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Chapter 279: He Xiu's Secret
Chapter 279: He Xiu's Secret
"He Xiu is known as the richest man in the world. Why would his wealth be hidden from sight?"
At this time, Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou had already left. Shi Xiuxue had wanted to jump out and have a word with Hua Manlou, but with her master by her side, she ultimately didn't dare. As for exchanging glances with him, Hua Manlou wouldn't be able to see that anyway!
Dugu Yihe, along with Su Shaoying and the remaining three women, had already embarked on their journey back to Emei.
Ma Xiuzhen was the one who asked the question. Although the few of them were not very old, they had ventured into the Jianghu several times and had seen quite a bit. However, this case exceeded their comprehension.
Thus, she couldn't help but ask, "Back then, your wealth had already been divided among the four of you. Why did he still insist on killing you and Yan Boss?"
Dugu Yihe sighed, "Since this matter has come to an end, let's just treat the Jinpeng Kingdom as a thing of the past. Some things can be said now that it's all over."
Ma Xiuzhen and the other two women nodded repeatedly, and Su Shaoying also widened her eyes, ready to listen to the story.
"Back then, in the Jinpeng Kingdom, Yan Liben... or Yan Tieshan, was the manager of the royal treasury." Dugu Yihe said, "I was a general, and He Xiu was the Minister of Works."
"A literary official, a martial official, and an internal supervisor, along with an elder of the royal family, Upper Han Jin. That's quite a complete team," Su Shaoying played along extremely well.
"You all know that after the fall of the Jinpeng Kingdom, we hid our identities and carried our wealth northward to the Central Plains separately," Dugu Yihe said.
"A large portion of that wealth was actually meant to bribe the Central Plains Dynasty to request the Emperor to send troops to help us restore our country," Dugu Yihe continued.
Su Shaoying said, "If the country could have been restored with just that wealth, the Jinpeng Kingdom would not have perished. Of course, we needed to borrow strength."
"That's right." Dugu Yihe nodded, "But this Crown Prince was pampered and indulged since he was young. After bringing a large sum of wealth to the glamorous world of the Central Plains, he no longer had the ambition to restore the country."
"So the three of you were actually free," Su Shaoying laughed.
Dugu Yihe shook his head and smiled, "I'm a martial artist. Back then, there was still hope for the restoration of the country, so I didn't follow Yan Tieshan and He Xiu northward. Instead, I settled down in the Chuan-Shu region, practiced martial arts, made friends, and even joined the Emei Sect. I thought that if there really was a day when we would march southward, it would be more convenient, and perhaps I could even bring along a few friends."
"I didn't expect you to become the Emei Sect Leader directly," Sun Xiqing said with a smile.
When it came to this topic, Dugu Yihe also felt proud. The fact that he could join a sect midway through his journey and still become the leader of a major sect in the Central Plains was indeed something to boast about.
In addition to his unmatched martial arts skills within the Emei Sect, his experience as a general also contributed significantly.
"Later, the Crown Prince was unwilling to restore the country... well, he didn't say it explicitly, but his words implied procrastination, and we already understood what he meant," Dugu Yihe said, "So Yan Tieshan returned to his old profession."
"Was the jewelry business his old profession?" Shi Xiuxue asked.
"He was the manager of the royal treasury of the Jinpeng Kingdom," Dugu Yihe said, "Although the Jinpeng Kingdom was just a small country, it was located in the southern border region, where pearls, gems, jade, and jadeite were abundant.
As the person in charge of the royal treasury, he had a sharp eye for appraising jewelry. He could tell the authenticity and value of jewels, so the jewelry business was indeed his forte."
Upon hearing this, the women couldn't help but laugh.
Dugu Yihe also smiled, "So his 'Jeweled Pavilion' grew bigger and bigger, attracting customers from Guanzhong, Hebei, and even the wealthy families of the Central Plains. Even the concubines of the princes, such as the Qin King, the Jin King, the Taiping King, and the Antai King, came to his shop to make purchases."
Ma Xiuzhen laughed, "He was even a frequent guest at the princes' mansions?"
"More or less," Dugu Yihe smiled.
"So he became even less willing to restore the country," Su Shaoying said, "If the country was restored, he would still be a servant. How could he enjoy the feeling of being the master like he does now?
"What about He Xiu?" Su Shaoying asked.
"He Xiu..." Dugu Yihe pondered for a moment, then shook his head and sighed.
"He used to be the Minister of Works, a position higher than yours and Yan Boss's," Ma Xiuzhen said. "No wonder he could establish himself as the richest man in the world. But why can't his wealth be revealed?"
Dugu Yihe replied calmly, "Precisely because he was the Minister of Works, his status was higher than mine and Old Yan's."
Su Shaoying's eyebrows arched slightly as she understood, "So he wanted to make a name for himself in the court?"
Dugu Yihe turned to Su Shaoying and nodded, "Exactly."
"But he didn't succeed," Su Shaoying stated.
"He was just a minister from a small country, an outsider in the central realm. Who would truly trust him?" Dugu Yihe scoffed, "But he forced himself into that circle, gaining some promises but also entangling himself in the process."
"Could it be..."
"He truly was the richest man in the world. In terms of wealth, he had more than Yan Liben and I. But much of that money didn't belong to him; he was just managing it for others," Dugu Yihe explained. "He had to make money for those people to get what he wanted."
"Who are they?" Ma Xiuzhen asked curiously.
"I don't know," Dugu Yihe shook his head, "but they're probably those people."
"So that's why his wealth couldn't be revealed," Su Shaoying said.
"Indeed," Dugu Yihe nodded, "So although He Xiu had the reputation of being the richest man in the world, no one knew how much wealth he actually owned or what it consisted of."
"But if his wealth couldn't be revealed, how could he dare to claim the title of the richest man in the world?" Ma Xiuzhen asked.
Instead of answering, Dugu Yihe looked at Su Shaoying.
Su Shaoying thought for a moment before saying, "Because he needed the reputation of being the richest man in the world. That way, those he cooperated with would trust him, and he could avoid many troubles when making money."
Dugu Yihe nodded in satisfaction, "Yes, that's right."
"Then why did he scheme against you and Yan Boss?" Sun Xiqing asked.
Dugu Yihe frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then shook his head, "I don't know..."
"Maybe it's because he lost money," Su Shaoying suggested.
Dugu Yihe, Ma Xiuzhen, and the others looked at Su Shaoying. Su Shaoying continued, "His assassination of you and Yan Boss was clearly aimed at your wealth."
Dugu Yihe nodded, "Yes."
"Why was he in such a hurry for your money?" Su Shaoying asked, "It must be because he was short on funds. I didn't know why he would be short on money, but now I understand after hearing your explanation."
Ma Xiuzhen's eyes lit up, and she added, "Because that money wasn't his. He made a deal with those people, helping them make money. So if he lost money, he would be in big trouble."
Sun Xiqing immediately said, "So he set his sights on you and Yan Boss. With your deaths, he could take over your wealth in the name of being a loyal subject of the Jinpeng Dynasty."
As the largest jewelry merchant north of the Yellow River and a large landlord in Shu, this wealth would be enough for him to weather his financial crisis.
Shi Xiuxue finally understood, "So that's why you said that no one could get their hands on He Xiu's wealth. With He Xiu's death, those people would naturally take back what was theirs."
Dugu Yihe thought about it and nodded, "That must be it."
(End of Chapter)
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