The vast majority of the hostages were dirt poor, as everyone had to support the Hidden Dragon Plan.
There was no way around it. From the moment their families chose them to join the hostage contingent, their fate was sealed.
As the Seventeenth Prince's "core retinue," they had no second path to tread—unless they committed treason!
Yet as descendants of meritorious nobility, cultivation was an absolute necessity. Without money, they couldn't afford blood food or medicinal cuisine.
Wu Youren's family sent very little, while others received more, but it was still never enough.
Everyone knew that a century-old wild mountain ginseng was far superior to a ten-year-old one. If someone could afford the century-old root, who would settle for the ten-year-old?
Wu Youren was even worse off; he couldn't even afford blood food.
His predecessor's idea had been to earn a bit of silver by crafting "homemade strong liquor." Once he could afford blood food, he could also try his hand at other ventures.
No one wanted to remain in Jin Manor forever—the hostage residence of Jin.
Wu Youren didn't complain about the Hidden Dragon Plan, because doing so was pointless.
Still, cultivation required money. If one couldn't replenish their vital energy and blood, how were they supposed to cultivate?
"Short-sighted fool!" the burly youth snorted coldly. "His Highness is in perilous straits, precisely when he lacks wealth and resources to maneuver!
"We share in every loss and glory. When His Highness rises like a hidden dragon leaping into the sky, would he ever leave you short of wealth and honor?"
"Fine, what you say makes sense." Wu Youren truly didn't want to argue with him. "Stealing my things is one thing, but throwing me into the lake—is that what His Highness calls valuing me?
"Aren't you lot just using His Highness's name to carve out a way forward for yourselves?"
These words were undeniably offensive, but the problem was that they had made the first move; his predecessor's soul had already been scattered to the winds!
A merit lord wasn't any grand figure, but it still carried a title of nobility, which set him apart from ordinary commoners.
The class divide was real, but he still had the standing to speak up.
If he didn't say it, he would only look like an easy mark—if they could push him once, wouldn't they push him a second or third time?
He wasn't even sixteen yet. If he lacked fiery temper, could he even be called a youth?
Shi Linyuan spoke coldly, "If we had wanted to kill you, do you think you would have survived yesterday?
"It was just to make you understand your place. When a new convict enters the cells, they always get a welcoming thrashing with the discipline staff!"
*I get that,* Wu Youren gave a slight nod. Cheating gamblers always let the mark win a little first, and robbers always beat someone before taking their purse.
"You only need to understand one thing: if we want you dead, you won't live to see tomorrow!"
"Still, pushing me into the water..." Wu Youren couldn't help thinking of Zhu Houzhao and Zhu Youxiao. "That went too far!"
Shi Linyuan sneered once more. "And you're claiming we line our own pockets. Isn't that going too far?"
*Could you at least get the order of events straight?* Wu Youren had no desire to bicker with a master of gaslighting. "Then what about the medicinal cuisine for my cultivation?"
In truth, even back in Great Jin, he hadn't possessed the status to enjoy medicinal cuisine, but mentioning only blood food wasn't how business negotiations worked.
The hostage group operated somewhat like a street gang, yet carried the flavor of an imperial court—ultimately, it was just the pugilistic underworld.
The exploitation of those at the bottom was ruthless, but they still had to maintain a veneer of legitimacy.
He had nearly drowned, and his livelihood was about to be snatched away. Wasn't it perfectly natural to bargain?
"Medicinal cuisine?" Shi Linyuan nearly laughed aloud. Getting to eat blood food even once was a holiday for someone like him!
They had all lived together in Jin Manor for eight years; who didn't know who?
He curled his lip. "You actually want to compete with His Highness for profit?"
*Sorry, don't even dream of getting a single copper. Or do you want to take another dip in the lake?*
This time, however, Wu Youren refused to budge an inch. "Then there's no point in me staying alive!"
It came down to that same truth: the hostage group wasn't a lawless underworld syndicate. If he dared to risk it all, the other side had to weigh the consequences.
Even setting aside the profits of strong spirits, the death of a hostage was no trivial matter.
Shi Linyuan had come today intending to reap the spoils. Hearing this, he glanced at him. "You've changed!"
In his memory, this grandson of a merit lord had never been so bold.
It took genuine courage for a person to be willing to die.
"Perhaps it's because I've died once already," Wu Youren said with a faint grin, offering no further explanation.
"Then I'll come back tomorrow," Shi Linyuan's face darkened. "By then, if you still refuse to hand over the source for buying that strong liquor..."
So what if he had changed? When intimidation was called for, one still had to intimidate.
Without testing him, how would they know it wouldn't work?
Wu Youren stated plainly, "I don't have a source for buying strong liquor!"
"You don't?" Shi Linyuan froze in surprise, then let out a sinister chuckle. "You won't even wait for us to discuss it?"
"No need to discuss, I truly don't have one," Wu Youren replied flatly. "However, I can concoct it!"
"You... concoct it?" Shi Linyuan's eyes instantly lit up, and his voice began to tremble. "Really?"
Buying low and selling high was merely trade, but producing it themselves... that was pure, exorbitant profit!
He couldn't hold back a grunt. "Name your terms, but don't overreach. You know very well what Jin Manor is like."
*I know it far too damn well!* Wu Youren sighed inwardly.
Did the Seventeenth Prince's Hidden Dragon Plan even truly exist?
He didn't care to indulge in pointless talk. "Go discuss it among yourselves. You already know my demands."
Their deliberation didn't take long. By the afternoon of the following day, Shi Linyuan returned.
The terms he offered were simple: Wu Youren would hand over the recipe and receive five percent of the liquor sales profits.
The share was meager, but he wouldn't need to lift a finger—he could simply sit back and collect the silver.
Although Jin Manor sat within the capital, it was practically cut off from Liang society. Selling liquor involved far too many intermediaries.
Had his predecessor still been alive, he might have settled for such terms.
However, Wu Youren had lived through an era of information explosion.
During his years of being fleeced as retail fodder, he had seen more than enough balance sheets showing negative profits.
Without exposing the scheme, he simply proposed that they provide the thin wine, which he would concoct and sell back to them at a twenty percent markup; everything else would be none of his concern.
After all, obtaining thin wine within Jin Manor wasn't easy either.
Yet how could Shi Linyuan agree to that? Wouldn't that mean everyone had to revolve around this brat?
The core technique had to remain in their own hands!
Back and forth they haggled, until they finally agreed on a compromise: Wu Youren would first demonstrate his ability to concoct the strong liquor, and everything else would be discussed later.
Ultimately, claiming he could concoct it didn't mean he truly could—what if he had obtained it through some other channel?
Shi Linyuan had no intention of becoming a laughingstock.
"Then I'll wait for you to deliver the thin wine," Wu Youren didn't object to the test. "Just remember, strong liquor is toxic; drink sparingly."
"We're selling it outside," Shi Linyuan replied dismissively. "Liquor is poison that rots the bowels—who doesn't know that?"
The liquor they had seized earlier had already been tasted by a few core hostages.
In their view, aside from packing a powerful punch, it was nothing special, falling far short of the fine wine His Highness drank daily.
*If that's how you see it, then all the better!* Wu Youren had felt a bit uneasy, but hearing this, his heart settled completely.
That evening, Shi Linyuan delivered five jars of thin wine, each holding about five jin. "How long until it's ready?"
"Three days," Wu Youren answered calmly. "It can't be done any sooner."
Three days later, Shi Linyuan returned with three companions and took the five jars.
Five other hostages were already waiting for his return, and they all sat in a row to drink to their hearts' content.
"Fierce indeed!" one youth let out a long breath. "It doesn't lose out to the fine wine bestowed by His Highness. It's wilder... carrying an aura of slaughter!"
"My tongue's even a bit numb. Now this is what real men drink! Those fine wines, hmph, are merely smooth!"
"This liquor has the metallic tang of rust. Has that merit lord's grandson... ever killed someone?"
In the eyes of these hostages, the name "Wu Youren" wasn't even worth mentioning; it was beneath their dignity.
"He was selected and sent here before he was even eight years old. How could he have killed anyone?" someone chuckled.
"Uh, why does your face look a bit greenish?"
"You're making a fuss over nothing. The liquor's rushing to my head... the blood is surging!"
"If the blood is surging, shouldn't your face turn red? I've seen plenty of people flush when drinking!"
"Nonsense. When blood rushes to the peak, it isn't necessarily red. When you're enraged to the extreme, don't your blue veins bulge just the same?"
"That makes sense. Stagnant blood pooled inside the body looks bluish-green, and can even turn black... only when there's an open wound does it show red."
The hostages possessed some knowledge, after all; their only shortcoming was being a bit too young.
Regardless, everyone drank merrily that night, and the next day they sent over another five jars of thin wine.
Some harbored thoughts of peeking at how the merit lord's grandson concocted the liquor—no matter the world, there was never any shortage of people looking for shortcuts.
Unfortunately, pulling that off was far too difficult; each hostage occupied an individual dwelling.
Jin Manor was vast, covering more than a square kilometer.
Yet that wasn't the main point. The living quarters for the hundred hostages totaled less than ten thousand square meters and were spaced apart.
His Highness's residence spanned roughly twenty thousand square meters.
The remaining ninety-five percent of the grounds consisted of recreation gardens, martial drill grounds, exotic beast enclosures, and the like.
Contacts between the hostages were naturally monitored. Small matters went ignored, but the essential goal was to prevent collusion!
Putting hostages in bunk beds or communal dorms was out of the question—while that would have made surveillance easier, it would have made collusion far too convenient!
Certain layouts existed for inevitable reasons!
Thus, anyone wishing to spy closely on the merit lord's grandson had to first bypass the Liang patrol guards!
Moreover, Wu Youren wasn't an idiot. How could he not guard against others peeping at his secrets?
In the short term, the hostages had no way of uncovering his methods. As for the long term... there was no need to worry about that just yet.
However, when Shi Linyuan delivered ten jars for a third batch, Wu Youren felt things had gone too far.
He had already proven his capability; he couldn't keep concocting it for free indefinitely. This time, he demanded compensation.
Shi Linyuan, however, put on an air of secrecy. "We're currently arranging a tremendous reward for you. Do this one for free as well."
Wu Youren didn't mind helping out one more time. "Fine. But if there's no word next time, I... I'm running low on raw materials."
"Agreed," Shi Linyuan promised readily, heedless of the details.
Yet before the third batch of liquor was finished, disaster struck Jin Manor.
An elderly Liang gardener was found dead, his face faint bluish-green, blood leaking from all seven orifices, his corpse reeking of alcohol!
Chapter 2