Chapter 4

Building Power Through Business

    The next morning, Servant Zhu came to see Luxian early, just as the hour of Mao[1] began. For Professor Dr. Chen, who had been accustomed to late-night shifts, waking up at dawn posed no issue.

    Servant Zhu brought everything Luxian had requested, including a ledger detailing the treasures of Furen Fu, the mother of the body’s original owner. The middle-aged Servant was meticulous in his work. Missing items were marked with red ink. As he had mentioned earlier, most of the missing possessions were women’s jewelry, but even if Luxian had no use for them, the people who had taken them had no right to keep them.

    One day, he would reclaim it all...

    As for the jewelry meant for men, there were only a few pieces, but they were exquisitely crafted, befitting the eldest son of a noble household. Additionally, the banknotes totaled a staggering 100,000 taels of gold, an astronomical amount for commoners, who might not even earn ten taels a year.

    Of course, it made sense—Fu Changle was the daughter of a tribal leader, so her wealth was bound to be significant.

    Servant Zhu explained that the rest of her treasures included gems, jade artifacts, and various gold and silver ornaments. After listening, Luxian nodded slightly before asking further.

    “Servant Zhu, I haven’t left the estate in years. What’s the state of affairs in society these days, and what rumors are there about me?”

    “Uh…” Servant Zhu hesitated, fully understanding the implications of the question.

    “Speak freely.”

    “...Yes, sir. Outside, people say that the eldest son is hideously ugly, so frightening that you keep yourself hidden and avoid socializing out of shame. There are also rumors that you were sent to the back residence because you have an incurable illness and that you’ve lost favor with the master. Many believe the second young master has a better chance of becoming an heir.

    “As for current events, most news revolves around the recent war at the border. Our kingdom of Da Qi won the conflict but suffered heavy losses, with tens of thousands of soldiers killed. Notable casualties included General Zhan Chang and Deputy General Xuan Zhong, who lost their lives in battle. The Fourth Prince, who fell from his horse, is rumored to have become paralyzed, unable to move his arms or legs. This has led to political unrest. Since the Fourth Prince is the Empress’s son, his incapacitation could remove him from contention for the throne, giving other princes an opportunity to vie for power. As a result, factions have started forming…”

    “Stop there.” Luxian cut him off, his tone firm. Sometimes, he couldn’t help but wonder if this middle-aged man was a Servant or an intelligence operative. “Leave palace matters aside for now. I want to know about trade. If I wanted to buy a shop or land, where would I go, and what steps would I need to take?”

    “Are you planning to start a business, sir? The estate already has several enterprises under its name…”

    “No. What I want to create, I will build myself. No one else can know about it.”

    But you’re now telling me, sir…

    Servant Zhu thought but wisely kept his mouth shut.

    He nodded in understanding and continued, “Yes, sir. You can visit the market to scout locations. Shops that are for sale will have yellow silk draped at the entrance. Some offer vacant shops for new businesses, while others sell the business along with the property for continued operation. As for land, you can negotiate directly with the owner and finalize the sale through official contracts. If the land belongs to the government, you’ll need to contact the Land Office, where they will measure and divide the land for sale.”

    “In that case, I’ll go out today. I’ll also need to shop for supplies and order some new clothes. Look at this—there are only a handful of decent outfits I can wear to present myself to Father. I refuse to wear those rags anymore. By the way, do I need permission or a travel pass to leave the estate?”

    “It’s not necessary, sir. You can come and go as you please without having to inform anyone. As for travel passes, only us servants are required to carry them. Masters and noblemen do not need them. However, sir, I fear you might encounter some issues. Normally, no one would cover their face when leaving or entering a noble’s estate. To avoid trouble, I’ve prepared a jade pass for you, which you can find inside the jewelry box in your room. If you wish to use a carriage or a horse, just let the staff know, and they’ll arrange it,” Servant Zhu explained.

    Though Servant Zhu mentioned horse riding as a formality, he didn’t believe the Young Master could actually ride. But for Luxian…

    Horse riding? Interesting! My father forced me to learn it when I was a child. But if I ride out alone and get lost…

    “Thank you, Servant Zhu. By the hour of Chen[2], I’ll take the maids with me to pick out supplies. You may leave now,” Luxian said.

    “Yes, sir.” Servant Zhu bowed slightly before departing.

    Once he left, Bai Li entered to prepare water for Luxian to wash his face and rinse his mouth. While it was common for people here not to bathe frequently, Luxian couldn’t get used to it. He decided to bathe before leaving the residence.

    “I’d like to bathe. Go prepare the water,” he instructed Bai Li.

           “Yes, sir,” she replied.

    “Qing Hai, go prepare breakfast.”

           “Yes, sir,” she responded promptly.

