Destined

Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned. Gu Jiusi knew when to stop. He straightened her clothes for her and said with a smile, "I'm leaving."

With that, he led his men and strode out energetically.

After Gu Jiusi left, Liu Yu Ru slowly collected her thoughts. Truthfully, she didn’t quite understand what Gu Jiusi meant. She had already promised him a lifetime—wasn’t that giving him her heart?

He wanted more, but what more could she give…?

Her heart felt uneasy. Lowering her gaze, she pondered silently—she truly couldn’t offer anything beyond that.

As she was lost in thought, Yin Hong entered and asked cheerfully, "Madam, are you not going to the shop today?"

"Of course I am," Liu Yu Ru replied promptly. "I haven’t been for several days. I’m afraid those mischievous girls might rebel."

Yin Hong pressed her lips together, smiling without another word.

Liu Yu Ru tidied her clothes and headed out. At the entrance, she saw Shen Ming standing properly by the carriage.

He had changed his clothes and wore a half-mask covering the scar on his face. Liu Yu Ru was taken aback, then heard him say, "The master ordered me to accompany you."

Liu Yu Ru glanced at Yin Hong beside her. Yin Hong coughed lightly and whispered, "The young master said Shen Ming is skilled in martial arts. Only with him accompanying you would he feel at ease."

Liu Yu Ru sighed softly. She understood—the incident at Black Wind Fortress had truly frightened Gu Jiusi. With no one else capable around him, Shen Ming was indeed the only person he could trust to protect her.

Liu Yu Ru nodded without further comment and stepped into the carriage.

Arriving at the shop, Liu Yu Ru first checked the accounts. Floral Visage was now running smoothly. She had assigned detailed responsibilities to each person, so everything was orderly, and even in her absence, nothing would go amiss.

This model made it easier for her to replicate Floral Visage. The Anyang branch had opened just a few days prior, and judging by the revenue, it was performing quite well. Yun Yun, watching cautiously, suggested timidly, "Young Madam, should we start preparing for the next branch?"

Yun Yun had come with Liu Yu Ru and Su Wan. Still young, she worked in the shop. Bright and sensitive to the goods, she had been promoted to shopkeeper by Liu Yu Ru after a short time.

Hearing Yun Yun’s idea, Liu Yu Ru looked over the accounts, thought for a moment, and shook her head. "Let’s stabilize the Anyang shop first. Buy one hundred taels of Youzhou debt."

"One hundred taels?" Yun Yun was startled—it was no small sum for the shop. Liu Yu Ru nodded firmly. "Go ahead and buy it. It’ll be fine."

Within a few days, the first month of the Youzhou debt matured. Those who remembered came to collect their money. Gu Jiusi had deliberately set up the collection point at the entrance of the Magistrate Office, where a long queue formed.

With a monthly interest rate of 0.5%, some people’s returns amounted to less than one coin. They could either have it recorded in the accounts or, if unwilling, receive the equivalent in rice, measured out precisely.

However, the measured rice portions were very small, so most chose to have it recorded. Yet this confirmed that the Youzhou debt did indeed pay out, and they all went home to tell their families.

As for the major merchants in the city, Gu Jiusi directly had the money delivered to them.The amounts they purchased were enormous; for instance, one family bought nearly a million, and by the end of the month, they received five hundred taels in interest. When this money was delivered to the merchants, everyone was somewhat stunned, never having imagined that Gu Jiusi would actually repay the debt.

After distributing the money in this manner, within two days, many people returned and purchased large quantities of Youzhou debt. This debt was primarily held by merchants, with only a little over a million circulating in the market. After the first month, when the common people received their money and learned that they could also earn money if their relatives and friends made purchases, they eagerly promoted it.

By the second month, the Youzhou debt on the market had completely sold out. Gu Jiusi had raised eight million, and at this point, the merchants who had been forced by Gu Jiusi to buy the Youzhou debt began selling their long-term holdings. As a result, the Youzhou debt started circulating on a small scale, much like a commodity.

