Chapter 110: A Delicate Hand Shatters the Glass Plate

After strolling through the East Market, Ye Chang made his way to the West Market.

For him, this was a visit to a familiar haunt. Returning after a year, he could not help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Aside from Zhuque Avenue, the West Market was the only area fully paved with concrete, which gave it a clean, polished appearance. It was also livelier than the East Market; it felt as though the foot traffic was at least half again as large.

The glass shops were similarly bustling, with crowds of people coming and going, many pausing to admire the wares. This was only natural; thanks to the concrete paving, the West Market was far cleaner than the East. Especially in this midsummer heat, with no rain for a long stretch, the streets remained dust-free after a wash, naturally attracting more customers.

This was precisely why Wang Yuanbao had instigated the market competition. Without it, his glass shop in the East Market would have been unable to compete with those in the West.

The shop assistants were equally enthusiastic; it was clear they were determined to outdo Wang Yuanbao.

Along with the glass shops, there were various stores selling curios and ornaments. After browsing a few, and while pondering how to dismantle Wang Yuanbao's schemes, Ye Chang had wandered into this area.

"This crystal is a rare treasure from the Western Regions, worth a thousand gold pieces. My lady, you certainly have a keen eye to spot it at a glance." As soon as he entered, he heard an assistant trying his best to sell his goods.

Ye Chang followed the sound and saw a woman with her back to him, examining the curios on an antique shelf.

The shelf was filled with crystal treasures. Polished by master craftsmen, the gems reflected a crystalline, translucent glow under the candlelight. The woman picked them up one by one, turning them over in her hands, then set them back down, clearly reluctant to part with them.

"Look, my lady, if you were to serve grapes on this crystal platter, they would look truly translucent. This platter is only eighty strings of cash, and if you wish to take it, we can offer a ten percent discount..."

Hearing this sales pitch, Ye Chang couldn't help but smile; retail tactics were the same in any era.

He stepped forward, looking at the crystal objects on the shelf, most of which were decorative pieces. However, a crystal sphere on the top shelf caught his attention.

It was polished to a brilliant luster, looking perfectly round and smooth. The quality of the crystal was exceptional, nearly entirely transparent. It was the size of a fist, nestled in a brocade box like a giant night-luminescent pearl.

Ye Chang felt a sudden urge to examine it. Just as he was about to reach for it, an old woman entered the shop and blurted out, "Xian Niang, why did you run off here?"

The young woman, who was currently fiddling with a crystal platter, gave a start at the voice and turned around.

As Ye Chang happened to be moving forward, he was quite close. When she turned, her arm struck his elbow. Ye Chang remained steady, but the young woman, delicate and weak, lost her grip, and the platter fell to the floor.

With a clatter, the crystal platter bounced several times on the ground and spun in circles before coming to a stop.

Like most shops in the West Market, the floor was paved with concrete.

It was a stroke of luck that the crystal platter didn't shatter completely upon hitting the concrete, but it was far from undamaged. Not only were there clear cracks at the base, but a corner had also chipped off.

Even if they hired the most skilled craftsman, the platter was ruined.

The young woman’s face turned deathly pale, drained of all color, and the shop assistant stood frozen.

Ye Chang was also stunned, not expecting such a turn of events.

"Pay for it! My lady, you cannot leave!" The assistant was the first to recover. He blocked the door, and had the customer not been a woman, he likely would have grabbed her.

"How... how could this happen?" the old woman who had rushed in muttered, before flying into a rage. "You little wretch! I brought you to the West Market to look at silks and satins, and you choose to look at curios instead! Now look what you've done!"

Only then did Ye Chang take a closer look at the girl. She appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, with teary eyes and a pale, jade-like face, clearly shaken.

***

Despite the old woman's scolding, though the girl was in tears, she showed no signs of despair. Instead, she straightened her back. Once the old woman had finished, she bowed to her and said, "I am ten years old, as you say. I am willing to offer my body as a means for your retirement; please, let this debt be cleared for me."

