Destined

Gu Jiusi was utterly helpless when it came to Liu Yuru's obsession with making money.

After a night's sleep, Gu Jiusi woke up in the morning and cast a rather aggrieved glance at Liu Yuru sleeping beside him. After pondering for a long while, he finally came to a conclusion.

Matters of the heart could not be forced; it was best to let things take their natural course. In any case, she was his, and he wasn't in a hurry to rush things.

Still, he couldn't help feeling a bit dissatisfied. That morning, as he watched Liu Yuru carefully fasten his belt for him, he wore a troubled expression and sighed repeatedly. Liu Yuru noticed his mood, so today she took the initiative to stand on her tiptoes and give him a kiss. Seeing her take the lead, Gu Jiusi immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and refused to let go. Liu Yuru looked at him and asked with a laugh, "What are you doing, my lord?"

"Cultivating our feelings."

Gu Jiusi answered with a perfectly serious expression, which made Liu Yuru laugh. She raised her hand to block his face as he tried to nuzzle closer and said with a smile, "Is that really how you cultivate feelings?"

"Then how should it be done?"

"It should be under the moonlight, beneath the flowers, in front of the Matchmaker's Temple, with vows of eternal love and promises of a shared future."

Shen Ming's voice chimed in from outside. Gu Jiusi and Liu Yuru both turned to look. Shen Ming leaned casually against the doorway, holding his sword in his arms, and drawled, "Lord Gu, someone is here to see you."

"See me? What for?" Gu Jiusi scowled, his face darkening. "Get out of here and send them away."

"Alright."

Shen Ming agreed readily and turned to shoo the visitor away. Gu Jiusi called out to stop him, "Wait!" Then, releasing Liu Yuru, he cleared his throat and asked, "Who is it?"

"Oh, it seems to be Fan Xuan."

With that, Shen Ming turned and said, "I'll go send him away."

"Wait!" Gu Jiusi hurriedly called out to stop him again. Shen Ming kept walking, and Gu Jiusi cried out anxiously, "Stop right there! Don't offend the lord!"

Gu Jiusi chased after Shen Ming out of the courtyard. Liu Yuru and the maids in the room exchanged glances and burst into laughter.

Shen Ming led Gu Jiusi to the front hall, where Fan Xuan, Zhou Gaolang, Zhou Ye, and others were admiring a painting. Zhou Gaolang was discussing a landscape painting hanging in Gu Jiusi's hall with Fan Xuan. When Gu Jiusi reached the doorway, he paused to straighten his clothes before entering. He bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, my lords."

Then, he turned to Zhou Ye and saluted, "Greetings, Brother Zhou."

"Ah, Lord Gu," Fan Xuan turned around and motioned for Gu Jiusi to rise. After everyone had taken their seats, Fan Xuan turned to Gu Jiusi and said, "I heard that you've already raised all the silver needed for Wangdu this year. I found it quite astonishing, so I came specifically to ask about your experience."

Gu Jiusi acknowledged this, understanding that Fan Xuan had come to inquire about the Youzhou debt. He explained the entire situation from beginning to end. Fan Xuan nodded in approval and said, "To come up with such a method and successfully implement it—Lord Gu, you are truly extraordinary."

After a moment of thought, Fan Xuan added, "What do you think about extending this Youzhou debt to the entire Youzhou region?""Your Excellency," Gu Jiusi said calmly, "the successful issuance of the Youzhou debt this time was primarily due to two factors: first, we compelled wealthy merchants to purchase the majority of it, and second, Wangdu's prosperity meant there were many affluent individuals. If this were attempted in other counties and villages, where people struggle to even feed themselves, where would they find money to buy Youzhou debt? Moreover, the critical aspect of the Youzhou debt is not its issuance but how we will repay it in the future. Today, we issued the Youzhou debt with a three-year term and monthly interest payments. We must ensure its credibility so that people will continue to trust it. Once trust becomes habitual, the court will have a steady source of borrowing. In the future, we won’t need to limit it to Youzhou—wherever Your Excellency governs, we can issue it accordingly. Therefore, the urgent matter is not to have every county experiment with it. If the court borrows too much silver now and fails to repay the interest later, it will ruin this endeavor. Why were the wealthy merchants reluctant to lend to the court today? It’s because of the precedent set by Guan Zhong. We must not repeat that mistake; we need a long-term strategy."

Fan Xuan pondered this and nodded.

