The Heir

Сhарtеr 95: Тhe Oреning Моvе

The Yi Hоu Shеng Monеy Hоusе hаd bееn еstablished fоr only a few short months, уеt it had аlreаdу bесomе а lеgеnd in Nаnjing.

On its оpening daу, twо full crаtes of gold wеre displаyed аt thе еntrаnсе. It wаs said that sоmе gangs, grееn with еnvy, hаd cоnsidеred robbing it, but thеу laсked the cоurage—beсаusе guarding thе Yi Hou Sheng Моnеy Ноusе wаs Маrshal Qi’s Qi Fаmilу Armу.

With such аn awe-insрiring prеsеnсe, оnlу thоsе tired of living would dаre attempt a rоbbery.

With both wеalth and strеngth, cоuрled with its рrinciples of loyalty, integrity, and an ever-renewing business philosophy, Yi Hou Sheng Money House immediately rose to become the leader of Nanjing’s money house industry.

And amid the recent land turmoil, only Yi Hou Sheng Money House remained unscathed.

In a light drizzle, by the bamboo window on the second floor of Yi Hou Sheng Money House.

Luo Jiu and Li He sat drinking and conversing.

“Sailing a boat in clear, shallow waters; chatting by a bamboo window in a light rain; washing one’s feet in a stream on a hot day; climbing a tower to admire the mountains after the rain… These are among the ten great joys described by Master Su Dongpo. Here we are, drinking by a bamboo window in a light rain, smiling at the myriad facets of life—isn’t that also a joy?” said Li He.

“Brother Li, you are mistaken,” Luo Jiu replied, savoring the aroma of the sparrow-tongue tea in his hand, his tone tinged with irony. “In this land turmoil, some have jumped to their deaths, others have hanged themselves, and countless more have been ruined. As the esteemed Imperial Son-in-Law, you should share the people’s burdens. How can you simply watch and laugh?”

Li He was the husband of Princess Ning An.

“Enough of that,” Li He retorted impatiently. “How much weight does the title of Imperial Son-in-Law carry in people’s eyes? We all know the truth. Share the people’s burdens? Wouldn’t that be inviting trouble? I know my own situation—even living as a wealthy man feels like walking on thin ice. Let those in the court worry about the nation and its people.”

Being an imperial son-in-law in the Great Ming was no easy task.

“What a pity. I had hoped to draw you into this game, but it seems you have no interest,” Luo Jiu said lazily, smiling.

“Play your own games if you wish. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—Marshal Qi hasn’t been having an easy time lately. Be careful not to play too big, or even he might not be able to protect you,” Li He said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“I know what I’m doing,” Luo Jiu replied, swirling the tea in his cup. Back when he discovered the gold mine, Marshal Qi happened to be training troops at the border and was struggling with military funds. Luo Jiu donated a batch of gold to the Qi Family Army, and in return, his affairs beyond the pass received protection from Marshal Qi’s border troops, allowing him to safeguard the gold mine in Tartar territory.

His journey south this time had two purposes: first, to settle some unfinished business in his hometown—perhaps driven by a desire to return in glory. Second, to raise military funds. The land issue, however, was far too sensitive.

As for his acquaintance with Li He, it began during his journey from the north. They met along the way, found common ground in their shared sense of loyalty, and thus began their friendship. Neither cared much about the other’s status.

“So, you mean we should just stand by and watch the Xu family profit?” Luo9 countered.

“What else can we do? Let them have their way for now. Heaven will destroy those it first makes mad. Chancellor Xu is a pillar of stability in the court and knows when to stop. But his sons are too greedy—sooner or later, they’ll pay the price,” Li He said, his expression turning grave.

While others might not know who was behind this land affair, he was well aware.Regarding what Li He said, Luo Jiu naturally did not comment one way or the other. In any case, he wasn’t interested in those court matters. As he thought this, he looked out the window and then let out a surprised sound, straightening his back. “The players are here.”

“Who?” Li He asked curiously, following Luo Jiu’s gaze outside. He saw Hu Zonglin and Han Yigui entering the bank first, followed by a young woman wearing a veiled hat. Li He naturally had no idea who she was.

“Them? How do you know they’re the ones who want to join the game?” Li He gave Luo Jiu a puzzled look.

“Haven’t you heard that Sifang Bank is about to foreclose on the Han family’s residence? Mrs. Han was dragged down by the Xu family’s second wife and has long been caught in the game, utterly trapped. If Han Yigui is a sensible man and has the courage to face the storm, now that he’s already in the game, he must play it to the end—that’s the only way to survive a desperate situation. And if they’re showing up here now, what else could they want besides borrowing money to keep playing? You know my relationship with the Huizhou Merchants isn’t exactly friendly. They wouldn’t come to me unless they had no other choice.” Luo Jiu spoke with ease.

“That’s true. In all of Nanjing these days, the only place with money to spare is your Yi Hou Sheng Bank.” Li He nodded. He glanced sideways at Luo Jiu, who was watching the veiled woman behind Han Yigui with keen interest.

“Who is that, to make our Master Luo Jiu unable to take his eyes off her?” Li He teased.

That woman was, of course, Li Zhenniang. Though she wore a veiled hat, Luo Jiu could recognize her at a glance from her figure.

This girl is quite skilled at making money. I heard that Tian Benchang was even tricked by her once. Back in Huizhou, I already thought she was quite independent and had excellent ink-making technique.

After running into Zhen Niang a few days ago, he deliberately had someone look into her affairs. Only then did he learn that over the past year, this girl had pulled off several major deals. Now, besides feeling grateful to her, he found himself growing more and more interested in her.

