The early morning in Liuyuan should have been filled with the fragrance of flowers and the chirping of birds, a cozy and peaceful scene. Inside the bedroom, Xu Qinghuan was staring blankly into the void, completely dumbfounded.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The notification sounds in her mind almost merged into a continuous beep, giving her a splitting headache. Xu Qinghuan originally wanted to roll over and go back to sleep, but the ear-piercing sound effects made her want to stuff her pillows into her ears.
Stop, stop, stop! Shut up, Sys!
I just had them read a book, why is it acting like the whole city is attending a funeral banquet?
Xu Qinghuan grumbled in annoyance, casually pulling up the system's semi-transparent blue panel. The next second, she almost jumped out of bed, her eyes practically flying onto the screen.
Holy crap! One hundred and twenty million?!
She looked at the number, feeling like it represented her modern mansions, yachts, and handsome young boyfriends with great bodies.
The folks in Jiangning City sure have a huge temper.
Xu Qinghuan gleefully picked up her teacup and took a sip of the priceless Yuqian Longjing tea. In her understanding, the system's logic for giving money was very simple: as long as she caused drastic emotional fluctuations in the people of this world, whether it was hatred or pain, it could be cashed out.
Last night's performance of the Butterfly Lovers first tricked people in only to break their hearts, and then forced a terrible ending down their throats by turning the lovers into butterflies. That was a surefire way to drive people crazy with anger.
It seems everyone was scammed pretty badly. Out of this hundred million taels, half of it is probably from cursing me as Bloodsucker Xu, and the other half is from cursing that heartless man, Xu Zijin.
Xu Qinghuan thought it was only natural. After all, what kind of sane person spends a hundred taels to watch a play, and has to memorize lines just to buy a book? This was the classic definition of paying to suffer.
It was only because the Great Qian Dynasty didn't have a Consumer Association; otherwise, the doors of her Hundred Flowers Pavilion would have been buried under rotten cabbage leaves long ago.
Li Sheng!
Xu Qinghuan was in a great mood. She slammed her teacup onto the table and shouted.
Li Sheng, who had been waiting outside the door, immediately pushed it open and entered. He was holding an abacus in his hand, and his usually ferocious face currently bore a bizarre flush.
Eldest Miss, your orders.
How is the situation downstairs?
Xu Qinghuan asked casually while playing with the jade thumb ring in her hand.
Have those scholars from the Imperial Academy started organizing a protest yet? Has anyone splashed black dog blood on our door?
Also, I've already written a draft for an apology letter. If anyone rushes in to smash the shop later, just post it outside first, and we can hype up a prodigal's return narrative.
Her calculations were spot on. First, play the villain to harvest a wave of hatred points, then play the victim to harvest sympathy points. This was called killing two birds with one stone.
However, Li Sheng's expression turned a bit strange. He scratched his head, looking somewhat foolish.
To answer Eldest Miss, no one splashed dog blood, and no one is smashing the shop.
Huh?
Xu Qinghuan paused her movements and raised an eyebrow at him.
Did those pedantic scholars change their tune? I completely butchered the books of their sages, and they can tolerate that?
Not only can they tolerate it, they... they actually highly praise it.
Li Sheng swallowed hard, as if he could hardly believe it himself.
I just took a walk around the streets, and the students from all the major academies are debating in the teahouses.
Debating what? Debating how to curse me?
No... Li Sheng pulled a crumpled piece of rice paper from his chest pocket and handed it over.
This is a big poster I tore down from the entrance of Ziyang Academy. Take a look.
Xu Qinghuan took the paper suspiciously and saw several large characters written in flamboyant cursive: A Treatise on County Princess Xu Entering the Dao through Love to Awaken the World.
What the heck?
Xu Qinghuan's eyelids twitched as she continued reading.
The romance of Liang and Zhu, though a popular tale, actually contains the ultimate truths of the universe. County Princess Xu, as a woman, dared to break through the cage of feudal ethics, writing an article with blood and tears to bitterly denounce class prejudices. She is truly a role model for our generation...
Pfft—!
She spat out the mouthful of tea she had just drunk.
Xu Qinghuan's eyes widened. She pointed at the paper, her fingers trembling.
Is... is this praising me?
Yes. Li Sheng looked at his Eldest Miss with a face full of worship.
It's spreading like crazy outside now. They say you are the living Householder Yi'an.
