The First Jasmine - Chapter 109

Chapter 109 - Discussion

With her head full of metaphorical thunder and lightning, Ye Li had someone send Yao Ji back to settle in. Just as she returned to the estate, Matriarch Sun came to report that someone had delivered an item specifically designated for the Princess Consort. When Ye Li opened the box, she found a piece of raw jadeite that had only been slightly processed and remained uncarved. Yet, just by looking at its flawless, emerald-green luster, she could tell it was an exceptional piece of top-grade jadeite. Narrowing her eyes in thought, Ye Li already had a shrewd guess as to who the sender was. Raising her head to look at Matriarch Sun, she asked, "Did the sender leave a name and address?" Matriarch Sun smiled and replied, "The Princess Consort need not worry; the Prince has already sent a return gift. The Prince said that if the Princess Consort likes it, you may keep it, and if not, you can simply dispose of it however you wish."

Ye Li nodded and said, "Store it away for now; we'll deal with it later. Where is the Prince?"

"The Prince is in the study. Young Master Feng has returned."

Ye Li nodded, turned, and headed toward the study.

Previously, Feng Zhiyao and the others had split into two groups in Yongzhou, leading the Black Cloud Cavalry on a northward march, putting them nearly half a month behind her arrival in the capital. Just as Ye Li reached the doorway of the study, Mo Xiuyao's voice drifted from within. "A-Li? Come on in." Ye Li pushed the door open and stepped inside. Feng Zhiyao stood up and greeted, "Greetings, Princess Consort." Ye Li nodded with a faint smile and replied, "Young Master Feng, no need for formalities." Feng Zhiyao glanced back and forth between Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao, sensing that something seemed a little different about the two of them. "The Princess Consort can just call me Feng San." Ye Li readily agreed with a smile, walked over to sit beside Mo Xiuyao, and asked, "Am I interrupting anything?" Mo Xiuyao shook his head. "Nothing of consequence. Does A-Li have something on your mind?" Ye Li recounted her encounter with Yelu Ye outside. Looking at Feng Zhiyao standing nearby, she only briefly mentioned running into Yao Ji and Mu Yang, intentionally omitting the matter of Yao Ji's pregnancy. Such sensitive personal matters were best left for the individual involved to disclose.

Mo Xiuyao frowned at Yelu Ye's obvious and deliberate attempts to approach Ye Li, letting out a cold snort as he remarked, "It seems Yelu Hong hasn't been putting enough pressure on him after all, allowing him to stroll so leisurely through the streets of Chu Capital. Feng San, go spread the word that Yelu Ye has already arrived in the capital and intends to participate in selecting candidates for the marital alliance." Feng Zhiyao raised an eyebrow with a smile, nodding in silent agreement. Once word got out, the standing of Yelu Ye in the eyes of Chu Capital's aristocracy would surely plummet quite a few notches. Arriving secretly ahead of time and keeping a low profile was one thing, but actively inserting oneself into the selection of marriage candidates crossed the line entirely. True, Great Chu wasn't about to send a genuine imperial princess for the alliance, but the daughters of Great Chu's elite weren't items for the Northern Rong to pick and choose from at whim, either.

"A-Li, I'm afraid you'll have to start getting busy. Have you finished reviewing the roster of eligible maidens I gave you earlier?" Mo Xiuyao asked softly, turning his head to look at her. Ye Li nodded, and Mo Xiuyao continued, "You don't need to lock down the exact candidates for the alliance. Just recommend two or three potential choices and submit them to the Emperor. The final decision rests with him anyway."

With a puzzled frown, Ye Li asked, "Won't doing that end up offending even more people?" Mo Xiuyao smiled. "When the man in the palace hands this kind of task over to you, does he ever leave us a path where we don't offend anyone? If we worry about offending people and casually pick a girl of mediocre family background, not only will the Northern Rong kick up a fuss, but the man in the palace might even accuse you of mishandling the task and demand a complete redo—which would only end up offending even more people. Since that's the case, A-Li doesn't need to fret over who gets offended. Just select a few individuals you deem appropriate and submit their names. As for which one the Emperor picks, that's his affair. If he isn't satisfied with any of them, so much the better—let him pick someone else on his own."

