The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 26
When someone suddenly seized her arm, Wen Shuse was startled. She turned her head to find a wide sleeve raised before her, nearly blocking her entire view. The dark-colored Shu brocade was embroidered with white cranes, and the head of one crane faced her directly. It was so close that the bird’s vivid, spirited eyes seemed to lock with her wide-eyed gaze. For a moment, she froze, unable to process what was happening. Before she could gather her thoughts, the crane’s head brushed against her face. The smooth brocade covered her features, and in an instant, a delicate fragrance enveloped her nose and mouth.
The incense in his room was the same as hers, both ambergris, yet the scent was entirely different. As though it had fused with his body’s warmth, it had transformed into a quiet, unique perfume belonging only to him.
It wasn’t as rich and potent as floral perfumes, but more like a spring breeze gently sweeping past, carrying with it an elusive hint of wildflowers mingled with the scent of a hundred grasses—light, yet irresistibly alluring.
How could he carry such an enchanting fragrance?
The last time at the Wen Mansion, he had caught her off guard in a similar manner. She sighed inwardly, realizing that aside from a man’s striking appearance, his scent could also be utterly intoxicating.
He plucked the leaf from her hair and handed it to her as though it were the most natural thing to do. Almost as if under a spell, she opened her palm and let him place that green leaf onto her soft, white hand.
It was just an ordinary red apricot leaf, marred by a few holes from insect nibbles—nothing aesthetically pleasing about it. As the delicate fragrance at her nose gradually faded, so did the ripples of emotion it had stirred.
The young lady examined it for a brief moment, then tossed it into a nearby patch of flowers and grass. Picking up her lantern once more, she continued on her way.
Xie Shao caught up with her, stepping into the light of her lantern, and finally asked, “What are you doing here?” Was it just to ask him whether he wanted to stockpile grain?
But the young woman answered without a second’s hesitation, “Waiting for you.”
An unexpected answer, yet one that pleased him all the same. Hands clasped behind his back, he tilted his head upward. There was no sun in the night sky, but the cool breeze was fresh and invigorating. Above him hung a great jade plate of the moon, bright and full. He felt a sense of contentment.
He recalled spending the previous night at Pei Qing’s residence, enduring the company of a few companions till midnight without even a word of greeting from their host. It had been rather dull and lifeless.
This young lady, though sharp-tongued, was spirited and full of warmth.
After all, he wasn’t quite the same as those three men; he was a married man now. Turning to her, he said mildly, “I’ve been busy lately. Next time, if there’s something you need, just send a message to Minzhang. You don’t have to come wait for me yourself.”
What if he hadn’t returned tonight? She would have waited for nothing.
But the young lady only replied, “You go on with your business, Husband. This was the only thing I came for. I won’t bother you again after this.”
Xie Shao: …
She was quite busy herself, too. After hearing his words, all her worries vanished, and she finally felt at ease.
On the way back, she no longer felt like making conversation with the young man beside her. Her mind kept spinning with plans instead. When they reached the door of the west wing, she lifted her lantern and said simply, “Husband, rest early.” Without another glance, she hurried inside.
Aunt Qing and Nanny Fang were waiting by the door, wondering where Third Young Madam could have wandered off to so late at night, only to be startled when they saw her returning together with Third Young Master.
Nanny Fang’s eyes lit up. “So, all the worry Aunt Qing and I had was for nothing; it turns out the Third Young Madam went to find…”
“Nanny, please bring me the account books,” Wen Shuse interrupted before the nanny could finish her delighted exclamation. “Check the amount of silver we have in the storeroom. I’ll need it first thing tomorrow morning.”
Seeing her so urgent, Nanny Fang asked curiously, “Does the Third Young Madam plan to purchase something?”
Wen Shuse nodded. “Yes, I’m going to buy grain.”
Nanny Fang had also overheard the words of Madam Gu the other day. Natural disasters and human misfortunes did make it a suitable time to stock up on grain. She asked, “How much silver will you need, Third Young Madam?”
The entire warehouse of silver in the Xie family’s second branch treasury was no small sum.
All three women froze.
Aunt Qing and Xiangyun were far too familiar with this side of her, and they both jumped in alarm. Aunt Qing hurriedly tried to dissuade her. “Miss, it’s late. Why don’t we discuss this tomorrow…”
“There’s no time,” Wen Shuse cut in. “News of the fighting in Luo’an will reach Fengcheng by the day after tomorrow at the latest. I’ve seen no movement yet from the grain merchants here; it looks like the Cui family is still trying to keep prices down. We need to buy up all the grain before they act.”
Ignoring their startled faces, she ordered, “Go call Uncle An. Have him take a few men and make the trip tonight.”
