Chapter 021: You Fangyin’s Employer

A zither was priced at three thousand taels, and Yan Lin didn’t even blink when paying.

The wealth of the Yongyi Marquis Mansion was evident.

In the past, she had been ignorant and took Yan Lin’s kindness for granted, enjoying it without a second thought. But after being reborn, she knew she couldn’t repay the young man’s sincere affection and shouldn’t take it for granted.

She shouldn’t accept this zither.

However, just as she was about to refuse and ask Tang’er to bring the silver notes to pay, Jiang Xuening hesitated for a moment. Her thoughts shifted, and she silently accepted the zither.

Lu Xian counted the silver notes one by one, his face beaming with a smile. He said to Yan Lin, “I knew the young marquis was the most generous. Among all the patrons in the capital, you are my favorite! Come often, you know zithers are addictive. Once you like one, you’ll want two. Learning to play isn’t enough; you’ll want to learn to make them too. Come to me for anything you need, and I guarantee you won’t leave empty-handed.”

Yan Lin rolled his eyes.

Jiang Xuening was stunned, almost unable to believe her ears—

Lu Zhao Yin!

Wasn’t he one of Xie Wei’s most trusted allies during the later coup?

Yan Lin managed the soldiers, and Lu Xian managed the money.

In the future, Yan Lin would be the commander of the imperial guards, while Lu Xian would be exceptionally promoted by Xie Wei during her imprisonment, becoming the first person to transition from a scholar to a merchant and then to an official, eventually becoming the new Minister of Revenue…

In her previous life, You Fangyin donated eighty percent of her wealth to the treasury to save her life, and it was handled by this man!

When they first entered this Youhuang Pavilion, Yan Lin hadn’t introduced the owner. It wasn’t until Lu Xian inadvertently revealed his name that Jiang Xuening was shocked, realizing something Yan Lin hadn’t noticed.

Looking at Lu Xian again, she felt completely different.

Earlier, she thought he was bold and presumptuous, making interesting business deals. Now, she saw that his boldness and presumptuousness might have a touch of arrogance and a sense of being clear-headed while others were confused.

Lu Xian finished counting the silver notes, nodded in satisfaction, and skillfully tucked them into his chest. “The count is correct.”

Yan Lin said, “Then we shall take our leave.”

A three-thousand-tael deal wasn’t something that happened every day. Lu Xian played the shrewd merchant to the fullest, smiling broadly as he personally escorted them to the door.

Jiang Xuening followed Yan Lin, carrying the zither downstairs.

Unexpectedly, someone quickly came up from downstairs and bumped into them.

It was Jian Shu, who was often by Xie Wei’s side.

Her eyelid twitched.

Jian Shu was often with Xie Wei and had learned excellent swordsmanship. Yan Lin had seen him and knew him. Seeing him, Yan Lin said, “Master Xie sent you on an errand again.”

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

Then, his gaze shifted and he saw Jiang Xuening behind him. He paused his steps and greeted her, “Hello, Second Miss Ning.”

Jiang Xuening was slightly stunned and nodded in return.

Yan Lin raised an eyebrow at this, sensing something subtle. He looked at Jian Shu with a slightly curious expression, “Second Miss Ning? What kind of address is that?”

But Jian Shu didn’t seem to notice anything amiss. After greeting them, he hurried upstairs.

Inside the Youhuang Pavilion, Lu Xian was about to close the door and pour himself a drink to celebrate selling such an expensive zither. Just as he put his hands on the door, he saw Jian Shu approaching.

His eye twitched, and he quickly tried to close the door.

However, Jian Shu was quick and placed his hand in the door gap, smiling slightly at Lu Xian, “It’s still daylight, Master Lu. Why are you in such a hurry to close the door?”

Lu Xian cursed inwardly, “Martial artists really have thick skin, how did I not crush your hand?” But outwardly, he put on a surprised expression as if he had just seen Jian Shu, smiling warmly, “Ah, Jian Shu! I didn’t see you there. How is your master? Did he break a zither and get angry at home?”

Jian Shu’s face darkened, “No need for Master Lu to worry.”

Lu Xian’s face showed a hint of schadenfreude, “What do you want to buy?”

Jian Shu replied, “Not here to buy anything, I have business.”

Lu Xian’s expression changed upon hearing this and he tried to push Jian Shu’s hand out of the door, “I have no money, you should leave.”

Jian Shu didn’t move, “Didn’t the young marquis just leave?”

Lu Xian lied without blinking, “That zither wasn’t worth much.”

Jian Shu laughed coldly and pretended to leave, “Then I’ll go back and tell my master that there was a discrepancy of five thousand taels in your accounts three months ago.”

