Savage Divinity

Resisting the urge to chew her nails, Yuzhen went over her mental checklist for the umpteenth time, making certain every last detail had been accounted for.

First and foremost was her appearance, because like it or not, most people considered her as a woman first and a Marshal second, third, or perhaps even further down the line, depending on who you asked. Thus, going out in the same outfit twice in one week was absolutely unacceptable, while twice in one month would have the rumour-mongers whispering of a destitute Northern Marshal. To complicate matters even further, she could not afford to dress as she pleased, in tight, low-cut dresses or scandalously short robes which bared her shoulders and/or thighs for all to see. Her Office demanded decorum in her manner of dress, while her gender required she present a pleasing image, which left her with a thin margin to tread upon when deciding her various outfits.

It hardly seemed fair considering her old man wore his robes of Office to almost every event he attended, but she’d tried that already and had been branded as a dowdy, inelegant woman who’d aged long before her time. Men and women alike had seen fit to comment on her lack of style, and if she had a copper for every time she heard how it was ‘such a shame’ for her to hide her natural beauty, she could have easily paid for Gerel’s Runic armour even without her income from Sanshu.

Well, not really, but it would have made a sizable dent in the staggering expense...

For today’s private and ‘informal’ dinner, she picked out a billowy, blue-silk dress that covered everything from chin to ankle and left absolutely everything to the imagination, save for her arms which were bare from her elbows down. This had nothing to do with femininity or fashion however, for she only eschewed the standard wide, voluminous sleeves because they made it almost impossible to eat quickly, and she could not afford to give her rival Marshals time to converse while waiting for her to finish each course. While not the most flattering dress, it was a stately, embroidered piece with gold, red, and green floral patterns, which paired well with her matching silk stole which would serve to cover her exposed forearms until she was seated in their private dining room. As for her shoes, she guiltily settled on a pair of open-toed heeled sandals which left her pale, dainty feet almost completely uncovered. The ensemble was far more feminine than her usual fare, which largely consisted of different, manly jackets thrown over decorated long-shirts, but tonight was special, because for once, she wanted to be seen as a woman first, and Marshal second.

Even though Rain might call tonight’s dinner a ‘casual’ affair, there would certainly be matters of business discussed, and while he was newly married and head over heels for his new wife, he was a rare person who was biased towards the fairer sex when it came to matters of business, often offering women better deals than their male counterparts. At first, she found it refreshing to be treated so kindly by a business partner, especially after working with the arrogant and dismissive Southern Marshal Quyen Huong, but then she discerned that Rain went easy on women out of pity, which was infuriating to the extreme. He never came right out and said it, but despite being surrounded by exceedingly competent women, he still somehow expected men to outperform women on a regular basis, and as such favoured them whether they needed his help or not.

However, in dealings of this magnitude, Yuzhen would need every advantage she could get, so she had no qualms about using her feminine wiles against the all too powerful Minister of Finance. Were he a decade older, Yuzhen might even be tempted to pursue a carnal relationship with Rain, assuming Gerel and Mila would allow it. Hard to say, for her beloved husband was not a jealous man, but he was a prickly sort when it came to matters involving his most famous clansman.

While her handmaidens busied themselves picking out accessories and doing her hair and makeup, Gerel strode in looking more handsome than ever in his elegant formal attire. Gone was the quietly arrogant soldier who wore furred tunics under leather armour, and in his place was a fierce and wild prince, with eyes of gold which shone brighter than any jewellery ever could. A wavy, white-silk long-shirt sat under his loose, buttonless outer robes, a light, flimsy affair festooned with flowers and foxes embroidered in black and silver thread. His collar, lapel, sash, and wide sleeves were lined with lace in similar colours, though more black than red or silver to frame his figure, and his head of black, lustrous hair had been pulled back into the beginnings of a ponytail, and kept out of his eyes by a beautiful silver crown studded with honey topazes and yellow diamonds.

There he stood, bedecked with all manner of adornments as befitting the consort of the Northern Marshal, yet still a lion amongst men, groomed and ornamented like any fop or dandy, but unmistakably dangerous nonetheless.

