Qing Xia slowly sighed, feeling waves of weakness washing over her heart. Her gaze drifted over the misty lake waters as she said faintly: “Chu Li, I don’t want you to go, and I don’t agree with you going. This journey has too many variables and dangers I can’t control. I’m truly afraid that if something happens to you, I’ll be powerless and can only watch helplessly, unable to save you.”
Chu Li was slightly moved, his eyes dark and hiding divine light. Just as he was about to speak, the boat suddenly seemed to hit something and shook. Both their bodies swayed, and Chu Li grabbed Qing Xia’s hand and steadied the oars. After a while, things calmed down.
Qing Xia leaned slightly forward, her hand caught by Chu Li’s. She lifted her head slightly, her eyes like water, quietly looking at him and saying: “Chu Li, I won’t stop you or obstruct you, but if you really must go, take me with you. I’ve wandered the great desert for many years and understand deserts and grasslands well. The southeastern sea trade ban is already on track and no longer needs me. Perhaps, staying by your side, I could help when things happen.”
Chu Li frowned, gripping Qing Xia’s hand tighter, his voice slightly hoarse as he called softly: “Qing Xia…”
“Otherwise, let me go.” Qing Xia looked at Chu Li, slowly saying: “In this lifetime, I can serve as your soldier and vanguard, I can scheme behind the scenes for you, I can sacrifice my life to preserve yours. If not, then let me leave and continue searching for him until I’m old and gray and can no longer walk. I’d rather pierce my ears deaf and blind my eyes, dying on the road searching for Zhiyan, than see or hear news of your failure and misfortune.”
“No!” Chu Li suddenly said gravely, tightly gripping Qing Xia’s hand and raising it to his chest, his brows locked together as imperial aura radiated from his entire being.
“In that case,” the woman’s eyes suddenly brightened like brilliant stars, cunning as a cat, her lips curving as she said word by word: “Grant my wish and take me with you.”
In the evening, Qing Xia and the others ate at Zuifeng Tower. The carp here was considered a local delicacy. They had reserved a flower hall on the second floor overlooking the water. Le Song, Song Yang and the others dared not dine at the same table as the emperor and ate in the side hall. At the large table sat only Qing Xia and Chu Li, drinking flower tea while waiting for dishes.
Just then, a rich aroma suddenly drifted up from afar. Qing Xia, having the keenest nose, poked her head out and saw colored lanterns hanging high at Eastern Shallow Bay. Though it wasn’t yet dark, it was already a brilliant tapestry of purples and reds. Just as a waiter came in to serve dishes, Song Yang and Le Song followed him in to protect the emperor upon seeing an outsider enter. Qing Xia didn’t avoid this and grabbed the waiter, saying: “Young brother, what’s happening over there? Why is it so lively?”
This waiter was only seventeen or eighteen years old, fair-skinned and quite handsome. Seeing Qing Xia, he smiled: “This young master must be from out of town—this is our Hai City’s annual Wealth Competition Day!”
“Wealth competition?” Qing Xia raised an eyebrow, asking with interest: “What is wealth competition?”
“The coast has many great clans, countless wealthy and prestigious families. Every year during the Water Spirit Festival, it’s the day for each family’s wealth gods to compete in riches. Over there is Master Tao Shijie of the Tao family. This year’s theme is called ‘Drunken Carp’—since morning he’s been pouring thirty-year-old carved vintage wine into Taichang Pool, busy all day long. Young master is blessed today—not only can you eat the famous braised carp, but you can also taste Master Tao’s vintage wine.”
Qing Xia chuckled and turned to Chu Li: “This custom is interesting, just too wasteful. I’ve long heard that southeastern great clans are incredibly wealthy—indeed they’re extraordinary.”
The waiter continued: “This is nothing! Every year the first to appear aren’t really big households. This Master Tao had no chance to participate last year. Young master, wait a moment—when Hai City’s Three Colors arrive, that’s when you’ll see real wealth and power.”
“Hai City’s Three Colors?”
“Glazed Color—Xia Yi boat king Xia Qinghou; Silver Color—sea salt magnate Liu Meishuang; Golden Color—the Emperor’s steward Jin Shaohuang. These three are called Hai City’s Three Colors.”
Chu Li raised an eyebrow: “The Emperor’s steward? What does that mean?”
The waiter, seeing Chu Li’s extraordinary bearing, became even more eloquent: “The Xia and Liu families, as the saying goes, one started with ships, the other deals in sea salt. But Young Master Jin Shaohuang is the wealthiest under heaven, with commerce across the four seas—carriages, fishing boats, sea salt, grain, medicine, silk, banks, inns, restaurants beyond counting. Even the western desert kingdoms and overseas Korea and Ryukyu have Jin family banks and businesses. During the great drought, even the Eastern Qi emperor had to personally borrow grain from the Jin family to survive the disaster. Foreign merchants’ first stop isn’t the government offices but bribing Jin family gatekeepers and stewards. Once Young Master Jin agrees to do business with them, they’re guaranteed to return fully loaded.”
Qing Xia was shocked, asking incredulously: “You mean that in foreigners’ eyes, Eastern Qi officials couldn’t compare to a gatekeeper or steward from Jin Shaohuang’s household?”
