“How does Cheng plan to plead for him?” Shen Che asked in return.
Ji Cheng was still struggling. “He indeed deserves punishment.” In truth, Ji Cheng deeply disapproved of Hao Ren’s actions towards Madam Huarui, but she had no choice but to speak up for him due to her circumstances. “However, he has already learned his lesson, and his fortune is now depleted. Since his crime doesn’t warrant death, couldn’t you, Cousin Che, in your magnanimity, spare him?”
Shen Che smiled leisurely, “What is Hao Ren’s relationship to you, Cheng? You’re neither family nor friend, so why are you helping him like this?”
Ji Cheng inwardly rolled her eyes, thinking, ‘How could you not know?’ “Back in Jin territory, Hao Ren had some dealings with our Ji family. Later, my father released him, and he was immensely grateful. After coming to the capital, he’s been consistently supporting our family’s business. Now that he’s come to me for help, and you being my cousin, I felt I should at least try.”
Ji Cheng’s words were deliberately ambiguous, testing to see how much Shen Che knew.
“Why didn’t he seek help from your elder brother instead of you, a young lady? It seems rather improper,” Shen Che remarked.
Gritting her teeth, Ji Cheng replied, “My brother is focused on his studies, and Father never lets him handle such matters. Although I’m a woman, I can’t avoid helping Father with his concerns. That’s why Hao Ren came to me for help.”
“So, Ji Cheng is the decision-maker for the Ji family in the capital. I stand corrected,” Shen Che said.
Indeed, he stood corrected, though his face showed no trace of respect. Ji Cheng, not wanting to be further interrogated by Shen Che, said, “I know this puts Cousin Che in a difficult position, as you’ve already made your stance public. I came today merely to do my duty for Hao Ren.” The implication was that she had done her part, and whether Shen Che agreed or not was beyond her control.
This move by Ji Cheng was a strategic retreat. As she made to leave, Shen Che spoke, “It wasn’t difficult at all.”
A good ‘actually,’ but what followed?
“Madam Huarui is an outsider, while you, Cheng, are my cousin. I know how to differentiate between close and distant relations,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng sat still, waiting for Shen Che to continue.
“But later, I discovered he was truly audacious, even daring to scheme against Third Aunt. Does Cheng know what this is about?” Shen Che asked.
A chill ran through Ji Cheng’s bones. She suspected that Shen Che might not just have a friend in the Jingshi Army, but could be part of it himself. How else could he know such confidential matters?
Ji Cheng wasn’t sure how much Shen Che knew, but she understood one thing: some things you must deny to death. “I’m not aware of Hao Ren’s actions, but if Cousin Che says so, then he indeed deserves to die,” Ji Cheng said. However, in her mind, she had already made a decision: either send Hao Ren far away or act first. She couldn’t let Hao Ren fall into Shen Che’s hands and become evidence against her.
Though Ji Cheng had been involved in many schemes over the years, she had never resorted to taking lives. So, her mind quickly came up with several ways to help Hao Ren escape.
“Indeed. However, as subjects of the Heavenly Dynasty, only the Emperor has the power over life and death. Even if I capture Hao Ren, I won’t take the law into my own hands. Naturally, I would hand him over to the authorities for questioning,” Shen Che added.
Ji Cheng felt a chill run through her body. Shen Che’s move was incredibly ruthless. If the authorities questioned Hao Ren, not only would Ji Cheng be implicated, but the scandal of Ji Lan harming her would also come to light.
However, Ji Cheng quickly calmed herself. Shen Che was just trying to scare her. Setting aside the fact that Ji Lan was his Third Aunt, exposing her misdeeds would be like breaking a jade vase to catch a mouse. If Ji Lan’s actions were revealed, what about Shen Ying, Shen Jing, and Shen Cui? They all bore the Shen surname.
“That’s as it should be,” Ji Cheng said, steadying herself.
Shen Che’s expression had remained neutral until now, but at this moment, a hint of a playful smile appeared on his face. “Cheng, you’re indeed as composed as I expected. Are you certain I’ll cover up Third Aunt’s misdeeds? Truly, the student has surpassed the master’s. The aunt secretly harmed her niece, not knowing that the niece had anticipated it, and turned the tables on her.”
So Shen Che knew everything. Ji Cheng felt relieved. There was no need to be on edge anymore; the situation couldn’t get any worse.
“A cunning hare has three burrows. Hao Ren, who’s lived as a wealthy man for so many years, proved to be quite adaptable, even willing to hide in the beggars’ den in the southern suburbs. It took quite some effort to find him, thanks to you, Cheng,” Shen Che poured a fresh cup of tea for Ji Cheng. “Try this third infusion. Though the flavor is lighter, it retains the sweetness without the bitterness.”
On one side was talk of life and death, on the other, leisurely tea appreciation. Ji Cheng didn’t share Shen Che’s composure.
“I don’t deserve such praise. I imagine someone of Cousin Che’s abilities could have caught him long ago. Letting him go was just a way to wait for him to contact me, wasn’t it?” Ji Cheng asked coldly, knowing she had walked into a trap.
“That’s part of it,” Shen Che didn’t deny it. “I just didn’t expect Cheng to care so deeply for him, willing to go even to such places. Knowing the danger, you still came here with your head held high.”
Shen Che turned the candle holder on the stone table, and a small door opened in the rock face. Hao Ren stood outside. He had changed back into his brocade robe and jade belt, no longer looking destitute.
