State of Wei, Pingluan Mountain.

Xiao Rongyan came by invitation to Prince Xihuai’s temporary palace at Pingluan Mountain, to drink and make merry with various noble relatives of Great Wei’s imperial family at Pingluan Mountain.

Prince Xihuai was the Great Wei’s Emperor’s most beloved younger brother, born of the same mother. Perhaps because he enjoyed pleasure and idleness as a wealthy man while being extremely loyal to Great Wei’s Emperor, the Emperor indulged this brother of his in every way.

Prince Xihuai’s greatest pleasure in life was drinking wine and composing poetry with elegant scholars.

Xiao Rongyan was exceptionally talented and also the world’s richest merchant, living in extreme luxury. He was a kindred spirit with Prince Xihuai – both were skilled in enjoyment and lived lives of drunken extravagance, naturally becoming close friends.

When Prince Xihuai learned of Xiao Rongyan’s return to the Kingdom, he arranged a banquet at Tianlu Pavilion in his temporary palace at Pingluan Mountain.

The temporary palace at Pingluan Mountain was given to Prince Xihuai by the Emperor on his birthday, showing how favored he was… even surpassing the imperial princes.

Tianlu Pavilion was built at the highest point atop the entire Pingluan Mountain palace complex, specially constructed later by craftsmen at Prince Xihuai’s request.

Tianlu Pavilion was supported by twenty-six sturdy beams inserted into the cliff face, suspended before the precipice. Twelve thick pillars of gold-lacquered black sandalwood held up the roof. The three sides facing the cliff had no railings, with bronze crane lamps more than a man’s height tall flickering dimly at the edges. White silk curtains swayed in the wind, and the sound of strings and bamboo was like celestial music. Looking up from the mountain below… one might think it was where immortals dwelled.

Prince Xihuai wore the white robe he had put on after emerging from the hot springs, his collar open, holding a wine cup. With a drunken expression, he moved among the seductive dancers. Having consumed cold-food powder, his eyes held a dreamy, ethereal haze – the very picture of a dissolute young master.

Seeing Xiao Rongyan, also dressed in white robes, lazily leaning against cushions, drinking alone with little interest today, the intoxicated Prince Xihuai swayed over to sit beside him, hooking his arm around Xiao Rongyan’s shoulder and laughing: “What’s wrong… not in good spirits today? Are the dancers not beautiful enough? Or is the cold food not refined enough?”

Prince Xihuai noticed that the cold-food powder mixed with fine wine in front of Xiao Rongyan remained untouched, and his smile became even more foolish: “You won’t even touch such good stuff…”

Xiao Rongyan picked up a peanut, peeled off the red skin with one hand, and tossed it in his mouth, saying rather irritably: “Soon our Great Wei will attack Great Yan. I learned of this late and fear I won’t have time to withdraw my business from Great Yan. Once war breaks out, the losses will certainly be substantial. How vexing…”

Prince Xihuai laughed heartily: “This matter is worth your worry?”

“Since last year, I’ve invested enormous manpower and resources in Nanyan, planning to open Xiao family shops throughout Nanyan. Who knew… Nanyan would be reclaimed by Great Yan, forcing me to start over. Just when things were finally looking up, our Jin nation wants to attack Great Yan again.” Xiao Rongyan raised his wine cup and drained it in one gulp. “This year’s fortune is truly terrible…”

“This matter is simple!” Prince Xihuai patted Xiao Rongyan’s shoulder. “Once our Great Wei takes Great Yan’s cities, you can conduct business as usual. I’ll have people instructed that your trading houses are not to be touched!”

“I’m a Wei person. If our Wei nation attacks Great Yan… would Great Yan still let me do business there? It would be good if they don’t kill my people!” Xiao Rongyan sighed. “Forget it, I’m not someone who only knows personal profit and ignores national righteousness. If there are losses, so be it!”

“You and I are close friends – how could I watch you suffer losses?” Prince Xihuai smiled and moved closer to Xiao Rongyan. “Rest assured, this battle… won’t start so quickly! If you move swiftly and withdraw your business and people as soon as possible, when our Great Wei conquers and occupies the cities, you can return!”

“Won’t start so quickly?” Xiao Rongyan was quite puzzled. He leaned closer to Prince Xihuai. “Isn’t it said that Great Yan’s main forces are all at Rongdi now? Isn’t this the best opportunity for our Wei nation to attack Yan?”

Prince Xihuai shouldn’t have discussed court politics with Xiao Rongyan, but considering this was his closest friend, he looked around and lowered his voice: “The generals and ministers disagree. Previously, Great Yan suddenly produced a new army whose general, Xie Xun, is frighteningly brave! The Prime Minister was already opposed to war, fearing that while Great Yan appears to have its main forces at Rongdi, it is hiding its strength for other purposes. So my imperial brother ordered our great army to mass at the border as a test!”

Xiao Rongyan nodded.

“Who would have known…” Prince Xihuai lowered his voice even more. “Who would have known that while Great Yan appears normal during the day, our spies hear the sound of horse hooves at night. In the mountain valleys within Great Yan’s territory, smoke rises from cooking fires every night. We fear Great Yan is hiding troops there, waiting for our Wei nation to advance… so they can catch us like turtles in a jar. Now both the Prime Minister and the generals have sent people to investigate. We must wait for the results to return before knowing whether we can fight.”

Xiao Rongyan suddenly sat up straight and looked at Prince Xihuai: “Speaking of this, I… suddenly remember something. Your Highness knows that when I was previously trapped in Nanyan, people from Great Yan’s Ninth Prince purchased large quantities of iron and weapons from me. The amount of iron and weapons I transported within Jin territory wasn’t huge, but it wasn’t small either. Originally, thinking that Jin, Nanyan, and Xiliang were at war, selling them in Pingcheng would certainly fetch a good price. Who knew the ones buying at high prices were Great Yan’s people!”

Prince Xihuai’s hand gripping the wine cup tightened, and he sobered considerably: “Wanting iron and weapons means having troops…”

“This, I cannot know. Later, continuously… I sent quite a bit more iron ore and weapons to Great Yan, cooperating with strategists from Jin’s Crown Prince’s mansion, splitting profits fifty-fifty… Thus, I also earned quite a lot. The profits were very promising.” Xiao Rongyan continued.

Prince Xihuai’s heart pounded. Fifty-fifty split and still earning quite a lot – how high were those prices?

Great Yan, sparing no expense to seek iron, was not a good omen. Perhaps Great Yan did have troops hidden in the mountains, just like the elite force led by Great Yan’s Xie Xun.

At this thought, Prince Xihuai straightened up: “I must make a trip to the palace…”

Xiao Rongyan advised: “But… Great Yan buying iron doesn’t necessarily mean it’s for military use. Perhaps… farm tools? Your Highness rushing to the palace to tell His Majesty about this without solid evidence seems inappropriate.”

“Since you speak with such uncertainty, I’d better make a trip to the palace to inform my imperial brother! After all… if something happens to Great Wei, I won’t be able to live such a luxurious and carefree life anymore!”

Prince Xihuai was valuable precisely for his self-awareness. He drained the wine in his cup, stood up, and had maidservants dress him to enter the palace immediately.

Yue Shi waited quietly beneath the walkway of Tianlu Pavilion. Soon, he saw the intoxicated Xiao Rongyan being carried down by Prince Xihuai’s servants on a shoulder litter.

Yue Shi quickly stepped forward to help Xiao Rongyan up from the landed litter: “Master!”

“Yue Shi…” Xiao Rongyan smiled foolishly.

“It’s your subordinate!” Yue Shi helped Xiao Rongyan onto the carriage and bid farewell to the steward of Prince Xihuai’s mansion.