“…The affairs inside an influential clan like the Zhong Clan with several hundred members are definitely a lot more complicated than what most would imagine. Internal strife and schemes must be common. The Zhong Clan’s seat of power is currently occupied by Zhong Hong’an and his family line. His ancestors have been the head of the Zhong Clan for generations, and they have come to be known as the ‘main house’. It is extremely difficult for anyone from the branch houses of the Zhong Clan to rise above all else. Even outsiders are only able to become supervisors or managers in the Zhong Clan at most. If they are lucky, they will be appointed as the supervisor of the Datong Monetary House and be allowed outside. Only a select few can be included as an elder in the clan in the end. Can you guess why the Zhong Clan sent me here to Pingxi Prefecture?”

Zhong Ruolan laid her flushed face right against Yan Liqiang’s bare and muscular chest. She gently slid her delicate finger across his abs with her eyes glazed all over…

“An influential clan like the Zhong Clan will never place all their eggs in the same basket. The Zhong Clan knew of the relationship between Lin Qingtian and me. One of the reasons they sent you here is to win me over through marriage so they can use me as a connection to the Emperor. The other reason is in case I lose my power in the future or if I get exposed by Lin Qingtian, they can still easily cut ties with you as you are from the Zhong Clan’s branch house. Whatever happens to you doesn’t really impact them. Am I right?” Yan Liqiang gently stroked Ruolan’s back. Her skin was fair, radiant, and soft like velvety cream. It was hard for Yan Liqiang to stop touching her.

“I guess I can’t hide anything from you,” Zhong Ruolan sighed.

“I’m guessing you aren’t in a good situation back in the Zhong Clan. I remember when we first met in Pingxi Prefecture, you were only accompanied by a maid and a coachman. There were no escorts…”

Zhong Ruolan smiled. “My father was Zhong Hong’an’s patrilineal cousin. He was considered to be a gifted and talented individual with outstanding capabilities in the Zhong Clan when he was young. However, he never had any opportunities to show it because he was from the branch house and was constantly overshadowed. Back when the descendants from the Zhong Clan were given an opportunity to join the four major sects, the disciples from the main house got in while my father wasn’t able to, even though they were less competent than him.

“Then, when the Zhong Clan was selecting their best candidates to manage the Datong Monetary House in every prefecture, my father wasn’t chosen for the very same reason. In the end, he was only appointed to manage a small textile shop before he passed away when I was eight years old. If it wasn’t for you this time, the Zhong Clan would’ve married me off as the second wife to Lan Provincial Governor Du Yuefeng’s foolish son…”

“Is that why you have been afraid to reveal your true capabilities in the Zhong Clan?”

“As a weak girl who has no one to rely on at home, I can’t act too stupid or else I’d be bullied and looked down by the others. I can’t be too smart either, otherwise I’ll soon find out that it’s better to be stupid than too smart. Hence, the best course of action is to be a little smarter than the average child in the clan, just enough to protect myself!”

Yan Liqiang let out a sigh. “The prosperity of a clan depends on its people. It would seem like the Zhong Clan is inevitably involved in malpractice, just like many other influential clans!”

“Everyone can understand the principle, but when faced with real choices, it is simply too difficult for one to make selfless choices!”

“You have really suffered over the years in the Zhong Clan!”

“I am already yours now, so do you believe me?”

“What do you desire from me?”

Zhong Ruolan suddenly flipped over and pinned Yan Liqiang underneath her. She bit her lip and looked at him with her conflicted eyes. “If I tell you I wish to overpower the Zhong Clan and make everyone in the main house prostrate themselves before me, will you think… will you think that I’m a very scary woman?”

Yan Liqiang laughed. “You wish to push the Zhong Clan down?”

“No, I want to rise above the Zhong Clan. I want the world to know that those famous figures from the Lan Province’s Zhong Clan are nothing. Even a girl from the branch house who was cast aside by the Zhong Clan can compete with those who stayed in the clan in the northwestern region!”

This was Zhong Ruolan’s obsession. Likewise, everyone had their own obsessions.

“The Datong Monetary House should be the Zhong Clan’s core. Even so, it’s nothing much in my eyes because the business model is simply too outdated!” Yan Liqiang shook his head with a smile. “The wealth that the Zhong Clan has accumulated through the Datong Monetary House over all these years is probably only ten million or so taels of silver at most. I’ll only need two or three years to overtake them, it’s not that difficult…”

“You have a way to do that?” Zhong Ruolan looked at Yan Liqiang in surprise.

“My intention in coming here was to discuss this with you. But I’m not telling you first until you give it a guess since you are so smart!”

Zhong Ruolan glared at Yan Liqiang, then lowered her head to bite Yan Liqiang’s chest…

…

Yan Liqiang stayed a day and a night in the Zhong Clan’s huge manor before he left the next noon. The steward from the Zhong Clan sent him off respectfully and the carriage carried him slowly back to the Yan Fortress.

Yan Liqiang touched his chest in the carriage. As he recalled the events that had transpired last night, he couldn’t help but smile at the aftertaste. It seemed like he had made some unexpected harvest over his trip to Pingxi City this time.

The carriage stopped at the gates to Pingxi City because the road was blocked.

The coachman knocked on the carriage’s partition, then pulled open the little ornate window made of copper at the front of the carriage, “Young Lord, an army is entering the city through the gates ahead of us. Please wait for a moment as our carriage can’t pass through!”

“Oh, alright!” Yan Liqiang immediately opened the door and alighted the carriage to check on the situation.

The street was already jammed with a few bailiffs maintaining the order. Yan Liqiang could spot austere soldiers dressed in shiny armor at the city gates from a hundred meters away. They were carrying long spears as they marched into Pingxi City. The townspeople stuck their heads out from the windows of buildings on both sides of the street…

“Excuse me, old sir. Do you know where these soldiers have come from?”

An old man by the street cast a glance at Yan Liqiang then at the lavish four-wheeled carriage beside him before a smile appeared on his face. “They are all from our Gan Province Army. Rumor has it that things have been chaotic at the Gulang Plains and the Provincial Governor is worried for the safety of Pingxi Prefecture, so he is deploying an army to strengthen the defense at the White Stone Pass. They are passing by Pingxi City so they will convene here!”

“Thank you, old sir!”

“You’re welcome, Young Lord!”

Wang Jianbei and Lei Sitong were really moving fast. A thought flashed across Yan Liqiang’s mind. He counted the days and concluded that these soldiers were probably mobilized before he agreed on forking out two million taels of silver to clean up the mess in the city. Otherwise, there was no way the Gan Province Army could make it here so quickly. Wanting others to fork out money to take the lives of the Shatu people was indeed Lei Sitong’s style of doing things.

They’ll probably make the move in the next few days. I mustn’t miss a party like this…!