She referred to herself as "I" (mou), rather than the term "slave" (nu) commonly used by young women of her station. Hearing her words, Ye Chang felt a stir of interest: this girl had a fiery spirit.

The old woman was at fault for the fall, the girl was at fault, and Ye Chang was also responsible. Yet, the girl had taken full responsibility without a second thought, not bothering to argue with him—this spoke volumes about her character.

Ye Chang was not the type to take advantage of others, and for him, eighty strings of cash was not a significant expense.

"Shopkeeper, the crystal platter on the floor and the crystal sphere up there—how much for both?" Ye Chang asked. "Mao'er, cover this bill for me."

He didn't carry that much money on him, and since this was the West Market—Jia Mao'er's home turf—he had him settle the tab. The shopkeeper recognized Jia Mao'er and, seeing him nod, smiled and said, "Since the friend of Master Jia wishes to buy, the two pieces together will be two hundred thousand coins."

The price was fair. Ye Chang nodded. Just then, the young woman stepped forward and bowed to him. "This item was broken by me; how can I allow you to pay, sir? I appreciate your kindness, but..."

"You woman, don't be ungrateful. Since Master Ye has spoken, I shall pay. In all of Chang'an, there are countless people who would give anything to pay for Master Ye!"

Jia Mao'er, impatient, brushed the girl aside. The girl tried to insist, but the old woman hurried over, grabbed her arm firmly, and pulled her aside.

"Mother, why are you pulling me?" the girl asked.

"That is Master Jia, the head official of the football market! Anyone that even he treats with such deference must be an extraordinary figure," the old woman whispered in her ear. "And he is a dashing young man, wealthy and charming. Daughter, you must use your charms. If you can win him over, your life will be set, and I will have someone to rely on."

The girl looked up at Ye Chang, her heart fluttering slightly.

She was not a girl from a respectable family; she had been adopted by the old woman since childhood for the purpose of attracting wealthy young playboys once she came of age, earning tips to fund the old woman's retirement. If she were to be sold eventually, why not sell herself to this dashing young man instead of some crude, obese merchant?

However, when she saw that the young man’s gaze never once lingered on her, but remained fixed on the crystal sphere, her heart turned cold.

She shook her head slightly, stepped forward once more, and bowed to Ye Chang. "In that case, I will keep your kindness in my heart. May I ask your name and where you are from? I will surely repay you one day."

Ye Chang had no interest in her repayment. He waved his hand. "No need. If not for me, the platter wouldn't have fallen. You owe me nothing."

He insisted on keeping his identity hidden, and the girl, helpless, left the shop. Seeing several attendants guarding the door—who were clearly Jia Mao'er's men—she had an idea. She whispered to the old woman, who, eager to hook this "cash cow," happily stepped forward and bowed to the attendants.

"Greetings, sirs."

"Old woman, what do you need?"

"I found the young master with Master Jia to look somewhat familiar, as if he were a distant relative of mine. I did not dare to be presumptuous, so I wanted to ask your help in learning his name and origin."

"Haha, old woman, you’re joking! If you had a relative like that young master, you’d be rich!" The attendants burst into laughter.

"My relative's family name is Ye..." the old woman lied calmly.

The attendants stopped laughing and exchanged glances. "Could it really be? The young master is indeed surnamed Ye, from Xiuwu..."

"Ah! Is it the same Master Ye the Eleventh, who wrote the poem about the sunset?" Before the old woman could react, the girl exclaimed.

If Ye Chang had only been a second- or third-rate figure in Chang'an when he wrote that verse last year, after the Emperor bestowed gold upon him and the football matches became a craze, his fame had reached the top tier.

Even a girl like her, living in the inner chambers, had heard of his name. She just hadn't expected the "Ye the Eleventh from Xiuwu" to be so young—he looked only seventeen or eighteen.