Ye Li nodded. "I understand. I'll carefully review the family backgrounds, talents, and overall credentials of these young ladies." Stripping away all emotional and political bias to select candidates purely on merit and personal qualifications made the task significantly easier to manage.

Feng San's efficiency was remarkably high; by that very afternoon, the news that the Seventh Prince of Northern Rong had arrived in the capital had spread throughout the city. Even the exact inn where Yelu Ye was staying became common knowledge. Yelu Ye, who had originally intended to deliberately stall for a few days before paying a formal visit to the Emperor of Chu, was left with no choice but to drop what he was doing and hurriedly head into the palace to seek an audience. While inwardly cursing Mo Xiuyao, he also deeply regretted that his impulsive appearance the other night to test Mo Xiuyao had ultimately exposed his own presence.

Early the next morning, an invitation for the welcoming banquet hosted by the imperial palace in honor of the Northern Rong prince arrived at the Prince of Ding's Estate. Mo Xiuyao, who was currently accompanying Ye Li as she practiced swordplay in the backyard martial training field, raised an eyebrow, waved the messenger away, and turned back to resume coaching her swordsmanship.

"Princess Consort, Young Master Han and Young Master Leng are here to see you," Qing Shuang reported as she walked over.

With a hint of displeasure, Mo Xiuyao muttered, "What is he here for again?" Mo Xiuyao was beginning to deeply suspect whether his initial decision to assign Han Mingxi and the Han family to assist A-Li was an instance of lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot. While loyalty was never an issue, Han Mingxi had been visiting A-Li every three days since arriving in the capital, and even after moving out of the Prince of Ding's Estate to find his own residence, he showed no signs of cutting down his visits. The thoroughly jealous Prince of Ding conveniently overlooked the fact that Leng Haoyu, a married man, was also part of the visiting party.

Ye Li sheathed her sword, turned back with a smile, and said, "Hasn't Mingxi been busy discussing business partnerships with Leng Haoyu these past few days? He probably has some new ideas he wants to run by me." For Han Mingxi, Leng Haoyu was a goldmine. This seemingly useless, dissolute playboy controlled the vast majority of the Prince of Ding's commercial enterprises. With his involvement, Han Mingxi's business ventures could expand on an even grander scale; the mere thought of it made Han Mingxi feel as though countless gold ingots were fluttering around him, keeping him busier than a bee these days. It seemed that the Han family members naturally possessed a genetic predisposition for accumulating wealth that wasn't exclusive to Han Mingyue alone.

"I'll go listen in as well. Are you welcoming, A-Li?" Mo Xiuyao asked.

Lowering her head to suppress a smile, Ye Li pretended not to notice his obvious jealousy and replied, "Since Leng Haoyu is involved as well, what secrets could there possibly be from the Prince?" In truth, Ye Li occasionally felt that keeping her faction and Mo Xiuyao's faction entirely distinct might not be optimal for operational efficiency, but she also understood that this division existed because the future of the Prince of Ding's Estate remained uncertain, and Mo Xiuyao wanted to preserve a separate sphere of influence as a fallback in case anything went wrong. Because of this, she deeply appreciated his protective intent.

In the study, upon seeing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li enter hand-in-hand, both Leng Haoyu and Han Mingxi stood up to welcome them. Mo Xiuyao nodded and said indifferently, "No need for formalities, please be seated."

Looking at Han Mingxi, whose complexion had improved considerably, Ye Li smiled and asked, "Mingxi, you're here so early—is something the matter?" Han Mingxi nodded, raising an eyebrow with a grin. "Indeed there is. Leng the Second and I have pretty much finalized our plans over the last few days. Leng the Second will handle things here in Great Chu, while in a few days I plan to make a trip to Nanzhao and Xiling. As for Northern Rong, that can wait." In terms of commercial value, Northern Rong was arguably the least developed of the four nations; many Central Plains business models simply wouldn't work there and couldn't turn a profit. Tilting her head, Ye Li mused, "I've heard there are quite a few gold and silver deposits within Northern Rong." Leng Haoyu nodded in agreement. "True, though Northern Rong is remote and bitterly cold, it is rich in gold and silver mines. You only have to look at those Northern Rong nobles to know." Whether male or female, any Northern Rong aristocrat of even minor standing loved wearing massive gold ornaments, decorating themselves to look like walking treasure chests of precious metal. While Central Plains people naturally looked down upon the crude and vulgar ways of the northern nomads, who could honestly claim they didn't envy the sheer extravagance of treating gold as common silver?

