Chapter Nine: Hidden Arrows Are Hard to Defend Against

In late autumn, the first cold rain fell on Yangzhou. The fine raindrops pattered on the bluestone pavement, splashing up tiny water droplets and casting a damp and chilly gloom over this once bustling city of salt merchants.

The atmosphere in the living room of the Cao family's villa was so oppressive that it was almost suffocating.

Several shards of blue and white porcelain lay scattered on the ground. It was a Kangxi-era official kiln vase that Cao Jin had just smashed. The priceless antique had now become a tool for him to vent his anger.

Cao Jin, dressed in a dark purple brocade robe, his hair disheveled with agitation, his eyes bloodshot, looked like an enraged beast. He roared at the trembling Master Zhou standing to the side, "Shen Rulan! What a Shen Rulan! He stole my Zhou's Salt Shop and cut off my salt license's source of income! Does he really think I, Cao Jin, am a pushover, someone he can bully? I will make sure he is utterly disgraced and tastes the bitterness of falling from grace!"

Master Zhou was so frightened that he dared not breathe. After Cao Jin's anger subsided, he carefully bowed and said, "Young Master, please calm down. The Shen family has been operating in Yangzhou for decades and has a deep foundation. Their mansion is heavily guarded. Shen Rulan himself is also meticulous and ruthless. If we confront him head-on, we will probably not gain any advantage and will instead put us in a passive position."

"If we can't do it openly, we'll do it covertly!" Cao Jin gritted her teeth, her nails digging deep into her palms. "Doesn't Shen Rulan always put on this act of being a haughty, aloof, and indifferent gentleman? I'm going to tear off his mask! Go to the 'Slender Horse Brothel' in Yangzhou and find me the most beautiful and seductive woman, no matter the cost! Then find a way to bribe the servants of the Shen family to secretly send her to his bed, and then find a few tabloid writers to write about this 'romantic affair' all over the city, making the Shen family the laughingstock of Yangzhou! Let's see if he still has the face to stand in the salt merchant circle!"

Master Zhou looked troubled, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Young Master," he said, "this method is unlikely to work. The rules in the Shen family's inner quarters are extremely strict, and Old Madam Shen is very strict in managing the household. The servants dare not easily make mistakes. Moreover, Shen Rulan himself is extremely vigilant, and the guards around him are all carefully selected experts. Ordinary women simply cannot get close to him. If things are exposed and the Shen family retaliates, we will not only gain nothing, but Shen Rulan will also have something on us. At that time, even Lord Zhao might not be able to protect us."

"Then what do you suggest we do?!" Cao Jin interrupted Zhou Shiye irritably, kicking over the chair next to him. "Are we just going to stand by and watch Shen Rulan dominate the Yangzhou salt market, letting him shit and piss on our Cao family's heads?"

Startled by Cao Jin's outburst, Master Zhou took a step back, but a sinister glint flashed in his eyes. He lowered his voice, leaned close to Cao Jin's ear, and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Young Master, to strike a snake, you must strike its vital spot. The biggest weakness of the Shen family is its small number of members—Old Madam Shen is getting old, and Shen Rulan is the only heir of the Shen family. The entire Shen family business depends on him alone. If something 'accidentally' happens to Shen Rulan, the Shen family will be leaderless and will fall apart in an instant. At that time, won't the fat meat of the Yangzhou salt market be at our mercy?"

Cao Jin's eyes lit up, then he frowned: "An unexpected event? The Shen family is heavily guarded, and Shen Rulan herself seems to know some martial arts. An ordinary assassination would probably be difficult to succeed and would easily leave traces, which would lead to our involvement."

"It's easy to dodge a spear in the open, but hard to guard against an arrow in the dark." Master Zhou's voice was even lower, carrying a hint of eerie coldness. "When I was wandering the martial world in my early years, I heard of a strange poison called 'Heartbreak Powder of Longing.' This poison is colorless and odorless, dissolves instantly in water, and does not take effect immediately after ingestion. Instead, it slowly erodes a person's heart and lungs. The initial symptoms are similar to a cold and cough, but in the later stages, it develops into something resembling tuberculosis, with incessant coughing, gradual emaciation, and finally, coughing up blood and dying. Ordinary doctors cannot detect poisoning at all and will only think it is an incurable disease."

Cao Jin felt a chill run down his spine, yet the insidious scheme also stirred his greedy and ruthless desires. He asked urgently, "This thing... can you get it?"

"It will take some effort, but it's not impossible," Master Zhou nodded. "This kind of poison is extremely rare. Only a few Miao villages on the southwestern border can prepare it. It's very expensive and can only be bought through special channels. In addition, the poisoning must be done by an extremely reliable person. We must not leave any clues. Otherwise, if we are exposed, the consequences will be unimaginable."

