Chapter 241: A Street Full of Opportunities

He Lingchuan’s eyes flashed. “You’re absolutely right, Your Lordship.”

Li Qingge’s smile deepened with meaning. “Where there is power, there is money.”

“I haven’t even taken up an official post yet.”

“But you are the eldest son of the He Family, the first heir of Governor-General He. You stand right beside authority itself.” Her voice turned light and teasing. “When one is close to cinnabar, one grows red; when one is close to ink, one grows black. Why not make good use of your proximity, Young Master He?”

He Lingchuan arched an eyebrow. “Now that I like.”

“If you have confidence in your own family and in Xia Province’s future, then now is the time to buy while prices are low.” Li Qingge continued, “At a time like this, the Governor-General’s son’s name opens doors that nothing else can. Even if there’s resistance, you can sweep it aside without effort. When the crisis passes, every purchase will turn into a hen that lays golden eggs. Will you still have to worry about money then?”

He Lingchuan rose and bowed to her, clasping both hands. “A revelation like nectar to the heart. My thanks, Your Lordship.”

He had never been a businessman, and that was the one blind spot in his thinking. But now, with the Marquis of Songyang’s brief guidance, everything fell into place.

Everyone in Dunyu, even in all of Xia Province, was scrambling to curry favor with the new Governor-General—everyone except him.

If that was not an advantage worth using, then what was?

Forget about whether it was “fair” or not. A true gentleman knew how to borrow momentum.

Li Qingge waved a hand casually. “A small thing, no more than a bit of idle talk. But the shop next door really is quite good. Would you like me to handle the purchase for you?”

“Yes.” This time, he did not refuse. A man who roamed the

jianghu

could not avoid owing favors anyway. He would just find a chance to repay it later. “Then I’ll trouble you for it.”

His acceptance made her smile glow with satisfaction.

He could not help but sigh as he looked at her. “Why are you helping me so much, Your Lordship?”

“I already told you. I have a good eye.” Li Qingge’s answer was crisp and frank. “Songyang Mansion invests at three levels: the lowest in land and shops, the middle in businesses, and the highest in people. And I have high hopes for Young Master He.”

She was willing to invest in him.

He Lingchuan chuckled self-deprecatingly and said, “Seems I’ll be starting from the lowest level then.”

Li Qingge’s laugh was soft as bells.

Their conversation had reached its natural end. Feeling unexpectedly rewarded, He Lingchuan rose to take his leave.

The Marquis of Songyang stood by the loft window, watching him cross the gallery below and walk back toward the front hall. Then she turned to the maid behind her. “Has Steward Zhao finalized the deal for the neighboring shop?”

“It’s already done, my lady. The contract will be signed by noon.”

“Good. Have him change the buyer’s name to Young Master He. I want the finalized deed delivered to the He Residence before dinner.”

* * *

He Lingchuan stopped by the money exchange next, breaking the hundred-thousand-tael note into smaller, more manageable denominations.

After that, he made a deliberate tour of the entire city by carriage.

People hurried along the streets, their faces drawn tight with worry. Dunyu felt split in two. On the surface, the main streets still looked lively with taverns packed with patrons at night, as well as bright lights and loud laughter. But turn a few corners, and you would find the other face of the city: deserted alleys, shuttered stalls, and a deep, unspoken fear.

He passed several grain shops in a row. Every one of them had long lines at the door, and two shops had just planted sold out signs. The latecomers groaned in despair.

None of it boded well.

His younger brother, He Yue, had said himself that Dunyu did not actually lack grain.

So this sudden rush to buy must have been driven by panic and hoarding.

And of course, there had also been the wealthy gentry and merchants buying up or donating grain to curry favor with the new provincial administration.

He Lingchuan did not believe for a second that his father had not noticed all this. But the government had not done much to calm the people, either. For the moment, they had merely put up a single public reassurance notice that was full of stiff official language and hollow reassurances. Its effect was about what one would expect: negligible.

Before visiting the Marquis of Songyang, He Lingchuan would have seen only the cruelty of war. But after leaving Songyang Mansion’s branch, his perspective had completely shifted.

Now, it felt like gold and silver were waving at him from every street corner.

It would almost be an offense not to make use of it.

Back at the He Residence, renovation was still in full swing. The clang of hammers and the ring of chisels echoed through the compound.

In his courtyard, the rock wolf was nowhere to be seen. It had clearly escaped the endless noise. Its sharp ears could not bear the constant clatter, so it had gone off to play with He Yue’s wolf instead.

He Lingchuan sipped water as he gazed at the mountain of blades. Its hue steadily brightened, turning more golden by the day. The broken saber was happily absorbing the Wu Metal.

He could not help feeling a rush of anticipation for its eventual transformation.

Running a hand along the hilt, he suddenly recalled the Bureau of Bright Prospects and how they had exchanged his military merits for that shop in Shihuan City.

Could that be the broken saber’s way of hinting that he should do the same in the real world and find a way to fix his money troubles?

A pity that he had not realized it sooner.

“Sorry, I was too dense. But next time you drop hints, could you be a bit more direct?”

The saber, of course, remained silent.

At that moment, the ape popped in from nowhere, rapping its knuckles on the doorframe. “Sun Hongye’s here, and he brought someone.”

I’m turning into his personal doorman. Can’t I at least get paid extra for the trouble?

Sun Hongye entered the courtyard, shutting the gate behind him. He gestured to the man who followed. “Master, this is Shan Youjun.”

Shan Youjun was one of the two former Li Family private soldiers he had mentioned recruiting for He Lingchuan.

