Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Twenty-One:
You Fangyin’s Boss

Who the hell was it?

A qin cost three thousand taels of silver, and Yan Lin didn’t even bat an eye when he paid for it.

The substantial wealth of Yan Lin’s family was clearly evident.

She had previously been ignorant and unaware. Yan Lin naturally treated her well, and she also enjoyed Yan Lin’s kindness towards herself. After being reborn, she knew she couldn’t prepay the young man’s sincere affection and shouldn’t take it for granted.

She should not have accepted this qin.

However, as she was about to refuse and ask Tang’er to bring silver notes to pay for it, Jiang Xuening suddenly hesitated. With a change of heart, she suppressed her initial reluctance and silently accepted the qin.

Lü Xian, smiling as he counted the silver notes, spoke to Yan Lin. “I always knew the young marquis was the most generous. Of all my customers in the Capital, you’re the one that I, Lü Xian, am most delighted to see! Come often, for the qin can become an addiction. Once you’ve grown fond of it, just having one will not satisfy you, and you’ll crave another. You might even take up crafting them. Come see me for anything you need. I assure you, you won’t make a wasted trip.”

Yan Lin rolled his eyes.

Jiang Xuening was completely stunned, hardly able to believe her ears.

Lü Xian!

Wasn’t that Lü Xian, one of the most powerful supporters of Xie Wei, when he launched the palace coup?

Yan Lin oversaw the army. Lü Xian managed the money.

Later, Yan Lin would command the Forbidden Army, while Xie Wei promoted Lü Xian during her confinement in the palace. He made his mark as the first person to transition from a successful merchant to an official and ultimately became the new Minister of Revenue.

In her previous life, You Fangyin donated eighty percent of her wealth to the court to fill the national treasury in order to save her life. And this man was the one who managed it!

Upon entering the secluded You Huang Pavilion, Yan Lin did not disclose the owner’s identity to Jiang Xuening. Only when Lü Xian let slip his name was Jiang Xuening taken aback and caught a glimpse of something Yan Lin couldn’t see.

She looked at Lü Xian again. This time, it felt completely different.

She initially found his words bold and unrestrained for someone who ran a business. Looking back on it, the audacity seemed bold but had a distinct air of arrogance, as if he was the only sober one among a drunken crowd.

After counting the silver bills, Lü Xian nodded satisfactorily and smoothly tucked them into his sleeve. “The amount is correct.”

“Let’s take our leave, then,” Yan Lin said.

Securing a three-thousand-taels sale was a rare opportunity. Lü Xian, embodying the persona of a seasoned businessman, beamed as he personally walked them to the exit.

Jiang Xuening held onto the qin, following Yan Lin as they went down the stairs.

Unexpectedly, someone rushed up the steps and bumped into them.

It was the swordsman who was always by Xie Wei, Jian Shu.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

Jian Shu often followed Xie Wei and was good at swordsmanship. Yan Lin had seen him around and knew about him, so when he saw him, he said, “Teacher Xie sent you on an errand again?”

Jian Shu bowed to him and smiled, “Exactly.”

He turned his gaze and saw Jiang Xuening behind him. The footsteps that were supposed to continue moving forward stopped as he bowed to her. “Greetings, Second Miss Ning.”

Jiang Xuening was caught off guard and nodded in acknowledgment.

Yan Lin’s eyebrows rose once he heard those words. There was a strange look in his eyes as he glanced at Jian Shu. “What’s with Second Miss Ning?”

Jian Shu didn’t seem to realize something was off, so he quickly went upstairs after saying goodbye.

Back in You Huang Pavilion, Lü Xian was about to close up shop and pour himself a glass of wine to celebrate the sale of such an expensive qin. However, as soon as his hands were on the door, he saw Jian Shu coming up the stairs.

His eye twitched, and he quickened his movements to close the door.

Jian Shu’s eyes were sharp, and his hands were quick. He stepped forward and slapped his hand in the door’s gap, grinning at Lü Xian. “The sun’s still up. Why is Scholar Lü in such a hurry to close the door?”

Lü Xian inwardly cursed, ‘Martial artists are really tough. Why didn’t the door squish you?’ His face, however, displayed shock as if he had just noticed Jian Shu and smiled warmly. “Jian Shu! I didn’t see you there. How is it? Did your master really get so upset over breaking his qin?”

