Chapter 237: Listening to Your Words

“Sigh,” He Lingchuan said. “Yes, I heard it will be extended for a few more days. It was originally planned for ten days, but now it needs to be prolonged.”

Good things take time.

“This is a good thing,” Li Qingge said seriously. “Li Fubo has meticulously studied artifact refining for twenty-one years, and even he misjudged it, which clearly shows the sword's complex nature. The more difficult it is to cultivate, the greater the power of the finished product. If such a treasure were in my hands, I’d wish to hold onto it for a few more days.”

“Patience will be rewarded.” She also took a sip of tea. “However, after Li Fubo mentioned it, I became curious myself and wondered if I could come to your residence to see it.”

“Of course,” He Lingchuan replied without hesitation. “You’re most welcome.”

“I have to go on a long trip. How about seven days from now?”

She actually set a date. He Lingchuan had no objection: “Alright, I’ll certainly be waiting for you.”

Li Qingge smiled faintly: “Just make sure you’re not busy again by then, Young Master.”

It seemed she understood him well. He Lingchuan chuckled twice, self-deprecatingly: “How could I be? I’d even put off an emergency.” Then he changed the subject: “How long do you plan to stay here, Marquis?”

“Once the business here is on track, I’ll have to head north.”

“North?” He Lingchuan was slightly surprised. “Do you mean Xunzhuo?”

“Beijia Kingdom.”

She’s actually going to the northern demon kingdom? “Is travel to the Northern Kingdom also permitted?”

“Of course!” Li Qingge’s laughter was soft, deep, and pleasant, making one’s heart tingle. “Business people travel everywhere. Besides, how many Taoist sects are confined to just one country?”

He Lingchuan thought to himself: With such borderless travel, wouldn’t the sovereign be suspicious? However, he did know that few Taoist sects only pledge allegiance to one country. The more prosperous they are, the more their disciples are spread across the land.

It is said that the predecessors of the Taoist sects were ancient immortal sects. At that time, there were no nations, and they stood above all, independent of worldly affairs. Today’s Taoist sects have also inherited this tradition. Nations do not impose strict demands on them; instead, they strive to win over the talents trained by them.

That’s usually the case. Usually.

Thinking of this, He Lingchuan found Songyang Prefecture even stranger. Li Qingge, who traveled to the northern demon kingdom, was safe and sound, while her ex-husband was accused of colluding with the enemy and treason.

“Marquis, you’re opening a shop in Dunyu at this time. Aren’t you afraid it will become a frontline battlefield?” What merchants desire most is stability.

Only in peaceful times can business endure.

“I have the art of physiognomy, so I have confidence in the He family,” Li Qingge leaned back lazily, resting her chin on two fingers pressed against her cheek. Even a casual movement revealed her immense grace. “Besides, it’s not just my Songyang Prefecture; isn’t the Zhu family also trying to squeeze into Dunyu?”

Although He Chunhua found Zhu Xiyan’s long-lost granddaughter, the Zhu family was overly enthusiastic towards Steward He, almost granting his every request. Li Qingge, having lived in Shihuan for a long time and experienced the ups and downs of human relationships, knew exactly the true nature of these noble families.

If there were no benefits, no advantages, would the Zhu family be so “grateful” to He Chunhua?

Would prestigious families lack for daughters?

Xiazhou is rich in resources, but it has always been controlled by the four major families. Among them, the Li family is also the ancestral home of Minister Li, making it difficult for others to intervene. With the new steward’s appointment, external forces might finally break the ice and enter the game.

Songyang Prefecture has always adhered to the concept of multi-point deployment, and such an opportunity should not be missed.

“The art of physiognomy?” He Lingchuan became interested. “Then, in your opinion, Marquis, what will become of my father in the future, and what about me?”

“Steward He, in the future, his nobility will be beyond words.” Li Qingge’s almond-shaped eyes flickered toward him, as if trying to see right through him. “As for Young Master He...”

She deliberately kept him in suspense, and He Lingchuan cooperated well: “Well?”

“You’ll have to tell me your birth information.”

One’s birth information is usually not shared with outsiders; some sorcerers use it to harm people. He Lingchuan recited it without batting an eye.

He had the Yuan coins and an official position, so he had primal energy protecting him. What was there to fear?

Immune to all evil!

Hmm, he deliberately reported the last two characters incorrectly.

Li Qingge calculated with her fingers, then she looked at him closely, staring intently.

Her gaze was soft and beautiful, with a shimmering, watery effect when she looked at someone. He Lingchuan let her stare, and couldn’t help but lose himself for a moment.

Li Qingge’s fingers were slender, and her nails were neatly trimmed, not long. He Lingchuan guessed this was due to her frequent practice of martial arts and artifact refining.

He inexplicably thought of Sun Fuling; his neighbor’s fingers also seemed very beautiful, especially when holding a brush. She didn’t grow her nails either; was it because she lived alone and had to do housework?

She seemed to have said she’d come to see his newly acquired shop, but she never appeared.

The shop, sigh. He Lingchuan felt that although he only lived in a small wooden house less than fifteen square meters in his dream, it was more spacious than reality.

At least in his dream, he wasn’t short on money.

“What are you thinking about?” someone seemed to ask him.

He Lingchuan blurted out in reply:

“I’m short on money.”

A soft chuckle reached him from in front. He Lingchuan snapped back to reality and saw Li Qingge pursing her lips.

“Uh, what did I say?” He felt a little embarrassed. “Sorry, I zoned out.”

When others stared at her and zoned out, it was usually due to being captivated by her beauty. Yet this Young Master He was thinking about being short on money. Li Qingge wondered how many twists and turns his thought process took.

