Chapter 293: Chapter 286: Grace and Majesty
Xie Xun left Nuanyang and five thousand cavalry behind, with Nuanyang and Zhang Da, along with five thousand cavalry attending, Fengyu’s safety was assured. After Xie Xun departed, Fengyu began reorganizing the Su Family’s Trading House in Jinzhou.
The Su Family’s business in Jinzhou encompassed grains, spices, tea, silk, jewelry, and more, with grains and tea as the core focus. While silk and jewelry sold well in Jinzhou, they were not popular in the Twelve States. The Twelve States prioritized basic necessities, and silk and jewelry were non-essentials for women, making their business inferior compared to life’s essentials like grains and tea.
The two most profitable industries were salt and iron, both tightly controlled by government authorities, requiring permits for private transactions. The salt permits in the Twelve States were controlled by Jinzhou’s four major clans, fully held by them. The iron trade permits were under the Marquis Zhenbei’s Xie Family, now in Fengyu’s hands. The Su Family controlled half the iron mines in the West Continent, relying on the Marquis Zhenbei to dominate the iron trade. This was because it served as the primary material for the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry’s weapons and armor, under imperial control for decades.
The salt industry was also massively profitable, but the Su Family’s business map did not include it. In Jiangnan, salt merchants were wealthy enough to rival kingdoms, wielding immense power. Fengyu knew they were closely tied to Marshal Fang’s lineage.
For now, Fengyu had no interest in the salt permits of the Twelve States. The clans and Governor Xue Yu had collaborated for many years, and seizing their salt permits would invite immense trouble.
Money cannot be earned endlessly; there’s no need to compete for everyone’s meal.
To revitalize commerce in the Twelve States, the priority was ensuring the people were well-fed. Thriving trade and prosperity could only be built on the foundation of full bellies.
Only after eating and drinking their fill would people care about how well they dressed, whether they could visit brothels today or buy jewelry tomorrow, thereby stimulating all industries.
The main issue with the Su Trading House in Jinzhou was the lack of oversight for years. Being far from the imperial reach, the shopkeepers acted with impunity, colluded to cover up issues, and pocketed significant profits. Fengyu spent three full days auditing the accounts herself. Apart from Manager Su and Manager Li from the West Continent, almost all of the Twelve States’ managers had gathered. Fengyu hired six accounting masters to perform the audits in their presence.
Sixteen managers from the Twelve States had arrived. In the sweltering summer heat, they sat in the study, comparing accounts with the accountants, while outside, Nuanyang and Zhang Da trained the cavalry, their sword gleams and murderous aura piercing the air. The study was suffocating—whether from the heat or fear, beads of sweat dripped down the managers’ foreheads.
With a warm and amiable smile, the Third Miss said, "I’ve just taken over the Twelve States Trading House; naturally, I must clarify the accounts. You are all seasoned veterans of the Su Trading House, with commendable service. I will need to rely on each of you moving forward."
Everyone could feel the oppressive aura beneath the Third Miss’s seemingly gentle demeanor—it was as though a peaceful spring rain masked a fierce storm. Outside, the cavalry appeared to be training, but the knives felt ready to swing at them at any moment.
Fengyu had no intention of cutting them off entirely. Greed was an understandable human trait. Her grandfather was advanced in age, her sister was entangled with supply duties for the cavalry, and she herself was frail and frequently ill. The Twelve States lacked firm leadership, making greed inevitable. If she had been a manager for the Su Trading House, could she have guaranteed unwavering loyalty after years of unchecked autonomy?
If she couldn’t, she wouldn’t demand it of others.
Before auditing the accounts, she spent a day with Manager Wang and his brother inspecting all the Jinzhou shops, prioritizing assessments of the managers’ abilities and integrity. She also sent Chunlu to spread the word: as long as the managers reconciled the accounts for the past five years, she would let bygones be bygones and continue to employ them.
Though they were greedy, they had at least ensured the Su Trading House ran smoothly without major losses. Fengyu wanted to give them a chance.
"Miss, are you planning to stay in the Twelve States permanently and not return to the Capital City?" one manager tentatively asked.
"Indeed!" Fengyu said, sipping warm milk tea with lowered eyebrows. "The day I return to the Capital City might be when the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry breaches its gates."
Everyone’s hearts skipped a beat!
In the study, all managers were from the Su Trading House. Fengyu didn’t hold her words back—since Xie Xun had declared himself king, it was only a matter of time before he unified Yanyang. The managers couldn’t help but weigh Fengyu’s future prospects.
"You are all seasoned managers of the Su Trading House. Manager Chen comes from three generations who served the Su Trading House. Ayu is deeply grateful for your contributions to the company," Fengyu’s smile slightly faded. "Merit is merit, and faults are faults. If any of you think I am young and attempt to deceive or conceal things from me, you are surely mistaken. Take the Twelve States’ tea industry, for example. Each year’s output and origin are recorded, how much is sold locally, how much is shipped to Jiangnan, and the transport losses all factored in to determine the year’s pricing and warehouse stock. It’s not difficult to calculate profits, just time-consuming. This applies to tea as much as it does to grains. As for falsified accounts, none of you can compare to the expertise of Manager Wang and his brother. I didn’t ask them to review the records; consider that a concession I’ve already made for you."
Observing the varying reactions on the managers’ faces, Fengyu took another sip of tea and continued, "Minor issues and trivial sums—I don’t care to haggle over them. As long as you replace whatever silver you embezzled in the last five years, I’ll let the past be the past, and you can still remain managers of your respective trading houses. But if you insist on clinging to your ways, then I must ask you to seek opportunities elsewhere. My granary does not feed fat rats."