Jian Shu could not hide his annoyance. “You don’t have to concern yourself with that, Scholar Lü,” he said sternly.

Lü Xian could barely contain his amusement at the thought of Xie Wei being in a foul mood. “What brings you here?” he asked, quickly changing the subject. “Looking to make a purchase?”

“I’m not buying anything,” Jian Shu said. “There’s something to do.”

Hearing this, Lü Xian’s face changed, and he immediately pushed the hand that was blocking the door. “I don’t have money. You can leave now,” he said sternly.

“Didn’t Young Marquis Yan just leave?” Jian Shu remained motionless.

“That qin was not worth much money,” Lü Xian lied without blinking an eye.

Jian Shu sneered coldly and let go of his hand, making a move like he was about to leave. “Then I’ll go back and tell my master that there was an incorrect payment of five thousand taels in your account three months ago.”

“Hey, wait, I do have money!” Without another word, Lü Xian quickly grabbed him and dragged him back into the room. “Really, what’s the point of you saying you are not old enough to be as mature as Xie Ju’an? Even if you are like Daoqin, that’s fine. It’s not a good habit to threaten accounts all the time. Tell me, what’s going on?”

Jian Shu was obviously accustomed to Lü Xian’s character. He knew the situation’s urgency and succinctly said, “The ship capsized on the Cao Canal.”

Lü Xian suddenly paused. “What ship?”

“The silk ship,” Jian Shu said.

Lü Xian’s eyes lit up. “When?”

“Three days ago,” Jian Shu said. “The news came urgently, and few in the Capital know about it yet.”

Lü Xian immediately clapped his hands and laughed. “Good!”

“Sir, a while ago, the silk merchants in the central part of the Capital untied together to push down the meager price of silk,” Jian Shu said. “Now that the ship transporting the silk on the Cao River capsized, the price of raw silk in the central part of the city will inevitably rise. We can make a big profit if we can buy raw silk at a low price while the news is still spreading. However, recently, many merchants couldn’t bear the pressure and have already sold their raw silk for fear that there will be very little left in the market.”

Lü Xian flashed through the names of all the merchants in the Capital. He grinned, his eyes shining brightly, and said, “Yes, there is one more!”

。。。

When Xu Wenyi saw You Fangyin walking in, he was startled by her haggard appearance. “You haven’t slept well for a few days? Someone should bring you a cup of tea.”

You Fangyin rubbed her eyes and sat down.

The server immediately served them the tea, and couldn’t help but glance at her with a slightly worried expression.

This was a guest room in the Merchant Guild Hall, set up by the Jiangsu and Zhejiang Merchant Guilds merchants that specifically accommodated merchants from the two provinces who came to the Capital to stay and talk business.

Xu Wenyi was a silk merchant from Nanxun in Suzhou.

He arrived in the Capital two months ago. However, the silkworm farmers were dissatisfied due to the joint efforts of the major silk merchants in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions to lower the purchase price of raw silk. Those small and medium-sized merchants who made a living by selling silk were also unable to continue and were forced to go north. Who would have thought the major Capital, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang merchants were also colluding? Coupled with too many small and medium-sized merchants entering the city, the price of silk fell instead of rose by only half of the previous year’s market price!

Not to mention making money, even the price paid to the silkworm farmers was not enough!

Xu Wenyi was thirty-six years old this year. Even if he couldn’t grow a beard, there were wind and frost marks on his face and fine wrinkles around his eyes. The price of silk had remained the same in recent days, and he was now stranded in the Capital. He didn’t even know if the sun would rise tomorrow. He felt like he was boiling oil every day, and even his eyes were filled with a deep sense of anxiety and oppression.

His family’s entire fortune was in this business deal.

Last year, he has sold salt and lost a lot of money. This year, when he bought silk from the silkworm farmers, he couldn’t even make a profit. Fortunately, he was a local businessman in Nanxun and had been in contact with the local silkworm farmers for many years. Everyone knew the market wasn’t good this year, and they were willing to trust him. They only took a ten percent deposit from him and handed over all the raw silk they produced that year. They asked him to go to the Capital to get a reasonable price before returning to pay the remaining balance.

In the business world, who did not pay and deliver the goods?

However, the silkworm farmers in his hometown were willing to give the goods first and then receive the money.

