The Marquis doesn't support his beloved wife's ambitions, so I'll take the imperial e

"What? Does Your Excellency think it's too expensive?"

Jiang Zhenxue looked at his face, which looked as if he had been struck by lightning and couldn't believe his eyes. She felt a secret sense of pleasure, but on the surface, she kept a serious expression with just the right amount of regret.

"Well, there's nothing I can do. My business is small, so I don't offer credit or negotiate prices."

She raised her hand and pointed to the door, making a crisp "please" gesture: "If Your Excellency finds it not worth it, the door is wide open. Please take your leave."

Xiao Qingyan stared intently at her.

He stared intently into her clear, bright eyes, trying to catch even a hint of a joke or a probing glance. But all he saw was a frank and distant gaze, a completely businesslike calmness, devoid of any tenderness or vulnerability.

She genuinely treated him like an ordinary guest who came to stay overnight. The dignified Marquis of Ningguo had to pay money to stay at her place.

The air inside was stagnant, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a long silence, Xiao Qingyan laughed in a fit of rage, his deep laughter carrying a chilling ferocity. He raised his hand and took out a heavy ingot of fifty taels of silver, slamming it heavily onto the pearwood table with a 'thud,' causing the tabletop to tremble slightly.

"Is that enough?" he asked through gritted teeth, his eyes filled with gloom.

Jiang Zhenxue calmly picked up the silver ingot, lightly weighed it between her fingertips, and smiled a perfectly timed, bright yet aloof smile.

"The Marquis is generous."

She skillfully put the silver into her personal money box, her movements fluid and efficient.

"This is the deposit for tonight. You can pay the balance at this time tomorrow. Also, please make it clear in advance that this bedroom only includes accommodation. Tea, supper, and other services are all extra."

With just a few words, his status as a guest was firmly established.

In his entire life, Xiao Qingyan had wielded immense power and commanded the obedience of countless people, yet he had never suffered such an absurd and humiliating disgrace. Too lazy to waste any more words with her, he strode towards the only large sandalwood bed in the room, radiating an oppressive chill.

It has to be said that it really smelled delicious. He accepted his fate and didn't hold much resentment anymore.

……

The next day dawned.

The news that Marquis Ningguo had deposed the eldest son of the Wu family in the street to protect his beloved, and that he had openly moved into the bedroom of the female manager of Qingyun Pavilion in the backyard, swept through the entire Yunyang County overnight.

Rumors and gossip filled the city, and a great uproar arose.

The Sihai Bookstore harbored immense hatred, but dared not provoke the powerful Marquis of Ningguo, so they directed all their resentment and malice towards Jiang Zhenxue.

Since they couldn't touch the high and mighty Marquis, they decided to destroy this mere merchant's daughter first.

At the crack of dawn, Sihai Bookstore unleashed a ruthless strategy. All six of its branches in the city simultaneously lowered their prices, driving down the prices of writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and general knowledge books to near-loss levels. It was clear that they intended to crush the fledgling Qingyun Pavilion with capital and use a price war to drag it down with their own means.

Moreover, malicious rumors have been spreading quietly.

Rumors circulated that the internal reference notes sold at high prices by Qingyun Pavilion were all worthless gimmicks, a scam by Jiang Zhenxue to make huge profits and deceive scholars.

Amidst the tense atmosphere and unrest, many guests who had reserved private rooms and paid deposits came to cancel their reservations, putting Qingyun Pavilion in a passive position.

"Xue'er! Something terrible has happened!"

Holding a price reduction notice from Sihai Bookstore, Kang Mingyan rushed anxiously into the backyard bedroom, sweating profusely.

"The Wu family has completely lost their minds! They're clearly going to fight to the death! Many of our regular customers are canceling their subscriptions. If this continues, we simply can't hold on!"

Jiang Zhenxue was bending down to inspect the newly arrived pre-rain Longjing tea when she heard this. She simply raised her eyes slightly, her expression calm and composed, showing no sign of panic.

"He lowers his price, so we raise ours."

"What?!" Kang Mingyan froze on the spot, thinking he had misheard in his anxiety. "They're losing money to attract customers, and we're raising prices? Isn't that just pushing customers away for nothing?!"

"It can't be pushed away."

Jiang Zhenxue put down the tea canister, her eyes clear and bright, showing confidence.

"Mingyan, our clients are never ordinary scholars who covet petty gains. Those who are willing to settle in my Qingyun Pavilion seek scarce resources and unique dignity and prestige, not cheap and cheap goods."

