Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Furious Marquis of State

"Outrageous!"

In the capital city of Ji'an, seat of the Grand Shang dynasty, within the Marquis of Zhen’s estate.

The Marquis of Zhen, a man in his fifties, brought his palm down upon a stone lion in the courtyard, shattering it to dust.

"What has happened to make you so furious?" The Marchioness arrived in haste, her slender, willow waist adorned with the fullness of ripened fruit. Coupled with her fair and delicate beauty, she outshone the entire autumnal garden. Every gesture radiated elegance and magnificence; she stood like a proud plum blossom braving the snow, unshaken by any storm.

"A victory report from Jiangnan! It claims that pirates invaded our southern seas, but the Prefect of Jiangnan turned the tide and utterly defeated them, killing over a hundred thousand!" The Marquis of Zhen spoke through clenched teeth, struggling to contain his wrath.

"Is that not wonderful news?" The Marchioness smiled gracefully.

"I have read the actual dispatch. It’s nothing of the sort! The pirates numbered no more than five thousand! That figure of a hundred thousand was fabricated by that traitor Dong Xuan for his personal gain!" The Marquis seethed. "In court today, Dong Xuan even had the audacity to petition a reward for Jiangnan, claiming the army should be lavishly rewarded!"

Since the defeat at Quechuan, where the Marquis of Zhen suffered a crushing loss, seventy thousand elite troops of Grand Shang were wiped out in a single day. The Northern Barbarians grew powerful, seizing seven prefectures in the northwest, their blades threatening Ji'an itself.

Grand Shang was shaken to its core.

The late emperor, enraged and weakened, died suddenly.

At this time of crisis, Dong Xuan, the Prefect of Northern Liang, marched thirty thousand iron cavalry through the gates, ostensibly to save the dynasty but in truth to seize power. He took control as a royal in-law, placing the five-year-old heir on the throne, and named himself Grand Advisor and Imperial Preceptor.

The Marquis of Zhen saw it all, his heart burning with anxiety.

But after the defeat at Quechuan, the pillars of Grand Shang, led by the Marquis himself, lost their command of troops and gradually fell from favor, powerless to oppose Dong Xuan.

To preserve themselves, many were forced to feign loyalty and play along with the traitor.

For the sake of Grand Shang’s survival and future, the Marquis of Zhen had endured everything—even Dong Xuan’s greed and monopolization of power.

But this—rewarding the army in the emperor’s name—he could not tolerate.

"He means to rebel!"

The Marquis was beside himself with grief and anger.

When the court welcomed Dong Xuan’s entry, he had warned of the man’s ill intent, but the corrupt officials of the time cared only for their own skins. Some even praised Dong Xuan’s loyalty, mocking the Marquis as needlessly anxious.

"What is Jiangnan’s response?" The Marchioness had grown serious, recognizing the gravity of the situation.

"What else? Celebration throughout the land! Shouts of ‘Long live!’ echo everywhere." The Marquis sneered. Those shortsighted families cared only for profit, never questioning the true benefactor.

To them, whoever offers milk is as good as a mother.

Fuming, the Marquis stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

"Where are you going?"

"To the palace! I must explain this to His Majesty!"

Hearing this, the Marchioness hurried after him, blocking his path.

She spoke in a low voice, "Dong Xuan’s rewards will have many salivating for a share. If you rush out there, you’ll only draw suspicion and censure."

"The Flying Fish Army disdains such things!" The Marquis snorted.

"But what of the others? The Jiangnan fleet is not solely the Flying Fish Army," she said, her words striking home and bringing the Marquis up short.

His face darkened, but he could only grit his teeth and curse.

"That traitor Dong! Ruining Grand Shang!"

"No—wait," the Marchioness’s brows drew together in thought, her beauty undiminished even in worry.

"Dong Xuan has always opposed you, yet the Prefect of Jiangnan is a known ally. Why would Dong Xuan petition rewards for Jiangnan?"

"You mean to say..." the Marquis ventured.

But the Marchioness’s face had already turned grim.

"I fear Dong Xuan is about to turn his blade toward Jiangnan."

Meanwhile,

Jiangnan Circuit.

Wujiangs City.

As the capital of Jiangnan, Wujiangs was a place of prosperity rivaling Ji'an. For centuries, the region had been the hub of commerce, with more than half the wealth of the entire realm flowing through its veins.

As the old saying goes, ‘All imperial merchants hail from Jiangnan.’

"Have you heard? Pirates struck again at Coastal County!"

"Really? That must have been a bloodbath!"

"You’d think so, but this time, we actually thrashed them! I heard there’s a constable named Chen in Coastal County, a man of unrivaled courage. He led a band of villagers and slew hundreds of pirates!"

At this moment, Lin San stood atop a donkey cart, hawking his wares with gusto.

"Fresh fish for sale! Just caught from the sea—two hundred coins a piece! First come, first served!"

His companion hid behind the cart, gleefully counting their earnings.

"Brother, we’ve struck gold! Selling fish is ten times faster than selling cloth. We should stick to fish and forget about cloth!"

"You know nothing," Lin San scolded. "Cloth, once made into clothing, is worth much more than fish. The noble ladies may go without fish, but they must wear fine new dresses every day! Fish spoils easily and is hard to transport. Cloth holds its value."

"You’re right, brother."

As they spoke, a carriage pulled up nearby, and a maid in a green dress stepped down.

She approached the stall, looked over the fish on the cart, and asked, "Sea fish from Coastal County?"

Sensing a customer, Lin San hurried over with a fawning smile.

"Miss, you have an eye for quality! Indeed, these are sea fish from Coastal County! For ladies, it preserves beauty; for gentlemen, it brings endless vigor. You’re already so lovely, but one bite and you’ll rival the goddesses..."

"Enough," the maid interrupted, clearly unmoved by his flattery as she opened her purse to pay. "How much? I’ll take one."

Her purse was filled with silver ingots, making Lin San’s heart skip a beat.

"One tael of silver each," he declared.

"That expensive?" The maid’s face darkened. "Didn’t you just say two hundred coins?"

"The two-hundred-coin ones are sold out. Only the one-tael fish remain. Will you have one or not?"

Not everyone could afford a carriage. Lin San was sure the owner must be a person of status, and such people were never stingy. A tael of silver was a high price, but if he didn’t take advantage, he’d regret it.

"Qing’er, buy one," came a melodious voice from within the carriage. A maiden in a flowing white scholar’s dress stepped out, her face veiled in gauzy silk. Yet her poise and bearing alone revealed a beauty to rival kingdoms.

"May I ask, who caught this fish in Coastal County?"

At this question, Lin San instinctively hesitated. That was a trade secret—how could he reveal it?

But the lady’s status was evident, and offending her was unwise.

As he pondered how to respond, his eyes accidentally fell upon the jade pendant at the woman’s waist.

In that instant, Lin San’s legs nearly gave out beneath him.