Her mind was firmly set on purchasing grain. The three of them didn’t dare speak up again, only exchanged uneasy glances. Finally, Aunt Qing ventured cautiously, “Miss… have you discussed this with the young master?”
Wen Shuse nodded. “He agreed.”
Aunt Qing was struck speechless once more. This young master truly had a generous heart, using all the household silver… how much grain could that possibly buy?
—
While Second Wen was bustling with activity, her broad-minded husband, worn out after two days of being pestered by Zhou Kuang, had long since retired to his room. After washing up, he lay down early on the bed.
After finally managing to get a good night’s sleep, early the next morning, when the sky was just beginning to lighten, noises started coming from the east wing, clattering and banging, bustling with activity. Xie Shao was awakened by the commotion and irritably threw off the covers, asking Minzhang outside, “What’s going on?”
Minzhang pushed the door open and reported, “Third Young Madam is moving silver to buy grain.”
Wen Shuse had already mentioned it to him the night before, so Xie Shao hadn’t paid much mind. But with all the noise in his ears, there was no way he could fall back asleep. He got up, washed, dressed, and then, recalling recent events, decided he couldn’t rest easy. He made up his mind to take a walk over to the city gate.
No sooner had he stepped out the door than Wen Shuse ordered the servants to haul chest after chest of silver from his treasury out of the residence.
It was so early that everyone in the household hadn’t even fully woken yet.
These past few days, the Eldest Madam Xie had been preoccupied and sleeping fitfully. She woke later than usual that morning, only realizing when sunlight was already streaming into the room. She quickly called for Biyun to help her dress and do her hair.
Ever since the Eldest Master had told her about the situation in Fengcheng, she had known no peace. Day and night, she had been thinking about how to get the entire family safely out if something were to really happen in Fengcheng.
According to her plan, once their eldest son’s transfer orders arrived, he would be sent first to the Eastern Capital. Once he was settled, the second branch would provide the funds for him to build connections and establish a foothold. When everything was secure, they would then find a way to transfer all of the Xie family’s assets out of Fengcheng.
When the time came, even if Fengcheng were to descend into chaos, with their eldest son’s connections, not only could her husband be kept safe, but the second branch’s wealth would remain untouched as well.
Who would have thought that the second branch would be so unreliable—one acting irresponsibly, the other even more so—completely disregarding the bigger picture and stubbornly holding onto their money? Second Wen was out buying up property, and she had the nerve to ask them to rent from her?
All one family, yet that woman actually had the nerve to suggest such a thing, using their silver to fund her investments. She’d buy the houses in her own name, and in the end, all the profits would flow straight into her own pockets.
She really couldn’t have dreamed up a better scheme.
Just when it seemed the plan for property in the Eastern Capital had fallen through, a meeting with the Eldest Madam Wen yesterday brought an unexpected turn, as it turned out, they had both arrived at the same clever idea independently.
Fine, let her buy the property if she wants. Once they moved in, whether or not they would actually pay the rent for it would be their decision.
Once she had finished getting ready, the great madam hurried off to the Old Madam’s courtyard to press her—when exactly was Third Young Madam planning to head to the Eastern Capital to purchase property?
___
By the time the Eldest Madam arrived at Ningxin Hall, Wen Shuse happened to be there as well, sitting with Old Madam Xie in the courtyard, leisurely drinking tea and discussing grain purchases.
From a distance, Old Madam Xie spotted the Eldest Madam approaching. When the woman came closer, she pretended not to notice and continued chatting with Wen Shuse. “This year has been full of calamities, both natural and man-made. Who knows what next year’s weather will bring? Stocking up on grain is a wise move indeed…”
The Eldest Madam didn’t quite follow what they were talking about as her mind was still occupied with thoughts of property. After greeting Old Madam Xie, she sat down, accepted the teacup Nanzhi handed her, lifted the lid, and took a small sip.
Just then, Wen Shuse said, “Grandmother, don’t worry. In a few days, the price of grain will surely double…”
This time, the Eldest Madam caught on. She set the lid back on her cup and asked casually, “Shuse, are you stockpiling grain?”
Wen Shuse nodded. “Aunt, you probably haven’t heard. A war is breaking out in Luo’an, and drought has struck Qingzhou this year. Grain prices everywhere are already starting to rise. Once the fighting spreads, they’ll surely double. So, while the news hasn’t yet gone public, I’ve used all the silver from our warehouse to stock up. If you have spare funds, Aunt, you might want to buy some as well.”
The Eldest Madam’s brow twitched sharply.
How could she not know? She had been aware for some time that war was brewing in Luo’an. Not only that, she also knew Fengcheng was headed for chaos. She would have preferred to exchange grain for silver notes, yet here this woman was, actually buying more grain?
