Chapter 587
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Chapter 587
Luo-Luo never felt like more of a stranger in the household than in the days following Lord Husband and Sister Milas wedding.
To celebrate their nuptials, the husband and wife pair retreated to their new Citadel manor, which sat on the other side of Lord Husbands ranch and adjoining office, and also bordered the lovely park. His new manor was close enough to Father-in-Laws home to conveniently visit, yet far enough to allow for a sense of separation and independence, even if it was only a few minutes away. Expecting to move in soon after the nuptials, Luo-Luo had Sorya and Anrhi pack her things that very same night and eagerly awaited Lord Husbands summons to their new home, but it never came. Instead, she lived out of her luggage for three full days without laying eyes on Lord Husband a single time, not even for the traditional post-wedding family dinners. The Bekhai had their own customs and traditions, which made Luo-Luo loath to speak up, for she worried it would lead others to think she looked down on Lord Husbands peoples customs or was unhappy living with her in-laws.
Nothing could be further from the truth, for even though Mother-in-Law had a sharp tongue and Father-in-Law a stern demeanour, they treated her warmly and always made sure her needs were met. They were far more welcoming with Sister-in-Law Alsantset, always greeting her with warm smiles and open arms, which was curious since it was clear who the favoured child in their family was. Lord Husband was gifted an expensive Citadel manor, while his poor, talented artist of a brother Charok had to move his family out to the farm...
Had Lord Husbands extended absence taken place a month prior, Luo-Luo would have dispatched a Death Corps guard with a message to remind him of his concubine, but ever since he proposed to raise her status to proper wife and she turned him down, she began expecting so much more from him. Thus far, shed been sorely disappointed. Nothing changed, except now she saw even less of him, though he still made time to come collect his pets. Jimjam was still with her, but only because the skittish kitten refused to leave her side and often pestered her to play or sing him a tune. Roc and the Laughing Birds were free to come and go as well, and sometimes the rabbits were left in the courtyard to fend for themselves for a few hours, but otherwise, Luo-Luo saw neither hide nor hair of the others, save for Sarankho who sometimes dropped by with Li-Li.
Family dysfunction and absent pets aside, Luo-Luo was unsure where she stood in the new family dynamic, so she spent as much of her time at the workplace as possible. It wasnt difficult since there was plenty for her to do, what with organizing Lord Husbands wedding gifts, writing personalized thank you notes for him to sign, and preparing for the impending War Bond auction, which would take place later today.
All things Lord Husband should have overseen, but once again, he left it for Luo-Luo to manage...
After a quick and lonely breakfast, she went into Lord Husbands old room to feed and spend time with the newest member of their family, a gifted snake who had yet to be named. It was ironic how she spent more time in Lord Husbands bedroom during these last three days than she had since moving into the manor many months ago, but the humour was lost on her. With Lord Husband too distracted to care for the beast, Luo-Luo took responsibility for its well-being and had an enclosure custom designed and built to house the beautiful, verdant green creature. The walls were fashioned of an iron mesh framework to allow air to flow through, with a solid iron base and a clear-glass roof which could easily be replaced with an iron one when in transit. A marvellous thing, this clear glass, recently developed by Lord Husbands think tank, and already her people were fielding orders after Lord Husband revealed it at his wedding, not just for flowers, but also so that Sir Inky the octopus could dine with the rest of the family.
The aquarium, as Lord Husband called it, only had one glass wall, and was much too fragile to transport for any long distances without significant risk. For this same reason, only the snake enclosures roof was made of glass, rather than the entire thing as Luo-Luo had initially wanted, since it would be most disastrous if a highly venomous and aggressive snake was set loose inside the manor. Still, a glass roof would suffice for now, so Luo-Luo peered down at the lovely little creature and greeted it with a cheery hello. Curled up in the corner, it raised its head and eyed her closely whilst she topped off its water dish and left three quail eggs in the outer compartment. The double gated approach was quite necessary until the little snake could be trusted not to bite, so she made sure the outer gates were sealed tight before sliding the inner gate aside.
A smile etched across her face as the beast slithered over for its feast, its movements so strikingly sinuous. A gorgeous, verdant green creature with eyes in the most vibrant shade of yellow shed ever seen, Luo-Luo found herself most enamoured by the curious little reptile, though Lord Husband wanted nothing to do with it. His antipathy was not without reason, as the Bekhai viewed gifted animals as an insult of the highest level, something she only recently learned herself, but it was not the little snakes fault that the Situ Patriarch used it to show his scorn.
Truth be told, this revelation explained so much regarding Luo-Luos own situation. As far as she could tell, the Bekhai did not keep concubines, and they considered the title... beneath them, in some ways. Perhaps to them, a concubine was only a few steps removed from a breeding mare or cattle stock, so it was easy to see why the Bekhai would be upset when their most distinguished young talent was gifted a concubine for his crowning achievement. A most fascinating example of how the most minor misunderstandings could lead to disastrous results, for this difference in custom was responsible for a near-hostile working relationship between Lord Husband and his Patron, the man most likely to become the next Emperor of the Azure Sea.
It also cast new light onto Lord Husbands desire to elevate Luo-Luos status to wife proper, in order to mitigate the stigma from an unintended slight rather than out of any actual fondness for her company...
Disillusioned by this most recent discovery, Luo-Luo felt a certain affinity for the gifted snake. A highly venomous creature hailing from the dense jungles of the South, Emerald Vipers were notoriously aggressive killers who blended in with the lush greenery of their treetop habitats. Though not the largest of snakes, their fanged-bite could inject a powerful toxin that caused instant paralysis in commoners before killing them seconds later, through an unpleasant process one book described as complete organ failure. Martial Warriors were supposedly able to withstand the venom of a single bite, but Emerald Vipers rarely struck only once, often biting their foes a dozen times in a frenzied bout of agitated anger. Short of immediate amputation, even a Martial Warriors natural resilience was no defence against Emerald Viper venom, which was why Luo-Luo took no chances when visiting her newest friend currently residing in Lord Husbands old room.
The Situ Patriarch had delivered the poor thing in a tiny box that was barely bigger than Luo-Luos hand, no doubt in an effort to agitate it beyond all reason. Assuming he gave sufficient warning in advance, it would be difficult to lay the blame at his feet if Lord Husband should succumb to the venomous bite of an openly gifted pet. Furious as she was, Luo-Luos heart broke when she peeked through the lattice box and found it curled up in obvious fear, so the first thing she did was let the creature out into a stone tub, albeit using a long broomstick she abandoned immediately when the snake sprung out in search of escape. Thankfully, she had two Death Corps guards standing by to seal the tub with a heavy wooden plank, which in retrospect made it incredibly difficult to safely feed the little snake or move it into its new home, where it currently resided.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Are you doing well? Luo-Luo asked, though she knew the creature would not understand her. Im not feeding you too much again, am I? The snake never took its golden reptilian eyes off her as it swallowed the quail eggs whole, and had there been more eggs, it would have eaten until it was too bloated to even move, like it did on their first day together. A tiny little thing which maybe measured from her wrist to fingertip and barely even two fingers thick, the Emerald Viper ate quickly before retreating back to its sleeping spot, half of a hollow wooden log Luo-Luo had placed inside, alongside a smattering of other creature comforts like a bed of dirt, rocks, twigs, and other debris. At some point she would have to clean the cage, but itd only been inside for two days and she saw no sign of droppings. She wasnt even sure if snakes urinated or excreted, as the books shed read had all been geared towards warning readers of the many dangers lurking in the Southern province, rather than a treatise on how to properly care for your new pet.
Perhaps Luo-Luo would write one, should the people of the Empire wish to follow in the footsteps of their most visible Imperial Scion. Already, the young nobles were starting to dress like Lord Husband, and Luo-Luo had seen many a fool carrying around their pet cats, weasels, and other small animals, though itd done nothing to endear them to Lord Husband. Instead, he released a scathing condemnation of these new pet owners citing that pets were not fashionable accessories, but significant responsibilities to be sheltered and cared for. While he didnt go so far as to wish death upon all unfit pet owners, he only stopped short because Luo-Luo insisted, and even then itd been a close thing.
To think, this had been one of the first pieces published by his newly acquired printing press, which for once was not something of his own genius design. Instead, he purchased the device from an enterprising young clerk who designed it himself after hearing how Han BoShui spent a fortune making copies of Storm over Sinuji, his personal account of Lord Husbands fall from grace. Though Lord Husband didnt seem too impressed by the device and complained often about its inefficiency, Luo-Luo made sure to hire the inventor to run their printing press, which had already recouped the initial investment by stamping out pamphlets detailing the intricacies of War Bonds. A copy had been distributed to every guest at his wedding and delivered to every merchant and noble household in the Northern Citadel, even those Luo-Luo deemed too poor to spare the minimum 9,523 gold, just so they could familiarize themselves with the concept.