Gu Jiusi was delighted to have raised the silver, while Liu Yu Ru spent her days inquiring about the price of Youzhou debt. When she encountered high buyers, she would sell off a portion of her holdings, and when she saw low sellers, she would buy some more.

She even prepared a special ledger to record the daily prices of Youzhou debt. Every day when Gu Jiusi returned home, he would find Liu Yu Ru sitting in the room, her small abacus clicking away.

With the money matters settled, Gu Jiusi had to turn his attention to the administrative affairs of the entire Wangdu.

Although Wangdu was only a county-level city, it served as the capital of the entire Youzhou region. All the prominent merchants, politicians, and nobles of Youzhou resided here. Gu Jiusi had to handle everything from major homicide cases to minor disputes over lost dogs and chickens, from financial and agricultural matters to urban construction and education. Previously, he had been solely focused on money and had only managed these matters casually. Now that he finally had the time, he needed to take them seriously.

Thus, he was so busy every day that he barely had time to catch his breath. He had hoped to return home and find Liu Yu Ru peacefully asleep, waiting for him. To his surprise, he discovered that his wife was even busier than he was!

Every day when he returned home, Liu Yu Ru was busy with her abacus.

After he finished bathing, Liu Yu Ru was still busy with her abacus.

After drying his hair and lying in bed, he opened his clothes and called out to her, "Yu Ru."

Liu Yu Ru glanced up and calmly but decisively replied, "You go ahead and sleep. I still need to calculate how to make the most cost-effective purchases."

Gu Jiusi: "..."

Wealth had blinded Liu Yu Ru, making her indifferent to all allure.

One day, Gu Jiusi finally couldn't take it anymore. He sat on the bed with great determination and said seriously, "Yu Ru, it's fine if you focus on business, but the Youzhou debt doesn't yield much interest. It's not worth ruining your health over this."

Liu Yu Ru looked up at him and replied earnestly, "Husband, you are mistaken. The Youzhou debt is very profitable."

Gu Jiusi was somewhat bewildered. With an annual interest rate of five percent, how could it be profitable?

Knowing that Gu Jiusi was not particularly sensitive when it came to money matters, Liu Yu Ru directly gave him the result: "Husband, I initially invested one hundred taels. By quickly buying and selling—selling high and buying low—I've already doubled my investment."

Doubled. One hundred taels.

When he was a constable, his monthly salary was two taels. Now, as the county magistrate, it had increased to eight taels per month, along with charcoal, silver, cloth, and a bushel of grain. Compared to ordinary people, this was quite good, but in the face of one hundred taels...

This was ten years of his salary, and Liu Yu Ru had earned it in less than two months, just by clicking her abacus at home.

Gu Jiusi fell into deep thought, swallowing the words "I'll take care of you, come to bed quickly" that had been on the tip of his tongue.He realized—he couldn't afford to keep her. This wife of his was truly beyond his means.

Since Liu Yuru was busy making money, Gu Jiusi had been forcing himself to flirt with her amidst his own hectic schedule. After being rejected, he completely abandoned other thoughts and only insisted on a kiss from Liu Yuru every morning before leaving home.

At first, Liu Yuru would always blush when kissing him. After two months, she finally managed to kiss him without flushing or her heart racing.

Merchants always had methods beyond the court's imagination.

Before Youzhou debt had even circulated as a commodity for a full month, some people had already begun speculating on it. Liu Yuru was one of them, but she was merely a small fry. Wealthy merchants holding millions in Youzhou debt seized the opportunity, vigorously promoting the debt and selling it to other provinces.

At this time, the verdict on Prince Liang's rebellion finally arrived.

The Eastern Capital had fallen, and Da Rong underwent a dynastic change. The imperial descendants scattered in all directions, while Prince Liang carried out a bloodbath in the Eastern Capital.

Uprisings erupted everywhere—feudal princes declared independence, and military governors amassed troops to proclaim themselves kings. From the prosperous Yuan De era of Da Rong to its current fragmented state, it had taken only slightly over a decade.

