Chapter 466

Chapter 466

Neatly stacking the last sheaf of documents, Luo-Luo went over her report once again, tapping each relevant stack as she moved past to ensure everything was in place. Itd been two weeks since Lord Husbands last visit, and theyd barely covered half of what she wanted to and only heard his thoughts on a quarter of what she brought him, circumstances which left her scrambling to put out the metaphorical fires cropping about their burgeoning mercantile enterprises. While wholly capable of handling most business issues without his input, there were certain things Luo-Luo wanted Lord Husband to know about so he could prepare himself for the stormy seas ahead.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience

Oh who was she fooling? Their ship had sprung a thousand leaks and it was all she could do to keep it afloat.

Worst of all, she had no one to blame but herself. Before his downfall in Sinuji, business had been thriving and she made coin hand over fist. Whether it was bells or baubles, tools or trinkets, wagons or water clocks, she made massive profits with every contract and amassed a fortune which even Lord Husband couldnt squander away. Though he had advised her to take things slowly and set a foundation for future progress, she convinced him to strike while the iron was hot and invested the lions share of their profits into expansion and development for a variety of different endeavours, expecting they would pay out a hundred times over if events continued as expected.

And they would have too, but alas, man proposes and Heaven disposes.

While she knew it had always been a factor, only after Lord Husband took grave injury did she realize just how much of their success had hinged upon his distinguished reputation. Who wouldnt want to forge a connection to the Number One Talent in the Empire and first ever external Imperial Consort in history? Their business partners saw this as a chance to build a relationship before Lord Husband came into true power, so they were all too happy to accept less than ideal terms in their business dealings, but all this came to a crashing halt after his reversal of fortune in Sinuji. Where hed once been a rising dragon with limitless potential, Lord Husband was now little more than a defeated savage in the eyes of the nobility, the Broken Barbarian whose days were numbered, which meant all the goodwill which came with his lofty status immediately dried up and disappeared.

How far shed fallen, from playing concerts for the Emperor to playing nursemaid to a cripple.

Surprised by her hurtful and inaccurate thoughts, Luo-Luo shook it off and continued with her preparations, hoping to cover as much as she could before Lord Husband lost interest or grew tired. With so many vultures and jackals crawling out of the woodwork, shed been working day and night to salvage what she could, but their losses were considerable as their business partners cheated and betrayed them to their competitors. Day after day, she received word of bandit attacks, damaged shipments, ruined materials and more, manufactured delays and setbacks which cost her dearly when she couldnt fulfill her contractual obligations. Though she could pursue legal action against those deceitful merchants, there were so many issues it would take the Adjudicators months, if not years to sort through the mess, and by then, the fines would be a mere slap on the wrist compared to the profits theyd make in the meantime. If not for Marshal Yuzhen and the Yo familys steadfast allegiance and constant support, Luo-Luo feared she would have managed Lord Husbands business into the ground and left him a destitute pauper.

If only shed listened to Lord Husbands advice and offered their business partners better terms...

Business and politics were supposed to be her areas of expertise, her fields to excel in, her niche with which she earned his approval, if not his affection, but the results spoke for themselves. Forget about profits, Luo-Luo would be ecstatic if she could recoup their losses by years end, but with only three weeks left to go, it seemed like wishful thinking. While they were still earning a tidy revenue with their cast iron business thanks to military contracts from Marshal Yuzhen and Marshal Yo, all of her other investments had turned to dust. Lord Husbands exorbitant spending only exacerbated the issue, leaving her with minimal funds to defend against their competition and protect what few assets they still had left. Though shed tried to bring it up during their last meeting, hed been adamant about continuing to fund the Tyrant and his Teacher in their costly and unprofitable endeavours instead of putting his profits to better use, and nothing Luo-Luo said could convince him otherwise.

Not that she blamed him for rejecting her advice. Were it not for his health issues and lack of other options, Luo-Luo imagined he would have long since replaced her as his business manager and perhaps relegated her to the role of scullion maid or cattle minstrel.

He doesnt appreciate you, doesnt understand your true value...