Though initially drawn to him due to his brutish appearance and thuggish behaviour, it was his fiery personality and heartfelt devotion which won her over, and she rather enjoyed this startling transformation. To spare his ego, Yuzhen refrained from licking her lips and silently devoured his appearance, and he played along by giving a graceful little twirl which had the handmaidens blushing like virgins. They weren’t, and Yuzhen had made it clear she wouldn’t pay any mind to his dalliances so long as she was allowed to adopt any offspring as her own, but thus far, he’d refrained from taking any other women to bed besides the ones she brought along with her. A maddening man, making his wife insist he bed other women in hopes of securing a child, but Yuzhen didn’t want Gerel to make the same mistake as her old man and wait too long to start a family.

They would try again tonight, she decided, though it meant she would have to hold back. Even her younger, Peak Expert of a husband didn’t have the stamina to keep going after sating her voracious appetite, which was likely why he had yet to take another lover. Weakling.

Grinning at the thought of things to come, Yuzhen Sent, “My oh my, aren’t you looking handsome tonight, my dear beloved husband.”

“Your husband is always handsome,” he retorted, brushing a single strand of hair out of his eyes. “And you are always beautiful, but tonight, you are even more ravishing than usual.”

Eyes sparkling in delight, she fished for more compliments while marvelling at her dashing husband. He still wasn’t used to having hair and fussed with it more than most, but at least she could put to rest the rumours which came with his baldness. Though still a handsome and vibrant man even without hair, once word spread of Rain’s affiliation with the Penitent Brotherhood, people began speculating on how this relationship came about, and one prominent explanation was that Gerel was a failed initiate. Complete fiction of course, since he shaved his head because he couldn’t be bothered to wash, comb, or style it, not to mention a soldier’s ever-present risk of lice, but when Yuzhen brought up the rumour that he might be a failed eunuch monk, Gerel never shaved his head again.

Had she known that was all it would take, she would have told him this years ago...

Truth be told, she found it alarming that so many of Gerel’s decisions could be traced back to Rain. Take her handsome husband’s stylish outfit, for example, an ensemble he would have refused to wear six months ago, yet now that it had fallen out of fashion, he wholeheartedly embraced the style because it was so different from what Rain wore. While he might be dressed differently for tonight’s banquet, one could predict the Minister of Finance’s outfit with remarkable ease on any given day, because outside of his ceremonial armour, he always wore the same outfit. A plain black cotton shirt, with narrow sleeves that buttoned up at the cuffs, a waist-length hem that hung loosely from his torso, and a folded collar which he always left unbuttoned to shamelessly display his surprisingly muscular upper chest. In addition to this, he wore a pair of plain black cotton pants that hugged the curves of his legs without clinging tight, and serviceable soldier boots despite never needing to march or run.

Odd for an Imperial to favour cotton over silk, but Rain’s explanation was that he sweat too much and soaked cotton was more comfortable than damp silk. Madness.

As if dead set on bringing fashion standards to an all-time low, Rain’s slovenly outfits were utterly lacking in decoration save for a small, embroidered numeral and a beautifully stitched golden dragon, one no larger than a finger-tip, prominently displayed over his left breast pocket, a pocket he added for the sole purpose of allowing his Cloud Chaser Hare to sit inside. It was only by coincidence that she overheard Rain talking about how his pants also had numerals sewn on the inside of the waistband, which he proudly proclaimed were there so he didn’t accidentally wear the same clothes two days in a row. Yuzhen suspected he would have no qualms about doing so, and the numerals were only there to prove to his mother that he wasn’t. As for the dragon, he only included it because Zheng Luo insisted he prominently display some form of Imperial insignia, but she failed to specify that it should be large and eye catching as well.

Plain, humble, and easily replaced, that was how Rain decided upon his outfits, and while most nobles and peasants didn’t understand what Rain’s numerals signified, this didn’t stop them from imitating his manner of dress. Thus far no one had been foolish enough to wear an Imperial Dragon and swapped them out for their own household crests or family names, albeit in more distinct fashions. It was strange seeing crowds of noble youths dressed in such muted colours and cheap fabrics, especially considering black dye was second only to purple dye in cost, but such was the way of things with the eccentric Minister of Finance bucking traditions and breaking unspoken rules with each passing day.

