The girl was pale, ignoring the maid beside her, her gaze fixed on the still lake before her, where the wind rustled the lotus leaves, and the flowers swayed in the rain...

The Qian family, under Qian Buyong's command, is making meticulous plans. After all, the Li family has been in business for a century, and although they have declined, even a weakened camel is bigger than a horse, and they are not so easy to deal with.

The old master of the Li family, Li Gao, also heard the rumors in Chang'an. His face was full of smiles—others might not know who the young man in blue was, but how could he not know? Even the servants of the Li family had their own guesses, but they dared not say much. However, the steward Li Bo, who was standing behind the old master, frowned and looked worried.

Seeing the worried look on the old servant's face behind him, the old man smiled and said, "You're still the same! Too much worry and anxiety! If you were to leave first, who would take care of this old man?" The old man paused, then continued, "You know my son's abilities, and besides, the Li family isn't easy to bully!" Uncle Li had grown up alongside Old Master Li Gao since childhood; although they were master and servant, they were more like brothers, and their conversation was inevitably filled with affection.

"Master is right, I was overthinking it! Our young master is no ordinary person!" Hearing his master's words, Uncle Li, recalling Li Xingzhi's past actions, felt reassured and smiled.

"Haha, but Old Man Qian is in for a treat this time!"

At the Qian family's residence, people came and went, and a tight web, painstakingly formed by the spider, gradually formed, enveloping the Li family! Countless people were eager to move, like tiger sharks that had caught the scent of blood, their backs slicing through the water, revealing their fangs!

The Qian family started with cloth dyeing workshops. Although their influence has begun to spread to other industries, cloth shops are still the lifeblood of the Qian family! In Chang'an alone, about six or seven out of ten cloth shops are owned by the Qian family; outside of Chang'an, Qian family cloth shops are even more widespread!

Before the Qian family could make a move, suddenly, countless cloth shops named "Lan Gui Fang" sprang up in Changluo and other places, disrupting their plans.

Similar to Qian's Cloth Shop, Lan Gui Fang also operated a cloth dyeing workshop. However, the difference was that the cloth produced there was of fine and tough texture, with a wide variety of patterns, bright colors, and exquisite craftsmanship. As soon as it opened, it was sought after by many noble ladies. In Chang'an alone, young ladies from prominent families considered it an honor to have a set of clothes made by Lan Gui Fang! In contrast, Qian's Cloth Shop's business plummeted!

Even more terrifying is that Lan Kwai Fong not only deals in high-end clothing for young ladies and noblewomen, but also buys fabric from women's textile workshops at prices 10% higher than the Qian family's, prints exquisite patterns on it, and then sells it cheaply! It seems they're targeting the Qian family, and this move is a decisive blow! They won't stop until they've completely wiped out the Qian family!

The Qian family was in dire straits, and the people surrounding them scattered in all directions. The large net they had woven was already tattered before it could even be put to use!

Old Master Qian Buyong, his face cold, sat high in the hall, listening to the report from below! If it was the last time his grandson's shameful affair was exposed and became a laughing stock, disappointing him, then this time, it was utter rage! Now past sixty, having experienced so much life, it was almost impossible for anything to make Qian Buyong so angry. Unexpectedly, today, this old wolf with gleaming green eyes was provoked again!

"Fine! I'll see who's really going against the Qian family! Hmph! No matter how good your treasures are, they're still doomed!" Business battles aren't just about head-on clashes! The key lies in building connections and accumulating power behind the scenes! For truly wealthy people, making a lot of money isn't impressive; what's impressive is how they use that money! Money, after all, is inanimate!

Clearly, Qian Buyong understands this very well!

Starting the next day, several accidents occurred in the various Lan Kwai Fong districts of Chang'an, with some even brazenly setting fires! Coercion and bribery were no longer considered serious offenses! Fortunately, there were no fire safety, sanitation, or commercial departments at that time; otherwise, under the influence of Lord Qian, Lan Kwai Fong might have inexplicably closed down due to "storing flammable materials" and "fabric containing substances that could cause food poisoning"!

However, these things haven't appeared yet, so Mr. Qian is in trouble.

Qian Buyong looked at his subordinates' report, a chill running from his feet to the top of his head—none of those who went out last night had returned! And those who led the trouble during the day had all died mysteriously upon their return, their deaths in all sorts of bizarre ways—a chill seeped into the hearts of the Qian family members! Some servants even felt that the Qian family was under some kind of evil spell or curse, and began to flee for their lives, disregarding the possible punishment that might befall them!

Qian Buyong had no idea who was dealing with this sudden and enormous force that was far beyond what his Qian family could withstand! He sat dejectedly in the high hall, his former arrogance gone, his hair turned much whiter overnight, and he looked as if he had aged ten years in an instant!

"Is Heaven going to destroy my Qian family? Is it really the cyclical nature of karma that brings about retribution?" Suddenly, Qian Buyong's eyes widened, a sharp glint flashing in them, his face contorted with madness. "Haha! Retribution! There are countless villains in the world, so what retribution is there? It's just a matter of the victor taking all! Hmph! My Qian family has accumulated wealth over decades. Even if we've temporarily lost power, as long as that connection remains, we'll rise again!"

In the Li family, a pale-faced, beardless eunuch entered. After a long while, he carefully carried out a small package as if it were a precious treasure, and led several eunuchs towards the palace... This man was the same eunuch who had come to the Li family to buy Yufeng honey that day, and he was also the Junior Supervisor of the Inner Palace Bureau!

"Master—Master, the eunuchs from the palace who are in charge of procurement have come out!" A voice cried out, sounding quite anxious and worried.

"What's with all this shouting! A distinguished guest has arrived, why aren't you making arrangements to welcome him!" Qian Buyong, whose face had been so gloomy it looked like it was about to burst into tears, immediately brightened up upon hearing the servant's words, revealing his usual cheerful demeanor.

"But...but..." The servant's face showed even greater worry.

"What are you stammering about! Hurry up and come with me to greet our distinguished guest!"

The servant gritted his teeth and shouted, "But the purchasing official went to Lan Kwai Fong!"

"What?" Qian Buyong was stunned, his composure completely gone. His face turned deathly pale, and his cane slammed against the bluestone floor with a dull thud! "What did you say?"

The servant, seeing Qian Buyong's bloodshot eyes, as if he wanted to devour someone, suddenly began to tremble like a leaf. "The eunuch in charge of procurement has gone—to Lan Kwai Fong..."

"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood spurted from Qian Buyong's mouth, scattering and turning the sunlight streaming into the Qian family's house crimson! The blood fell to the ground, staining everything crimson; the Qian mansion was in complete chaos…

It turns out that the palace often needed to procure ordinary fabrics for the palace maids and eunuchs; the fine textiles from the imperial estates were not for the use of servants. Previously, the Qian family had secured this lucrative position because of a past relationship with a minor palace steward! This was the guarantee that the Qian family would remain prosperous. But unexpectedly, this good fortune fell to someone else…

----

Chapter Two is finally out!

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