“Hey, hey, hey, there’s money, there’s money!” Lu Xian quickly pulled him inside, “Really, you’re so young, why act so mature like Xie Ju’an? Even if you were like Dao Qin, it would be better. Always using accounts to threaten, that’s not a good habit. What’s the matter?”

Jian Shu, accustomed to Lu Xian’s nature, knew the urgency and didn’t delay, “A boat capsized on the Cao River.”

Lu Xian was shocked, “What boat?”

Jian Shu replied, “A silk boat.”

Lu Xian’s eyes lit up, “When?”

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

Lu Xian clapped his hands and laughed, “Good!”

Jian Shu continued, “My master said that recently, silk merchants in the capital have been suppressing silk prices. Now that a silk boat has capsized on the Cao River, the price of raw silk in the capital will surely rise. If we can buy raw silk at low prices before the news spreads and sell it when the price rises, we can make a huge profit. However, due to the recent price suppression, many merchants couldn’t hold on and have already sold their raw silk, so there might be very little left in the market.”

Lu Xian pondered for a while, recalling the names of all the merchants in the capital, then smiled, his eyes shining, “There is still one!”

When Xu Wenying saw You Fangyin walk in, he was startled by her haggard appearance, “How many days have you not slept well? Someone bring Miss You a cup of hot tea.”

You Fangyin rubbed her eyes and sat down.

The attendant quickly brought the tea, looking at her with a few worried glances.

This place was a guest room in the Jiangzhe Guild Hall, established by merchants from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces to accommodate merchants from these provinces who came to the capital for business.

Xu Wenying was a silk merchant from Nanxun, Suzhou.

He had come to the capital two months ago because the major silk merchants in Jiangsu and Zhejiang had united to lower the purchase price of raw silk, causing dissatisfaction among the silkworm farmers. These small and medium-sized merchants, who relied on selling silk, couldn’t survive and had to head north. Unexpectedly, the major merchants in the capital colluded with those from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, and with too many small and medium-sized merchants entering the capital, the price of silk didn’t rise but fell, to only half of last year’s market price.

Not to mention making a profit, it wasn’t even enough to cover the cost price paid to the silkworm farmers!

Xu Wenying was thirty-six years old this year. Even without growing a beard, his face showed signs of weathering, with fine wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. Moreover, with the silk prices not rising for days, he was stuck in the capital, not knowing if the sun would rise tomorrow. He felt like he was being fried in an oil pan every day, with a deep sense of oppression and anxiety in his eyes.

His entire fortune and life depended on this business deal.

Last year, he lost a lot of money trading salt. This year, he couldn’t even come up with the money to buy silk from the silkworm farmers. Fortunately, he was a local merchant from Nanxun and had been dealing with the local silkworm farmers for several years. Everyone knew the market was bad this year, but they trusted him and only took a ten percent deposit, handing over the year’s raw silk to him, allowing him to go to the capital to get a good price and then return to pay the balance.

In business, who doesn’t exchange money for goods?

But the silkworm farmers back home were willing to give the goods first and collect the money later.

Xu Wenying was a conscientious merchant and didn’t want to betray the trust of his fellow villagers. But when he came to the capital and inquired about the price of raw silk, he was in despair!

Until eleven days ago, he was stuck in the capital, almost unable to afford the lodging fees at the guild hall. He finally felt he couldn’t hold on any longer and just wanted to sell the half-boat of raw silk he had, even if the price was low, to recover as much as possible and take it back home.

As for the part that wasn’t enough, he could only owe it first and find a way to make up for it slowly.

But at this desperate moment, You Fangyin appeared and gave him a new hope.

The girl came that day still wearing mourning clothes, her eyes red, which startled Xu Wenying. He thought she was in trouble and needed help.

But unexpectedly, she directly took out four hundred taels from her purse and said she wanted to buy silk.

Xu Wenying, who had lived for half his life, had never seen such a customer. He was stunned for a moment, unable to react. Seeing that the girl didn’t look like someone from a wealthy family or a merchant’s daughter, he was puzzled.

He was too eager to sell the raw silk at the time and didn’t ask much, selling some to her at the current market price.

But four hundred taels of silver was just a drop in the bucket for his half-boat of raw silk.

After the transaction, Xu Wenying couldn’t contain his curiosity and asked her, “The price of raw silk is so low now, and it might continue to fall. You, a young girl who doesn’t even understand account books, spent four hundred taels on raw silk. What will you do with it?”

You Fangyin replied, “Wait for half a month and sell it when the price rises.”

Xu Wenying was shocked, his mind buzzing. Seeing her about to leave after answering, he lost his composure and chased after her, his voice trembling, “How dare you make such a statement?”

The You family girl looked dazed, seemingly frightened by his fierce expression.