A wondrous device, this printing press, though Lord Husband wasnt wrong to complain. It was rather unwieldy to set up, as each character on the page required its own stamp made from baked clay, so if someone only needed fifty or sixty copies, then it would be faster to hire two clerks to write it out by hand. To be fair, the standards Lord Husband laid out in his book of inventions were also impossibly high, as he described a device that could print off multiple pages at one time with little more than a single written document and no time to set up.
Insisting on exacting standards while putting in minimal effort was becoming something of a habit for Lord Husband, but there was nothing Luo-Luo could do but go along with it.
Directing four Death Corps guards to carefully bring the snake enclosure out into the courtyard, Luo-Luo took her zither outside and played a little tune for the beast. She wasnt sure if the creature enjoyed her music, but shed read accounts of how some southern musicians could charm snakes with their flutes, so it was worth a try, and she had nothing more pressing to attend to today. Over the past half-year, shed trained Junior Yimu and a dozen other loyal clerks to carry out the bulk of her duties, though she still intended to go into the office to make sure everything was in place for the War Bond auction this afternoon. Until then, she was free to play music to her hearts content, with only Jimjam, Sorya, Anrhi, and the little snake for her audience.
Perhaps it was only her imagination, but the little snake seemed disappointed when Luo-Luo stopped playing some minutes later to look in on it. It seemed so pitiful and lonely inside its cold, desolate home, but there was nothing she could do for the poor thing, not without risking what she read was almost certainly a quick and painful death, so she bade the little snake goodbye and left it out in the courtyard to enjoy the sunlight. That had been a part of Lord Husbands published rant, ensuring a high quality of life for any domesticated animals, but much like the women in his life, he only cared for the animals he favoured and left the rest to rot in lonely despair.
Well... someone should show him he couldnt treat people like this... or animals for that matter!
Filled with righteous discontent, she stopped short and ordered the Death Corps guards to go back and fetch the poor snake, so she could spend a little more time with it out in the park. With her zither in hand, she picked out a lovely little spot next to the cattle pen and beamed as the burly beasts hopped and skipped their way over to line up at the fence and voice their enthusiastic welcomes. After checking on the little snake once again, Luo-Luo settled in for another performance and played song after song in an effort to remind Lord Husband of his forgotten concubine. She played until her fingers ached and she could play no more, giving voice to her anger, frustration, sadness, and desire through the magic of music. When her fingers came to a stop and the last note faded into nothingness amidst the bleating of cattle and scattered applause of the gathered crowd, Luo-Luo felt unburdened by her woes and ready to return to part with the snake and return the office, where she would no doubt finally come face to face with Lord Husband once again.
The warehouse office was right next to the cattle pen, and there in the upstairs office, she found Lord Husband hard at work. Despite all her woes and grievances, or the pithy remarks and snippy statements shed readied to wound him, all her antagonism melted away as he greeted her with a cheery smile in his distressingly plain black outfit. Morning Luo-Luo, he said, beaming as he glanced up from a sheaf of documents. Im just looking over the details, but youve done a wonderful job preparing for the auction while Ive been away. Pulling out the chair beside him, he waited until she finished greeting Aurie and took her seat before continuing. I want to thank you for giving me and Mila this time to ourselves, he said, clasping her shoulder warmly. It means so much to both of us, especially with all thats going on.
Now that Luo-Luo thought about it, perhaps shed been a tad insensitive in wanting to move in immediately after the wedding, for the newlyweds surely deserved some time to themselves. No! He all but abandoned her for these past few days, after proposing marriage only a week before. Whats more, yesterday, he brought Lin-Lin out to the farm and spent the day flying kites and looking for groundhogs while Sister Mila, Yan, and Li-Li all meditated in the bamboo grove, but Luo-Luo didnt hear about it until Mother-in-Law Sarnai mentioned it at dinner. Lord Husband was a liar and a cad, and Luo-Luo could not forgive him so easily, with but a sweet smile and soft touch.
Sure, should be easy enough. Worst comes to worst we can just ruin the batch and make them print replacements. Why?
Because then we can use the time to reward the early investors while laying groundwork for future endeavours. Private banquets, political favours, even just accompanying some of the less prestigious investors to unaffiliated events, we can do all this and more to raise envy and discontent. Then, when the next batch goes on sale, the nobles and merchants of the Empire will enter into an all-out bidding war, because they too will wish to rub shoulders with an Imperial Scion.
Smart. We can even take the extra time to bring in our early investors on certain plans, so they make even more money from our efforts. Grinning from ear to ear despite being told he would have to socialize, Lord Husband added a few ideas into the mix, and they spent the next hour or so discussing how to proceed from here, as well as putting the final touches on todays historic events. Then they had lunch in the workroom together, along with sweet Mama Bun whod finally gotten over her fit of pique and promptly melted into Lord Husbands embrace, and for a few hours, they talked, worked, joked, and laughed, and Luo-Luo felt closer to him than she ever felt before.
When it came time for the auction, Lord Husband called his Death Corps guards to fetch his litter, which was rather out of character. Seeing the unasked question in her eyes, he sheepishly looked away as his cheeks turned shockingly scarlet. I er... pulled a muscle. Yea. And uh... fell down some stairs. Just a minor injury, I can still walk, but stairs are tricky, so theres no need to bother the Healers. A lie if there ever was one, but before Luo-Luo could ask more, he continued, Oh that reminds me: do you remember reading something about someone coming up with a super strong metallic alloy?
Taking a moment to organize her memories, Luo-Luo nodded as the details returned. Yes, of course. The creator claimed the tensile strength was twice that of normal steel, allowing for a sturdier framework at lower weights, but it was prohibitively expensive, something along the lines of fifteen to twenty times the cost of high-grade steel by volume, and even more if measured by weight. We turned down the meeting, because at those prices, we could use thrice the amount of steel and still come out ahead in both sturdiness and cost.
Right, right. Still unable to meet Luo-Luos curious gaze, Lord Husband coughed and said, Could you arrange a meeting with the creator? I... uh... have a project that could benefit from having stronger steel. Much, much, much stronger steel.
Though Luo-Luo was still burning with curiosity, Lord Husband would say no more, so after boarding his carriage, they set off for the main square and arrived just as the Justicar announced he was no longer accepting bids. Lord Husbands idea, to have the Justicars ensure complete fairness, and he even went as far as to refuse to even touch the box of sealed bids when he arrived. No, no, we must ensure there is no room for suspicion and the entire process remains beyond reproach, he said, gesturing at the large table which was set up for this very purpose. If you could bring the box over there, and maybe shake it a bit so all the bids get mixed up? Thank you.
Already, Luo-Luo could feel the audiences discontent, because Lord Husband had yet to address them. In their eyes, they were here to do Lord Husband a favour and give face by bidding on his War Bonds, but he didnt spare any of them a single glance. Instead, he did what he only just accused Luo-Luo of and skipped all the preamble to jump straight to business, and the esteemed members of the audience did not like this one bit. It didnt help that there were people with less than kind intentions here to stir the pot, but Luo-Luo was unfazed. Let them pout all they wanted, because Lord Husband was right; he didnt need their favours. He was here to help them, to better the Empire as a whole, so why should he grovel and debase himself for the burden of working for their benefit?
Following Lord Husbands instructions, the accompanying Justicar announced that until now, no bids had been tampered with or removed since being placed inside the box, and guaranteed that the collection had concluded without issue. Then, the Justicar unfastened the lock, flipped open the lid, and pulled out a sealed bid before passing it to Lord Husband, who opened the unmarked envelope without any fanfare. The first bid is from the Situ Patriarch, Rang Min, he announced, only for Kuang Biao to echo his words and project them across the Citadel with his Chi-infused voice. Somehow, the former Royal Guardians dry monotone made the disrespectful use of the Situ Patriarchs name even funnier than usual, and many coughs sounded as nobles and merchants alike tried to cover up their laughter. He bids 9,523 gold per War Bond, which is the exact value. The crowd burst into murmurs, as this was something of a controversial move, a statement which declared the Situ Clan would give face to the Imperial Clan, but had no faith in Lord Husbands endeavour.
Hardly surprising, but Lord Husband seemed pleased by this turn of events, and held his hands up for silence. This is great, because I forgot to mention beforehand: should there be multiple winning bids who offer the same amount, the War Bonds will be distributed to whichever bid was drawn first. So it looks like Rang Mins luck is going strong, because if everyone bids this same amount as expected, then he will receive the first batch of War Bonds.
