Kays Translations

Chapter 179: It’s hard to refuse such kindness

Seeing that everyone was getting into a heated argument, Li Xian finally spoke up, “Everyone, this matter of changing the venue must be carefully considered. After all, I mentioned last year that we would hold the event in the capital this year. I still need to think this through.”

Since Li Xian had said so, everyone could only express their agreement. But then a new issue arose, and everyone asked whether the number of items for the agency could be increased. When the agency system was first implemented earlier this year, everyone had been cautious, unsure of the future, so they had been somewhat tight-fisted. But now, seeing the business prospects, they naturally felt a bit regretful.

Under normal circumstances, Li Xian would have firmly insisted on doing things according to the rules to ensure fairness. But now, the situation was different—since the other party had been so hospitable, Li Xian didn’t want to sound ungrateful. His “good brothers” had helped him a great deal.

After thinking for a moment, Li Xian came up with a compromise. “Since everyone has shown trust in me, let me share a little business idea.

You have all seen the power of industry, so can you imagine how far industrial development could go in the future? I’m not entirely sure, but at least during the process of quelling the rebellion in Zhongshan County, I saw a possibility—perhaps industry and commerce could even lead wars. For example, our victory in this campaign, where we used fewer than 50,000 irregular troops to subdue Luliang County and defeat the Zhongshan County rebellion, was made possible by… the power of industry!

To be specific, I’m referring to the power of arms within industry. I consider all technologies and items related to warfare—such as weapons, artillery, and ironclad ships, as well as industries like textiles, food, and transportation that serve military purposes—to be arms.”

Li Xian’s words made everyone present enlightened, and dozens of eyes seemed to light up like light bulbs.

Nearby, Zhang Quan clapped his hands at the right moment. “Caiyun (the madam), have the girls come over to serve drinks. There’s no one to pour the wine!”

“Coming right now! Girls, come out quickly!”

At the call, the women who had been resting in the surrounding rooms flew over like butterflies. The merchants each stopped one or two and began laughing mischievously, leaving in pairs.

Soon, only Li Xian, Zhang Quan, Shangguan Yong, Kong Yingzhi, Zhang Ping, and a few women remained.

Zhang Quan pointed to the twins who had been playing the zither, “Brother Xian, these are prepared for you. You mustn’t refuse them.”

Li Xian looked at the two twins, whose faces were flushed with embarrassment. Honestly, they were very charming. However, Li Xian cursed inwardly—these two troublemakers didn’t have good intentions. No matter what, he was still a “prince consort,” and if he accepted these twins, tomorrow all of Wuyang City would be filled with gossip.

As for what would happen next, Li Xian could already predict it. If rumors spread, Shangguan Yong would definitely lead the soldiers to arrest him. But this would only fuel more speculation and eventually stir up a city-wide uproar.

Li Xian wasn’t afraid of these small troubles, but they always made him feel uncomfortable.

However, seeing the “sincere” looks in the eyes of the people around him, Li Xian quickly came up with a plan. “Since you brothers are so hospitable, I will gladly accept. But I like to enjoy things alone. Song Xing, please send these two ladies back to my residence. I’ll be back shortly.”

Li Xian’s actions once again surprised everyone. He had been hesitant earlier, but now he was claiming everything for himself, even sending the twins back to his own residence!

Song Xing didn’t care about that. He directly went to the two ladies and said, “Ladies, please.”

“Wait!” The madam spoke up, “Um… Young Master Li, you see, today Shangguan Young Master only purchased the ladies’ goodwill, but he didn’t buy their freedom.”

Li Xian sat in his chair, adopting a rather unrestrained demeanor, and gave Shangguan Yong a contemptuous glance before turning to the madam. “Caiyun, how much would it cost to buy their freedom? Honestly, I prefer someone like you rather than these two inexperienced girls.”

“Hee hee… Thank you for your kind words, Young Master Li, but this half-old woman doesn’t dare to hope for such things. Don’t tease me. The price for their freedom is 10,000 taels of gold each. For both, it’s 30,000 taels.”

Li Xian clicked his tongue. The brothel really knew how to do business! One was 10,000 taels, and two would cost 30,000 taels. Fine, he couldn’t lose face. “Song Xing, take these two ladies back to the residence. Be sure not to let my wife see them. And bring 30,000 taels of gold back.”

Song Xing agreed and took the twins to the carriage, personally driving them back. But as soon as Song Xing returned, he took the twins straight to Xia Qingqing, received 30,000 taels of gold from her, and returned.

If Li Xian hadn’t said “Don’t let my wife see them,” Song Xing would have been more careful, but since Li Xian specifically mentioned it, Song Xing understood.

In no time at all, Song Xing returned, and after the madam verified the gold, she handed over two freedom contracts to Li Xian. These contracts were not simple; they contained many harsh and even malicious vows. Li Xian only glanced at them before frowning.

It was at this moment that Shangguan Yong laughed heartily. “Brother Xian, I thought you had changed, but I didn’t expect you to become even more ruthless. I’ve never seen you like this before.”