In contrast, Gerel eschewed his fellow clansman’s trendsetting ways and went in the opposite direction, wholeheartedly embracing traditional Imperial fashions with a zealousness which shocked and amused. Yuzhen’s husband had a deep-seated need to separate himself from Falling Rain, to the point where he would rather grow his hair and change all his habits than be mistaken for the boy’s supporter, even though she knew Gerel would go sprinting to Rain’s aid if he should need it. When they visited the Central Citadel for the Legate’s banquet some three months ago, he spent his days fast asleep on his feet and his nights guarding Rain from the shadows, even though no one, not his Mentor, his idol Baatar, and not even Rain himself asked Gerel to. There was a story there, one he refused to ever speak of, for it was ‘not his story to tell’, but he also asked her not to bring it up with Baatar, Sarnai, or anyone else. The Bekhai were a strange people, but they were Yuzhen’s people now, and she did everything she could to conform to their customs.

Reminded of the matter at hand, she double checked the finishing touches on her makeup and asked, “Are you sure I shouldn’t bring a gift? Even if we aren’t dining at the Minister’s house, it’s customary to bring wine, tea, or snacks.”

“No, beloved wife.” Offering a hand to help her out of her chair, he pulled her close without wrinkling her dress or messing up her hair and makeup while leading her out of the manor. “Bringing food or drink to a meal would imply you have no faith in your host to provide adequate alternatives. Such is the way of the Bekhai.”

Which she would be expected to adhere to, since they counted her as one of their own. It was both a blessing and a curse to have these fiercely loyal people at her side, because while she could always count on their support, she was also expected to support them. Three months ago, that meant preparing to join an open rebellion which she was unlikely to survive, and before that, there was another stressful and illegal matter they expected her to handle without question, but their trust was given freely, as was their considerable support.

Even more surprising was how they demanded no Oaths of her, even though she was privy to details which could easily see the Bekhai declared as rebels and apostates.

Still, a loyal and powerful support base to fall back on was more than her old man ever had, and Yuzhen was grateful for the Bekhai assistance. Between Nian Zu and Baatar, she had the military firmly in her pocket, and Rain’s brilliant spymaster Junior Yimu was a veritable font of actionable intelligence which helped her consolidate her grip on the North. She was still a long ways away from achieving the sort of control Quyen Huong held over the south, but no longer was she forced to play her enemies against one another and resort to blackmail in order to cling onto what few scraps of authority she still had. No, now she was a Marshal in truth, with people undermining her authority in secret instead of out in the open like before, and she had Nian Zu and the Bekhai to thank for it.

As she settled into her Golden Heartwood carriage, an extravagant gift from Rain and Charok, Yuzhen resisted the urge to rummage through her husband’s robes and opted for a kiss instead. “So no food or drink, but what about gifts? Books perhaps, since he loves to read, or something pretty for Mila like a bracelet or hairpin. Oh, what if we commissioned some clothes for his pets? He does so love to dress them up.”

Rolling his beautiful eyes, Gerel said, “You presented them with a lavish red pocket at their wedding not four days ago, spent a quarter-million gold on War Bonds yesterday afternoon, and still you wish to gift them more? Peace, wife. A gift would demand reciprocation, and I assure you Rain would not thank you for it, nor will Mila if she thinks you insincere. As Imperial Scion, he and his wife have hordes of people seeking to worm their way into their good graces, but precious few allies to rely on, so you need not worry about pleasing either of them. If they forget their manners, then bring it up with their respective mothers, and they will set their children straight.”

An amusing thought, assuming Yuzhen had the courage to criticize Rain or Mila in front of their formidable mothers. Neither Sarnai nor Akanai suffered fools lightly, and both doted on their children fiercely. “I gifted them coin at the wedding, because they didn’t give me enough time to prepare something thoughtful and intimate, yet now he has ten million gold to play with and will not remember small gifts of coin.”

