Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 164 Jiangnan

Chapter 164: Chapter 164 Jiangnan

The Twelve States are the main source of Yanyang’s mineral supply, providing Ningzhou with more than half of its weapons and horse gear, making it the primary production base for military equipment.

"Silver coins should not be placed in one basket; if something goes wrong, the entire army would collapse, leaving no capital for recovery." Feng Shu had never planned to take all the industries away. After several days of discussions with Su Yuejiao, she finally decided to leave the Twelve States and Sannan to Fengyu. "This is just a precaution, sister. Besides these three tokens, there’s also a Sannan token held by Grandfather, which I’ll also leave to you."

"Sister?" Fengyu was rarely shocked. "Transferring industries to Sannan was Marquis Zhenbei’s decision—why leave the token to me?"

Why would the two most important industries of the Marquis Mansion be entrusted to her?

"How do you know?" Su Yuejiao was surprised and looked at Feng Shu. "You told Ayu?"

In the early years of trade between Sannan and Yanyang, all was calm. Later, Su Ming received Xie Jue’s orders to transfer part of the industries to Sannan. Su Ming handed over nearly all profits from the trade to the court in exchange for the cooperation of the Jiangnan Governor. He then shifted a portion of the businesses to Sannan, where they began to thrive. The scale is now decent.

This matter was extremely secretive, and Feng Shu had never told Fengyu.

"Ayu, who told you?" Feng Shu frowned deeply, clearly tense. How could such a covert matter have been leaked?

Fengyu smiled and said, "There’s a girl from Sannan in Mudan Building, someone with a rather unique background who once belonged to the royal merchants of Sannan. She stirred trouble and fled to Yanyang to escape. Before she left, she had been ordered to investigate border trading houses and was privy to inside information. The Su Family’s roots run deep in Yanyang; moving industries without cause was clearly not Grandfather’s intention. I just figured it might be that the Marquis Mansion reached some agreement with the King of Sannan to relocate part of the foundation there. Don’t worry, Sister—I was only speculating, and I’ve never told anyone else."

Su Yuejiao hadn’t expected Fengyu to be so sharp, managing to deduce the full picture from a Sannan girl’s single remark, and she had guessed correctly. Both Su Yuejiao and Feng Shu had concealed the matter from Fengyu because she was still young, and managing the industries in the Capital already drained her energy. The matter in Sannan was overly complex and not yet settled, so they hadn’t discussed it with her.

Now that Fengyu’s marriage was approaching, these matters had to be explained to her eventually.

"Sister, the industries in the Twelve States and Sannan are crucial to the Marquis Mansion. If you have reservations, give me Kyoto and Jiangnan, and take the Twelve States and Sannan with you."

Feng Shu’s brows furrowed slightly. "No, you keep them!"

Fengyu was utterly astonished. Why? Could it be that her sister was still holding something back regarding the Marquis Mansion? That didn’t seem likely. Feng Shu replied coolly, "Don’t ask—Sister has her considerations."

Su Yuejiao, Feng Shu, and Fengyu secretly discussed for over two hours in the study. Fengyu formally took over the Twelve States token, becoming the master of the Su Family Twelve States Trading House.

By mid-April, the Beiman Envoys entered the Capital for negotiations.

Xie Xun, along with a group of officials from Honglu Temple, greeted the Beiman Envoys at the city gates. Beiman had sent Ninth Prince Dugu Jing for the talks, accompanied by five hundred Beiman soldiers. Upon entering Ningzhou, they were escorted by five thousand iron cavalry to the Capital City.

Xie Xun’s choice of negotiators was baffling even to Marquis Zhenbei; he picked the individual Beiman hated most—Xie Jue—alongside Grand Scholar Lin Hongyuan, Marquis An Yuan, and Minister of Honglu Temple Zhou Yu, forming a negotiation team of five.

The court officials were puzzled by Xie Xun’s criteria for selection. Lin Hongyuan and Zhou Yu were indispensable, but then he chose the quarrelsome and sharp-tongued Marquis An Yuan, pairing him with the practically mute Xie Jue. What kind of a bizarre combination was this?

How could the Second Young Master make it into the negotiation team?