Li Xian laughed heartily, “Haven’t you heard of the saying, ‘When one is poor, one focuses on personal integrity; when one is successful, one helps the world’? What this means in the current context is: In the past, I could only care for myself; now that I have the ability, I intend to enjoy all the beauty in the world. Anyone I find appealing, I won’t let go!”

“Pu…” Shangguan Yong and the others were dumbfounded.

However, many women nearby who considered themselves somewhat attractive gathered around. “Young Master Li, what do you think of this humble one? I can dance the palm dance.”

“Young Master Li, I know the art of inner charm…”

“Master… I know the tea ceremony and how to warm wine…”

…

Li Xian finally couldn’t take it anymore. “Thank you all for your warm hospitality. Now that I have two beautiful ladies at home, I’ll take my leave. Ha ha…”

“Take care, Brother Xian,” everyone said with knowing smiles.

As Li Xian walked away, Zhang Quan and the others exchanged glances, the meaning hard to interpret.

Finally, it was Kong Yingzhi who spoke, “Such a pair of twins… what a pity!”

Shangguan Yong, holding two young women, walked off toward the back. “I say, ladies, spring is fleeting. As for Brother Xian, just wait quietly. No need to rush. I believe it will be very exciting in the future.”

Exciting? Of course, it’s exciting! The Li family is already quite exciting now!

When Li Xian returned home, Li Yulong and Xia Qingqing were interrogating the pair of twins.

Li Xian was no longer the same person he used to be. After seeing how these “good brothers” had welcomed him so warmly, he, of course, grew suspicious. Li Xian was now 100% certain that something fishy was going on, and it might even involve multiple parties working together.

However, Li Xian still needed to get to the bottom of the matter. And clearly, this pair of twins was the best witnesses.

When Li Xian returned, Li Yulong sat in the main seat, and Xia Qingqing sat beside him. Normally, a daughter-in-law wouldn’t be qualified to sit here, but Xia Qingqing was a princess, so she had that right.

The two pitiful little girls, still holding their zithers, stood trembling in front.

Seeing Li Xian enter, the two little girls quickly darted to him and each grabbed one of his arms. “Master, you’re back! The Lord and the Princess… Wuu…”

Li Xian, however, didn’t show any lecherous look but directly pushed them away and walked to sit next to Li Yulong. “Enough, stop pretending. Tell me, what happened today?”

“You two better not say you don’t know anything, or else… no one will care about the life or death of a brothel girl!”

Li Xian’s tone was cold, and he was a completely different person than before. As he took charge of Anyang and developed the Brilliant Star Group, Li Xian had gradually undergone a transformation. The moment Li Xian realized that “the whole country would rise,” he was no longer just an individual but the representative of Anyang, the leader of the Brilliant Star Group, and a king in the eyes of people like Xu Ren and Yan Ze’an.

The twins, hearing Li Xian’s “merciless” words, immediately started to cry. “Master, I’m just a weak woman… just a weak woman… Wuu… If you doubt me, wuu… I’ll die to show my loyalty.”

The sight of these twin beauties crying truly… who could bear it?

But Li Xian was moved by their tears. It must be said that tears are one of the best weapons women have.

But unfortunately, there were not only Li Xian present, but also Li Yulong and Xia Qingqing.

Seeing that Li Xian remained silent, Xia Qingqing quietly glanced at him, subtly raising an eyebrow. Then she looked at the twins, her voice carrying a hint of coldness: “The reason we didn’t interrogate you earlier was to wait for my husband to return. Now that he’s made his position clear, you should no longer hold any hopes.”

“Speak, confess everything clearly, or you’ll face a rough end. It’s better to come clean now than to confess after being severely beaten.”

“I’ve grown up in the palace since I was young and know quite a few interrogation methods, especially those used on women.”

“I believe you two wouldn’t want to try them.”

A princess is indeed a princess. When these words were spoken, Li Xian’s heart raced—this was bad, Xia Qingqing’s princess temperament and royal authority had only grown stronger since leaving the palace; if this continued, she’d soon transform into a barbaric girlfriend.

Li Yulong also glanced at Xia Qingqing, then shifted his focus back to the twins. With his experience, he could tell at first glance that these two girls were problematic.

Watching the two women still not speaking, Li Yulong slowly began to speak: “Actually, I had Li Xian go around delivering spirit stones today to lure the snake out of its hole. Since both of you have entered the Li family gates, there’s no need to hold on to any hope. Speak up, be honest, and I can guarantee you will keep your dignity in the end.

If you don’t speak… I’ll reward you by handing you over to the family guards.

My kindness, I, Li Yulong, will not give an inch to the enemy!”

Upon hearing Li Yulong’s statement, the twins were stunned and stared at Li Yulong for a long time. Finally, one of them slowly lowered her head, “As expected, the Grand Tutor is indeed more skilled, having planned for everyone.”

Then, the woman with her hair tied in a left bun turned toward Xia Qingqing, bowed slightly, and said, “Miss, the old lady was afraid you would be lonely, so she specifically sent Chunxiang and Qiuyue to keep you company.”

Miss? Old lady? When these two terms were spoken, Li Xian and Li Yulong both squinted their eyes. Referring to Xia Qingqing as Miss, and not Princess, along with the mention of “the old lady,” one name immediately sprang to mind—Xiao Liming! The Governor of the Northwest in the Great Xia Empire, Xiao Liming!