    After bathing and finishing his breakfast, Luxian instructed Lu Lu to summon the carriage driver for the outing. He decided to bring two maids, Li Hong and Qing Hai, along while leaving Lu Lu and Bai Li to watch over the residence.

    “If anyone comes looking for me, don’t stop them. Let them in. If they take or destroy anything, make a note of it—if you can write, use the paper on my desk. I’ve given you permission. But if anyone tries to harm you, don’t put up with it. Do you understand?”

    “Yes, sir!” the two maids answered loudly, touched by his words.

    Truthfully, when they had been assigned to serve as concubine maids, they had prepared themselves for the worst. They hoped that being favored by the Young Master would lead to a better life, freeing them from servitude and the abuse of higher-ranked individuals.

    But now, it seemed the Young Master wasn’t interested in such matters at all. He had also never insulted or mistreated them. If this continued, serving the Young Master might not be so bad—perhaps even fortunate.

    Luxian left the estate in the carriage with Li Hong and Qing Hai. Upon reaching the market, he instructed the driver to return to the estate.

    “What would you like to purchase, sir?” Qing Hai asked enthusiastically.

    “Quite a bit. Let’s start with the basics so we don’t have to wander aimlessly: clothes, shoes, combs, mirrors, hair ties, soap…, I mean, Zhao Jiao[3]—and bath fragrances. I also want to find a shop in a good location, preferably an empty one rather than an existing business. Ideally, a tavern would be great—condition doesn’t matter, whether it’s old, new, luxurious, or modest. I’ll also need an herb shop, and most importantly, a blacksmith.”

    Hearing the extensive list, the two maids were full of questions but refrained from asking too much.

    Li Hong guided Luxian to shop for personal items that required his meticulous selection. Meanwhile, Qing Hai volunteered to scout for shops ready for sale and ensure contracts could be signed within the month, as per his instructions.

    Luxian purchased 20 ready-made outfits and commissioned another 10 custom-made ones. The tailored outfits included practical designs inspired by the martial arts heroes usually depicted in Jianghu illustrations—elegant yet simple, exuding the dignity of the eldest son of the prominent family. He also ordered an entirely black outfit, complete with matching hair ties, for stealth missions when sneaking out at night.

    Even though the hair coronet sent by Servant Zhu was beautifully crafted, it wasn’t suitable for daily wear due to its weight. Besides, Chen Lu had yet to turn twenty, so wearing a coronet before undergoing the proper coming-of-age ceremony would be inappropriate. It would be better to save it for formal occasions or until the right time as dictated by tradition.

    The eldest son of the General’s household also purchased several pairs of shoes. After finishing at the clothing store, he went on to buy miscellaneous items such as combs and fragrant toiletries until his list was complete.

    When everything was done, Qing Hai returned with good news.

    “There’s a tavern on the corner of the street, sir. It’s in a decent location—a mid-tier tavern that’s quite large but simply decorated, not luxurious. Two years ago, a high-end tavern opened across the street, and although it’s more expensive, it has become more popular. Business here has declined, and the owner wants to sell the tavern and return to his hometown with his son. The owner said the sale includes all the furnishings. The tavern is three stories tall, with rooms for guests on the upper floors and the first floor used as a reception area. Back when business was thriving, they even had musicians perform occasionally. The kitchen is located in a separate building at the back of the tavern. Most of the staff have been let go, leaving only a chef and five attendants. The asking price is one thousand taels of gold,” Qing Hai reported all the information to the eldest young master.

    “You’ve done well. Let’s go take a look at the tavern. As for these items…”

    “You can leave them here at our shop,” the owner of the fragrant goods shop offered kindly. The Young Master didn’t refuse, leaving the goods in her care before heading to inspect the tavern.

    At the corner of the street stood a tavern in a moderately aged condition. A sign draped with yellow silk hung at the front, inscribed with the ancient characters ‘Ming Yue tavern.’

    “Welcome, Young Master…”

    “My surname is Chen,” Luxian said calmly.

    “Welcome, Young Master Chen. May I ask if you’re here to stay the night?” one of the staffs asked eagerly, running to greet them.

    “My master wishes to purchase the business,” Qing Hai answered. Recognizing her from earlier inquiries, the staff quickly understood.

    “Please wait here for a moment, Young Master Chen. I’ll fetch the owner right away.”

    Shortly after, an elderly man, around sixty years old, came out to greet them.

    “Young man, are you interested in buying the business?”

    “Yes, sir,” Luxian replied politely, showing respect to the elder.

    “Why are you interested in this place? It’s no match for the tavern across the street. If you plan to renovate, it won’t be worth the expense,” the owner said.

    “I don’t plan to run it as a tavern, sir.”

    “Oh? That’s unusual, but it doesn't matter. Take a look around first. If you agree to the price, I’ll lower it to nine hundred taels if you can keep the current staff employed. How does that sound?” the owner asked, glancing toward the remaining workers.