"Miss, do you intend to dismiss us?" an elderly manager nervously inquired. "Without us, the Twelve States Trading House wouldn’t have reached its current scale. We enabled the Su Trading House to gain its footing in the Twelve States. If you were to dismiss us, would Mr. Su approve?"
"I’ve never denied your achievements. Your efforts have unquestionably been invaluable. I am not the sort of person to discard loyalty after achieving success. You’ve entrenched yourselves in Jinzhou for so many years, and all I ask is for you to make good on the deficits of five years—surely that’s not excessive?" Fengyu’s tone remained gentle, though her unyielding stance was evident to all. "You’ve been embezzling for years. The silver you’ve accumulated is plenty to retire on. If I were to dismiss you without reporting you to the authorities, that would already be the utmost kindness, would it not, Old Manager Zhou?"
Her sternness was backed by the Su Family’s foundation, while her sharp edge was held firmly in the cavalry’s hands. Whether a forward strike or a return to the sheath rested solely on their decision.
Old Manager Zhou hadn’t expected Fengyu to call him out by name. Among the Twelve States’ managers, his seniority was notable, but the shops he managed weren’t among the most profitable, making him relatively inconspicuous.
The managers exchanged glances, yet Fengyu remained unhurried and calmly said, "Let me make my intentions clear. The Ningzhou Iron Cavalry has already severed ties with Yanyang, and there will inevitably come a day when flames of war rise. As Xie Xun’s wife-to-be, I stand with him, through victory or defeat. Whether we succeed or fail, no one knows what the world will be in a few years. If you wish to leave, I will not stop you. But if you decide to stay, then the entire Twelve States Trading House must follow my commands and stand united with the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry. If anyone harbors divided loyalties, it’s better to leave early for both our sakes. Should you remain but act against the trading house’s interests, I will show no leniency."
Fengyu’s unspoken words were understood by all. If one day Xie Xun claimed the throne, the Su Trading House would reap the benefits of aligning with him—a rise to prominence for all involved.
Despite the legitimacy of the Yuwen Royal Family, Jiangnan’s stationed forces and Zhongzhou were in mutual defense, capable of resisting the cavalry. Yet, the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry had long been recognized for their unparalleled valor and combat prowess. Many across Ningzhou and the Twelve States believed Xie Xun had the upper hand. Now that he needed funding, the trading houses could resolve his immediate crisis perfectly.
"I will depart for the West Continent in three days. Each of you must make your decision by sunset tomorrow."
Jinzhou Prefecture Mansion.
Governor Xue Yu and Steward Qian, accompanied by two staff members, were discussing Fengyu’s recent gathering of trading house managers. Having spent years in Jinzhou, Xue Yu was well-informed, and Fengyu’s remarks quickly reached his ears.
"This Miss Feng San may be young, but her methods are formidable!" Xue Yu sighed. "So young and yet able to mix leniency with deterrence, leaving room to maneuver while also offering enticing promises—truly unexpected!"
Steward Qian remarked, "Indeed! Judging by Miss Feng San’s assertive nature during the banquet, I thought she wouldn’t tolerate deceit and would angrily dismiss all the Su Trading House managers, then face united opposition. But she cleverly turned the tables with a mix of force and kindness, breaking their solidarity and leaving them divided with varying motives."
Xue Yu silently wondered, "No wonder the Second Young Master entrusted her with overseeing the Twelve States. His judgment was keen—we underestimated her."
"After all, Miss Feng San’s backbone is bolstered by five thousand cavalry. That is what gives her her composure and confidence," a staff member noted. "The structure of Jinzhou’s trading house will undoubtedly change accordingly. She’s brought the General Manager of Baofeng Bank along with her. If she heads to the West Continent, Jinzhou’s trading house will likely fall under Manager Wang’s leadership. Manager Wang was nurtured by Mr. Su from a young age. Among the Su Family members—father and daughters—and the Feng Family sisters, he ranks fifth in loyalty to the Su Trading House. It would be almost impossible to sway him."
"There’s no need to immediately try to win him over, nor to provoke Miss Feng San," Xue Yu said indifferently. "Prince Qin aims to conquer the kingdom, and the Twelve States are a critical battleground. The Yuwen Royal Family will not allow him to seize them easily. We just need to act in alignment with the situation. In the grand scheme, the fate of a state mansion in the raging conflicts is far too insignificant. What our state mansion can do is protect the people of the city."
"But the Capital City has already issued an imperial decree ordering us to kill Miss Feng San in Jinzhou," the staff member hesitated, "Are you planning to defy the imperial order, Governor?"
"The Jinyi Guard and Forbidden Army together numbering tens of thousands couldn’t contain five thousand cavalry. Why would they expect our mere twenty thousand stationed troops to march to their deaths?" Xue Yu said indifferently. "If we engage in battle with the five thousand cavalry, Jinzhou will be bathed in blood, and the entire Twelve States will be ensnared in poverty and chaos, with years of unrest. If Miss Feng San dies in Jinzhou, Xie Xun will unleash his troops to flatten Jinzhou, making innocent civilians suffer. I refuse to be the architect of such despair."
"But if you defy the imperial order, one decree from the emperor will strip you of your official rank. Whatever you wish to do will come too late," the staff member sighed. For Xue Yu, this situation was indeed a dilemma.
Xue Yu exhaled deeply, "Let’s wait and see how things unfold."