In the region of Jiangnan, the money gang was a household name. It was an
undeniable truth.
Not only is the gang considered the wealthiest in Jiangnan, but no other faction in the martial world can compete with them in terms of financial power.
The rise of the money gang happened because of fortuitous luck and timing.
Over a decade ago, under the rule of the eighth generation emperor, Jiayun, who
was incompetent and indulged in pleasures rather than governance, the central plains
suffered severe droughts, and Jiangnan faced famine. Border conflicts were frequent, and the people lived in misery.
Visionaries across the land sensed an opportunity for change, and the century-long
dynasty seemed on the verge of collapse.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Jiayun died
suddenly at the age of 37 without leaving a will, leaving behind four princes and two
princesses, with the throne's claim falling between the crown prince and the second
prince.
Ultimately, the crown prince ascended the throne, and the second prince was
exiled, rumored to have been secretly executed. The true circumstances remain
known only to those directly involved.
The new emperor proved to be wise and valiant, displaying royal demeanor from a
young age. Upon his ascension, he undertook significant reforms, stabilizing internal and external turmoil within eight years, leading the dynasty through a tumultuous era.
At the start of his reign, he introduced numerous reforms, marking a period ripe for
rejuvenation. In that era, many seized the opportunity to amass wealth overnight,
including the money gang.
Among those who rapidly enriched themselves, many had dubious beginnings, and the money gang was no exception.
The gang's leader, Jin Bao, was initially an illiterate thug, leading a gang in petty
theft and living day-to-day.
One day, he heroically rescued a young lady from robbers outside the city. It was
out of character for him not to exploit the situation, but he was moved by the lady's
beauty and grace.
The lady was grateful, unaware of his ulterior motives.
Jin Bao volunteered to escort her home, showering her with attention.
Unaccustomed to male company, the lady found Jin Bao handsome and brave, though
his lack of education and coarse manners did not impress her.
However, Jin Bao was far from noble. One night, through a combination of persuasion and alcohol, he consummated a relationship with the lady.
Waking up with regret, the lady realized the futility of her remorse since what happened could not exactly be classified as rape, more like seduction. Having lost her purity, regret was pointless.
Thus, Jin Bao became the son-in-law of the lady's family by delivering her back to
her home in Jiangnan.
The lady's background was not ordinary; she was the daughter of a prominent rice
merchant in Jiangnan. Although not the largest, her family's business was a respected and established name, making the Zhao family among the local affluent.
Old Master Zhao had only one daughter, and he was ten thousand times reluctant to
accept this son-in-law. But faced with such a situation, he was helpless. It was a
troubled time; the rice business was not doing well. Old Master Zhao was preoccupied with the family business and did not make things too difficult for Jin Bao.
Jin Bao, though a rogue, was incredibly loyal. Having become the son-in-law of a
prominent family, he didn't forget his brothers. He brought them into the mansion to do odd jobs, providing them with a stable life. Jin Bao might have been uneducated,
but he was shrewd. He managed to tame his gang of rustic fellows, making them
obedient and useful. They didn't cause trouble for Old Master Jin but became reliable guardians of the household. Jin Bao was also savvy in dealing with people; he was exceptionally good to the young mistress and showed great respect to Old Master Zhao, leaving no room for criticism.
Two years passed, and a chubby grandson was born, bringing immense joy to Old
Master Zhao. As his health declined, he focused on doting on his grandson and
gradually handed over the family business to his daughter and son-in-law. He believed
that with his daughter's extensive education and knowledge in business, coupled with
the son-in-law's cleverness and hard work, the couple could run a small family
business and live comfortably for life.
When the new emperor ascended the throne, he exempted taxes in the Central
Plains and four provinces in the south for three years, bringing hope to the people's
lives.
Old Master Zhao passed away a few years later. Miss Zhao, in her efforts to revive
the rice business, worked tirelessly and became noticeably thinner.
Jin Bao felt distressed seeing her like this. He had no real talent for business, but
guided by his thuggish instincts, he believed that as long as farmers didn't sell their
rice to other rice merchants, or people didn't buy from them, there would be nothing
to worry about.
This was indeed a simple logic. After Old Master Zhao's death, he became the head
of the family without any reservations. Thus, he acted decisively, fully leveraging his
thuggish nature. He took his gang from door to door, intimidating the farmers, and
then smashing other stores at night.
