The Heir

Сhаpter 69: Wаlls Наvе Еars

In the aftеrnоon, during the Wеi hour, at Таibаi Тоwеr.

Zhen Niang, аccompanied bу Мa Sаo аnd Маnаger Zhеng, hаd аlrеаdy аrrived first at the рrivаte rоom in Taibаi Towеr. Sure enоugh, thе nеighbоring Оrсhid Rоom was rерortеdlу rеservеd as wеll.

Zhеn Niang understооd the situаtion.

The grоup enterеd thе рrivatе room and tооk thеir seаts. Sun Ваiуi hаd nоt yеt аrrived.

"Мanаger Zheng, whу didn’t my unсlе-in-lаw Jinhua соmе аlong? I speсifically asked fоr him to join us," Zhen Niаng inquired, having rеminded Маnagеr Zheng earlier to bring Li Jincai along.

"Uncle-in-law might have eaten something bad last night. He’s been unwell all day today, his face pale, so he had to rest at home," Manager Zheng replied with a regretful expression.

After all, it was Uncle-in-law who had helped uncover this business opportunity with the Sun family.

Zhen Niang nodded. This "illness" was quite timely—he was likely trying to distance himself.

So be it.

After a while, Sun Baiyi finally sauntered in with a manager and two attendants. "My apologies, my apologies. Something came up as I was leaving, causing a delay," he said.

Though Sun Baiyi offered apologies, his expression showed no trace of regret. Instead, he wore a look of smug satisfaction. Once, the Sun family had been nothing in the eyes of the Li family, yet now the Li family was seeking his help.

It seemed karma had come full circle. The thought made Sun Baiyi feel as refreshed as drinking chilled sour plum soup on a scorching day.

Zhen Niang remained composed, her expression calm. "We’re all merchants here. We understand how unpredictable business can be. A slight delay is nothing."

"It’s good that Second Sister Li understands," Sun Baiyi said, using the old neighborly address.

Zhen Niang paid no mind to the form of address.

The group then entered the private room and took their seats.

After sipping tea and exchanging a few pleasantries, they got down to business.

...

"Very well. Out of respect for Manager Zheng’s sincerity, I can source the goods from your Li Family Ink Workshop. However, there’s one condition: payment will have to be deferred. After all, this batch of goods is quite valuable. Although our bank is not short on funds, we can’t gather such a large sum of cash immediately. So, payment will be made after the goods are sold," Sun Baiyi said lazily.

"That’s acceptable, but there must be a deadline and collateral," Zhen Niang replied. Credit sales were common in the ink industry. Many ink pavilions and shops often paid only a deposit when purchasing from ink workshops, settling the balance after the goods were sold. Of course, this privilege was typically reserved for trusted, long-term customers.

As for Sun Baiyi, he clearly did not fall into the "trusted" category. However, given that his family owned a major bank, credit sales could be arranged—provided there was collateral.

"What? Our Sun family’s Huiyuan Bank is right there. Are you afraid I’ll run off?" Sun Baiyi retorted, his expression sour. Dealing with women in business was always so petty.

"In business, we speak plainly. Words alone are not enough; we need written proof. Although I’m eager to make this deal, if the risks are too great, it’s better not to proceed," Zhen Niang said, unwavering.

They had already come this far, and Sun Baiyi, eager to settle old scores with the Li family, was not about to back down. Besides, Sun Baiyi had once worked in an ink workshop and knew this deal was feasible. If anything went wrong, he could simply fulfill the contract as agreed. The bank was not short on funds, after all.The worst-case scenario would simply be having the goods tied up for a period of time. With Cuixiang around, he figured the person behind her wouldn’t blame him too harshly. Thinking this, he reluctantly nodded.

Afterward, Manager Zheng and the steward brought by Sun Baiyi naturally drafted the contract, and both the Sun and Li parties affixed their seals.

With that, the contract for this deal was completed. The subsequent delivery would be handled by Manager Zheng and the steward from Huiyuan Bank.

