Chapter Sixteen: Delight

Since there was no bargain that money could not settle, Shopkeeper Ge returned with the contract in hand and soon had every formality arranged to perfection.

Gritting his teeth, Shopkeeper Ge named a price of three thousand taels of silver. Yang Lin agreed without even lifting his eyelids. The decisiveness of his acceptance caused Shopkeeper Ge no end of anguish. If only he had asked for more.

All the wine vessels, gongs, ice basins, warming boxes, dressing cases, and the like used by Ning’er were made of gold or silver. The curtains, mattresses, and quilts were mostly fashioned from brocade and fine silk, while the various curios and treasures were of extraordinary rarity. Yang Lin wanted none of them.

Given the wealth of the Yang family, buying an establishment of this size—or merely a portion of it—was no more significant than plucking a hair from an ox.

To put it bluntly, even a peerless beauty like Ning’er, together with the entire entourage surrounding her, was worth less than a single trinket Yang Lin had purchased for Zhao Ji some time ago.

Gathering up all the contracts and receipts, Yang Lin said with satisfaction, “Then the handover is complete. I have no use for this place. I am taking only the people.”

Bowing and smiling obsequiously, Shopkeeper Ge said, “If Young Master Yang likes it, the deed to the property is not beyond consideration.”

“No need. Yangzhou is too small. What is there to do here? Bianliang is where men and fortunes converge. That is where I can truly spread my wings.”

Shopkeeper Ge cursed inwardly, then respectfully escorted him out.

Yang Lin turned back and smiled at Ning’er, who had yet to recover her senses. “From tonight onward, you belong to me. If anyone bullies you, give them my name. Remember it: Yang Lin. Yang as in Yang, Lin as in Lin.”

The following morning, several carriages came from Ten-Li Long Street and stopped before the Yang residence. Several girls climbed down and busily began unloading their luggage.

Li Yunniang helped Ning’er out of the carriage. Gazing at the magnificent Yang residence, the two exchanged a knowing look, their hearts suddenly filled with a thousand tangled emotions.

Of late, Yang Tong had taken his son’s advice and risen every morning to run and exercise with Yang Lin. Their father was corpulent and out of shape; without more exercise, he feared that in a few years he would be plagued by every ailment under the sun.

After father and son finished their breathless workout, they were drenched in sweat. Yang Tong in particular, a man of considerable wealth and girth, was sweating so profusely that beads rolled down his face like rain.

Hearing the commotion outside the gate, Yang Tong leaned against it and asked, “What is all the noise about?”

The steward, Yang Shu, wore a mournful expression as he replied, “Master, Eldest Young Master has bought the Pure Sound Pavilion and brought it home.”

“Oh?” Yang Tong was not angry. On the contrary, he was delighted. His son had finally begun to see the light. Being known as an upright gentleman sounded well and good, but with such a vast family fortune to guard, how could a father rest easy if Yang Lin were too honest? The official world was darker even than the world of commerce.

“Lin’er, well done! Are you short of money?”

Yang Lin’s body was only middling at best, though still far stronger than his father’s. At least he did not need to lean against the gate to remain standing. Breathing heavily, he said, “No need. When I require more, I will ask you.”

Yang Tong had previously given him a large sum, and he had spent less than a tenth of it. Yang Lin now realized that he also needed someone to manage his finances. Carrying more than a hundred thousand taels on his person without a clever and capable personal secretary was hardly reassuring.

When they reached his own rear courtyard, Yang Lin ordered several more rooms to be prepared so that Ning’er and the others could move in.

Yang Tian’ai and her four younger brothers were leaning over the courtyard railing, watching the spectacle. They had no idea who these newcomers were.

Yang Lin returned to the inner compound, changed his clothes, and washed his face before coming back. He picked up Yang Tianci, who was standing before him, and laughingly scolded the children, “The five of you ought to be studying and learning your letters. What are you doing here?”

Except for the older Yang Tian’ai, the other four children swarmed around him like young animals reunited with their parents, laughing and crying out with delight.