After a short pause to take in Lord Husbands declaration, a few shouts rose from the crowd asking why order mattered, and again, Lord Husband held his hands up for silence. Because not only are the War Bonds limited, theyre also numbered, he explained, flashing his mischievous smile. For security and identification purposes of course, and all War Bonds are equal, but some of you might have lucky numbers you would prefer to hold onto. For example, the first batch is not only the most prestigious, but it also holds War Bond number one-hundred and eight.
Which of course was a significant number because it was a widely accepted belief that the human body contained a hundred and eight feelings. Brilliant, Luo-Luo hadnt even thought of this, and now Lord Husband had introduced a collectors market for certain numbered War Bonds. Whats more, no one was talking about the Situ Patriarchs snub anymore, which made Luo-Luo wonder if Lord Husband had planned this, but how? No, this was merely fortuitous happenstance, rather than god-like planning, which showed that Lord Husband still held the Mothers favour, despite his recent string of hardships.
One by one, Lord Husband opened and announced each bid, and as expected, almost every winner was already tied to his cause. Sister Milas parents won with the highest bid, offering thirty-thousand for each ten-thousand gold War Bond, while Lord Husbands parents came in second, at one gold less, which was no doubt something theyd discussed beforehand. Marshal Yuzhen, Marshal Yo, and Marshal Quyen were next at twenty-five thousand each, with the latter two having stayed after Lord Husbands wedding for this very purpose. The Ryo Family, the Lin Clan, the Harmonious Unity Sect, Magistrates Tong, Situ, and Chu, all of Lord Husbands most powerful allies were represented amongst the winners, though there were a few loosely associated investors who saw this opportunity for what it was.
Most surprising was the name in last place, one which was wholly unfamiliar to Luo-Luos ears. MuYang knew who this Chun-Qiu consortium was, as he seemed to know everyone, but even he didnt know why such a large group of trivial merchants would band together to offer eighteen-thousand and one gold per War Bond on a risky gamble, but Luo-Luo was confident theyd made the right choice.
Announcing the forty winners and stamping the War Bonds for everyone who had their gold on hand took the better part of two hours, and by the time he was done, the crowd had dwindled down to almost nothing. No doubt Lord Husbands enemies were already celebrating his failure, because thus far all hed done was take money from his closest allies, but they did not understand the full breadth of his brilliance. Okay, now that all the formalities are over and done with, its time to reveal my initial investment plan. Again, Kuang Biao echoed Lord Husbands words, but Luo-Luo felt the monotone Death Corps Guard was too lacking to convey Lord Husbands joyful and playful tone. I know, I know, it sounds crazy. An investor with an actual plan. How surprising. Seriously though, I found it strange no one asked about it beforehand, so I must thank the noble and patriotic supporters who have professed so much confidence in my abilities, and I hope to live up to their expectations. As thanks, I would like to invite every War Bond holder to a private banquet, paid for out of my own pocket and...
After listing out the various ways he intended to show gratitude, Lord Husband turned to Luo-Luo with a grin and stretched out his hand. Taking it in her own, she smiled and squeezed back while nodding in support, even as her heart pounded with excitement. Their efforts had finally come to fruition, and this was a victory she shared with him and no others, a bond between her and Lord Husband. Using these generous funds raised from this first batch of War Bonds, he continued, I intend to put forth a program to lend gold to farmers, ranchers, tradesmen, and professions from many other walks of life, for the sole purpose of purchasing property along the Western border, where they will work, reside, and provide for the entirety of the Western Wall.
And there, in a single sentence, Lord Husband revealed his brilliant scheme to the world at large. Everyone expected him to pocket the money as a bribe and pay off the people above him, but Lord Husband was far more devious and instead invested in the people below him. This was a sure-fire path to victory, or at least as close to one as Luo-Luo had ever seen. In recent times, vast swathes of land just east of the new Western Wall had been abandoned in droves, because commoners did not feel safe living so close to the border, and land owners were not willing to pay the increased wages required to tempt workers to stay. Take Lord Husbands beet farm for example, which he purchased at one-twentieth of the price it would have sold for only two years back, but he paid a heavy premium to convince farmers to work on his beet farm, and it was only profitable due to the high price and low costs of producing beet sugar. Eventually, the price would fall as competitors joined the fray, and they would be able to offer even lower prices because they could pay their farmers less and ship their product in, but what if Lord Husband gave his farmers the land they worked? Why, then the farmers would fight amongst themselves for the privilege to work the land, and Lord Husband would collect a portion of their harvest each year to slowly pay off their debt, while also being poised to purchase surplus goods for cheap before reselling it to the closest outpost or Citadel and earning coin hand over fist at both ends.
Whats more, he was earning coin three, four, or even five times over, because not only had he already bought up most of the land bordering the Western Wall, as Minister of Finance, he picked which lands to settle new owners on, set the price for each parcel of land, and paid himself for said lands, all of which allowed him to collect the War Bond funds in a legitimate, above-board fashion. The transaction was all on paper, and the farmers would never even see the coin. They would simply be saddled with a debt they would pay over the next forty years, but so long as they made their payments on time, then the land was theirs and could be passed down to their children, grand-children, and more. Lord Husband was selling a dream using money which was not his, and the people would love him for it.
All this was only scratching the surface of Lord Husbands brilliant, long-term investment, one which would pay off in more ways than just coin, but first came the most difficult part: Convincing Shen Zhen Wu to authorize it, for without his backing, Lord Husbands plans would come apart before ever getting off the ground. Not a problem if the favoured successor to the throne was patient and blessed with foresight, and since Luo-Luo had no reason to believe he was not, with a lot of time and a little luck, Lord Husband was on track to become the most financially powerful person in the outer provinces, and in time, possibly even the entire Empire itself.
No matter how phenomenal his Martial Skills might have been, Lord Husband was wasted as a mere Warrior. This was his true calling, a merchant lord rising to the top with creativity and ingenuity, and now his future was limitless.
If only he were clever enough to find his way into her bed-sheets...
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Chapter 587
Luo-Luo never felt like more of a stranger in the household than in the days following Lord Husband and Sister Milas wedding.
To celebrate their nuptials, the husband and wife pair retreated to their new Citadel manor, which sat on the other side of Lord Husbands ranch and adjoining office, and also bordered the lovely park. His new manor was close enough to Father-in-Laws home to conveniently visit, yet far enough to allow for a sense of separation and independence, even if it was only a few minutes away. Expecting to move in soon after the nuptials, Luo-Luo had Sorya and Anrhi pack her things that very same night and eagerly awaited Lord Husbands summons to their new home, but it never came. Instead, she lived out of her luggage for three full days without laying eyes on Lord Husband a single time, not even for the traditional post-wedding family dinners. The Bekhai had their own customs and traditions, which made Luo-Luo loath to speak up, for she worried it would lead others to think she looked down on Lord Husbands peoples customs or was unhappy living with her in-laws.
Nothing could be further from the truth, for even though Mother-in-Law had a sharp tongue and Father-in-Law a stern demeanour, they treated her warmly and always made sure her needs were met. They were far more welcoming with Sister-in-Law Alsantset, always greeting her with warm smiles and open arms, which was curious since it was clear who the favoured child in their family was. Lord Husband was gifted an expensive Citadel manor, while his poor, talented artist of a brother Charok had to move his family out to the farm...
Had Lord Husbands extended absence taken place a month prior, Luo-Luo would have dispatched a Death Corps guard with a message to remind him of his concubine, but ever since he proposed to raise her status to proper wife and she turned him down, she began expecting so much more from him. Thus far, shed been sorely disappointed. Nothing changed, except now she saw even less of him, though he still made time to come collect his pets. Jimjam was still with her, but only because the skittish kitten refused to leave her side and often pestered her to play or sing him a tune. Roc and the Laughing Birds were free to come and go as well, and sometimes the rabbits were left in the courtyard to fend for themselves for a few hours, but otherwise, Luo-Luo saw neither hide nor hair of the others, save for Sarankho who sometimes dropped by with Li-Li.
Family dysfunction and absent pets aside, Luo-Luo was unsure where she stood in the new family dynamic, so she spent as much of her time at the workplace as possible. It wasnt difficult since there was plenty for her to do, what with organizing Lord Husbands wedding gifts, writing personalized thank you notes for him to sign, and preparing for the impending War Bond auction, which would take place later today.
All things Lord Husband should have overseen, but once again, he left it for Luo-Luo to manage...
After a quick and lonely breakfast, she went into Lord Husbands old room to feed and spend time with the newest member of their family, a gifted snake who had yet to be named. It was ironic how she spent more time in Lord Husbands bedroom during these last three days than she had since moving into the manor many months ago, but the humour was lost on her. With Lord Husband too distracted to care for the beast, Luo-Luo took responsibility for its well-being and had an enclosure custom designed and built to house the beautiful, verdant green creature. The walls were fashioned of an iron mesh framework to allow air to flow through, with a solid iron base and a clear-glass roof which could easily be replaced with an iron one when in transit. A marvellous thing, this clear glass, recently developed by Lord Husbands think tank, and already her people were fielding orders after Lord Husband revealed it at his wedding, not just for flowers, but also so that Sir Inky the octopus could dine with the rest of the family.
