After traveling for over twenty days, the group finally returned to Yingchuan City.
Upon arriving back at the academy, they received another letter from Zhou Qingyuan.
"His Majesty has bestowed Murong You's second daughter as a concubine to the Crown Prince. Northwest Marquis Xiao Yan has led fifty thousand soldiers to the Tartar front."
Xiao Youcheng was surprised—his father had actually allowed a daughter of the Murong family to marry the Crown Prince? Before the Crown Prince's recovery, Murong You had seemingly chosen the Second Prince instead.
Lu Chao went to inquire with the merchant caravan but found no letters from Yingge. His heart sank, wondering if the young man had followed the troops to the battlefield.
Suppressing his unease, he decided to request leave and return to Yuxi for a visit. Recently, the two academy masters had been in high spirits and were unusually accommodating, granting permission without the usual back-and-forth persuasion. As Lu Chao and Xiao Youcheng departed, they even saw the two masters cheerfully heading out with fishing rods in hand—a rare sight.
Yuxi was now bustling with activity. News of its divine connection had spread far and wide, attracting merchants from all over who scrambled to purchase its goods. Not only had the price of astragalus skyrocketed, but even Yuxi's wheat and grain fetched higher prices than elsewhere. The locals, their pockets growing heavier, couldn't stop smiling and spontaneously placed offerings before the roadside monument. Lord Lu had even assigned two officials to manage and maintain order there.
When Lu Chao arrived, he saw a line of out-of-town merchants reverently touching the stone tablet of Sheng'an Road—the characters "Sacred Heart" nearly polished to a shine from all the rubbing.
"You rascal! I thought you were acting impulsively back then, but you had this trick up your sleeve!" Xiao Youcheng couldn't help but admire Lu Chao's foresight.
"Honestly, I was mentally prepared to take a loss at first," Lu Chao admitted. He had only tested the waters, never expecting merchants' reverence for imperial authority to run so deep.
"Should we stock up on more goods then?"
Lu Chao nodded decisively. "Absolutely. Better safe than sorry—prepare for the worst."
In turbulent times, food was more precious than gold. Over the years, Xiao Youcheng had poured his private treasury into stockpiling supplies. This trip to the capital had been made with the direst expectations, yet they had somehow turned a profit.
At the county office, Lord Lu watched as merchants unable to secure astragalus flooded into his son's wine shop. His beard quivered with amusement—he now considered the 200,000 taels of silver well spent. The richest man truly lived up to his title; his business acumen was unmatched.
"My Lord! The Second Young Master is here again with the procurement documents!" Deputy Secretary Shen entered with a grimace, slapping his thigh in frustration. The agreement stipulated that astragalus could only be purchased at the Great Yuan Dynasty's market price, yet outside merchants were offering two to three times that amount. All that gleaming silver—gone!
Lord Lu neither wanted nor could intervene. Lu Yuanyi now wielded those documents like imperial edicts. With his own seal stamped on them, he couldn’t very well contradict himself.
"Let him have it. The astragalus sales are entirely his doing. Don’t get too greedy and ruin your own prospects. If Prince Kang takes issue, I won’t shield you."
With reluctant steps, Deputy Secretary Shen headed to the warehouse to arrange the shipment.
Following Lu Chao’s original plan, Yuxi’s farmers purchased astragalus seeds from the county office—ensuring quality while also qualifying for subsidies if they bought in bulk. After registering and signing agreements, they were obligated to sell their harvest exclusively to the government.
This system guaranteed both quality and price stability. With the government as a safety net, farmers needn’t worry about unsold crops—astragalus took at least three years to cultivate. Lu Chao only needed to coordinate with the county office for procurement.
Lu Yuanyi, now fourteen, was swamped with work but handled it with seasoned efficiency. Covered in dust, the once-elegant youth resembled a grizzled shopkeeper.
"Uncle Shen, I’m taking the warehouse stock! Sign here and stamp it—everyone witness this. The silver’s already paid."
Spotting Lu Chao, his eyes welled up.
"My dear brother, you’re finally back! Orders from the capital are booked through next year. Hire someone quick, or I’m walking away!"
