Chapter 926: Return, presented with a command token (1/2)
The enmity between East and West Qin was nothing but a misunderstanding and a farce. If Han Yunxi knew, she would be thrilled, right? How happy would she feel? Like a little girl, jumping and shouting about? Ning Cheng had never seen her act like that before. In fact,he’d rarely seen her smile. Thinking up to here, he almost thought he could see her confident yet dazzling grin.
And how would Long Feiye react?
Although Ning Cheng didn’t want to accept or believe the truth, he had to admit that this time Long Feiye and Han Yunxi had won their gamble! How could he do anything but submit to her? She was the master, while he was the vassal; she was the monarch, and he a subject; she hadn’t forgotten her duties or colluded with the enemy, so what right did he have to refuse her?
She had chosen Long Feiye, so what reason did he have to interfere?
Ning Cheng sat hanging his head, his hands resting over his knees. In the darkness, the candlelight illuminated the fine contours of his handsome face as his lips drew up into a bitter smile. He seemed resigned to his fate and utterly helpless. He was the one most adamant that things couldn’t have been a mere misunderstanding between East and West Qin, yet why was he the first to uncover the truth?
While lost in his thoughts, Bai Yuqiao entered.
“You’ve finished discussing things with my senior brother?” she asked.
Ning Cheng looked up while smiling inwardly. Bai Yuqiao will be a perfect pawn!
Years of hatred couldn’t be washed away by a single revelation of the truth. The civil war in the Great Qin Empire had killed and injured countless people and sacrificed even more. Those lost lives needed to be paid back. Who would pay the debt? Naturally, the Black and Wind Clans!
Even if he didn’t eliminate Bai Yanqing, he refused to believe that he couldn’t handle Jun Yixie!
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While Ning Cheng’s letter to Uncle Cheng was on its way, the man himself was in a bad spot. Han Yunxi’s group had already finished touring South Jue and West Jade Gardens, paid the price, and gained the deeds before returning to Three-Way Black Market. Uncle Cheng only sat for a spell at Myriad Merchant Hall before making an excuse to leave.
He had made prior arrangements with Jia Dai to take the money from Meet Fortune Private Bank in Three-Way Black Market as soon as the deal was done. But he’d already been waiting for an hour, yet Jia Dai hadn’t shown up. Nor had the man made any mention of raising the price to him beforehand. All of this served to make Uncle Cheng sense something was off!
After sitting awhile, he rushed straight for Myriad Merchant Hall’s Prosperous Heaven Private Bank. Half of the payment from Han Yunxi and the head elder came from this bank. All subordinates of Myriad Merchant Hall had the right to withdraw money here. If he could freeze the account before Jia Dai withdrew the money, then the silver drafts in the man’s hands would become defunct. Then the man would get no cash at all. And yet, by the time Uncle Cheng arrived, he was told that the silver drafts had already been cashed in at a different bank.
“Detestable!” Uncle Cheng slammed a fist on the counter, scaring the manager.
“Absolutely abominable!” Uncle Cheng was furious, but he soon found no time to fret. Panic replaced his rage. Without the money, how was he supposed to pay back Manager Jin’s debt? Tonight was the deadline he’d given the man!
Gradually, Uncle Cheng fell silent as his expression grew complicated. Seeing this, the manager carefully drew closer and murmured, “Uncle Cheng, it was the Council of Elders that wrote this silver draft, right? What kind of business was the head elder doing to need so much money?”
How could mere subordinates know anything about the West Qin princess involving herself in Myriad Merchant Hall’s affairs, much less what the head elder spent their money on? In the bank, only the manager knew that Myriad Merchant Hall had taken out 700 million in one shot today at noon. But Uncle Cheng was too lost in his thoughts to hear the man. He only had two paths before him: kill Manager Jin before he blabbed to Han Yunxi and the head elder, or...run away!
After leaving Prosperous Heaven Private Bank, Uncle Cheng didn’t return to Myriad Merchant Hall, but called upon a group of experts to accompany him to Three-Way Black Market’s busiest area, the Willowflower Alley.
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Night had already fallen, but Han Yunxi was still very busy. After coming back from West Jade Gardens, she and a few elders had began discussing the matters of opening up gambling houses. South Jue Gardens and West Jade Gardens both had courtyards that could be put to use immediately without any renovations. As long as they brought over the gambling things, they were set.
“Let’s start tonight. It has to be top secret! At most, we’ll need to open for business in 10 days,” Han Yunxi said. Ever since leaving Ning Jing’s rooms, her nerves had been pulled taut.
“May princess give the two casinos a name,” the head elder said respectfully. They had determined that South Jue Gardens, which was closer to the Three-Way Black Markets, would be an ordinary gambling house and open for business first. West Jade Gardens would be reserved for distinguished patrons, so they’d let it sit first while spreading its name.
After a pause, Han Yunxi decided, “We can just use the original names. Have someone spread word a few days from now. Just say that the owner of the gardens decided to open gambling houses!”
The head elder clapped his hands at the ingenious idea. Such misleading lies would only make the gardens more mysterious. Such gains outweighed the price of fraud. After Han Yunxi discussed a few more details with the elders, the meeting was dismissed. She had her servant girl wheel her away while chatting with the various men and discussing official business.
“Your Royal Highness, you’ve worked hard these past two days!”
“Your Royal Highness, hurry and go back to rest. We can take care of everything else, you don’t need to worry.”
Han Yunxi was about to ask after the auction hall’s progress when a little pageboy suddenly dashed over. “Your Royal Highness, Head Elder, the auction hall’s started doing business again!”
“Really?!” the head elder was thrilled.
“All three auction halls are open for business, and it’s all large sales. The eastern hall offered two items that, but the customer for the second simply paid for the item in full price without borrowing anything from Kangan Private Bank,” the pageboy added delightedly.
The head elder was so happy he didn’t know what to say. His bloodshot eyes, once rimmed with exhaustion, now grew moist with tears. He was shouldering the majority of the pressure for the past few days. Cloud Realm Trade Consortium and the army, as well as the Di Clan’s various scattered forces across the continent, had all written letters asking him about the situation here. He couldn’t bear it all alone. Today they had spent 700 million to purchase two properties. Although he appeared calm, his heart was still trembling from the cost. He feared that the Di Clan’s hundred years of business would die in his hands.