The mere thought of being ordered to play for cattle set Luo-Luo to fuming, her outrage only matched by her exhaustion. Though merely a lowly Imperial Servant, her musical performance had earned her a standing ovation from the Emperor Himself, and Lord Husband would have her play for smelly, stinking cattle? The indignity was too much for her inner artist to bear, but he didnt even notice. Every now and then, he would ask if she had time to play him a song, a request she would happily comply with if he didnt insist on an audience of livestock. All her suggestions regarding a private performance or even a dinnertime show were rejected because he was genuinely interested in seeing how his hairy beasts would react, and though she knew he meant no insult by it, she saw his request as an affront to her hard-earned skills and refused to humiliate herself to indulge his curiosity.

Though crippled and medicated, he still possessed a brilliant mind, so why couldnt he understand her aversion to playing for cattle? She couldnt outright refuse him as it would be crass and unbecoming of an Imperial Servant, but surely even he could see there had to be something afoot after months of evading the subject...

He is blind because he does not care and treats you like a slave to be ordered about...

Lightheaded from indignation, Luo-Luo brewed herself a pot of calming tea, and had only just seated herself when mother-in-law Sarnais voice rang out behind her. BoHe tea, a fine choice. Rare and expensive, but fragrant and enjoyable, a true treat for all the senses. I saw some in the market the other day, but I couldnt bring myself to make such an extravagant purchase.

Almost spilling her drink as she scrambled to her feet, Luo-Luo put on her best smile and curtsied before the fearsome woman. Consort Luo greets esteemed Mother. How does a woman with a four-legged cane move so quietly? And she just had to show up the second Luo-Luo took a break... If it pleases Mother, then Luo-Luo is happy to present all three bricks back for Mother to enjoy.

Three whole bricks? My word, you purchased so much at once? You must drink it morning, noon, and night. Patting Luo-Luos hand, Sarnai smiled without smiling and said, No need dear. You keep it for yourself. Im a simple woman with simple tastes. Apologies for coming in alone and interrupting your relaxing tea time. Rain and the others are putting Erdene in the stables, but I had to get off my feet.

Wishing she could curl up and die of shame, Luo-Luo pulled out a chair and set to brewing a fresh pot of simple tea for everyone. On the surface, it seemed like a harmless statement, but Sarnai saw Luo-Luo as an extravagant and spoiled milksop and was none too shy about voicing her displeasure. It wasnt entirely fair since the BoHe tea had been a gift from a business partner, and Luo-Luo only kept it for herself because Lord Husband preferred water or mild teas mixed with honey, milk, and butter. Explaining wouldnt help matters one wit, because Sarnais poor impression of Luo-Luo stemmed back to their first meeting, when she walked in on Luo-Luo talking about pawning Rains valuables for his wedding banquet. Even when the business had been wildly profitable, Luo-Luo still couldnt win her mother-in-laws approval, and their relationship had only worsened in recent weeks as Sarnai used her as a verbal striking post to vent her frustration on. Luo-Luo hadnt even been allowed to join Mila and Lin-Lin on their journey to Sinuji, relegated to looking after the twins and animals while making their way to the citadel, but Sarnai held Luo-Luos absence against her, as if she didnt care enough to ride out to her Lord Husbands aid. There was no winning against the sharp-tongued dragon woman, so most days, Luo-Luo did everything she could to avoid her mother-in-law, a difficult prospect considering they lived in the same manor.

Ah. Ink and paper, please. Though Luo-Luo leapt to her feet to obey, MuYang was three steps ahead of her, somehow already aware of where she kept everything. Using his metal pen, Lord Husband wrote out a list of ingredients and instructions on how to prepare them before handing it over to MuYang. Find a pharmacy and have them make a dose, this is good for a barrel.

Peering at his neat but uninspired writing, Luo-Luo committed the instructions to memory and asked, This is a laxative?

Yea. Mandrel Stalk is popular because its readily available and easy to prepare, but Id rather not explain why I need it. This will work just as well. Frowning, he took another look at his writing and said, At least, I think it will. Losing my Natal Palace means my memorys not what it used to be, but Im pretty sure I memorized this prescription before I formed a Natal Palace, which... may or may not make a difference. With a heavy sigh, he added, Ill double check with Lin later.

