Chapter 120: Leaving Without a Trace After the Matter Is Settled

Wang Yuanbao pushed aside everyone blocking his path with all his might. Despite his portly frame, he moved with a swiftness that belied his age, reaching the base of the colorful pavilion as if he were twenty years younger.

He stared blankly at the bundle on the ground. It was soaked through, marred by muddy footprints and blackened by soot. He crouched down and slowly unwrapped it. Inside was a glass vase, acquired from a merchant from the distant West who had traveled across deserts and oceans to reach Yangzhou. Because of the limitations in craftsmanship and materials, the Tang Dynasty’s own glass products often struggled to replicate the delicate forms produced in the West, such as these vases. Consequently, Wang Yuanbao had paid a staggering four thousand strings of cash for it.

Now, it was nothing more than a pile of magnificent shards. No matter how exquisite, they remained mere fragments; they could no longer serve as the centerpiece for the market competition.

In that moment, Wang Yuanbao felt a pang of grief for the wasted four thousand strings, but his despair over the competition ran deeper. He had been thoroughly routed. He still possessed other glassware, but none possessed the same aura of inevitable victory as the shattered vase. He did not fear losing—having spent decades navigating the turbulent commercial seas of Chang’an, he had lost before. But to lose in such a humiliating and inexplicable manner left him feeling deeply resentful.

Moreover, this defeat did not just implicate his own business; it affected the entire East Market. The East Market had already been trailing the West Market by a year in the adoption of cement, and this loss would set them back another year. The great merchants of the East Market had placed their hopes in him, trusting in the reputation and prestige he had cultivated over decades. Now, that foundation had been dealt a heavy blow.

For a moment, Wang Yuanbao felt utterly disheartened, but he quickly steeled himself. He looked up, let out a long breath, and steadied his mind, only to see Huo Xianqi standing before him with a grim expression.

"This old man pays his respects to you, Master Huo," Wang Yuanbao said, bowing low.

"Master Wang, though the fire is extinguished, this incident has already disturbed the travelers and the public. In my opinion, it would be best to conclude the market competition early," Huo Xianqi said softly.

"I understand, but that cannot... that cannot be done," Wang Yuanbao rejected the suggestion.

To end now would be to lose both the contest and their dignity, inviting ridicule from all sides. By persisting, their failure due to an accidental fire might instead garner sympathy. Seeing his resolve, Huo Xianqi did not press further, but warned, "Master Wang, you must think clearly. If there is any further trouble, I shall not be so lenient."

"Yes, yes, I understand," Wang Yuanbao replied bitterly. Once he had given his word, Huo Xianqi departed. After standing up, Wang Yuanbao closed his eyes for a brief respite, but the merchants of the East Market gave him no time to breathe. One by one, they crowded around, some anxiously asking how to handle the situation, others complaining that he had failed to make proper preparations.

Only one person asked cautiously, "Everything was fine; why did the silk fabric catch fire?"

This question struck a chord with the others. Indeed, the fabric had been hanging from the beam; why would it spontaneously ignite? The men looked at one another. The Tang people were superstitious, and it did not take long for their thoughts to drift toward the supernatural. Even Wang Yuanbao’s expression shifted.

The capital that had built his fortune had not been entirely legitimate. Although he had invented a story about being guided by an immortal to deflect questions, and had spent decades specifically worshipping the God of Wealth, he had never truly believed in gods or Buddhas. But today’s bizarre events began to shake his previous convictions. Could it be that there were truly unseen deities who had struck at the moment he was closest to victory to punish him?

His resolve wavered for a moment before he reined it in. "Cease this nonsensical talk," he rasped. "Clearly, it was a Kongming lantern from over there; a spark must have fallen and ignited the fabric."

It was an explanation, though none present truly believed it.

"We have lost today, and I shall bear the entire cost of this competition," Wang Yuanbao added.

"Nonsense, the expenses shall be shared as agreed. Victory and defeat are common in business. We haven't truly lost to the West Market, but rather to the mastermind behind them," another merchant replied. "Exactly! We shall simply find a way to make contact with that expert after we return, offer a high price to win him over, and we will surely win next time."

