The wind was a bit strong in front of the Xu Manor.
Song Yubai stood beside the unwashed carriage, taking a deep breath of the air tinged with the smell of coal ash. He felt a surge of emotion in his chest, as if he had just swallowed a reassurance pill.
"Young Master, are we heading back to the capital now?"
His attendant cautiously approached, still holding the pair of dirty boots that had just been changed out of. "Should we hurry and write the eight-hundred-li urgent memorial?"
"What's the rush?"
Song Yubai waved his sleeve, his eyes burning bright, as if he had seen through the fog of this world.
"The memorial must be written, but I also must obtain the 'true scriptures' of Taoyuan County!"
He turned his head to look back at the gates of the Xu Manor, which were not considered luxurious, his eyes filled with respect.
"Think about it. If that cement truly only costs fifteen taels per stone, the deficit involved is enormous. The Xu family is not a wealthy, noble household; where would they get so much silver to fill this bottomless pit?"
The attendant scratched his head. "Perhaps... they have deep pockets?"
"Foolish!"
Song Yubai glared at him, frustrated by his lack of understanding. "No matter how deep their pockets are, there will come a day when they eat through their fortune! Since Master Xu can maintain such a situation, he must have an extraordinary way of making money!"
"Let's go! Let's see the most prosperous area in this city!"
"I want to see with my own eyes exactly how this righteous gentleman manages to both conduct business and save the world in this corrupt society!"
...
A quarter of an hour later.
The carriage drove into the very center of Taoyuan County.
If the previous mine was rugged and full of a sense of power, then this place was a money-squandering den flowing with gold dust and desire.
The originally wide cement road was surprisingly a bit congested here.
Not because there were many people, but because there were many carriages.
Various luxurious carriages, made of red sandalwood, yellow rosewood, and inlaid with gold and jade, were crowded at the intersection like colorful beetles, unable to move.
A strange fragrance permeated the air. It was neither the vulgar scent of cheap cosmetics nor the elegant aroma of incense, but an aggressive scent that made one irresistibly want to spend money upon smelling it.
"Is that... the Xu family's shop?"
Song Yubai lifted the carriage curtain, his entire body jolting and his pupils shrinking sharply.
At the end of the long street, a uniquely shaped three-story building rose from the ground.
Unlike ordinary buildings, it had no flying eaves or bracket sets, nor did it have heavy brick walls.
Under the midday sun, the entire building sparkled with a blinding light, as if it were carved from a massive, crystal-clear piece of quartz!
Sunlight penetrated the walls, refracting into a seven-colored halo, making the surrounding restaurants and shops, which originally seemed quite grand, look as dull and insignificant as worthless rubble.
"Colored glaze? It's actually entirely made of colored glaze?"
Song Yubai's fingers tightly gripped the window frame, his voice trembling. "How much... how much must this cost?"
In the Great Qian Dynasty, a glazed cup was a rare treasure, and a slightly larger glazed folding screen was treated as a precious relic even in the imperial palace.
But here, someone was actually using colored glaze to build a house?
Just then, a commotion broke out ahead.
"Let me go! Let me go!"
A merchant, dressed in brocade and covered in fat, was tossed out of the doors of that crystal palace by two burly men in black uniforms, as easily as if they were carrying a little chick.
Bang!
The merchant hit the ground heavily, rolled twice, and his silk garments were covered in dust.
But he completely ignored the pain, desperately protecting a small yellow square box in his arms as if guarding his own life.
"A scam! This is an absolute scam!"
Sitting on the ground, the merchant beat his chest and stomped his feet, crying miserably. "Five taels! You actually dare to sell a single piece of cleansing mud for five taels of silver? This is robbery! This is driving people to their deaths!"
Song Yubai heard him clearly, and the anger he had just suppressed flared up again.
Five taels?
A piece of mud sold for five taels?
How was this doing business? This was blatant robbery!
Even if Xu Qinghuan was doing this to make up for the deficit from the cement, he shouldn't be sucking the marrow from people's bones like this! Wasn't this forcing the common people onto a path of ruin?
"Stop right there!"
Song Yubai pushed the carriage door open and strode over with wide steps.
He reached the merchant in a few steps and reached out to help him up, while glaring angrily at the two expressionless guards at the door.
"In broad daylight, with prices inflated to such an extent, you still dare to strike people? Is there no law anymore?"
Exuding an aura of righteousness, Song Yubai turned to the merchant on the ground, his tone softening considerably. "Do not fear, my friend. Today, I shall seek justice for you! We don't need to buy from such a fraudulent shop anyway!"