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

Xu Wenying was even more shocked, “You have an employer?”

You Fangyin seemed to think for a moment, finding the term appropriate, and nodded, “Yes. She instructed me to take the money, buy raw silk today, and sell it in half a month to make three times the profit.”

Xu Wenying gasped.

Wouldn’t that be twice as high as last year’s market price, four times the current market price?

Who was this employer of You Fangyin, daring to make such a statement?

Xu Wenying, who had been in business for many years, realized that he might have stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—

In business, one buys low and sells high, profiting from the difference. Prices fluctuate with the market, so being well-informed is crucial in business. Those who can grasp information unknown to others often thrive, seizing opportunities that others may never encounter.

You Fangyin, or the “employer” behind her, was likely someone who had such information!

Although he didn’t understand why someone with such information would only invest four hundred taels, Xu Wenying couldn’t convince himself to pass up this opportunity.

He wanted to take a risk.

If the price of silk really rose in half a month, it would be a lifeline for him; if it didn’t rise but fell further, how much worse could his situation get?

So he decided to gamble.

Xu Wenying used the four hundred taels from You Fangyin to arrange for the boats at the dock and extended his stay at the guild hall for another half month. He gave up the idea of selling the raw silk at a low price and even bought a set of fine stationery, an abacus, and some old account books to give to You Fangyin, waiting with her for the day the silk prices would rise.

During this time, Xu Wenying tried to subtly inquire about the identity of her employer.

But You Fangyin kept her mouth shut and didn’t mention it.

When asked why the price would rise, You Fangyin only said, “I don’t know, the employer didn’t mention it.”

At this moment, Xu Wenying sat opposite her, looking at her bloodshot eyes. He calculated the time and finally sighed, “Only four days left.”

The price of silk had not risen; it had fallen.

You Fangyin had just come from asking about the price at a trading house and knew this. She wasn’t good at dealing with people and didn’t know how to respond, so she sat stiffly, holding the tea cup tightly and drinking in silence.

This made people anxious just watching.

Xu Wenying smiled bitterly, “Miss You said that four hundred taels was all your savings. Now that the price of silk hasn’t risen, aren’t you afraid of losing the money and being blamed by your employer?”

You Fangyin thought for a moment, “If I lose it, I’ll save up and repay her later.”

Three hundred and fifty taels of the four hundred were given by the second young lady.

She didn’t know why the second young lady wanted to save her or give her money, but she believed in repaying kindness. In her eighteen years, she had never encountered such a thing or such a good person, and she didn’t know why the second young lady looked at her with eyes almost filled with tears.

She thought for a long time and didn’t know how to repay her.

But the second young lady told her to do business.

Maybe if she succeeded in business and made a lot of money, bringing it all to the second young lady, she would be happy?

Xu Wenying didn’t know what she was thinking and was stunned by her words.

After a moment, he shook his head helplessly: This girl was truly devoted to her employer. The money was given by the employer, the task was assigned by the employer, and whether it was profit or loss, it was the employer’s. How could she talk about repaying if she lost?

He called for the prepared account books, “These are new account books for you. I’ve had my accountant mark them to make them easier to understand. But staying up late to study accounts is harmful to your health, so take care.”

You Fangyin had come to get the account books. She took them with both hands, thanked him, and said awkwardly, “The household has been strict lately, and I might not be able to come out for the next few days. If you don’t see me in four days, please sell the raw silk for me.”

Xu Wenying said, “Not sooner or later, in four days? What if the price rises then?”

You Fangyin shook her head, “The employer said to sell at this time.”

Xu Wenying was taken aback but agreed.

After sending You Fangyin off, he sat down again and sighed deeply.

The assistant behind him frowned, full of doubts about the matter, “Boss, that girl seems single-minded, almost foolish. If this is such a good opportunity, why wouldn’t her employer do it themselves instead of involving us?”

Xu Wenying gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with a desperate resolve, “We’ve already gambled, so let’s not bring this up again. I believe her ’employer’ isn’t lying. If it were a lie, it would be more convincing, not so secretive.”

He closed his eyes and reopened them.

Now his eyes were filled with suppressed anger and sorrow, “Besides, if I really go back with the little money from selling at a low price, how can I face the trust and reliance of the silkworm farmers back home? After autumn and winter, they need to prepare for the next year’s silkworms. If there’s no money, should they starve?”

The assistant dared not speak further.

After saying this, Xu Wenying calmed down. Just as he was about to send the assistant out to gather more information, someone knocked on the half-open door. A scholar stood outside, cupping his hands in greeting, “Is this Master Xu Wenying from Nanxun, Suzhou?”

Xu Wenying found him unfamiliar, “Please come in. Who are you?”