A ruthless glint flashed in Cao Jin's eyes. He slammed his hand on the table and gritted his teeth, saying, "No matter the cost, it's worth it! As long as we can get rid of Shen Rulan and seize the Shen family's business, I'm willing to spend any amount of money! Go and contact the channels immediately to get your hands on the 'Heartbreak Powder'! As for who will carry it out... Is the Shen family really a monolithic entity? I don't believe that a generous reward will deter anyone! Go and investigate the Shen family's servants, especially those who harbor resentment towards Shen Rulan, or those who are poor and desperately need money. Offer them a large sum of money, and you'll surely find suitable candidates!"

Master Zhou bowed and replied, "Yes! I will make the arrangements immediately!" After saying that, he hurriedly left the living room, afraid that if he stayed in this oppressive atmosphere any longer, he would be affected by Cao Jin's anger.

Cao Jin watched Master Zhou's departing figure, a smug, sinister smile flashing in his eyes.

He could almost see Shen Rulan coughing up blood and dying, and the Shen family falling apart. At that time, the power of the Yangzhou salt market would fall into his hands, and he would no longer have to act according to Shen Rulan's wishes.

Inside the Listening Snow Pavilion of the Shen Mansion, the rain was kept out of the window, and the room was warm as spring.

Shen Rulan sat at her desk, checking the invoices for glassware traded with Western merchants. The Shen family had recently expanded their overseas trade, and the glassware imported from the West was quite popular among the wealthy ladies in Yangzhou, generating substantial profits.

She knew that Cao Jin would not let the matter rest, so while dealing with the salt affairs, she was also actively expanding other businesses to strengthen the Shen family's power and prepare for any potential crisis.

To guard against Cao Jin's schemes, Shen Rulan has strengthened her guards. She has not only doubled the number of guards outside the mansion, but also specially transferred several distant relatives skilled in martial arts from the Shen family's hometown of Shaoxing to be responsible for the security of the inner quarters. Rong Momo personally manages her daily life, and there are special people supervising the purchase of ingredients and the cooking process to ensure that nothing goes wrong.

Just as Shen Rulan was focused on checking the order, soft footsteps came from outside the door, followed by her second uncle Shen Keqin's voice: "Rulan, are you busy?"

Shen Rulan looked up and saw Shen Keqin wearing a sky-blue long gown with dark cloud patterns on it, with a black satin jacket over it. He had a fawning smile on his face and was carrying a carved mahogany food box in his hand as he walked in with a leisurely gait.

Shen Keqin is the younger brother of Shen Rulan's father and also Shen Zhiwei's father. He is responsible for managing the Shen family's several estates outside the city, but he has no real power. He has long harbored resentment towards Shen Rulan, a junior, for taking control of the family's power.

"Second Uncle." Shen Rulan put down her pen and nodded slightly. "What brings you here?"

"Seeing how busy you've been lately with salt affairs and overseas trade, I specially had the kitchen stew some bird's nest for you to nourish your body." Shen Keqin placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and inside was a steaming bowl of bird's nest. "These trivial matters don't really need your personal attention. You can just leave them to the managers below. You should take a good rest."

Shen Rulan sneered inwardly—Shen Keqin never cared about her daily life, so his sudden delivery of bird's nest today must have ulterior motives.

However, she did not show it on her face, but said politely, "Thank you for your concern, Second Uncle. These invoices involve cooperation with Western merchants and involve huge sums of money. It would be more reassuring to check them in person to avoid any mistakes."

“Of course, Rulan is always cautious in her actions.” Shen Keqin smiled and sat down opposite Shen Rulan. His tone shifted, a hint of probing in his voice, “I heard… about the salt permit allocation a few days ago, Cao Jin, the young master of the Cao family, was quite furious. He even smashed a lot of things in his villa? We secured 70% of the salt permits this time, and although we earned it through our own efforts, didn’t we… offend Young Master Cao too much? The Cao family has the backing of the Imperial Household Department and some connections in the capital. If Young Master Cao holds a grudge and tries to sabotage us behind our backs, it could cause trouble for the Shen family. Shouldn’t we try to ease the tension with the Cao family?”

Shen Rulan glanced at Shen Keqin, her eyes sharp: "What are your thoughts, Second Uncle?"

