Cao Dejiang looked at Xiao Yan’s shameless demeanor, finding it hard to reconcile him with the refined, jade-like eldest grandson of the emperor from years past. He still remembered that gentle, cultured boy who smiled as innocently as a pet rabbit. Now, calling him a night wolf cub wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
Cao Dejiang wiped the water stains from his face with his sleeve, grumbling, “You sent Gu Helian away, what are you up to?”
“You’re as perceptive as ever, sir.”
Cao Dejiang glared at him.
Xiao Yan refilled his tea and said, “I heard that Old Madam Cao has a nephew named Hou Zhang, whose clan includes an uncle who’s a renowned grain merchant in the south. Hou Zhang is close to him and has wide connections.”
“You saw how urgently Fu Yue was pressing just now. The northwest lacks grain, supplies, everything. But right now, I don’t have enough people to send south to procure grain…”
Cao Dejiang immediately grasped his meaning and cursed under his breath.
“I knew it! You’re only so courteous when you’re scheming something.”
He frowned, thinking for a moment before saying, “Hou Zhang is reliable, but his uncle is a man driven by profit. He’s dealt plenty with the capital’s elites before, and with the Hou family backing him, he might not fear someone far away in the capital. If he learns you’re procuring grain for the northwest, he might see it as a rare opportunity to drive up prices…”
Procuring grain for the military isn’t a small matter. Even adding ten or twenty wen per bushel could add up to an astronomical sum.
Cao Dejiang pondered for a moment. “If you trust me, I’ll have Cong’an go south to meet Hou Zhang in person, check the grain prices, and send people to various places to procure grain discreetly. That way, we avoid causing a price surge that could disrupt the southern economy…”
Before he could finish, Xiao Yan slid a box toward him. Opening it revealed a thick stack of silver notes.
“Then I’ll trouble you, sir. Here’s thirty thousand taels in silver notes for you to pass to Hou Zhang to smooth things over in the south. As for the gold for grain procurement, I’ve already sent people to deliver it to the Hou family. If Cong’an sets out tomorrow at full speed, he should make it in time.”
Cao Dejiang: “…”
He gave a wry laugh. “So you’ve already planned everything?”
Sending the gold and *then* discussing it with him, this rascal had calculated he’d agree?
Xiao Yan, perfectly serious, offered him a cup of tea. “It’s not calculation, sir. I know you’re upright and devoted to the nation and its people.”
Cao Dejiang took the cup and rolled his eyes. “Less flattery!”
“But while Hou Zhang has some connections, the Hou family can’t compare to the Gu family. If Gu Helian spoke up, what grain or supplies couldn’t he procure? Since you kept him here, why go the long way around?”
Xiao Yan replied, “The Gu family can’t be involved in court matters for now, especially not with the military.”
Cao Dejiang paused, understanding Xiao Yan’s meaning almost instantly.
The Gu family was too wealthy, wealthy enough to make everyone envious.
Zuozhou, where the Gu family resided, sat at the crossroads of Great Wei and Southern Qi. The Gu family controlled vast wealth, their trade routes spanning multiple nations. Yet, because they remained neutral, never aligning with any power and maintaining equal relations with all sides, whose interests were tied to theirs, no one dared to move against them lightly. Touching the Gu family risked pushing them into a rival’s hands, so the Gu family and Zuozhou maintained a delicate balance amid the power struggles, untouchable by any faction.
But if the Gu family were to favor one side, that balance would collapse instantly.
With Great Wei’s internal unrest and the serious threat from Beiling at the border, the Gu family couldn’t afford to be directly linked to Great Wei’s military or involved in the conflict with Beiling.
Xiao Yan was candid with Cao Dejiang. “Gu Helian is deeply devoted to Lady Rong and remembers the kindness the Rong family showed him. Out of love for Tangning, if he knew I was struggling to procure grain, he’d take it upon himself to handle it. With his personality, whether I refused or not, he’d mobilize all of Zuozhou’s resources. But that would be bad for him, for me, and for Great Wei right now.”
“I told him I already have a plan for the grain and asked him to secretly buy horses from the western border instead. The Gu family owns several large horse ranches and has long done business with the western tribes. Even if they procure more warhorses, it won’t draw too much attention.”
Cao Dejiang listened to Xiao Yan’s calm words, his expression softening. “You seem hard-hearted on the surface, but you’re quite considerate toward Gu Helian.”
If it were someone else, as long as they could achieve their goals and secure what they needed, they’d likely seize the chance to tie the Gu family to their side, caring little about whether the Gu family lived or died afterward.
But Xiao Yan, despite his ruthless appearance, always left room for restraint.
For a moment, Cao Dejiang seemed to see traces of the late Crown Prince in him. No matter how much Xiao Yan had changed, he still retained the core of that eldest imperial grandson from the palace days.
Upright, principled, and never swayed by selfish desires at the expense of all else.
Cao Dejiang’s eyes held a touch of gratification. “Rest assured, I’ll make sure Hou Zhang handles this properly.”
“Handles what? What are you talking about?”
Gu Helian returned, having changed into spare clothes from his carriage, strutting in flamboyantly.
His outfit had shifted from dark green to deep purple, his waist adorned with a matching warm mutton-fat jade pendant. The purple-gold belt, encrusted with gems and gold thread, was blindingly ostentatious.
“Good thing I had a spare set of regular clothes, or I’d have had to go out dirty today. Still, this outfit’s a bit plain.”
“…”
Cao Dejiang’s eye twitched. *You call this cloud brocade base with gold-thread patterns, exuding unmatched opulence and worth a fortune, plain?!*
Xiao Yan took a deep breath. “You could just keep your mouth shut.”
If this peacock kept showing off like this, Xiao Yan was really going to regret his restraint!!
…
Cao Dejiang didn’t linger long in Jiyun Lane. As Xiao Yan saw him out, Cao Dejiang said, “Though His Majesty has granted your marriage to Tangning, the proper betrothal gifts and procedures can’t be skipped. With no parents, have you decided who’ll represent you in proposing?”
Xiao Yan replied, “I was thinking of asking either Lady Wenxinhou or Old Madam Fu to act on my behalf.”
The ideal choice would have been the Grand Empress Dowager, but she was elderly, plagued by illness, and currently unfit to appear in the capital.
As for other high-ranking noblewomen, Xiao Yan wasn’t familiar with them. Lady Wenxinhou was a close friend of Rong Yue, and Old Madam Fu had always protected Tangning.
Cao Dejiang frowned. “On the day of the palace coup, Lord Wenxinhou spoke in your favor, which already displeased His Majesty. But he’s a loyal man, unlikely to betray his duty to the emperor. If you ask Lady Wenxinhou to represent you, it might put him in a difficult position.”
Xiao Yan paused, recalling how Lord Wenxinhou had distanced himself recently.
That night, Lord Wenxinhou had supported him not out of personal ties but for the sake of a just court, to avoid disheartening the empire’s subjects, and to stabilize Great Wei’s rule. Privately, however, he kept his distance, even returning the thank-you gifts Xiao Yan had sent.
Unlike the court’s fence-sitters, Lord Wenxinhou was fiercely loyal to the imperial family.
Xiao Yan considered this. “Then I’ll ask Old Madam Fu. I’ll visit the Fu family later to discuss it with her.”=================
You can read ahead to chapterr 770 (100+ extra chapters) here
Comments
Post a Comment