This sentiment found widespread agreement. They were all wealthy merchants; if they lacked anything, it was not vision. The West Market had not outperformed the East Market in terms of quality; they had relied solely on an ingenious ruse. As long as they could find the person who devised it, they could turn the tables.

Only Wang Yuanbao knew it was not that simple. The person behind the West Market was certainly Ye Chang, and the reason Ye Chang had helped the West Market was likely because he had coveted the polo market. Although forced to yield the polo market due to the influence of Princess Yuzhen, he had now taken his revenge through this market competition.

However, now was not the time to dwell on that; he still needed to meet with the people from the West Market. The other merchants of the East Market were unwilling to face the smug faces of their rivals, so only Wang Yuanbao and his attendants went over. Hu Yuanxiang had already heard of the incident and greeted him with a mocking bow. "I hear there was a fire on your side, Master Wang? Even the centerpiece was broken?"

It was rubbing salt into his wounds, but Wang Yuanbao endured it with a stoic expression, sighing, "Indeed, a misfortune. It seems a spark from a Kongming lantern ignited the fabric..."

This was an attempt to frame the West Market. While Wang Yuanbao possessed extraordinary vision, he could not shed the petty nature typical of some merchants. If not for this, he should have approached Ye Chang directly for cooperation regarding the polo market, rather than taking a circuitous route through Wang Jin and Princess Yuzhen, which had led to these complications.

"One should not eat indiscriminately, and one should not speak indiscriminately either, Master Wang. Are you implying that our West Market intentionally set the fire? If you have evidence, you should report it to the authorities," Hu Yuanxiang said. Having been suppressed by Wang Yuanbao for decades, he was not about to let this opportunity for triumph pass. "Hmph, I heard that some people have offended Heaven, and Heaven sent down divine fire."

At this, Hu Yuanxiang’s mind stirred, and he thought of Ye Chang. He had been quite curious about how the silk had ignited, and now he wondered: could this have been Ye Chang’s doing? Recalling Ye Chang’s reputation as a "Dream Immortal," his initial suspicion grew stronger.

Stung by his words, Wang Yuanbao knew that further entanglement would be pointless. "Regardless, we in the East Market have lost. A loss is a loss; I seek no excuses, and there is no need to compete further." He flicked his sleeves and turned to leave.

He had not taken many steps when he saw a young man approaching with a smile, bowing to him. Wang Yuanbao ignored the youth, but as they passed, he heard the young man introduce himself: "I am Ye Chang of Xiuwu. It is truly a pleasure to meet you, Master Wang."

"Xiuwu... Ye Chang, the Eleventh Young Master Ye?" Wang Yuanbao stopped abruptly. He turned his head, examining Ye Chang closely; this was his first time seeing him in person. He was indeed as young as the rumors suggested, only eighteen or nineteen, with refined features and an elegant demeanor. While not the type to command immediate attention everywhere he went, he certainly possessed an air that invited favor. Yet, this kind and gentle face exerted an immense pressure on Wang Yuanbao.

"What... what do you want?" Wang Yuanbao asked with some difficulty.

"To thank you, Master Wang. Thank you for the one hundred thousand strings of cash."

He had received word that morning that Wang Yuanbao had transported the money to Princess Yuzhen, and the Princess had summoned Ye Chang to collect the eighty thousand strings of his share.

"One hundred thousand?" Wang Yuanbao’s brow twitched.

"The price I set for the Princess was indeed one hundred thousand," Ye Chang said with a smile. "From tomorrow, Master Wang can send someone to the polo market to complete the handover."

"One hundred thousand..." Wang Yuanbao muttered, finally understanding. Ye Chang had intercepted him not just to witness his failure, but to deliver this message. Wang Jin had told him that Ye Chang demanded twelve thousand, but in reality, Ye Chang had only asked for ten. What did this mean? It meant that his partner, Wang Jin, had siphoned off twenty thousand strings before their venture had even begun.

Had he known this earlier, Wang Yuanbao might have laughed it off—one had to spend money to get Wang Jin to exert influence. But after today’s defeat, he had to reconsider: Wang Jin was clearly a man of great ambition but little talent. Was his cooperation worth those twenty thousand strings? Ye Chang’s intent was clear: to sow discord between him and Wang Jin. It was not a hidden scheme, but a blatant one; the seeds of distrust had been sown long ago, and Ye Chang was merely watering them.

