Chapter 656: Wealth, Women, and Power — All Three in Hand

Seeing Chen Facai's excitement, Sun Chuanting smiled and said, "You're too kind, Lord Chen. I'll leave this matter to you, Lord Chen, and await your good news."

"No problem." Chen Facai said with a smile, "I'll have news for Lord Sun by tomorrow."

As for Chen Facai's confidence, Sun Chuanting merely smiled and said nothing.

Though he wasn't entirely convinced, Sun Chuanting also knew that professional matters should be left to professionals. The people of the Imperial Household Department all seemed unreliable, but in truth they had plenty of methods, and weren't too particular about how they did things.

But this was exactly what they did for a living. In particular, many of the Imperial Household Department personnel stationed overseas were pardoned criminals — in plain terms, people who had done plenty of bad things before, but who had talent, and had been specially recruited by the Imperial Household Department.

These people's crimes might not have been so severe — none of them bore the weight of murder — but the vicious and underhanded deeds they'd done in private were plenty. This Chen Facai before them was exactly such a case.

Chen Facai had been able to keep his life and be sent to Joseon precisely because he had no blood on his hands. Though he ran gambling dens and brothels in Yangzhou, he could be considered a principled man — he had never forced good women into prostitution; every woman had been bought with money. And when training the Yangzhou slender horses, he had never worked anyone to death; in fact, out of kindness he had even let a few go free.

But Chen Facai had still been implicated in the Yangzhou case, and it was precisely because of this that he'd gotten his chance to turn his life around.

After arriving in Joseon, Chen Facai's reputation had also been good. Many people, when they could no longer survive, felt that selling their daughters to him was giving the girl a relatively better path to survival.

Many people of later generations might find this hard to stomach, but reality was just this cruel. When you had no food to eat and were about to starve to death, having someone willing to buy you might itself be a very fortunate thing.

One could only sigh and say — to be born in a later age is a blessing across three lifetimes.

"Then I'll take my leave." Sun Chuanting rose to his feet.

"I'll see Lord Sun out." Chen Facai said as well.

After seeing Sun Chuanting off, Chen Facai returned to the room.

At this moment, the expression on his face changed. His smile receded, and he sat in the chair with narrowed eyes, as if pondering something.

His originally plump face turned gloomy, and surprisingly carried a rather vicious and ruthless air.

After sitting for a while, Chen Facai said, "Go fetch Qingqing for me."

"Yes, my lord." A voice answered from beside him, but no figure appeared.

Soon, with the tinkling of jade pendants, a woman walked in from outside.

She was very beautiful, with fair skin and a figure neither too tall nor too short, neither too plump nor too thin. Standing there, she was perfectly proportioned, very eye-catching.

She wore a light green long dress, with only a single gold dangling hairpin in her hair. She looked elegant and plain, yet without losing an air of luxury. On her wrist was a jade-green bracelet — one glance told you it was no ordinary piece.

Her face bore only the lightest touch of makeup, and she stood there serene and refined.

"My lord." Coming to Chen Facai's side, the woman spoke softly.

Looking at the woman who had walked over, Chen Facai asked, "How long have you been by my side now?"

"In answer to my lord, over two years." Qingqing said.

Chen Facai nodded and said, "Time really does fly. In the blink of an eye, it's already been over two years."

"Back then, buying you from those Joseon human traffickers cost me three hundred taels of silver. Now, selling you for thirty thousand taels probably wouldn't even be enough."

"Does my lord have something he wishes Qingqing to do?" Qingqing looked at Chen Facai and said with a smile, "My lord need not speak in circles, nor need he feel guilty. These years by my lord's side have been the best days of Qingqing's entire life."

"Qingqing wears the finest clothes and eats the finest food, living above others. My lord treats Qingqing like a daughter — he hasn't even taken Qingqing into his bed. Such kindness is something Qingqing could never repay in a lifetime. Whatever my lord has to say, please speak freely."

This girl called Qingqing was very beautiful. After Chen Facai had acquired her, he had kept her by his side the whole time, raising her like a daughter.

Qingqing actually had another identity — she was the granddaughter of Jeong In-hong.

Back when the Restoration of Injo took place, Jeong In-hong had been the leader of the Great Northern Faction. And it was precisely because of that Restoration that Jeong In-hong had been ordered to take his own life, and his family had suffered disaster as well. Qingqing had been captured by human traffickers while fleeing, and had eventually ended up in Chen Facai's hands.

After rescuing Qingqing, Chen Facai had taken a liking to her at first sight, originally intending to take her into his bed. But he had kept her by his side all these years because of her abilities — she picked things up quickly in whatever she did, had a real talent for it, and had helped Chen Facai with many matters over the years.

Many affairs in Joseon were handled by Qingqing, which was why Chen Facai had never taken her. This time he had even promised her that if she achieved results in the future, he would find a suitable opportunity to send her to the Great Ming.

So after accepting this mission, Chen Facai had hesitated.

Glancing at Qingqing, Chen Facai said, "This time there is a task I must give you. It is of grave importance — otherwise I wouldn't have you do it. So it is I who owe you an apology."