    “You don’t need to worry about that, sir. The full one thousand taels should rightfully be yours. As for the staff, I’ll gladly keep them employed if they wish to stay,” Luxian reassured him.

    “Thank you, thank you! In that case, feel free to take a look around,” the old man said with a delighted smile.

    As Luxian walked through the tavern, he began forming a rough plan in his mind. He intended to transform the place into a clinic while maintaining some sort of front business to avoid drawing attention. The clinic would serve as a secret facility for treating VIP patients, especially those with peculiar ailments that couldn’t be cured with the medical knowledge of this era. In essence, he wanted to turn it into his hidden base.

    However, he was still pondering how to execute the plan. Running a tavern was out of the question as it required too much management, trust in staff, and posed a risk of information leaks. Moreover, as the owner had mentioned, the location couldn’t compete with the high-end tavern across the street, which had direct access to the nearby red-light district. Convenience was king, and most travelers or merchants coming to the capital would naturally choose the tavern that best suited their needs.

    After all, most of the customers of central city taverns were traveling merchants or provincial officials who didn’t have the favor to stay in the palace or a personal residence in the capital.

    “If I want to renovate the tavern, do you know of any skilled carpenters you could recommend?” Luxian asked the owner.

    “Of course. I’ll write down the address for you,” the old man replied.

    “I also need to ask for another recommendation. I’m looking for a blacksmith. Ideally, someone open to new ideas, as the project I have in mind involves creating something no one has ever seen before. It won’t be a one-day job, it will require trial and error until it’s perfected. They don’t need to be highly skilled or experienced—just quick-witted and willing to listen to my instructions,” Luxian explained.

    “I don’t know why you came to me with this, but I do know someone. He’s the grandson of a neighbor I’ve known since he was a child. He’s in his twenties now and has been studying blacksmithing for six years. He fits your requirements—curious, eager to learn, and always experimenting with new ideas. I’ll bring him here to meet you tomorrow, then,” the owner said.

    “Thank you very much, sir. I’ll return here tomorrow during the hour of Si[4] to meet him,” Luxian replied.

    “Alright.”

    After that, Luxian and his two maids headed to an herbal shop, the last errand on his list for the day.

    Dr. Chen deliberately chose a shop with few customers, it was because prosperous establishments often ignored unfamiliar clients. This time, he needed to stockpile herbs for experimental medicine, requiring a large quantity of supplies, some of which might only be obtainable through connections.

    By choosing a struggling shop, offering them a lifeline would create both gratitude and a beneficial partnership.

    The owner of an herbal shop should have some knowledge. He wasn’t looking for commonly available dried herbs or outdated stock. Instead, he wanted someone who could source the specific herbs he needed, whether by climbing mountains to gather them or purchasing them for resale. Since he lacked connections in this world, money would have to solve the problem—hiring a middleman merchant was the easiest solution.

    Upon entering the shop, Luxian saw an elderly man and a boy of about nine years old sitting on his lap. The child was idly guarding the cash register.

    Luxian’s sharp eyes scanned the shop’s layout, the arrangement of goods, and the baskets of dried herbs covered with white cloth. Everything was clean and orderly, and the products appeared to be of high quality. It seemed the shop’s decline was likely due to its poor location and competition from larger businesses in the capital.

    “Shopkeeper,” Luxian greeted.

    “What kind of herbs are you looking for, Young Master?” the elderly man asked eagerly, excited to have his first customer of the day.

    “I have a plan to open a clinic. Would you be able to supply herbs for me on a wholesale basis?” Luxian replied calmly.

    This was the first time the two maids had heard about their Young Master’s plans. However, no one was more shocked than the shopkeeper and his grandson.

    “What?! Are you serious, sir?”

    “You heard me correctly. I’ll provide a detailed purchase order specifying the types, quantities, and amounts of herbs I need. Someone will come to pick them up every fifteen days. You don’t need to worry—if I need additional herbs or have urgent requirements, I’ll send someone to notify you in advance. So, do you want to do business with me or not?”

    “Of course, Young Master!” The elderly man quickly accepted the offer.

    The two promptly negotiated and finalized a contract. Luxian offered that before his clinic was completed, the shopkeeper would have time to gather as many long-lasting herbs as possible. He also assured the shopkeeper that he would give fair prices. However, the herbs needed to be stored at the shop until his clinic was ready.

    Finally, the eldest son of the Chen family—now a sudden wealthy benefactor thanks to his late mother’s inheritance—paid a deposit of fifty taels of silver for the first batch of herbs.

[1] The hour of Mao refers to 5:00 AM – 6:59 AM.

[2] The hour of Chen refers to 7:00 AM – 8:59 AM.

[3] 皂角 (Zaojiao), or Zhao Jiao, is a type of Chinese herb whose pods can be used to make soap.

[4] The hour of Si refers to 9:00 AM – 10:59 AM.