(1) Striking at Dawn

The next day, just after the hour of Mao, Tian Xu and Yueying prepared to bid farewell to Guo Sheng and his wife. The carriage that had brought them into the capital had already been harnessed by the household staff and led to wait before the gate of the General's residence. Since Guo Sheng happened to be off duty and at home that day, Tian Xu had deliberately chosen this day to personally take his leave.

Guo Sheng and his wife together saw the two of them to the front gate. Tian Xu took a large rosewood brocade box from Yueying's hands. Yueying lifted the lid, revealing inside, neatly arranged, ten sets of lotus-shaped tea cups and saucers, their color as blue-green as ice, their texture like jade, the lotus petals rendered so lifelike as to seem almost real—an auspicious design.

"This is Yue-kiln celadon, the ware most praised by Lu Yu himself," Tian Xu said, presenting it with both hands and a respectful bow.

Lady Guo's eyes lit up at once—she was, after all, someone who knew fine things when she saw them. Yue-kiln celadon was typically reserved as tribute for the imperial household; not only was it costly, but such pieces were also exceedingly rare. She had happened to see Yue-kiln celadon at Zhenbao Tower a few times recently, and each time she hesitated even slightly, someone else would swoop in and buy it at a premium. The nobility of Chang'an practically clamored over such exquisite goods, and given the persistent shortage of supply, the shop had taken to selling by competitive bidding instead. Now, seeing ten full sets of lotus-shaped tea cups and saucers at once, she truly found herself dazzled. She could not help leaning in for a closer look, letting out an unrestrained gasp of admiration.

"Zhenbao Tower has been short on stock lately, and the prices keep climbing higher and higher," Lady Guo remarked.

"The General's life-saving kindness is beyond repayment—these humble tea cups could never begin to express even a fraction of my gratitude for the General's grace. Tian Xu offers this with the deepest respect; I beg the General and his lady to graciously accept it," Tian Xu said with reverence.

"It was merely a small effort, hardly worth mentioning—such a valuable gift, I truly don't deserve it. This is far too much, truly," Guo Sheng said, shooting his wife a glance, wondering how she could be so lacking in tact.

Seeing the reproachful look Guo Sheng directed at her, Lady Guo realized she had let herself get carried away and quickly composed herself, not daring to say anything further—though her gaze still drifted back toward the tea set now and then.

"The General's character is as open and bright as wind and moonlight—Tian Xu is merely a merchant, and this is simply my own way of expressing sincere gratitude. How could a few pieces of Yue-kiln celadon possibly compare to a life-saving debt? If the General continues to refuse, I truly won't know how to bear it. Surely a life is worth more than a handful of tea cups?" Tian Xu spoke earnestly, his tone firm and unwavering.

"There has been some trouble at Zhenbao Tower recently, which is why not only Yue-kiln celadon but everything else has been in short supply—the whole place has descended into chaos. That man Shen Wan betrayed his master's trust and took advantage of the turmoil to line his own pockets, manipulating prices on goods that should have had fixed, fair prices for all, and instead turning them into some kind of bidding contest. My purpose in coming to Chang'an this time was precisely to resolve this matter, but then, unexpectedly, my old illness flared up again. Fortunately, thanks to the General's timely intervention, Tian Xu's life was spared, and with it, the reputation of Zhenbao Tower was preserved as well. Compared to that, what are a few tea cups worth? I do hope the General will not continue to decline."

Seeing how humble and courteous Tian Xu's manner was, and how reasonable and fitting his words were, leaving little room for argument, Guo Sheng could only sigh in admiration. "Truly, a hero emerges young—no wonder someone so young can run such a thriving business in Chang'an. Just listen to that eloquence, that composure—both first-rate. The way you put it, it's as if refusing would make me the unreasonable one."

And so Guo Sheng accepted the rosewood brocade box and handed it to the servant standing behind him.

"In that case, it would be rude of me to decline further—Guo thanks you, Tenth Brother." Guo Sheng returned the bow to Tian Xu.

"Tian Xu takes his leave here. May I wish the General and his lady good health, and lasting prosperity for your household."

Under the watchful eyes of Guo Sheng and his wife, Tian Xu climbed into the carriage. Yueying took up the reins, called out a few commands, and the carriage slowly pulled away from the General's residence.

Now, Tian Xu had already thoroughly investigated Shen Wan's daily movements—Shen Wan never left his residence for Zhenbao Tower until sometime after the hour of Chen. That was precisely why Tian Xu had chosen to launch his strike at the hour of Mao, to ensure the operation would go off without a hitch.

