“Two thousand five hundred coins.”

“Second Miss Jiang, is my brain made of tofu?”

“Ren Family Salt Field is worth it.”

“You’re not worth it.”

“Counter-offer?”

“Two thousand coins, no more.”

“Two thousand two hundred coins.”

“Opening your mouth like a lion! You’ve already earned quite a bit of money from this Lu, business isn’t negotiated this way!”

“If you’re not buying, forget it.”

“…Hey, you’re really leaving! Fine, two thousand two hundred coins, no changing it!”

…

Lu Xian was ultimately a businessman. Even though in his heart he wished he could smash the dog head of this beautiful young lady before him, on the surface he still had to maintain a proper smile, having the young attendant in the pavilion fetch sufficient bank notes, each establishing new contracts, then stamping them with his own seal.

Sold at four hundred, bought at two thousand two hundred coins.

When selling at four hundred compared to the original purchase price of five hundred coins per stock, he had already lost one thousand taels; now buying at two thousand two hundred coins, each stock lost another one thousand eight hundred coins on top of the four hundred coin basis—ten thousand stocks meant eighteen thousand taels!

He felt his heart wasn’t simply bleeding anymore, but the blood had become a waterfall!

When delivering the twenty-two thousand taels in bank notes to Jiang Xuening, Lu Xian’s hands trembled non-stop.

His fingers gripped tightly, refusing to let go for a long time.

Jiang Xuening couldn’t pull them away, so she leisurely lifted her eyelids to glance at him: “Are you buying or not?”

He forcefully closed his eyes: “Take it, take it, you take it!”

Only then did he finally release his grip. That appearance didn’t look like he had conducted a voluntary transaction with Jiang Xuening on both sides, but rather as if Jiang Xuening had forcibly robbed his money, gouged out his heart, and taken his life!

Right now, although the matter of Ren Family Salt Field’s comeback from desperate straits was spreading throughout the capital like wildfire and the salt field silver stock prices were soaring upward, originally at four hundred coins it would obviously take some time to slowly rise back to the original level.

But now was different from before.

Using the percussion drilling well as leverage and obtaining half a percent of the profits from most of Sichuan’s salt fields for the next five years, Ren Family Salt Field could be said to already stand on invincible ground. At least within these five years, if no natural disasters or man-made calamities occurred, it absolutely couldn’t collapse.

Countless wealthy merchants and magnates with spare cash who wanted to buy into Ren Family Salt Field silver stocks were worried about having nowhere to buy. Although the price of two thousand two hundred coins was very high compared to before and compared to current market prices, given time it would definitely rise above this line, even exceed it by quite a bit, not to mention the annual profit dividends.

Lu Xian absolutely hadn’t lost out.

Although Jiang Xuening was indeed in urgent need of money, actually it didn’t have to be Lu Xian. First, this person had indeed been somewhat cheated by herself, so she felt slightly guilty; second, this wasn’t the first time transacting with this person—though he was a cunning merchant, he also kept his word, whereas going to find others might unexpectedly create complications; third, Lu Xian was clever and could absolutely see the situation clearly—with such a good deal as buying silver stocks at two thousand two hundred coins, he couldn’t possibly miss it.

That’s why she came to him.

Now that both sides had settled payment, she didn’t linger, taking the bank notes and leaving.

But Lu Xian stared for a long time at the ten thousand silver stocks in his hands that he had “lost and recovered,” wanting to endure, wanting to step back. But enduring for a moment, the more he thought the angrier he became; stepping back, the more he thought the more he felt he’d lost out. After a long while, he slapped the table and stood up, tucking away the contracts and certificates and striding toward the door.

The young attendant was dumbfounded: “Where is Master Lu going?”

Lu Xian didn’t look back: “This old man is going to find that surnamed Xie and ask clearly!”

Yesterday there had just been a spring rain. The street surface was wet, and in the alleys some people gathered together playing leaf cards.

As Lu Xian passed by, he heard them mostly chatting about the marriage alliance matter.

Occasionally some beggars running past him barefoot, almost every one holding bamboo sticks, cradling broken bowls, singing in their mouths things like “The Xiao family brings calamity to the nation, the princess makes a marriage alliance; threatening the Emperor, ten thousand years of retribution.”

This matter was truly becoming increasingly serious.

Lu Xian thought this way in his heart, actually developing some interest in watching the show, only thinking that the Xiao family was also unlucky this time. Not knowing who was behind trying to deal with them, stirring up such a big commotion—even in the imperial court it would be hard to explain, difficult to resolve peacefully, right?

