This particular sparring had dragged on longer than usual, pushing their satisfaction ever further, leaving them craving more after having a taste. They were accustomed to testing each other in the dark, and as their affection deepened, simple kisses no longer sufficed. Desire, youthful and unrestrained, met openly; such intimate closeness—whispered touches and pressed foreheads—was a unique indulgence for lovers, a luxury born of never wanting to part. Yet with countless eyes in the Zhaoyu Prison, a kiss was only a tacit, discreet consolation.
When the kissing ended, Xiao Chiye asked, “Where were you?”
Shen Zechuan’s thigh brushed against his as he sat. He exhaled slowly, his half-lidded eyes hinting at a subtle invitation. “Counting money,” he murmured.
Xiao Chiye pinched him. “Feeling good about counting it?”
Shen Zechuan gave a quiet laugh. “Pinched enough by you.”
Xiao Chiye, slightly teased, steadied Shen Zechuan’s chin. “Pinch harder then.”
The exposed collarbone beneath Shen Zechuan’s loosened shirt still bore the marks of a previous bite. Unconcerned, he licked his wounded lips and said, “I need to discuss something with you.”
Xiao Chiye lifted him slightly. “Coincidentally, I need to discuss something with you too.”
Shen Zechuan’s mouth went dry under Xiao Chiye’s burning gaze. “The military grain won’t leave Juexi until April. I need to borrow the Northeast Grain-and-Horse Route.”
Xiao Chiye paused, thinking it through. “The Northeast Grain-and-Horse Route is escorted by the Northern Cavalry themselves. No one checks along the way. Transporting silver is possible, but it depends on whether the eldest approves.”
“If this money were mine, the heir would refuse. But if it’s yours, he’ll agree,” Shen Zechuan said, tilting his chin. “Consider it the betrothal gift, Second Young Master.”
“Just a bit of silver as a betrothal gift?” Xiao Chiye laughed, freeing a hand to lift the food box onto the table. “You’re ambitious.”
Shen Zechuan sniffed the aroma. “There’s grilled fish too.”
Forgetting the betrothal gift, he reached in with his chopsticks. Xiao Chiye watched as he devoured half a bowl of rice in an instant, leaving only bones on the plate.
Xiao Chiye wasn’t fond of fish. As a child, his mother had died early. Unlike the pampered children of the Eight Great Families, he had to eat on his own once he could hold chopsticks. Impatient and playful, he had little interest in picking bones.
Watching him, Xiao Chiye said, “Delicious? I hear this chef came from Hezhou—harder to hire than the palace cooks.” Shen Zechuan picked out a bone and fed Xiao Chiye a bite. He tasted it. “Not bad.”
Satisfied, Shen Zechuan set down his bowl. “Now, what did you want to discuss?”
Xiao Chiye handed him a handkerchief. “We missed something earlier investigating Xiang Yun. Years ago, Xue Xiuzhuo bought a batch of people from Xiang Yun House and kept them in his residence. I doubt even Xi Hongxuan knows.”
Shen Zechuan’s expression shifted. “He isn’t one to keep private courtesans. Rarely does he get close in places like Ou Hua Tower. This is highly unusual.”
“Exactly—unusual,” Xiao Chiye leaned back. “My instinct tells me Xiang Yun’s betrayal that time stems from this.”
“He bought people years ago,” Shen Zechuan frowned. “If it was just to control Xiang Yun, the plan was laid far too early.”
“Why would Xiang Yun be controlled by this? Some moves, made too early, cannot withstand the test of time. I think he did this not just for Xiang Yun.” Xiao Chiye untangled the threads in his mind. “Your assassination plan wasn’t something he could foresee, so subsequent developments would catch him off guard.”
Xiao Chiye, navigating through a tangle of clues like weeds, trusted his wolf-like intuition that things were not so simple.
“Spontaneously,” Shen Zechuan suddenly adjusted Xiao Chiye’s face. “You’re right. Xiang Yun was never the real target… Her false testimony was merely opportunistic. That he could so casually use her shows she wasn’t important. He bought these people for other reasons; Xiang Yun was just a pawn, even one he wanted to discard.”