"What is the Princess Consort implying?" Leng Haoyu asked hesitatingly. After all, nobody ever complained about having too much gold on their hands. "However, most of Northern Rong's major mines are tightly controlled by their royal family, and the people there are fiercely xenophobic. For outsiders to muscle in on that sector is virtually impossible."

Ye Li shook her head with a smile. "No, I have no intention of meddling in their gold mines. The most valuable thing in Northern Rong isn't just their gold mines—it's their warhorses."

Han Mingxi frowned and said, "The restrictions on Northern Rong warhorses are even stricter than those on gold mines." Northern Rong's warhorses were renowned across the world, whereas Great Chu produced very few fine mounts. Presently, the cavalry horses used by the Great Chu military were mostly a crossbreed between native Chu horses and breeds from Northern Rong or other foreign tribes. Compared to purebred Northern Rong horses, they still fell somewhat short. Fortunately, the terrain of Great Chu wasn't a flat, endless grassland, making cavalry far less strategically decisive than it was for Northern Rong; otherwise, securing adequate warhorses would indeed pose a massive logistical nightmare. Knowing that Ye Li was bringing this up with the interests of the Mo Family Army and the Black Cloud Cavalry in mind, Han Mingxi—despite knowing he had no official standing to object—still felt a twinge of sourness in his chest. He glanced at Mo Xiuyao, who was sitting quietly and listening to their discussion, and said, "No matter how much money we throw at them, Northern Rong will never sell us horses, and even if they did, they'd only palm off inferior culls. Besides... isn't a problem like warhorses supposed to be handled by the imperial court or the military command? If Junwei intends to meddle in this area, I'm afraid startling the court might do more harm than good."

Ye Li smiled brightly. "Openly and above board? Of course no one would sell them to us. But aren't there businesses that operate through... smuggling?"

"Smuggling?"

Ye Li smiled. "Covert transactions, bypassing customs checkpoints, paying no tariffs. High risk, astronomical returns."

Leng Haoyu rubbed his temples and chuckled. "Does the Princess Consort mean we should secretly send people to purchase horses? In Northern Rong, trafficking fine horses to foreign states is a capital offense."

Ye Li smiled faintly. "People of every nation love wealth, and merchants are driven by profit. With a fifty percent profit margin, they will take bold risks; for a hundred percent profit, they will trample all human laws underfoot; and if there is a three-hundred-percent profit, even the threat of the death penalty won't stop people from rushing forward to stake their lives on it." If the death penalty were an absolute deterrent, the world wouldn't have so much crime. "We don't need to rush things, either. Northern Rong is vast, sparsely populated, and lacking in manufactured goods. Grain, textiles, porcelain, tea—we supply whatever they need. If we can incidentally scoop up some medicinal herbs, furs, and pelts along the way, that would be even better. Over time, we'll naturally establish our own channels to acquire whatever we want."

Han Mingxi's eyes lit up as he smiled, "I understand. Northern Rong's situation differs from ours, as well as from Xiling and Southern Border; naturally, we can't approach Northern Rong with the same mindset. However, since we are already expanding our business into Xiling and Southern Border, we can easily route local specialties from Xiling, Southern Border, and Great Chu up to Northern Rong along the way. Those Northern Rong nobles are rolling in wealth—extracting money from them is child's play. It's not like nobody has ever attempted this trade before, but the distances are too vast and the grasslands too perilous, so it's mostly been limited to small-time itinerant traders. But with us, we don't have to worry about safety at all. Even if we can't openly wave the banner of the Prince of Ding's Estate, the sheer military might of the estate is more than enough to organize and dispatch a force capable of safeguarding those caravans."