The aquarium, as Lord Husband called it, only had one glass wall, and was much too fragile to transport for any long distances without significant risk. For this same reason, only the snake enclosures roof was made of glass, rather than the entire thing as Luo-Luo had initially wanted, since it would be most disastrous if a highly venomous and aggressive snake was set loose inside the manor. Still, a glass roof would suffice for now, so Luo-Luo peered down at the lovely little creature and greeted it with a cheery hello. Curled up in the corner, it raised its head and eyed her closely whilst she topped off its water dish and left three quail eggs in the outer compartment. The double gated approach was quite necessary until the little snake could be trusted not to bite, so she made sure the outer gates were sealed tight before sliding the inner gate aside.
A smile etched across her face as the beast slithered over for its feast, its movements so strikingly sinuous. A gorgeous, verdant green creature with eyes in the most vibrant shade of yellow shed ever seen, Luo-Luo found herself most enamoured by the curious little reptile, though Lord Husband wanted nothing to do with it. His antipathy was not without reason, as the Bekhai viewed gifted animals as an insult of the highest level, something she only recently learned herself, but it was not the little snakes fault that the Situ Patriarch used it to show his scorn.
Truth be told, this revelation explained so much regarding Luo-Luos own situation. As far as she could tell, the Bekhai did not keep concubines, and they considered the title... beneath them, in some ways. Perhaps to them, a concubine was only a few steps removed from a breeding mare or cattle stock, so it was easy to see why the Bekhai would be upset when their most distinguished young talent was gifted a concubine for his crowning achievement. A most fascinating example of how the most minor misunderstandings could lead to disastrous results, for this difference in custom was responsible for a near-hostile working relationship between Lord Husband and his Patron, the man most likely to become the next Emperor of the Azure Sea.
It also cast new light onto Lord Husbands desire to elevate Luo-Luos status to wife proper, in order to mitigate the stigma from an unintended slight rather than out of any actual fondness for her company...
Disillusioned by this most recent discovery, Luo-Luo felt a certain affinity for the gifted snake. A highly venomous creature hailing from the dense jungles of the South, Emerald Vipers were notoriously aggressive killers who blended in with the lush greenery of their treetop habitats. Though not the largest of snakes, their fanged-bite could inject a powerful toxin that caused instant paralysis in commoners before killing them seconds later, through an unpleasant process one book described as complete organ failure. Martial Warriors were supposedly able to withstand the venom of a single bite, but Emerald Vipers rarely struck only once, often biting their foes a dozen times in a frenzied bout of agitated anger. Short of immediate amputation, even a Martial Warriors natural resilience was no defence against Emerald Viper venom, which was why Luo-Luo took no chances when visiting her newest friend currently residing in Lord Husbands old room.
The Situ Patriarch had delivered the poor thing in a tiny box that was barely bigger than Luo-Luos hand, no doubt in an effort to agitate it beyond all reason. Assuming he gave sufficient warning in advance, it would be difficult to lay the blame at his feet if Lord Husband should succumb to the venomous bite of an openly gifted pet. Furious as she was, Luo-Luos heart broke when she peeked through the lattice box and found it curled up in obvious fear, so the first thing she did was let the creature out into a stone tub, albeit using a long broomstick she abandoned immediately when the snake sprung out in search of escape. Thankfully, she had two Death Corps guards standing by to seal the tub with a heavy wooden plank, which in retrospect made it incredibly difficult to safely feed the little snake or move it into its new home, where it currently resided.Updated from novelb(i)n.c(o)m
Are you doing well? Luo-Luo asked, though she knew the creature would not understand her. Im not feeding you too much again, am I? The snake never took its golden reptilian eyes off her as it swallowed the quail eggs whole, and had there been more eggs, it would have eaten until it was too bloated to even move, like it did on their first day together. A tiny little thing which maybe measured from her wrist to fingertip and barely even two fingers thick, the Emerald Viper ate quickly before retreating back to its sleeping spot, half of a hollow wooden log Luo-Luo had placed inside, alongside a smattering of other creature comforts like a bed of dirt, rocks, twigs, and other debris. At some point she would have to clean the cage, but itd only been inside for two days and she saw no sign of droppings. She wasnt even sure if snakes urinated or excreted, as the books shed read had all been geared towards warning readers of the many dangers lurking in the Southern province, rather than a treatise on how to properly care for your new pet.
Perhaps Luo-Luo would write one, should the people of the Empire wish to follow in the footsteps of their most visible Imperial Scion. Already, the young nobles were starting to dress like Lord Husband, and Luo-Luo had seen many a fool carrying around their pet cats, weasels, and other small animals, though itd done nothing to endear them to Lord Husband. Instead, he released a scathing condemnation of these new pet owners citing that pets were not fashionable accessories, but significant responsibilities to be sheltered and cared for. While he didnt go so far as to wish death upon all unfit pet owners, he only stopped short because Luo-Luo insisted, and even then itd been a close thing.
To think, this had been one of the first pieces published by his newly acquired printing press, which for once was not something of his own genius design. Instead, he purchased the device from an enterprising young clerk who designed it himself after hearing how Han BoShui spent a fortune making copies of Storm over Sinuji, his personal account of Lord Husbands fall from grace. Though Lord Husband didnt seem too impressed by the device and complained often about its inefficiency, Luo-Luo made sure to hire the inventor to run their printing press, which had already recouped the initial investment by stamping out pamphlets detailing the intricacies of War Bonds. A copy had been distributed to every guest at his wedding and delivered to every merchant and noble household in the Northern Citadel, even those Luo-Luo deemed too poor to spare the minimum 9,523 gold, just so they could familiarize themselves with the concept.
A wondrous device, this printing press, though Lord Husband wasnt wrong to complain. It was rather unwieldy to set up, as each character on the page required its own stamp made from baked clay, so if someone only needed fifty or sixty copies, then it would be faster to hire two clerks to write it out by hand. To be fair, the standards Lord Husband laid out in his book of inventions were also impossibly high, as he described a device that could print off multiple pages at one time with little more than a single written document and no time to set up.
Insisting on exacting standards while putting in minimal effort was becoming something of a habit for Lord Husband, but there was nothing Luo-Luo could do but go along with it.
Directing four Death Corps guards to carefully bring the snake enclosure out into the courtyard, Luo-Luo took her zither outside and played a little tune for the beast. She wasnt sure if the creature enjoyed her music, but shed read accounts of how some southern musicians could charm snakes with their flutes, so it was worth a try, and she had nothing more pressing to attend to today. Over the past half-year, shed trained Junior Yimu and a dozen other loyal clerks to carry out the bulk of her duties, though she still intended to go into the office to make sure everything was in place for the War Bond auction this afternoon. Until then, she was free to play music to her hearts content, with only Jimjam, Sorya, Anrhi, and the little snake for her audience.
Perhaps it was only her imagination, but the little snake seemed disappointed when Luo-Luo stopped playing some minutes later to look in on it. It seemed so pitiful and lonely inside its cold, desolate home, but there was nothing she could do for the poor thing, not without risking what she read was almost certainly a quick and painful death, so she bade the little snake goodbye and left it out in the courtyard to enjoy the sunlight. That had been a part of Lord Husbands published rant, ensuring a high quality of life for any domesticated animals, but much like the women in his life, he only cared for the animals he favoured and left the rest to rot in lonely despair.
Well... someone should show him he couldnt treat people like this... or animals for that matter!
Filled with righteous discontent, she stopped short and ordered the Death Corps guards to go back and fetch the poor snake, so she could spend a little more time with it out in the park. With her zither in hand, she picked out a lovely little spot next to the cattle pen and beamed as the burly beasts hopped and skipped their way over to line up at the fence and voice their enthusiastic welcomes. After checking on the little snake once again, Luo-Luo settled in for another performance and played song after song in an effort to remind Lord Husband of his forgotten concubine. She played until her fingers ached and she could play no more, giving voice to her anger, frustration, sadness, and desire through the magic of music. When her fingers came to a stop and the last note faded into nothingness amidst the bleating of cattle and scattered applause of the gathered crowd, Luo-Luo felt unburdened by her woes and ready to return to part with the snake and return the office, where she would no doubt finally come face to face with Lord Husband once again.
