill him would be a waste.
To suppress him would be unwise.
Only to win him over was the best strategy.
Xiao Jingyuan slowly raised his hand, lightly tapping his fingertips against the windowsill, a glint of calculation flashing in his eyes.
Shen Gongzi was a businessman.
And businessmen did nothing without profit.
As long as the stakes were high enough, as long as the benefits were substantial, he did not believe the other party would refuse.
“Prepare the carriage,” he said calmly, his voice returning to its usual steadiness and coldness.
“To Nianqing Ge.”
“This time, this marquis will meet Shen Gongzi in person.”
…
Half an hour later, at Nianqing Ge.
In the elegant room on the second floor, the windows were bright and clean, and the fragrance of tea wafted gently through the air.
Shen Miao finally made her formal appearance.
A silver mask covered her face, and she wore a moon-white brocade robe. Her posture was upright and graceful, her demeanor as cool and aloof as a pine tree. Sitting quietly in the host’s seat, her expression showed not a ripple of emotion, yet she exuded an aura that commanded respect.
Zhao Chengyu stood beside her in white robes, his features gentle and refined. When he looked at Shen Miao, his gaze was soft, but when he turned to Xiao Jingyuan, it became guarded.
Xiao Jingyuan sat upright across from them, clad in dark brocade robes, his presence noble and imposing. His deep gaze rested on Shen Miao, carefully examining the Shen Gongzi before him—the one who unsettled his mind yet held his utmost regard.