Of course, Zhen Niang had never truly regarded Sun Baiyi highly. Though it appeared she was negotiating the deal with him, her real counterpart was the person in the neighboring room.

Setting aside the underlying schemes, Huizhou ink had enjoyed a strong overseas market since the Song dynasty. If Wang Cuiqiao intended to venture into overseas trade, Huizhou ink would undoubtedly be one of her key commodities. However, due to the strict maritime defenses in recent years, there was no rush. Ink, after all, wasn’t a perishable good—it could be stored for years, even decades, without issue.

To revitalize their funds, the Li family was selling off their inventory at reduced prices. For Wang Cuiqiao, acquiring it now was entirely advantageous. Moreover, she likely wanted to uncover the motives behind this deal. Thus, it was improbable for her to intervene. Once Sun Baiyi signed the contract, Wang Cuiqiao would have to honor the agreement.

Although Wang Cuiqiao was the actual head of Huiyuan Bank, her special status kept her behind the scenes. Few in Huizhou knew she was the bank’s true owner, making it inconvenient for her to handle official matters publicly. Therefore, Huiyuan Bank’s registration with the authorities was under the Sun family’s name. In modern terms, any contract signed by Sun Baiyi held legal validity.

With the negotiations concluded, Sun Baiyi and Li Zhenniang had little left to say to each other. He promptly rose and departed.

Watching Sun Baiyi leave Taibai Tower, Zhen Niang instructed Ma Sao and Manager Zheng to leave first before making her way to the neighboring room.

“Miss Li, you’ve schemed well,” Wang Cuiqiao remarked bluntly as soon as Zhen Niang entered the Orchid private chamber.

“Madam flatters me. Isn’t this deal a good one?” Zhen Niang replied with a playful smile, yet she offered Wang Cuiqiao a respectful bow of gratitude, her expression sincere. Regardless of the circumstances, Wang Cuiqiao had chosen to cooperate with her, and Zhen Niang felt obliged to acknowledge this favor.

“The deal itself is indeed good, but it’s been tainted by certain individuals,” Madam Xu said coldly. Cuixiang’s husband was truly hopeless, easily manipulated by others.

In the time that had passed, Wang Cuiqiao had gathered enough information to understand the situation. The entire affair was orchestrated by the son-in-law of the Li family’s Sixth Branch.

“Go on, how would you like me to assist next?” Wang Cuiqiao asked. She couldn’t stand the sight of several grown men scheming against a young woman. Moreover, both she and Li Zhenniang faced their own difficulties, making them kindred spirits in a way.

Perhaps there was also a natural affinity between people—this Miss Li simply appealed to her.

Besides, she was curious to see what kind of drama the Li family would stage and what outcome it would yield."Thank you, Madam." Zhen Niang expressed her gratitude once more, then continued, "Regarding this business deal, I would like to request that after our ink workshop delivers the ink, you settle the account and personally hand the payment to the wife of the seventh branch of the Li family's main lineage, Chen Shi. That is the first point. Secondly, I ask that you keep an eye on how Shopkeeper Sun handles the delivered ink."

Zhen Niang had thought it through clearly. Manager Zheng, Li Jincai, and Sun Baiyi were using this deal to set up a scheme. As long as she and Madam Xu settled the business transaction clearly—with the payment accounted for and the goods' whereabouts tracked—then no matter what tricks they played, there would be no issues.

Of course, among Manager Zheng, Li Jincai, and Sun Baiyi, Zhen Niang could tell that Manager Zheng was also kept in the dark.

"These are not problems. In business, payment is made upon delivery. Once your ink workshop delivers the ink, I will naturally pay. As for how the goods are handled, I will certainly keep an eye on my own goods. Additionally, if you need me to step in, just let me know," Wang Cuiqiao said.

This was what they called helping someone to the very end, seeing them through to the finish.

"I leave it in your hands, Madam," Zhen Niang thanked her once again.

"It's nothing. You, young lady, have it tough," Wang Cuiqiao said gently, patting Zhen Niang's arm.