Xu Wenyi was a conscientious businessman who didn’t want to disappoint the trust of his fellow villagers. But heavens only knew how desperate he was when he arrived in the Capital and inquired about the market price of raw silk!

Until eleven days ago, he was stranded in the Capital and could barely afford to stay in the guild hall. He finally felt like he could no longer bear it anymore and only wanted to sell half the shipment of raw silk in his hand at a low price. He could recover as much as he could and bring it back to his hometown.

As for the insufficient part, he could only owe it for now and gradually find ways to compensate.

But at this moment, in such a desperate situation, You Fangyin appeared and gave him a brand-new hope.

When this girl came that day, she was still wearing a filial piety mourning outfit, and her eyes were red, which startled Xu Wenyi. He thought something had happened to her, and she came to seek help.

Unexpectedly, she took out four hundred taels directly from her money pouch and told him she wanted to buy silk.

Xu Wenyi had lived for half his life and had never seen such a customer before. He was momentarily stunned and couldn’t react for a long time. He was puzzled; this girl didn’t look like a wealthy woman or a daughter from a merchant’s family.

He had been too eager to sell the raw silk then and didn’t ask many questions, so he sold some to her at the market price.

However, You Fangyin only had four hundred taels of silver, which was a drop in the bucket compared to his entire shipment of raw silk.

After the payment was made, Xu Wenyi couldn’t resist curiosity and asked, “The price of raw silk is so low, and it depends on the situation that it might continue to decline. As a young lady, you can’t even understand the account books. Four hundred taels of raw silk is not a small amount. What will you do after buying it?”

“Wait for the price to rise in half a month before selling,” You Fangyin’s response was surprising.

Xu Wenyi’s whole body shook, and his head roared with thunder. Seeing her about to leave after she answered, he surprisingly lost his composure and chased after her. His voice trembled as he asked, “Young Miss, how can you dare to make such a statement?”

The You family’s young lady looked stunned as if his fierce expression frightened her.

After a while, she said, “The person who gave me the money said it.”

“Young Miss, you have a boss?” Xu Wenyi was even more shocked to hear this.

At that time, You Fangyin looked at him and seemed deep in thought. She felt that word was appropriate and nodded. “Yes. She told me to take the money and buy the raw silk today. If I can sell it in half a month, I can earn three times the market price.”

Xu Wenyi immediately took a deep breath.

Wasn’t that twice as high as last year’s market price and four times the current market price?

How dare You Fangyin’s boss say such things?

Xu Wenyi, who had been in business for many years, realized that he might have stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by chance…

Since he began doing business, he bought low and sold high; the difference was what he got.

Prices changed with the market, so being well-informed in the business world was extremely important.

People who could grasp information that others didn’t know often found it easy to find good opportunities here that even those who were slow to gather information could never catch.

You Fangyin, or the ‘boss’ behind You Fangyin, was likely responsible for such news!

However, for some unknown reason, Xu Wenyi only took out four hundred taels of silver to speak up after receiving such news. He could not convince himself to give up since he had encountered this opportunity.

He wanted to take a chance.

If the price of silk rose in half a month, it would be a peerless encounter for him. If it didn’t rise but fell, where could it fall compared to how it was now? And how could his situation be worse than it was now?

So, why not make a big gamble?

Xu Wenyi used the four hundred taels of silver You Fangyin paid to manage the ferry at the ferry crossing and also renewed the rent at the guild hall for half a month. He gave up the idea of selling raw silk at a low price and even had someone buy a set of high-quality study treasures. He gave You Fangyin an abacus and several books he had used before and waited with her for the day when the price of raw silk would rise.

During this period, Xu Wenyi was also insinuated to inquire about the identity of the boss behind her.

But You Fangyin’s mouth was very tight. She didn’t mention it at all.

If asked why the price would increase, You Fangyin would only say, “I don’t know, the boss hasn’t said why.”

At this moment, Xu Wenyi sat opposite her, looking at her bloodshot eyes. He pinched his fingers to count the time and let out a sigh. “There are only four days left.”

Not only did the price of silk not rise, but it also fell.

You Fangyin had just inquired about the price from another business, and she knew in her heart that she wasn’t good at dealing with people. She didn’t know how to respond to this sentence. Her demeanor was stiff and reserved as she tightly gripped the teacup with both hands and drank the tea with a heavy head.