There was more to it, but Gerel would not understand, or rather he would refuse to understand and call it a distinction without a difference. Everyone had expected Rain to use the War Bond funds to line his own pockets and bribe the necessary Imperial agents to look the other way, but instead, he announced his intention to loan gold to peasants in order for them to buy land he owned, and Yuzhen was still awestruck by his brilliance. This one, simple declaration turned everything neatly onto its head. Even though he was still lining his own pockets, he kept his word and invested the War Bond funds into the future of the Empire and offered a solution to a problem which had plagued all three Marshals of the Empire.

For an entire year, they struggled with how to entice commoners to come live and work at the new Western Wall. Higher wages was ample incentive for porters, waiters, cleaners, and other unskilled labour, and Imperial Mandate was enough to force construction experts to lend their expertise, but the same could not be said for other professions. Even allowing for premium purchasing prices due to proximity, farmers and tradesmen would earn more or less the same amount no matter where they did their work, and in far more comfort and security if they did so away from the Western Wall. There were fortunes to be made here, but not by farmers and tradesmen, only by those who bought and sold their goods, so why put themselves in danger and misery to earn a piddling few silvers more?

But for the chance to own land, a chance to have an inheritance to pass down to their children? This would bring them flocking to the Western Wall in droves.

When the announcement was made, Yuzhen thought Rain was making a big fuss about nothing, but after going home and checking the numbers, she discovered that depending on the values involved, he could see a return on investment in as little as three years if one only took the War Bond funds into account. If she included the private profits to be made by ensuring his existing businesses claimed a monopoly on supplying the Western Wall, then by this time next year, he might well be the wealthiest man in the outer provinces.

Granted, as the only Imperial Scion to hail from the outer provinces, Rain would have eventually become wealthy by virtue of status alone, but now he was on track to earn vast, unheard of sums while being beholden to no one but the Legate. True, Yuzhen and many others had contributed to his War Bonds and incurred a debt owed in face, but now, they would have no choice but to use those debts to ensure their business interests survived the coming financial upheaval. The Imperial Army was by far the largest consumer of goods and services in the Empire, and with the majority of soldiers stationed along the new Western Wall, it had become a significant focus of the entire economy. Now, Rain was poised to seize control of all those profits by virtue of controlling the means of production. Who would these new land owners sell to? Merchants and Nobles who previously took advantage of their labour and paid them in scraps, or the magnanimous Minister of Finance who worked hard to make it possible for anyone to become a landowner?

And if gratitude was not enough to sway their hearts, there was also the unspoken implication of what might happen if they should upset the man who made their very lives possible. What the Minister of Finance gave, he could also take away, for even though the land was theirs, the heavy debt hanging over their heads gave him ample leverage when it came to matters of negotiation. Genius is what it was, and Yuzhen was not the only one cursing herself for being too short-sighted to see the benefits of turning peasants into tax-paying land-owners.

As for the true beauty of this scheme, by putting the War Bond funds to public use and only personally benefiting due to forethought, he all but ensured the next batch of War Bonds would sell for even more. It was clear that as Minister of Finance, Rain single-handedly held the power to make or break the market in whatever ways he might choose, which meant remaining in his favour was almost a matter of survival. All across the Empire, merchants were turning green with regret over lost profits once Rain’s plans came to fruition, and were no doubt making plans and alliances to predict and take measures against his next move.

Good luck to them. Even Yuzhen, who was arguably his closest ally in the Empire, hadn’t known of his plans in advance, nor did she have any inkling of what he might do next.

Truth be told, there was a simple solution to all this, except it was so simple, it would never work. If everyone agreed to abstain from buying War Bonds, this would leave Rain toothless and ineffective, but his blind auction format and the ability to make multiple offers meant no one would know what their rivals had bid until it was already too late. Who would dare trust their enemies and allies to act in good faith in a matter of this magnitude? No, three months from now, a quarter-million gold would be a laughably small price to pay for ten War Bonds at auction, and Yuzhen had only paid the written value for the other five War Bonds she’d purchased from Rain’s soldiers, because she bought them before his big announcement.