The merchant froze for a moment and stopped howling.
He looked up, sizing Song Yubai up and down with a gaze reserved for idiots, and then violently swatted away Song Yubai's outstretched hand.
Slap!
The sound was crisp.
"Are you sick in the head?"
The merchant cursed in annoyance, rolling his eyes as he carefully wiped the dust off the small yellow square box in his arms.
"Who said I wasn't buying? I'm upset because they're only willing to sell me one piece today! I was thrown out because I wanted to buy ten!"
Song Yubai stiffened in place, his outstretched hand hanging in midair, so embarrassed he didn't know what to do.
"Buy... ten pieces?"
Song Yubai pointed at the box, which was only the size of a palm, and asked in disbelief, "This thing is five taels of silver a piece, and you want to buy ten? Are... are you crazy?"
"What the hell do you know!"
The merchant scrambled to his feet, patted the dirt off his backside, and looked at Song Yubai with utter disdain.
"Is this mud? This is Fragrant Snow Sea! It's a divine facial cleansing product personally formulated by Miss Xu!"
"After using this, your skin becomes as tender and smooth as water, and your body carries a milky fragrance. The women at home will fight tooth and nail for it, and the top courtesans in the brothels can't even get it for a thousand pieces of gold!"
The merchant sniffed the box with an intoxicated expression. "Take this to the prefectural city, and it can be resold for eight taels of silver! With such a huge profit margin, only a fool wouldn't buy it!"
"It's just that this Xu family shop has too many rules, talking about some hunger marketing and limiting purchases to one per person... Bah! They just want to whet my appetite!"
After saying that, the merchant hugged the box and, as if afraid it would be snatched away, slipped into the crowd and ran off.
Leaving Song Yubai standing bewildered in the wind.
Buying a bar of soap for five taels of silver and making a profit of three taels upon reselling?
Are these people... burning money because they have too much of it?
"Make way! Don't block my view of the Glazed Pavilion's doors!"
The people lining up behind impatiently shoved Song Yubai.
Song Yubai took a deep breath and gritted his teeth.
He was determined to see what kind of magic this so-called Glazed Pavilion possessed to make all these shrewd merchants lose their minds!
He adjusted his clothes and strode toward the radiant, colorful doors.
With one step, he crossed the threshold.
The noisy chatter seemed to be instantly cut off, isolated in another world.
A cool breeze brushed against his face, carrying a faint yet highly layered floral fragrance.
Song Yubai raised his head.
In the next second, his breath caught in his throat.
There were no walls.
Or rather, the walls had disappeared.
The entire first-floor hall was actually completely transparent in all directions!
The midday sun poured in without the slightest hindrance, shining upon the terrazzo floor that was as smooth as a mirror. Dust motes danced in the shafts of light, looking like countless golden sprites.
Song Yubai reached out a trembling hand, gently touching the barrier that seemed nonexistent, yet tangibly kept the wind and dust at bay.
Ice-cold.
Solid.
Incredibly smooth.
"Is... is this an entire slab of crystal?"
Song Yubai's scalp tingled, and his legs went slightly weak.
In this day and age, even window paper was something to be protected with the utmost care. Yet Xu Qinghuan had actually used such a transparent, divine material to enclose a whole palace?
He felt as though he had stepped into the legendary Dragon Palace of the Eastern Sea, or the Heavenly Court itself.
It was too bright here.
So bright that it made one feel ashamed of one's own appearance, so bright it felt as if every pore on his body was glowing.
In the center of the hall stood an array of exquisite glass display counters.
Inside the counters sat various colorful little bottles, as crystal-clear as gemstones.
"The first floor of the Glazed Pavilion is dedicated entirely to the display of fragrant essences."
A maid dressed in a form-fitting qipao walked over with a sweet smile, her voice as soft as a gentle breeze.
"If this is your first time visiting, young master, would you care to try this 'Cardamom Blooms'?"
Song Yubai stared blankly at the thumb-sized bottle. The price tag read: Fifty taels of fine silver.
Fifty taels!
That was enough to buy several acres of prime paddy fields!
Yet here, it could only buy a meager drop of water, barely enough to wet one's lips?
"Is this... Master Xu's business?"
Song Yubai muttered to himself, the shock in his heart beyond measure.
He turned around, his gaze landing on a massive notice board nearby.
It was a wooden board painted ink-black, with a few white chalk sticks resting beside it. Several lines of elegant handwriting graced its surface.
