Chapter 275: Chapter 270 Jealousy
The Feng Family had very few properties in Ningzhou, only a few shops. More than half of the properties in Ningzhou City belonged to Marquis Zhenbei, who supported the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. Fengyu was exhausted both physically and mentally. She dreamt of Feng Shu being entwined by a black snake and suddenly woke up, still in shock, when a shadow moving by the window nearly stopped her heart. "Who’s there!"
"It’s me. Did you have a nightmare?"
The familiar voice reassured her fear. Xie Xun walked over quickly and lifted the bed curtain.
Ningzhou was in the midst of summer heat—sweltering and windless. Fengyu was wearing the thinnest nightwear. She was afraid of the dark; at the head of the bed was embedded a luminous pearl, casting soft light. The thin nightwear couldn’t conceal the lotus-green embroidered undershirt of the Third Miss, and Xie Xun could clearly see the lotus flower embroidered on it. Large patches of snow-white skin from her neck to her chest glistened with sweat.
A few strands of her long black hair were damp with sweat, clinging to her chest. With the rise and fall of her chest, her snowy skin intertwined with her damp hair, creating a vivid and beautiful image.
The fragrant scent inside the bed curtain assailed his senses. Xie Xun’s vision and smell were unexpectedly overwhelmed, making his whole body tingle with heat. When Fengyu hurriedly pulled up the thin quilt to cover herself, he also hastily turned around, respecting her privacy.
"I’ll... I’ll... go out first!" Xie Xun, short of breath and with a constricted throat, even moved a bit unsteadily. He strode out of the room and stood under the corridor, taking deep breaths to suppress his body’s scorching emotions.
Qiuxiang and Chunlu looked at him inexplicably, then turned their heads in unison. When Xie Xun arrived, Fengyu had already fallen asleep. Chunlu told Xie Xun that the young miss hadn’t slept well these days, and if the Little Marquis had nothing urgent, let her rest well and talk tomorrow. Xie Xun waited for Fengyu on the warm couch. He also knew that Fengyu couldn’t sleep deeply and would wake at night, not expecting to frighten her.
Nor did he expect to see such a vivid scene. Why was she dressed so sparsely when sleeping?
"Little Marquis, are you alright?" Chunlu asked, wondering if he had been shocked.
Xie Xun did not reply. Chunlu and Qiuxiang exchanged a glance, not minding. The Little Marquis had been disinclined to speak lately, silent all day long, which they were accustomed to.
They somewhat missed the time in the Capital City when the Little Marquis smiled so charmingly and confidently.
Whenever he teased the young miss, she was also very happy.
"Is there cold tea?" Xie Xun asked hoarsely.
"Yes!"
From Salt City northwards, it was very hot. Fengyu couldn’t drink cold, but Qiuxiang and Chunlu couldn’t stand it, even feeling uncomfortable with warm water, so they chilled the tea in the well. Chunlu retrieved it for Xie Xun, who drained a pot of cold tea.
Xie Xun thought, Ningzhou was indeed too hot!
When Fengyu came out, she was already dressed, changed into a plain white summer outfit, with her hair simply tied up. Xie Xun rarely saw her in such plain colors.
"Why are you here?"
Xie Xun’s gaze landed on Fengyu’s face, recalling that scene just now. The freshly cooled blood seemed to heat up again. He averted his gaze. "Second Brother received news from Sister-in-law. She is mourning at Xiangguo Temple and does not want to follow the Shadow Guard away. I was afraid you’d be worried about her, so I specially came to tell you."
Fengyu breathed a sigh of relief. Xiangguo Temple was a place both she and her sister considered very safe. By mourning at Xiangguo Temple, she was at least not in life-threatening danger, and Yuwen Jing was even willing to let her sister leave. Her father, mother, and grandmother would surely be safe and sound. Fengyu’s suspended heart also settled. After the storm passed, she would find an opportunity to visit her sister.
The two remained silent under the corridor, each with their own thoughts, as if they were back to not knowing what to say when they were not yet familiar. The silence was like a blade between them; Fengyu felt uncomfortable, and Xie Xun was uneasy as well.
They both had strong personalities, neither willing to yield.
Nuanyang, Feiying, and Qiuxiang, Chunlu were all worried to death.
"Then I’ll leave first." Seeing her remain silent for so long, Xie Xun was extremely disappointed and strode out with a big step, hoping that Fengyu would call him back, but she never uttered a word until he walked out of the Moon Gate.
Feiying followed him like a shadow. When Xie Xun left the Feng Mansion, his face was gloomy. Under the moonlight, Feiying felt like the master was standing at the edge of an abyss, enveloped in intense murderous intent and invisible hatred, unable to break free.
Nuanyang urgently said, "Third Miss, I beg you, don’t quarrel with the master. Even when he broke his leg back then, he was not this despondent."
Fengyu’s heart ached heavily. She didn’t want to quarrel with Xie Xun either. She felt more for Xie Xun than anyone, but she didn’t know how to resolve the conflict between them.
Xie Xun had a psychological barrier. He was unwilling to let her leave Ningzhou; she must be somewhere within his reach.
She must go to the twelve states. No matter who tries to stop her, she would not compromise. She couldn’t bear to clash head-on with Xie Xun, not wanting to stab him again when he’s already covered in wounds. Words hurt more than blades; she could only use silence to express her stance.