The warehouse office was right next to the cattle pen, and there in the upstairs office, she found Lord Husband hard at work. Despite all her woes and grievances, or the pithy remarks and snippy statements shed readied to wound him, all her antagonism melted away as he greeted her with a cheery smile in his distressingly plain black outfit. Morning Luo-Luo, he said, beaming as he glanced up from a sheaf of documents. Im just looking over the details, but youve done a wonderful job preparing for the auction while Ive been away. Pulling out the chair beside him, he waited until she finished greeting Aurie and took her seat before continuing. I want to thank you for giving me and Mila this time to ourselves, he said, clasping her shoulder warmly. It means so much to both of us, especially with all thats going on.
Now that Luo-Luo thought about it, perhaps shed been a tad insensitive in wanting to move in immediately after the wedding, for the newlyweds surely deserved some time to themselves. No! He all but abandoned her for these past few days, after proposing marriage only a week before. Whats more, yesterday, he brought Lin-Lin out to the farm and spent the day flying kites and looking for groundhogs while Sister Mila, Yan, and Li-Li all meditated in the bamboo grove, but Luo-Luo didnt hear about it until Mother-in-Law Sarnai mentioned it at dinner. Lord Husband was a liar and a cad, and Luo-Luo could not forgive him so easily, with but a sweet smile and soft touch.
Sure, should be easy enough. Worst comes to worst we can just ruin the batch and make them print replacements. Why?
Because then we can use the time to reward the early investors while laying groundwork for future endeavours. Private banquets, political favours, even just accompanying some of the less prestigious investors to unaffiliated events, we can do all this and more to raise envy and discontent. Then, when the next batch goes on sale, the nobles and merchants of the Empire will enter into an all-out bidding war, because they too will wish to rub shoulders with an Imperial Scion.
Smart. We can even take the extra time to bring in our early investors on certain plans, so they make even more money from our efforts. Grinning from ear to ear despite being told he would have to socialize, Lord Husband added a few ideas into the mix, and they spent the next hour or so discussing how to proceed from here, as well as putting the final touches on todays historic events. Then they had lunch in the workroom together, along with sweet Mama Bun whod finally gotten over her fit of pique and promptly melted into Lord Husbands embrace, and for a few hours, they talked, worked, joked, and laughed, and Luo-Luo felt closer to him than she ever felt before.
When it came time for the auction, Lord Husband called his Death Corps guards to fetch his litter, which was rather out of character. Seeing the unasked question in her eyes, he sheepishly looked away as his cheeks turned shockingly scarlet. I er... pulled a muscle. Yea. And uh... fell down some stairs. Just a minor injury, I can still walk, but stairs are tricky, so theres no need to bother the Healers. A lie if there ever was one, but before Luo-Luo could ask more, he continued, Oh that reminds me: do you remember reading something about someone coming up with a super strong metallic alloy?
Taking a moment to organize her memories, Luo-Luo nodded as the details returned. Yes, of course. The creator claimed the tensile strength was twice that of normal steel, allowing for a sturdier framework at lower weights, but it was prohibitively expensive, something along the lines of fifteen to twenty times the cost of high-grade steel by volume, and even more if measured by weight. We turned down the meeting, because at those prices, we could use thrice the amount of steel and still come out ahead in both sturdiness and cost.
Right, right. Still unable to meet Luo-Luos curious gaze, Lord Husband coughed and said, Could you arrange a meeting with the creator? I... uh... have a project that could benefit from having stronger steel. Much, much, much stronger steel.
Though Luo-Luo was still burning with curiosity, Lord Husband would say no more, so after boarding his carriage, they set off for the main square and arrived just as the Justicar announced he was no longer accepting bids. Lord Husbands idea, to have the Justicars ensure complete fairness, and he even went as far as to refuse to even touch the box of sealed bids when he arrived. No, no, we must ensure there is no room for suspicion and the entire process remains beyond reproach, he said, gesturing at the large table which was set up for this very purpose. If you could bring the box over there, and maybe shake it a bit so all the bids get mixed up? Thank you.
Already, Luo-Luo could feel the audiences discontent, because Lord Husband had yet to address them. In their eyes, they were here to do Lord Husband a favour and give face by bidding on his War Bonds, but he didnt spare any of them a single glance. Instead, he did what he only just accused Luo-Luo of and skipped all the preamble to jump straight to business, and the esteemed members of the audience did not like this one bit. It didnt help that there were people with less than kind intentions here to stir the pot, but Luo-Luo was unfazed. Let them pout all they wanted, because Lord Husband was right; he didnt need their favours. He was here to help them, to better the Empire as a whole, so why should he grovel and debase himself for the burden of working for their benefit?
Following Lord Husbands instructions, the accompanying Justicar announced that until now, no bids had been tampered with or removed since being placed inside the box, and guaranteed that the collection had concluded without issue. Then, the Justicar unfastened the lock, flipped open the lid, and pulled out a sealed bid before passing it to Lord Husband, who opened the unmarked envelope without any fanfare. The first bid is from the Situ Patriarch, Rang Min, he announced, only for Kuang Biao to echo his words and project them across the Citadel with his Chi-infused voice. Somehow, the former Royal Guardians dry monotone made the disrespectful use of the Situ Patriarchs name even funnier than usual, and many coughs sounded as nobles and merchants alike tried to cover up their laughter. He bids 9,523 gold per War Bond, which is the exact value. The crowd burst into murmurs, as this was something of a controversial move, a statement which declared the Situ Clan would give face to the Imperial Clan, but had no faith in Lord Husbands endeavour.
Hardly surprising, but Lord Husband seemed pleased by this turn of events, and held his hands up for silence. This is great, because I forgot to mention beforehand: should there be multiple winning bids who offer the same amount, the War Bonds will be distributed to whichever bid was drawn first. So it looks like Rang Mins luck is going strong, because if everyone bids this same amount as expected, then he will receive the first batch of War Bonds.
After a short pause to take in Lord Husbands declaration, a few shouts rose from the crowd asking why order mattered, and again, Lord Husband held his hands up for silence. Because not only are the War Bonds limited, theyre also numbered, he explained, flashing his mischievous smile. For security and identification purposes of course, and all War Bonds are equal, but some of you might have lucky numbers you would prefer to hold onto. For example, the first batch is not only the most prestigious, but it also holds War Bond number one-hundred and eight.
Which of course was a significant number because it was a widely accepted belief that the human body contained a hundred and eight feelings. Brilliant, Luo-Luo hadnt even thought of this, and now Lord Husband had introduced a collectors market for certain numbered War Bonds. Whats more, no one was talking about the Situ Patriarchs snub anymore, which made Luo-Luo wonder if Lord Husband had planned this, but how? No, this was merely fortuitous happenstance, rather than god-like planning, which showed that Lord Husband still held the Mothers favour, despite his recent string of hardships.
One by one, Lord Husband opened and announced each bid, and as expected, almost every winner was already tied to his cause. Sister Milas parents won with the highest bid, offering thirty-thousand for each ten-thousand gold War Bond, while Lord Husbands parents came in second, at one gold less, which was no doubt something theyd discussed beforehand. Marshal Yuzhen, Marshal Yo, and Marshal Quyen were next at twenty-five thousand each, with the latter two having stayed after Lord Husbands wedding for this very purpose. The Ryo Family, the Lin Clan, the Harmonious Unity Sect, Magistrates Tong, Situ, and Chu, all of Lord Husbands most powerful allies were represented amongst the winners, though there were a few loosely associated investors who saw this opportunity for what it was.
Most surprising was the name in last place, one which was wholly unfamiliar to Luo-Luos ears. MuYang knew who this Chun-Qiu consortium was, as he seemed to know everyone, but even he didnt know why such a large group of trivial merchants would band together to offer eighteen-thousand and one gold per War Bond on a risky gamble, but Luo-Luo was confident theyd made the right choice.
Announcing the forty winners and stamping the War Bonds for everyone who had their gold on hand took the better part of two hours, and by the time he was done, the crowd had dwindled down to almost nothing. No doubt Lord Husbands enemies were already celebrating his failure, because thus far all hed done was take money from his closest allies, but they did not understand the full breadth of his brilliance. Okay, now that all the formalities are over and done with, its time to reveal my initial investment plan. Again, Kuang Biao echoed Lord Husbands words, but Luo-Luo felt the monotone Death Corps Guard was too lacking to convey Lord Husbands joyful and playful tone. I know, I know, it sounds crazy. An investor with an actual plan. How surprising. Seriously though, I found it strange no one asked about it beforehand, so I must thank the noble and patriotic supporters who have professed so much confidence in my abilities, and I hope to live up to their expectations. As thanks, I would like to invite every War Bond holder to a private banquet, paid for out of my own pocket and...
