Chapter 41: The Bidding War

Weipotian stammered for a long time before he finally managed to explain the situation.

It turned out that one night when Weipotian was bedridden, Zhaoying appeared in his ward. Strangely, none of the other noble ladies were present that evening. This uniquely beautiful woman wandered around the room, even pulling back Weipotian’s blanket to examine his injuries, and then left with a disdainful expression.

The process of examining his wounds must have been rather intense, for as Dashi Weipotian recounted it, he still seemed somewhat dazed. But after that night, he never saw her again until Dongqifeng attacked the city.

Even Weipotian didn’t know what he was hoping for, but he came to Qian Ye early in the morning to inquire about the news. Upon hearing that she was the granddaughter of the Marquis Youguo, Weipotian knew she couldn’t be among the noble ladies vying for a marriage pact.

Marriage ties are alliances between families, not just individuals. However, the Wei family from the Far East had maintained neutrality for a century, never marrying into any of the great clan’s main branches. If the Zhao family had such intentions, it would not be a small matter, and Weipotian certainly wouldn’t have been unaware.

“Potian? Is there something you want me to do?” Qian Ye’s question jolted Weipotian out of his thoughts.

He thought seriously for a moment, then laughed bitterly, “No, nothing. I know who she is, and that’s enough.”

Qian Ye pondered for a while, patted Weipotian on the shoulder, and said sympathetically, “I have to say, your choice is very… courageous! But this matter, I won’t interfere; it’s up to you.”

Weipotian opened his mouth, not knowing where to start, and left in a daze.

Qian Ye shook his head as he watched Weipotian’s retreating figure. Given Zhaoying’s personality, she was indeed unsuitable as a wife for his brother. If Weipotian wanted to jump into the fire, that was his business, and Qian Ye didn’t feel right giving him an extra push. Moreover, from Weipotian’s demeanor, there seemed to be other obstacles as well.

After sending Weipotian off, Qian Ye finally found some time to sit down and attend to some official business. In just half a day, documents piled up half a foot high on his desk. Qian Ye went through them one by one.

The reorganization of Darkflame and the Seventh Division was on track, with concentrated training and preparations for the western campaign proceeding smoothly. The battlefield outside the city had been cleared, and all kinds of machinery, equipment, and weapons had been sorted and stored. However, the most troublesome issue was the thousands of prisoners and the fleet of floating airships.

These private armies were mostly made up of generations of family retainers and distant relatives, often highly loyal to their families. Integrating them into one’s own forces was like planting a mine.

During the civil war within the empire, there were also cases of mass executions of prisoners, partly due to similar reasons. However, since they had already surrendered and the war was over, Qian Ye felt he couldn’t bring himself to order the execution of so many people.

As for the floating airships, they were sheer luxury items in the Evernight continent, with extremely high maintenance costs. Not only did they lack specialized technicians, but replacing parts often required purchasing from the upper continents. The majority of the Dong family’s floating airships were old and mainly used for cargo, making them both useless and a waste to discard—quite a dilemma.

Qian Ye considered several solutions, but none were satisfactory or too wasteful.

While Qian Ye was busy, Song Zining showed up, looking much better from his injuries. After a few words with Qian Ye, Song Zining understood the dilemma he was facing. He immediately went to see Sun Kaiyan, the third daughter of the Marquis Chongyang.

The Song family and the Marquis Chongyang were old acquaintances. When Song Zining revealed his identity, the guards immediately invited him in, and a maid led him to the inner courtyard.

Upon seeing Song Zining, Sun Kaiyan greeted him with a smile, “Zining, it’s been a long time. How is Mu Lan?”

Song Zining smiled, “Everything is well. As for you, Kaiyan, you’ve become more beautiful every time I see you.”

Sun Kaiyan chuckled, “Smooth talker!”

The maid beside her spoke up in his defense, “Miss, Seventh Young Master isn’t exaggerating at all! You don’t know, recently, the young masters from the Zhou and Tian families were all eyes when they saw you!”

Sun Kaiyan snorted, “How disrespectful! Wait until I tear your mouth off!”

The maid just giggled, though she bowed in apology, showing no fear.

Sun Kaiyan turned to Song Zining, “I can’t help it; this girl has always been wild. Zining, you didn’t come here just to chat, did you?”

Song Zining smiled and got straight to the point, “Kaiyan, what do you think is the key to securing the future Lady Boyang’s position?”

Having known each other for years, Song Zining’s directness about personal matters didn’t offend Sun Kaiyan, but she was stumped by the question.

She sighed, “How should I know? Weipotian and I used to get along, but now he’s surrounded by beauties. There’s no place for me. Even if I wanted to speak to him alone, it would be difficult. I’ve given up on thinking too much about it, treating it as a travel experience. Do you have any good ideas?”