Locals knew it was their doing but were too scared to speak out. At that time, with
the change in dynasty and the sudden replacement of many officials, the situation was unstable. No one paid attention to such trivial matters among the common folk, so it
was the survival of the fittest.
Jin Bao's methods proved incredibly effective. In less than two years, their rice
business became the largest in the south.
Of course, many locals harbored deep resentment towards the rice business, and
they encountered numerous troubles.
With the wealth amassed through exploitation, Jin Bao started to recruit and buy loyalty from the underworld, keeping a group of "strategists" in the mansion. He self-proclaimed the leader of the "Money Gang," fulfilling his youthful dream of
establishing a notorious gang in the underworld.
From then on, the Money Gang's business expanded significantly, covering all
aspects of people's livelihoods. Over a decade, they not only established a deep-rooted network of relationships locally but also amassed a startling fortune.
Leveraging their immense wealth, the Money Gang annually offered substantial
benefits to major gangs in the martial world or provided conveniences in business
dealings, earning the protection of many powerful factions. Everyone could only
watch as the Money Gang grew increasingly powerful, angry yet powerless to act, and
even if they dared to speak out, they wouldn't dare to take action.
Jin Xiao Bao was born with a golden spoon in his mouth, a pampered young master.
Jin Bao respected, loved, and even feared Miss Zhao. Despite his thuggish background, he was inherently faithful and pure-hearted. Even after becoming
extremely wealthy, he never entertained the thought of taking concubines. Jin Xiao
Bao was the sole heir to the Jin family, worth a fortune. He lived a life surrounded by
adulation, indulging in pleasures without a care, hardly ever experiencing
dissatisfaction in his twenty years.
But recently, he found himself slightly troubled.
His parents were constantly nagging him to get married.
Indeed, at his age, it was time to find a wife, and it's not that he was unwilling; he
just felt it was unfair.
Since tasting the pleasures of love at thirteen, he had seen countless beauties over the years - the top courtesans of the capital, famous courtesans from the south, exotic beauties from foreign lands. No matter the price, there was nothing Jin Xiao Bao couldn't afford.
But... looking back on his history of romantic encounters, they were all bought with
money...
It's not that there weren't those who didn't want his money; they were either eyeing
his family status to climb the social ladder or seeking some benefits. It was all just play-acting to them, parting ways after getting what they needed from each other.
So, it all boiled down to money in the end.
And those he genuinely liked, the well-educated ladies from reputable families or
the daughters of prominent households, always kept to themselves, spoke softly, and
were well-versed in the arts and literature, embodying grace and wisdom. Or the
spirited daughters of martial families, vibrant and passionate, carrying the unique
charm of a warrior woman - he wanted a wife who was not only stunningly beautiful
but also pure as a lotus and as dignified as a peony.
But the ones he fancied were invariably out of reach, like stars in the sky, hardly
paying him any attention.
Xiao Bao looked at himself in the mirror, turning around to see the plump young
man reflected back. Touching his soft belly, finding a dimple for each pinch, he felt
somewhat deflated.
Though he might not be strikingly handsome, he was at least... amiable-looking.
Besides, what good is a man's appearance if it's not useful?
Unlike himself, who knew how to please women and was generous, being with him
meant enjoying all the splendors of the world.
What were these women thinking...
Feeling somewhat dejected, Xiao Bao recalled being turned away just yesterday by
the daughter of Governor Li, even though her father seemed quite eager for his visit.
Last week, it was the young miss from the Wuxiang Sect, and the month before, Miss
Sun, Miss Hong, Miss Wang...
He had been casting his net far and wide, even thousands of miles away, yet none of
the ladies he fancied responded to his advances.
The ones his parents suggested didn't appeal to him. He wanted a wife of noble
birth and stunning beauty, both inside and out...
After all, he was the son of the wealthiest man in the south!
And the young master of the richest gang in the martial world!
Even marrying the emperor's daughter wouldn't be beneath him.
Xiao Bao smirked at his reflection, hands on his rotund waist, his plump face
creasing into a mischievous grin.
He decided to set off that very night to visit Governor Liu, who reportedly had three
unmarried daughters, each said to be as beautiful as celestial beings, wise and
intelligent. He thought, any one of the three would do - if he could marry all three,
what a blissful life that would be...