Which meant that despite giving them 9,523 gold each, Yuzhen owed a debt of gratitude to Pran, Saluk, Viyan, Birca, and Silva, because they could have earned much more if they’d held out for a better offer like Bulat and Ravil had...

Her fifteen War Bonds were a mark of honour now, and she had them framed behind glass and hung all about her manor and office so that her guests could hardly miss seeing them. Another mark of genius on Rain’s behalf, revealing his expensive and fragile clear glass at his wedding only to unveil a brilliant use for it a few days later.

The accomplished genius himself stood waiting to greet them outside the restaurant, and Yuzhen was appalled to discover she was the last to arrive. Her counterparts from Central and South were waiting there with him, with all three men standing in the protective embrace of the Divine Turtle. “And there she is, the pearl of the North herself,” Rain quipped, grinning from ear to ear while Marshal Yo hid his envy and Marshal Quyen glowered like always. Beside her, Gerel quietly glared and grumbled, no doubt taking offence because of the idiom ‘a pearl in the palm’, which made it seem as if Rain were calling Yuzhen his personal prized possession. There was no truth to it and he meant no offence, but like she noted earlier, he had a way of raising her husband’s hackles with every word and gesture.

Jealousy, most likely, because as the Northern Marshal’s Consort and a thirty-three year old Peak Expert, Gerel would undoubtedly be the pearl of the Bekhai if not for Rain’s existence. The frail pride of men, but alas, Yuzhen had no time to coddle her husband’s bruised ego. “My most humble apologies for keeping you all waiting,” she began, favouring all three men with a smile, “You know how we women are with our hair and make-up.”

“Well worth the wait,” Rain replied, heading off Quyen Huong’s curt reply with his silvered tongue, though Yuzhen noticed the once moon-struck boy was only paying lip service and barely paid her appearance any mind. Marriage had matured him. How... disappointing. “Besides, you’ve nothing to apologize for,” he continued, inviting her to follow him into the restaurant, “Because you are not late, but rather we are early. I just wanted to keep Ping Ping company for as long as possible.”

A touching, and more importantly, believable sentiment, which did much to alleviate Yuzhen’s nerves, so she set to chatting up her counterparts in short order. Inside the private dining room, Marshal Yo and Marshal Quyen’s wives were already seated and listening to a delightful rendition of ‘Summer Moon over Autumn Skies’ by Luo-Luo herself, and Rain used this as an excuse to see everyone quietly to their seats. Had he not used this gambit before, Yuzhen might have been fooled into thinking this was coincidental, but Rain was famously bad at making small talk and took every opportunity he could to avoid it. Still, it was a marked improvement from his old tactic of visiting the bathroom every few minutes, and a world of difference from Gerel’s favoured gambit which was to scowl and glare until people left him alone.

When Luo-Luo’s musical performance ended, she set to navigating the social waters and keeping conversation flowing while they began dinner in earnest. The food here was exceptional, as were most places Rain picked out, and once liberally lubricated with alcohol, he jumped into the conversation feet first without embarrassing himself too much by regaling them with an amusing tale of a verbal misunderstanding between him and Luo-Luo. Though a tad too personal for present company, they were all used to his peculiar ways, and in truth, he had a certain disarming charm about him when plied with drink.

Granted, there was a delicate balance to maintain to keep him tipsy, but not drunk; no one was more sombre or cheerless than a drunk Falling Rain.

There was no need for surly Mila or disapproving Sarnai to rein him in tonight however, and combined with the complete absence of pets and Rain’s other beloved brides-to-be, it meant there was business at hand indeed. Making a mental note to inform him that not every dinner needed to be an eight course meal, Yuzhen counted the minutes until the eating was over and done with and they could finally sit down and talk business. Again, Luo-Luo brought the wives away, and while Yuzhen thought it prudent to send Gerel off in solidarity, Rain motioned for him to stay behind. “Marshals,” Rain said, once the room was clear. “Would you mind if I asked Gerel to make us private? I’ve a personal matter which I require some help with.”

“Of course, go right ahead,” Marshal Yo replied, while Yuzhen and Marshal Quyen merely nodded.

