Chapter 373 - 244: Peacock, White Elephant, Golden Lion
Chapter 373: Chapter 244: Peacock, White Elephant, Golden Lion
Lou Yuxue knew she couldn’t do anything about "Liu Wu."
Not unless she could uncover his true identity.
In fact, it wasn’t for lack of trying.
Over the past few days, she had exhausted nearly every resource to investigate all the Noble Families in Shu State, big and small.
Some were close to the Xiao Family, while others were on bad terms with them.
But no matter how she probed, she couldn’t find the slightest trace of "Liu Wu."
It was as if the man had appeared in Shu State out of thin air, coming and going without a trace.
That would have been one thing.
After all, Lou Yuxue could use her own methods to play the long game with "Liu Wu." Sooner or later, she would uncover his background.
But what she couldn’t wrap her head around was why "Liu Wu" knew so much about the White Tiger Guard’s secrets.
He not only knew the identities of several members—Gray Wolf, Hawk, and others—but he even knew their individual missions.
For her, a Silver Banner Officer of the White Tiger Guard, this was nothing short of a profound humiliation.
Fortunately, Chen Yi didn’t know what Lou Yuxue was thinking. Otherwise, he would have roared with laughter and said, "But you’re the one who told me."
Her expression at that moment would surely have been a sight to behold.
After a moment of silence, Chen Yi looked at Lou Yuxue, who was still glaring at him, and said with a smile, "Relax, relax. I’m not an enemy of the White Tiger Guard, and I have no intention of obstructing or sabotaging your mission."
"On the contrary, I can even help you."
Lou Yuxue snorted. "On the condition that I help you first, is that it?"
Chen Yi nodded, saying without the slightest hint of a blush, "A fair trade. You help me, I’ll help you. Neither of us will owe the other a thing."
"But you owe me one hundred fifty thousand taels of silver."
Lou Yuxue clearly wasn’t going to fall for the bastard’s words again.
She had been too careless before, and that was how she’d fallen into his trap.
As a result, of the two hundred thousand taels of silver the White Tiger Guard had acquired, only fifty thousand remained.
To this day, she still didn’t know how she would face Hawk. Her only option was to earn as much silver as possible to make up for it.
Fortunately, with Bright Moon Building back in business, she no longer had to rely on A Wonton Shop to earn that pittance.
Chen Yi inwardly pursed his lips, knowing that if he didn’t show some genuine sincerity, it would be difficult to get Lou Yuxue to act.
Especially when the opponent was a behemoth of unknown strength like the Ji State Trading Company.
After a moment’s thought, he proposed, "What if I pay for your help? Surely that’s acceptable?"
Lou Yuxue stared at him, slightly stunned, and frowned. "You’re still not going to give up on this?"
Chen Yi spread his hands. "The arrow is already nocked. I have to let it fly."
After weighing his options, he had decided to target the Ji State Trading Company first.
More precisely, he would target the grain stores in the East Market, especially Lin’s Trading Company, where Lin Huai’an was based.
For one, the people running the grain stores had already started jacking up prices, affecting hundreds of thousands of citizens in Shu State.
He just needed to add a little fuel to make the flames burn hotter and higher.
For another, Lin’s Grain Store was backed by the Ji State Trading Company, giving it plenty of power.
Once turmoil struck the grain stores and drew the attention of the Ji State Trading Company, then both Liu Hong and King Landu of Poshisu Country might reveal their hands.
Only then could Chen Yi fish in troubled waters.
Lou Yuxue, of course, was unaware of his grand scheme. But even just considering the plot against the grain stores, she remained hesitant.
It wasn’t that she didn’t dare.
Rather, she feared that if she acted in her capacity as the proprietor of Bright Moon Building, it might interfere with her next mission.
After a moment’s thought, she made an exorbitant demand. "One hundred thousand shi of grain for three hundred thousand taels of silver."
Chen Yi’s smile faded. In a displeased tone, he said, "Miss Yuxue, are you taking me for a fool?"
"If I were going to pay three taels of silver per shi of grain, why would I even need to work with you?"
Lou Yuxue hadn’t expected him to agree. It was time to show her hand.
"Two hundred thousand taels."
"No deal. The most I’ll pay is one tael of silver per shi, and I need three hundred thousand shi."
"Three hundred thousand shi? What do you take the White Tiger Guard for? The Great Wei Grain Store?"
Chen Yi feigned surprise. "Aren’t you?"
He refused to believe that a group as secretive and deeply embedded as the White Tiger Guard didn’t have control over some businesses.
Never mind anyone else; just the Spring Rain Building under Lady Tiger’s control had to be generating a handsome monthly income.
And that wasn’t even mentioning Simurgh Phoenix.
After all, Cui Qingwu hailed from the Qinghe Cui Family—one of the most prominent clans in the Great Wei Dynasty. Their family fortune was undoubtedly immense.
Lou Yuxue stared at him for a long moment before suddenly asking, "Tell me the truth. What are you really trying to do?"
"Is this really just about getting silver from those grain stores in the East Market?"
"What else would it be?"
"Hmph. I suspect you’re using this as an opportunity to procure grain for the Xiao Family."
Chen Yi was struck speechless for a moment, then chuckled. He’d almost forgotten about that.
The Xiao Family was also in desperate need of grain right now, so it was only natural for Lou Yuxue to think that.
"You don’t need to worry about my specific intentions for the grain. You just need to decide whether or not you’ll agree to this deal."
Chen Yi then took ten crisp, new gold notes from his robes, slapped them on the table, and looked at Lou Yuxue with a smile.
"If you agree, I can give you these right now—ten thousand taels in gold—as a deposit."
Lou Yuxue’s gaze dropped, sweeping over the stack of gold notes. She was a little surprised.
She hadn’t expected "Liu Wu" to be so forthcoming this time, and a sliver of doubt crept into her mind.
’I clearly told him about the Ji State Trading Company’s situation, and that they’re the ones backing Bright Moon Building. Why isn’t he afraid?’
’Wealth has always tempted men, it’s true, but you rarely see someone as reckless as ’Liu Wu’—all for money, with no regard for his life. Isn’t he afraid of the Ji State Trading Company finding out and bringing their thunderous wrath down on him?’
After a moment of contemplation, Lou Yuxue came to a decision. ’This is too big. I need to pull someone else into this mess with me.’
"I can’t give you an answer right now. Meet me here again tomorrow night, at this same time."
"You should have just said so."
Chen Yi smoothly swept the gold notes back up, muttering something about the White Tiger Guard’s Silver Banner Officer being so indecisive.
Lou Yuxue heard him perfectly clearly, and her eyelid twitched in irritation.
Just as she was about to curse him out, two knocks sounded at the door.