Chapter Forty-Five: Nemesis

A girl’s transformation at eighteen is like a gift from the heavens, and for Lu Jiu, it seemed as though fate was determined to work against her. The more she favored men’s attire and conducted herself like a young man, the more beautiful she became with each passing year. No matter how she dressed, her natural allure could not be concealed. In time, Lu Jiu chose to simply forget her own remarkable beauty, behaving with utter nonchalance. This effortless ease only added a strange and enchanting charm to her presence.

On an ordinary day, if such a beauty were to approach Lu Liao and say, “I feel as though we’ve met before,” he would surely be lightheaded, full of praise for her loveliness, and perhaps even tease her a little. But today, with the little tiger from home trailing behind him, he dared not summon such boldness. Had he recognized Lu Jiu and Qing’er, his first impulse would likely have been to grab Tang Xiaoqi and flee.

“I am but an ordinary scholar,” Lu Liao replied courteously, “and I do not recall ever meeting you before. I believe you must be mistaken.”

“I was quite enlightened by your words just now,” Lu Jiu said, her tone gracious. “As a token of appreciation, allow me to purchase this jade pendant and present it to you.” With that, she signaled to the dazed Fatty Cheng to wrap up the jade.

“Wait!” Tang Xiaoqi interjected, misjudging Lu Jiu to be a courtesan from a pleasure house. She stepped protectively in front of Lu Liao, her eyes wary. “Can you tell fortunes, miss? You seem to know at a glance that my lord will excel in the imperial examinations. There’s no need for you to buy him the jade; I’ll purchase it myself as a gift for him.”

Lu Jiu laughed breezily. “What a charming and devoted little wife you are, guarding your husband so closely. Chang’an is full of dashing, talented young men. I wouldn’t spare a glance at those ten times finer than your lord—your jealousy is misplaced.”

Unjustly implicated, Lu Liao’s face darkened, frustration simmering beneath the surface. Tang Xiaoqi, undeterred, continued to shield him. “You can boast all you like, but in my eyes, he’s the best there is.”

Lu Jiu gave a cold smile, turning to Qing’er, who still couldn’t help but steal glances at Lu Liao. “Come, Qing’er. Let’s not stoop to the level of women whose eyes are filled only with men.”

With a flick of her folding fan, she strode away with elegant ease.

It was only then that Fatty Cheng came to his senses. He packed up the jade and pressed it into Lu Liao’s hand. “Brother Liao, I think your plan is a good one. It’ll work, it’ll work. Just take the jade.”

Before anyone realized it, the date had reached the eighteenth day of the tenth month, in the eighth year of the Tianbao era—a day deemed auspicious for fulfilling wishes.

The Western Maid’s Wine Shop reopened amid a cacophony of firecrackers, the surge of patrons filling the entire courtyard.

New sights appeared on the streets of Chang’an: two fine horses pulled a pair of long carriages lined with benches, carrying passengers back and forth between the East and West Markets. For a few coins, travelers could spare themselves a long walk.

Near the West Market, early in the morning, men with round, elongated buckets made their rounds, helping households clear away the night’s refuse. The beggars of the West Market no longer begged; instead, they swept the area spotlessly clean, leaving even the adjacent neighborhoods immaculate.

In Gaoling County, the laborers suddenly announced a two-day strike. The carriage companies, brokers, and several major security firms of Chang’an quietly followed suit, suspending business for rectification. Word had it that this was all due to pressure from the Four Seas Mercantile Guild.

At the newly opened Glass Pavilion in the West Market, a ruffian loudly proclaimed he had bought counterfeit goods there, drawing a crowd.

Outside Ningxiang Pavilion, a young woman, elegantly attired and slender, her face veiled in white gauze, wailed piteously at the door. Curious onlookers learned that after using the pavilion’s rouge, her face had broken out in a rash, forever marring her beauty.

Outside the Four Seas Mercantile Guild’s delicacies shop, a child lay on the ground, frothing at the mouth. His parents wept, claiming he had been poisoned by wild mushrooms purchased from the shop. At Wang’s Restaurant, a corpse was discovered at the entrance—an emaciated vagrant who had starved to death.

Lu Jiu sat at her writing desk, reading the stream of reports sent up from below. At first, her expression remained calm, but as she read on, her face turned white with anger. She hurled her teacup to the ground in fury.

Qing’er quickly called for the maid to clean up, her face full of indignation. “How could anyone come up with such shameless, vicious schemes? Are they not afraid of divine retribution?”

Lu Jiu gave a cold laugh. “The Western Maid’s Wine Shop has swapped all its décor for Hu style, the maids have changed from Tang dress to foreign attire, and they dance and drink with the guests beneath lavish tents, choosing princesses from every tribe. Even I’m tempted to have a look.

The beggar’s guild and the carriage men’s new businesses are innovative and convenient, gaining both profit and reputation. One can only applaud their ingenuity. The strike and business suspension have cost us dearly, but even that might have been negotiable.