Shen Keqin rubbed his hands together, a calculating glint in his eyes, and said in a low voice, "I heard that Young Master Cao still seems to have some feelings for that girl, Zhiwei. Last time, we rejected the Cao family's marriage proposal on the grounds that Zhiwei was unwell. Although we temporarily avoided the marriage alliance, it still made Young Master Cao lose face. Now that Zhiwei's illness is 'cured,' we can take the initiative to propose a marriage alliance with the Cao family. This will not only resolve the conflict with Young Master Cao, but also allow us to leverage the Cao family's power, which will also greatly benefit the Shen family. In this way, we can not only quell the current conflict, but also further solidify the Shen family's position in the Yangzhou salt market. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Rulan felt a surge of intense disgust—Shen Keqin, for his own benefit, was once again willing to sacrifice his daughter's happiness to curry favor with that纨绔子弟 (spoiled brat) Cao Jin!

She suppressed her anger and her tone turned cold: "Sister Zhiwei suffers from heart palpitations and needs to rest for a long time. She should not worry about marriage. This matter should not be mentioned again. As for Cao Jin, I know how to handle it. There is no need for you to worry about it, Uncle. You should focus on managing the estate outside the city and make sure that the income from the estate does not suffer losses. That is the most important thing."

Shen Keqin was rebuffed, his face instantly turning embarrassed, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes.

He didn't expect Shen Rulan to be so disrespectful, not only rejecting his suggestion but also subtly reminding him not to overstep his authority.

He chuckled dryly, stood up, and said, "Hehe, since you've already made up your mind, then your second uncle won't say anything more. Drink the bird's nest soup while it's hot, I'll head back now." With that, he turned and left dejectedly.

Stepping into the courtyard, Shen Keqin gazed at the pattering cold rain, his face gradually darkening. He clenched his fists, thinking to himself: Shen Rulan, don't be too smug! One day, I'll make you understand that the power of the Shen family shouldn't be controlled by a junior like you!

Inside the Yongsheng Escort Agency in western Yangzhou, the atmosphere was unusually busy.

The镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) are packing goods and checking weapons, preparing to receive a heavy escort mission to the capital. This mission is to escort a batch of valuable Yun brocade for the "Tongdechang" silk shop in Yangzhou to the capital and hand it over to the Imperial Textile Bureau. It is priceless and carries great responsibility.

Lin Xiao, dressed in a close-fitting outfit, was checking the wheels of the caravan to ensure safety on the journey.

Lin Zhennan walked to his daughter's side and handed her a finely crafted short sword: "This shipment is going to the capital. The journey is long, and the capital is a complex place with many powerful forces intertwined. It's much more complicated than Yangzhou. You must be careful and cautious, and always be mindful of your surroundings. Avoid any conflicts with others."

Lin Xiao took the short sword, tucked it into her waistband, and nodded, saying, "Father, don't worry, I understand. This shipment is of great importance, and I will personally escort it to ensure the safe delivery of the goods."

Lin Zhennan sighed and lowered his voice, saying, "Besides escorting the goods, there's something else I need you to keep an eye on. As you know, Cao Jin harbors a grudge against the Shen family because of the salt permit issue. He's cunning and treacherous, and he might secretly try to harm the Shen family. Once you arrive in the capital, if you have the chance, try to find out what the Cao family has been up to lately, especially whether Cao Jin has any connections in the palace, or whether the Imperial Household Department has any recent moves targeting the Yangzhou salt merchants. The more information we have, the better we can prepare in advance. If something really happens to the Shen family, our Yongsheng Escort Agency can respond promptly."

Lin Xiao felt a chill run down her spine. She understood her father's meaning—Yongsheng Escort Agency had a close relationship with the Shen family, and if the Shen family fell, Yongsheng Escort Agency would also be implicated.

She nodded solemnly: "Father, I understand. After we arrive in the capital, I will use the escort agency's branch in the capital to inquire about the Cao family. As soon as there is any news, I will write back immediately."

Lin Zhennan nodded in satisfaction: "Okay. Be careful on the road, and come back soon."

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, the escort team from Yongsheng Escort Agency set off.

Lin Xiao rode a chestnut horse at the head of the caravan, the short sword at his waist gleaming, his eyes resolute.

She knew that this trip to the capital was not only about escorting valuable goods, but also about gathering information, and she could not afford to make any mistakes.

The Su family courtyard in Lianhua Lane looked even more dilapidated after a cold rain.

Su Wenyuan lay in bed, his face pale, his coughing slightly less than before, but he was still weak.

Su Moqing sat by the bed, brewing medicine for her father. A faint aroma of medicine wafted from the pot, filling the small room.

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the courtyard gate.

Su Moqing put down her palm-leaf fan, walked to the door and opened it. She saw Rong Mama standing outside the door with a food box in her hand, a kind smile on her face: "Miss Su, are you busy?"

"Granny Rong, what brings you here? Please come in." Su Moqing quickly stepped aside to let Granny Rong in, somewhat surprised—Granny Rong had brought nourishing medicinal herbs last time, and now she was here again, probably because she had been entrusted by Shen Rulan.