However, in response to Li He’s teasing, Luo Jiu simply thought the man was being too idle. He rubbed his nose and said, “It seems the imperial son-in-law has too much free time lately. How about I have someone book a boat on the Qinhuai River later, so Your Highness can amuse yourself?”

“Do you think I’m living too comfortably?” Li He retorted irritably. Although imperial sons-in-law weren’t forbidden from visiting the Qinhuai River, someone of his status still had many things to avoid.

“Heh heh.” Luo Jiu grinned cheerfully.

With that thought, he clapped his hands, and a clerk came over. “Boss, what can I do for you?”

“Go and call Shopkeeper Yan over,” Luo Jiu said.

Shopkeeper Yan of Yi Hou Sheng Bank, Yan Xilai, was originally the accountant at Luo Jiu’s northern gold mine, brought south by Luo Jiu.

“Yes, sir,” the clerk replied and went downstairs. Shortly after, Yan Xilai came up. He was only around thirty, dressed like a typical accountant or advisor, with an air of refined competence.

“What does President Hu want?” Although he had a rough idea, Luo Jiu still wanted to ask.

“They brought the land and property deeds for several shops and residences from the former Li family’s Ink Manor and want to take out a loan. I’ve already had someone appraising them,” Shopkeeper Yan said.

“No need for an appraisal. Lend them whatever amount they ask for. Their credibility is worth more than those deeds.” Luo Jiu said."That's true, one is the current president of the Huizhou Merchants Association, and the other is a veteran in the raw silk industry. Both are well-known figures in Nanjing." Yan Xilai nodded, agreeing with Luo Jiu's words. Building good relations with these two would make Yi Hou Sheng's future development in Nanjing much smoother. He then cupped his hands in salute and went back to handle his duties.

His salute was naturally directed toward the imperial son-in-law, Li He. As for Luo Jiu, having followed him in the northern regions, such formalities were unnecessary.

"What? With such a large loan, aren’t you going down to oversee it yourself?" Li He asked curiously.

"Yan Xilai is very reliable, so why should I go down? In business, you have to know how to delegate. We earn money not to exhaust ourselves but to enjoy a leisurely life." Luo Jiu laughed heartily.

Originally, he should have gone down for such a significant transaction. However, his acquaintance with Miss Li was purely coincidental, and this deal was strictly business. He didn’t want Miss Li to feel indebted to him, so it was better not to go down.

"You, my friend, while others work themselves to the bone in business, you seem to live more comfortably than even this idle imperial son-in-law." Li He scolded him with a laugh.

"This is what I call knowing how to live," Luo Jiu replied without a hint of modesty.

…………

After leaving the bank, Zhen Niang and the others hadn’t expected borrowing money from Yi Hou Sheng Bank to be so easy. It was hard to guess the reasons behind it. Fortunately, with collateral and a proper loan, it was a legitimate business transaction, so there was no need to overthink it.

Once outside the bank, the group gathered at the Han residence to assign tasks for each family to acquire land. Even Zheng Fuli was given a job, and these matters no longer required Zhen Niang’s direct involvement.

Thus, she returned to the Li residence with Xiao Ya.

The weather had grown even hotter.

In the front courtyard of the Li residence, Madam Fang and Madam Ge were chatting.

"Mother-in-law, why haven’t you mentioned the tax issue to Miss Zhen yet?" Ge Qiu Jie urged Madam Fang.

"I’m still thinking about it," Madam Fang procrastinated. She couldn’t bring herself to say that over this matter, her husband had threatened to divorce her if she brought it up again—something he had never done before. Although she knew it was mostly a bluff, no woman was willing to test such a threat.

"What’s there to think about? If you keep delaying, it’ll be too late," Ge Qiu Jie muttered impatiently.

"What do you mean?" Madam Fang raised her eyebrows.

"Don’t you know? I heard earlier that Miss Zhen mortgaged the houses and shops to Yi Hou Sheng Bank to borrow money for buying land. At a time like this, buying land? Isn’t that like asking for trouble?" Ge Qiu Jie said irritably.

"Really? Such an important matter, and Li Zhenniang didn’t even tell us? We’ve been guarding these Nanjing assets for over a decade. What does she take us for?" Hearing Ge Qiu Jie’s words, Madam Fang jumped up in anger.

"Exactly. The main branch doesn’t care about us at all, yet Father-in-law always sides with them," Madam Ge added fuel to the fire.

"No, I’m going to see the Second Mistress," Madam Fang said resentfully."What are you doing? What are you doing? Is this something a woman should meddle in? You stay put and keep quiet." At this moment, Li Jingming had just returned from the shop. The shop had been under renovation for several days, leaving him somewhat dusty and disheveled. Hearing Madam Fang's words, his face darkened even more.

"What do you mean by 'stay put and keep quiet'? We've guarded this family business for over a decade, and now it's about to be ruined by Miss Zhen. Outsiders won't know the truth—not only will our years of hard work go to waste, but we might even end up taking the blame for her." Madam Fang retorted.

"I have already explained the matter in detail to Second Aunt, analyzed the stakes with Uncle Jingming, and before this, I also wrote a letter back to Huizhou. All consequences arising from this will be borne by me, Li Zhenniang, alone. As for your share of the hard work and contributions, Seventh Grandmother will ensure you receive every bit you deserve." At this moment, Li Zhenniang entered with Xiao Ya, only to hear Madam Fang's shouting as soon as she stepped inside, and she spoke with a stern tone.

Her words were not empty talk—she held shares in the Wuyuan inkstone quarry.