With a long sigh, Wang Yuanbao bowed deeply to Ye Chang. "I shall listen to your teachings another day... excuse me, excuse me..." After saying this, he stumbled slightly, steadied himself, and departed the West Market.

For him, the competition site was a place of sorrow. Upon returning to his side, he gave instructions to his managers and stewards, then boarded his carriage to return home. Once he left, most of the merchants from the East Market followed suit.

At this moment, Chongniang was clutching Ye Chang’s arm tightly, her large eyes still fixed on him, clearly curious about what had just transpired.

"If you want to ask, just ask," Ye Chang said, finding her expression amusing.

"Just now... what was that? How did you do it?"

"It was merely borrowing the sun’s light... er, the sun’s fire to ignite the silk. It’s nothing much; you could do it too."

"Really?"

"Of course it’s real. Would I lie to you? It’s getting late—shall we go back for lunch?"

"Alright! You must teach me how to borrow the sun’s fire."

After lunch, Chongniang bade Ye Chang a reluctant farewell and returned to the palace. In her hand, she held the crystal ball Ye Chang had given her. Having learned the trick, she was full of excitement. She ran to the courtyard in front of the palace, gathered some dry leaves, and used the crystal ball to refract the sunlight, igniting them.

She was so focused and giggling with delight that she did not notice a figure slowly approaching behind her. It was Li Longji. He had watched from the Zhuque Gate for a long time, but being unable to join in the excitement left him feeling unsatisfied. Although eunuchs brought him news from the street, it was nothing like being there in person.

Moreover, he was incredibly sharp. While others could not see Ye Chang’s layout, he could see it clearly. But there were questions he still needed answered, such as the poets behind the songs sung by the Western maidens, some of whom he knew, while others were unfamiliar. The most important mystery was how the silk had been ignited. Like Wang Yuanbao and Hu Yuanxiang, Li Longji was certain it was Ye Chang’s doing, but he was baffled by the method.

After much thought, he could not find the reason. Then he remembered: Twenty-Nine (Chongniang) would certainly know, as she had been by Ye Chang’s side. Having left the affairs of state to Li Linfu and enjoying the leisure of the gardens, he wandered over to see her after lunch.

He brought few attendants. Seeing from a distance that she was playing like a child, he signaled for his guards to remain silent and crept closer to see what she was doing. He watched as she ignited a leaf, stepped on it to extinguish it, and then ignited another.

Li Longji was shocked. He could not help but step forward and grab her. "What kind of sorcery is this, and who taught it to you?" he shouted sharply.

Chongniang was startled, but upon seeing it was him, she knelt. "Father!"

Li Longji loosened his grip and snorted. Sorcery was one of the most taboo subjects in the palace. He flicked his sleeves and signaled to Gao Lishi behind him, who understood and whispered for a eunuch to summon Chen Xuanli.

"What kind of sorcery is this?" Li Longji demanded again.

"It... it is not sorcery. It is borrowing fire... from the sun..." Chongniang’s body trembled, realizing she had made a mistake.

"Borrowing fire from the sun?"

"The sun’s light can turn into fire," Chongniang said, looking at the crystal ball on the ground, which now had cracks in it. Her eyes filled with tears. "You just use this crystal ball to focus the sunlight into a single point, and... and it turns light into fire."

Hearing this, Li Longji’s furrowed brows relaxed slightly. "It is not sorcery?"

"Father can have someone try it," Chongniang said.

Li Longji remained silent, but Gao Lishi signaled a young eunuch. The eunuch carefully picked up the crystal ball, which, despite the cracks, was still largely intact. Under Chongniang’s direction, the eunuch quickly ignited a fire. Seeing this, Li Longji suddenly realized, "This must be a trick that scoundrel Ye Chang taught you. The silk in the East Market catching fire today... it must have been this..."

He had wanted to call it sorcery, but upon reflection, it did not seem to be. He changed it to "a trick." However, his curiosity was piqued. "Why does light turn into fire?"