Chapter 91

Listening, readx;

At this point, Han Yan began to understand. He glared fiercely at Dongfang Shuo and quietly tugged at Liu Che's sleeve.

Liu Che, puzzled, did not want to ask in front of Dongfang Shuo, so he waved for Dongfang Shuo to leave. Dongfang Shuo bowed and walked away with a proud stride. Han Yan's face turned black with anger, his lips curled, and tears streamed down his face.

"Your Majesty, I have been wrongly beaten."

"It's not unjust." Liu Che pinched the unbruised half of Han Yan's face, his manner affectionate. "Li Danghu was upholding the dignity of the Son of Heaven. Wangsun, you can be as mischievous as you like in private, but in front of outsiders, how can you be so reckless?"

"I admit my fault. But if I hadn't been provoked by Dongfang Shuo, how could I have been disrespectful in front of Your Majesty? Dongfang Shuo did this on purpose; he used me."

Liu Che raised an eyebrow. "He deliberately provoked you so he could have the chance to tell me about this matter?"

"Of course. Your Majesty, can't you see his intentions? Liang Xiao promised him a ten percent commission. Of course, he would put in the effort to get a good price. He asked the Princess of Huainan for five hundred gold, but he refused to sell, wanting to get an even higher price."

"Can the double-sided brocade technique fetch a higher price?"

"Of course. I've been to the Jiangdu residence these past few days. Double-sided brocade is a specialty of Jiangdu, sold exclusively by the Guangling Ding family. It costs one gold per bolt, with low production, usually not sold in the market, as it is pre-ordered before it comes off the loom. Only one woman surnamed Liang, likely Liang's mother, can weave this brocade. This brocade is in high demand but short supply, with substantial profits. If we could arrange a hundred looms, producing a hundred bolts a year, the profit would be more than a hundred gold."

Liu Che suddenly understood, slapping his thigh. "In that case, even if we only consider Liu Ling's fief, we could make a hundred gold a year."

"That's right." Han Yan agreed, then added, "Such a profitable venture should not fall into the hands of Huainan. Dongfang Shuo must have seen this and is looking for someone who can pay a higher price."

"So, he set his sights on me?"

Han Yan smiled ingratiatingly. "Who else but Your Majesty could afford such a sum and dare to challenge the financial interests of the Princess of Huainan?"

Liu Che's eyes twinkled, and he laughed heartily, lightly patting Han Yan's face. "Wangsun, you are truly thinking of me. However, I cannot be greedy for such a small profit and hurt the heart of the King of Huainan, earning a reputation for being profit-driven. Wangsun, you must also be careful."

Han Yan's face fell, pouting as he lay on Liu Che's lap, exuding charm. Liu Che, moved, let his fingers slide down Han Yan's back. Han Yan blushed and obediently turned around.

...

Two days later, the super-sized carriage Dongfang Shuo had ordered arrived. Liang Xiao paid 37,000 coins for it, almost depleting his last half-liang coin. A mid-range carriage in Chang'an usually costs between 20,000 and 25,000 coins, but Dongfang Shuo's tall stature required the carriage to be higher and wider, making it a custom-made product with significantly higher costs.

This was just the carriage. To pull it, two strong horses were needed, which cost Liang Xiao another 18,000 coins. In total, Liang Xiao spent over 60,000 coins to get Dongfang Shuo ready.

Feeling the new carriage, Dongfang Shuo was satisfied but a bit regretful. "It's a pity it can't have red fenders; otherwise, it would be even more impressive."

"You have to earn that yourself; money can't buy it."

"Who says it can't be bought?" Dongfang Shuo's eyes twinkled. "With enough money for gifts, a 2,000-dan official can be appointed."

Liang Xiao shrugged, ignoring him. Fenders are mudguards above the wheels, where one can rest their arm. According to Han dynasty regulations, officials of 2,000-dan and above can have both fenders painted red, while those below 2,000-dan, from 1,000 to 600-dan, can only paint the left fender red. This is a symbol of status, not something that can be bought with money, or it would be considered a breach of etiquette.

"I have no more money. The Princess of Liu was scared off by your 500 gold, and there are no other buyers. What should we do now?"

"Don't worry, she won't get away." Dongfang Shuo smiled. "Let's go. You've been in Chang'an for so long, practicing archery every day. You probably haven't had the chance to tour the city. Now that we have a carriage and horses, and the autumn scenery is beautiful, why not go out for a drive and let your mother enjoy the sights of Chang'an?"

Liang Xiao initially wanted to refuse, as he wanted to practice archery at home. But then he thought about how long his mother had been in Chang'an without the chance to go out and see the city, both due to lack of time and money. Now that the situation had improved, with a carriage and horses, he should take his mother out for a change and let her see the grandeur of the capital.

Liang Xiao went inside to ask for permission, and Liang Miao happily agreed. Li Rongqing and Hu Xijun could not contain their excitement and cheered. Hu Xijun volunteered to be their guide, showing them the sights.

Liang Xiao and his group set out. Dongfang Shuo sat alone in a light carriage, while Li Rongqing and Hu Xijun accompanied Liang Miao in a covered carriage. Liang Xiao and Tu Nuer rode horses. Liang Xiao could have sat with Dongfang Shuo, but he wanted to practice his riding, so he ignored Dongfang Shuo's advice and rode like a retainer.

Riding a stirrupless horse was not easy. Liang Xiao could have modified the saddle to add stirrups, but he thought, if he were to go to war, would he carry his own saddle and stirrups? So he gave up and patiently learned to ride.

Wanhu Li is in the southwestern suburbs of Chang'an. It is only about ten miles from the city gate to one of the eight rivers, the Jue River. The grasslands on both banks of the Jue River were already filled with many carriages, and there were many people out for a day of fun. Men and women, young and old, laughed and chatted, their voices rising and falling.

Standing by the Jue River, looking north to the majestic Chang'an and south to the towering mountains, Liang Xiao felt his mood improve. He and Dongfang Shuo strolled along the river, enjoying the rare leisure time. Since he started learning archery from Huan Yuan, he had not been out to play for a long time, spending most of his time practicing.

Practicing archery is like climbing a mountain; the higher you go, the harder it gets, and the more effort you need to put in. He was currently practicing at a distance of a hundred paces, with a hit rate fluctuating around thirty percent, mostly hitting the rings from six to seven. The hit rate for the inner rings, from five and below, was shockingly low, almost relying on luck.

He felt he had hit a bottleneck. This was one of the reasons he was willing to go out with Dongfang Shuo to clear his mind.

"Liang Xiao?" A fast horse galloped up and stopped in front of Liang Xiao and Dongfang Shuo. The young man on the horse was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, holding a bow and arrows, looking spirited.

Liang Xiao stopped and looked at the young man. "Who are you?"

"I heard you hit the target with one arrow at the Weiyang Palace, and I am skeptical. I came to challenge you to a shooting contest."

Liang Xiao looked at the young man again and snorted, somewhat displeased. This young man was clearly looking for trouble, not even introducing himself and immediately challenging him to a shooting contest, which was extremely rude. Since that was the case, there was no need for him to act like a gentleman.

Liang Xiao turned to walk away. The young man, furious, jumped off his horse and strode over, blocking Liang Xiao's path. He drew an arrow and pointed it at Liang Xiao's face, shouting, "You insignificant Wu barbarian, do you think you can rise to prominence by stepping on my Li family? If you win me today, you will have the right to stand in Chang'an. If you are afraid, leave Chang'an immediately and go back to your Jiangdu Kingdom."

...

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends