One hour later.

The compound.

Li Chi bowed to Prefect Liu Yao with an expression of heartfelt apology, his deference flawless and impossible to fault.

“They don’t know how to speak properly and have upset Your Excellency.”

Li Chi apologized. “I should have called on Your Excellency in person, but discussing this matter at the prefectural office would truly be inconvenient — so I took the liberty of inviting Your Excellency here instead. Please forgive me.”

Liu Yao looked at him and said, “What inconvenience? There’s nothing inconvenient about it.”

Li Chi said, “Just now the head manager, Yu Shuangxing, came back and said that in discussing the branch’s affairs with Your Excellency, the other officials were brought into it.”

He smiled at Liu Yao. “So before we’ve reached an understanding between the two of us, it really is better not to discuss it at the prefectural office.”

Liu Yao’s eyes narrowed slightly. The implication in Li Chi’s words was that he’d agreed to meet Liu Yao’s demands.

First settle his own interests, then discuss what to give the other officials.

So Liu Yao let out a sigh and said, “You must know how difficult official circles are.”

He rose and paced about the room, speaking as he walked. “I may be the Anyang prefect, but I can’t simply act on my own authority. Many things must be discussed with the other officials — especially…”

He glanced at Li Chi, leaving the words unsaid. But he knew Li Chi understood.

Especially when money was involved. Sharing the benefits was far preferable to taking everything alone.

“Let’s set that aside for a moment.”

Li Chi smiled. “I just heard from the head manager that Your Excellency has many pieces of calligraphy hanging in your study — all in Your Excellency’s own hand?”

Liu Yao nodded, looking faintly pleased. “Just something I do for amusement.”

Li Chi said, “I too have a deep love for calligraphy and painting — though I’m afraid my talent is sorely lacking, which is my life’s great regret. The head manager told me that looking at Your Excellency’s calligraphy, one finds the elegant and unrestrained imbued with grandeur, the vigorous strokes carrying a faint touch of tenderness — truly extraordinary work, rare even for this era.”

Liu Yao was deeply gratified by this flattery. A man who loves calligraphy and hears his calligraphy praised — it was like having an itch scratched right at the heart of him. Immensely satisfying.

Li Chi continued: “I’ve very much been wanting to ask Your Excellency for a piece of your calligraphy — but that would be too forward. So after much thought, I’ve mustered the boldness to ask if Your Excellency might agree to an exchange.”

He turned. “Bring the calligraphy out.”

Yu Jiuling came forward with both hands, bearing an elegant elongated wooden case, which he set on the table and opened.

He carefully lifted a scroll from inside and slowly unrolled it.

As the calligraphy was gradually revealed, Liu Yao’s eyes opened wider and wider on their own.

“This… this style — it looks like it might be Songming’s hand.”

Liu Yao rose and leaned in eagerly to examine it. The closer he looked, the more excited his expression became.

Li Chi said, “Your Excellency has a fine eye. This piece is indeed an authentic work by Master Songming.”

Li Chi spoke with a faint note of understated pride. “Among the works in circulation that claim to be Master Songming’s authentic calligraphy, seven or eight out of ten are forgeries. But this piece in my possession is the genuine article.”

He continued: “The forgers cannot capture the essence of Master Songming’s work, and they bring disgrace to his name. It is truly infuriating.”

Yu Jiuling thought to himself: *Seven or eight out of ten of Songming’s pieces in circulation were written by you. And now here you are denouncing others.*

If Master Songming’s authentic works in circulation numbered only ten pieces in all, Jizhou alone had thirty or fifty.

Li Chi’s own study contained a hundred and thirty or fifty.

Liu Yao examined it with painstaking care, his eyes growing brighter by the moment.

“This is genuinely authentic?”

His voice came out slightly hoarse.

If this piece was real, it was beyond price. Even in such turbulent times, no one would dare push the price too low.

Li Chi said, “Absolutely genuine.”

