Chapter 389: Missing

Chapter 389: A Favor Owed

All eyes turned to Xin You.

The Minister of Rites suddenly felt uneasy.

He didn’t fear the Emperor rewarding her with fertile lands, grand houses, gold, or jewels—it was this unspecified request that worried him.

What if this girl asked the Emperor to dispose of all the ministers who opposed reform?

Ignoring others’ thoughts, Xin You raised her gaze to meet Emperor Xingyuan’s unreadable gaze. "Not at the moment. I just want Your Majesty to promise me that, should I need it in the future, you will grant me one request."

The implication was clear: the reward she sought was the "request" itself.

The Minister of Rites assumed a knowing look.

As expected, this girl was shrewd and calculating!

What did she mean by asking the Emperor to grant a future request? If she demanded the throne, would the Emperor agree?

Staring at her face—so strikingly similar to Emperor Xingyuan’s—the Minister of Rites felt like spitting in contempt.

After hearing her words, Emperor Xingyuan’s eyes showed hesitation.

An emperor cannot go back on his word. If he agreed now, he would be in a difficult position should her request prove too outrageous later.

Then, he caught the derisive curl of her lips. It seemed to say, *See? No matter how much I do for the imperial family or for *Great Xia*, the Emperor’s generosity has its limits.*

"Very well. As long as it does not defy fundamental ethics, I grant your request."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

While there were strings attached, this was still better than nothing. Who knew when it might come in handy?

Emperor Xingyuan ordered Sun Yan to fetch a jade Ruyi and present it to Xin You. "When you make your request, return this jade Ruyi to me."

Glancing at the ministers’ wandering thoughts, and wary of their scheming minds, the Emperor added coolly, "Only Lady Xin’s possession of the jade Ruyi will be honored."

The next day, the envoys of Xiling departed, with the deputy envoy carrying a small jar of white sugar.

Prince Baori, the lead envoy, remained behind. He sought out Xin You but found her unavailable.

After some inquiries, the Minister of Revenue informed him, "Lady Xin is too busy for the Hanlin Academy recently. She is overseeing the sugar production."

Prince Baori was astonished. "Lady Xin understands sugar-making techniques?"

The Minister of Revenue chuckled. "Our Lady Xin is skilled at managing people. His Majesty trusts her."

This seemed more plausible to the prince.

"Then where can I meet her?"

"Even I cannot enter the sugar workshop. Your Highness can only meet Lady Xin during her rest periods."

"I see." Prince Baori sighed, but his determination to win Xin You’s hand only grew stronger.

What had begun as an initial infatuation had deepened with every revelation of her talents. His future princess-consort should be such a woman—beautiful and capable.

Unlike Prince Baori, who was temporarily satisfied, rumors began spreading among the officials and nobles: a heavenly-grade sugar called "white sugar" had appeared, white as frost and exquisitely sweet—all thanks to Xin You.

People’s first reaction was disbelief—they didn’t believe such sugar existed, nor did they think Xin You could produce it.

Until more and more people were asked by Prince Baori: “Have you tasted the white sugar?”

Watching the Daxia officials left speechless, Prince Baori was satisfied: Minister Yu had indeed not lied to him. This white sugar was something many Daxia nobles had never tasted. With this novelty, once he transported the sugar back to Xiling and resold it to those gullible types who fetishized Daxia’s luxuries, his herds would multiply.

The court officials and nobles stumped by Prince Baori felt humiliated: A Daxia treasure, shipped off to Xiling before their own elites could taste it?

They wanted white sugar too!

“Half a tael per *jin*,” the Treasury Minister said calmly.

“That works—we must at least try it!”

The Treasury Minister waved his hand. “No supply to meet demand—not for sale yet.”

“One tael!”

“Two taels!”

As the offers climbed higher, the Treasury Minister went to Xin You in near-tears.

“Lady Xin, how soon can we mass-produce the sugar? Can’t we make a little more? You have no idea—so many are willing to pay five taels per *jin* just to taste it!”

As he spoke, he schemed: “What if we deliver less to Xiling this time and make up the difference in the next batch?”

Xin You smiled.

These days, the Treasury Minister often visited her, and after frequent interactions, she found him to be an oddly earnest old man. His earnestness mainly lay in his unadulterated greed, his unwavering focus on filling the national treasury.

“Minister, don’t be swayed. Their willingness to pay five taels is just a passing whim—they’ll buy at most three to five pounds. Prioritize trade with Xiling.”

“But if each person buys three to five pounds, it’ll pile up!” The Treasury Minister winced at untapped profits.

“Then wait for the second batch. Starve demand now, reap more later.”

The Treasury Minister clapped his hands. “Lady Xin sees things so clearly!”

The old man left whistling, hands clasped behind him.

Though the sugar workshop's expenses came from the emperor’s coffers, it was agreed that future profits would be split—four parts to the emperor’s private treasury, six to the national treasury.

This was the Treasury Minister’s real incentive.

While Xin You was busy with sugar production, He Qingxiao received letters from the capital—two of them.

The first letter, written by a Jinlin Guard, meticulously described Prince Baori of Xiling’s dogged pestering of Lady Xin.

After reading it, He Qingxiao merely smiled before turning to the second letter.

The contents of the second letter were more bizarre: Prince Baori had decided to stay, even offering to marry into her household—and he was immensely wealthy.

He Qingxiao stared at this letter for a long time, a bitter, restless ache in his chest, a wordless feeling swelling within.

During the day, he found himself distracted. At night, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Standing by the window, he gazed at the brilliant stars, listening to the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs, sinking deeper into brooding.

He faintly understood that this feeling was called jealousy.

Jealousy toward those in this world with power and audacity, able to flaunt their desires without hesitation.

They weren't afraid of failure and could handle its consequences.

Yet his own feelings remained buried deep within, not daring to show even a hint.

As for whether Xin You might be swayed by Prince Baori, He Qingxiao saw it clearly: she wouldn’t.

They're really the same kind of people.

Once their hearts were set on a matter or a person, nothing could distract them.

The summer tax collection was already underway, and his return to the capital would be delayed until at least July. They'd been apart too long—he missed her dearly.

In June, He Qingxiao received a letter from Xin You.

It was brief, just updating him on recent happenings, but accompanying it was a small vial. Upon opening it, he found sparkling white crystals—the very white sugar mentioned in the letter.

He savored its taste with care.

"Amber upon a jade plate—how could it rival the sweetness of sugar frost?" (A classical reference comparing the beauty of amber to the refined sweetness of sugar.) Yet this white sugar surpassed even the poetic sugar frost in flavor.

It was Xin You's white sugar.

Meanwhile, back at the workshop... One day in July, the sugar workshop broke into cheers.

After over a month of repeated refining, success was finally achieved!

Emperor Xingyuan was overjoyed and personally visited, accompanied by several senior ministers.

The sugar warehouse, heavily guarded, was separated from the workshop by a wall with a single locked gate between them.

When Xin You gave the signal, the warehouse door slowly swung open. (Note: White sugar production held great significance in ancient times, symbolizing technological advancement and wealth.)