There are even a few old scholars who almost got into a fight in the academy arguing over whether Liang Shanbo deserved to die. In the end, they unanimously agreed that it was this cannibalistic society that drove him to his death.
And you are the brave warrior who dared to expose the truth of this cannibalistic world.
Xu Qinghuan: ...
She was completely numb. This plot direction was all wrong!
I'm the villain! I'm the vicious female supporting character who's just here to grab the money and run!
How did I become a brave warrior? How did I become a role model?
Is there something seriously wrong with the reading comprehension skills of the people in this era?
Then... this hundred million taels the system gave me...
Xu Qinghuan's brain couldn't quite process it. Could it be that this system not only harvested negative emotions but also accepted positive emotions like being moved to tears and bowing in utter admiration?
Forget it, who cares.
Xu Qinghuan tossed the poster onto the table and slumped back into her chair. As long as the money was real, that was all that mattered.
As for reputation? Such illusory things would only slow down her money-counting speed.
Alright, since no one is smashing the shop, let the music and dancing continue.
Xu Qinghuan waved her hand, her interest waning.
Tell Xu Zijin to stop pretending to be so deep and brooding. Since everyone loves his miserable look, let's strike while the iron is hot and release Butterfly Lovers merchandise.
True love knots, butterfly jade pendants, tear-stained handkerchiefs—get them all ready.
Remember, sell them at ten times the cost price!
Li Sheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately straightened his back.
Got it! I will go handle it right away! Eldest Miss is brilliant!
Just as Li Sheng turned around to leave, a sudden commotion broke out downstairs. It wasn't ordinary noise, but rather a low whispering that followed a sudden dead silence, like the sound of a lid being slammed onto a pot of boiling water.
Immediately after, a clever young attendant rushed upstairs, stumbling and crawling.
Eldest Miss! Manager Li! This is bad... no, it's a huge deal!
The young attendant was panting heavily, his face deathly pale, clearly terrified.
What are you panicking for! Li Sheng smacked the back of the attendant's head.
Even if the sky falls, Eldest Miss will hold it up. Straighten your tongue and speak clearly!
The young attendant swallowed hard, pointing a trembling finger downstairs.
The Xie... the Xie family has sent someone!
The Xie family? Xu Qinghuan frowned slightly.
Which Xie family? That bookworm Xie Yunzhou?
No... no! The young attendant shook his head frantically.
It's... it's the head steward beside Lord Xie! He came in that blue-canopied carriage that the Lord normally only uses when entering the palace!
At this, even Li Sheng's expression changed.
Xie An. That was a figure who truly stood at the pinnacle of power in the Great Qian Dynasty. With a single stomp of his foot, the entire Jiangnan region would tremble three times.
If a junior like Xie Yunzhou came to make trouble, they could still fend him off. But if Xie An personally sent someone...
Li Sheng subconsciously looked at Xu Qinghuan, his hand already reaching for the intimidating club at his waist, his eyes turning fierce.
Eldest Miss, did we take this play too far and anger that old master?
How about... I take some men and escort you out the back door first?
Xu Qinghuan laughed instead. She slowly stood up, smoothed out her priceless flowing-cloud brocade dress, a flash of sharpness in her eyes.
"Retreat?"
"Why should we retreat?"
"Since the God of Wealth has come to our door, what reason is there to push him away?"
She walked to the window, pushed open the lattice, and looked down from above. Sure enough.
The main entrance of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion had already been cleared. The originally crowded mass of people automatically parted to both sides, making way for a broad path.
A carriage without any complicated decorations, yet built entirely of golden thread nanmu wood, parked quietly there. At the shafts, a simple and ancient totem of the character Xie was carved.
That invisible sense of oppression could be felt even across several floors.
"Let's go."
Xu Qinghuan turned around, her bright red skirt sweeping out a sharp arc.
"Let's go meet this grand steward."
...
Outside the main gate of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. The atmosphere was heavy.
The spectating commoners and the various spies mixed in the crowd didn't even dare to breathe loudly at this moment. No one expected that a play like Butterfly Lovers could actually alarm Lord Xie.
"Is that Xie Fu? An old servant by Lord Xie's side."
"My God, even he was mobilized. Is this Xu family girl about to suffer terrible luck?"
"It looks precarious. They might just arrest her and throw her in jail directly, after all, this Hundred Flowers Pavilion has gone too far..."
Amidst the whispers, Xu Qinghuan led Li Sheng and unhurriedly stepped over the threshold. She did not salute, not even bending her waist a little, only slightly raising her chin. That arrogant and domineering posture was no different from her usual self.