*Yes,* Yu Jiuling thought to himself. *You can guarantee it’s genuine, all right — you wrote it yourself. You could write another one on the spot.*

Li Chi said, “I simply wish to exchange this piece by Master Songming for one of Your Excellency’s works.”

Liu Yao was genuinely moved. His mouth fell slightly open. For a moment he couldn’t find words.

Earlier, Li Chi had sent him a box of gold leaf worth at least ten thousand taels.

And an authentic piece by Master Songming — if he were willing to sell it — a hundred thousand taels would not be too much.

Li Chi said, “Allow me to take a small advantage, Your Excellency. What do you say?”

“Yes, yes, of course!”

Liu Yao said at once, “When I return, I’ll have all those pieces sent to you.”

Li Chi immediately bowed deeply. “Many thanks to Your Excellency!”

He waved a hand. “Pack up Master Songming’s piece. Have it sent to Your Excellency’s residence shortly.”

Yu Jiuling stepped forward and carefully repacked the scroll.

Liu Yao’s eyes never left it the entire time. Only after Yu Jiuling carried it out did he pull his gaze away.

Li Chi poured Liu Yao a cup of tea and smiled. “I’ve truly gained the better end of this exchange. To receive Your Excellency’s calligraphy — it is the fortune of three lifetimes.”

He glanced at Liu Yao. “So in gratitude to Your Excellency, whatever you wish with the business arrangements — I will accommodate everything.”

Liu Yao laughed heartily to himself. *No wonder Meng Kedi gives this young Master Li a measure of respect.*

*This young Master Li knows how to conduct himself. He truly does.*

He’d heard the Young Marquis held him in high regard too. Having met him today in person, he now understood why. A man who knows how to conduct himself always finds people drawn to him.

Looking at Li Chi now, Liu Yao thought him a fine-looking young man — clear features, handsome as could be.

Li Chi said, “Your Excellency’s forty percent — I’ll deliver it in full. Only…”

At the word *only*, Liu Yao smiled and said at once, “If there’s anything difficult, speak plainly. Where I can help, I will.”

Li Chi immediately said, “Thank you, Your Excellency. Then I’ll be so bold as to speak directly.”

Liu Yao said, “Go ahead.”

Li Chi said with a somewhat pained air, “The Shen Medical Hall has only just arrived in Anyang and is urgently in need of a large sum of ready silver. So when I heard Your Excellency’s intention, I was overjoyed.”

“But the early period of operation will be difficult. I wouldn’t dare short Your Excellency of a single coin of your forty percent — yet I worry about our ability to sustain operations afterward…”

At this, Liu Yao had been on the verge of saying he’d take thirty percent and let Li Chi keep ten.

But before the words left his mouth, Li Chi was already continuing.

Li Chi said, “The money from ordinary people, in truth, comes in small amounts — scattered and slow to accumulate. Without three to five years, you won’t see meaningful results.”

“But the money from wealthy people…”

Li Chi leaned closer and dropped his voice near Liu Yao’s ear. “I have a half-formed idea…”

“The Shen Medical Hall needs ready silver — so I’m thinking of establishing a ‘distinguished guest’ membership. For distinguished guests, a pre-deposit of two thousand taels, or one thousand, or even five hundred taels is acceptable.”

“For example: therapeutic massage. For one thousand taels, a person can receive thirty sessions. But with a pre-deposit, they can receive fifty sessions.”

“If someone pre-deposits two thousand taels, they receive even more sessions, plus superior service.”

Li Chi said, “Your Excellency need not personally produce the silver — just set an example by saying you’ve pre-deposited one thousand taels at the Shen Medical Hall…”

Liu Yao’s eyes lit up. “If I set the example, the wealthy citizens of the city will follow suit. They can’t normally get an audience with me — but they know they might run into me at your Shen Medical Hall…”

Li Chi said, “If ten follow suit, that’s ten thousand taels. If a hundred…”

He smiled. “Spending one thousand taels for the chance to come closer to Your Excellency — any merchant will understand the advantage in that. A small favor or a bit of backing from Your Excellency would be worth far more than one thousand taels.”