“After that incident, Jiao Tai was arrested, and Shan Youjun left their private security detail as well. Neither of them works for the Li Family anymore.”

Shan Youjun dropped to his knees on the spot, his tone firm as steel as he said, “If you can save Jiao Tai, then I, Shan Youjun, am willing to serve Young Master with all my strength!”

The movement pulled at the bandaged wound on his back, making him grimace in pain.

“Get up.” He Lingchuan reached out and hauled him to his feet in one smooth motion. Shan Youjun felt the sheer strength in that grip and could not help but be a little startled.

So this pampered young master actually has some real ability, eh?

He Lingchuan turned to Sun Hongye. “Can you get Jiao Tai out?”

“I’ve already found three or four witnesses who can testify that it was someone else and not Jiao Tai who pushed the pregnant woman into the rockery,” Sun Hongye replied. “They’ve gone to the yamen to make statements and press their thumbprints. Once the real culprit is caught, Jiao Tai should be released soon.”

Sun Hongye paused before adding, “Of course, once I do all this, the Li Family will know about it immediately.”

“The man who pushed her is only a petty leader among their private soldiers, some distant kin of Li Zhi’s. In a crisis, the Li Family won’t go out of their way to protect him. If Li Shuang has any sense, she’ll deliver him to the magistrate herself.” He Lingchuan smiled reassuringly at Shan Youjun and said, “Don’t worry. It won’t be long.”

For the past two days, Shan Youjun had been tormented by guilt and helpless frustration. Yet the young master before him spoke so lightly, as though deciding two men’s fates was as simple as pouring tea.

He dropped to his knees again, but He Lingchuan caught him by the arm. “Enough of that. Knees that soft aren’t much use to me. How are you going to work if you’re always kneeling?” He turned around and poured three cups of hot tea.

Sun Hongye accepted it without hesitation; Shan Youjun held it as if it were a precious offering.

“These next few days, I need you to find me another person,” He Lingchuan said to Sun Hongye. “I need someone shrewd, an old hand who knows Dunyu inside and out. Someone who understands every layer of society, from noble families to common riffraff, and can gossip about the four great clans as easily as breathing. Someone like...”

He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Like Fixer Liu in Shihuan City.”

Sun Hongye, who had only met that man once or twice before their departure from Shihuan, understood immediately. “You want someone like a fixer, someone well versed in Dunyu’s affairs?”

“Exactly.” He Lingchuan wagged a finger. “But not just that. He also needs to know business. I need someone who can handle my financial and trade matters.”

He could already foresee that his future would revolve around cultivation and battle. There would be no time for running businesses himself. With that being the case, He needed a capable manager.

At that, Shan Youjun suddenly said, “I might have a recommendation.”

“Go on.”

Right, he’s a local.

“The former steward of the Shu Family’s third master, surnamed Ding. His full name is Ding Zuodong. He’s lived in Dunyu for over forty years. When Third Master Shu was alive, he handled all the family’s purchasing, hiring, and affairs. Everything ran like clockwork. Among all the Shu brothers, his household was by far the most orderly.”

“After their old patriarch died, Third Master Shu got ambitious and tried to compete with the eldest for power, but he lost. He was squeezed out, and two years later, while traveling for business, he drowned in a river. The Shu Family used that as an excuse to throw Ding Zuodong out as well.”

“Ding Zuodong found a few other jobs afterward, but every time, the Shu family sabotaged him. He’s been miserable since. Lately, he’s even been thinking of taking his family south. It’d be a real shame.”

Sun Hongye asked, “And his character?”

“A good one,” Shan Youjun said. “Right after Third Master Shu died, a prominent old gentleman from Daji Village offered him a steward’s position with a generous salary. Ding Zuodong refused. Third Master Shu had left behind a widow and three children, and Ding Zuodong stayed to see to their affairs. I heard he even helped settle the last bits of property before handing everything over properly.”

He Lingchuan nodded. “You seem to know quite a lot about him.”

“Well, people talk about the stewards serving the four great families all the time, and Ding Zuodong’s reputation is decent.” Shan Youjun cleared his throat. “Also, he’s my mother’s brother. I came to Dunyu from Yuxu County up north to join him.”

He Lingchuan laughed.

That explains it.

“Then why did he end up a steward for the Shu family while you were serving the Li Family?”

“When I arrived, he’d already been dismissed by the Shus.” Shan Youjun sighed. “He was struggling just to get by, so he found someone to get me a post with the Li Family.”

He and Sun Hongye exchanged a look, and the latter gave a small nod.

He Lingchuan said, “Recommendations from family are still recommendations. Go talk to him. If he’s willing to work for me, have him come here tonight for an interview.”

Shan Youjun’s face lit up. “Yes, Young Master! I’ll go right away!” He saluted and hurried out.

Once he was gone, Sun Hongye turned to He Lingchuan and said, “You came back beaming. Did something good happen while you were out?”

Sharp eyes, this one.

He Lingchuan told him everything the Marquis of Songyang had said.

“Every word makes sense,” Sun Hongye said with conviction when he finished. “I should’ve thought of it sooner. A street full of opportunities, and I was blind to them!”

“Your talents don’t lie in making money,” He Lingchuan laughed. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t have spent all those years in Shihuan and only managed to earn yourself a few extra patches.”

* * *

The afternoon passed in a blur.

Before dinner, Steward Zhao from Songyang Mansion arrived, carrying a box.

Inside was the property deed for the shop next door to their Dunyu branch. All that remained was for He Lingchuan to file the record with the local administration, and the property would officially be his.