The morning Lin Wan'er met Prince Li Longji dawned with the scent of jasmine and gunpowder.
She stood in the Hall of Golden Luster, her yanzhi dai ledger clutched in one hand, the hu fu heavy at her waist. The prince—a man in his late twenties with a hawkish nose and eyes like obsidian—paced before her, his brocade robes whispering secrets.
"Princess Mingyue," he said, his voice cold as a winter river. "I hear you've been… innovating."
Wan'er bowed deeply. "Your Highness honors me with his attention."
Longji stopped pacing. "Save the courtesies. I need 100,000 guan—by month's end."
Wan'er suppressed a smirk. The prince was renowned for his military campaigns against the Tibetans, but his coffers were empty. "And what collateral do you offer?"
He slammed a fist onto the table. "The glory of Tang! Does that not suffice?"
"Glory doesn't pay soldiers' salaries, Your Highness." Wan'er unrolled her ledger, revealing columns of numbers. "But I have a proposal: zhan zheng zhai quan—War Bonds."
Longji's eyebrow arched. "Explain."
"Investors purchase bonds with a promise of 10% annual interest," she said, activating her calculator. "Secured by the salt monopoly of Sichuan."
The prince's eyes narrowed. "The salt monopoly is state property."
Wan'er leaned closer. "Not if it's leased to private investors. You'll retain oversight, but the revenue will flow directly to your war chest."
Before Longji could respond, the sound of clapping echoed through the hall. Princess Taiping swept in, her crimson cloak trailing like a flame.
"Brilliant, niece," she purred. "But there's a flaw in your plan." She turned to Longji. "The salt monopoly is already pledged to my Tian Xian society. Isn't that right, cousin?"
Longji's jaw tightened. "The Tian Xian's loans are usurious."
"Usurious?" Taiping laughed. "We charge 20% interest—half what the huangniu brokers demand." She turned to Wan'er. "Unless my niece can offer a better rate?"
Wan'er's mind raced. If I undercut the Tian Xian, they'll destroy me. But if I don't, Longji will ally with Taiping.
She activated her calculator, inputting data on salt production costs and market demand. "8% interest," she declared. "With the option to convert bonds to salt certificates after three years."
Longji's eyes lit up. "Convertible bonds! This way, investors can choose between cash or commodities."
Taiping's smile faded. "You're playing a dangerous game, Mingyue."
Wan'er met her gaze steadily. "The only danger is standing still, Aunt."
That evening, the Yanzhi Bank hosted a bond issuance ceremony. Courtiers and merchants crowded the hall, their eyes greedily on the gold ingots displayed on silk-draped tables.
"For every guan invested," Wan'er announced, "you'll receive a bond redeemable for 1.1 guan in one year… or 10 jin of Sichuan salt."
A murmur of excitement rippled through the crowd. Salt was a vital commodity—one whose price had been rising due to Taiping's monopoly.
As the bonds were distributed, a commotion erupted at the entrance. A veiled woman pushed through the crowd, her voice trembling. "Your Highness! I must speak with you!"
Wan'er recognized the voice—Liu Yulan, the woman whose dowry had been saved by yanzhi dai. "What is it?" she asked.
Yulan knelt, pressing a blood-stained scroll into her hand. "The Tian Xian… they're planning to assassinate Prince Longji!"
Before Wan'er could react, Yulan collapsed, a dagger protruding from her back. The crowd screamed as assassins poured into the hall, their swords drawn.
Wan'er pushed Longji behind a pillar, drawing her own dagger. "Stay here!" she ordered.
She fought her way through the chaos, her financial expertise forgotten in the heat of battle. As she neared the exit, a familiar figure blocked her path—Captain Pei Ji, his scarred face twisted in rage.
"You lied to me!" she shouted. "You're one of them!"
Pei Ji hesitated. "Wan'er, I—"
Before he could finish, a crossbow bolt struck his shoulder. He fell to his knees, gasping. "Run… save Longji…"
Wan'er stared at him, torn between anger and pity. Then she turned and fled, the scroll clutched in her hand.
That night, as the palace healers treated Pei Ji's wounds, Wan'er read the scroll in Longji's chambers. It detailed the Tian Xian's plan to assassinate the prince during the bond ceremony, blaming it on Taiping's rivals.
"You must expose this," Longji said, his voice tight.
Wan'er shook her head. "If I do, Taiping will know I have a spy. We need a different approach."
She activated her calculator, inputting data on the Tian Xian's financial holdings. "Their power lies in their loans. If we can default on them…"
Longji's eyes narrowed. "But they're secured by the salt monopoly."
"Not if the salt monopoly is nationalized." Wan'er smiled. "Issue an edict tomorrow: all private salt contracts are null and void. The Tian Xian will be left holding worthless paper."
Longji grinned. "Brilliant. And the bonds you issued?"
"Are secured by the new salt monopoly—controlled by the crown." Wan'er hesitated. "But this will make you enemies, Your Highness. The Tian Xian won't go down quietly."
Longji's gaze hardened. "Let them come. I've faced worse."
The next morning, the imperial edict was posted across Chang'an. The Tian Xian's assets were frozen, their leaders arrested. Taiping, however, remained untouched—for now.
That evening, Wan'er visited Pei Ji in the palace infirmary. He lay pale and weak, but his eyes lit up when he saw her.
"You knew about the assassination," she accused.
He nodded. "The Mi Zhen Si ordered me to protect Longji. But when I saw you in danger…"
Wan'er's heart softened. "Thank you."
He reached for her hand. "Wan'er, there's something you need to know. The hu fu—it's not just a symbol. It's a key."
Before he could elaborate, a commotion erupted outside. Guards rushed in, their faces grim.
"Princess Taiping has fled to Luoyang," one reported. "She's declared herself Empress of the Tian Xian."
Wan'er's blood chilled. The game has just escalated.
That night, as she stared at the hu fu's star chart, a realization dawned: the constellation wasn't just a symbol—it was a map to the Mi Zhen Si's hidden vaults. And if she could access them, she'd have the resources to finally defeat Taiping.