Volume 1: Hidden Dragon in the Depths — Chapter 103: The Transaction

Sandalwood smoke curled upward, and the chamber was decorated with refined elegance and charm. Inside, candles burned brightly, the four walls adorned with exquisite ornamentation, and in one corner, an incense burner smoldered gently, its furnishings antique and tasteful.

Xu Qing sat there, his heart itching with curiosity, unable to stop wondering—just what kind of beauty was this woman whose reputation for allure had spread so far and wide?

Someone was gradually approaching outside. With his keen hearing, he had already detected them.

They were here.

To his own surprise, he felt a flutter of nervousness.

"Madam, this is the place."

A woman's gentle, warm voice, her tone utterly proper.

Creak...

The chamber door was pushed open, and a maidservant stepped in first.

Graceful and lithe, behind her came a woman in a long blue dress, her figure full and her form utterly exquisite.

A perfectly shaped oval face, tempting red lips, a delicate jade-like nose—paired with her eyes, she was stunningly beautiful beyond compare.

Born with enchanting eyes, one glance at her was enough to make anyone feel she was irresistible. Alluring was insufficient to describe her features—she was bewitching. Whether she laughed or cried, raged or delighted, every word and gesture seemed to tempt you, setting your heart ablaze.

Her snow-white neck descended to a low-cut bodice, hinting at what lay beneath, revealing tempting collarbones.

Her clothing could not conceal her proud bosom, as if it were swelling with breath.

"You are Master Xu? I never expected you to be so young—as handsome and dashing as the rumors say."

After Xu Qing invited her to sit, he saw her lips part slightly, her voice round and full of allure.

Xu Qing had rarely seen a woman of such beauty and figure. Her large eyes were liquid and bright, coquettish, shimmering with colors that made one's heart race. She looked as if in the throes of delight, desire flowing through her, deeply luring one into sin.

"Oh? Madam Gao actually knows of me." Xu Qing snapped back to himself, faint surprise in his heart.

"Master Xu is young and dashing, born into a distinguished family. After arriving here, how many young ladies must be dreaming of you night and day?" Madam Gao smiled.

"And what about you?" Xu Qing smiled.

"Actually, Master Xu need not have invited me here. If you wished to discuss business matters, you could have come to the Gao residence. This year's grain prices are likely to rise. If you still want to purchase grain at the original price, even adding twenty percent won't make it easy." Madam Gao said.

If even the official grain supply couldn't hold prices down, how much must they have sold off? With supplies growing tight, a rise in grain prices was only natural.

Tsk, tsk...

It seemed there were plans to speculate on prices as well.

But when war broke out, that was something they likely hadn't anticipated.

"There is deception in the art of war, like pitting inferior horses against superior ones, and superior against mediocre, mediocre against inferior—then victory is assured. But usually, it is only the weak who need clever tricks to win." Xu Qing smiled again, then continued, "Yet I still prefer king against king, general against general, soldier against soldier—because I am full of confidence. There are some matters I still wished to discuss with you in person. After all, isn't this business something you can decide yourself? Let's eat first, and then we can talk slowly, shall we?"

Since she was already here, Xu Qing was in no hurry.

Everything could be discussed.

"No need—I've already eaten." Madam Gao's enchanting eyes swept over him, then she said sweetly, "I came only to settle the matter of pricing with you, so I can return home early, all right?"

Xu Qing caught a hint of mockery in her eyes. So today, in this place, he was being looked down upon.

If it were anyone else, there would be a price to pay.

She was merely a woman; Xu Qing didn't want to bother quarreling with her. As long as she didn't push too far, he'd let it go.

"I've added twenty percent for you, and I've even said we'll handle the grain transport ourselves. Why not take this profit?

Wang Chuan sneered. "The situation has grown severe. Now you think it's too little, or you want to raise the price. The most suitable time would be after autumn harvest—just find some excuse, like the granary catching fire!"

"And there's Huazhou and Shizhou—as long as the officials above and below are of one mind, all singing the same tune, it will be fine. They'll certainly do the same, enough to cover up the fact that you've emptied the granaries! The world will never know whether they were truly burned to ash or whether they were secretly stripped bare beforehand..."

"Actually, this trick isn't new; others have used it before. The first to use it was the genius—those who follow are merely imitators. In any endeavor, when plotting something, there are always overt schemes and covert schemes. This is the way of deception in war—winning by surprise, holding by the orthodox. Is this truly worth the risk for you all?"

They just didn't realize, however, that they wouldn't live to see the autumn harvest.

When war broke out, how great would the impact be on these profiteering merchants?

When the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact.

"I don't know what Master Xu is talking about." Madam Gao's expression was calm, pretending to be composed.

"Madam Gao, did you receive the silk scarf I sent back to you? My hand itched for a moment—that day when I entered the city and saw your beauty surpass all others, I have been utterly haunted and beside myself ever since. I couldn't resist inscribing a poem on it." Xu Qing then turned to other topics.

Madam Gao had, of course, seen it. She was both embarrassed and furious, utterly exasperated—no one had ever dared to brazenly send a love token and speak of sharing the pleasures of Cloud and Rain together.

She was the lawful wife of a prominent household—how could she do such shameless things?

But she had heard that Xu Qing's family held great power in the Xia Kingdom, and the Gao family wished to cultivate good relations with them. So she had swallowed this impertinent flirtation.