After listing out the various ways he intended to show gratitude, Lord Husband turned to Luo-Luo with a grin and stretched out his hand. Taking it in her own, she smiled and squeezed back while nodding in support, even as her heart pounded with excitement. Their efforts had finally come to fruition, and this was a victory she shared with him and no others, a bond between her and Lord Husband. Using these generous funds raised from this first batch of War Bonds, he continued, I intend to put forth a program to lend gold to farmers, ranchers, tradesmen, and professions from many other walks of life, for the sole purpose of purchasing property along the Western border, where they will work, reside, and provide for the entirety of the Western Wall.
And there, in a single sentence, Lord Husband revealed his brilliant scheme to the world at large. Everyone expected him to pocket the money as a bribe and pay off the people above him, but Lord Husband was far more devious and instead invested in the people below him. This was a sure-fire path to victory, or at least as close to one as Luo-Luo had ever seen. In recent times, vast swathes of land just east of the new Western Wall had been abandoned in droves, because commoners did not feel safe living so close to the border, and land owners were not willing to pay the increased wages required to tempt workers to stay. Take Lord Husbands beet farm for example, which he purchased at one-twentieth of the price it would have sold for only two years back, but he paid a heavy premium to convince farmers to work on his beet farm, and it was only profitable due to the high price and low costs of producing beet sugar. Eventually, the price would fall as competitors joined the fray, and they would be able to offer even lower prices because they could pay their farmers less and ship their product in, but what if Lord Husband gave his farmers the land they worked? Why, then the farmers would fight amongst themselves for the privilege to work the land, and Lord Husband would collect a portion of their harvest each year to slowly pay off their debt, while also being poised to purchase surplus goods for cheap before reselling it to the closest outpost or Citadel and earning coin hand over fist at both ends.
Whats more, he was earning coin three, four, or even five times over, because not only had he already bought up most of the land bordering the Western Wall, as Minister of Finance, he picked which lands to settle new owners on, set the price for each parcel of land, and paid himself for said lands, all of which allowed him to collect the War Bond funds in a legitimate, above-board fashion. The transaction was all on paper, and the farmers would never even see the coin. They would simply be saddled with a debt they would pay over the next forty years, but so long as they made their payments on time, then the land was theirs and could be passed down to their children, grand-children, and more. Lord Husband was selling a dream using money which was not his, and the people would love him for it.
All this was only scratching the surface of Lord Husbands brilliant, long-term investment, one which would pay off in more ways than just coin, but first came the most difficult part: Convincing Shen Zhen Wu to authorize it, for without his backing, Lord Husbands plans would come apart before ever getting off the ground. Not a problem if the favoured successor to the throne was patient and blessed with foresight, and since Luo-Luo had no reason to believe he was not, with a lot of time and a little luck, Lord Husband was on track to become the most financially powerful person in the outer provinces, and in time, possibly even the entire Empire itself.
No matter how phenomenal his Martial Skills might have been, Lord Husband was wasted as a mere Warrior. This was his true calling, a merchant lord rising to the top with creativity and ingenuity, and now his future was limitless.
If only he were clever enough to find his way into her bed-sheets...
Chapter Meme
Chapter Meme 2
Chapter Meme 3
Chapter 587Luo-Luo never felt like more of a stranger in the household than in the days following Lord Husband and Sister Milas wedding.To celebrate their nuptials, the husband and wife pair retreated to their new Citadel manor, which sat on the other side of Lord Husbands ranch and adjoining office, and also bordered the lovely park. His new manor was close enough to Father-in-Laws home to conveniently visit, yet far enough to allow for a sense of separation and independence, even if it was only a few minutes away. Expecting to move in soon after the nuptials, Luo-Luo had Sorya and Anrhi pack her things that very same night and eagerly awaited Lord Husbands summons to their new home, but it never came. Instead, she lived out of her luggage for three full days without laying eyes on Lord Husband a single time, not even for the traditional post-wedding family dinners. The Bekhai had their own customs and traditions, which made Luo-Luo loath to speak up, for she worried it would lead others to think she looked down on Lord Husbands peoples customs or was unhappy living with her in-laws.Nothing could be further from the truth, for even though Mother-in-Law had a sharp tongue and Father-in-Law a stern demeanour, they treated her warmly and always made sure her needs were met. They were far more welcoming with Sister-in-Law Alsantset, always greeting her with warm smiles and open arms, which was curious since it was clear who the favoured child in their family was. Lord Husband was gifted an expensive Citadel manor, while his poor, talented artist of a brother Charok had to move his family out to the farm...Had Lord Husbands extended absence taken place a month prior, Luo-Luo would have dispatched a Death Corps guard with a message to remind him of his concubine, but ever since he proposed to raise her status to proper wife and she turned him down, she began expecting so much more from him. Thus far, shed been sorely disappointed. Nothing changed, except now she saw even less of him, though he still made time to come collect his pets. Jimjam was still with her, but only because the skittish kitten refused to leave her side and often pestered her to play or sing him a tune. Roc and the Laughing Birds were free to come and go as well, and sometimes the rabbits were left in the courtyard to fend for themselves for a few hours, but otherwise, Luo-Luo saw neither hide nor hair of the others, save for Sarankho who sometimes dropped by with Li-Li.Family dysfunction and absent pets aside, Luo-Luo was unsure where she stood in the new family dynamic, so she spent as much of her time at the workplace as possible. It wasnt difficult since there was plenty for her to do, what with organizing Lord Husbands wedding gifts, writing personalized thank you notes for him to sign, and preparing for the impending War Bond auction, which would take place later today.All things Lord Husband should have overseen, but once again, he left it for Luo-Luo to manage...After a quick and lonely breakfast, she went into Lord Husbands old room to feed and spend time with the newest member of their family, a gifted snake who had yet to be named. It was ironic how she spent more time in Lord Husbands bedroom during these last three days than she had since moving into the manor many months ago, but the humour was lost on her. With Lord Husband too distracted to care for the beast, Luo-Luo took responsibility for its well-being and had an enclosure custom designed and built to house the beautiful, verdant green creature. The walls were fashioned of an iron mesh framework to allow air to flow through, with a solid iron base and a clear-glass roof which could easily be replaced with an iron one when in transit. A marvellous thing, this clear glass, recently developed by Lord Husbands think tank, and already her people were fielding orders after Lord Husband revealed it at his wedding, not just for flowers, but also so that Sir Inky the octopus could dine with the rest of the family.The aquarium, as Lord Husband called it, only had one glass wall, and was much too fragile to transport for any long distances without significant risk. For this same reason, only the snake enclosures roof was made of glass, rather than the entire thing as Luo-Luo had initially wanted, since it would be most disastrous if a highly venomous and aggressive snake was set loose inside the manor. Still, a glass roof would suffice for now, so Luo-Luo peered down at the lovely little creature and greeted it with a cheery hello. Curled up in the corner, it raised its head and eyed her closely whilst she topped off its water dish and left three quail eggs in the outer compartment. The double gated approach was quite necessary until the little snake could be trusted not to bite, so she made sure the outer gates were sealed tight before sliding the inner gate aside.A smile etched across her face as the beast slithered over for its feast, its movements so strikingly sinuous. A gorgeous, verdant green creature with eyes in the most vibrant shade of yellow shed ever seen, Luo-Luo found herself most enamoured by the curious little reptile, though Lord Husband wanted nothing to do with it. His antipathy was not without reason, as the Bekhai viewed gifted animals as an insult of the highest level, something she only recently learned herself, but it was not the little snakes fault that the Situ Patriarch used it to show his scorn.Truth be told, this revelation explained so much regarding Luo-Luos own situation. As far as she could tell, the Bekhai did not keep concubines, and they considered the title... beneath them, in some ways. Perhaps to them, a concubine was only a few steps removed from a breeding mare or cattle stock, so it was easy to see why the Bekhai would be upset when their most distinguished young talent was gifted a concubine for his crowning achievement. A most fascinating example of how the most minor misunderstandings could lead to disastrous results, for this difference in custom was responsible for a near-hostile working relationship between Lord Husband and his Patron, the man most likely to become the next Emperor of the Azure Sea.It also cast new light onto Lord Husbands desire to elevate Luo-Luos status to wife proper, in order to mitigate the stigma from an unintended slight rather than out of any actual fondness for her company...Disillusioned by this most recent discovery, Luo-Luo felt a certain affinity for the gifted snake. A highly venomous creature hailing from the dense jungles of the South, Emerald Vipers were notoriously aggressive killers who blended in with the lush greenery of their treetop habitats. Though not the largest of snakes, their fanged-bite could inject a powerful toxin that caused instant paralysis in commoners before killing them seconds later, through an unpleasant process one book