Mo Xiuyao was naturally very interested in acquiring Northern Rong warhorses. With a calm smile, he said, "This upcoming marital alliance presents a wonderful opportunity. We can easily dispatch personnel to tag along with the alliance delegation and survey Northern Rong firsthand. Afterward, I will submit a memorial to the Emperor requesting permission for commercial merchants to accompany the diplomatic delegation to Northern Rong, framing it as a contribution to bilateral relations between the two nations." The other three sat in silence. A contribution? More like a contribution to the Prince of Ding's treasury and the future combat capability of the Mo Family Army!

Seeing that Mo Xiuyao approved, Leng Haoyu smiled. "Since that's settled, it's a done deal. Brother Han will head to Xiling and Southern Border, and I'll make a trip up to Northern Rong myself. With over a month left before departure, we have plenty of time to get things sorted out on the Chu side."

Han Mingxi nodded indifferently. Ye Li took out a personal iron token and tossed it to Han Mingxi, saying, "Eldest Brother should still be in Southern Border; if you run into any trouble that requires assistance, you can seek him out. Take this King of Hell Token with you just in case. If you encounter any sticky situations in Xiling, Pavilion Master Ling should extend a helping hand for the sake of the token." Han Mingxi was well aware of the origin of the King of Hell Token. Catching it in his hand, he looked at Ye Li with a hesitation on his lips. Ye Li waved a hand, signaling that he didn't need to explain further. "Give it to whoever needs it. Keeping it on me in Chu Capital is unlikely to require bothering Pavilion Master Ling anyway. Letting it sit around gathering dust would be a waste. As for that Sick Scholar... the chances of him getting another opportunity to come to Great Chu are rather slim." Dark Four had sent word a few days earlier that they had successfully located Elder Liang, who had been abducted back to Xiling by the Sick Scholar. Until the Blueness Grass could be found, the Sick Scholar's threat level remained strictly limited. Of course, should the man stubbornly insist on showing her his face in Chu Capital, she wouldn't mind taking action—even if she couldn't kill him, she'd cripple him. Presuming Ling Tiehan wouldn't fault her for it.

Leng Haoyu exclaimed in amazement, "The Princess Consort is truly generous, parting with a King of Hell Token just like that." As he spoke, he glanced sideways at Mo Xiuyao, assuming the token had been given to her by the Prince for self-defense, and figured that watching the Princess casually gift it to another man might prompt the Prince to vent his wrath on whoever happened to be closest. Preferably the chief culprit himself, the dandy Han Mingxi—a classic case of letting a fellow daoist die so the poor priest could live. Besides, he brought this on himself.

Ye Li arched an eyebrow with a smile. "Pavilion Master Ling gave it to me for free; it didn't cost a dime." In truth, even if Ling Tiehan failed to show up in the end, she wouldn't have actually taken the Sick Scholar's life. Who knew whether Ling Tiehan's brotherly loyalty might prompt him to mobilize the entire Hell Pavilion to avenge the Sick Scholar? Still, crippling his martial arts and the like would be unavoidable; as long as she left the Sick Scholar breathing, Ling Tiehan couldn't justify coming after her, purely out of respect for her Eldest Brother. Leng Haoyu touched his nose and lowered his head to sip his tea. Was the King of Hell Token something measured in mere money? That was an item countless people would willingly spend a mountain of gold to acquire without success! Holding the King of Hell Token meant that, provided you didn't provoke the imperial family of Xiling, you could essentially strut sideways through Xiling unhindered.

With official business concluded, Han Mingxi looked at Ye Li and frowned, saying, "Early yesterday morning, Yelu Ye had people scour the entire capital for top-tier jade. I wonder what he's up to. I've never heard of Northern Rong people having a particular fondness for jadeware." Though Yelu Ye had deployed agents anonymously in staggered batches, his mistake lay in targeting shops operating under the Han family name. When top-grade jade from two or three consecutive storefronts was suddenly bought out by strangers, the shop managers naturally didn't forget to report it to their master. And while the Tianyi Pavilion no longer operated openly within Great Chu, Han Mingxi still maintained a vast network of operatives under his command; investigating the sales channels and buyer identities across various jewelry and antique shops in the capital was hardly a difficult task. Ye Li naturally knew what Yelu Ye intended to do with all that jade. With detached amusement, she remarked, "It seems Northern Rong is indeed quite wealthy."