Either she concedes to Xie Xun’s wish and stays trapped in Ningzhou.
Or, Xie Xun comes to an understanding and willingly lets her go.
Otherwise, they would reach an impasse.
Fengyu sat frustratingly in the courtyard. If it were a business matter, no matter how difficult, there would always be a solution, and she could quickly sort out the mess, cutting through chaos with a sharp knife.
Emotionally, however, she was caught in a dilemma, hesitant and indecisive.
The next day, Xie Jue gathered all the generals in Ningzhou City for a meeting. Xie Jue called on Fengyu to go with him to the prefecture government. Ningzhou Prefect Li, named Li Dan, was thirty-six years old, the brother-in-law of General Cui, and had been Ningzhou’s prefect for three years. Originally, he could have been promoted to a metropolitan official this year, but now that’s out of the question. Li Dan had three sons; the eldest was eighteen and part of the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry, while the second and youngest were still in school, pursuing the imperial examination path.
Xie Jue sought out Prefect Li to have him announce to Ningzhou City the implementation of new policies, with urban residents re-registering to divide the good land. Xie Jue worked with the realities of Ningzhou City, amending laws and tax clauses overnight, having the prefect spread and implement these. Announcements of the new policies were made outside the government. The prefect and his steward had some objections to the new policy clauses, but Xie Jue firmly dismissed them.
Fengyu mainly worked with various departments in the government to verify Ningzhou City’s commercial taxes, accounting, and price stabilization, etc. Fengyu and Xie Xun had a cold war on their way back to Ningzhou, and Xie Jue would almost daily discuss the harvest of salt fields, iron mines, grains, and tea in the Northwest twelve states with Fengyu—prices, and transport. Fengyu was particularly sensitive to finance and numbers. Xie Jue compiled most of Ningzhou City’s industrial conditions, residential and land records, and handed them to Fengyu, hoping she could help stabilize the city’s prices and then formulate a financial decree that could apply throughout the region.
Ningzhou City’s situation was unique, as it needed to support the Iron Cavalry, so prices were not market-driven but rather controlled by the government at a very low level to ensure basic living for residents, with all supplies prioritized for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry.
Xie Jue, before negotiations, had always managed military affairs and knew little about Ningzhou’s economic situation. In truth, due to supply-demand issues, Ningzhou City’s economy had always been lacking vitality, a persistent issue in Ningzhou. Many merchants would also buy cheap goods from Ningzhou to resell to the Capital City or Jiangnan.
Xie Jue wanted to leverage Fengyu’s influence to uncover the economic and financial status within Ningzhou City, bringing the city back into a normal market economy.
Xie Jue was proficient in military affairs, which were simpler than city affairs. He just needed to balance the supplies each general needed and develop policies based on their personalities and combat styles. Supplies were provided from the rear, and he didn’t have to worry. If funds were short, he’d sell off assets.
The stewardship of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion was also simple because there were so many ancestral properties that leasing them alone was a massive source of wealth. Xie Jue didn’t need to ponder accumulating wealth through investments specially.
The finances of an entire city, a country, however, were very complex, needing to consider economics, land, taxes, etc., and Fengyu was more adept at market operations and management than he was. Thus, while Fengyu discussed with the steward of the prefecture government, Xie Jue listened humbly.
Now, he also wanted to focus on making money.
By mid-July at the latest, if she and Xie Xun were still in a cold war and neither was willing to concede, he would forcibly send Fengyu to the twelve states, and take over managing Ningzhou’s issues himself.
Previously, when the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry lacked funds, he would rob Peter to pay Paul, or liquidate family assets, exhausting them. Unlike Fengyu, who had a knack for generating wealth, being more adept at rolling money over.
Xie Jue swallowed his pride and arrogance, asking about what he didn’t understand. Once Fengyu left for the twelve states, he’d manage everything himself. Fengyu had her strengths as did the financial steward of the government. By the afternoon, they’d outlined a basic financial framework.
Fengyu’s financial insights stemmed mostly from market economics, unsure if they could be applied. The Second Young Master was clearly desperate for any solution, so she could only exchange more about Ningzhou City’s situation with the steward and offer her suggestions. The steward knew Ningzhou City better but unfortunately had personal biases, something Fengyu noticed after talking with him for just an hour, no wonder Xie Jue wanted her involved.
The two spent the whole day in the government office until sunset. The Second Young Master, when busy, sacrificed sleep and food, meticulously delineating policies within the framework Fengyu and the steward created, wishing they could reach a conclusion that very day. The steward, exhausted, used the guise of having dinner to take a break.
Fengyu herself found it interesting and wanted to help Xie Xun, so she didn’t feel too tired, and she very much enjoyed talking about economics with Xie Jue. The Second Young Master was smart, quick to grasp concepts, able to learn quickly and apply them universally. He had also managed the finances of the Marquis Mansion before, giving them a lot in common.
When Xie Xun came looking for them, he stood at the door watching his taciturn Second Brother and his fiancée, cold as the moon, engaging in lively discussion. A fine pain arose in Xie Xun’s heart.
He knew Fengyu had always admired Second Brother.
He also knew that Second Brother enjoyed talking to Fengyu about finance and economics; they seemed to have endless things to discuss.
Fengyu and he never talked about these things she liked and was interested in.