Chapter 33: A Strategic Retreat, When the Sovereign Demands a Subject's Death

Ye Qingyan pushed open the rickety door of "Yanyu Pavilion," and what met her eyes was a scene of utter devastation.

Three days. She had only three days.

She had to prove her worth over these ruins, surpassing the Wang family, the wealthiest in the capital. But how could that be possible? She had no money, no staff, and even her most basic supply chains had been ruthlessly severed by the Wangs.

Ye Qingyan slowly crouched down, her fingertips brushing against a shard of broken mirror, which reflected her pale face. A sense of helplessness washed over her, clearer and more overwhelming than ever before.

*Perhaps... I should just give up.*

To bow her head to her father, to admit she was wrong—perhaps that would buy her a moment to breathe. Once this thought took root, it grew wildly, nearly consuming her.

Just as her resolve was on the verge of collapsing, a cold, majestic voice echoed in her mind, carrying the ferocity of a thunderclap.

[Imperial Decree: Rebellious subject, you dare speak of retreat?!]

The voice struck like a thunderbolt, instantly snapping Ye Qingyan’s thoughts into focus. Before she could react, the voice sounded again, every word heavy with an irresistible imperial authority.

[If the Emperor demands a subject’s death, the subject must die! I command you to fight, and you shall fight to the very last soldier! Otherwise, I shall grant you death myself!]

"Grant me death?"

Ye Qingyan murmured to herself, then began to laugh softly. The laughter grew, echoing through the empty shop, tinged with an indescribable madness.

Retreat?

In Ye Qingyan’s dictionary, such a word had never existed!

So it was a dead end? So everyone thought she had lost her mind?

She stood up abruptly, the suppressed rebellion in her mind erupting completely.

Fine!

Since you all think I’m mad, then I shall be mad to the core—I’ll show you!

Her consciousness dove into the system store. Her gaze scanned the dazzling array of goods before fixing on a dusty, gray card.

[Dragon Robe Experience Card (One-time use)]

She would gamble. She would gamble with everything she had!

...

When Chen Huai'an found Ye Qingyan, she was sitting amidst the debris, writing and drawing on a piece of paper with such focus that she looked nothing like someone in the depths of despair.

"Qingyan, you..."

Chen Huai'an looked at the mess on the floor, his words catching in his throat. Any comfort seemed pale and hollow at this moment.

Ye Qingyan looked up and handed him the paper.

"Huai'an, do me a favor."

Chen Huai'an took the paper, and after a single glance, he froze.

"You want to... perform a sacrifice to the heavens?" He thought he had misread it and looked again. No, there it was in black and white: "Grand Ceremony of Sacrifice to the Heavens."

"Yes," Ye Qingyan nodded. "Use all your connections to spread this news. Tell them that Ye Qingyan, after having her shop smashed and being forced into a corner by my father, has finally snapped under the pressure."

"Tell everyone in the capital that three days from now, at high noon, I will set up an altar at the entrance of Yanyu Pavilion to perform a sacrifice to the heavens, praying for the protection of the God of Commerce to make me wealthy!"

Chen Huai'an held the paper, his hands trembling slightly.

"Qingyan, what are you doing? If this gets out, your reputation will be completely ruined! People will only see you as a joke, a madwoman!"

"I *want* them to think I’m mad. A madwoman can be forgiven for any outrageous behavior, don’t you think?"

She continued, "The Wang family thinks they have already won. What they want to see most now is me falling into ruin or losing my mind. I am simply obliging them."

"Only when everyone treats you as a joke will they let their guard down."

Chen Huai'an was still puzzled. "But what happens after? After the sacrifice, what can you achieve? Once the three days are up and you have nothing to show for it, Uncle Ye will..."

"You’ll see what happens after," Ye Qingyan said, offering no further explanation. "Huai'an, do you trust me?"

Chen Huai'an looked at her. The woman before him had a frail frame, yet her eyes were burning with a fierce flame. He remained silent for a moment before nodding heavily.

"I trust you."

No matter what she intended to do, he would be crazy right alongside her.

