Chapter 41: Only He Is the Foolish Dupe

A flash of irrepressible joy flickered in Guan Muren's deep, profound eyes.

Upon hearing this, he immediately picked up the letter resting on the table, intending to break the seal, but seemed to hesitate as if suddenly recalling something.

"Does the Princess trust me this much?"

This matter was of paramount importance; Ning Junruo had even sent Zisu completely away.

Within the chamber, only the three of them remained.

Without anyone to announce him, Guan Muren had been forced to rise and retrieve the letter himself. For a delicate woman like Ning Junruo, such an act was undoubtedly fraught with danger.

Yet it was sufficient proof that she harbored no guard against him whatsoever.

With this, Guan Muren was immensely satisfied.

Only a pearwood desk separated the two of them.

Although they had met once before, this was their first time in such close proximity.

Standing right before her, his robust and towering physique blocked the space like a small mountain, involuntarily exuding a sense of oppressive majesty.

Catching the faint, elusive scent of mutton fat upon him and looking at his stubbled cheeks, Ning Junruo offered a faint smile. "I trust Young Master Xu's discernment, and I trust my own judgment."

Her fair, jade-like cheeks appeared all the more gentle and exquisite under the flickering candlelight.

Beside them, hearing these words, Xu Mingyi's brows—slanted like distant painted hills—arched slightly, and his bright eyes suddenly radiated an unusual brilliance, filled with a heartfelt smile.

Though he had encountered many women of the Central Plains, her ethereal and refined temperament still compelled Guan Muren to cast a few extra glances.

"Many thanks for the Princess's appreciation, but I still have one matter that remains unclear. I must trouble the Princess for enlightenment."

"Young Master Guan, please speak your mind," Ning Junruo replied, remaining as steady as Mount Tai as she sat poised in the armchair.

"Is the Princess not afraid that I might take these items and expose you before the Emperor? Should the entire Prince's Estate be sentenced to execution by beheading then, wouldn't the Princess be destroying her own future?"

In her past life, she had confined herself within the courtyard and never once concerned herself with worldly affairs.

Over the past few days, she had carefully reflected and vaguely remembered indeed hearing the name Guan Muren, only...

"Afraid? How could I not be?"

Ning Junruo's gentle smile seemed to radiate a tranquil serenity from within. "I regard you as a close friend, Young Master. If you were truly to do such a thing, this Palace would simply accept it. According to your own words, even if I said nothing, trouble would befall the Prince's Estate sooner or later. Since it is death either way, why not take the risk and fight for a chance?"

"Hahaha! The Princess is truly magnanimous!"

Guan Muren's hearty laughter instantly dissolved the previous awkwardness.

He picked up the letter and eagerly broke the seal.

***

Upon reading the contents within, his laughter abruptly ceased. Frowning deeply, he bitterly crumpled the letter into a ball.

"Well played, Zhao Shencheng, your appetite is certainly not small!"

Ning Junruo picked up the candlestick from the table and placed it before him. "Geese leave no trace in flight, leaves fall without roots. Since Young Master has seen it, let it remain buried in your heart."

No wonder she had not worried about him leaking the information; it turned out the Princess had long since made her preparations.

Guan Muren thought to himself that Young Master Xu was right: this Princess of Liang, seemingly delicate and soft, actually possessed the spirit of a heroine and was truly capable of achieving great things.

Sensibly, he held the thin sheet of paper to the flame and set it ablaze.

The bright fire illuminated his eyes, casting light upon the weathered ravines of his face. The iron-firm resolve in his gaze finally allowed Ning Junruo to breathe a sigh of relief.

When the paper had burned down to a piece no larger than an egg, Guan Muren finally loosened his fingers.

The charred fragment drifted down lightly like a fiery butterfly, turning into a cluster of ash even before hitting the floor.

Guan Muren cupped his fists in a formal salute before turning back to his seat.

With the oppressive pressure lifted, Ning Junruo's heart finally settled.

"If the Princess finds the cargo difficult to dispose of, it can also be converted into cash," Guan Muren said with a smile.

This batch of goods undoubtedly bore the marks of the Xingsheng Firm. When he had previously offered to give them to her, Ning Junruo had not felt any drastic emotional fluctuations; she had simply thought that handling such items was too troublesome and could easily implicate her if she was even slightly careless.