"Oh, isn't this Steward Xie?"
Xu Qinghuan waved the round fan she had just casually picked up, her tone frivolous.
"What wind blew you here? What, does Lord Xie also want to come to my Hundred Flowers Pavilion to listen to some tunes and look at young master Xu's stud waist?"
As soon as these words came out, a chorus of sharp intakes of breath sounded around them.
Hiss!
Is this woman crazy! That is Xie An! The current Chief Minister! How dare she use a term like stud waist to tease him?
Standing by the carriage, Xie Fu's poker face, which had been stiff all along, twitched slightly at the brow. But he did not lash out.
Instead, he turned around extremely respectfully and brought out a red sandalwood box from the carriage. The box looked quite old, with a mellow patina, yet exuding a scholarly air.
Holding the box with both hands, Xie Fu walked up to Xu Qinghuan and actually bowed slightly, performing a half-salute.
"County Princess Xu overstates it."
Xie Fu's voice was not loud, but it was full of breath, enough for everyone present to hear clearly.
"My master read the Butterfly Lovers compiled by the County Princess last night and stayed awake all night."
"The master said that although the County Princess acts eccentrically, between the lines, there is a great compassion for the world."
"Especially the line 'Whether grievance or destiny, speak not of the butterfly dream,' which deeply won the master's heart."
Saying this, Xie Fu raised the box in his hands high.
"Therefore, the master specially ordered this old servant to deliver a set of the Four Treasures of the Study, as encouragement."
"He hopes that the County Princess will produce more masterpieces in the future, and write more heartfelt words for the people of this Jiangning City."
Silence. Deathly silence.
Everyone's eyes widened as they looked at the red sandalwood box, completely stunned. In the crowd, a knowledgeable spy from the Wang family suddenly exclaimed:
"That is... that is a Chengni inkstone!"
"And that brush... the shaft glows with a purple light, that is a tribute purple-hair brush from the previous dynasty!"
"Good heavens! These are the items Lord Xie uses daily to review official documents! This... this is equivalent to announcing to the whole world that the Xie family is protecting Xu Qinghuan?!"
This exclamation completely detonated the crowd. Zhao Tai, who had been waiting to see the Xu family's downfall, hid in the corner, his face turning green.
He was still clutching the draft memorial he had prepared to impeach Xu Qinghuan, and at this moment, he only felt the draft burning his hands.
Xie An sending brush and ink? How is this giving a gift? This is a warning!
Whoever dares to touch the Hundred Flowers Pavilion again is slapping Xie An in the face!
Just when everyone was shivering under the shock of this immense glory, Xu Qinghuan only glanced lightly at the box. She stretched out a finger and boredly flicked open the lid.
She took a look.
"Oh, the quality is decent."
She commented casually, her tone flat, not caring at all.
"Li Sheng, put it away."
Xu Qinghuan yawned and waved her hand.
"Since it's a reward from Lord Xie, let's not waste it."
"It just so happens that the accounting room is missing a paperweight. This inkstone looks quite heavy, take it to press down the account books."
"As for that brush... send it to Xu Zijin, let him use it for copying books next time, so he doesn't always use those inferior brushes and write ugly characters."
Thud. Someone in the crowd went weak in the knees and knelt straight down.
Using the Chief Minister's Chengni inkstone to press account books? Giving an imperially bestowed purple-hair brush to an actor to copy books? This is simply... a reckless waste of heavenly treasures! Treasonous and heretical!
Xie Fu's hands holding the box also froze in mid-air, the corners of his mouth twitching fiercely twice. He had thought Xu Qinghuan would be overwhelmed by the unexpected favor, and he had thought she would be terrified with trepidation. The only thing he hadn't thought of was that she would disdain it.
But soon, the trace of astonishment in Xie Fu's eyes disappeared, replaced by a deeper apprehension. Treating power and wealth like dirt.
Being so casual even with the goodwill of the current Chief Minister. Who exactly was standing behind this woman?
Could it be... the one in the palace?
Xie Fu took a deep breath, suppressing the messy speculations at the bottom of his heart, and his face regained its respectfulness.
"County Princess Xu is indeed... a person of true temperament."
He handed the box to a dumbfounded Li Sheng, and then pulled out a gold-stamped invitation from his sleeve. This time, his movements were much more solemn.
"Besides the gift, the master has one more matter that he entrusted this old servant to convey."