When news of Prince Liang's invasion of the Eastern Capital arrived, the Gu family was having a meal. Huzi entered and reported the news to Gu Jiusi. Gu Jiusi paused with his bowl and chopsticks, instinctively glancing at Jiang Rou.

After settling in Wangdu, Jiang Rou had exhausted all means to gather news from the Eastern Capital. Her brother was still imprisoned there. Now that Prince Liang had declared himself emperor, Lord Jiang should theoretically be released.

Yet no one felt happy. After Huzi left, Gu Jiusi lowered his gaze and said, "Mother, send someone to tell Uncle to break ties with Prince Liang."

Jiang Rou didn't dare respond.

Her brother had always been strong-willed. If he could have severed ties, he would have done so long ago. How could things have reached this point?

"Let's first send someone to gather information," Jiang Rou sighed. "If we can persuade him, we will. If not, there's nothing more we can do."

With a forced smile, she added, "Let's eat. Don't trouble yourselves with this."

After the meal, Jiang Rou stood up and returned to her room. Liu Yuru and Gu Jiusi went back to their quarters together. Sensing Gu Jiusi's low spirits, Liu Yuru asked gently, "Are you worried about your uncle?"

Gu Jiusi snapped out of his thoughts, sighed, and nodded. "My uncle... has actually treated me quite well. I hope things turn out better for him."

"Then..." Liu Yuru ventured cautiously, "have you considered seeking refuge with Prince Liang?"

Gu Jiusi glanced at her coolly. "Do I have a hole in my head?"

Liu Yuru was taken aback. Gu Jiusi halted and gazed at the bright moon in the sky. "The reason Prince Liang could capture the Eastern Capital isn't because he's powerful, but because everyone was counting on him to be the scapegoat. Without a legitimate emperor, anyone can raise a banner against this traitorous minister. How long do you think he'll last?"

"Our family must not wade into this muddy water," Gu Jiusi lowered his eyes. "I only hope Fan Xuan will be the first to defeat Prince Liang and enter the Eastern Capital. That way, we might still save Uncle."

"Don't worry," Liu Yuru held his hand gently. "It will happen."

Gu Jiusi looked up at Liu Yuru and smiled softly. "Yuru," he said, holding her hand as if somewhat shy, lowering his head. "With you here, I'm not afraid of anything."Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned, knowing full well he was sweet-talking her again.

Lately, he'd been like this—seizing every opportunity to shower her with honeyed words. She'd never seen any other gentleman so dedicated to coaxing smiles for no particular reason.

Liu Yu Ru couldn't decide whether she ought to teach him to behave more properly or encourage him to keep up the effort. Not knowing what else to say, she merely cleared her throat lightly and remarked, "I have matters to attend to. I'm going to review the account books first."

Gu Jiusi: "..."

Liu Yu Ru turned and entered the room to check her day's earnings. Gu Jiusi remained standing on the long corridor, silently gazing at the moon.

Munan approached carrying a bowl of stewed soup. Seeing Gu Jiusi fanning himself while staring at the moon, he couldn't help asking, "Young master, why are you standing here? Where's the madam?"

Gu Jiusi snapped his fan shut and sighed.

"Gone to make money."

Munan was taken aback. After a moment, he heard Gu Jiusi muse languidly, "Tell me—does she love me, or does she love money?"

Munan gave a light cough. "Young master, you should be more philosophical. You used to say—when you're unhappy, just spend more money."

As he spoke, Munan smilingly lifted the soup bowl forward. "This bowl contains precious tonic herbs worth half a string of coins per serving. Drink it, and you'll feel better."

Upon hearing "half a string," Gu Jiusi felt a tremor in his heart.

He suddenly realized he could no longer spend money as carefreely as he used to.

When does a person start feeling the pinch?

The moment they begin earning their own living.

Gu Jiusi stared at the bowl of soup he fundamentally couldn't afford. After a long while, he couldn't resist touching his own face.

"Who would have thought," he lamented aloud, "that I'd ultimately end up relying on my looks to make a living."

Munan: "..."