Learning that it could be converted into cash, Ning Junruo instantly grew interested.

"Oh? How would the conversion be calculated? Young Master Guan, do tell."

Guan Muren's robust figure carried a certain unrestrained air characteristic of the nomads.

Acting as if no one else was present, he drew several banknote drafts from his bosom, handed them to Xu Mingyi, and said, "Let these five thousand taels of silver serve as a deposit, and I ask Young Master Xu to bear witness."

Xu Mingyi accepted the silver notes and asked carefully, "Shall we draw up a written agreement?"

Guan Muren shook his head. "I departed in a hurry and did not bring enough silver. To the Princess, this batch of goods might be a hot potato, but to me, it is a piece of delectable, fatty meat. Those exquisite porcelains and silks are immensely precious among our Xiongnu people. If the Princess finds the trouble irksome, I am willing to offer thirty thousand taels of silver to purchase the entire cargo. I wonder what the Princess thinks of this?"

The quantity of that cargo was by no means small; it would require at least seven or eight carts to transport. Ning Junruo had previously been pondering how to handle it discreetly.

To obtain tens of thousands of taels of silver for nothing—

How could Ning Junruo possibly refuse such a pie falling from the sky?

She immediately beamed with joy and said, "This idea is excellent, except... wouldn't thirty thousand taels be a bit too much? This cargo is worth twenty-five thousand taels. Deducting Young Master's hard-earned trouble fee, twenty thousand taels is more than enough."

After all, one should not be overly greedy.

Ning Junruo thought to herself that, let alone twenty thousand taels, she would have been willing even if he only offered ten thousand.

***

Perhaps having bared his heart to the Princess, Guan Muren was no longer restrained, and his assertive posture appeared utterly formidable.

His unrestrained smile resembled a fierce horse galloping across the grasslands. "The Princess is truly too accommodating. I was previously worried that thirty thousand taels might be too little. The Princess does not know this, but once these silks and porcelains reach the grasslands, their price will double. Even if I give the Princess thirty thousand taels, I can still easily earn another thirty thousand for myself."

She had previously worried that he would engage in a losing transaction.

Judging by this, he had likely conceived this idea long ago.

Ning Junruo thought to herself, it seems you are no simple character either.

"Calculated this way, the Prince of Liang is the only fool being taken advantage of."

Xu Mingyi could not help but tease, "I heard that the Prince's Estate is strapped for cash, to the point that they can't even issue the monthly stipends for the servants nowadays?"

Heh, he truly had his finger on the pulse of the Prince's Estate's affairs.

Ning Junruo glanced at him and calmly said, "Young Master Xu need not worry. Your esteemed father can simply ask Steward Yuan to draw an extra month's stipend."

The look in the Princess's eyes...

Xu Mingyi was somewhat speechless. Could it be he thought he was standing up for his father?

"My father serves within the estate; how could he possibly draw a monthly stipend from Steward Yuan?"

Xu Mingyi offered an awkward smile. "The Princess misunderstands; Mingyi was merely speaking casually."

"Young Master Xu may have spoken casually, but this Palace is entirely serious," Ning Junruo replied, her limpid, water-clear eyes revealing no trace of emotion. "Your esteemed father assists this Palace in secret; it is only right that he draw an extra month's stipend."

"Many thanks for the Princess's kind intentions, but Mingyi will accept the thought in lieu of the reward."

Xu Mingyi stood up, bowed in salute, and expressed his gratitude. "Just as the Princess said, geese leave traces in flight, leaves fall without sound. If this matter were to be discovered by others, I fear it would bring harm to my father."

Upon reflection, this reasoning was indeed sound. Ning Junruo pressed the matter no further and motioned for him to sit back down quickly.

"There really are a few clinging tails trailing behind the Princess."

As soon as Xu Mingyi sat down, Guan Muren frowned and said, "There will be no lack of dealings with the Princess henceforth. For the sake of safety, I wish to plant a few covert guards."

Learning that someone was tracking her footsteps already made Ning Junruo feel somewhat ill at ease.

If a few more covert guards were to be planted as well, wouldn't her privacy be entirely stripped away?