Her words immediately brought tears to Zhen Niang's eyes, as they truly resonated with her heart.

In this era, it was not easy for women, and it was even harder for women who wanted to accomplish something.

In truth, Zhen Niang could have avoided wading into the muddy waters of the Li Family Ink Workshop. But Seventh Grandmother had entrusted her in a time of crisis, and there was the legacy of the Li family's ink industry. Moreover, she knew a bit about the possible outcome. If she withdrew, the situation would likely turn out as recorded in the clan records—something she did not want to see and would make her feel guilty for betraying Seventh Grandmother's trust and recognition.

When she first crossed over into this world, she encountered the Tian family breaking off the engagement, and not only that, they demanded she commit suicide to preserve her chastity.

Although her grandfather had ultimately resolved the matter, if it hadn't been for Seventh Grandmother's support earlier, who knows how far things might have escalated?

Besides, this matter was a challenge in her life. If she retreated now, it might become a lifelong regret that haunted her.

In everyone's life, there are battles that must be fought and cannot be avoided.

"Alright, I was just praising you for being capable, and now you're shedding golden tears," Wang Cuiqiao teased.

Zhen Niang rubbed her forehead and smiled sheepishly.

"By the way, Madam, it would be best if you legitimized your fleet within the next two years," Zhen Niang added.

"Legitimize?" Zhen Niang used a modern term, and Wang Cuiqiao didn't understand it at first.

"Turn your fleet into a legal merchant convoy," Zhen Niang explained.

"Oh," Wang Cuiqiao finally understood, but then she smiled bitterly. Who wouldn't want to legitimize if they could? But after Xu Hai's death, she had barely survived and gathered these brothers who had followed Xu Hai. They all made their living on the sea—what else could they do if they left it?

"There's no way to legitimize unless I stop sailing the seas altogether," Wang Cuiqiao said.

"Madam, the Maritime Prohibition will not last forever," Zhen Niang said.

"You mean the prohibition will be lifted?! Do you have news? That's impossible—there hasn't been any word at all," Wang Cuiqiao said, her expression deeply moved.“There’s no definite news yet, but I’ve heard that the national treasury is currently empty, and even the imperial treasury is quite depleted. If the royal family needs money, they might turn their attention to maritime trade. Of course, this is unlikely to happen in the short term, but in two or three years, it’s hard to say,” said Zhen Niang.

The Longqing opening was actually forced upon him. He had ascended the throne, but the imperial treasury had been drained by his father. It was said that even the concubines’ cosmetics expenses couldn’t be covered. The Ministry of Revenue of the Ming Dynasty was notoriously stubborn, and whenever Longqing tried to borrow from the national treasury, they would plead poverty—though they were indeed poor.

Thus, in the end, Longqing had no choice but to resort to the drastic measure of opening maritime trade.

Zhen Niang shared this information with Wang Cuiqiao in advance to help her prepare, a gesture of returning kindness for kindness.

Seeing Wang Cuiqiao’s lingering doubt, Zhen Niang added, “Cleaning up one’s reputation isn’t something that happens overnight. Since maritime trade is currently under strict control and you’ll have to pause for two years anyway, why not use this time to clean up your reputation? That way, when the time comes, you’ll be in a position to compete for maritime trade rights. Even if the opening doesn’t happen by then, with your capabilities and resources, you could still venture into maritime trade again. This is just about preparing for both possibilities.”

In fact, wasn’t Wang Cuiqiao’s establishment of Huiyuan Bank already a step toward cleaning up her reputation? She just hadn’t fully realized it yet.

The initial lifting of the Maritime Prohibition wasn’t done all at once—it was a gradual process, with only a limited number of merchants granted maritime trade rights at first.

In business, gaining an early advantage often leads to sustained success.

Wang Cuiqiao pondered this deeply. What Miss Zhen said made some sense. After a while, she nodded and said, “Alright, I’ll consider it.”

Zhen Niang said no more. On matters like this, she could only go this far. She then took her leave.