Chapter 52: Li Yuanjing’s Secret Experiment

"Yuanjing!"

"I've brought all the silver for you! But if anything goes wrong with this matter, you know the consequences!!!"

Inside the warehouse, the warm brazier crackled with fire.

Wang Youdao was like a beast, a low growl rumbling from deep in his throat as he stared fixedly into Li Yuanjing’s eyes.

Clearly, by this point, Wang Youdao was already like a gambler, desperate enough to risk everything on a single throw.

Li Yuanjing glanced at the burlap sacks at his feet, each one stuffed with gleaming silver, and his eyelids twitched ever so slightly.

But he quickly steadied himself and said solemnly, "Uncle Wang, you have nothing to worry about! I, Li Yuanjing, give you my word—I swear on my own head that I will get this grain to Huangniwa Village!"

Hearing Li Yuanjing’s earnest promise, Wang Youdao finally relaxed a little, though he failed to catch the subtle caveat hidden in Li Yuanjing’s words.

With a deep sigh, he said, "Yuanjing, you’re a clever man, so I won’t say anything unnecessary. Only by working together can we both profit; only by keeping the peace can wealth be made."

"Uncle Wang, you are absolutely right. I couldn’t agree more," replied Li Yuanjing.

…

After seeing off the troubled Wang Youdao, Li Yuanjing returned to the warehouse to tidy up the four hundred and fifty taels of bright silver. Surprisingly, his heart was calm.

There was nothing wrong with Wang Youdao’s silver; it was pure and full weight.

In fact, these five hundred taels were probably worth five hundred and twenty taels in reality.

But it was Wang Youdao himself—or rather, his current situation and behavior—that gave Li Yuanjing pause for deep thought.

Was Wang Youdao a successful man?

The answer was, of course, yes.

From the scraps of information Li Yuanjing had managed to gather, Wang Youdao’s fortune was certainly not less than several thousand taels!

But was he a local strongman, a real power-broker?

That was less certain.

To put it plainly, Wang Youdao was a successful merchant, a shrewd opportunist, but he was still far from meeting the standard of a true “landed tyrant.”

These titles might seem similar, but their practical power was worlds apart.

The core measure was this: real control—his actual influence over his village or township.

Wang Youdao had many household servants in Dagou Village, and his house was indeed grand.

But he clearly could not command the villagers of Dagou at will; he did not wield decisive sway among the people.

On the other hand, men like Master Dong, the blacksmith, or even Philanthropist Xue from Iron Ox Town—or the path Li Yuanjing himself was striving for—these were the true standard of local power.

Whenever they wished, they could rally the villagers to do anything they asked…

Otherwise, why would Wang Youdao, for something as simple as escorting grain, be forced to turn to Li Yuanjing for help, offering heavy payment, instead of handling it himself?

Especially in these turbulent, chaotic times, with unrest looming ever nearer!

Without the solid backing of the common people—the boundless, surging ocean—even a vast fortune would be worthless.

One would still be nothing more than a fatter, two-legged sheep.

…

"Greetings, Master…"

After pondering for a while and calming his heart, Li Yuanjing ordered someone to summon Wang Liu-shi.

She hurried in and knelt respectfully.

"Wang Liu-shi, there’s no need to be nervous. I’ve called you here because I have a few things I’d like to ask you."

Li Yuanjing smiled gently, doing his best to ease her nerves.

But then he suddenly noticed—

With her hair neatly combed, Wang Liu-shi looked far more radiant than the day before.

Her skin, in particular, was astonishingly white and delicate—

Nothing like the rough, wind-burned complexion of most country women.

Even in Quanzi Village, where the spring water was famed for “nourishing people,” and even the younger women like Lianhua and Daya had nice skin, none could compare to Wang Liu-shi.

Her complexion could rival Jade Lady’s, and thanks to her age, her beauty was even richer, more alluring…

The key point—

She bore a striking resemblance—seven or eight tenths, in fact—to that famous film star, Sister Yi, from the future kingdom of Dongyang…

"Ma… Master…"

Noticing Li Yuanjing staring at her in a daze, Wang Liu-shi, though a woman of thirty, blushed deeply, flustered and at a loss for what to do with her hands and feet.

Li Yuanjing snapped out of it and couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

But with the thick skin of an old hand, he immediately recovered and said in a deliberately serious tone, "Ah, Wang Liu-shi, forgive my rudeness. I was a bit lost in thought. You look very much like an old friend of mine…"

"Huh?"

Wang Liu-shi tensed instantly, her body stiffening, but quickly composed herself and knelt respectfully, not daring to say more.

Li Yuanjing noticed her small reaction, but thought little of it. After a few words of small talk, he asked her about her home village, Huangniwa.

Wang Liu-shi looked pitiful and answered with care, but her posture was ever-so-slightly unnatural.

Unfortunately, Li Yuanjing was distracted with many thoughts and didn’t notice this oddity. Frowning, he asked, "Wang Liu-shi, did you say there’s an old temple in Huangniwa, and that the deity there is especially effective? But it only grants women’s prayers?"

Wang Liu-shi, now more composed, replied respectfully, "Yes, Master, that is so. Sadly, I haven’t been back to my family’s home in seven or eight years and haven’t had the chance to pray at the temple…"

As she spoke, tears welled up and she began to sob. "If only I’d returned sooner, perhaps my father and brother… But now my family is broken and gone…"

Wang Liu-shi, swept up in her grief, wept even harder.

Li Yuanjing had originally wanted her to guide him that night—as a local, she would be a reliable escort.

But seeing her in this state, he could only let her go back and rest, deciding to postpone the matter.

However, something important soon came to Li Yuanjing’s mind.

He first called in Zhang Kun, gave him secret instructions, then summoned Jade Lady and Daya, and whispered further, more detailed orders.

…

By dusk, after Zhao Zengjin and the others had worked overtime, the grain transport boat was finally complete.

Li Yuanjing sent word to the old village chief and went to inspect it together.

"Yuanjing, well done! This boat is more than sturdy enough. Look, I’m jumping all over it and nothing’s even creaking! If you’re satisfied, let’s test it tonight after dinner at the river!"

"Agreed."

"If you think it’s ready, then it must be. Let’s do it. For now, let’s get everyone together for a meal," Li Yuanjing replied with a smile.

"Excellent," the old chief said happily, hurrying off with Li Yuanjing to make preparations.

But when the forty or so carefully chosen young men—all with wives and children—were eating heartily, Li Yuanjing quietly excused himself to the chief.

He took Zhang Kun, Jade Lady, and Daya to a small, thundering waterfall by the cliffside pool.

Once there, he called out, "Bring out the items!"

Zhang Kun, Jade Lady, and Daya each produced bamboo tubes about the size of bottled water from their clothing.

The tubes were tightly sealed.

A closer look would reveal that they’d been carefully crafted: solid in the central structure, but with walls so thin they were almost fragile.

"Stand back, all of you," Li Yuanjing instructed.

Taking one bamboo tube, he sent the others back a dozen paces or so, then carefully lit a tinder, igniting the fuse extending from the bottom of the tube.

Immediately, he hurled the bamboo at the muddy bank beside the waterfall.

"Boom!"

In an instant, as the fuse burned down, the bamboo erupted with a muffled bang, sending a cloud of sand and stones flying in all directions with terrifying force!