Unsure how to console him, she merely nodded and said, Lord Husband is wise. Needing to establish herself as an authority figure to this low-born shepherd, Luo-Luo turned to MuYang and spoke using her most commanding tone. Tell no one what the prescription is for. If they must know, say youre adding it to animal feed to soothe their stomachs. With Mandrel Stalk prices at an all time high, Lord Husbands prescription could earn a tidy profit depending on the cost and availability of ingredients, but more importantly... How extensive is your spy network? Write out a list of contacts and where they are stationed so I can plan how to use them.

Consort Luos request is impossible. Though his tone was patient, MuYangs eyes betrayed his true thoughts, treating her like a vapid little girl playing at games. We work to uncover taint and corruption wherever we may find it, and our enemies are vast and powerful. The identity of each contact is a carefully guarded secret, and no one is privy to all their details, but even if I were, I would not hand them over to a mere Consort.

Leave the spy work to MuYang, Lord Husband said, cutting Luo-Luos authority off at the knees. You can trust him. He swore an Oath to BoShui, and I trust BoShui with my life. However, he added, fixing MuYang with a glare, You will treat her with respect, understood? If you think her a mere empty-headed maiden, then you are sorely mistaken. Shes an intelligent woman and remarkably talented in both business and the Martial Path. You would do well to heed any advice she gives and while I understand your caution, if you cannot trust her, then you might as well leave now and return to BoShuis side.

Annoyed Lord Husband wouldnt let her handle things on her own and blushing at his compliment, Luo-Luo struggled to look calm and confident while MuYang shrugged and said, By your command, but dont you think youre giving the waiter too much attention? If you want revenge, then kill him and be done with it.

This isnt about revenge, Lord Husband said, though his icy tone said differently. Besides, I wont have a man killed for refusing me a table. Nodding at the window, Lord Husband continued, If I wanted revenge, Id send you after those idiot fops outside who think sarcasm and alliteration is the height of wit. No, what I want is to send a message.

And what, pray tell, would that message be?

Smouldering with barely restrained fury, Lord Husband spoke through gritted teeth. I dont mind if people insult and disparage me, but the moment something affects my family, then I will unleash hell. I dont care about reputation or public opinion, all I know is my family was disrespected, my mother was disrespected, and I will not stand for it. Someone paid that shit-bag waiter to snub me and my family, so I intend to make sure he lives to regret it. Settling back in his chair, Lord Husband's eyes grew hard as he rattled off a list of instructions to ruin the poor waiters life. Look into him. If he has debts, then buy them and send people to collect. If he has a woman, then drug him with aphrodisiacs and hire a prostitute to seduce him at home. If the restaurant is for sale, then buy it and fire him. If he has friends to lend him money, then rob them and leave evidence pointing to him. All the while, spread word about how his life went to shit after he disrespected my family, so everyone knows why hes so wretched and miserable, but leave him his legs so he can still walk away.

Perhaps Luo-Luo could learn from Lord Husbands example and use this against their business rivals. Fear was a powerful tool, and with Experts and spies at her command, financially ruining a lesser family would be childs play...

Taking a deep breath, Lord Husband closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, visibly shedding his anger before opening them again. Favouring Luo-Luo with a smile, he said, Now, lets move on to business. You said there were matters which needed my attention? Chuckling beneath his breath, he eyed the many stacks of documents and added, Hows about we schedule a regular meeting so things dont pile up like this again. Like say, twice a week?

It sounds wonderful, but Luo-Luo worries for Lord Husbands health. To begin with, the new crossbows have arrived, but... Beaming from ear to ear, Luo-Luo reached for the first stack of documents and launched into her report, but only with half a mind. The other half was busy keeping herself from jumping for joy, because she realized he saw her as family. Thats why he was so quick to warn MuYang to be respectful, and even though she could have handled him herself, she still appreciated the sentiment.

It took nine months and a grievous, life-altering injury to bring it about, but Lord Husband was finally warming up to Luo-Luo. In light of this, perhaps playing for cattle wouldnt be the worst thing in the world, provided he was there to enjoy it too. She could see it now, the two of them sitting together beneath the moonlight while the cattle slept and paid them no mind. Shed play him a romantic tune while he leaned against her, tired from a hard days work yet revitalized by her music, and then... perhaps...

If only...

Such a shame Lord Husband was in no condition to...

Well, perhaps in another nine months...

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