Chen Huai'an turned and left. He would ensure, with all possible speed, that the entire capital knew the eldest daughter of the Ye family had lost her mind.

The news traveled faster than expected. In less than half a day, the rumor that "Ye Qingyan has gone mad" spread through every street and alley in the capital like wildfire. Teahouses, taverns, and marketplaces were filled with people discussing the once-glorious daughter of the Ye family and how she had become the laughingstock of the city.

"Did you hear? That shopkeeper from Yanyu Pavilion is going to sacrifice to the heavens!"

"Tsk, tsk. How pathetic. Such a fine young lady, driven to this."

"Pathetic? I think she brought it on herself! Trying to fight the Wang family—what a fool, throwing an egg against a rock!"

"In three days, let's all go and see what kind of spectacle this sacrifice is. It’ll be worth a look!"

...

At the Wang estate, the steward reported the news he had gathered to the master of the house. The Master of the Wang family held his teacup, blowing on the steam, and let out a scoff after hearing the report.

"Sacrifice to the heavens? The God of Commerce?" He shook his head. "It seems that girl is truly at her wits' end, driven mad by the pressure."

The steward flattered him, "The Master is right. A little girl, trying to fight our Wang family—she’s overestimating herself. Now that she’s driven herself mad, it saves us a lot of trouble."

"Hmm." The Master of the Wang family set down his cup. "Ignore her. Let her make a scene; the bigger, the better. Once she has thoroughly humiliated herself and her reputation is in tatters, Ye Zhengde will naturally hand over the shop on a silver platter, begging us to take it."

"Yes, the Master is wise."

The entire Wang household viewed Ye Qingyan’s actions as a farce, lowering their guard completely. They waited to watch the show, waiting for Ye Qingyan to bring disgrace upon herself.

No one knew what Ye Qingyan was doing at the center of this storm of public opinion.

She divided her remaining silver into two portions.

One, she gave to Chen Huai'an, telling him to hire the most famous "Qingfengnian" opera troupe in the city. "Get the troupe leader and the lead performers. Money is no object; the production must be grand." Those were her exact words.

The other portion of silver went entirely into the system store. She did not exchange it for any item that would provide an immediate advantage, but rather for something that had been lying in a corner, ignored by all.

[Imperial Special: Bone-Strengthening Wine Formula (Fragmentary Edition)]

Her goal was not just the women of the capital. And what she was holding was no mere sacrifice to the heavens.

Since she couldn't prove her "strength" in the existing market, she would create infinite "potential" and "fame" in a new domain!

...

Three days passed.

In front of Yanyu Pavilion, the debris had been cleared away, and a wooden platform three feet high, covered in a red carpet, had risen from the ground. On both sides of the platform, the flags of the "Qingfengnian" troupe fluttered in the wind, and the gongs and drums were in full swing—the spectacle was even livelier than the New Year.

Below the stage, a sea of people had gathered, blocking the entire street. Among the crowd were commoners looking for entertainment, business rivals waiting to see the joke, and some eyes filled with malice.

Black Bear and his men squeezed to the front of the crowd, wearing expressions of schadenfreude. Not far away, on the second floor of a teahouse, the Wang steward sat by the railing, a mocking smile on his lips.

"High noon has arrived. Why hasn't that mad girl come out yet?"

"Exactly. Could it be she’s scared and doesn't dare to show her face?"

The crowd began to murmur, with taunts and shouts of impatience rising one after another.

Just then, the gongs and drums stopped.

Everyone went silent, their eyes fixed on the door of Yanyu Pavilion.

The door opened.

A figure stepped out slowly, amidst a chorus of gasps and murmurs of shock.

The person was draped in a bright yellow robe, embroidered with five-clawed golden dragons in gold thread, with auspicious cloud patterns at the cuffs and collar.

The style, the color—it was unmistakably the dragon robe that only the reigning Emperor could wear!

Ye Qingyan, wearing a "dragon robe," walked onto the high stage, step by step, through the dead silence and beneath countless eyes filled with horror, mockery, and confusion...