"My lord, please speak freely." Qingqing said with a smile.

"Do you know Park Jeong-yang?" Chen Facai looked at Qingqing and asked.

Hearing this, Qingqing was startled for a moment, then a strange expression appeared on her face as she said, "He was involved in what happened to our family back then. My father fought against them many times. It's just that I was still young then, and didn't know much about these matters. Later I found out a little — what happened to our family was directly connected to them. It was they who killed my father. My lord, what does he intend to do this time?"

"Win him over. Make him listen to us." Chen Facai said.

"Can we kill him?" Qingqing raised her head and looked directly at Chen Facai as she asked.

Having been by Chen Facai's side for many years, and knowing the people of the Great Ming's Imperial Household Department very well, Qingqing understood one thing clearly: the people of the Great Ming looked down on these Joseon officials entirely — they were nothing more than tools to be used. Whether they ended up dead in the end depended on their mood.

"Yes." Chen Facai nodded directly. "After he's been used, we can kill him."

"Then no problem." Qingqing nodded. "That counts as avenging my parents as well."

"Not just him." Chen Facai raised his head and looked at Qingqing. "If this succeeds this time, many people will die. Those enemies of your father — perhaps all of them will die."

"Including the King?" Qingqing asked in shock.

Though he didn't know exactly what Sun Chuanting and the others planned to do, through the channels of the Imperial Household Department, Chen Facai had some rough understanding — the Great Ming's actions in Joseon this time would likely not be small.

"That I can't guarantee." Chen Facai shook his head. "But there's a chance."

"Then I'll do it." Qingqing nodded. "May I ask what my lord wants me to do? Marry Park Jeong-yang?"

"No need." Chen Facai waved his hand directly. "Marrying you to him — I couldn't bear that. I promised you I'd take you to the Great Ming and find you a perfect husband. As long as he's someone you like, I promise to marry you to him, and I'll never go back on my word."

"Then what about my lord?" Qingqing looked at Chen Facai and asked, "I want to marry my lord."

Chen Facai said with a bitter smile, "I'm not a good match for you. I'm too old, and too ugly. If you married me, your life would be ruined."

"But I want to." Qingqing continued.

After a long moment, Chen Facai sighed, and said with some helplessness, "If that's what you want, then once this matter succeeds, I'll take you as my wife. I'll never go back on my word."

"Then tell me, my lord — what am I to do?" Qingqing asked with a composed expression.

"Very simple. Go see Park Jeong-yang. On my behalf, promise him some benefits, get some leverage on him, win him over, and make him work for us." Chen Facai began. "All you have to say is that once the matter succeeds, you'll marry him. Wealth, women, and power — we'll give him all three."

"But I doubt he'll live to see it succeed. Before that, I'll find a way to kill him. I'll handle the Staff Office and the other government offices — no problem." Chen Facai gritted his teeth and made the pledge.

After all, he believed Sun Chuanting would agree. It was just a Park Jeong-yang — nothing significant. He didn't believe Sun Chuanting would refuse even such a small request.

"So that's how it is." Qingqing immediately let out a sigh of relief.

"What did you think it was? That I'd send you to warm someone's bed?" Chen Facai rolled his eyes and said.

She nodded lightly, without denying it.

"I can't bear to part with you." Chen Facai shook his head directly and said, "But it also depends on your skills. If you can't captivate him, I'm afraid this matter won't succeed."

"That's simple." She smiled lightly and said, "You've taught me plenty over the years about how to captivate men, and I've passed it on to those below me as well. A single Piao Zhengyang won't be any trouble for me."

"Alright, then make the preparations." Chen Facai said with a smile.

In Hanseong, inside Piao Zhengyang's home.

Looking at the invitation in his hand, Piao Zhengyang raised an eyebrow.

The Commerce Guild of All Under Heaven.

Piao Zhengyang was somewhat puzzled. He glanced at his nephew Piao Renyong standing not far away and asked, "Do you know why they want to see me?"

"Uncle, I don't know." Piao Renyong shook his head directly and said, "They wouldn't tell me anything even if something were going on."

"Alright, then I'll go meet them." Piao Zhengyang nodded and said, "Have someone make preparations. We'll go together this evening."

Night fell, and the stars dotted the sky.

Piao Zhengyang stepped down from the carriage, looked around, and walked into the Commerce Guild of All Under Heaven.

At this moment, Piao Zhengyang was dressed in plain clothes — one could hardly tell he was a high-ranking official at all.

As he walked into the Commerce Guild of All Under Heaven, Chen Facai came forward with a smile to greet him.

With a sincere smile on his plump face, Chen Facai clasped his hands toward Piao Zhengyang and said, "Lord Piao, please, do come in. I have long admired you from afar, and now that I see you today, you are indeed full of vigor and spirit."

Piao Zhengyang looked at Chen Facai and also said with a smile, "Manager Chen, you flatter me."

The two walked inside together and soon arrived at the small reception parlor.

Tea was also brought up.

Chen Facai said with a smile, "The reason I invited Lord Piao here today is that there is something I wish to discuss with you."