Fengming Villa Chronicles
Author: Jiang Zehua
The "Fengming Villa" was a vast commercial empire founded by Hou Fengming, a prodigy of the early Qing business world, in Jinkou, Jiaodong. Legend has it that at its peak, there were 360 oil mills, 72 brothels, and 108 businesses around Jinkou Port, most of which belonged to him. From the East China Sea in the south to Luzon Island in the north to the three northeastern provinces, merchant ships mostly transported goods from "Fengming Villa." When it came to relationships, Miss Hou could not be as adept and decisive as in business. Thus, the once once at the peak of Fengming Villa finally faced trouble at its peak...... In the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, bandits were rampant and rampant in Jiaodong. Hou Fangting, a native of Donghai, ran the "Fengming Bank" overnight, and he met a tragic death. Seeing the Hou family's vast business about to be divided by shareholders, Hou Fangting's eighteen-year-old only daughter Hou Fengming stepped forward and resolutely took on the responsibility of managing the "Fengming Bank." With the support of her uncle Liu Million from Weixian, she successfully overcame the crisis. Next, Hou Fengming and his cousin Liu Boda, who had invested in the "Fengming Bank," organized a merchant corps to resist bandits. They also sent people to Jiaozhou to contact the Qing army to suppress bandits in Jinkou. The court, grateful that "Fengming Qianzhuang" had timely recognized the Qing Dynasty, not only dispatched troops to eliminate banditry from Jinkou Port by land and sea for years, but also entrusted the Eight Banners Army's southern campaign supplies and provisions to "Fengming Qianzhuang" for their agent. Taking advantage of the momentum, Hou Fengming expanded "Fengming Qianzhuang" into "Fengming Villa," expanding its business into various fields and quickly becoming the largest merchant in the Jiaodong region. The Hou family of Donghai was protected by the Qing at the founding of the dynasty. In the following years, as the wars gradually subsided, Hou Fengming became even more influential in the business world, manipulating and maneuvering, and his business grew larger and larger. But when it came to her lifelong affairs, Miss Hou could not be as adept and decisive as in business. Facing his cousin Liu Boda, who had invested in the "Fengming Bank" and always loved him deeply, Hou Fengming looked around nervously, wavering. Even if she didn't mind her cousin's mediocre talent and agreed to marry him, her uncle would never agree to let his only son marry into the Hou family. And if her cousin couldn't marry into the family, no one in the Donghai Hou family would agree to their marriage. Moreover, deep in Hou Fengming's heart, there was a feeling even she herself hadn't realized.Although Liu Boda didn't have much talent for doing business, through many years of ups and downs, he always stayed by Hou Fengming's side. Even though his role at 'Fengming Manor' had gradually diminished, to the point where he could only help Hou Fengming handle some paperwork, Liu Boda harbored no complaints or regrets. As long as he could stay by his cousin's side, he was willing to be Hou Fengming's shadow for a lifetime.
Unexpectedly, just when the business of 'Fengming Manor' was thriving and Hou Fengming was unsure how to handle his emotional entanglement with his cousin, Liu Boda suddenly met a tragic fate and was killed in a remote house in Jinkou Town!
Some things are only truly valued when they become irretrievable. Miss Hou was in complete disarray and had no choice but to lock herself in her room, blaming herself and grieving alone. Was it necessary to find someone like Zhang Liang or Xiao He to help build 'Fengming Manor' into a business empire like Tao Zhugong's? Although her cousin was not good at commerce, he had always been loyal to her. He was originally the most important shareholder of 'Fengming Manor'!
But now, it was too late no matter what she said. Who else could she turn to? Although her business empire had already taken initial shape, where could she find a shoulder as broad and selfless as her cousin's to lean on? Only then did she realize that in her heart, she had always deeply loved her cousin Liu Boda!
At this moment, Wan Lifang, the chief accountant of 'Fengming Manor' who had just been promoted in the past two years, requested an audience to report some recent daily affairs of the manor to Hou Fengming. Summoning her strength, Hou Fengming rose, sat at her dressing table, touched up her makeup a little, and then went to the hall to sit down. As someone engaged in business, Hou Fengming often presented a mixture of masculine and feminine poise, but after all, loving beauty is intrinsic to being a girl. Whether meeting servants or business partners, Hou Fengming paid great attention to her appearance.
Today, