Chapter 15: Miss Mi Is Deeply Shocked

Departing from the county magistrate’s office, they boarded a carriage bound for the Lu Family Bank.

The carriage sped along, and every time it took a sharp turn, Lu Chuan inevitably brushed against Lady Mi. However, having learned from their previous encounter, Lady Mi had instructed her maid, Xiao Cui, to sit nearby. By leaning against Xiao Cui for support, she minimized the swaying, making the occasional contact with Lu Chuan far less awkward than before. Seeing this, Lu Chuan understood that he could not force the issue, though he felt a pang of regret in his heart.

Lady Mi was a woman of legendary beauty, noted even in historical texts. It was a tragedy that after casting her lot with Liu Bei, she never lived a life of ease, was abandoned by him several times, and ultimately perished at Changban Slope. If only she had held on a little longer, escaped the battlefield, and survived, her life might have been far more comfortable. It would not have been impossible for her to be named Empress when Liu Bei ascended the throne. She had endured so much, only to fall at the very final hurdle.

Truth be told, Lu Chuan felt a genuine sympathy for her. Yet, sympathy was one thing; he was not benevolent enough to play the savior. The chaos of the late Eastern Han Dynasty was so profound that even Lu Chuan dared not claim he could guarantee his own safety, let alone rescue others. The most he would do was indulge in harmless, fleeting flirtations while she remained unattached to Liu Bei, satisfying his own whims. Glancing at his remaining lifespan of over two hundred years, he ultimately abandoned any thought of changing her fate. Beauties were worth longing for, but his own life was far more important.

The carriage pulled up to the entrance of the Lu Family Bank. As Lady Mi stepped out with Xiao Cui’s assistance, she was immediately struck with awe. It was not the opulence of the bank’s entrance that stunned her, but the two massive golden toads flanking the gate.

Had they been ordinary golden toads, she would have found nothing remarkable about them; the Mi family was immensely wealthy, and she had seen her fair share of luxury. But these toads were crafted entirely out of copper coins—the first time she had ever seen such a thing. She had never imagined anyone could be so extravagant. The toads stood as tall as a person, and even their pedestals were constructed from stacked copper coins. Judging by their size, they must have cost over a million coins to create, not to mention the staggering labor costs.

More importantly, these toads were worth far more than a million coins in terms of prestige. They were a calculated display of the Lu Family Bank’s power. "I have a million coins," they seemed to say, "but I don't need them for business—I use them for sculpture."

It was a flex, plain and simple. Every merchant who arrived at the bank would immediately recognize the Lu family's immense strength. Even if the bank’s vaults were empty, one could simply dismantle these statues to secure a million coins in liquid capital. Was that not the ultimate proof of solvency? Any businessperson understood the vast difference between liquid assets and fixed property. Historically, the Mi family had provided a dowry of two billion for Lady Mi, but it must be understood that this was largely comprised of fixed assets and goods, not two billion in copper coins. Even if a single *wuzhu* coin weighed only three or four grams, two billion coins would weigh thousands of tons. It would have been impossible for the Mi family to produce that much copper.

"Magistrate Lu, these... these toads..." Lady Mi was rendered nearly speechless. Only someone who understood the true weight of a million coins in liquidity could grasp how intimidating these statues truly were. Without a doubt, Lady Mi was one of them.

Lu Chuan laughed. "What is it, Master Yun? They are merely a pair of toads stacked from copper coins; is there anything to be so surprised about? Your Mi family is a giant of wealth in Xuzhou; surely you aren't frightened by a mere million coins?"

"I... of course not!" Lady Mi quickly regained her composure, scrambling to save face. "Compared to the wealth controlled by my family, this million is but a drop in the ocean. I simply thought that what you’ve done is... well, quite amusing. When I return home, I shall have a pair of coin-toads made for our own gate!"

Of course, it was just talk. The Mi family were merchants; despite their vast wealth, they lacked the political standing. In an era that favored agriculture and looked down upon merchants, if the Mi family dared to display such a show of wealth, they would likely be targeted by envious rivals within days. Being too conspicuous was a recipe for disaster.

"However, Magistrate Lu, by placing this pair here, are you not afraid that someone might steal them?" This was a million coins—or even more. Who wouldn't be tempted?

"Steal them? Do they have the nerve?" Lu Chuan sneered. "Since I placed this pair here, many have had designs on them, but unfortunately, everyone who tried has ended up dead."

This was no joke. Lu Chuan had commissioned these statues to make a name for his bank. This served two purposes: first, to show that his bank was robust and liquid, making it a safe place to do business; and second, to demonstrate that he possessed not just wealth, but formidable force. The fact that the toads had remained untouched for over a year was the best proof. Over time, people finally understood that Lu Chuan was not afraid of being targeted. If you had the ability, you were welcome to try—as long as you were prepared to die.

The longer the toads remained, the more renowned the bank became. It was no exaggeration to say the bank’s current scale and prestige were inextricably linked to them.

Lady Mi gazed at the powerful aura emanating from Lu Chuan, momentarily losing herself. Her brother, Mi Zhu, was a capable man, but compared to Lu Chuan, he lacked this commanding, predatory presence.

"Master Yun, shall we go inside and take a look?"

"Oh? Yes, yes! Let us go inside." Lady Mi snapped back to reality, stealing a glance at Lu Chuan. Seeing he was not looking at her, she let out a sigh of relief, though her face flushed a deep crimson against her will.

In reality, Lu Chuan had observed every one of her movements. He simply chose not to tease her further, out of respect for her true identity; otherwise, with his methods, winning her over would have been far from difficult. Beside them, Xiao Cui had witnessed every reaction her mistress had, and a sense of panic began to stir in her heart. *Could it be that my mistress has taken a fancy to this scoundrel of a magistrate?*