Sooner or later, Luoyang was bound to notice Xiaolangdi.
Li Daoxuan had expected that much. After all, Xiaolangdi sat practically at Luoyang's doorstep—too close to hide anything for long. What he hadn't expected was that the first to poke their head out wouldn't be the local prefect…
…but the Prince of Fu's Residence.
Gao Yiye couldn't help blurting it out.
"Isn't that backwards? The prefect who's actually in charge of this place hasn't made a sound, yet the Prince of Fu's people show up first? What kind of logic is that?"
Bai Yuan spread his hands, helpless and amused.
"Because… Xiaolangdi is technically part of the Prince of Fu's fief."
Gao Yiye sucked in a sharp breath.
"What?!"
Li Daoxuan laughed softly.
"Ah. Now that makes sense."
Zhu Changxun—Prince of Fu—had been Emperor Shenzong's favorite son. Back in the Wanli years, Shenzong had nearly named him Crown Prince, triggering the infamous Great Controversy over the Heir Apparent, a fifteen-year-long political knife fight that exhausted half the court.
While the Prince of Fu's Residence couldn't quite match the terrifying weight of the Prince of Qin's household, it still ranked comfortably among the top two or three most powerful princely estates in the empire.
And history added one more delicious irony:
Zhu Changxun's son would later become Zhu Yousong, the Southern Ming emperor.
As Li Daoxuan sifted through these mental footnotes, Bai Yuan continued explaining,
"They sent a few people over under the excuse of sightseeing. No hostility—for now. But they made their position clear: this land belongs to their household. If we intend to operate here long-term… we need to pay rent."
Gao Yiye puffed out her cheeks, visibly indignant.
"When Xiaolangdi was crawling with water bandits, they didn't dare make a peep. Now that we've cleared the bandits, resettled refugees, and started building things, they suddenly remember this place exists?"
She crossed her arms.
"Is this how they bully honest people? Point a knife at your throat once the work's done?"
Li Daoxuan chuckled.
"Relax. If the land truly belongs to them, then paying rent to use it is perfectly reasonable. From ancient times to modern ones, rent has always been part of doing business."
Bai Yuan blinked.
"Oh?"
Gao Yiye tilted her head.
"Huh?"
Neither of them had expected the Dao Xuan Tianzun to side—apparently—with the princely household.
Then Li Daoxuan's tone flipped, smooth as turning a coin.
"However."
He raised a finger.
"Their land was overrun by water bandits. We drove those bandits out. That's a service rendered. Therefore, it's only fair that they pay us a 'bandit-clearing fee.'"
Bai Yuan burst out laughing.
"Exactly!"
Gao Yiye laughed too.
"That's perfectly reasonable business practice!"
Li Daoxuan nodded solemnly.
"Indeed."
He was just about to explain how to handle the next negotiation—
When a militia runner came charging up the steps, panting hard.
"Master Bai! Someone from the Prince of Fu's Residence has arrived! Eunuch Zheng!"
Li Daoxuan smiled faintly.
"Speak of the devil."
Moments later, a soft sedan chair appeared at the gates of Yellow Turban Fortress.
Out stepped a pale, plump man with a smooth, beardless face. His nostrils tilted slightly upward, as if the air itself owed him respect. His eyes barely glanced at the people around him—until he spoke, in the sharp, high-pitched tone unmistakable to all eunuchs.
"Master Bai," he said, voice thin and crisp, "I trust you've been well?"
Only then did he notice Bai Yuan wasn't alone.
Standing beside him were a handsome, sword-bearing man and a striking young woman in martial attire. Their bearing was relaxed yet dangerous—clearly not ordinary guards.
If not for their clothes, Eunuch Zheng might have mistaken them for the young master and lady of some powerful household.
Bai Yuan opened his mouth to make introductions—
—but Li Daoxuan stepped forward first.
"Eunuch Zheng, greetings," he said casually.
"My name is Xiao Qiushui. This is my wife, Tang Fang. We've wandered the jianghu for over twenty years, specializing in bandit extermination."
Eunuch Zheng's brow twitched.
No etiquette. No flattery. No deference.
As expected of jianghu trash, he thought disdainfully. No sense of proper address.
He immediately lost interest and turned back to Bai Yuan.
"Regarding the rent we discussed last time—what's your decision?"
Bai Yuan smiled, calm and confident now that he'd been thoroughly coached.
"Eunuch, remind me—how much rent did you propose again?"
Eunuch Zheng lifted his chin.
"Xiaolangdi stretches across nearly a hundred li of waterways. Ordinarily, such land would command an enormous sum. But given that it was long abandoned and barren, my lord has shown generosity."
He paused.
"Three hundred taels of silver per year."
Same price as last time.
And this time, he was determined to get it.
He braced himself for a prolonged war of words.
Instead—
Li Daoxuan gasped loudly.
"What? Only three hundred taels?"
Eunuch Zheng frowned.
"What—do you think that's too much?"
"Too much?" Li Daoxuan shook his head vigorously.
"It's insultingly low."
Eunuch Zheng froze.
Li Daoxuan sighed as if witnessing a tragedy.
"Eunuch, forgive my bluntness, but how can you be so completely out of touch with market prices?"
Eunuch Zheng stared at him, momentarily speechless.
"This is Xiaolangdi!" Li Daoxuan continued, warming up.
"Central Plains. A hundred li of waterways. Direct Yellow River access. Shipping, transport, defense—this is a strategic gem!"
Eunuch Zheng's confidence wavered.
Li Daoxuan leaned in conspiratorially.
"Tell me, Eunuch. You've heard of Macau, haven't you?"
"Of course," Zheng replied reflexively.
"A miserable little fishing village on the southern coast," Li Daoxuan said disdainfully.
"Tiny. Remote. Barely habitable. Do you know how much the Portuguese pay to rent that place?"
Eunuch Zheng hesitated… then leaned closer.
"How much?"
Li Daoxuan raised five fingers.
"Five hundred taels."
Eunuch Zheng's eyes widened.
"Five… hundred?"
"Exactly," Li Daoxuan nodded gravely.
"If a broken seaside village is worth five hundred, how can Xiaolangdi—of all places—be worth only three hundred? That's not thrift. That's ignorance."
Bai Yuan and Gao Yiye watched from the side, thoroughly entertained.
The Dao Xuan Tianzun is at it again, they thought in unison.
Li Daoxuan declared solemnly,
"A location like Xiaolangdi cannot possibly rent for less than Macau. It must be higher."
Eunuch Zheng's face lit up.
"Well said! Well said! Then how much would you suggest?"
Li Daoxuan stroked his chin, thinking carefully.
"At least… one tael more."
"…Huh?"
"Five hundred and one taels."
"Pfft—!"
Gao Yiye burst out laughing.
Eunuch Zheng felt something was deeply wrong—but the price had gone up, not down. He couldn't quite articulate his unease.
Then Li Daoxuan's voice shifted again, casual but sharp.
"Oh, by the way, Eunuch—since Xiaolangdi is so important… why did the Prince of Fu's Residence allow water bandits to occupy it for so many years?"
Eunuch Zheng's face flushed.
"Well… the bandits were many, scattered across countless river forts and mountain dens. The waterways were complex. Suppression campaigns cost enormous sums and achieved little. In the end, the court simply… gave up."
Li Daoxuan smiled.
A smile that carried weight.
"Good," he said softly.
"Then let's talk about the price of not giving up."