What was there that couldn't be endured?

For money, what was a bit of pride worth?

She had come this time to talk, but strictly about business matters.

After arriving, she found this young man extraordinary—lustful, yet not enslaved by passion.

Still, he was too frivolous, and she was not that sort of woman.

When he spoke of the crucial point, she felt he truly was somewhat different, and her heart stirred involuntarily.

To have her cards seen through—yet she knew nothing about him. She had fallen into a disadvantageous position.

"That wasn't my scarf. I never use other people's things. I burned it." Madam Gao said lightly, pretending nothing was amiss.

Hearing this, Xu Qing felt a pang of dejection. He set down his chopsticks, seeming utterly disheartened. "Madam Gao, how cold-hearted of you. The meaning of the poem must be clear to you, and the matter is quite obvious as well. If you weren't willing to share the bridal curtains, why would you have come to the appointment? Since you're already here, if you claim otherwise, who would believe you? Rumors spread viciously."

Just because she thought herself beautiful, she acted so haughty—well, he had his own capital too.

"If Master Xu's mind is filled with such filthy thoughts, I advise you not to entertain vain hopes—or perhaps you've misplaced your affections. I am, after all, a married woman, and I dare not harbor improper desires. My coming here is evidence of our sincerity—I truly wished to discuss the grain trade with you. Yet you speak such vulgar words."

Madam Gao had just been about to take a sip of tea. She set down the cup with a faint show of anger.

"Very well—since Madam Gao speaks plainly, I'll be direct as well." Xu Qing tapped his chopsticks lightly and said with a cold laugh, "In Huazhou and Shizhou, you have been privately requisitioning military grain, extorting grain from the common people, converting military provisions to private use, and selling it off for enormous profits. And as for your Gao family's granaries—surely not much is left. What's the matter? Unable to produce the grain for me, so you seized the chance to raise prices?"

Ridiculous. They intended to inflate prices after the autumn harvest, as if afraid no one would know what they'd been up to.

And even so, if the authorities moved to release grain and they couldn't produce any, they'd be dead.

"Let me think—who is your Gao family's patron at court? If something goes wrong, will he be able to protect you?"

"Hmph, Master Xu is merely crying wolf. I have no leisure to listen to your nonsense. If you dare slander my Gao family in this place, I won't let you off."

Madam Gao had reached this position by being a clever woman; she wouldn't be fooled so easily.

Then she saw Xu Qing toss out a document. She forced herself to read it a couple of times, then trembled all over with fright, her body frozen in place.

She couldn't help but suspect a traitor among them—the recorded transaction methods, times, places, and quantities of grain and money were all meticulously detailed.

This man before her actually had such ability, to have investigated to this depth?

She knew full well where the grain came from, but the allure of those two mines was simply too great—they were veritable treasure troves, money trees.

They didn't want gold or silver, only trading for grain.

Those two mines sat on the borders, as if prepared specifically for the Gao family, convenient to manage and control. So she had no choice but to make the deal.

They had been so careful—how had this been exposed?

Could the problem lie with the other side?

But once something like this was exposed, the chancellor's family of the Xia Kingdom would be the first to suffer.

The laws of the Xia Kingdom couldn't affect them anyway; they could simply cut off that business.

And here in the Tang Kingdom, they could transfer grain in at high prices to weather the crisis. Everything was just rumor.

Once they made it past the autumn harvest, everything could be resolved—the remaining grain could gradually be replenished.

Yet here they were, discovered at this critical moment.

Who knew if the other party had more evidence.

Xu Qing, watching her pretty face pale at his words, ate his meal with perfect composure. "I told you from the start—I only want one hundred thousand dan, and twenty percent is my bottom line! Can your Gao family truly not manage even that? Your greed knows no bounds, and your business dealings show not the slightest goodwill!"

"This is how you treat my sincerity?"

Xu Qing picked up his teacup and tipped it gently, the tea slowly spilling onto the floor, pooling into a small puddle.

"Whatever is Master Xu saying? Why don't we just sell to you at the original price after all? In the future, we should still cooperate for the long term—let's not damage our relationship." Madam Gao gave a bewitching smile and said softly, "Don't bully a helpless woman like me."

"Now we can talk." Xu Qing sighed.

"Master Xu, have some tea." Madam Gao's enchanting eyes held a hint of feigned irritation as she personally poured for him.

She also dismissed the maidservant.

"Madam Gao—a graceful lady is a gentleman's worthy pursuit. Besides, love between man and woman is only natural; as long as both are willing. I had long heard of your famed beauty, and I have always admired you." Xu Qing said.

"Master Xu flatters me, but I am already married. I can only regret that fate did not grant us the bond." Madam Gao said with feigned regret. "With your talent and charm, how many young women harbor affections for you? Why cling to another?"

Madam Gao rose and moved to sit beside him.

Xu Qing suddenly reached out, pulling her into his embrace.

She felt her whole body tremble, going weak and numb as if struck by lightning. She struggled briefly, then dared not move. To her own surprise, she found herself rather liking being held like this.

"Some people, once you see them, you desperately want to possess them. Even if there were others better, none could compare." Xu Qing said seriously.

Now he held the cleaver, and she was the fish on the cutting board—at his complete mercy.