EES - Chapter 40
Chapter 40
The next day, just as Lian Xun had expected, Duan Zheng, the wealthiest merchant in Yunzhou Prefecture, came to pay a visit in person.
Before her divorce, Lian Xun had managed her former husband's business and frequently dealt with merchants like these. She knew what they valued most and exactly how to strike at their weak points. Accordingly, while speaking with Yunzhou's richest merchant, she appropriately revealed the source of the refined salt, noting that the production method had been accidentally developed by her family, and that they possessed a dedicated salt farm capable of supplying ample quantities.
For an ordinary merchant, this alone would have been sufficient to win them over. But Duan Zheng was, after all, the wealthiest merchant in Yunzhou Prefecture. A man who had climbed to such heights naturally carried a measure of caution.
"This refined salt... what price has Madam Lian set elsewhere?"
Lian Xun smiled warmly, raising a silk fan to veil half her face before holding up five fingers.
"This figure. Master Duan is well aware that this refined salt is a luxury item meant for affluent households. I will not sell it for less than this. Yet, as a newcomer, if you are willing to partner with me and help me establish a foothold in Yunzhou Prefecture, I am open to sharing some of the profits."
Duan Zheng replied, "Madam, salt and iron are under state monopoly. What you're proposing isn't profit; it's a death sentence!"
Lian Xun laughed softly, idly twirling her fan.
"Then what did Master Duan imagine brought me to Yunzhou Prefecture?"
If the prefect of Yunzhou Prefecture dared to hire bandits to ambush and assassinate newly appointed officials, ruling the place like a local warlord, then surely the merchants of Yunzhou Prefecture were hardly models of law-abiding honesty. Lian Xun suspected His Majesty had precisely banked on this reality, which was why he had instructed them to use refined salt as an opening wedge when deploying them to Yunzhou Prefecture.
"Madam Lian," who dealt in privately sold refined salt, was essentially a rogue operating beyond the law. In dealings with Yunzhou merchants, she would naturally be viewed more readily as "one of us." The same rationale could even be applied when confronting the prefect himself.
Only after arriving in Yunzhou Prefecture did Lian Xun realize that her original plan to break into the market through a silk trade had been somewhat naive. Had she stuck to that approach, she never would have met Duan Zheng, the wealthiest merchant, on her very second day, let alone struck a deal with him.
Secretly marveling at His Majesty's flawless foresight, her lips, concealed behind the fan, moved soundlessly as she counted under her breath.
Five, four, three, two, one...
"Madam Lian speaks truly. Given your clear sincerity, as the host I naturally cannot be stingy. While I cannot secure the Guo family's mansion at present, I do have a seven-courtyard residence in the western district. I shall grant it to you as a temporary base." A genial smile spread across Duan Zheng's face.
"That said, in my estimation, the price should be this." Duan Zheng raised two fingers.
"Two hundred."
A sharp intake of breath...
Wei Tongling, standing motionless behind Lian Xun as her guard with her gaze fixed downward, sucked in a sharp breath internally.
That was utterly ruthless: a jump from fifty to two hundred, a fourfold increase!
Wei Tongling, whose life had been confined to practicing martial arts and eating at home, who had never haggled over purchases and simply paid whatever price was quoted, found her eyes widening in sheer astonishment.
Lian Xun's smile remained unchanged as she gave a slight nod.
"Naturally, Master Duan's experience far surpasses my own. I shall defer to your pricing."
With that, the first step had been successfully taken.
To a merchant, a fifty percent profit sparks reckless ventures; a hundred percent profit makes them trample upon the law. And what refined salt offered was far more than a hundred percent return.
Once the negotiations concluded, Lian Xun saw Duan Zheng out. Only after closing the door did she finally let out a sigh.
Wei Tongling frowned in confusion.
"We just secured a grand mansion without spending a single coin. Why the sigh?"
"That old fox." Lian Xun dropped her aristocratic facade, collapsing wearily against the desk. "He offers a mansion to demonstrate goodwill, yet says nothing of shop space. He intends to keep a complete stranglehold on the salt supply."
"?" Wei Tongling looked puzzled, understanding only partially.
"Not only will he refuse to provide shops, he likely won't allow us to purchase a single one in Yunzhou Prefecture," Shan Lanze explained, though her expression betrayed no real concern. "It means our refined salt trade here will have to run entirely through his network. Every batch will pass through his hands. Still, there is no need to fret. We never intended to buy shops outright, did we? The official funds His Majesty provided have already been exhausted."
"I'm aware." Lian Xun nodded. "Pack your things and prepare to move. From here on, we simply wait for the Guo family and the prefect to come knocking."
Meanwhile, the miserly emperor, whose allocated funds barely covered travel expenses, calmly ignored Shan Lanze's final remark after reviewing the Yunzhou situation. He shifted his gaze away from the Simulator, scribbled "Approved" on the latest memorial, and set it aside.
With the Empress Avatar occupied in martial training today, the pace of memorial reviews had slowed by half. As a result, An Lin had only managed to process half of them.
After wading through a stack of memorials, she set them aside and walked to the bedside to rest her eyes on the potted plants. Her gaze lingered for a moment on the leafless tree visible through the window, then slowly drifted toward the doorway of the study.
Wang Xiuwen had been dispatched to instruct the Empress Avatar, leaving the study door unguarded. Perhaps she should seize the moment... slip out of the palace for a bit of fun?
Sure, taking Wang Xiuwen along guaranteed a boost in Martial Strength, but venturing out solo had its own appeal. It was akin to sneaking out to an internet café behind one's parents' backs; the thrill was precisely the point.