But these last acts are meant to ruin the reputation of the Four Seas Mercantile Guild, to cut out our foundation. Such vile and underhanded tactics are intolerable. Bring me the person who came up with these ideas—I’ll tear out his heart to see if it’s as black as his deeds.”

“The rats of the West Market were once a scattered rabble,” Wang Shiyi, now older and sporting a small beard, said gravely. “Brother Wang Qi was on the verge of bringing them to heel, but unexpectedly, a cunning young man emerged, claiming to act under the orders of the Jade Purity Temple, stirring up trouble everywhere. That’s how things ended up like this.”

“Have you confirmed that young man’s identity?” Lu Jiu asked.

“Almost certainly. He’s Lu Liao, grandson of the retired imperial physician Lu Manman, living in Ping’an Lane on Pingwu Street. He holds the status of an honored scholar from Jinshui County in Yangzhou, and has been in Chang’an for about three months. Unless I’m mistaken, he’s the same boy who slipped away from the woods of Zizhou over four years ago.”

Wang Shiyi lowered his head, unable to meet Lu Jiu’s gaze.

Lu Jiu burst into wild laughter. “Four years! I’ve searched for you for over four years, and now you emerge right under my nose and dare to oppose me! Do whatever it takes—no matter what, bring him to me.”

Qing’er, her voice barely above a whisper, said timidly, “Ninth Young Master, do you suppose that young man we met at the Cheng family’s jade shop was him? The more I looked at him, the more familiar he seemed, though I couldn’t recall exactly.”

Lu Jiu waved her sleeve dismissively. “Whether he’s that wretched boy or not, we’ll know once he’s in our hands.”

Wang Shiyi hesitated. “That boy has the Jade Purity Temple backing him and never leaves Chang’an. It won’t be easy to seize him openly.”

“Nothing ever goes wrong for the Ninth Young Master, but since running into Lu Liao, nothing has gone right. Could he be your nemesis?” Qing’er muttered quietly.

“Come here, I have an idea,” Lu Jiu said darkly, giving Qing’er a fierce look before turning to Wang Shiyi.

Meanwhile, in the Jade Purity Temple, Lu Liao, whose status had risen sharply, was sneezing incessantly as he accepted the fruit Ko Shu Xiaoye had peeled for him. He muttered to himself, “Strange… The autumn chill isn’t that bad; surely I, Lu Liao, haven’t caught a cold?”

“Maybe Sister Xiaoqi is missing you already,” Ko Shu Xiaoye grumbled, reduced to peeling fruit for Lu Liao and not at all happy about it.

The Jade Purity Princess smiled. “The Four Seas Mercantile Guild has suffered a heavy loss this time. They’ve notified Hu Yun, saying they want to settle the matter according to the rules of the jianghu, preparing for a contest on Zhongnan Mountain. The chief manager of the Four Seas Guild is no ordinary figure. Tell me, do you sense any hidden agenda here?”

“Didn’t Master invite several elders from the Shangqing Temple for support? There’s nothing to worry about on the surface—just be wary of ambush or a sudden strike at the leader. I can handle it. No matter how formidable this chief manager may be, I, Lu Liao, am his natural nemesis.” Lu Liao sounded quite at ease.

The Jade Purity Princess laughed. “Do you know the origins of the Four Seas Mercantile Guild’s chief manager?”

“What origins? Don’t tell me she has three heads and six arms?” Lu Liao joked.

The princess shook her head, then recounted the story.

“In the capital, the Tang empire’s richest man, Wang Yuanbao, amassed boundless wealth. He had many wives and concubines, and eight daughters but no sons. Finally, he spent a fortune to marry Lu Qingqing, the most beautiful courtesan in Yangzhou, but she too bore him a daughter.

Despairing, Wang Yuanbao decided to raise his ninth daughter as a son. From childhood, she was exceptionally clever, seemingly born to manage finances and commerce. At ten, she opened her first cosmetics shop, Ningxiang Pavilion, in Chang’an—catering only to noblewomen and wealthy young ladies. In Chang’an, it was said that no woman dared show her face in public without using Ningxiang Pavilion’s cosmetics. Eventually, her shops spread to almost every province in the empire.

At fifteen, she took over as chief manager of the Four Seas Mercantile Guild, expanding its business far and wide. Its caravans ranged west to Arabia, north to Bohai, east to Japan, and south to Champa.

Tell me, is she formidable or not?”

Lu Liao could no longer feign composure. He asked anxiously, “Master, what is the chief manager’s name?”

“Her given name is Wang Liuli, but she prefers her mother’s surname, Lu, and is ninth in the family—so she goes by Lu Jiu,” the princess replied.

Lu Liao felt a chill run through him. Surely, he had run up against the very demon he had buried deep within his heart—the nemesis fate had set for him.