Chapter 88

Chapter 88: Young Lords Depart the Capital

“How is it different? You’re not even investing any silver. If it succeeds, you’ll bring honor to your ancestors. And if not, you’ll just earn a bit less,” Shang Hang Yu raised an eyebrow as he spoke.

“Are you serious, Shang Er?”

“We’re idle anyway—why not give it a try?”

“Then let’s try it!”

The young men quickly came to an agreement. After all, they still owed a favor to Princess Qing Ning. If they truly succeeded, not only would they gain pride at home, but they’d also make their names known among the elite youths of the capital!

To hold the economic lifeblood of an entire kingdom in their hands!

Throughout the capital city, who else could boast of such accomplishment?

The more they thought about it, the more excited they became.

“Words are wind; paper is proof,” Shang Hang Yu called for ink and paper.

The servant boy wondered privately: since when did these young lords use paper and ink during their drinking and play? Could the rumors be true? Had they truly turned over a new leaf?

But he didn’t dare ask, obediently bringing what was requested.

Shang Hang Yu quickly drafted the contracts he had already planned. Originally, he had received two shares from Sheng Zhi Wan; now, he only kept one share for himself, giving the remaining share to Ye Rong and the others.

Ye Rong’s group didn’t mind—after all, they weren’t investing any silver, merely providing manpower…though they had no clear idea what exactly they’d be doing.

To gain a share without investment was already a great bargain. If Princess Qing Ning’s plan succeeded, it wouldn’t just be a few tens of thousands of silver ingots; it would be far more.

They watched Shang Hang Yu solemnly sign the contracts and stamp his seal, and surprisingly, their playful attitudes turned serious as well. They suddenly felt they had finally stepped beyond their years of idle mischief, becoming men capable of great schemes!

Holding their respective contracts, each pressed their inked fingers onto the papers, feeling a surge of pride reminiscent of their bravery during the bandit-slaying night.

“Today’s discussion stays between us and Princess Qing Ning. Let’s be clear—whoever leaks this secret, his share will be split among the rest.” Shang Hang Yu gave a pointed look at Zhou Yu Zheng. “Especially you—don’t go spilling everything if your father asks.”

“I—I know,” Zhou Yu Zheng stammered.

Shang Hang Yu scoffed. “Well, if you do talk and mess up the princess’s earnings, who knows? Your father might suffer along with you.”

Faced with Shang Hang Yu’s sweet threat, Zhou Yu Zheng quickly nodded like a woodpecker, barely holding himself back from swearing an oath of silence.

Two days later, a merchant caravan of fewer than a hundred people quietly left the capital.

“Damn, this is my first trip so far away from home—out of Sheng Kingdom, even! Do you think my father will send someone after me?”

“Probably not. We’ve gone to the country estates before for months at a time. Besides, we left letters this time.”

Ye Rong and Pei Yu An lounged in a spacious, luxurious carriage, dressed in merchants’ clothing.

Shang Hang Yu was with them.

“Is this really the same, though?” Zhou Yu Zheng looked pale. “It’s not like going to the estates. And this time, we stole an official seal to stamp blank paper…”

A brief silence fell among them.

“What’s to fear? We probably won’t even use it—it’s just in case. If we hurry, we’ll be back in a month or so, loaded with silver. Let’s see if your father still dares to punish you then.”

“That’s true.”

Anxious yet hopeful, they rode onward.

Meanwhile, in the noble residences throughout the capital, servants gradually discovered letters left behind by their young masters. They stared blankly at empty rooms, then, shaking their heads, delivered the notes to their lords.

These idle heirs, who had briefly appeared to reform, had slipped away again.

The fathers, who had been sharpening their disciplinary blades with enthusiasm, froze upon reading the letters.

“Heading south for the winter?”

“To Yuan Prefecture?”

“That wretched brat!” Pei Ling Yuan shouted, ready to dispatch his deputy general immediately to pursue his son.

“My lord, my lord!” Madam Pei hurriedly intervened, “Yu An has always been frail. Even if you wish him to train in martial arts, shouldn’t you wait until spring? Besides, going out will broaden his horizons. It’s better than causing trouble in the capital.”

Her eyes pleaded earnestly, and her words made sense.

Pei Ling Yuan’s anger faded, and he sighed. “You’re right. Let it be—a trip might do him good.”

Once calm, worry set in.

Had that boy brought enough silver?

Similar scenes unfolded in the Ye, Chen, and Zhou households. Only the Shang residence differed.

When Shang Tian Hao saw Shang Hang Yu’s letter, he felt no desire to even glance at it closely. The last time Shang Xiu Yuan returned from outside, he had confronted Shang Tian Hao, demanding to know if his recent official posting was truly due to Shang Hang Yu’s bandit-slaying achievements.

He hadn’t expected Princess Qing Ning would know the secret—something known only to himself and His Majesty—and had revealed it openly, causing Shang Xiu Yuan humiliation and indirectly leading Rao Er to fall ill, again dwelling on that accursed Qin Meng Cen.

If it weren’t for the prospect of securing Qin family’s commerce guild token, Shang Tian Hao would have preferred Shang Hang Yu to meet his end outside the capital.

He couldn’t care less about where Shang Hang Yu caused trouble now.

Thus, after a single cursory glance, Shang Tian Hao tossed the letter aside.