He looked up and studied Gu Jiusi for a moment before saying slowly, "Since this was your proposal and you are executing it, I will not interfere further. The key issue now lies elsewhere. Prince Liang has already invaded the Eastern Capital, and we must go there to rescue the emperor. If we can secure the Eastern Capital, we will inevitably face a stalemate with the various self-proclaimed princes and military governors. We need a long-term plan. Have you made progress on those three hundred thousand dan of provisions?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi’s expression darkened. He pressed his lips together and said, "This official will expedite the matter."

"By the end of the year at the latest," Fan Xuan tapped the table slowly, "I must see the provisions, or I will remain uneasy."

"This official understands."

Gu Jiusi sensed the implicit warning and immediately responded. Seeing his reaction, Fan Xuan smiled and said, "No need to be tense. You’ve already done very well. I merely wish to see if you can do even better."

As he spoke, Fan Xuan glanced at a landscape painting on the wall and asked, "Who painted this?"

Gu Jiusi was taken aback. He glanced at the painting, which Liu Yu Ru had painted earlier. He had hung it in the hall because he admired her skill. Blushing slightly, he hurriedly replied, "My... my wife painted it."

"Your wife?" Fan Xuan was surprised, then praised, "Your wife has remarkable depth and vision, unlike most women."

Hearing Fan Xuan praise Liu Yu Ru, Gu Jiusi felt inexplicably happier than if he had been praised himself.

He broke into a smile and responded, "Indeed, if my wife were a man, she would surely be an outstanding talent!"

At this, Zhou Gaolang, who was standing nearby, couldn’t hold back a sudden laugh.

Only then did Gu Jiusi realize he had unconsciously started boasting about Liu Yu Ru.

Zhou Ye felt somewhat exasperated, thinking how this usually intelligent man seemed to turn foolish the moment his wife was mentioned. He cleared his throat lightly and said to Fan Xuan, "Uncle Fan, Lord Gu and his wife share a deep bond. His affection for her is why..."

"A good thing," Fan Xuan nodded. "How a man treats his family reflects his character. If he is responsible to his family, he will be responsible in other matters. Lord Gu’s love for his wife is commendable. As a colleague, I greatly admire it."Hearing this, Zhou Ye felt relieved. Gu Jiusi and Zhou Ye accompanied Fan Xuan and Zhou Gaolang for a stroll around the residence, chatting for a while before seeing the three off.

After the three had left, Gu Jiusi stood at the entrance and instructed Munan to prepare tea and wine. After waiting a short while, he saw Zhou Ye returning. Zhou Ye asked curiously, "Why are you still standing here?"

"Waiting for you to come back," Gu Jiusi replied with a smile. Zhou Ye looked surprised. "How did you know I’d return?"

"I guessed."

As he spoke, Gu Jiusi led Zhou Ye back into the courtyard. "Come on, the wine is ready. Let’s have a drink."

Zhou Ye chuckled. "You might as well change your name to Gu the Fortune Teller."

Gu Jiusi nodded, fanning himself. "Not a bad idea."

The two settled down in the courtyard, and Zhou Ye began, "I gathered some information for you. In truth, Youzhou currently has sufficient troops and provisions. Any additional supplies would just be reserves. Right now, Uncle Fan is merely testing you."

Gu Jiusi nodded, and Zhou Ye continued, "As you know, Uncle Fan’s main military commander is my adoptive father. The rest, led by Ma Chang, form a faction that opposes my adoptive father. Among his strategists, there are Zhang Yu, Cao Wenchang, and Lu Yong. Lu Yong is primarily responsible for managing funds and provisions, but he’s already quite old. Uncle Fan is now planning to groom a successor for him. If you can secure 300,000 dan of grain, that’s excellent. If not, it’s no problem—don’t put too much pressure on yourself."

Listening carefully, Gu Jiusi analyzed Zhou Ye’s words and cupped his hands in gratitude. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother Zhou."

"Oh, one more thing," Zhou Ye added with a smile. "I’m getting married this month. Will you accompany me to fetch the bride?"

Hearing this, Gu Jiusi was taken aback before quickly offering his congratulations. "Congratulations! Why so sudden?"

"Not exactly sudden," Zhou Ye explained helplessly. "It was originally arranged by my mother for next year. But with the ongoing war, the young lady’s family is gone. She came to seek refuge a while ago, and my mother felt it wasn’t proper for her to stay with us unmarried, so she suggested we hold the wedding sooner."