The carriage traveled along from the General's residence, and after turning three corners, another group that had been waiting there quietly fell into formation alongside it. Three horses and two carriages, four men and one woman all dressed in the same black fighting attire as Yueying, lined up single file. Upon seeing the newcomer, Yueying exchanged a knowing nod with them. Three of them rode ahead on horseback, taking up positions in front, left, and right to guard Tian Xu's carriage, while the other two—one man and one woman, the man driving ahead and the woman behind—handled the second carriage close behind. This formidable procession made its way toward Shen Wan's residence not far off.

Upon arriving in front of Shen Wan's house, the three riders dismounted first, and the two driving the carriages leapt down close behind, all bowing together toward Tian Xu's carriage. "We welcome the Manor Lord," they said.

Yueying hurried to set up the mounting stool and lift the carriage curtain, likewise bowing respectfully. "May the Manor Lord please step down—we have arrived at the Shen residence."

The moment Yueying finished speaking, Tian Xu stepped down from the carriage, walked calmly to stand before the gate of the Shen residence, gathered his energy in his lower dantian, and announced in a clear, ringing voice: "Yuefeng, Yuehao, Yuehua, and Yueying—clear the way! No need for lethal force against the household guards."

Yuefeng, Yuehao, Yuehua, and Yueying, who had been guarding Tian Xu's flanks, immediately cupped their fists in acknowledgment and, employing their lightness skill, leapt over the wall into the courtyard. Sure enough, roughly ten or twenty of Shen Wan's household guards came charging forward into the front courtyard, wielding clubs. Yuefeng, Yuehao, and Yuehua never even drew their swords, relying instead purely on kicks and punches, sweeping the guards aside one after another—kicking one flying with each strike, the guards utterly unable to even get close to them. Yueying knocked down several more, then turned back to open the main gate, cupping his fists respectfully and inviting Tian Xu inside.

Tian Xu strode forward, crossing the front courtyard, walking steadily toward the main hall of the Shen residence, Yueying following close behind. Though the sounds of fighting continued to erupt all around, none of it disturbed Tian Xu's pace in the slightest. Whenever a guard tried to close in on him, Yueying simply blocked the way. Yueying, Yuefeng, Yuehao, and Yuehua carried out their task of clearing the way for Tian Xu with flawless precision, ensuring his path remained utterly uninterrupted—he moved through the residence as though walking through an empty land, straight into the main hall, past a flower-and-bird screen, along the central axis, until finally stopping before the sandalwood chair at the head of the room.

"Yuefeng, Yuehao, guard the entrance. Yuehua, go inside and bring the prisoner out. Hidden guards, keep close watch on every member of the Shen household—not a single one is to escape!" Tian Xu did not turn around; he stood with his back straight, his breath settled deep in his dantian, issuing his orders with calm, methodical precision. Though only thirteen years old, he carried himself with a commanding presence that seemed to look down upon the very heavens and earth, the sort of bearing that could summon a hundred men with a single word.

Yuefeng, Yuehao, and Yuehua acknowledged the order and took up their respective positions, each carrying out their assigned tasks, while Yueying remained beside Tian Xu, who stood gazing at the couplets flanking the doorway and the plaque hanging above.

The right-hand scroll read: "Zigong and Tao Zhu, their noble spirit reaches far." The left-hand scroll read: "Under Yao and Shun, the people basked in radiant light." Above hung a plaque bearing the four characters: "Sincerity and Rectitude of Heart."

That gentle, elegant calligraphy had been written by his own mother, years ago, when she had personally helped set Shen Wan up with a household and a wife. It represented a belief his mother had lived by for over a decade, and the hope she had placed in Shen Wan—a hope Shen Wan had ultimately betrayed.

His mother had always treated those who followed her loyally with great kindness. Shen Wan, Auntie Gui, Uncle Jian, and Hong Tai, the current nominal proprietor of the Splendid Silk Shop, had all once been employees, tailors, and shopkeepers at his grandmother's family silk business. Shen Wan had never been particularly handsome, and his family had been quite poor; he had received only a modest education and had never learned bookkeeping, so he'd had to start out sweeping floors and greeting guests. He worked diligently without complaint, treated customers warmly, and so through two changes of ownership at the Splendid Silk Shop, he had ultimately managed to remain employed there, together with Auntie Gui, Uncle Jian, and Hong Tai, right up to the present day. His mother had eventually promoted him to a position of real responsibility and even arranged a marriage for him. Though he'd married somewhat late in life, he had nonetheless managed to establish a household and family of his own—a satisfying enough outcome, all things considered.

Back then, Tian Xu had still been young, only a few years into his early schooling, still rather naive to the world. His mother had once asked him, "Can you understand what these words mean, my child?" And he had pointed to the last two characters of each scroll and answered, "These are Father and Mother's names."

Gazing now at his mother's handwriting from all those years ago, Tian Xu felt a bitter ache rise in his chest. His mother was gone, and though the scenery remained unchanged, everything else had changed utterly—how could anyone bear such a thing?

Just as his heart was swirling with a thousand tangled thoughts and mixed emotions, Yuehua had already escorted Shen Wan out from the dining hall into the main hall. Shen Wan, having heard the great commotion from the front courtyard while still eating his morning meal, had hurried out of the dining hall to see what was happening, only to be seized by Yuehua the moment he stepped through the door. His wife, utterly bewildered, had tried to follow him out as well, but was sharply ordered back by a hidden guard positioned on the rooftop and told to return to the dining hall. Yuehua marched her captive straight toward the front hall, while Shen Wan cursed and complained the whole way. "Is there no law left in this world? Breaking into someone's home and seizing people like this..."

But the moment Shen Wan caught sight of that familiar figure standing with his back to him, he drew a sharp breath, stammering, "Y-y-young... Manor Lord."

Yuehua kicked him hard, sending him stumbling to a stop not far behind Tian Xu, and shoved him roughly. "'Young' Manor Lord? He is the Manor Lord. Now that you see the Manor Lord, why haven't you knelt yet?"

Pushed off balance, Shen Wan stumbled to his knees, displeasure written on his face as he tried to get back up.

"Kneel before some green-lipped brat? On what grounds?"

"You've got some nerve, spouting such arrogant nonsense!" Just as Shen Wan tried to rise to his feet, Yuehua barked at him sharply and kicked him again, this time behind the knee. Shen Wan let out an anguished cry of pain and dropped back to his knees, both hands braced against the ground, nearly collapsing flat.

"You need not kneel before me—but you will kneel before the couplet my mother gave you, and before the plaque above it. How could you ever face what my mother did for you, all her care and promotion?" Tian Xu's voice was not loud, but every word rang out clear and forceful, reaching the ears of everyone present.

Shen Wan straightened his back in defiance, though knowing he was no match for Yuehua in strength, he could only remain kneeling, not daring to rise again. Yet compared to Tian Xu's own unyielding, upright bearing, the difference between the two of them was like night and day.

"How have I ever failed her?" Though he sensed his own position weakening, Shen Wan still spoke with righteous indignation, his face showing not a trace of guilt.

"I served the household for twenty years, worked my heart out, and even built Zhenbao Tower into a thriving, profitable business, earning gold hand over fist—how have I failed her?"

"Worked your heart out? Thriving business? Earning gold hand over fist? I'd wager all of that was purely for your own benefit, wasn't it?" Tian Xu's voice carried a note of mockery as he pressed closer, step by step. "Even granting that everything was for Yueyue Manor's sake, that was only while my mother was alive. Now, with her body barely cold in the ground, you deceive both your superiors and those below you, scheming to stir up trouble right under my very nose—and you have the shameless audacity to stand here spouting such grandiose nonsense."

"Stir up trouble? What trouble have I stirred up? Every single day's accounts, clear and transparent, submitted every ten days to Steward Han as per the rules. Steward Han never said a word about it—and now you, a mere boy who hasn't even finished growing, come here throwing baseless accusations at me? I am your elder, after all..."

Shen Wan had never once, deep down, held Tian Xu in any real regard. He had originally looked down on women as well; despite coming from an impoverished background himself, he harbored a bizarre, unshakable confidence, contempt for women bred into his very bones. It was only that his employer, Chu Mingxi, had not merely been a business genius but also no pushover—she possessed an extraordinary mind and formidable methods, and he had never dared harbor any disloyalty or play any games in her presence. So he had no choice but to bow his head and behave properly whenever Chu Mingxi was around. When news of her sudden death had reached him, far from feeling any grief or shock, he instead felt that the opportunity was simply too good to pass up, and so he had roped in Hong Tai, with whom he had always been on friendly terms, to embolden himself and seize the chance to skim some profit off the top. It was a pity that, though over the years he had picked up enough literacy to handle bookkeeping and review accounts, he had come to consider himself far cleverer than he actually was, believing he could easily fool a mere thirteen-year-old young master. But he had completely misjudged the situation—and completely misjudged the true capability of the young master standing before him.

"In that case, please have Uncle Jian and Auntie Gui come in. Not just Zhenbao Tower's accounts—let's go over the Splendid Silk Shop's books together as well, thoroughly." Tian Xu turned, fixing Shen Wan with a cold stare, then immediately issued orders to Yuefeng and Yuehao, who stood guarding the entrance.

Hearing this, Shen Wan finally began to sense that something was seriously wrong; even as unease crept into his mind, he heard footsteps rising behind him. Turning to look, he saw Han Jian leading the way, with Wang Qiugui and Yuelan—who had driven the last carriage—following behind. The man driving the other carriage was named Yuesheng, and bringing up the rear was none other than Hong Tai of the Splendid Silk Shop, being escorted into the house.