Three Kingdoms, Myth

After Guo Jia left, Chen Xi laughed heartily to himself. He knew that this time, he had thoroughly shocked everyone. From now on, whenever a situation arose where it was Chen Xi against everyone else, they would think twice before opposing him. Chen Xi's recent actions had been so extraordinary that each seemingly idle move had far-reaching implications.

"Jian'er, where are you?" Chen Xi called out to the inner courtyard. It was time to get Liu Bei involved in all of this—there was a lot of money at stake, and Chen Xi had no intention of keeping it all to himself.

"What is it, husband?" Fan Jian eventually responded, lazily making her way over.

"Bring me that box from under the bed," Chen Xi instructed. Fan Jian had become quite well-behaved over time, especially when Chen Xi was home. However, she had also become more clingy, a sign of Chen Xi's indulgence.

"Alright~" Fan Jian cheerfully ran off to retrieve the box. Chen Xi didn't bother to restrain her. She could paint, read, sew—what more could he ask for? Sure, she had become a bit too lively lately, but he wasn't going to be too strict.

Soon enough, Fan Jian returned with a small wooden box, placing it in front of Chen Xi before sitting down beside him, her eyes filled with anticipation.

"Do you want to see what's inside?" Chen Xi teased with a smile. Fan Jian nodded eagerly. Indeed, as long as Chen Xi didn't set too many rules, she quickly abandoned any semblance of a proper lady. Perhaps this was her true nature.

"You can't!" Chen Xi said playfully, though he opened the box before Fan Jian could pout. "Fine, I'll let you see. These are land deeds. Once you write your name on one, it'll belong to us. Go call Lan'er over and let her choose one."

"Does that mean the rest are mine?" Fan Jian's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Are you kidding? You can only choose one," Chen Xi said, tapping her on the head. Fan Jian, like a cat, shrank away before running off in a huff.

The stack of deeds in the box was for properties on North First Street, including the spots currently occupied by the Mi and Zhen families. Technically, their presence there was illegal—Chen Xi still held the deeds. He could teach them a lesson if he wanted, but he had no interest in doing so.

Soon, Fan Jian returned, dragging along Chen Lan, who was dressed in a simple white nightgown. Chen Xi sighed—his household had become overwhelmingly female. Besides him, there was hardly any male presence.

"Lan'er, were you sleeping again?" Chen Xi asked, exasperated. Ever since he had elevated Chen Lan's status from a slave to a member of the Chen family, she seemed to do nothing but sleep. She was always drowsy during the day, only becoming lively at night—the complete opposite of Fan Jian.

"Yawn~ Greetings, husband," Chen Lan muttered through a yawn, her eyes still half-closed.

"Enough with the formalities. Just pick one. You see that blank space? Once you've picked, just write your name there," Chen Xi said, handing over the stack of deeds.

Both Fan Jian and Chen Lan, being homebodies with no interest in business, had no idea what these deeds meant. Fan Jian carefully chose hers, while Chen Lan, still half-asleep, scribbled Chen Xi's name on a deed and handed it back to him.

"...Really?" Chen Xi sighed as he looked at the deed Chen Lan had handed him. Thankfully, Fan Jian had written her own name. If she had followed Chen Lan's lead, Liu Bei would be down another property worth around ten thousand coins. Reluctantly, Chen Xi took the pen from Chen Lan, glanced through the stack, and signed her name on a moderately valuable property.

After finishing the paperwork, Chen Xi, now infected by Chen Lan's drowsiness, yawned as he handed the deeds back to the two women. "These are gifts for you. If you ever run out of money, just go to that shop—they'll always have some for you."

With that, he sent Chen Lan back to bed—wandering around in a nightgown was a sure way to catch a cold.

"Jian'er, you need to keep the maids and singers in line. They've all become lazy because of Lan'er. Even though I don't expect much from them, we should at least have someone to pour tea, right? How come there's no one around to do even that?" Chen Xi said as he packed up the remaining deeds, tapping Fan Jian on the head.

Chen Xi found it hard to believe that none of the household maids were interested in him, considering he was now one of the most eligible bachelors in the land—young, capable, good-looking, and in a position of real power. If Chen Xi announced that he was taking concubines, the line of candidates would stretch from one end of Fenggao to the other. Yet, there wasn't a single maid pouring tea at home. If this wasn't Fan Jian's doing, then what was?

Chen Xi didn't have any strong opinions about concubines, but having maids around to serve tea was just a different feeling from sitting alone with a cup of tea. Despite the lack of men in the household, there was certainly no shortage of maids, ranging in age from twelve to twenty-two.

"Oh~" Fan Jian responded half-heartedly.

"I'm heading out. Stay at home and behave, don't wander off," Chen Xi said before leaving. He still tended to treat Fan Jian like a child, never quite adjusting to his role as her husband.

After Chen Xi left, Fan Jian pouted and looked down at her chest, frustrated. She glanced towards the back courtyard. "Could it be that sleeping helps you grow?"

Chen Xi didn't think much about Fan Jian's peculiar logic. He was focused on finding Liu Bei, as there were matters he needed to discuss with him.

"The Lord is in the study!" Xu Chu shouted loudly.

Chen Xi rubbed his ears and glared at Xu Chu. "Do I need to wait here for a few minutes? Why shout so loudly? Don't think I don't know Lady Zhen is here—really, now."

Xu Chu looked embarrassed as he stepped aside to continue standing guard.

Not long after Chen Xi spoke, Liu Bei opened the study door. "Zichuan, what brings you here? Does it concern the commercial activities in Qingzhou?"

"It's somewhat related, but not directly," Chen Xi replied, carrying the box into the room. Sure enough, Lady Zhen was seated by the tea table, dressed in an elegant green embroidered gown, her hair styled in a cloud-like bun. She was pouring tea and nibbling on some snacks.

"Oh, Lady Zhen is here too," Chen Xi said with feigned surprise, though he couldn't hide the amusement in his eyes.

"Zichuan, there's no need for such dramatics," Lady Zhen replied calmly, casting a glance at Chen Xi without any hint of fluster. "Congratulations are in order, Zichuan. The new policies are indeed remarkable. Just the buying and selling of shopfronts alone must have brought in more revenue for Fenggao than half a year's worth of taxes from an entire province."

"Zichuan, have a seat. No need for formalities," Liu Bei said with a smile, offering Chen Xi a cup of tea. "I was just discussing you with Lady Zhen."

"Let me guess—Lady Zhen is interested in North First Street, or rather, all the top merchants want to know where North First Street has gone," Chen Xi said with a smile after taking a sip of tea, then looking up to meet Lady Zhen's gaze.