After the recent rebellion, and now a heavy snowstorm, the people had it hard.

Plus, the snow had blocked the transportation routes for goods, so within a short period, the grain prices in Fuzhou had skyrocketed several times.

Wen Yuesheng ordered the opening of the government granary and distributed grain to the common people.

Zhou Manniang also set up a porridge stand at the city gates and served porridge to the people every day.

This helped the people survive the heavy snowstorm with a little less hardship.

If Han Ke and the others were still in charge of Fuzhou, they would have surely taken this opportunity to work with grain merchants to inflate the prices even further, profiting from the snow disaster.

Fuzhou wasn’t particularly wealthy, not comparable to places like the capital or Jiangnan.

However, there were a few extraordinarily rich families in this region.

Among them, the richest was He Qin.

After Han Ke’s fall, He Qin had invited Wen Yuesheng to his mansion several times, but she had always declined.

This time, with the severe snowstorm and widespread grain shortages, He Qin, being a major grain merchant, sent another invitation to Wen Yuesheng.

This time, she accepted.

That evening, she went to He Qin’s mansion for the feast.

Due to the snowstorm, Wen Yuesheng had been staying temporarily at the Governor’s Mansion.

Han Ke had been quite extravagant, but after entering He Qin’s mansion, she realized what true luxury looked like.

The path was lined with exquisite architecture, and He Qin’s wealth could probably only be matched by someone like Jiang Lu in the capital, though Jiang Lu was low-key and didn’t waste money excessively.

He Qin’s mansion, on the other hand, was entirely different.

The heavy snow had turned the world into a white wonderland.

But as Wen Yuesheng entered He Qin’s mansion, she saw lush green trees, and no snow could be seen.

Even more astonishing, the courtyard leading to the main hall had a live spring.

In the freezing winter, steam rose from the spring, and the surrounding flowers and plants grew lush and vibrant.

In this place, it was as if spring had already arrived despite the harsh winter outside.

This wasn’t the only spring in the mansion.

Fuzhou was generally cold, and this year especially so.

The hot spring was an extremely extravagant luxury for this region.

This was only the beginning.

After entering the main courtyard, things became even more extravagant.

For the feast, He Qin had gone to great lengths.

The main hall was brightly lit, and a huge round table was set in the middle, laden with exquisite dishes.

To one side, a giant stage had been constructed for a performance.

The stage was even higher and grander than many of the stages Wen Yue Sheng had seen in the capital.

He Qin had done business in Fuzhou for many years and had frequent dealings with officials.

However, entertaining women was a first for him.

Before Wen Yuesheng arrived, he had pondered how to build a relationship with her.

After Wen Yuesheng and Zhou Man Niang sat down, He Qin smiled and said, “Apart from today’s feast, I have a few gifts I would like to give to the Princess.”

Unfortunately, since the Governor’s Mansion was now controlled by the military, He Qin couldn’t meet Wen Yuesheng directly, so he had to send the gifts instead.

As soon as he spoke, several servants entered, carrying a number of large boxes into the hall.

Since this was a private feast, only Zhou Manniang and Gu Yu accompanied Wen Yue Sheng.

When the ten large boxes appeared, Gu Yu was momentarily stunned.

He Qin continued to smile, “These are some of Fuzhou’s special products. Please accept them, Princess.”

However, when the boxes were opened, they revealed gold and silver glittering inside.

Three boxes of gold and seven of silver were placed together, creating a stunning sight.

He Qin had used such gifts to win over many officials in the past.

No matter how the officials had behaved before meeting him, they couldn’t remain indifferent when they saw such direct displays of wealth.

But Wen Yuesheng, on the other hand, was completely unreadable.

She showed no expression upon seeing the gold and silver and her eyes remained calm.

She didn’t look at the wealth with the same fiery gaze as ordinary officials, nor did she put on an act like some people might, angrily rebuking him.

She simply looked on quietly.

He Qin paused for a moment, his eyes flashing.

He didn’t believe anyone in the world could resist the temptation of gold and silver.

No matter if the person was a princess or a prince, as long as they lived in the mortal world, they would be moved by money.

If they weren’t, it meant they didn’t yet have enough to offer.

But upon meeting Wen Yuesheng, he didn’t want to expose his wealth too quickly.

So, even though she remained calm, he didn’t push the gifts further. Instead, he waved his hand, and a servant left the hall.

When the servant returned, he was leading a handsome young man with red lips and white teeth.

Zhou Manniang, sitting beside Wen Yuesheng, nearly spat out her tea upon seeing the youth.

What did He Qin think of their princess?

Before she could ask, He Qin smiled and said, “This is my gift.”

“He is a young courtesan, seventeen years old. His name…” He paused, then gave Wen Yuesheng a knowing smile, “Please, Princess, name him.”

The young man kept his head lowered, his gaze focused on the ground, silent.

Zhou Manniang was stunned.

She had seen all sorts of attempts on the princess’s life, including assassination and framing, but this—this was the first time someone had offered money and a person so blatantly.

But considering He Qin’s business background, she somewhat understood.

He Qin probably dealt with officials in Fuzhou in this way normally, so even though Wen Yuesheng was now in charge, as a woman, he treated her the same.

The hall was silent.

Wen Yuesheng didn’t speak.

He Qin’s smile stiffened for a moment, but then he blamed the young man.

He snapped, “Why aren’t you greeting the Princess?”

“What have I taught you?”

The young man finally raised his eyes, revealing a handsome face, especially his clear, elegant eyebrows and eyes.

