Chapter 43: Choked by a Palace Maid

Jian Yu froze; she dared not even move, let alone run away.

The other eleven "hairpins" stood with various expressions. Some were busy adjusting their armor to hide their unease, some kept their heads bowed in silence, and others trembled slightly, their hearts shaken. Each of them was astonished by how sharply their young master could perceive the finest details. Their secret desire to join in and make a fortune had been unmasked by him in an instant.

Logically, he was the one who had meticulously orchestrated everything. They were merely pawns on the stage of the martial arts marriage contest, "fictional characters" with no right or opportunity to touch the profits. Yet, he had burdened them with the three tasks of "martial arts, literature, and arithmetic," and even bestowed upon them the title "Twelve Golden Hairpins." It was clear he intended to mold them into more useful "talents." Furthermore, he had practically guided them hand-in-hand in calculating the "doubling effect," effectively allowing them to participate in and experience the very process of strategic planning. If that was the case, was it not natural for them to harbor a few small ambitions?

Consort Yun spoke up then. "Xiao'er, they would never dare!"

"Everyone wants to make money, that much is true. But whether one can—or dares to—is not so simple. Money is not something you can just decide to earn and then pocket. If it were, the Second Prince, who loves wealth so much he would peel a goose to its bones, would have done it already. He has plenty of capable men, controls the prosperity of the capital, and has the advantage of wrapping the old Emperor around his finger. Why hasn't he seized such heaven-sent wealth long ago? Why does he have to put on such a hypocritical act, digging holes everywhere and acting with such indecision? Isn't it because he cannot conceive of it, cannot achieve it, and dares not even imagine or attempt it?"

"These Twelve Sword Hairpins—or rather, the Twelve Golden Hairpins—are all girls Zhuque brought from the palace to serve me. They serve me as their mistress and you as their young master; it is only right that we arrange their duties as we see fit. The reason I didn't stop them from placing their bets earlier was because they were gambling on whether the contest would turn a profit, not because I intended for them to share in the spoils!"

"As it stands, the ticket sales alone are a guaranteed win, so their bets have already been lost. As for the ten thousand taels from tickets and the extra from food and drink, that has absolutely nothing to do with them! It was your vision and your daring that brought this profit to life. Besides, you are still a long way from reaching the goal of one million! You have to consider the costs after the gains; if you fail to reach the target, it will be the end of you! Isn't that the most ridiculous joke in the world?"

Upon hearing this, the Twelve Golden Hairpins turned pale and knelt on one knee in succession. "Thump! Thump! Thump!"

"Consort Yun is right!" they cried. "We should not have harbored such disloyal and unrighteous thoughts. We beg the young master and the Consort for forgiveness!"

Unexpectedly, Chai Xiao gently took Consort Yun's arm, swayed it slightly, and winked at her. His eyes clearly conveyed his message: *Mother, don't be angry! These girls mean no harm!*

Consort Yun stared at her son, wide-eyed. *Is this brat a fool? Can't he see I'm helping him? These girls are getting too unruly! Once they hear a bit about how to make money and learn some basic arithmetic, they start dreaming of splitting their master's wealth. Is this rebellion? If I don't discipline them, it will be a disaster.*

She knew that internal instability leads to external chaos. In the previous Tang Dynasty, Emperor Zhongzong of Tang had allowed Empress Wei and Princess Anle to amass immense power, eventually leading to his own poisoning at their hands. As his mother, she felt she must manage the household properly to prevent him from being harmed by those he trusted.

Chai Xiao understood his mother's intent, though he didn't realize her mind had wandered to the Tang Dynasty. He, meanwhile, was thinking of the Ming Dynasty's Jiajing Emperor, who was nearly strangled by his own palace maids after he forced them to live on dew and mulberry leaves to refine elixirs. He knew his mother meant well. Facing the nearly impossible task of raising a million taels, every single coin mattered.

His mother was worried that the hairpins would lose focus and carve off a piece of the hard-earned tens of thousands of taels, deepening the deficit. Their philosophies, however, were worlds apart. She was anchored in the deep-seated master-servant hierarchy of their current era, while he believed in equality. Though he couldn't achieve complete equality overnight, he knew he had to persist in his "heretical" ways. He believed it was only human nature for the hairpins to want a share of the pie. If he ate meat, they at least deserved a taste of the soup. Furthermore, he knew that ignoring human nature and treating people like machines was the quickest way to end up like the Jiajing Emperor—or worse.

He was at a critical juncture of gathering funds, weapons, and men. Zhang Bao was already his "first-generation actuary," and Jian Yu was showing great potential as a "catfish" to stir up the others. The remaining eleven hairpins were showing immense interest in his arithmetic lessons. In time, they would grow into professional managers, or "corporate executives." When that day came, tens of thousands of taels would seem like pocket change to them. How laughable would it be then to have begrudged them a small share today? Rewards must be immediate to be effective.

Chai Xiao leaned in and whispered three sentences into his mother's ear. Consort Yun's eyes widened like copper bells, her face etched with disbelief. Yet, moments later, her tone softened.

"You are the master; I will listen to you," she said. "But you must think carefully—how much is actually appropriate?"