She quickly picked up her pen and wrote a brand new notice in just a few lines, then handed it to the waiter who was standing by.

"Post this immediately. Starting today, Qingyun Pavilion will exclusively offer the handwritten manuscript of a retired Hanlin scholar. It is a unique copy with no duplicates, and each copy is priced at five hundred taels."

"Five hundred taels?!" Kang Mingyan was speechless.

"Furthermore," Jiang Zhenxue continued methodically, "send exclusive invitations to all distinguished guests who have prepaid more than three hundred taels. Three days later, Qingyun Pavilion will hold an exclusive literary appreciation event to publicly verify the authenticity of the notes and manuscripts and answer any questions on the spot."

In a short moment, the balance of power shifted dramatically.

Looking at her calm and composed demeanor, Kang Mingyan's restless heart instantly calmed down, and he was filled with admiration.

……

Night fell again, and all was quiet.

All the staff in the front hall had finished their shifts and were resting, leaving only the bedroom in the back courtyard of Qingyun Pavilion brightly lit.

Jiang Zhenxue sat alone under the lamp, meticulously refining the tasting event process and checking every detail with utmost care.

In the corner of the room, Xiao Qingyan sat quietly on a chair, holding a military treatise, without saying a word.

That day, he stayed at home, guarding her private bedroom, quietly watching her manage the shop, comfort the employees, and calmly deal with external troubles.

Seeing her calm, decisive, and methodical demeanor in the face of adversity, I felt a strange sense of unease and bewilderment.

The woman before me, so shrewd and astute, showed no trace of the clumsy, timid woman who had once lived in the Marquis's mansion in the capital, a woman who couldn't even use an abacus.

"Sihai Bookstore has been rooted in Yunyang County for many years, with six branches throughout the city, and it monopolizes the paper distribution channels in the three prefectures of Jiangnan." Xiao Qingyan suddenly spoke, his voice cold and indifferent, stating bluntly, "You can't beat him."

Jiang Zhenxue didn't even raise her head, continuing to write: "No need for Your Excellency to trouble yourself."

She neither asked for help nor showed weakness, and she was even stingy with giving even the slightest pleading look.

This indifferent attitude only intensified Xiao Qingyan's resentment.

He closed the military book, stood up and strode forward. His tall figure instantly loomed over her under the lamp, and a sense of oppression washed over her.

"My woman is not to be lost."

Jiang Zhenxue then stopped writing and looked up, her clear, cold gaze meeting his stubborn, deep eyes without yielding an inch.

"First, I am not your woman. Second, this is my business, my war, and has nothing to do with you, Lord Marquis."

"Is that so? You're not my woman. Who was it that slept with me every night before?"

It's a ghost. Jiang Zhenxue knew the answer in her heart.

Xiao Qingyan's lips curled into a cold, fierce smile, his gaze deep and intense, filled with a powerful possessiveness.

"Furthermore, from the moment I moved into your bedroom, your affairs are my affairs."

He looked down at her, scrutinizing her as if she were his own possession.

"I'll give you a shortcut." He wasn't being soft-hearted to help, but he absolutely couldn't allow the person he had his eye on to be defeated by the Wu family, such low-class scum, and lose face for no reason. "The largest paper supplier for Sihai Bookstore is surnamed Qian. This man is addicted to gambling and has recently accumulated huge debts at the gambling dens in the south of the city, with a huge shortfall."

A single word of advice broke the deadlock.

After saying that, he turned and sat down, resuming his silent posture, leaving her with only a cold and aloof back view.

He only provides the weapons, he doesn't fight for her. Whether she can break the deadlock depends entirely on her own abilities.

Jiang Zhenxue watched his retreating figure, her eyes flickering slightly, silently memorizing the words "supplier surnamed Qian".

……

The night was deep and the dew was heavy, and the candlelight flickered.

On the large sandalwood bed, the two occupied one side, clearly separated by an invisible boundary.

Jiang Zhenxue had her back to him, her whole body tense.

The gaze behind her was intense and obsessive, with a strong sense of aggression, like fine needles pricking her back, keeping her wide awake.

He was sleepless, and so was she.

In the dead of night, Jiang Zhenxue had a sudden thought. She pretended to turn over and, seemingly unintentionally, kicked him again.

This time, however, just as her ankle crossed the midline, it was suddenly gripped by a large, hot, and hard hand, its grip firm and tight, leaving her no chance to break free.