Remembering how her own itinerary yesterday had been disrupted by a certain prince's vulgar display of wealth, Ye Li couldn't muster a pleasant mood. Especially since that same person had gone out of his way to send her a piece of jade just to rub it in. A thought flashing through her mind, Ye Li smiled and said, "Help me spread the word: this Princess Consort is looking to acquire a piece of supreme, top-tier jade as a birthday gift for the Prince." Leng Haoyu looked between Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, entirely missing her drift.

Han Mingxi caught on first, opening his folding fan with a chuckle. "Ah, so we can take all the premium jade we've been hoarding in our inventories and put it up for sale. Once this news gets out, people will surely buy it even if we double the price. Besides... the Princess Consort is right; don't the Northern Rong people have deep pockets? I'll make sure to pass the news directly to the Seventh Prince first, lest he fall behind the curve." As for whether the Northern Rong prince ultimately intended to use those jade pieces as bridal gifts for the marital alliance or haul them all the way back to Northern Rong was none of their concern. Leng Haoyu nodded in agreement. "Come to think of it, we've never heard rumors about what kinds of things the Princess Consort fancies, which has cost us quite a bit of potential profit. Since I do happen to have a lot of stock I want to clear out, I might as well sell it cheap to the Northern Rong prince. But... um, does the Princess Consort need to hold onto a good piece for yourself?" If the cash-flush Northern Rong prince bought everything up, what would happen to the Prince's birthday gift? Good-tempered and magnanimous as the Prince usually appeared, when he got petty, nobody could handle it. Over the years, he and Feng San had learned that lesson the hard way.

Ye Li glanced sideways at Mo Xiuyao, pursed her lips, and smiled. "No need, I was just speaking casually."

Han Mingxi raised an eyebrow and sighed with mock sorrow, "To think the Prince's birthday is coming up so soon. What a coincidence... my birthday is in June, too. In past years I always celebrated with Eldest Brother, but now..."

Leng Haoyu's body stiffened as he glared warily at Han Mingxi. If this guy had a death wish, he could go ahead, but there was no need to drag innocent bystanders down with him—he was a newlywed, for crying out loud!

Ye Li smiled. "Mingxi's birthday is in June as well? Then you should stay in the capital and celebrate before heading off."

Han Mingxi blinked. "Will Junwei prepare a gift for me?"

"Of course. Tell me what you like, and I'll go prepare it later," Ye Li agreed with a nod. Given her friendship with Han Mingxi, not preparing a birthday gift would be inexcusable, especially considering the heavy lifting both she and Mo Xiuyao had relied on him for lately. Han Mingxi wore a radiant smile. "That's settled then; whatever Junwei prepares, I'll love it." With a lack of fear that bordered on suicidal, he raised an eyebrow toward Mo Xiuyao.

A razor-sharp glint flashed beneath Mo Xiuyao's placid expression as he smiled coolly. "A-Li is quite right. What a coincidence that Brother Han shares a June birthday; naturally, the Prince and I must mark the occasion properly. Rest assured, Brother Han, this Prince will definitely prepare a surprising gift for you." The final sentence was delivered in a tone that could almost be described as tender, though anyone hearing it would feel a bone-chilling draft sweep through their heart.

Leng Haoyu grabbed Han Mingxi by the collar, forced a dry laugh toward Mo Xiuyao, and said, "Although Brother Han and I haven't known each other long, we hit it off immediately. Brother Han, let's go discuss how you plan to spend your birthday." Ignoring Han Mingxi's protests, he grabbed the man and dragged him straight out of the room. Possessing top-tier lightness skills but third-rate actual combat prowess, Han Mingxi couldn't even put up a struggle before being hauled away by Leng Haoyu—who looked third-rate on the surface but possessed first-rate practical muscle.