Lu Chao soothed him. "It’s done. Prince Kang is sending two men soon. Train them, then delegate the drudgery. I brought you gifts for your hard work!"
Lu Yuanyi exhaled in relief. Dealing with the county’s crafty old-timers was exhausting. Uncle Chen, who loved honeycomb egg yolk pastries, had warned him: "Blink, and they’ll swindle you."
"How was the capital? Did you see Eldest Brother? Was the Emperor’s birthday spectacular?"
Lu Chao nodded. "Smoother than expected. I met Eldest Brother and brought letters for everyone. The celebrations were magnificent—even Tartar envoys attended."
Lu Yuanyi listened with envy.
"If not for Prince Kang, I’d have gone with you!"
"There’ll be other chances."
On the way home, Lu Chao shared all he could—court factions, political shifts. Lord Lu was likely due for a promotion, and Lu Yuanyi needed to know these things eventually.
Back at the estate, Xingyao spotted Lu Chao from afar and sprinted into his arms. After a prolonged sibling embrace, she tiptoed to unwrap her gift. A gasp escaped her at the sight of an exquisite, never-before-seen dress, followed by gleeful jumps—what girl didn’t adore beautiful gowns?
At dinner, she insisted on sitting beside Lu Chao, serving him dishes while Lord Lu watched, green with envy.
After the meal, Lady Lu detained Lu Chao. Recognizing her anxious gaze, he rubbed his nose and relayed all he’d learned in the capital.
"Uncle treats Eldest Brother as his own son—no issue there. But Aunt... has other plans."
He disclosed how she’d discreetly inquired about noble bachelors attending the winter banquet.
Lady Lu wasn’t shocked. She’d known her sister-in-law’s vanity since maidenhood—her competitive streak made Yuanzhao’s dismissal predictable.
"And your brother? Is he smitten?"
Youthful infatuations could derail imperial exams.
"Eldest Brother’s oblivious. Uncle’s household has decorum—they’ve only glimpsed each other once."
The cousin likely resisted too. Sharing a roof yet never crossing paths outside one Mid-Autumn gathering? Deliberate avoidance, no doubt.
Lady Lu relaxed. Noble daughters married up, humble brides married in. If her sister-in-law objected, so be it—better than forcing unhappiness on the pair.
"Then I’ll speak plainly with your uncle, so we don’t drift apart."
"Mother, perhaps we should wait a little longer. Aunt might be more anxious than we are. It seems Uncle is still unaware of the situation. If we reject them first, it might come across as ungrateful."
Lady Lu nodded. "That’s true. It’s better to avoid causing any rift between our families."
"Are you done yet?"
Lord Lu’s voice came from outside the door, followed by a knock. Lady Lu shook her head with a smile.
"Alright, I’ll come out now. If I delay any longer, your father will barge in."
Outside, Lord Lu was growing impatient. Why did his wife and son need to shut themselves away for private talk? Was there anything the head of the household shouldn’t hear?
When Lady Lu finally emerged, Lord Lu gave an awkward smile.
"My lady, did your brother have any instructions?"
"It’s nothing urgent, just a matter concerning my sister-in-law. Don’t worry, my lord."
Lord Lu nodded and didn’t press further, quickly stepping inside to find Lu Chao.
"Chao’er, what did you need to discuss with me?"
Lu Chao closed the doors and windows tightly, then lowered his voice as he recounted everything that had happened in the capital.
"So, the good news is you might soon be promoted. The bad news is the Great Yuan Dynasty could face unrest."
Lord Lu’s heart swelled with excitement—he had finally earned his due. But at the mention of the looming crisis, his expression darkened. "What should we do?"
"The people of Yuxi currently have surplus funds. You should encourage them to stockpile grain. News of Yuxi’s prosperity has spread, making it a prime target for bandits if chaos breaks out. The city guards must train diligently and prepare thoroughly. The citizens must also learn to defend themselves."
"If the Tatars don’t stir up trouble, you’ll likely be promoted by year’s end. But if unrest erupts, His Majesty may forget such matters entirely. We must be fully prepared."
For some reason, despite everything going suspiciously smoothly lately, Lu Chao couldn’t shake the intuition that turbulent times were approaching.