As soon as the door opened, Hao Ren walked in and kowtowed to Ji Cheng. “Thank you, Third Miss, for saving my life.”
Ji Cheng hadn’t saved Hao Ren’s life; she was just as trapped as he was. Thinking back to what she had said earlier if Hao Ren had heard it, he might easily misunderstand. Shen Che was truly causing harm.
Ji Cheng looked at Hao Ren, and Hao Ren looked back at her. Though they said nothing, Ji Cheng knew Hao Ren must have revealed everything. This was his way of submitting to Shen Che. Previously, Ji Cheng held Hao Ren’s secrets; now Shen Che had taken her place, still sparing Hao Ren’s life for future use.
After kowtowing to his former master, Hao Ren stood behind his new one.
“What Aunt did to you was truly unacceptable, Cheng. If it were just that, I wouldn’t side with her. However, Cui is my sister. Although her win in the Zhongtan selection wasn’t entirely honorable, the fault doesn’t lie with her. She was unaware of the situation. I hope you can be lenient and hand over the evidence you’ve been holding to me,” Shen Che said.
Ji Cheng felt a bone-chilling cold and a splitting headache. She struggled to remain calm and said, “I don’t have it with me. I can send Yuqian’er to fetch it.”
Shen Che gave Hao Ren a look. Ji Cheng handed her seal to Hao Ren, and he left.
Shen Che looked at Ji Cheng and smiled, “Why aren’t you drinking your tea? It loses its fragrance when it cools, and it’s bad for the stomach.”
With her life in Shen Che’s hands, Ji Cheng was in no mood for tea. But unwilling to show weakness, she took a sip and slowly said, “Indeed, only the aftertaste remains sweet.”
“Not all Liu’an Guapian tea is like this. These few catties of tea took me three years to find. Only those from Yunshan Village in Huo County have this unique quality,” Shen Che expounded, forcibly filling Ji Cheng’s head with tea knowledge, nearly suffocating her.
Pitifully, Ji Cheng had to engage with Shen Che, demonstrating that her status as a refined lady wasn’t for nothing. Poetry, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, tea appreciation, and flower arrangement were all at her fingertips.
Time passed excruciatingly slowly. Ji Cheng’s stomach was full of water by the time Hao Ren returned.
All thoughts of staying calm and composed had fled Ji Cheng’s mind. Even a stoic Buddhist monk would struggle to maintain composure when nature calls. Ji Cheng was too embarrassed to tell Shen Che she needed to relieve herself.
Hao Ren handed the ledger Yuqian’er had retrieved to Shen Che. Shen Che glanced at him, and Hao Ren nodded, confirming the ledger’s authenticity.
This ledger was from Longchang Bank, recording the transactions of registered silver note clients. The silver notes issued by the Ji family were all registered and could be cashed at many banks throughout the Great Qin Dynasty, backed by the Ji family’s commercial reputation and financial strength.
Since the notes were registered, it was easy to check at the bank who issued the notes and who cashed them. Though it sounds simple, bank ledgers weren’t accessible to ordinary people. This was the bank’s lifeline, the foundation of their credibility. If anyone could casually obtain them, Longchang Bank would have closed down long ago.
The reason Ji Cheng could preserve this ledger of Ji Lan issuing notes and the Qibao Alliance’s managers cashing them was that she was one of Longchang Bank’s major shareholders.
At this point, Hao Ren had completed his task and quietly withdrew.
Ji Cheng spoke up, “Cousin Che, I’ve given you what you wanted. Can we consider this matter settled?” To be honest, at this point, Ji Cheng was the only one at a disadvantage. Ji Lan and Shen Cui no longer had any leverage against her. But Ji Cheng wasn’t that naive, so she added, “I’ll leave the Shen residence as soon as possible.” She couldn’t bear to stay any longer.
Shen Che closed the ledger and looked at Ji Cheng with a smile, “I’ve noticed that Cheng doesn’t seem to have much curiosity.” About how he knew about her dealings with Hao Ren, about this hidden area of Jiuli Yuan, and even about him as a person, she had maintained silence and resignation. Either she was too foolish or too clever.
“Curiosity sometimes does people no good,” Ji Cheng said, lowering her gaze to avoid confrontation.
“But if you return to Jin territory like this, how will you explain it to your father? The Zhu family hasn’t been completely uprooted. Aren’t you afraid of future troubles?” Shen Che asked.
Ji Cheng was too shocked to feel anything anymore. The investigation had been thorough indeed, to have uncovered even these matters.
“What does Cousin Che want from me?” Ji Cheng asked, looking directly at Shen Che.
Shen Che smiled, this time the curve of his lips slightly more pronounced, indicating he was genuinely pleased. “I don’t need anything, I just want to ask for Cheng’s help.”
Ji Cheng pressed her lips together in silence.
Shen Che glanced at the ledger again, then spoke, “Three years ago, the Ji family only had some properties in Jin territory. After giving half of the family fortune to your aunt, it was a severe blow. Your father developed a headache due to the Zhu family incident and was unable to manage the Ji family business. Cheng, despite being a woman, had to step up to manage affairs. In just three years, you revitalized the family business and expanded it across the country. Recently, you’ve even been considering expanding to the Western Regions. You truly have great talent. When Longchang Bank was first established, no one thought it would succeed. Only you, Cheng, strongly supported it against all odds. Now, the financial arteries of the empire are in your hands.”