If he doesn’t speak, what could he negotiate?!!

The Beiman physically outmatched the Yanyang people. Dugu Jing, despite being only seventeen, stood tall, powerfully built, and exuded an aura of authority. Compared to the pampered young men of the Capital City, he appeared to be a general seasoned in years of battle, yet his face was strikingly youthful.

His brow bones and deep-set eyes were sharp and piercing, resembling that of an eagle; he had a high nose and thin lips, giving off the presence of someone older, his exceptional handsomeness laced with aggression.

Xie Xun and Dugu Jing were old enemies. Dugu Jing had once crushed Xie Xun’s leg and pierced his shoulder with a hidden arrow, while Xie Xun had slashed his arm in retaliation. The two had clashed fiercely in real combat.

Mere months ago, they encountered each other at the borders, and upon departing, Dugu Jing had threatened to destroy the entire Marquis Zhenbei Mansion. Who could have foreseen Beiman proceeding to peace talks so quickly?

Xie Xun curved his lips into a mocking smile. Peace talks between two nations forbid harm to envoys; he gracefully greeted Dugu Jing, glancing at the five hundred Beiman soldiers behind him.

They were tall and formidable, exuding an air of threat.

But this was the Capital City.

The territory of Yanyang!

Dugu Jing folded his hands over his chest in the Beiman ceremonial greeting. Xie Xun thought about their clash months ago, when Dugu Jing had nearly killed Fengyu. His smile grew colder, uninterested even in exchanging pleasantries.

Minister of Honglu Temple Zhou Yu said, "Ninth Prince has traveled far and wide—surely it has been exhausting. Please proceed to the envoy hall to rest, and tomorrow, you shall enter the palace to meet His Majesty."

Dugu Jing’s eyes focused intensely on Xie Xun, openly displaying hatred and hostility, as though he hadn’t heard Zhou Yu’s words.

"I, Marquis, am the chief negotiator. Ninth Prince, long time no see," Xie Xun said indifferently. "Let’s hope we each achieve what we desire."

"I, the Prince, am waiting!" Dugu Jing’s low, raspy voice carried the menace of a beast lurking in the mountains.

The tension between the two was palpable—everyone in the vicinity could sense it. Lin Hongyuan shot Xie Xun a warning look, a reminder not to entangle personal grudges within the negotiations.

Xie Xun no longer regarded Dugu Jing as worthy—what courage could a defeated general boast? To him, Dugu Jing’s desperate struggle was but the plight of a cornered beast, no threat at all.

The Beiman contingent marched grandly into the city, where bustling commoners eagerly gathered to witness the legendary "three-headed, six-armed" Beiman people. The Kyoto Capital Guard maintained order among the crowd. Although animosity toward Beiman was rife in the city, the guards’ efforts ensured no disturbances occurred.

Dugu Jing, clad in black armor with red accents, stared intensely at the prosperous Capital City. A flash of greed and determination crossed his eyes—this magnificently embroidered land of Yanyang was the dream homeland of the Beiman people.

Xie Xun had numerous negotiations to handle, leaving the Kyoto Capital Guard’s responsibilities to Zhang Boxi, Lin Xiao, and Zhang Boxin. The soul-transference between Xie Xun and Fengyu was also adjusted down from two hours to one.

Initially, during their soul-transference, Fengyu suffered daily from back and waist pain, enduring torment. Now, she was gradually gaining enjoyment from the experience—her health was improving, her appetite flourishing. With her palate satisfied, Doctor Zhou had recently adjusted her diet to prevent overnourishment, and day by day, her radiance grew, leaving Fengyu delighted.

Fengyu quietly pondered, if the Young Marquis earnestly persisted in his efforts for another couple of years, perhaps she truly could achieve longevity.

Night descended in silence.

In the main study of Marquis Zhenbei Mansion, Marquis Zhenbei, Xie Zhang, Xie Jue, and Xie Xun were deep in discussion. Though Yanyang had emerged victorious, the peace talks did not favor them entirely. Otherwise, Marquis Zhenbei would have advocated for war, driving Beiman away comprehensively—there would have been no question of negotiations. If Beiman continued its assault, even with their losses, Yanyang risked being dragged down as well.