Chapter 69: Easy to Invite the Gods, Hard to Send Them Away

Chapter 69

Easy to Invite the Gods, Hard to Send Them Away

Nie Shuang stepped into the hall where the butler was hosting the guest. The moment she saw who it was, she smiled politely and greeted him.

“Greetings, the Hou. It’s an honor that you’ve come all the way to Huangjing City to visit Nie Shuang. May I ask what brings you here?”

The Hou looked as irritable as ever. When his gaze swept over her, it was as if he was holding back a storm of anger, though he struggled to contain it. This woman—whom he hadn’t seen in over a year—seemed to carry herself with even more grace and poise than before. The stories he had heard about her indicated that his former daughter-in-law was no ordinary woman. The more he thought about it, the more it pained him. He had spent a great deal of money to rid his son of her, but in the end, all his efforts had been in vain.

Rumors had spread to the capital about the recent dismissal of Master Wang, a local official in Huangjing City. Some said it was Kang Wang who had ordered the punishment, while others speculated it was General Song. The reason was that official had crossed a certain powerful Lady Boss in the city. People were astonished—how could a merchant, having a dispute with an official, result in the official being dismissed? Such a thing had never happened before. Most merchants would never dare to challenge someone in power. Who was this Lady Boss who could cause Master Wang to lose his official title?

It was said that she was none other than the wife of General Song, the daughter of the wealthy merchant Nie Ran’s concubine, who had used tricks to force the General into marrying her. The moment the Hou heard these rumors, he could no longer sit still. He immediately sent people to investigate. He was still furious with his son and knew that Song Qilin had been searching for his wife relentlessly. He hadn’t expected him to find her so soon!

During the past New Year, Song Qilin hadn’t returned home and hadn’t even sent a letter—acting as if he were no longer the heir of the Yong An Hou Manor. The Hou had been both humiliated and deeply embarrassed by the cancellation of the marriage with the Chen family. To this day, Chen Yuelan remained unmarried, and he felt a great deal of guilt toward his old friend. But with his son refusing to come home, there was nothing he could do. Song Qilin was no longer a child he could command.

As the Hou walked into the mansion, he quickly scanned his surroundings. The mansion was massive, located in the heart of the city, and luxuriously decorated. He didn’t believe that the dowry, along with the gemstones and gold he had given her, could have been enough to build such an enormous mansion. His wayward son must have secretly helped her, supporting her from behind the scenes. The Hou ground his teeth in frustration, feeling as though he had been thoroughly outwitted by this woman. She must have used her wiles to lure his son back. Her willingness to leave so easily back then must have been a trap. When it was time, she revealed the traces to let his son find her later. What a devious plan!

Merchant class, in his mind, could never be trusted! The Hou sneered internally.

Seeing that Nie Shuang greeted him as if there had never been any bad blood between them only fueled his anger.

“You’ve met Qilin, haven’t you?”

He asked in a curt tone, his expression demanding an answer, as if she owed him something. Nie Shuang smiled and responded calmly,

“The General happened to find me by chance, sir. I only recently learned that he’s a friend of Kang Wang. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen to settle in Huangjing City.”

The Hou knew she wasn’t lying. Nie Shuang had clearly said from the beginning that she would travel south. He hadn’t been particularly concerned with where her destination was. He had only just learned, like everyone else, that Song Qilin had come to Huangjing to negotiate a tea-for-horses trade. How could a mere merchant like her have known?

“But you promised not to show yourself to him again. You accepted twenty-five chests of wealth, so why haven’t you kept your word!?”

The Hou grew increasingly furious as he spoke. Tie Tou, the new butler and younger brother of Da Shi, sensed trouble and whispered to a maid to seek help from Kang Wang. Upon hearing Nie Shuang refer to the guest as the Hou, he realized that this was someone who could not be offended. Thankfully, Kang Wang was visiting; otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to handle the situation.

“Perhaps you’re mistaken. I promised to give you the divorce letter and leave the capital, but I never guaranteed that your son would never find me again after I left.”

At her response, the Hou’s mustache twitched in anger. The divorce letter had already been torn up by his son, and Song Qilin had found her anyway. What was all his effort and expense for?

“Nie Shuang! I demand that you leave Qilin, leave this city, and never show your face to him again!”

Nie Shuang chuckled softly.

“The Hou, the terms of our previous agreement have already been fulfilled. What you’re asking of me now is something I cannot agree to.”

“How much more money do you want before you’ll leave him?!”

“I fear that this time you might not be able to afford it. You’ve managed to find out where I am, but did your people not inform you of who I am now? I am the Lady Boss of Huangjing City, the owner of the Xiangyun Tea House, the sole supplier of Lü Cui and Hong Bao teas in Da Ye. The tea-for-horses trade that your son is overseeing relies entirely on tea from my tea house. If I were to abandon everything just to satisfy your wishes, I fear the northern border war that your son is managing might not come to a favorable end.”

The Hou’s eyes widened in shock. He had heard that she was running a tea house, but he hadn’t thought much of it. A tea house, tavern, or restaurant—weren’t they all just ordinary businesses run by merchants? He never imagined that his former daughter-in-law had expanded her commercial influence to the point where it was tied to matters of national defense.

“Oh, in case you’re unaware. For this tea-for-horses trade, I personally offered to send tea to the Xi Region without charging the royal treasury a single coin. In return, I received a tea trade concession. Now tell me, if I disappear, who will carry this plan forward in the coming years? And if I were to comply with your demand, how much should I ask you to pay me? Would the price be worth the stability of the Ye Region?”

Nie Shuang said with a smile; her words left the Hou speechless.

He couldn’t fathom how she had built such a vast commercial empire in just over a year after arriving in Huangjing City. It had to be a lie... Surely, it was a lie.

“Hmph! Don’t try to fool me. All of this must be because Qilin is behind it, right? Otherwise, how could a woman like you suddenly monopolize the tea trade? Huangjing City isn’t a small town. A new tea merchant could never compete against the established powers without someone backing. You’ve been deceiving me all along, secretly communicating with Qilin behind my back and using his status to benefit your business, profiting from military information!”

Nie Shuang began to feel irritated. This old man was looking down on her too much. Just as she was about to respond, a voice interrupted.

“Everything she said is true. Her tea business is entirely her own hard work. Song Qilin only appeared four months ago. He didn’t know who she was and came seeking help. He found her by coincidence, and I can personally vouch for that.”

Both turned toward the door to see Kang Wang stride in gracefully. The Hou quickly stood to bow in respect, and Kang Wang returned the gesture before greeting him with casual friendliness.

“How are you? You’ve traveled a long way from the capital. Why not stay at my residence instead?”

In truth, the Hou had intended to keep his visit to Huangjing City a secret. He didn’t want anyone to know he was here to persuade his former daughter-in-law to sever ties with his son. Being caught by Kang Wang now filled him with embarrassment.

“No need to trouble you, Your Highness. I already have accommodations and will only stay a few days before returning.”

Kang Wang raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise.

“The Hou, don’t you wish to stay longer and spend more time with your grandchildren?”

Nie Shuang nearly raised her hand to slap her forehead. Kang Wang...inviting the gods is easy, but sending them away is hard. You’ve just made things more complicated for me!