This posture made people anxious.

Xu Wenyi smiled bitterly. “You said earlier that those four hundred silver taels were all your savings. Now that the price of silk hasn’t increased in such a long time, are you not afraid of losing this money? Will your boss blame you?”

You Fangyin thought for a moment. “If I lose money, I will save enough to repay her in the future.”

Out of the four hundred taels of silver, three hundred and fifty were given by Second Miss Jiang.

Although she wasn’t sure why she wanted to save her or give her the money, a drop of kindness should be repaid by a gushing spring. She had never encountered such a thing or a good person in her past eighteen years, let alone why she looked at her with that tearful gaze.

After thinking for a long time, she still wasn’t sure how she would repay it.

But Second Miss taught her how to do business.

If she succeeded in her business and earned a lot of money, would the Second Miss be happy if You Fangyin presented all of it to her?

Xu Wenyi didn’t know what her thoughts were and was immediately shocked upon hearing those words.

He shook his head helplessly. This girl really was devoted to her employer. The employer initially gave the money and also arranged things. The profits and losses were all from the employer. How could she say she’ll ‘return’ the lost money?

He asked someone to bring up the prepared ledger. “This is a new ledger I prepared for you. I have asked my accountant to note it so it’ll be easier to understand. However, if you stay up late to read the ledger, this will be a bit more appropriate.”

You Fangyin came to retrieve the account book that day. When she took it with her hands, she quickly expressed her gratitude. “I’ve been under strict supervision in the mansion lately,” she hesitantly said. “I might not be able to leave in the next few days. Boss Xu, if you don’t see me in four days, please help me sell the raw silk first.”

“It’s neither early nor late, why after four days? What if it rises again?”

You Fangyin shook her head. “My boss said that is the time to sell it.”

Xu Wenyi felt suffocated, but he agreed.

After seeing You Fangyin off, he sat down again and let out a long sigh.

The man behind him frowned. He was always full of doubts about this matter. “Boss, I see that this girl has only one thought in her head. How can she look like a fool? With such a good thing, wouldn’t her boss do it himself and take our turn?”

Xu Wenyi gritted his teeth, and his eyes filled with desperation. “We’ve all gambled on this, so let’s not mention it again. This ‘boss’ she talks about might not be a lie. If she were lying, she would be more reasonable. There’s no bottom line that goes so deep as not to mention it.”

He closed his eyes and then reopened them.

At this moment, he already had suppressed anger and sadness in his eyes. “Besides, if I really go back with the low-priced silver, how should I face the trust of the rural silkworm farmers? After autumn and winter, they will prepare the silkworms for next year. If I don’t have the money, should they eat the northwest wind?”

He didn’t dare speak again.

After Xu Wenyi said those words, he calmed down and was about to go out and inquire about the situation. Unexpectedly, the half-open door outside was suddenly knocked on by someone. A scholar stood outside and bowed to him. “Are you Su County’s Xu Wenyi?”

Xu Wenyi put a smile on his face. “Please, come in. You are?”

Of course, the scholar was Lü Xian. As soon as he entered, he noticed that the tea on his desk had not been withdrawn yet. He knew there had been a guest here before but didn’t ask about it, so he directly expressed his intention: “My name is Lü Xian. I heard that Boss Xu has a shipment of raw silk on hand that hasn’t been sold yet. I came to visit today specifically to do business with you and buy the shipment.”

Xu Wenyi’s heart skipped a beat, and his breath skipped, but his face remained calm. “What price are you offering?”

“The market price,” Lü Xian said.

Xu Wenyi couldn’t figure out his origin. He only said, “It’s not for sale at market price.”

Lü Xian raised his eyebrows. The situation suddenly seemed different from what he had imagined. “Are you saying that your silk can’t be sold, Boss Xu?”

“I can’t sell it now, but there are also others like you who have come to buy with big money at first glance,” Xu Wenyi said. “How could you know that it won’t increase in a few days?”

Lü Xian’s pupils contracted slightly.

He realized that things were not so simple. He smiled slightly. “You seem to know something.”

At this point, Xu Wenyi was already confident that what You Fangyin’s boss had said was true!

His whole face flushed with excitement.