“I foresee Young Master He will suffer a calamity within three years,” she dropped a bombshell. “And it will be a major disaster.”

“...Marquis, if you set up a fortune-telling stall on the street like this, you’d probably invite calamity upon yourself too.”

Li Qingge cleared her throat: “However, as long as you overcome this hurdle, your future will be boundless.”

This routine sounded too familiar. “Are you sure your predictions are accurate?”

“Perhaps.” Li Qingge herself laughed. “I can probably predict with fifty or sixty percent accuracy.”

He Lingchuan rubbed his nose: “Then I still have a forty to fifty percent chance of escaping disaster. That’s quite comforting to think about.” It didn’t matter; he didn’t know whose birth information he had given, so there was a ninety percent chance it wouldn’t be him who suffered the disaster.

Li Qingge gave a light cough: “What did you just say? Short on money?”

The topic had circled back. He Lingchuan gave a wry smile: “Could you pretend you didn’t hear that?”

“What’s so strange about being short on money?” Li Qingge laced her fingers together. “Most of the wealthy scions I know appear splendid in public, yet six or seven out of ten are perpetually short on funds. If all expenses require family support, that’s normal.”

He had no reply to this. He Lingchuan had been a rich young master for so long that for the first time, he felt that relying on his family for food, drink, and everything else seemed a little unfair.

Most importantly, He Chunhua rationed the allowance for both his sons, preventing them from spending freely.

He Lingchuan’s face stiffened: “They come to you to complain?”

“They come to Songyang Prefecture to pawn some good things. After all, we have a good reputation, know our goods, keep secrets, and don’t drive prices down excessively, making us much better than ordinary pawnshops,” Li Qingge said slowly. “I know a young master from the capital whose family is very prominent, but he has pawned his ancestral Sky Net Robe at Songyang Prefecture four times and redeemed it when he had money again.”

Some prestigious families only appear grand on the surface.

Given the state of the Great Yuan Kingdom, it’s difficult for its subjects to remain unscathed.

She leaned slightly forward and asked He Lingchuan: “Young Master He, if you’re short on funds, does Songyang Prefecture need to help?”

He Lingchuan immediately waved his hand: “No need.”

He wasn’t in debt; he just hadn’t found a source of income. Moreover, he was deeply wary of the woman before him.

Owing her money would likely lead to undesirable consequences.

Li Qingge didn’t press the matter: “No matter. Young Master He is in the thick of it and doesn’t realize this situation can be easily turned around.”

He loved to hear words like “easily turned around.” He liked doing things that weren’t difficult. He Lingchuan immediately sat up straight: “Please teach me, Marquis.”

“The wealthy young masters in the capital only appear splendid in public because they can’t manage the household or make decisions, so their available funds are limited.”

He Lingchuan nodded. How was that different from him?

“But it’s also because the capital and Shihuan have been peaceful for too long, and profitable businesses and avenues have long been controlled by others, leaving little opportunity for newcomers,” she smiled. “I ask you, Young Master He, do you have confidence in Xiazhou and Steward He’s ability to resist the Xunzhuo army?”

“Absolutely.” They were family; he and He Chunhua were grasshoppers on the same string. Besides, his father’s capabilities were still worth looking forward to.

“Then there are great opportunities all over the city right now.” Li Qingge pointed east. “For example, the shop next to Songyang Prefecture’s branch office —its owner is also eager to sell. Originally, I compared two properties and chose the cheaper one. Now, in these extraordinary times, Young Master He just needs to go and drive down the price, and the shop can easily be acquired. If it’s inconvenient for you, I can have Steward Zhao go, and he’ll surely be able to buy it.”

She said softly: “I had someone inquire. Previously, these prime shops on the main street would cost at least six or seven hundred taels, and those with good locations and large facades could go for over a thousand taels. Now, you can buy them at a sixty or seventy percent discount. If the owner is desperate for cash, even half price is possible.”

“Why are they in such a hurry?” He Lingchuan’s eyes flickered. “Do they want to run away?”

“Yes. Seeing that Xiazhou is about to become a frontline, they want to leave before the royal court announces a migration restriction order.” Li Qingge clearly understood the situation in Dunyu. “A few days ago, even the Zhan family began to withdraw south, making ordinary nobles and commoners even more unsettled. To put it bluntly, although Steward He has taken office, people’s confidence is still shaky.”

He Lingchuan had arrived by carriage today and, passing through less prosperous streets and alleys, noticed that shops were closing one after another. Some commoners were also packing their belongings and taking their children, clearly preparing to flee from disaster.

The thunder of war grew louder and closer. Although officials made every effort to suppress it, panic, spread by word of mouth, was permeating the entire city.

Confidence is more important than gold. With people’s confidence wavering, real estate in Dunyu naturally depreciated.

Moreover, the Yuan court had issued migration restriction orders in border regions for years, prohibiting border residents from moving inland. Xiazhou was not originally a front line, so people didn’t have this concern. But as the Xunzhuo army moved south step by step, Xiazhou would soon become a strategically vital area. The Yuan court might designate it as a border region.

By then, it would be too late to escape.

“Young Master He, you must have some spare cash, right? If not enough, you can borrow some from me.”

“I do.”

“Acquiring things from these people is much easier than before. A crisis is both danger and opportunity; without danger, how can there be opportunity?” Li Qingge smiled. “Let’s delve deeper. Steward He has just taken office, is unfamiliar with the area, and the situation in Xiazhou is exceptionally complex. The people he relies on and trusts most right now are his own family members.”