“Not just in the past,” the waiter said with increasing excitement and gossip: “Even now, the Jin family is the southeast’s granary and god of wealth. The emperor’s painstakingly accumulated provisions and treasury supposedly couldn’t even fill the Jin family’s side storehouse!”
Qing Xia turned to see Chu Li’s expression darken and quickly said to the waiter: “Alright, that’s enough. You can go now.”
The waiter agreed and withdrew.
Chu Li suddenly chuckled lightly, his slender fingers lifting the wine cup from the table, waving it near his nose without drinking, his voice flat: “The Emperor’s steward, wealthy enough to rival nations—I’d like to meet this Jin Shaohuang.”
Qing Xia nodded: “These people are truly absurd, having wealth competitions while disaster victims can’t even get food to eat, yet they have leisure to feed fish and drink wine. Chu Li, I support you robbing their money and confiscating their property. Hmph, having businesses in Korea and Ryukyu—let’s see if it’s really that exaggerated.”
Just as they were speaking, a loud bang came from outside as fireworks filled the sky, brilliant and flashing. Qing Xia and the others crowded to the window and heard people outside shouting: “Master Lu of Flowing Wine is rewarding gold leaves!”
Looking up at the sky, they saw mixed among the fireworks countless golden foil leaves floating and dancing through the air. The people below looked up, ready to catch the gold foil.
Qing Xia, being on the second floor, quickly reached out her hand and caught a glittering gold leaf. The woman excitedly called out and turned back, shaking her head as she asked: “What’s this called?”
Le Song spread his hands: “Heavenly maidens scattering flowers?”
Qing Xia laughed loudly: “Wrong! This is called ‘Heaven’s road he won’t take, hell’s gate he barges through.’ This official was just wondering which great household to start with, and they’ve delivered themselves to my door.”
She jumped up, pulling Chu Li: “Chu Li, forget the food—let’s go see which family is so wealthy and powerful. Record it all carefully. Tomorrow this official will visit them for some highway robbery. These overfed idlers with nothing to do—since they’re so rich, let them contribute to the great unification. Everyone donate ten thousand taels for emergency relief first. Let’s go.”
Chu Li frowned tightly, being pulled up by Qing Xia, saying reluctantly: “Qing Xia, I’m hungry.”
Qing Xia pulled him without discussion, shouting loudly: “Eat when we get back! You’re the emperor—how can you only think about food? Hurry up, let’s go discipline your disobedient subjects. Robbery—I’m best at that!”
The group marched out of the restaurant in great force. Who knew that just stepping out the restaurant door, one foot on the ground felt silky smooth. Looking down, they saw the entire street covered with brocade cloud totem blue silk and satin.
On a high platform in the distance, a middle-aged man laughed loudly: “Master Song Huaxuan of the Song clan presents thirty li of brocade, leading straight to Ronghua Palace, titled: ‘Rising Straight to Azure Clouds!'”
Qing Xia was immediately stunned. Thirty li? Everyone saw Qing Xia look with awe at the smug big spender standing on the high platform, her eyes spinning thirty circles as she undoubtedly conceived countless schemes for seizing people’s wealth.
“While wine and meat rot in vermillion gates, frozen corpses lie on the roads. Chu Li, this time we truly can’t show mercy.”
Chu Li smiled faintly, standing beside Qing Xia in his lake-colored robe fluttering in the wind, unspeakably handsome and elegant.
Colored lanterns blazed high, voices clamored—Hai City’s annual wealth competition ceremoniously began. After the magnificent opening, the main players slowly arrived.
Colored lanterns blazed high like trees of fire and silver flowers. The head of southeastern magnate Xuanhua noble family was uniquely creative, coordinating with Master Song Huaxuan to hire three hundred talented scholars from southeastern noble families to paint and write together on those thirty li of “Rising Straight to Azure Clouds.”
Premium cinnabar and ink, golden nutmeg powder, fine wolf-hair brushes as thin as silk threads, and five-foot golden brushes requiring two people to wield—crowds clamored on both sides of the street, great tripods burned fragrant incense, and silk-clad girls in colorful sleeves held jade cups, constantly offering fine wine to the painting young talents. On thirty li of brocade blue satin, handsome talented scholars were active, drinking wine, composing poetry, wielding brushes and splashing ink with unrestrained elegant poses, displaying the grandeur of a prosperous era’s luxury.
Qing Xia couldn’t help but stare somewhat dumbfounded. The Xuanhua noble family’s move was indeed extraordinary. Different from the previous drunken carp and scattered gold, this was a level higher, adding rare scholarly artistic conception.
Qing Xia had heard the great name of the Xuanhua noble family before. Eight years ago, the Xuanhua noble family was just a small Eastern Qi clan with fewer than a hundred family members, merely locally prosperous. However, that generation’s family head bought a woman of unparalleled beauty, attracting the attention of Yan Hui, then Western Chuan’s right border military commander, who couldn’t resist infiltrating the Xuan mansion disguised as a woman for two months. Finally, under Eastern Qi’s nationwide pursuit, he eloped back to Western Chuan with that dancing girl and two concubines of the Xuan family head. This established his reputation as the continent’s foremost romantic libertine and made Eastern Qi’s Xuanhua family famous.