“The key to why he bought them…” Xiao Chiye’s mind clicked.
“…lies in that batch,” Shen Zechuan whispered.
They exchanged a look, yet faced another unknown. Xiang Yun House was a pleasure house; who among them could be important to Xue Xiuzhuo?
“He bought over a dozen, precisely to create confusion, so no one could tell who was truly important. Xiang Yun wouldn’t know either,” Xiao Chiye said. “I’ll have Xue Xiuyi investigate. Being inside the Xue residence, he can move freely. Xue Xiuzhuo can block outsiders, but not him.”
The news was significant. Shen Zechuan considered it carefully. His action with Xi Hongxuan also stemmed from caution against Xue Xiuzhuo. Over time, this person had not become clearer; if anything, he grew more elusive.
“…There’s still time,” Shen Zechuan murmured. “Rushing leads to mistakes, giving the advantage away. He hasn’t moved because the time isn’t right. For now, we’re in the dark, he in the light. Following the threads will reveal crucial truths. Xi Hongxuan is close to Xue Xiuzhuo; even if unaware of the courtesan matter, he knows things others don’t. I’ll investigate further.”
“After all that, you still haven’t given the Second Young Master a hint.” Xiao Chiye didn’t let him get down, “How much silver did you deceive him out of?”
Shen Zechuan returned to the moment, pursing his lips, and held up four fingers.
Without hesitation, Xiao Chiye grasped them. “Good, worth it. Let’s finalize the betrothal.”
Shen Zechuan said, “Still, be a bit reserved. Four million is too little.”
“Generous—four million as the starting point? You know how to earn silver; whatever sum you propose, Second Young Master would agree.”
Shen Zechuan smiled. “I told him Wei Huaigu wanted four million taels. He hesitated not at all. This shows four million is trivial to the Xi family.”
Seeing Shen Zechuan’s joy, Xiao Chiye let the topic drop, teasing him. “Only the Xi family knows how much silver they have. Outsiders only see them mining salt and copper, trading across the country, even overseas. Ordinary scions waste time gambling or keeping courtesans; Xi Hongxuan runs pleasure houses, casinos, and even the Donglong Jade Company. He wields influence over many officials, and they must give him face. Four million now—what next? The Northeast Grain-and-Horse Route only runs twice a year. How to store and spend all that silver? Everything must be planned carefully.”
“The Xi family treasury has never been breached. Even spending is under the court’s scrutiny. Every account of the 20,000 imperial guards must be triple-checked. If this money isn’t handled properly, Second Young Master could end up detained for investigation.”
Xiao Chiye’s curiosity sparked. “Spending, huh? Playing… You planning to leave this silver with Zhongbo?”
“For now, nowhere specific,” Shen Zechuan said, fastening a button. “You don’t manage the household, so you don’t realize how valuable daily expenses are. Later there’ll be many uses. Even if it can’t be spent immediately, having it is no harm. Always prepare for contingencies.”
The two of them huddled seriously, plotting someone else’s wealth. Xiao Chiye still needed to return to the Kai Ling River, but wanted a brief meeting; having fed him, he could not linger.
As Xiao Chiye mounted his horse, a thought struck him. Tightening the reins, he said, “The Du Cha will be here in two days. The civil administrators for Zhongbo and the six provinces have been drafted. That Juexi Jiang Qingshan will come to report. I suspect it will be him.”
“I’ve long heard of him. Six years ago, he managed famine relief in thirteen Juexi cities with notable courage,” Shen Zechuan said, recalling this person’s close ties to Xue Xiuzhuo and hesitating.
“Though personally friendly with Xue Xiuzhuo, he may not belong to him. Once in the capital, you may meet him. He is not of a noble family; he doesn’t rely on family influence. Use him if you can, avoid if you must. Judge for yourself.” Xiao Chiye beckoned to Shen Zechuan from the steps.
Shen Zechuan leaned in, listening, yet Xiao Chiye only smoothed his hair. Galloping through the snow, Xiao Chiye rode into the night as Ge Qingqing opened the gates.