Chapter 50 Strike a Bargain

Stepping out of the room, Liang Shanru’s eyes were shadowed with gloom.

Pei Yanzhou was right; people who are not on the same path cannot walk together.

Much like him and the Third Prince.

She had rushed out precisely because of her guilty and unsteady conscience, hoping to prevent him from discovering any further clues.

Yet Pei Yanzhou had pursued her, and even though he called out her name several times from behind, she remained indifferent.

It was not until Pei Yanzhou hurried up and blocked her path diagonally ahead that Liang Shanru snapped back to her senses, staring at him vigilantly: "What does the Heir desire?"

To be on her guard to this extent...

Pei Yanzhou lowered his gaze slightly, his expression looking no better. After adjusting himself appropriately, he softened his tone and said, "I called out to you several times just now, but seeing that my cousin seemed lost in thought, I had no choice but to catch up quickly."

Liang Shanru frowned in a way that was almost imperceptible: "I was indeed thinking of other matters."

Besides, she had no desire to engage in prolonged private conversations with Pei Yanzhou.

She swallowed these words, leaving them unsaid.

Pei Yanzhou probably guessed as much anyway; it was not that she hadn't heard him.

He reached out and handed over two title deeds: "Cousin left something behind."

Liang Shanru was about to leave, but he still stood there with no intention of clearing the path: "These two shops are located in Hongyi Ward. If managed properly, the annual revenue will not be less than two thousand taels. I want to make a deal with my cousin. What do you say?"

His words seemed to spark Liang Shanru’s interest. She paused her steps, looked at him, raised an eyebrow high, and gestured for him to continue.

"I will trade three shops elsewhere for these two of yours," Pei Yanzhou said directly. "Given Madam Chai's methods and temperament, and what Li Mingashan said earlier, if you take over these two shops now, your annual return won't exceed three hundred taels; otherwise, Madam Chai would never be willing to part with them.

"Managing a shop is no easy task; it drains both mental and physical effort. Even with Uncle Hu, it would take three to five years to reach a scale of two thousand taels.

"However, the three shops I am giving you each yield an annual revenue of over five hundred taels. If managed even better, they could easily bring in eight hundred to a thousand taels. You will definitely not be at a loss."

Liang Shanru was exceptionally skilled at reviewing ledgers—a natural talent. Once these figures passed through her mind, she could calculate them clearly in an instant.

In the long run, it was certainly better for Madam Chai to give her those two shops.

However, once she reached the capital, she would have her hands tied. Moreover, her parents' assets left in Yangzhou all needed to be liquidated into silver before new properties could be purchased upon arriving in Shengjing.

Uncle Hu would have to handle all these matters, as she could not rest easy leaving them to anyone else.

Therefore, Uncle Hu would simply lack the energy to manage the two shops in Hongyi Ward well.

Reaching an annual revenue of two thousand taels after three to five years would be virtually impossible.

What Pei Yanzhou offered her, however, was different.

It saved time and effort without requiring too much thought. Even with steady, conservative management yielding five hundred taels a year per shop, three shops would total one thousand five hundred taels.

Liang Shanru pressed her lips together. Such a bargain was entirely beneficial and harmless to her, but what was Pei Yanzhou plotting?

She cast an inquiring gaze at Pei Yanzhou and asked directly, "What's in it for the Heir?"

Pei Yanzhou smiled silently, carrying a hint of bitterness.

In her eyes, he had become a petty villain who would never act without profit.

"Hongyi Ward has a good location. If I make a few minor alterations to the shops, I can gather a lot of information—far more useful than leaving them in my cousin's hands," Pei Yanzhou said candidly. "Besides, I am not lacking in this amount of silver. Those three shops are merely a drop in the bucket to me. My cousin can just assume that, after weighing the pros and cons, I've decided these two shops in your hands right now are more useful to me."

Then, with an enticing tone, he asked her again: "My cousin is guaranteed to make a profit on this deal. Will you do it?"

It wasn't surprising that he wanted to probe and collect intelligence; what shocked Liang Shanru was how openly and unashamedly he admitted it to her.

Thus, instead of answering, she asked, "Aren't you afraid that I'll tell others you intend to use a business front to secretly gather unknown intelligence?"

This time, Pei Yanzhou smiled more sincerely: "Tell whom?"

Liang Shanru's expression sank.

In the end, he looked down on her, not taking her seriously at all.

After all, she had just arrived in Shengjing and barely knew a soul. Even if she knew these secrets, who could she possibly tell?

Besides, if she went to report it, people might not even believe her or simply brush it aside.

Most importantly, Pei Yanzhou was entirely confident and fearless.

Itched with frustration, Liang Shanru gave a cold laugh and said, "What if I say I won't do this deal?"

This response seemed to be within Pei Yanzhou's expectations as well. He merely gave a faint "Oh" and replied, "Then I can only advise my cousin to consider it carefully. After all, it's real silver; why bother going against money?

"You don't trust me and remain on your guard, but I have spoken to you very honestly: I have other uses for those two shops. My cousin really doesn't need to pick a fight with me over this."

As if holding her in the utmost respect, he truly did not force her to make a decision immediately, stepping aside to clear the path: "We still have a few days before we return to the capital. Cousin might as well think it over. If you change your mind, let me know anytime.

"Right now, the deeds are still under Madam Chai's name; you still have to go to the official yamen to handle the paperwork. Even if you want to make this trade with me, it will have to wait until we return to the capital anyway. I am in no hurry."

Liang Shanru stared at him for a few extra moments and suddenly asked, "Is the Heir always so certain about everything? Are you so dead sure that I will definitely make this business deal with you?"

It was simply because his eyes were as bright as stars, and his face was clearly written with the words, "You will definitely agree."

That self-assured demeanor was thoroughly annoying.

And what Liang Shanru could least deny was that her heart had indeed been moved.

Even though it meant making a deal with Pei Yanzhou, she was wavering.

The benefits were solid and concrete. Besides, if she didn't exchange shops with Pei Yanzhou, he had other ways to gather intelligence anyway—if he wanted to do something, how could he possibly fail?

Gritting her teeth and refusing to budge wouldn't harm Pei Yanzhou in the slightest; instead, she would be the one losing a vast amount of silver for no reason.

Yet his attitude made it impossible for her to utter any pleasant words, let alone agree at this very moment.

Pei Yanzhou truly had no idea what was running through her mind now, and instead looked surprised by her question: "How could that be? The affairs of the world are ever-changing; even sages cannot predict everything like a god and be certain of success in every undertaking, let alone someone like me.

"I have encountered many matters that did not go my way.

"Furthermore, the shops belong to my cousin. How could I be certain?"

At this point, he could not help but offer another wry smile: "Regarding my cousin's affairs, I have never had much certainty, let alone any assurance of how you would choose or act."

He spoke the truth, considering how many times he had been rebuffed by her.

All she ever gave him were coldness and rejection; where on earth could he find any confidence?

Let alone the kind of absolute certainty she accused him of.

Having lived this long, he had never been rejected like this, yet she remained utterly oblivious and insisted on saying such things.

Pei Yanzhou felt an extreme sense of helpless resignation in his heart.

Liang Shanru gave a cold huff: "The Heir exaggerates." Having no intention to spar with him any further, she offered a perfunctory bow: "Allow me a few days to consider. The Heir needn't see me off; I am going to look for my aunt."