Ning’er, Li Yunniang, and the others had finished settling their belongings in the courtyard. Led by Jin’er, they came forward to pay their respects to Yang Lin.

Ning’er had seen him playing with several children from a distance and paid it little attention. But as she approached and was about to bend and gather her skirts in greeting, she caught sight of the four small, terrifying bald heads.

Her face went pale with fright, and she let out a startled scream.

Their faces, heads, and necks were covered with countless densely packed scars, a horrifying sight to behold.

The children, seeing her reaction, hid behind Yang Lin in shame, timidly watching the beautiful older sister before them.

A trace of hostility instantly appeared in Yang Tian’ai’s eyes toward Ning’er. Yang Lin stroked the little girl’s head and said, “They are all very lovable children. You need not be afraid.”

Setting the child down, Yang Lin led the girls into the newly prepared rooms. In theory, it was a young lady’s private chamber, but he showed no restraint whatsoever, barging in and taking a seat.

“I bought you for one reason only,” he said. “I want you to become famous in Bianliang.”

“Famous?”

“That’s right. Fame is a protective talisman. You are still young and cannot yet understand the depth of my intentions.” Yang Lin crossed one leg over the other, entirely unaware that this body of his was only fifteen years old as well.

Li Yunniang poured him a cup of water and presented it to him eagerly. “Women like us are no more than fragile plants. We survive only through Eldest Young Master’s care. Without you, we would be like saplings torn from the water, unable to live even half a day. We hope you will continue to look after us.”

Yang Lin found her words soothing and smiled. “You may rest easy with me. First, I will not let you lack clothing or food. Second, I will not let you swallow insults or suffer humiliation. Third, I will not let you wander homeless and destitute.”

For her move to the new residence, Ning’er had donned a moon-white silk gown. With only a light touch of rouge and powder, she looked even more alluring—like a lotus emerging from clear water. Yet as she listened to Yang Lin, confusion filled her heart.

Eldest Young Master Yang was truly a strange man. He had spent so much money to buy her, yet all he wanted was for her to become famous in Bianliang...

How could she have known that the fifteen-year-old youth before her had already begun laying the foundations for his future career in government?

A broad road to greatness stretched out before Yang Lin. A powerful minister and the commissioner of military affairs were his close friends despite the difference in age. He had presented the emperor with rare treasures, and the palace consorts and ladies-in-waiting had all received gifts from him. Having come to the capital as the top candidate in the prefectural examination, he could obtain academic honors as easily as reaching into his pocket.

When the time came to advance further, he would need both prestige and accomplishments. The latter were currently beyond his reach, but Yang Lin had already begun making arrangements to build his reputation.

Everything was for one simple principle:

A true man could not go even one day without power.

In this Great Song, outwardly prosperous and resplendent, where songs and dances seemed never to cease, anyone who wished to protect himself and accomplish something had to employ extraordinary methods. After all, the emperor at present was Zhao Ji, who would later be known by the far more famous title of Emperor Huizong of Song—a title bestowed only after his death.

It was during the reign of this man and his son that the most humiliating disaster in a thousand years of Chinese history occurred: the Jingkang Catastrophe.

Yang Lin looked Ning’er up and down without the slightest attempt to conceal his gaze. She became flustered, her cheeks flushed as she lowered her head and twisted her handkerchief between her fingers.

“Raise your head.”

His voice was not loud, but it carried sufficient authority that Ning’er could only slowly lift her face.

Her features were as delicate as a peach blossom: willow-shaped brows, almond eyes, a cherry mouth, and a jade-like nose, her countenance as lovely as a painting.

“Stand up.”

Ning’er grew even more embarrassed, but she did not dare resist. Slowly, she straightened her body. Her slender waist was taut, her bearing graceful and willowy.

“Not bad, not bad. A little too dull, though.” Yang Lin nodded inwardly. The girl possessed extraordinary natural gifts. With proper cultivation, she could become the unrivaled beauty of Bianliang, renowned throughout the world. And afterward, if he took her into his household as his private possession, would that not be splendid?

He supposed the powerful nobles of later generations who raised their songbirds into famous actresses must have indulged in much the same perverse delight.