***

"It is him. So you have heard of him, my lady?" one of the more talkative attendants asked. "I don't know if he is truly your relative, but if he is, a word from him could bring you riches beyond measure!"

"It really is him!" The old woman's dim eyes gleamed with greed. The fact that the football matches brought in vast sums of money was no secret in Chang'an; anyone with the slightest bit of insight could see the massive profit behind it.

She returned to the girl's side, nagging her to continue trying to seduce Ye Chang, but the girl remained silent and walked away.

After they left, Ye Chang walked out clutching the box containing the crystal sphere. He wandered around a bit more, and feeling he had seen enough, he returned to the Hu Family Glass Studio.

The Hu Family Glass Studio was the lead merchant from the West Market organizing the competition against Wang Yuanbao. The courtyard was a hive of activity in preparation. When Ye Chang returned, he saw an old man with a long beard sitting by a couch, staring blankly at the artisans busy working.

"Master Hu." Jia Mao'er, who knew everyone, recognized him and called out.

The old man rose to return the greeting, his eyes filled with worry. "Why is Master Jia here? The shop is in such a mess today; please forgive my lack of hospitality."

"I heard about the market competition, but I don't know the situation. Looking at your expression, Master Hu, could it be..."

"Don't mention it. I heard Wang Yuanbao has some secret tricks up his sleeve. I fear we will lose more than we win," Master Hu said with a bitter smile. "The Wang family's glass business has been growing for decades; they say even the Imperial Palace places orders with him. Our shops have only been getting smaller. We finally had a bit of a recovery after the West Market was renovated, and now he’s forced this competition upon us—he truly leaves us no way to live."

Hearing the pot-bellied merchant's complaints, Ye Chang and Jia Mao'er only half-believed him.

Chang'an was a massive city with over a million inhabitants, filled with wealthy families; the wealth of the world gathered here. Even if Wang Yuanbao held seventy percent of the glass market, the remaining thirty percent was more than enough for the others to survive.

"How is the competition divided? Is your Hu shop building a colorful pavilion?" Jia Mao'er asked.

"Yes, that's what we’re busy with."

The so-called "colorful pavilion" was a temporary wooden structure built at the crossroads of Zhuque Avenue, resembling a gatehouse and decorated with flowers and silk. The more colorful and elaborate it was, the more attention it attracted. In a market competition, the first stage was the pavilion battle; generally speaking, the side with the more attractive pavilion would have higher morale.

"What else, besides the pavilion battle?"

"Naturally, a song and dance competition. Speaking of which, it’s quite infuriating. The East Market is closer to Pingkang Ward, so Wang Yuanbao took the initiative. The famous singers and courtesans there have been swayed by him; none are willing to work for us in the West Market."

Because Pingkang Ward was near the government offices east of the Imperial City, it was a hub for various provincial liaison offices. Candidates for exams and officials awaiting appointment often rented rooms there, making it a gathering place for entertainers. In Ye Chang's view, it was the largest red-light district in Chang'an, and the best singers and dancers were all found there.

"It seems we're bound to lose this part. Not looking good," Jia Mao'er remarked. "What else?"

"A display of treasures. Both our shops will bring out our rarest glass treasures, hanging them beneath the pavilions for people to admire."

This was the treasure battle—the true comparison of their products. Only the most outstanding pieces would be hung under the pavilions, while many other treasures would be set on antique shelves along the sides of the road, guarded by specialists for tourists to admire.

Ye Chang listened with great interest. This was his first time witnessing such competition between ancient merchants. Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes yet, he could easily imagine how lively the market competition would be.

"Master Jia, you are from our West Market. If you have any brilliant ideas, you must help this old man." Master Hu knew Jia Mao'er wouldn't have come for no reason, so he stood up and bowed again. "If we have your help, all of us in the West Market's glass shops will be eternally grateful!"

"You've asked the wrong person," Jia Mao'er laughed. "If I had any brilliant ideas, I would have used them long ago, and I wouldn't have ended up in my current state, would I?"