Granny Rong entered the room, placed the food box on the table, opened the lid, and inside were some red dates, longans, and an old ginseng wrapped in red paper. She smiled and said to Su Wenyuan, who was lying on the bed, "Mr. Su, I've come to see you. The old lady in the manor is getting old, and these red dates and longans are all warming and nourishing, so she won't benefit from eating too many. They're just sitting there unused in the storeroom, so I've taken the liberty of bringing some over to help you recover. Please don't find them offensive."

Although Su Wenyuan was ill, he was perfectly clear-headed. He knew that these things seemed ordinary, but the old ginseng was of medium quality and quite valuable. It must have been Shen Rulan's doing, and Rong Momo was just using the old lady's name to send it over in order to protect his and his daughter's self-esteem.

He felt grateful, but also somewhat conflicted. He struggled to sit up, but was held down by Rong Momo.

"Mr. Su, please don't get up. Lie down and rest." Rong Mama hurriedly said, "I just came to check on things. It's nothing serious, please don't worry about it."

She paused, then smiled and said to Su Moqing, "Our young master often says that Miss Su's painting skills are superb. The fan paintings she painted for the manor were very popular among the noble ladies in Yangzhou and helped the manor a lot! This little thing is just the manor's way of thanking Miss Su. It's nothing."

Rong Momo cleverly attributed the reason for sending the gifts to Su Moqing's painting, which not only expressed the Shen family's gratitude but also eased the Su family's psychological burden, so that Su Moqing would not feel like she was receiving charity.

Su Moqing stood aside, looking at the old ginseng that her father urgently needed, her heart filled with mixed feelings.

She understood Shen Rulan's good intentions. This thoughtfulness and care was like a warm current flowing through her cold heart, making her feel a touch of warmth.

However, she was also aware of the gap between herself and Shen Rulan. Her father's admonitions were still ringing in her ears, which made her dare not have too many expectations.

After seeing Rong Momo off, Su Wenyuan looked at his daughter and sighed softly after a long while: "The Shen family... we will remember this favor. But Qing'er, you must remember... you must be careful when dealing with the Shen family. You and Young Master Shen are ultimately from different worlds. Too much involvement will not benefit either of us."

Su Moqing nodded silently, a hint of disappointment flashing in her eyes.

She walked to the window, looking at the cold rain pattering outside the courtyard, and thought to herself: Young Master Shen, thank you for your help, but I'm afraid I can hardly repay this kindness.

Inside the kitchen of the Shen Mansion, wisps of smoke rose as the chefs busily prepared lunch.

A thin, dark-skinned young helper was quietly washing vegetables. His name was A-Gui, and he hadn't been working in the kitchen of the Shen family for very long.

Ah Gui is quick and efficient, doesn't talk much, and works very hard. The chefs in the kitchen all have a good impression of him.

No one knew that A-Gui was actually introduced to Cao Jin by one of Shen Keqin's "friends".

Ah Gui's hometown did indeed suffer a disaster, but he did not come here out of desperation. Instead, he was bribed by Cao Jin's advisor with a hefty sum of fifty taels of silver to poison the enemy.

Late at night, the kitchen of the Shen family mansion was quiet, with only the occasional sound of footsteps from the patrolling guards coming from outside the courtyard.

Ah Gui quietly got out of bed and, by the moonlight, walked to the corner of the kitchen, where there was a purple clay pot specifically used to stew tonics for Shen Rulan.

He took out a small paper packet from his pocket, which contained colorless and odorless "Heartbreak Powder".

Ah Gui nervously looked around, and after confirming that no one was around, he carefully opened the paper package and evenly sprinkled the powder into the gaps inside the purple clay jar.

He knew that each time he stewed the tonic, the steam would melt the powder in the crevices, allowing trace amounts of toxins to seep into the soup. The dosage was so small that one or two times would not cause any noticeable effects, but over time, the toxins would slowly erode Chen Rulan's heart and lungs, eventually leading to her death.

After doing all this, A-Gui quickly put away the paper package and hid it under the bed. Then he lay back down on the bed, closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep.

He was both terrified of being exposed and executed by the Shen family, and eager to receive the fifty taels of silver so he could return to his hometown, build a house, and get married. Torn between greed and fear, A-Gui gradually drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, as usual, the chef used the purple clay pot to stew a bowl of rock sugar and white fungus soup for Shen Rulan.

After the white fungus soup was cooked, Rong Momo personally served it to Tingxuexuan.

Shen Rulan was busy handling salt affairs. She picked up a spoon and took a sip of the white fungus soup. She found that the taste was the same as usual and there was nothing unusual about it.

But the deadly toxin had already quietly entered her body along with this seemingly ordinary bowl of white fungus soup.