But the voice still appeared calm and composed. With tears in his eyes, he didn’t know if it was to himself or Lü Xian as he said, “Someone came to buy a batch of raw silk from me eleven days ago. She said her boss told her that the price would rise. Today, when I saw Boss Lü coming, I knew I had made the right bet…”

。。。

Bang!

Lü Xian kicked open the door of the Zhuo Qin Hall.

Jian Shu, who was standing by, almost drew his sword and swung towards him. He couldn’t help but widen his eyes in surprise when he saw him.

Lü Xian walked in with a face full of frustration, picked up the Houkui tea brewing cold on the table, and poured it into his throat. When he put it down, the teacup clattered onto the table with a terrifying sound.

On the ground next to the east wall of Zhuo Qin Hall, several pieces of wood used for making qin were neatly arranged. Xie Wei was holding an ink brush in his hand, dressed in a simple sky-blue robe, standing in front of them to choose. He wore a wide crane cloak and rolled his sleeves over his arm, revealing his wrist with distinct joints.

Hearing the commotion, he turned his head to look.

Seeing that it was Lü Xian, his cold, long eyebrows unknowingly furrowed. “It didn’t work?”

“I was partially successful, but I encountered something unbelievable today,” Lü Xian said. Xie Ju’an, please be honest with me. When did the incident of the silk ship capsizing on the canal happen, and when did it first spread to the Capital? Who knows about it?”

Xie Wei turned back to look at the pieces of wood again.

He flipped over the paulownia wood in the middle. “Didn’t Jian Shu tell you? The incident happened three days ago, and the news has only reached the Capital within the last few hours. Apart from me and Jian Shu, the only other person who knows about it is you.”

Lü Xian said decisively, “Impossible! Someone brought raw silk from Xu Wenyi eleven days ago and predicted that the price would increase. I insinuated several times, but Xu Wenyi didn’t say much. After I left, I asked someone to inquire and found out that a girl has been coming and going from the guild hall these days and seems to be negotiating business with him. Who is this girl? She is a concubine-born daughter called You Fangyin and an unknown daughter of Count Qingyuan’s mansion. There seems to be a boss behind this girl, but I haven’t heard who that person is. If the silk ship was on the river three days ago, how could she possibly have known about this eight days beforehand?”

Xie Wei rubbed his fingers along the paulownia board that he chose to make the qin surface. Hearing Lü Xian’s words, he quickly realized that there was something mysterious about the situation. He didn’t ask first; instead, he said, “Why did you say it half worked, though?”

Lü Xian was almost choked to death by his question. He gasped for breath before answering, “Xu Wenyi is a clever person who seems to have guessed that I have a good background. Most of the people in the Capital can’t afford to offend anyone who can get this kind of news first, after all. He wants to have a good relationship but is afraid that if the price of silk doesn’t rise, he won’t have any money to go back. So, he sold half of his shipment to me at last year’s market price.”

“That’s good,” Xie Wei said. This year, silkworm farmers in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang regions have suffered unbearable hardships, and we are not purely seeking wealth here. It’s okay to earn less.”

But Lü Xian loved money more than anything!

He couldn’t help but firmly tap his finger on the table. “Xie Ju’an! You figure it out. This matter is very serious! The silk ship on the Cao Canal had an accident; how could You Fangyin and her boss predict it in advance? If you can let someone small like You Fangyin buy the silk, there might not be a need to buy more raw silk at a low price in secret. The silk ship likely had an accident that’s related to this person. I don’t believe in such coincidences. Either by mistake or there is already a plan! Whether this person is in court or opposition, I’m afraid he is not a simple person. I cannot give up on this matter. You have to know – who exactly is the boss of You Fangyin?”

Xie Wei was not prepared to give up on this, either.

He was just more concerned about whether things were done or not.

At this moment, his face was indifferent, neither happy nor angry. He lowered his gaze and said, “Indeed, we cannot underestimate this. Since we are not sure who this person is, we will have someone investigate the illegitimate daughter of the Count’s mansion. This person must have had contact with her and has some connections with the Cao River incident. He doesn’t dare to act openly, and it’s impossible to say who the junior official is. The scope is minimal, so it’s easy to investigate.”

Lü Xian also thought the same.

But soon, they realized that things didn’t seem to be as easy as they initially thought.

…

Next Chapter: Unworthy