Gu Jiusi nodded but asked, "Have you met her?"

Zhou Ye blushed slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed. "Yes, I have."

"How is she?"

"She’s... quite nice," Zhou Ye replied shyly. Seeing his expression, Gu Jiusi laughed and raised his cup. "Then congratulations, Brother Zhou."

After seeing Zhou Ye off, Gu Jiusi stood at the door and sighed. Liu Yu Ru, who was about to go out, heard him and asked, "Husband, why are you standing here sighing?"

"Are you heading to the shop?" Gu Jiusi turned and saw Liu Yu Ru neatly dressed. She smiled. "Yes, would you like to come along?"

Gu Jiusi nodded. He took her hand, walked with her to the carriage, and helped her inside before climbing in himself. Once they were seated, Liu Yu Ru asked, "What were you sighing about earlier?"

"Just feeling a bit sentimental," Gu Jiusi said with a regretful expression. "I think Brother Zhou’s life isn’t easy."

"How so?"

Gu Jiusi recounted Zhou Ye’s situation. Liu Yu Ru found it odd. "Getting married is a happy occasion. Why are you pitying him for having a hard time?""This woman has lost all her family members," Gu Jiusi reminded her. "If he were Zhou Gaolang's biological eldest son, how could his mother allow him to marry someone with no background whatsoever? Although everyone in the military and Youzhou official circles knows he's Zhou Gaolang's adopted son, he's only been doing miscellaneous tasks without real authority. And now he's married such a woman—it's simply his mother's way of telling others that this son has no ambitions. Brother Zhou's mother is wary of him."

Liu Yu Ru was momentarily stunned. Understanding Gu Jiusi's meaning, she fell silent.

Gu Jiusi was indeed more perceptive than most. In just a few sentences, he had grasped the Zhou family's circumstances unknown to outsiders. Liu Yu Ru usually interacted frequently with the womenfolk in Hope Capital City and naturally knew a thing or two about Zhou Ye's family affairs.

Zhou Gaolang had one wife and one concubine, totaling three sons and two daughters including himself. For someone of his status, this was considered quite restrained in terms of women. Among these three sons, besides Zhou Ye, there was one legitimate son and one illegitimate son. The legitimate son was only thirteen, and the illegitimate son just ten—both significantly younger than Zhou Ye. Zhou Gaolang had always treated Zhou Ye as his own son. If Zhou Madam didn't suppress him somewhat, and if Zhou Ye were to have other ideas, how could these two children possibly compete?

Zhou Madam's concerns weren't without reason, but for Zhou Ye, having his adoptive father's trust but his birth mother's suspicion was undoubtedly quite painful.

Liu Yu Ru sighed: "Brother Zhou will come to terms with it himself. Since he hasn't discussed this with you, don't act as if you understand everything."

"I know."

Gu Jiusi nodded. Thinking for a moment, he suddenly brightened up: "Oh, and one more thing—Magistrate Fan praised your painting today."

"How would he know about my painting skills?" Liu Yu Ru looked puzzled. Gu Jiusi smiled and began recounting Fan Xuan's visit to their home.

After hearing the whole story, Liu Yu Ru's focus ultimately landed on: "So you need to gather three hundred thousand dan of grain by year's end?"

Gu Jiusi nodded, contemplating as he said: "Fan Xuan is preparing to deploy troops. When that happens, grain will become the most crucial resource. On the battlefield, each soldier requires at least three support personnel for supplies. With a hundred thousand troops, that's four hundred thousand people on the battlefield, leaving even fewer people for farming work. I plan to settle all these refugees from Cangzhou, sending them to the outskirts to cultivate wasteland and plant grain. If we plant this year, we'll have food to eat next year."

"How do you plan to get these three hundred thousand dan?"

Liu Yu Ru frowned, noticing Gu Jiusi had avoided the topic. Seeing her persistence, Gu Jiusi sighed: "Don't worry, I'll figure something out. These three hundred thousand dan are more about testing my capabilities than the actual quantity. Compared to the final result, Fan Xuan probably cares more about how I obtain the grain. So we can't use the funds raised through Youzhou debt to purchase grain within Youzhou—from the overall war perspective, that wouldn't help Fan Xuan at all. But as for how to actually raise it... I need to think more about it."

As they spoke, they arrived at the Magistrate Office. The carriage stopped, and Huang Long called from outside: "Sir, we've arrived."