He looked less like a courtesan and more like a young master from a scholarly family.

The servants in the hall couldn’t help but stare at him.

Fu Yubai endured the humiliation, stepping forward and quietly saying, “I greet the Princess.”

His voice was that of a clear-voiced youth.

Zhou Manniang, hearing his voice, couldn’t help but think of Lu Qinghuai.

Fu Yubai was the same age as Lu Qinghuai, but their fates were entirely different.

If someone were to offer Lu Qinghuai to high-ranking officials for his looks, the officials would likely have their estates uprooted before the conversation even finished.

As Fu Yubai stood before Wen Yuesheng, she didn’t look at him but instead focused on He Qin behind him.

She lightly tapped the table with her white hand and softly asked, “Is this all?”

The room fell silent.

He Qin paused, then raised his eyes to look at her.

He hadn’t expected this princess to have such large ambitions.

Leaving aside the ten boxes of gold and silver, just the youth standing in front of her was someone He Qin had bought at a high price from Han Ke.

Yet now, she didn’t even glance at him and instead asked if that was all.

He Qin’s face tightened for a moment but then relaxed.

Fine, it was better for her to want everything than nothing at all.

He smiled and replied, “Given the current situation in Fuzhou, Princess, if you wish for such things, we can provide as much as you want.”

He wasn’t foolish.

He knew he needed a promise from Wen Yuesheng before anything could proceed.

“What do you want?” Wen Yuesheng asked.

He Qin’s eyes flickered, and he answered, “I want very little, only to sell grain normally.”

He was cautious since he didn’t know Wen Yuesheng’s true intentions yet.

He didn’t mention inflating grain prices or the hidden dealings behind the scenes.

But he knew that, if Wen Yuesheng was willing, she would understand his meaning.

The government had released grain, obstructing their path to profit.

Wen Yuesheng could easily handle this by declaring that the official grain had run out and letting He Qin take over the business.

Upon hearing this, Fu Yubai’s expression darkened.

He couldn’t help but look at the person before him.

As he raised his eyes, he realized that the Princess, whom He Qin treated as a guest of honor, was extraordinarily beautiful.

Yet, her eyes were cold, without a trace of emotion.

She said in a cold voice, “Sell grain? How?”

He Qin stiffened, unsure how clearly to speak.

He thought Wen Yuesheng might be pretending to be ignorant, wanting more significant benefits.

He hesitated.

But Wen Yuesheng coldly responded, “Is it the same as what you did with Han Ke, selling the government grain at exorbitant prices to the common people?”

“Or perhaps it involves seizing land, bribing officials, and killing helpless people?”

He Qin’s expression changed instantly, panic written all over his face.

He tried to argue.

But Wen Yuesheng’s voice cut him off: “Someone, come.”

As she gave the command, many soldiers appeared outside, marching into He Qin’s mansion.

These soldiers moved with precision, standing in the courtyard.

“Take him away.” Wen Yuesheng stood up, coldly staring at He Qin, “Open the vault, release the grain.”

The vault being opened was He Qin’s private one, but the grain released was for the people.

He Qin refused to comply, shouting, “The Princess has no evidence! You can’t just break into my mansion and open my private vault. How is this any different from being a bandit?”

Wen Yuesheng responded coldly, “Do you need proof?”

She glanced at the boxes of gold and silver, saying coldly, “Isn’t this proof?”

He Qian’s expression was grim.

He had thought about what would happen if Wen Yuesheng didn’t fall for his trap.

But this blizzard arrived too suddenly, and the profits were right in front of him, so he couldn’t resist.

When a person sees a bit of profit, they become mad with greed, let alone when a mountain of gold and silver is right before them.

Merchants chase profit, and He Qian was among the best at this.

It was not surprising that he would take such a risk.

What surprised him, however, was that Wen Yuesheng’s style of action was far from what he had expected.

Li Qingyuan sent soldiers to arrest him and directly asked, “Princess, shall we execute him on the spot?”

He Qian, with his mouth sealed, turned pale and stared at Wen Yuesheng.

He held the gold and silver mountains in his hands, and while Wen Yuesheng could remain unmoved, he didn’t believe others would do the same.

But if Wen Yuesheng wanted to execute him directly, he would have no way out.

He heard Wen Yuesheng say, “Take him to the yamen first.”

“Understood.”

The soldiers responded in unison, taking He Qian away.

The sudden turn of events was so fast that everyone there didn’t know how to react.

Only those who had been around Wen Yuesheng long enough were accustomed to it.

Zhou Manniang even sat down to continue eating her vegetables.

It must be said, the chef at the richest family in Fuzhou was indeed skilled at cooking.

Wen Yuesheng turned around and looked at Fu Yubai.

Fu Yubai was stunned.

When he saw her looking over, a cautious look appeared in his eyes.

“You are Fu Yuan’s son?” Wen Yuesheng asked coldly.

Fu Yubai’s expression shifted slightly.

He stiffened and looked at her, “So what?”

Wen Yuesheng didn’t pay any attention to his full of vigilance and simply said, “Come with me.”

She dropped the words and turned to leave, with Zhou Manniang following her, adding, “Princess, aren’t you going to have something to eat? The vegetarian feast at He’s mansion is really good.”

Wen Yuesheng replied, “I’m not eating.”

Their figures quickly disappeared, and Wen Yuesheng didn’t even leave anyone behind to watch over him.

Fu Yubai stood there, stunned.