Chapter 118

Chapter 118: Greed Was Never Enough

Qi Fei Yan snorted. “You make it sound nice. You won’t say it clearly, yet you want me to hand over money. Isn’t that just pushing me into a fire pit?”

Hu Shan sighed. “Fine. The Duke did show us kindness, after all. I’ll pay the other thousand for you first.”

“If we earn money three days from now, you can pay me back. If we lose, consider it my repayment for the Duke’s kindness.”

That meant Qi Fei Yan did not need to spend money and could still gain profit.

Qi Fei Yan’s heart stirred, but Qi Fei Yan was not completely brainless. “You’re being so kind. Do you have some other motive toward me?”

Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan quickly waved their hands. “Eldest Miss Qi is overthinking. We’re just merchants. We only want to earn silver safely.”

“You’re noble. In the end, we just want a connection with the Duke Manor. How would we dare have other intentions?”

That was true.

And since the money was not coming from Qi Fei Yan, even if they lost, Qi Fei Yan would not lose anything.

But if they earned…

“Fine.” Qi Fei Yan agreed. “Then we’ll do as you say. But you two know who I am. If you dare fool me, and I don’t see you in three days, you’d better think about the consequences.”

“Eldest Miss Qi, rest assured.” Zhang Huai Ren bowed with a flattering smile. “We’ll do our best. If we truly earn money, we hope Eldest Miss Qi will take care of us in the future.”

Qi Fei Yan gave a faint nod. “Naturally. If you really let me earn silver, the Duke Manor won’t treat you unfairly.”

Three days passed in a flash.

The more Qi Fei Yan thought about what happened that day, the more Qi Fei Yan regretted it.

Especially when Qi Fei Yan imagined the two men vanishing and the thousand-tael note being wasted, Qi Fei Yan felt so miserable that Qi Fei Yan barely slept for days.

So when the third day arrived, Qi Fei Yan hurried to Gathering Sages Teahouse.

Qi Fei Yan sat there for more than half an hour and still did not see Zhang Huai Ren or Hu Shan.

Just as Qi Fei Yan grew disappointed and decided Qi Fei Yan must have been tricked, Qi Fei Yan’s eyes suddenly caught two figures downstairs.

Qi Fei Yan was so excited that Qi Fei Yan almost jumped up from the chair, but after a moment, Qi Fei Yan forced Qi Fei Yan’s expression back to calm.

Qi Fei Yan was the Duke Manor’s legitimate daughter. It was normal for two merchants to try to curry favor with her using silver…

With that thought, Qi Fei Yan took a deep breath.

Zhang Huai Ren saw Qi Fei Yan and immediately smiled broadly and saluted. “Congratulations, Eldest Miss Qi. You truly are a person of great fortune for us!”

As Zhang Huai Ren spoke, Zhang Huai Ren placed several silver notes on the table.

Qi Fei Yan stared at them, joy flashing in Qi Fei Yan’s eyes. “This is…”

Zhang Huai Ren said, “Eldest Miss Qi, this is your share. After subtracting the thousand we advanced, and adding your earlier thousand, there’s a total of fourteen hundred taels here.”

In other words, two thousand taels of principal earned four hundred taels in two days!

Qi Fei Yan could not help standing up. “What kind of business is this? How could it be so profitable?”

But no matter how Qi Fei Yan threatened or coaxed them, Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan kept dodging the question.

Even when Qi Fei Yan brought up the Duke Manor, they still refused to reveal it.

Qi Fei Yan was unwilling to let it go.

Qi Fei Yan watched their backs and had the carriage follow them, keeping an eye on the courtyard they rented.

After watching for another two days, Qi Fei Yan finally discovered what Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan were really reselling.

It was salt.

“Eldest Miss, this… this is forbidden by the Imperial Court!” Chun Chan was terrified. “If it’s discovered, it’s a crime punishable by beheading…”

“You really shouldn’t have anything to do with them!”

Qi Fei Yan was also frightened, but for some reason, when Qi Fei Yan thought of the fourteen hundred taels that fell into Qi Fei Yan’s lap, an uncontrollable urge surged up in Qi Fei Yan’s chest.