described as complete organ failure. Martial Warriors were supposedly able to withstand the venom of a single bite, but Emerald Vipers rarely struck only once, often biting their foes a dozen times in a frenzied bout of agitated anger. Short of immediate amputation, even a Martial Warriors natural resilience was no defence against Emerald Viper venom, which was why Luo-Luo took no chances when visiting her newest friend currently residing in Lord Husbands old room.The Situ Patriarch had delivered the poor thing in a tiny box that was barely bigger than Luo-Luos hand, no doubt in an effort to agitate it beyond all reason. Assuming he gave sufficient warning in advance, it would be difficult to lay the blame at his feet if Lord Husband should succumb to the venomous bite of an openly gifted pet. Furious as she was, Luo-Luos heart broke when she peeked through the lattice box and found it curled up in obvious fear, so the first thing she did was let the creature out into a stone tub, albeit using a long broomstick she abandoned immediately when the snake sprung out in search of escape. Thankfully, she had two Death Corps guards standing by to seal the tub with a heavy wooden plank, which in retrospect made it incredibly difficult to safely feed the little snake or move it into its new home, where it currently resided.Updated from novelbin.comAre you doing well? Luo-Luo asked, though she knew the creature would not understand her. Im not feeding you too much again, am I? The snake never took its golden reptilian eyes off her as it swallowed the quail eggs whole, and had there been more eggs, it would have eaten until it was too bloated to even move, like it did on their first day together. A tiny little thing which maybe measured from her wrist to fingertip and barely even two fingers thick, the Emerald Viper ate quickly before retreating back to its sleeping spot, half of a hollow wooden log Luo-Luo had placed inside, alongside a smattering of other creature comforts like a bed of dirt, rocks, twigs, and other debris. At some point she would have to clean the cage, but itd only been inside for two days and she saw no sign of droppings. She wasnt even sure if snakes urinated or excreted, as the books shed read had all been geared towards warning readers of the many dangers lurking in the Southern province, rather than a treatise on how to properly care for your new pet.Perhaps Luo-Luo would write one, should the people of the Empire wish to follow in the footsteps of their most visible Imperial Scion. Already, the young nobles were starting to dress like Lord Husband, and Luo-Luo had seen many a fool carrying around their pet cats, weasels, and other small animals, though itd done nothing to endear them to Lord Husband. Instead, he released a scathing condemnation of these new pet owners citing that pets were not fashionable accessories, but significant responsibilities to be sheltered and cared for. While he didnt go so far as to wish death upon all unfit pet owners, he only stopped short because Luo-Luo insisted, and even then itd been a close thing.To think, this had been one of the first pieces published by his newly acquired printing press, which for once was not something of his own genius design. Instead, he purchased the device from an enterprising young clerk who designed it himself after hearing how Han BoShui spent a fortune making copies of Storm over Sinuji, his personal account of Lord Husbands fall from grace. Though Lord Husband didnt seem too impressed by the device and complained often about its inefficiency, Luo-Luo made sure to hire the inventor to run their printing press, which had already recouped the initial investment by stamping out pamphlets detailing the intricacies of War Bonds. A copy had been distributed to every guest at his wedding and delivered to every merchant and noble household in the Northern Citadel, even those Luo-Luo deemed too poor to spare the minimum 9,523 gold, just so they could familiarize themselves with the concept.A wondrous device, this printing press, though Lord Husband wasnt wrong to complain. It was rather unwieldy to set up, as each character on the page required its own stamp made from baked clay, so if someone only needed fifty or sixty copies, then it would be faster to hire two clerks to write it out by hand. To be fair, the standards Lord Husband laid out in his book of inventions were also impossibly high, as he described a device that could print off multiple pages at one time with little more than a single written document and no time to set up.Insisting on exacting standards while putting in minimal effort was becoming something of a habit for Lord Husband, but there was nothing Luo-Luo could do but go along with it.Directing four Death Corps guards to carefully bring the snake enclosure out into the courtyard, Luo-Luo took her zither outside and played a little tune for the beast. She wasnt sure if the creature enjoyed her music, but shed read accounts of how some southern musicians could charm snakes with their flutes, so it was worth a try, and she had nothing more pressing to attend to today. Over the past half-year, shed trained Junior Yimu and a dozen other loyal clerks to carry out the bulk of her duties, though she still intended to go into the office to make sure everything was in place for the War Bond auction this afternoon. Until then, she was free to play music to her hearts content, with only Jimjam, Sorya, Anrhi, and the little snake for her audience.Perhaps it was only her imagination, but the little snake seemed disappointed when Luo-Luo stopped playing some minutes later to look in on it. It seemed so pitiful and lonely inside its cold, desolate home, but there was nothing she could do for the poor thing, not without risking what she read was almost certainly a quick and painful death, so she bade the little snake goodbye and left it out in the courtyard to enjoy the sunlight. That had been a part of Lord Husbands published rant, ensuring a high quality of life for any domesticated animals, but much like the women in his life, he only cared for the animals he favoured and left the rest to rot in lonely despair.Well... someone should show him he couldnt treat people like this... or animals for that matter!Filled with righteous discontent, she stopped short and ordered the Death Corps guards to go back and fetch the poor snake, so she could spend a little more time with it out in the park. With her zither in hand, she picked out a lovely little spot next to the cattle pen and beamed as the burly beasts hopped and skipped their way over to line up at the fence and voice their enthusiastic welcomes. After checking on the little snake once again, Luo-Luo settled in for another performance and played song after song in an effort to remind Lord Husband of his forgotten concubine. She played until her fingers ached and she could play no more, giving voice to her anger, frustration, sadness, and desire through the magic of music. When her fingers came to a stop and the last note faded into nothingness amidst the bleating of cattle and scattered applause of the gathered crowd, Luo-Luo felt unburdened by her woes and ready to return to part with the snake and return the office, where she would no doubt finally come face to face with Lord Husband once again.The warehouse office was right next to the cattle pen, and there in the upstairs office, she found Lord Husband hard at work. Despite all her woes and grievances, or the pithy remarks and snippy statements shed readied to wound him, all her antagonism melted away as he greeted her with a cheery smile in his distressingly plain black outfit. Morning Luo-Luo, he said, beaming as he glanced up from a sheaf of documents. Im just looking over the details, but youve done a wonderful job preparing for the auction while Ive been away. Pulling out the chair beside him, he waited until she finished greeting Aurie and took her seat before continuing. I want to thank you for giving me and Mila this time to ourselves, he said, clasping her shoulder warmly. It means so much to both of us, especially with all thats going on.Now that Luo-Luo thought about it, perhaps shed been a tad insensitive in wanting to move in immediately after the wedding, for the newlyweds surely deserved some time to themselves. No! He all but abandoned her for these past few days, after proposing marriage only a week before. Whats more, yesterday, he brought Lin-Lin out to the farm and spent the day flying kites and looking for groundhogs while Sister Mila, Yan, and Li-Li all meditated in the bamboo grove, but Luo-Luo didnt hear about it until Mother-in-Law Sarnai mentioned it at dinner. Lord Husband was a liar and a cad, and Luo-Luo could not forgive him so easily, with but a sweet smile and soft touch.Sure, should be easy enough. Worst comes to worst we can just ruin the batch and make them print replacements. Why?Because then we can use the time to reward the early investors while laying groundwork for future endeavours. Private banquets, political favours, even just accompanying some of the less prestigious investors to unaffiliated events, we can do all this and more to raise envy and discontent. Then, when the next batch goes on sale, the nobles and merchants of the Empire will enter into an all-out bidding war, because they too will wish to rub shoulders with an Imperial Scion.Smart. We can even take the extra time to bring in our early investors on certain plans, so they make even more money from our efforts. Grinning from ear to ear despite being told he would have to socialize, Lord Husband added a few ideas into the mix, and they spent the next hour or so discussing how to proceed from here, as well as putting the final touches on todays historic events. Then they had lunch in the workroom together, along with sweet Mama Bun whod finally gotten over her fit of pique and promptly melted into Lord Husbands embrace, and for a few hours, they talked, worked, joked, and laughed, and Luo-Luo felt closer to him than she ever felt before.When it came time for the auction, Lord Husband called his Death Corps guards to fetch his litter, which was rather out of character. Seeing the unasked question in her eyes, he sheepishly looked away as his cheeks turned shockingly scarlet. I er... pulled a muscle. Yea. And uh... fell down some stairs. Just a minor injury, I can still walk, but stairs are tricky, so theres no need to bother the Healers. A lie if there ever was one, but before Luo-Luo could ask more, he continued, Oh that reminds me: do you remember reading something about someone coming up with a super strong metallic alloy?Taking a moment to organize her memories, Luo-Luo nodded as the details returned. Yes, of course. The creator claimed the tensile strength was twice that of normal steel, allowing for a sturdier framework at lower weights, but it was prohibitively