Xia Qingqing’s mother, the Empress Xiao Yu, was the daughter of Xiao Liming! The Crown Prince’s ability to hold his ground in Baofeng County still relied on the support of his maternal grandfather, Xiao Liming.

The “old lady” must naturally refer to Xiao Liming’s wife, Xia Qingqing’s maternal grandmother, a woman reputed to have quite a bit of ability. Some say that Xiao Liming’s current status is largely due to the influence of Xia Qingqing’s grandmother.

At this point, Li Yulong and Li Xian could not speak anymore; they could only watch how Xia Qingqing would handle the situation.

As for Xia Qingqing, her expression darkened. “Speak, who sent you here?”

Her sister Chunxiang stiffened her neck and said, “It was the old lady.”

“You’re lying!” Xia Qingqing’s tone was now full of fury, “If it were my grandmother, she would have sent someone openly, making it impossible for anyone to refuse. Such a petty move is definitely not something my grandmother would do. It must be my elder brother, right?”

Xia Qingqing’s elder brother was, of course, the First Prince!

Chunxiang tried to argue, but Xia Qingqing directly spoke, “Tell me, who else is involved this time? What roles did Shangguan Yong, Zhang Quan, Wang Ping, and Kong Yingzhi play? Why did they all join forces?”

“Don’t say you don’t know, otherwise, I’ll hand you both over to my grandmother for punishment!”

This last sentence clearly had an unimaginable impact. The twins, whose faces had previously been somewhat seductive, immediately turned pale, as if all color had drained from their faces.

Finally, Chunxiang began to reveal some details. First, she spoke about the sudden rise of Li Xian and Anyang, along with the appearance of various strange items, which had drawn everyone’s attention—this was a natural thing. Next, she mentioned how Li Yulong had Li Xian go around today, handing out spirit stones, setting a bait, and it had succeeded, luring out those who couldn’t hold back.

As for the relationship between these people and the First Prince today, it seemed to be—temporary allies, all preparing to jointly acquire Li Xian’s various items, technologies, and so on. The First Prince knew he couldn’t win Li Xian’s trust, so he had to team up with people like Zhang Quan.

According to the plan, as long as the twin sisters came close to Li Xian, they would slowly attract him to fall. After that… well, there was no need to explain.

The beauty trap was certainly a good idea; it had the highest success rate among all schemes. But unfortunately, this Li Xian was not the same as that Li Xian, and recently, Li Xian had also realized the responsibility of “ascending the nation,” and his mindset, thoughts, and perspectives had begun to undergo fundamental changes.

Moreover, with a group of “good brothers” putting on clumsy and overly enthusiastic performances, it was no surprise that Li Xian didn’t fall for it.

In fact, if they had the chance to explain, Zhang Quan and the others would also complain—Li Xian rarely came to the imperial capital nowadays, and after this time, who knew when they would have another opportunity? So this plan was actually rushed.

In other words, it seemed that the First Prince had acted on his own initiative, contacting people like Zhang Quan, trying to carry out a clumsy beauty trap.

Xia Qingqing instructed Xiao Tao to take the twins and temporarily settle them down. Only Li Yulong, Li Xian, and Xia Qingqing were left in the hall.

It was Xia Qingqing who spoke first, “Father, husband, I’ll go take care of Chunxiang and Qiuyue.”

Xia Qingqing left, and Li Yulong turned to Li Xian, “Xiaoxian, tell me, what do you think?”

Li Xian thought for a long time before answering, “Father, many people didn’t know that the power behind Yunji was actually that of the Governor of the Northwest. Why would it suddenly be exposed at such a critical moment, just as the Emperor is about to pass away? This is clearly not something the First Prince could decide on his own.

I suspect there is someone else behind it.”

Li Yulong nodded, “Yes, you’ve finally grown up. From what I see, this should be a test from the Governor of the Northwest, Xiao Liming, for the First Prince; and clearly, the First Prince failed the test.

So, from now on, the real power in Baofeng County will no longer belong to the First Prince, but to… the Governor of the Northwest, Xiao Liming! The future First Prince will only be a puppet in name.

Well, this matter isn’t that important. Tell me, is there anything else you need to deal with in the imperial capital?”

“Heh heh… Father, your eyes are always so sharp. Well, the current scientific system has reached its peak, but to continue its development, it will need the support of formation techniques. And to promote the development of the scientific system, we will need formation masters.

I’ve heard that there is a formation master named ‘Xiao Yuquan’ in Mang Mountain, but he is the head of the Formation Hall in the Mang Mountain Immortal Cultivation Sect, and has Yuan Ying-level cultivation. It’s somewhat difficult to approach him. So, heh heh…”

Li Yulong silently smiled, “Go and see for yourself. No matter what, you have to go take a look. If you can’t even meet the person, then there’s nothing to discuss.

Just remember one thing, when you visit, don’t overstep the rules. The Mang Mountain Immortal Cultivation Sect is one of the few remaining sects that still retains the traditional style of a sect.”

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