What good would it do? Just to have it seized by the imperial troops when they came?
Not quite grasping the situation and unsure just how much silver from the treasury had been used, the Eldest Madam pressed for confirmation, “How much did you buy?”
Wen Shuse’s face glowed with enthusiasm, holding nothing back. “I used all the silver in the treasury to buy grain.”
The Eldest Madam’s heart sank abruptly. Finally, she understood what the Eldest Madam Wen had meant by “a spendthrift.” Her head spun, and she asked in a trembling voice, “Last time, didn’t you say you were going to buy property in the Eastern Capital…”
“Ah.” Wen Shuse seemed to recall the matter and shook her head. “I’m not buying anymore.”
The Eldest Madam stared at her, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Trust me, Aunt,” Wen Shuse said earnestly. “By tomorrow at the latest, the price of grain in Fengcheng will double for sure. Once we sell off this batch, we can go to the Eastern Capital. The silver we have now might only buy one property, but in a little while, that same amount could buy five, even ten estates.”
How naive could she be? The Eldest Madam drew in a sharp breath, then turned helplessly toward Old Madam Xie. “Mother…”
Old Madam Xie nodded approvingly. “Shuse isn’t wrong. The people depend on grain for survival. There’s never a time when food isn’t needed. Such a trade can’t possibly lose.”
The Eldest Madam nearly choked on her own fury. These two—one old, one young—were utter fools who understood nothing! At this rate, the family would be ruined in their hands. “The Xie family’s business has always been in perfumes and powders, never in grain. Where there’s trade, there’s risk. This is no small matter—it should wait until Second Master and Second Madam return before making any decision. You’re just a new bride, and what right do you have to…”
Wen Shuse cut her off smoothly. “If Aunt doesn’t wish to use her money for grain, buying property in the Eastern Capital is fine too. When we move there later, at least we’ll have a place to stay.”
The Eldest Madam: …
So, the one being told she had no right to interfere was her.
Fuming until her vision swam, Eldest Madam hurried out to find the Elder Master Xie. She sent him a message: “This time, the third young master is truly going to let that new bride squander the entire family fortune.”
The Elder Master Xie was currently in discussions with Madam Zhou about how to receive the Prince and had no time to attend to the matter. He did not return to the mansion that night.
By the next day, the Eldest Madam could wait no longer. She summoned a carriage and went in person to look for him.
As soon as she stepped outside the gate, she found chaos and clamor all around. Biyun went to inquire and returned moments later, flustered, to report: “Madam, there’s no rice left in any of the shops in Fengcheng!”
This only confirmed that the spendthrift had indeed thrown all the silver from the treasury into the market. With such a vast amount of silver poured in, how could there be any rice left to sell?
The Eldest Madam struck her chest several times in despair, feeling utterly drained.
That day, she never managed to see the Elder Master Xie. He, along with Shizi Zhou and the Eldest Young Master Xie, was stationed at the city gates. Where would he find the time to attend to her?
___
The Cui family was also thrown into complete chaos.
Cui Nian had initially despised the rice shop owners for raising prices to take advantage of the situation and had intended to suppress the prices for a day. Yet, in just half a day, his subordinates hurriedly found him to report that all the rice in the shops had been bought up at a price twenty percent higher than theirs.
Cui Nian thought he had misheard.
The Cui family had been in the grain business in Fengcheng for decades. Without boasting, he believed they were the only ones in Fengcheng with the capacity to clean out even the old stock from the shops in one go.
Cui Nian narrowed his eyes and asked, “Who bought it?”
His subordinate glanced at him, hesitating to speak.
Enraged, Cui Nian kicked out at him. “I asked you a question! What’s with the stammering—did you turn into some bashful girl?”
The servant nimbly dodged and stammered, “The… the Xie family.”
Xie family? Cui Nian was stunned again and asked suspiciously, “Which Xie family?”
But the expression on the servant’s face made it perfectly clear. Aside from his good brother Xie Shao, which other Xie family in Fengcheng had the means to compete with him for business?
“Hiss…” Cui Nian sucked in a sharp breath, ran a hand through his hair, and strode straight out to find Xie Shao.
Xie Shao was lounging in a teahouse near the city gate, trying to catch up on sleep, when Cui Nian stormed in, brimming with fury. He snatched away the plantain fan covering Xie Shao’s face. “Brother Xie, are you trying to steal your brother’s business or what?”
He’d left home to escape the noise there, only to be disturbed again outside. Clearly, no one intended to let him rest. Xie Shao opened his eyes, expressionless, his gaze cold as it landed on Cui Nian.
Seeing the dark circles under his friend’s eyes, Cui Nian realized he hadn’t slept well. Feeling a twinge of guilt, he hastily put the fan back over him but couldn’t stop talking. “I mean, your family’s business has always been in perfumes and powders. Since when did you start trading grain?”