Liu Yao said, “Quite right! Then let’s say I pre-deposited two thousand taels — one thousand is too little.”

Li Chi said, “On this sum, I’ll give Your Excellency… not forty percent. Five percent!”

Liu Yao smiled, his eyes and brows both opening up with pleasure.

Li Chi said, “Without Your Excellency setting the example, no one else would come. So fifty percent is actually too little.”

Liu Yao waved a hand, benevolent and affable. “Not at all — not too little.”

Li Chi bowed deeply. “Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Liu Yao took Li Chi by the arm and said, “You and I are friends going forward. Though I’m a few years your senior, I feel I’ve met you too late — we can be friends across the age gap.”

Li Chi looked overwhelmed with gratitude, his expression so moved he seemed almost on the verge of tears.

Li Chi said, “I wouldn’t dare put myself on the same footing as Your Excellency. From today, Your Excellency is my teacher — consider me enrolled under your tutelage. Please give your blessing.”

“Wonderful, wonderful!”

Liu Yao said, “Since you feel this way, I am glad.”

Li Chi settled himself beside Liu Yao, drawing closer still.

His voice dropped very low. “I have another presumptuous thought — the medicine trade alone has its limits. I notice the waterway trade also…”

Liu Yao quickly said, “The waterway trade — I can’t promise you anything there. That’s the Cao family’s domain…”

Li Chi said, “No, no — Your Excellency misunderstands. The canal freight business, naturally I’d never dare touch. What I want to do is ships.”

“Ships?”

Liu Yao was puzzled.

Li Chi said, “I’m thinking of using the pre-deposited funds to buy new vessels, registered under the Anyang Prefectural Office’s name — officially government-owned ships. They’d be rented out to traveling merchants, at a rate slightly above the market price, but with guaranteed safety.”

Liu Yao thought to himself: *This young man is a genius. No — not an ordinary genius.*

Use the merchants’ and wealthy families’ pre-deposited money to buy ships, then use those ships to earn more money from those same merchants.

Li Chi added, “If Your Excellency then issues a strict directive — saying that river travel carries risks, and in case of accident or illness, medicines must be on hand — so every vessel departing must carry a prescribed supply of medicines…”

Liu Yao no longer knew how to evaluate this Li Duidui.

The man’s mind spun faster than a windmill when it came to making money.

Li Chi said, “This won’t take long — within half a month, I can have the branch premises completely refurbished and ready to receive guests. Two months to draw in the pre-deposits. During those same two months, purchase new ships — by four months in, the government vessel fleet could be fully operational.”

He sighed slightly. “The only thing is…”

He said with difficulty, “In the first two or three months, I’m afraid the dividends won’t be delivered to Your Excellency on time.”

“No matter!”

Liu Yao waved a magnanimous hand. “Monthly distributions are a hassle anyway. Every six months is fine.”

Li Chi immediately rose and bowed deeply to Liu Yao. “Many thanks to Your Excellency for your generosity. The Shen Medical Hall’s successful relocation to Anyang will be entirely owing to Your Excellency’s grace.”

Liu Yao said with slight self-satisfaction, “A trifling effort on my part.”

He rose, walked toward Li Chi, took him by the arm to straighten him up, then gave him a light pat on the shoulder.

“About the pre-deposit arrangement — I’ll let word filter down to people today when I return.”

Liu Yao said, “Those people will spread the news on our behalf. In no more than three days, those lining up to pre-deposit silver at your branch will be queuing out the door.”

By now, he had started using the word *our*.

Li Chi broke into a delighted smile and said, “Then when the six-month mark arrives, I’m afraid it may take several large carts to deliver Your Excellency’s dividends to the prefectural residence.”

Liu Yao roared with laughter, laughing until his mouth wouldn’t close.

—