Chapter 122: Even the Gods and Buddhas in the Heavens Must Mourn for the Virtuous Mr. Xue

"Brother Liu, in your opinion, how should this matter be handled?" Li Yuanjing pondered for a long while before suddenly turning his piercing gaze toward Liu Yun.

"This..." Liu Yun, at this point, could hardly fail to understand Li Yuanjing's intent. He was being asked to leak the true news about the situation to Qiu Zehai. Yet, such a thing could never be spoken directly by Li Yuanjing himself. Liu Yun couldn't help but sigh inwardly: *How old is this Li Yuanjing? How is he even more difficult to deal with than some of these old foxes?*

However, he had no better options. He quickly bowed and said, "Master Li, leave this matter to me to arrange!"

Li Yuanjing patted Liu Yun on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Brother Liu, there is one more thing I would like to discuss with you."

"Please, Master, speak your mind," Liu Yun said, bowing deeply in haste.

Li Yuanjing smiled. "What do you think of that plot of land where the Grand Inn used to be? I think that even if we don't build an inn there, it would be quite good to build a grain and rice shop; it would even save us the cost of a warehouse. The Young Duke shares this view. If you are interested, Brother Liu, I will do my best to facilitate this, and I assure you, you won't have to spend a single extra tael of silver."

As he spoke, Li Yuanjing made a gesture in front of Liu Yun.

"Ten thousand taels? This..." Liu Yun was momentarily stunned, speaking subconsciously.

"Wrong. Does Brother Liu look down on the Young Duke? The Young Duke is a man of great ambition; why would he care so much for mere worldly wealth?" Li Yuanjing said, appearing displeased.

"Could it be... could it be one thousand taels?" Liu Yun felt his heart racing; he looked at Li Yuanjing with intense excitement.

Li Yuanjing nodded with a smile. "Exactly. Furthermore, as long as you can secure that land and develop it well, the Young Duke has decided to grant you a two-year tax exemption!"

"This..." Liu Yun was so overwhelmed that he lost his sense of direction. He immediately knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing desperately to Li Yuanjing. "Master, please convey my thanks to the Young Duke. I will never, for all eternity, forget the Young Duke's great kindness..."

"Oh, right, Brother Liu," Li Yuanjing said, smiling again as he saw that Liu Yun grasped the immense benefits involved. "I have one more matter I need your help with."

Liu Yun finally understood why so many people scrambled to curry favor with high-ranking officials; doing business this way was truly like making money while lying down.

"Please, Master, speak!"

Li Yuanjing smiled. "Brother Liu, I would also like to purchase some grain for emergencies. Could you assist me with that?"

...

Watching the excited Liu Yun depart to handle the business regarding Qiu Zehai’s family, Li Yuanjing let out a long sigh of relief. He returned to the window of his room and looked toward the distant ruins of the Grand Inn.

In his original plan, Li Yuanjing had intended to acquire the land cheaply and invest heavily in its development as a cornerstone for his career. However, after careful consideration, he resolutely abandoned that idea. He realized that since the destruction of the Grand Inn was tied to Zhang Zhiji, it had to be rebuilt quickly to avoid losing face with the imperial court. In a county city like this, where land was worth its weight in gold, leaving the site as ruins for too long would be a serious offense. Even with the Longtai Emperor backing Zhang Zhiji, he could not withstand the "soft knives" of the court's mad-dog censors.

Therefore, what better business than Liu Yun's grain shop to revitalize the site? Furthermore, Li Yuanjing lacked full confidence in the current situation in Fengcheng County. As he often told Zhang Zhiji: "Good steel must be used on the edge of the blade." Although he had made a fortune in Fengcheng—nearly thirty thousand taels in promissory notes alone—that was a drop in the bucket for city-level construction. Thus, he decided to focus his construction efforts on his "home base," Quanzi Village.

With Liu Yun opening up grain routes, Li Yuanjing could acquire enough supplies. Combined with the geographical advantages of Quanzi Village and his capital, he was confident he could hold out for a year or two even if a major catastrophe occurred. Quanzi Village was his true foundation for survival in this world.

...

"What?!"

"That godforsaken, donkey-brained bastard! How dare he! How could he do this!"

"I am his father-in-law! His own wife is my beloved daughter, yet he dares to treat me like this? I even sold off my concubines! Waaah..."

Not long after, at the Qiu family mansion, Qiu Zehai finally received the news leaked by Liu Yun. He was on the verge of exploding, clutching his chest as if suffering a heart attack, sobbing uncontrollably.

Fortunately, Qiu Zehai’s second wife was a sensible woman. She hurriedly supported him. "Master, please calm yourself. It is already done; even if you are angry, there is nothing to be done. If others hear this, it will only invite more trouble."

Though Qiu Zehai was an old hedonist, he wasn't entirely devoid of sense. He pulled himself together and looked at his wife, who was only about thirty, and asked, "Wanjun, Wanjun... in your opinion, what should we do now?"

Wanjun, wearing a slim-fitting leather jacket that highlighted her mature feminine charm—like a fully ripened peach—thought for a moment and whispered, "Master, I believe we should keep this quiet for now and swallow our pride."

Seeing Qiu Zehai about to flare up, she quickly explained, "Master, I know you want revenge, but have you considered how the news about the Young Duke’s affairs reached our mansion and your ears so quickly?"

"This..." Qiu Zehai scratched his head in confusion. After a long while, he looked at her. "Wanjun, you mean..."

Seeing that she had guided him exactly where she wanted, Wanjun gave a charming smile. "Master, someone clearly dislikes that Xue Mang. Rest assured, it won't be long before someone offers you the chance to take your revenge!"

Qiu Zehai fell into deep thought.

...

At the same time, in a private residence within the county, the "Good Man" Xue was kneeling respectfully on a cushion, fawning over a mysterious silhouette behind a beaded curtain.

"Fairy, how could your servant dare to lie? Every word I heard directly from Li Yuanjing himself."

"Something has happened in Boshan. The Young Duke, Zhang Zhiji, is likely to leave Fengcheng County tonight. At the latest, by tomorrow morning!"

"Fairy, my loyalty to the Holy Sect is clear to the heavens. Please, grant me a noble woman!"

"Heh." A melodious and elegant voice drifted from behind the beads. The silhouette spoke unhurriedly: "Master Xue, if what you say is true, what harm is there in the Holy Sect granting you a noble woman? However, this is a grave matter! I must wait until tomorrow morning to confirm it before I decide. Do you understand?"

If Li Yuanjing were here, he would have easily recognized the owner of that voice, even with her altered tone. If he had heard their conversation, he would have applauded "Good Man" Xue. When he had previously leaked the news of Zhang Zhiji's departure, he hadn't intended much more than to pressure the man into paying up. But afterward, Li Yuanjing had realized the loophole and had Zhang Zhiji remedy it.

As for now... the gods and Buddhas alike would likely mourn for "Good Man" Xue. This extreme utilitarian, through his own blunder, was about to experience the "iron fist of socialism" head-on.

Yet, Xue remained oblivious to his own peril. Seeing the "Fairy" give a guarantee, he was overjoyed and kowtowed desperately, his backside in the air. "The Fairy is wise, truly wise. Then I shall return and wait for your good news!"