Thankfully, Gerel didn’t insist Rain actually ask, and Rain was considerate enough to do so. Why they butted heads so often was a mystery to Yuzhen, but men would be men regardless of their upbringing. Pulling out three folders of documents from a nearby drawer, Rain handed them out one by one with both hands and gave them all some time to look through them. “In your hands is a detailed outline of what I plan to do over the next few weeks.” Smiling at their surprised expressions, Rain shook his head and said, “This is not payment in advance, nor is it necessary you keep these plans secret, because it is not all I have planned. To be brief, I would like to have one and a half million families settled along the new border before new years, and I’ll need your help to do so.”

Marshal Quyen was the first to pick up on the unspoken implication. “You mean to have us select these families?”

“Not just select, but also secure transport and ensure they are adequately settled in so they have time to plant and harvest at least one full crop before winter.” Holding a hand up to forestall arguments, Rain explained, “I don’t expect you to hold their hands and build their houses, nor am I asking you to do this for free. As part of their loans, I’ll also be lending coin for transportation and housing costs, though I would ask that you present me with a set fee for transportation, rather than charge on a case by case basis.”

It took Yuzhen some time to come to terms with what Rain was offering, because it was almost too good to believe. Not only was he giving them control over which commoners would settle the western border first, he was also willing to pay for their transportation. It made sense, since it could take weeks for a commoner family to walk here from the North or South, compared to only days if they rode in military ships and wagons, but why was Rain giving them this power freely?

Knowing him better than the other Marshals, Yuzhen voiced her question out loud, which earned her the disdain of her counterparts. They thought her inept and tactless when dealing with Rain, but she knew better than to dance around the point, because Rain genuinely preferred forthright discussion over veiled implication. Proving her point, Rain smiled and replied, “Good question. It’s because it’s too bothersome for me to handle myself, especially since I intend to personally oversee things to ensure the transition goes smoothly. We can’t just throw a bunch of farmers into unfamiliar territory and expect them to thrive, so we need to ensure they are set up for success. If you could turn to page twelve? I’ve marked out each of your designated areas and which crops my people believe thrive best in each farmland, but I’m asking you to plan out the rest. I’m sure the three of you know better than I to keep tanneries away from restaurants, smithies away from residential homes, waste dumps away from drinking water, and various other things which need to be kept in mind, so I’ll be relying on your expertise to make this work.”

Even with all this extra work, Yuzhen was thrilled to have this opportunity, for it would allow her to cripple her opponents back home by luring away their entire workforce. A half-million families could be anywhere between one to five million commoners in total, since it was possible some families might band together to purchase one parcel of land, or a tradesman might bring his aging parents along with them, and this was only the first wave of new land owners. Already, she could see various other ways she could twist this ‘favour’ to her advantage, and once again, she felt herself falling into Rain’s debt.

For the second time, Marshal Quyen was the first to speak, all the while flipping through the pages so quickly it all but proved the Southern Marshal was a Martial Warrior of note. “Very thorough,” he said, before reaching the end and gently placing the documents down after no doubt having memorized them with help from his Natal Palace, “But I see no mention of your future plans, only what you intend to do with the ten-million you’ve already collected.”

Bold, asking for more information so soon, but Rain was not one to take offence. “That’s because even I don’t know what I’ll do next,” Rain lied, grinning all the while. “Until these first million and a half families are settled in, I have no intentions of releasing more War Bonds for sale.”

Which of course was exactly the opposite of what everyone expected, but was clever to the extreme, as it gave his early investors a chance to recoup their losses or even turn a profit by reselling their War Bonds. “Ha, ha, ha,” Marshal Yo boomed, stroking his long, silken beard in appreciation. “Of course, of course. More funds will not be needed until this first venture is underway. What good will so much coin do for the Empire if left sitting in cold coffers?”

Unsure whether Rain came to this decision for diplomatic reasons or because he truly had no idea what he would do next, Yuzhen thought things through before chiming in. “There’s more,” she said, and was promptly rewarded with another grateful smile for giving Rain an excuse to move on. “You have something else to ask of us?”

