The household played their parts flawlessly presenting the lord's supposed illness in a way designed to stir guilt and soften even the most hardened hearts.
The creditors gathered their murmurs mingling with the faint rustle of coins and parchment. Voices overlapped as numbers were recited, tallied and argued over. Their brows furrowed, fingers tapped and eyes darted between calculations. Their greed barely contained.
In the end they brought the total loans and accumulated interest to 793,547 gold coins. Some suggested selling the house claiming it would settle for around four hundred thousand gold coins and "that is me being generous," one said his thin smile sharp and predatory.
Others offered counterarguments their tones veiled with civility but dripping with self-interest. The discussion stretched on. Heated and tense every voice pushing for advantage and every glance measuring opportunity until they finally crafted what they believed to be a reasonable solution.
Sell the house, sell one-third of the land and salvage what remained of the family's reputation. Then a shift in the atmosphere snapped the room into silence.
Eight servants entered their polished shoes tapping against the floor with a heavy deliberate rhythm. They carried a massive stash of gold coins eight hundred thousand in total. Each coin catching the light and glinting like captured sunlight.
The room seemed to freeze in the sudden brilliance. The creditors' eyes widened a mixture of shock, disbelief and raw greed flashing across their faces. Some stood motionless mouths hanging open as if the very air had been stolen from them.
A faint tense hum of murmurs rose then fell into stunned silence the weight of unexpected fortune pressing heavily on their shoulders. "Count and carry home your money," Luo He said firmly. His voice calm yet cutting through the frozen room like a blade. "It is not our way to leave even a single coin unpaid."
With that he turned and walked away each step deliberate and serene his composure unshaken. Behind him the servants began their work counting slowly and meticulously savouring every drawn-out moment.
The coins clinked softly echoing like measured heartbeats a subtle but potent test of patience for the greedy men who had expected easy gain. Their faces shifted from hope to frustration their desire now tempered by time.
And with that the debt crisis came to an end. The manor once heavy with tension and anxiety seemed lighter now. Filled instead with a quiet sense of triumph, strategy and relief.
With the debts finally settled the family gathered for a quiet but joyful breakfast the tension of the past days replaced with a sense of relief and unity.
In the midst of the meal Luo He turned to his wife and in a calm and steady tone asked. "Will you come sleep with me after we finish eating?" The table fell into a brief stunned silence.
Jin Mulan blinked caught completely off guard. How could he ask something like that so openly in front of her parents no less. And with such composure? A faint blush spread across her cheeks a mix of embarrassment and something warmer stirring beneath it.
Luo He however seemed entirely unfazed. "I truly missed it while I was gone," he continued. His voice softer now more personal despite the setting. "Even when I was busy I held on to the thought that one day I'd be able to sleep peacefully in a comfy bed with you beside me."
He exhaled quietly the weight of exhaustion finally showing through. "I couldn't sleep at all last night. My mind wouldn't rest no matter how tired I was. So I plan to get a few hours of proper sleep now." He glanced at her his expression gentle. "What would you say if I asked you to joining me?"
Only then did it fully register. He wasn't suggesting anything improper he simply meant rest. Mulan's blush deepened but this time there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.
She had only woken a few hours earlier yet she found herself nodding without much hesitation. Now she wasn't surprised at all. He really had just meant sleeping.
They went to bed in silence the weight of the past few days finally catching up with them. Luo He barely made it to the mattress before sleep took him. His body sank into the sheets tension leaving him all at once as if someone had cut the strings holding him upright.
Jin Mulan lingered. She moved quietly through the room closing the wooden windows one by one. The morning breeze slipped in stubbornly fluttering the curtains before they were drawn shut. The faint scent of morning air filed the room. Jin Mulan secured the door. She turned back toward the bed her fingers lightly gripping the edge of her sleeve.
"Husband… do you want me to wear my night dress?" Her voice was soft almost hesitant. During his absence she had one specially made for him. Something beautiful, something she hoped would make him look at her differently. Now more than anything she wanted his approval.
Luo He didn't even open his eyes.
"No just lie down." His voice was calm already drifting into sleep. For a moment she stood still.
A flicker of disappointment passed through her eyes but it didn't linger. Instead she quietly fell into bed the room falling into darkness except for the thin sunlight escaping the curtains.
She slipped into bed beside him.
The rustle of silk the slow rhythm of his breathing and soon the room fell completely silent.
Two hours later Jin Mulan stirred. She opened her eyes. Now the sun is high in the sky. Beside her Luo He hadn't moved. His breathing was steady deep completely lost to the world. She watched him for a moment.
Eight maybe nine hours later, when the sun had nearly climbed down from the sky Luo He finally woke. The room was warm now candle light filled the room. He sat up slowly his expression sharp again well rested and focused. Before anything he had already called for a family meeting.
The household gathered quickly. Chairs scraped lightly against the floor. A faint tension lingered in the air something had changed. After a while all members of the family is ready.
Luo He, Jin Mulan, Jin Quan, Jin Su, Jin Yang and adapted son Jin Sang had arrived at the discussion table. Luo He stood at the Hosts table where normally his farther in law sat.
With the gold he had brought his position in the family was no longer the same. Even without saying it, everyone felt it.
"Now," he began calmly, "we have several problems to address." His gaze shifted.
"First my brother-in-law." Jin Yang stiffened slightly. "You lack both martial skill and scholarly success. That means your path must be different."
A pause.
"Is there any woman you have in mind?"
Jin Yang hesitated then lifted his head "No. Any woman would do." He answered. Don't worry get your pick "Not even the Flame King's daughter is beyond my reach." Luo He said confidently.
The room froze. A cup nearly slipped from someone's hand. Jin Mulan's mother inhaled sharply. Even the servants near the doorway exchanged glances.
The Flame Kingdom spoken of only in stories and distant rumours. To them it was untouchable. Luo He studied him then gave a faint smile.
"Take your time. I'll ask again some day." He turned his tone shifting. "Our next silk harvest is in one month." Outside, a sudden gust of wind rattled the shutters as if punctuating his words. "You've been selling cocoons." His voice sharpened.
"That is the worst possible way to profit."
A few heads lowered. "We will process them ourselves. Spin the silk. Dye it. Embroider it. Then sell it not just here but across the seas." Murmurs spread.
This way "profits will increase twentyfold." This time the room didn't just react it stirred. Hope. Shock. Fear.
"But it will require everything" Luo He continued.
"Workers. A production facility. Materials. Knowledge." He began pacing slowly. "We need gold. More than we have."
A distant rumble of thunder rolled across the sky. "We need formulas for dyeing.
Skilled embroiderers. Ships. Crews."
He stopped. "And before any of that we must deal with the Pirate King in the south."
The room went dead silent. "He has 20 thousand men under his command." Even breathing felt louder now. "To trade freely we must take his city." He looked at them all. "So I ask you do I have your full support?" For a heartbeat no one spoke.
Then "Yes!" The response came like a wave. Unified. Loud. Certain. "I will have all of this ready before the next harvest. That is a promise." His voice carried absolute confidence.