It took a while before Xie Shao slowly sat up. “Speak plainly.”
“I am speaking plainly!” Cui Nian exclaimed, gesturing animatedly. “I was planning to hold rice prices down for a day, but last night your people went out knocking on doors on every grain shop in the city! By morning, they’d bought up every last sack of rice! Now all the shops are shut, there’s no rice left to sell…”
Xie Shao: …
Rubbing his drowsy eyes, Xie Shao finally woke up a bit more. Clearly, when the young lady had said last night that she wanted to “stock up a bit on grain,” he had badly misunderstood what “a bit” meant.
Seeing his bewildered expression, Cui Nian grew even more confused. “Brother Xie, you didn’t know?”
Well, what was done was done. After all, the rice was still in Fengcheng. Rubbing his temples, Xie Shao said, “I suppose it was your sister-in-law who bought it.”
Cui Nian’s mind immediately echoed with a string of silver-bell-like laughter, and he couldn’t help but shudder. Puzzled, he asked, “Is the Wen family really that wealthy? Half of Fengcheng’s rice… how much silver would that take…”
Xie Shao had no patience for his babbling. “I’ve already handed the treasury over to her. She manages the household now. If you have an issue, go talk to her.”
Cui Nian: …
Sure enough, she was a hopeless spendthrift.
—
Before Cui Nian could muster the courage to seek her out, Wen Shuse took the initiative and came knocking at his door first.
That afternoon, Cui Nian was upstairs working on his accounts when a servant came to report that Third Young Madam Xie had arrived. For a moment, he didn’t register who that was.
The servant added helpfully, “Second Young Lady Wen.”
Cui Nian blinked, suddenly snapping to attention. He hurried downstairs and sure enough, there stood that bright and lively young lady. Quickly, he greeted her with all due politeness and ushered her inside. “Sister-in-law, what brings you here?”
Wen Shuse cast a glance around his shop. “Busy?”
“Not at all.” Seeing her gaze linger on the rouge and powders displayed in the front, he wasn’t sure what her purpose was today, so he asked cautiously, “Is sister-in-law here to buy something?”
Wen Shuse got straight to the point. “Let’s do some business together.”
He nearly laughed. She’d already bought up all the rice in the city; what business could there possibly be left to do? As for perfumes and cosmetics, that was the Xie family’s domain. With little enthusiasm, Cui Nian replied, “I doubt there’s anything here that would interest sister-in-law…”
“There is,” Wen Shuse said, turning back to him with a smile. “I want to buy the Cui family’s rice.”
Cui Nian: …
—
The next day, as Wen Shuse had predicted, the price of rice skyrocketed almost overnight. Hardly anyone was willing to sell anymore, and prices kept climbing higher by the hour.
By the third day, things had become outright absurd. Even the Eldest Madam, upon hearing Biyun report the new astronomical figures, found them unbelievable.
A single peck of rice now costs thirty coins more than before.
Compared to this, it was indeed far more profitable than buying property in the Eastern Capital. The Eldest Madam hurriedly asked, “How much grain did Third Young Madam actually buy?”
“Except for what belongs to the Cui family, nearly half of Fengcheng’s rice is in her hands,” Biyun replied. She didn’t know the exact amount herself, only that “all the empty courtyards in our mansion are nearly filled to the brim, and they’re still moving in more…”
The Eldest Madam immediately had Biyun take her to see for herself. Sack after sack of rice was piled high in the rooms, and more were still being carried in, an unending stream of white grain filling the entire courtyard.
Even calculating the profit at just thirty coins per peck of rice, heavens above, with that much grain, how much money would that be…
The Eldest Madam’s heart suddenly raced. She instructed Biyun, “Send someone to keep an eye on the market outside.”
The servant she dispatched reported back every hour, each time with a different market price for rice. After another day, a single peck of rice had skyrocketed to two hundred coins.
The Eldest Madam’s heart swelled with excitement.
It was exactly as Second Wen had said; in just two days, the price had doubled. At this rate of increase, even if Fengcheng were to fall into chaos, they could still make a huge profit before it happened.
When they eventually went to buy property in the Eastern Capital, it wouldn’t be a house worth just over a thousand strings of coins; it would naturally be a fine property worth over five thousand strings.
—
The Eldest Madam could no longer sit still. Upon learning that Wen Shuse was with the Old Madam, she hurried over.
As soon as she entered, she overheard Wen Shuse inside saying, “I plan to temporarily mortgage all the shops in Fengcheng. Grandmother Wen has already agreed. I’ve already mortgaged the Wen family’s teahouse and seafood shop just yesterday…”