Everyone needed to cut loose every once in a while. Worst-case scenario, she could recruit a handful of guards with solid Martial Strength ratings, head out, and conveniently drop by the military barracks to check if the young emperor's childhood friend was around.
An Lin glanced at the remaining memorials, mentally calculated the time required for the Empress Avatar's training session, and decided that even if she slipped out for a short stroll and returned to finish the paperwork, she would still have plenty of time. Encouraged by this, her resolve grew bolder.
Thus, An Lin smoothed her robes at the threshold and leaned out to peer into the corridor.
The junior eunuch stationed at the door immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty, how may I serve?"
"Fetch a set of casual attire from the inner quarters. We wish to..." An Lin began fluently, but just as she was about to utter the words "leave the palace," her gaze snagged. A familiar golden stat bar hovered near the study door.
She read the name attached to it.
[Yang Sheng]
Wait...? My dear minister, what are you doing here?!
An Lin froze. After a closer inspection confirming it was indeed Yang Sheng, she murmured, "...Qiancai, what brings you here?"
"Your Majesty, I have been assigned to compile the Daily Court Record for this month." Yang Sheng set down his brush and ledger, bowing with calm dignity.
The Daily Court Record? Ah, right. An Lin suddenly recalled that when she had appointed Qiancai to the post of Hanlin Academy Compiler, her intention had been to keep him close at hand for whenever she needed him summoned for tasks.
Under the Xuan dynasty's system, however, the duty rotated monthly. Several other court recorders had served before him, and since Yang Sheng's turn hadn't arrived yet, An Lin had gradually let the detail slip her mind.
Besides, the role of Court Recorder inherently lacked any real visibility.
Technically, a Court Recorder was permitted inside the study to document the sovereign's words and actions. But An Lin frequently consulted the Simulator within those walls and disliked having an audience. She had long claimed that being observed hindered her concentration, making it impossible to process memorials or manage state affairs. Consequently, she had relegated the Recorder to the outer corridor, allowing entry only during formal audiences with ministers.
Following the Empress's investiture, she had begun reviewing memorials concurrently with the Empress Avatar, making the prospect of granting access even less likely.
"I see." Fully recalling the arrangement, An Lin nodded. Displaying her renowned penchant for double standards, she beckoned to her personal Gold-Tier Minister.
"Why linger out there? Come in, Qiancai. Take a seat and begin your notes."
The other palace attendants stationed outside the study kept their gazes lowered and their expressions perfectly neutral.
The junior eunuch nearest to her caught her subtle signal. Highly perceptive, he hurried to the designated desk for the Recorder, gathered the ledger and brushes, and bowed.
"Lord Yang, please. Allow me to assist you inside."
With the materials already in hand, Yang Sheng had no choice but to step across the threshold into the emperor's study.
The fortuitous encounter at the door with her Gold-Tier Minister instantly derailed her escape plan. Instead, An Lin seized Yang Sheng and began questioning him about his recent experiences at the Hanlin Academy and the Ministry of Revenue.
"Your Majesty is too kind. All is well with this servant." Yang Sheng replied evenly.
"Splendid." An Lin smiled, already mentally scanning for tasks she could delegate to him to build his seniority. As she pondered, her eyes fell upon his ledger. Curiosity sparked.
"What does this Daily Court Record contain? Surely it wouldn't be improper if We took a look?"
"By strict protocol, it is not permitted." Yang Sheng replied, his tone measured.
Hmm? So, flexibly interpreted, it might be permissible?
An Lin instantly parsed the implication.
"And if We insist on seeing it?"
Yang Sheng took a deliberate step backward and averted his eyes.
An Lin stifled a laugh, snatched the ledger, and flipped it open.
Historically, the Daily Court Record was rarely shown to the sovereign. In certain dynasties, if an emperor demanded access, censors would throw themselves against the walls rather than comply. The record served as an objective history; if the sovereign discovered unfavorable accounts of his conduct and attempted to alter them, it would fundamentally violate the censor's duty to impartial documentation.
Yet, judging by the current situation, the Xuan realm apparently lacked such rigid restrictions regarding the Daily Court Record. Otherwise, given Qiancai's principled nature, he never would have breached protocol to show it to her.
An Lin opened it with keen interest, but her smile slowly froze, then vanished entirely.
The ledger contained entries compiled by successive record keepers over recent months. After turning just a few pages, An Lin's eyes landed on an entry:
[Sixth Day of the Fourth Month: Attended morning court. Upon its conclusion, Your Majesty spent four hours in the study reviewing memorials. After midday meal, stood for thirty minutes, then resumed reviewing memorials until dusk, before departing the study to retire to the inner quarters.]
She turned the page further:
[Fifteenth Day of the Fifth Month: Reviewed memorials.]
Another turn:
[Eighteenth Day of the Fifth Month: Attended morning court. Reviewed memorials thereafter.]
[Seventh Day of the Sixth Month: Reviewed memorials. At noon, the Empress visited to keep Your Majesty company. Your Majesty continued reviewing memorials.]
...Though An Lin had mentally rendered it into modern phrasing, the original classical text left no doubt. The entire volume was saturated with variations of the phrase "reviewing memorials."
No wonder Qiancai had surrendered the ledger so readily. The censors clearly harbored zero fear that she would attempt to edit it.
This wasn't a Daily Court Record at all. It was merely her employee attendance log!
She hadn't minded the endless paperwork while doing it, but seeing her entire routine laid out in black and white suddenly induced a sharp pang of occupational fatigue.
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