The scholar, of course, was Lu Xian. Seeing the tea still on the table, he knew there had been a guest but didn’t ask. He directly stated his purpose, “My surname is Lu, given name Xian. I heard Master Xu has a boatload of raw silk that hasn’t been sold. I came today to do business and buy that silk.”

Xu Wenying’s heart skipped a beat, and he momentarily stopped breathing, but he remained calm, “What price are you offering?”

Lu Xian replied, “The market price.”

Xu Wenying couldn’t figure out his background and said, “I won’t sell at market price.”

Lu Xian raised an eyebrow, sensing something was off, “Isn’t Master Xu unable to sell the silk?”

Xu Wenying said, “I can’t sell it now, but there are people like you with money coming to buy. Who knows if the price will rise in a few days?”

Lu Xian’s pupils contracted slightly. Realizing the situation was complicated, he smiled, “It seems you know something.”

At this moment, Xu Wenying was certain that You Fangyin’s employer was telling the truth!

His face flushed with excitement.

But his voice remained calm, and his eyes filled with tears, whether directed at Lu Xian or himself, “Someone bought a batch of raw silk from me eleven days ago. The employer of that someone suspects the price would rise. Seeing Master Lu today, I know I gambled right…”

“Bang!”

Lu Xian kicked open the door of the zither hall.

Jian Shu, standing nearby, almost drew his sword. Seeing it was Lu Xian, he widened his eyes in surprise.

Lu Xian walked in with a grim face, picked up the cup of cooled tea from the table, and gulped it down. When he put the cup down, it made a loud, startling noise.

In the zither workshop, several pieces of wood for making zithers were neatly arranged along the east wall. Xie Wei, holding an ink line, was standing there selecting wood. He was dressed in a simple sky-blue robe, with his sleeves rolled up, revealing his slender wrists.

Hearing the commotion, he turned his head.

Seeing it was Lu Xian, his cold eyebrows furrowed slightly, “Didn’t succeed?”

Lu Xian said, “Halfway, but I saw a ghost today. Xie Ju’an, tell me honestly, when did the silk boat capsize on the Cao River, when did the news first reach the capital, and who knows about it?”

Xie Wei turned back to the wood.

He flipped over the piece of paulownia wood in the middle and said, “Didn’t Jian Shu tell you? The incident happened three days ago, and the news reached the capital less than two hours ago. Besides the messenger, only Jian Shu, you, and I know.”

Lu Xian said firmly, “Impossible! Someone bought raw silk from Xu Wenying eleven days ago, predicting the price would rise. I tried to probe, but Xu Wenying didn’t say much. After I left, I asked around and found out that a girl had been visiting the guild hall recently, seemingly discussing business with him. Do you know who this girl is? A concubine’s daughter from the Qingyuan Marquis Mansion, named You Fangyin. She seems to have an employer, but I couldn’t find out who. If the silk boat incident happened three days ago, how did this person know about it eight days in advance?”

Xie Wei paused, his fingers stroking the piece of paulownia wood he was preparing to use for the zither’s face. Hearing Lu Xian’s words, he easily realized something was amiss. But instead of asking about it, he said, “You said you succeeded halfway, what do you mean?”

Lu Xian almost choked on his question, holding his breath before answering, “Xu Wenying is smart and seems to have guessed my background. After all, people who can get such news first-hand in the capital are not to be offended. He wanted to make a good connection and was afraid that if the price didn’t rise in a few days, he wouldn’t have money to go back. So, he sold me half a boat of silk at last year’s price.”

Xie Wei said, “That’s fine. This year, the silkworm farmers in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have suffered greatly. We are not purely for profit; earning less is no problem.”

But Lu Xian is a miser!

He couldn’t help but tap his fingers hard on the table, “Xie Ju’an! Understand this, this matter is very serious! How could You Fangyin’s employer predict the incident with the silk boat on the Cao River? If they could send someone like You Fangyin to buy silk, they might have secretly bought more raw silk at low prices. It’s very likely that the incident with the silk boat is related to this person. I don’t believe in foreknowledge. It’s either a coincidence or a premeditated plan! Whether this person is in the court or not, they are not simple. We can’t let this matter go. We must find out—who is You Fangyin’s employer?”

Xie Wei hadn’t planned to let it go either.

He was more concerned about whether the task was completed.

At this moment, his face was indifferent, showing neither joy nor anger, and he said, “Indeed, this person should not be underestimated. Since we don’t know who they are, let’s investigate that concubine’s daughter from the Marquis Mansion. This person must have contact with her and some connection to the Cao River. They act discreetly, so they might be a low-ranking official. The scope is small, so it should be easy to investigate.”

Lu Xian thought the same.

But soon they discovered that things were not as easy as they thought.