Song Zining confidently said, “Actually, the key to this matter is no longer in you and Weipotian, but in the Marquis Chongyang.”

Sun Kaiyan was taken aback, “What do you mean?”

Song Zining smiled, “The situation is at a stalemate. Even if you find a way out, others won’t stand idly by. The root cause is Lord Boyang’s statement that it should be a match based on mutual affection. So, the solution lies with Lord Boyang.”

Sun Kaiyan furrowed her brows, then showed a glimmer of understanding.

“We both know the true meaning of family marriages. Therefore, only if the Marquis Chongyang discusses it earnestly with the Marquis Boyang will there be hope for the marriage. Your status and reputation in the family are crucial. The more weight you carry, the more chips the Marquis Chongyang will be willing to put in, increasing the chances of winning over the Marquis Boyang.”

Sun Kaiyan frowned, “That makes sense, but what should I do?”

Song Zining lightly fanned himself, “Actually, there’s an opportunity right now. The recent battle was a complete victory. The Marquis Si Water may not be a major player among the noble families, but it wasn’t easy to defeat them. This victory brings great honor and credit. Didn’t you participate in the battle as well? Sending some prisoners back to the family would be a way to show off your martial prowess. Everyone knows how many guards you brought, and comparing that to the number of prisoners, they’ll naturally recognize your achievements.”

Sun Kaiyan’s heart raced at the idea. In the Great Qin Empire, military merit was paramount, and the noble families were no exception. These noble ladies, though not involved in the family inheritance, could still enhance their status and resources through battlefield achievements.

However, she hesitated, “But the prisoners are in the hands of Darkflame…”

Song Zining smiled, “Those prisoners are the Marquis Si Water’s private army, and we’re in the Evernight domain. What use does Darkflame have for them? They can’t be used in their own forces, and selling them as ordinary slaves would be a waste. So, if you propose buying some prisoners, Darkflame’s Commander Qian Ye will naturally agree.”

“You’re right! I’ll go see him right away!”

Sun Kaiyan, decisive and straightforward, acted on the thought. After bidding Song Zining farewell, she immediately headed to the Darkflame base with her maids and guards.

These noble ladies had already caused quite a commotion at the Darkflame headquarters, trying to corner the Wei Young Master. The guards recognized them, and Sun Kaiyan easily met with Qian Ye. She said, “Commander Qian, I want to buy some prisoners, and maybe two of the Dong family’s floating airships.”

Qian Ye, who was troubled by the problem, welcomed her proposal. He called for Song Hu, laid out the list of spoils, and they sat down to discuss the details.

Sun Kaiyan didn’t scrutinize the thick stack of documents; she was only interested in the numbers and the ratio of common soldiers to officers, not in the specific individuals.

When Qian Ye asked her how many prisoners she wanted, Sun Kaiyan said, “Five hundred, no, a thousand!”

The number surprised Qian Ye. The Dong family’s private army had a high proportion of combatants. Integrating so many soldiers would require a substantial force. But this was Sun Kaiyan’s private matter, and it was none of his concern.

What Qian Ye didn’t know was that when confirming the purchase, Sun Kaiyan realized that buying more prisoners would leave fewer for the other noble ladies. From the beginning, she hadn’t expected to keep it a secret, and the best strategy was to strike at the root.

After the agreement, Sun Kaiyan called her attendants to pay, using high-purity black crystals, a universally accepted currency. With the major decision made, Qian Ye handed over the follow-up to Song Hu, who arranged for the Sun family’s representatives to select the prisoners.

Blackflow City was not large, and the noble ladies, with one eye on Weipotian and the other on each other, quickly learned of Sun Kaiyan’s actions. Within a few hours, the reason behind her move spread, either through leaks or the clever deductions of their advisors.

Suddenly, the other noble ladies saw a glimmer of hope, realizing that becoming the Lady Boyang hinged on their family’s support. To gain that support, they needed to show their worth, and they promptly took action.

Soon after Sun Kaiyan left, Qian Ye found himself surrounded by the noble ladies, who had previously been focusing on Weipotian. The prisoners and old floating airships, which had been a headache, were now in high demand. To secure more, the noble ladies nearly quarreled.

The problem now fell back on Qian Ye, the commander of Darkflame.

Who got more and who got less was a matter of face and principle, and it couldn’t be taken lightly. These noble ladies were all of high status, and even if some of their fathers were only marquesses, they held significant power, either as regional commanders with heavy troops or with influential relatives.

Any mishandling could lead to offense, and Qian Ye hesitated, not sure who started it, but suddenly, they began to bid.

This was disastrous. A group of women, each determined not to fall behind, drove the price sky-high.

Seeing the situation deteriorate, Qian Ye roared, “Silence!!”