Upon hearing that Qiu and Shi Liu had arrived in Yuxi, Lu Chao couldn’t spare another moment explaining the road detour to Xiao Youcheng. After scheduling a detailed discussion for the next day, he hurried back to his residence.
Having neglected the account books for months, he needed to tally up his savings.
"Master!"
Seeing Lu Chao push open the door, dust still clinging to his robes, Qiu and Shi Liu immediately lowered their voices.
"What were you two arguing about just now? When I walked in, it looked like you were about to spit in each other’s faces."
Lu Chao blinked, momentarily doubting his eyes. Qiu, usually so gentle, had been jabbing her finger perilously close to Shi Liu’s face with the ferocity of a corporate executive from his past life.
"Nothing serious! We were just discussing something—got a little carried away."
Qiu wiped her face. She hadn’t noticed until her master pointed it out, but now she could feel Shi Liu’s disgusting saliva all over her. Revolting!
Shi Liu shot her a sidelong glance and deliberately dabbed his face with a handkerchief, his movements more exaggerated than any woman’s.
What a hypocrite!
Watching his two right-hand men locked in this silent battlefield, Lu Chao pretended not to notice and looked up at the ceiling.
"Master, did you summon us for urgent business?"
Lu Chao rubbed his nose and nodded.
"How much cash do you have on hand right now? I need it for something urgent."
The two promptly pulled abacuses from their sleeves, fingers flying across the beads.
"Master, I have 148,000 taels."
"I’ve got 336,000."
Qiu cursed herself for impulsively investing 100,000 taels in a new branch store days ago—now she was embarrassingly outmatched by this bastard Shi Liu! Still, the assets she’d acquired for their master far surpassed his.
Holy crap, that much?!
Lu Chao was speechless. Had he unknowingly become a tycoon?
Seeing his wide-eyed silence, the two grew anxious. Was it not enough?
"Master! Do you need more? Just wait—we’ve got a thousand bottles of ‘Spring Breeze Ten Miles’ in the estate. If we sell them, we can scrape together another 100,000."
Damn it, had they failed their master by leaving him short on funds?
Lu Chao watched as the previously feuding pair huddled together, brainstorming ways to liquidate assets.
"This is enough."
Qiu exhaled in relief. She’d almost thought she’d have to sell off their master’s prized possessions—irreplaceable treasures.
"It’s been a while since I checked the books. Tell me what you’ve accomplished these past six months."
Qiu launched into a rapid-fire report.
"Master, your idea was brilliant! I sought out Yingchuan’s most famous pleasure house, hired a stunning beauty, and had experts tailor her in exotic Western attire and hairstyles. We even brought in musicians to teach her Western instruments. The moment she performed—bam! She’s now Yingchuan’s one-and-only top courtesan!"
"Master, just like you said—‘scarcity sells’! Those Western ceramics are flying off the shelves! I figured the same logic would apply elsewhere, so I set up operations in Yangzhou and Chuzhou too. The nobles there are ridiculously wealthy—throwing around gold like it’s nothing! Tsk, if only we could expand to Bianjing, but Uncle Liang said we lack connections there."
Lu Chao’s lips twitched. It wasn’t that Uncle Liang lacked connections in Bianjing—he just didn’t want to risk exposing their base.
Who’d have thought the gentle-faced Qiu could be so ruthlessly efficient? She’d already expanded their empire to two more cities.
"Did you track down that ceramics merchant?"
Qiu shook her head.
"Probably scared I’d settle the score. He vanished. So I hired a few kiln masters and started producing our own."
Lu Chao nodded.
"Three locations are enough. Don’t flood every city with ‘exotic Western beauties’—people will catch on. And no exploiting innocent women!"
Qiu straightened up. Thank goodness for the reminder—getting on the authorities’ radar would be disastrous.
"Rest assured, Master. All the women we recruited volunteered. Life in the pleasure houses was brutal for them. Becoming top earners beats suffering in obscurity."
"Good. As long as you’re mindful. We’ll make money, but not by dishonorable means."
Lu Chao flipped through the ledger.
"Peach Blossom House is thriving. You’ve done well."
"All thanks to your vision, Master. It’s now Yingchuan’s favorite haunt for ladies of status. The snacks and teas sell like wildfire. Should we open branches in Yangzhou or Chuzhou?"
The street housing Peach Blossom House also featured a jewelry shop. Across the way stood two stores run by Xu Zhiren’s elder sister—a cosmetics boutique and an embroidery house. With few men venturing there, the lane had earned the nickname "Perfume Alley." Clever vendors peddled flowers and candied hawthorns, drawing noblewomen in droves.
"Hold off on branches. Wait for my next move."
Peach Blossom House had Xiao Youcheng’s stake too. Initially, Lu Chao assumed his partner was just dabbling for pocket money. But after opening, Xiao Youcheng sent over highly skilled female bodyguards—and the penny dropped.
In this era, women who could freely socialize outside were either influential or favored. The gossip they let slip? Priceless.
Peach Blossom House had essentially become Xiao Youcheng’s covert intelligence hub.
With the accounts settled, Lu Chao’s tension eased.
"I’m planning an investment in Yuxi—a venture that may take five years to turn a profit. Brace yourselves."
Qiu and Shi Liu stiffened.
A major deal?!
They exchanged competitive glares.
"Master, we stand ready!"
Who else but us?
A five-year ROI? No obstacle. If their master felt financial strain, it only meant they hadn’t earned enough yet!
After a morning of strategizing, Shi Liu strutted out like a preening rooster, shooting Qiu a triumphant look.
She rolled her eyes.
"Pfft. What’s there to boast about? Your liquor division just got lucky!"
Lu Chao had barely finished half his lamb noodles when Zhou Qingyuan and Lu Yuanyi’s boisterous voices erupted outside.
Sure enough, the trio barged in.
"Apologies for intruding, but we couldn’t wait! What exactly is this ‘sponsorship’ you mentioned? Your second brother’s explanation was gibberish. We’re dying of curiosity!"
Zhou Qingyuan plopped beside Lu Chao, his sheepish expression utterly unconvincing.
"Chao! Back me up! This fool’s incompetence isn’t my fault!"
Lu Yuanyi poured himself tea, throat parched from futile explanations.
Xiao Youcheng gracefully took the seat opposite Lu Chao.
Resigned, Lu Chao wiped his mouth and pulled out a sheet of paper to sketch his plan.
"This matter is actually quite simple. Assuming this road leads to Suhe Town, a one-day journey wouldn’t be enough, meaning both merchant caravans and delivery teams would need to rest midway. Look at the location of this village—it’s precisely along the latter half of the route between Yuxi County and Suhe Town. This place is bound to become a transit hub."
Zhou Qingyuan nodded. "Then there must be plenty of people staying overnight or dining here."
"I’ve invested 150,000 taels of silver in Yuxi County to repair the roads—essentially an advance investment. In return, Yuxi County must grant me priority rights. I’ll choose the best spot in this transit hub, and if I want to purchase goods in Yuxi, they’ll have to prioritize issuing me permits."
Xiao Youcheng nodded thoughtfully.
"Aside from iron ore, what other valuable goods do you think Yuxi County might have?"
Iron ore belonged to the imperial court—even if Lu Chao had the nerve, he couldn’t sell it.
"Not now, but who knows about the future?"
Lu Chao smiled mysteriously. Business was business, and personal matters were separate—this money couldn’t just vanish without a trace. That very night, he even signed an agreement with Lord Lu.