expensive, something along the lines of fifteen to twenty times the cost of high-grade steel by volume, and even more if measured by weight. We turned down the meeting, because at those prices, we could use thrice the amount of steel and still come out ahead in both sturdiness and cost.Right, right. Still unable to meet Luo-Luos curious gaze, Lord Husband coughed and said, Could you arrange a meeting with the creator? I... uh... have a project that could benefit from having stronger steel. Much, much, much stronger steel.Though Luo-Luo was still burning with curiosity, Lord Husband would say no more, so after boarding his carriage, they set off for the main square and arrived just as the Justicar announced he was no longer accepting bids. Lord Husbands idea, to have the Justicars ensure complete fairness, and he even went as far as to refuse to even touch the box of sealed bids when he arrived. No, no, we must ensure there is no room for suspicion and the entire process remains beyond reproach, he said, gesturing at the large table which was set up for this very purpose. If you could bring the box over there, and maybe shake it a bit so all the bids get mixed up? Thank you.Already, Luo-Luo could feel the audiences discontent, because Lord Husband had yet to address them. In their eyes, they were here to do Lord Husband a favour and give face by bidding on his War Bonds, but he didnt spare any of them a single glance. Instead, he did what he only just accused Luo-Luo of and skipped all the preamble to jump straight to business, and the esteemed members of the audience did not like this one bit. It didnt help that there were people with less than kind intentions here to stir the pot, but Luo-Luo was unfazed. Let them pout all they wanted, because Lord Husband was right; he didnt need their favours. He was here to help them, to better the Empire as a whole, so why should he grovel and debase himself for the burden of working for their benefit?Following Lord Husbands instructions, the accompanying Justicar announced that until now, no bids had been tampered with or removed since being placed inside the box, and guaranteed that the collection had concluded without issue. Then, the Justicar unfastened the lock, flipped open the lid, and pulled out a sealed bid before passing it to Lord Husband, who opened the unmarked envelope without any fanfare. The first bid is from the Situ Patriarch, Rang Min, he announced, only for Kuang Biao to echo his words and project them across the Citadel with his Chi-infused voice. Somehow, the former Royal Guardians dry monotone made the disrespectful use of the Situ Patriarchs name even funnier than usual, and many coughs sounded as nobles and merchants alike tried to cover up their laughter. He bids 9,523 gold per War Bond, which is the exact value. The crowd burst into murmurs, as this was something of a controversial move, a statement which declared the Situ Clan would give face to the Imperial Clan, but had no faith in Lord Husbands endeavour.Hardly surprising, but Lord Husband seemed pleased by this turn of events, and held his hands up for silence. This is great, because I forgot to mention beforehand: should there be multiple winning bids who offer the same amount, the War Bonds will be distributed to whichever bid was drawn first. So it looks like Rang Mins luck is going strong, because if everyone bids this same amount as expected, then he will receive the first batch of War Bonds.After a short pause to take in Lord Husbands declaration, a few shouts rose from the crowd asking why order mattered, and again, Lord Husband held his hands up for silence. Because not only are the War Bonds limited, theyre also numbered, he explained, flashing his mischievous smile. For security and identification purposes of course, and all War Bonds are equal, but some of you might have lucky numbers you would prefer to hold onto. For example, the first batch is not only the most prestigious, but it also holds War Bond number one-hundred and eight.Which of course was a significant number because it was a widely accepted belief that the human body contained a hundred and eight feelings. Brilliant, Luo-Luo hadnt even thought of this, and now Lord Husband had introduced a collectors market for certain numbered War Bonds. Whats more, no one was talking about the Situ Patriarchs snub anymore, which made Luo-Luo wonder if Lord Husband had planned this, but how? No, this was merely fortuitous happenstance, rather than god-like planning, which showed that Lord Husband still held the Mothers favour, despite his recent string of hardships.One by one, Lord Husband opened and announced each bid, and as expected, almost every winner was already tied to his cause. Sister Milas parents won with the highest bid, offering thirty-thousand for each ten-thousand gold War Bond, while Lord Husbands parents came in second, at one gold less, which was no doubt something theyd discussed beforehand. Marshal Yuzhen, Marshal Yo, and Marshal Quyen were next at twenty-five thousand each, with the latter two having stayed after Lord Husbands wedding for this very purpose. The Ryo Family, the Lin Clan, the Harmonious Unity Sect, Magistrates Tong, Situ, and Chu, all of Lord Husbands most powerful allies were represented amongst the winners, though there were a few loosely associated investors who saw this opportunity for what it was.Most surprising was the name in last place, one which was wholly unfamiliar to Luo-Luos ears. MuYang knew who this Chun-Qiu consortium was, as he seemed to know everyone, but even he didnt know why such a large group of trivial merchants would band together to offer eighteen-thousand and one gold per War Bond on a risky gamble, but Luo-Luo was confident theyd made the right choice.Announcing the forty winners and stamping the War Bonds for everyone who had their gold on hand took the better part of two hours, and by the time he was done, the crowd had dwindled down to almost nothing. No doubt Lord Husbands enemies were already celebrating his failure, because thus far all hed done was take money from his closest allies, but they did not understand the full breadth of his brilliance. Okay, now that all the formalities are over and done with, its time to reveal my initial investment plan. Again, Kuang Biao echoed Lord Husbands words, but Luo-Luo felt the monotone Death Corps Guard was too lacking to convey Lord Husbands joyful and playful tone. I know, I know, it sounds crazy. An investor with an actual plan. How surprising. Seriously though, I found it strange no one asked about it beforehand, so I must thank the noble and patriotic supporters who have professed so much confidence in my abilities, and I hope to live up to their expectations. As thanks, I would like to invite every War Bond holder to a private banquet, paid for out of my own pocket and...After listing out the various ways he intended to show gratitude, Lord Husband turned to Luo-Luo with a grin and stretched out his hand. Taking it in her own, she smiled and squeezed back while nodding in support, even as her heart pounded with excitement. Their efforts had finally come to fruition, and this was a victory she shared with him and no others, a bond between her and Lord Husband. Using these generous funds raised from this first batch of War Bonds, he continued, I intend to put forth a program to lend gold to farmers, ranchers, tradesmen, and professions from many other walks of life, for the sole purpose of purchasing property along the Western border, where they will work, reside, and provide for the entirety of the Western Wall.And there, in a single sentence, Lord Husband revealed his brilliant scheme to the world at large. Everyone expected him to pocket the money as a bribe and pay off the people above him, but Lord Husband was far more devious and instead invested in the people below him. This was a sure-fire path to victory, or at least as close to one as Luo-Luo had ever seen. In recent times, vast swathes of land just east of the new Western Wall had been abandoned in droves, because commoners did not feel safe living so close to the border, and land owners were not willing to pay the increased wages required to tempt workers to stay. Take Lord Husbands beet farm for example, which he purchased at one-twentieth of the price it would have sold for only two years back, but he paid a heavy premium to convince farmers to work on his beet farm, and it was only profitable due to the high price and low costs of producing beet sugar. Eventually, the price would fall as competitors joined the fray, and they would be able to offer even lower prices because they could pay their farmers less and ship their product in, but what if Lord Husband gave his farmers the land they worked? Why, then the farmers would fight amongst themselves for the privilege to work the land, and Lord Husband would collect a portion of their harvest each year to slowly pay off their debt, while also being poised to purchase surplus goods for cheap before reselling it to the closest outpost or Citadel and earning coin hand over fist at both ends.Whats more, he was earning coin three, four, or even five times over, because not only had he already bought up most of the land bordering the Western Wall, as Minister of Finance, he picked which lands to settle new owners on, set the price for each parcel of land, and paid himself for said lands, all of which allowed him to collect the War Bond funds in a legitimate, above-board fashion. The transaction was all on paper, and the farmers would never even see the coin. They would simply be saddled with a debt they would pay over the next forty years, but so long as they made their payments on time, then the land was theirs and could be passed down to their children, grand-children, and more. Lord Husband was selling a dream using money which was not his, and the people would love him for it.All this was only scratching the surface of Lord Husbands brilliant, long-term investment, one which would pay off in more ways than just coin, but first came the most difficult part: Convincing Shen Zhen Wu to authorize it, for without his backing, Lord Husbands plans would come apart before ever getting off the ground. Not a problem if the favoured successor to the throne was patient and blessed with foresight, and since Luo-Luo had no reason to believe he was not, with a lot of time and a little luck, Lord Husband was on track to become the most financially powerful person in the outer provinces, and in time, possibly even the entire Empire itself.No matter how phenomenal his Martial Skills might have been, Lord Husband was wasted as a mere Warrior. This was his true calling, a merchant lord rising to the top with creativity and ingenuity, and now his future was limitless.If only he were clever enough to find his way into her bed-sheets...Chapter MemeChapter Meme 2Chapter Meme 3