After all, the people’s hearts were like water.

The Emperor sitting in high position actually didn’t necessarily need to distinguish between loyal and treacherous subjects, but if he wanted to sit securely in that position, he definitely needed the people’s hearts, acting in accordance with the people’s will to achieve great governance.

At this time, Xie Wei had just left court and had just changed out of his court robes, brewing a pot of tea to drink.

Lu Xian’s timing was just right.

Without invitation he entered, walking in and directly sitting across from Xie Wei, smilingly glancing at Jianshu standing beside him, asking: “How’s the investigation going?”

Jianshu, worthy of having followed Xie Wei for many years, lied without changing expression: “Only began investigating yesterday, haven’t found any clues yet, though there’s a seventy percent possibility it was people from several other salt fields in Sichuan secretly making moves.”

Lu Xian’s smile didn’t change: “Oh, so it’s not easy to investigate?”

Jianshu inexplicably felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He paused before saying: “Indeed not very easy to investigate.”

Lu Xian then laughed once with a “hehe,” pulled out the certificate for those ten thousand silver stocks from his bosom, placed it on the table, then clearly saw Jianshu’s expression change and his head immediately lower.

“I thought Young Master Jianshu had gone blind and didn’t recognize it.”

He poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, speaking pointedly: “Xie Ju’an, you tell me, you keep a Daoqin and a Jianshu under you, yet they can’t handle such a small matter properly, every day without any leads. It was still the principal party who came to my door today and quoted me a high price to buy back the silver stocks that I finally knew who was behind it. Why don’t you sweep these two out the door? With so little capability, are you keeping them to eat free meals? “

Xie Wei looked toward Jianshu: “Did you hear what Boss Lu said?”

Jianshu: “…Yes.”

Taking the blame really wasn’t anything, he was used to it.

Xie Wei looked toward Lu Xian again, saying indifferently: “If you can’t even handle this little matter properly, in the future when Boss Lu stumbles and falls into a pit, breaks his arm or leg, how can he count on you to pull him up?”

Lu Xian: “…”

Damn, how did it feel like that surnamed Xie’s words contained hidden meaning sarcastically implying his own business skills were lacking and he was blaming others?

He laughed coldly: “Others forget their brothers after getting a wife, but you Xie Ju’an are truly capable—you haven’t even gotten a wife yet, but you’ve already sold your brothers clean!”

Xie Wei also smiled, ice melting and snow thawing: “Isn’t this seeing that Brother Lu is worth some money?”

Lu Xian: “…”

If this could be tolerated, what couldn’t be?!

He slapped the table and stood up: “Surnamed Xie, I Lü Zhaoyin today—”

Xie Wei said indifferently: “Have you thought about what Jiang Xuening needs so much money for?”

Lu Xian immediately froze.

Originally he had wanted to say something about severing their friendship, but being interrupted like this, he suddenly forgot completely. His brow furrowed as he became serious: “When I was handing her the bank notes just now, I was also thinking—by reason this young lady has quite a bit of money in hand, several tens of thousands in silver at least, yet every time she deals with silver stocks it’s because she’s short on cash. What is she doing? Do you know?”

Xie Wei said: “What did you see or hear when you came?”

Lu Xian said: “There were few people when I came. What could I hear in the marketplace? Nothing more than the marriage alliance…”

When his words reached this point, his eyelids suddenly jumped.

His heart was startled, inexplicably giving birth to some shock: “This matter was done by Jiang Xuening?!”

Not just Jiang Xuening.

There was also Xiao Dingfei acting as an accomplice.

Xie Wei’s fingers lightly tapped the wall of the tea cup, saying: “More or less.”

Lu Xian felt something was wrong: “She’s an unmarried young lady—why would she get involved in these matters? Moreover, stirring up such a big commotion, if by some carelessness the matter is exposed, who knows if it won’t invite the Xiao family’s retaliation? Anyone who wants to live peacefully in the capital couldn’t possibly provoke the Xiao family. This matter doesn’t make sense. Unless…”

Speaking to this point, he suddenly glanced at Xie Wei.

Xie Wei gazed at the fine leaf buds floating and sinking in the tea cup, silent for a long time, naturally knowing the unfinished meaning in Lu Xian’s words—

Unless, Jiang Xuening no longer planned to continue staying in the capital.