Gu Jiusi nodded, standing up: "I'll go attend to business first. I'll be home tonight."Liu Yu Ru responded, her mind still preoccupied. Gu Jiusi alighted from the carriage, but after a moment, he suddenly turned back, lifted the curtain, and revealed his face with a bright smile, saying softly, "Remember to miss me."

Liu Yu Ru was taken aback. Gu Jiusi let the curtain fall, and she heard someone outside call his name. He answered and hurried off.

Liu Yu Ru rolled up the carriage curtain and watched Gu Jiusi's retreating figure. He was wearing a blue official robe and seemed to have grown taller than she remembered, his youthful aura now mingled with an indescribable steadiness. She quietly observed his back until he disappeared from sight, continuing to gaze for a long while. Only when Yin Hong called her name did she snap out of it—oh, it was time to go.

After lowering the curtain, Liu Yu Ru pondered how she could become so entranced just by watching someone's back.

Feeling somewhat ridiculous, she picked up the sales records Yun Yun had prepared and began carefully calculating what new and intriguing products Floral Visage should launch for the winter.

Lost in thought, she arrived at the shop.

Floral Visage remained as unremarkable as ever. Yun Yun reported the results of her discussions with the master responsible for blending rouge and fragrant creams, then added, "Lately, many out-of-town merchants have come seeking our goods, placing very large orders."

"I know," Liu Yu Ru nodded. "They're reselling them elsewhere."

"Yesterday, I met someone from Yangzhou," Yun Yun said cautiously. At the mention of "Yangzhou," Liu Yu Ru paused her movements and looked up. Yun Yun hesitated before continuing, "He told me he was buying for his wife. Over in Yangzhou, not only are our goods selling for more than triple the price, but there are also counterfeit imitations."

Liu Yu Ru frowned.

She had been keeping tabs on news from Yangzhou and knew that things had stabilized there recently. Wang Shanquan had turned the situation in Yangzhou upside down—the former wealthiest family, the Gu Family, had fallen, and many others who had conflicts with the Wang family had paid to save their lives, barely hanging on. Yet, with Yangzhou's thriving commerce, business had to go on, and life had to continue. As some fell, others rose, leading to a sudden emergence of new elites, most of whom had ties to Wang Shanquan—be they relatives, friends, or lackeys. In short, Yangzhou was now the Wang family's domain.

After a moment of silence, Liu Yu Ru finally asked, "Why are you telling me this? What are your thoughts?"

"I was thinking," Yun Yun said carefully, "that while profit is minor, having our reputation tarnished is never good. Even if Madam can't open a branch there now, we should find a way to ensure people can purchase our goods through a reliable channel."

Liu Yu Ru listened and nodded. "You're absolutely right."

She pondered for a moment. "Let me think about it."

And so, she thought about it until evening. Liu Yu Ru understood clearly that to provide a reliable channel for Floral Visage products, she would either have to open a shop there or designate a specific merchant to handle sales exclusively.

Opening a branch in Yangzhou was out of the question. If she did, she would inevitably have to manage it frequently, and over time, it would be hard to avoid Wang Shanquan's notice.If a specific merchant was to be designated, who it would be and how it would be done all required discussion, which also meant she had to make a trip to Yangzhou.

Now, going to Yangzhou again was naturally quite different from when they had fled as refugees. Traveling along the official roads with guards for protection meant safety wasn’t a major concern, but still...

Liu Yu Ru hesitated. After all, she was just a woman, and roaming around alone like this was still far too unconventional. She didn’t know what Gu Jiusi would think, let alone what Jiang Rou might think.

But the matter weighed on her mind, and when she returned home, she still seemed somewhat troubled.

Gu Jiusi noticed and, thinking she was tired, volunteered to help remove her hair accessories.

There weren’t many ornaments in Liu Yu Ru’s hair, but Gu Jiusi was careful not to tug, working gently and slowly. As he removed the hairpins, he casually chatted with her: “I’ve been thinking today—it’s still better to buy the 300,000 dan of grain from outside. We’ll issue an additional batch of Youzhou debt to fund the grain purchase, and I’ll organize a merchant fleet to buy the 300,000 dan from a grain-rich region.”

“Where do you plan to go?”

Hearing this, Liu Yu Ru’s heart quickened.

Gu Jiusi fell silent for a moment. Holding her hair, he lowered his gaze. After a long pause, he said in a serious tone, “Yangzhou.”