“Shut up!” Qi Fei Yan clenched Qi Fei Yan’s teeth. “Fortune comes from danger. Besides, we’re not the ones doing it. What are you afraid of? Just pretend we don’t know.”

Qi Fei Yan planned to keep using Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan as middlemen.

But over the next few days, Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan vanished as if they had never existed. The courtyard they rented was completely empty.

Qi Fei Yan had Chun Chan ask around and only then learned that the two had gone to Xing Prefecture to do business.

Even with the profit from smuggling salt, it still was not enough for them. They even went to do other business.

“Forget it!” Qi Fei Yan finally could not hold back. “Without them, can’t I still earn silver?”

Those fourteen hundred taels were like a spark that lit Qi Fei Yan’s greed on fire.

The moment Qi Fei Yan sent people to find out how to connect with private salt smugglers, the information was already waiting.

All it needed was for Qi Fei Yan to hand over silver and step into a trap that had been prepared long ago.

*Sheng Zhi Wan also met the little girl who could lift someone up and swing them like a club, Xi Di.

Just from Xi Di’s looks, you really could not tell Xi Di had that kind of strength.

Xi Di was around fifteen or sixteen. Maybe because Xi Di had lived in a temple for years, Xi Di’s skin was not pale and was a bit rough, but Xi Di’s features were pretty.

Xi Di’s two dimples were especially sweet when Xi Di smiled, and Xi Di looked innocent.

No wonder Xi Di’s parents wanted Xi Di back the moment they saw Xi Di.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked how Xi Di’s skills were.

Xi Di said none of the more than thirty senior and junior brothers in the temple could beat Xi Di.

“It’s just that I…” Xi Di looked embarrassed. “Oh, no, this servant eats a lot.”

Xi Di liked the Princess in front of Xi Di. Sheng Zhi Wan looked like a fairy maiden, and Xi Di was just not sure whether Sheng Zhi Wan would dislike how much Xi Di ate.

“What, do you think you can eat me bankrupt?” Sheng Zhi Wan sounded amused.

Sheng Zhi Wan was fairly satisfied.

An Zhi and Ting Lan did not look displeased either, so Sheng Zhi Wan decided to keep Xi Di for a trial.

Since Sheng Zhi Wan kept Xi Di, Xi Di’s original name could not be used anymore.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s maids all had names with water in them. Sheng Zhi Wan thought for a moment and said, “From now on, you’ll be called Liu Shang, from Qu Shui Liu Shang. How does that sound?”

“Liu Shang?” Xi Di beamed. “Good! It sounds better than Xi Di.”

Then Xi Di grew a little downcast. “Princess, I… no, this servant heard Uncle Lin say maids have monthly wages. Can this servant get a year’s wages in advance?”

“How come?” Sheng Zhi Wan asked in surprise. “Are you short on silver?”

“I’m not short,” Liu Shang said brightly. “It’s just that my master and my senior brothers are up in the mountains. They never eat their fill all year, and their clothes are full of holes. I want to send them some silver.”

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded. “How much do you think is enough?”

“Would twenty taels be okay?” Liu Shang had asked around before coming. Most manor maids received two taels a month. Liu Shang asked for twenty taels, which should not be too much.

“Sure,” Sheng Zhi Wan said. “Shopkeeper Lin, send twenty taels to the temple later.”

“Thank you, Princess!” Liu Shang immediately clasped Liu Shang’s fists in salute.

Ting Lan could not hold back and laughed.

Sheng Zhi Wan had Ting Lan take Liu Shang away to get familiar with things.

Shopkeeper Lin then said, “Also, the herbs you wanted have all been prepared.”

“Mm.” Sheng Zhi Wan checked every herb Shopkeeper Lin brought.

After Shopkeeper Lin left, Sheng Zhi Wan began preparing Rising Yang Powder.

When An Zhi and Ting Lan saw Sheng Zhi Wan take out Heavenly Pearl Fruit, both of them froze.

Ting Lan stared blankly. “Princess, wasn’t the last Heavenly Pearl Fruit already snatched away by the Crown Prince and given to Concubine Meng? How are there still three?”