“Yes.” Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, Rain sighed and shook his head. “It’s come to my attention that the incoming families will need tools and materials to build homes, and probably a lot more I haven’t considered, but when I looked into purchasing said tools and materials, the prices all catapulted to unprecedented levels.” Shrugging, he added, “I expected some opposition to my actions, but I underestimated how quickly people would act. Already, all of my brokers and agents have come under intense scrutiny, and they can’t even look at a document without all relevant prices soaring in concert. I suppose that’s how they intend to make back their future losses, by banding together to gouge prices until all the War Bond coins are spent, so I need your help to get around this.”

Though she wanted to help, Yuzhen shook her head. “I doubt any of us would have more success purchasing materials for you, as we are your most obvious helpers in all this.”

Quyen Huong was quick to disagree. “Note down what you need, and my people will deliver it at an appropriate cost.”

While Marshal Yo voiced his support as well, albeit with less confidence, Rain held a hand up to silence them. “No, I don’t need your help buying materials, though I appreciate the offer and will gladly take you up on it so long as it won’t inconvenience you or adversely affect your operations. I was actually hoping you could help me set up new merchant companies using figureheads unrelated to any of us, but owned outright by me and vouched for by your subordinates. This way, I could work through these new companies to place orders and make moves without tipping my hand to anyone outside this room. A shell company, pretty much, one without any business operations or assets, just a fake name any of my people can pick up and use for whatever clandestine purpose I might need.”

Exchanging a glance with the other Marshals, Yuzhen was glad hers was not the only surprised expression in the room. Since Rain was trusting them with the names of his covert companies, this was tacitly agreeing to share information on his Office’s actions with all three Marshals, since all they would have to do is watch said companies. What’s more, he also handed them a new tool to use against their opponents, and these shell companies were... well, they were brilliant. Most merchants wouldn’t accept large orders from a company they’d never heard of or had previous dealings with, but that wouldn’t matter if the company was endorsed by a local official. It happened all the time, usually as a favour to help buoy up an associate’s new venture, and Yuzhen wouldn’t even need to include her subordinates in the matter. All she needed to do was distribute a list of companies they were expected to support, and they would think nothing of it except that the owner had done her some small favour or some other meaningless excuse.

There was still more to discuss, and by the end of the night, Yuzhen and her counterparts had all pledged to offer Rain a tremendous amount of support, but it was well worth the rewards. So pleased with the meeting, she hummed a merry tune all the way home, right up until she noticed her husband’s sour expression as she pulled him into their bedroom. Cupping his strong chin with an exaggerated pout, she asked, “What’s got you in such a mood, dear husband? Jealous because you wish to monopolize your wife’s attention?”

“Yes,” he grumbled, batting her hand away so he could kiss her hard and leave her breathless. “A lesser man might feel offended after watching his wife spend all night batting her eyes for a man half her age.”

“I did not bat my eyes,” Yuzhen growled, loving every second of their little dispute, for she would take it out of his hide soon enough. “And you need not be jealous. Yes, Rain has an impressive mind, but I know better than most that many of his ideas come from or are refined by Luo-Luo.” Unable to resist any longer, she threw him onto the bed and pounced atop him. Laughing at his feigned helplessness, she drew her dagger. “What’s more, I’ve long since made it clear,” she purred, slowly cutting off his topmost shirt button before moving down to the next. “So long as you keep me satisfied, I’ll have no need to seek out another, younger lover.” Tossing her knife away and embedding it into the wall, she tore the rest of Gerel’s clothes off in animalistic hunger, all words lost as she sought to sate her burning hunger and he rose to meet the challenge.

Hours later, as she lay atop his heaving chest with her brow covered in sweat, she idly remembered she meant to hold back so he might try impregnating one of the maids, but it was too late for regrets. No matter. Worst comes to worst, they could always adopt. There were so many orphaned children out there, why should she sacrifice just to bring one more into the world? She would have to talk to Sarnai about this and ask what the protocol for adoption was, but the next time Rain sold a batch of War Bonds, she hoped to have a child in her arms to share such a historic moment with.

Her old man would most certainly approve, and Gerel would still have plenty of time to get the maids with child...

Chapter Meme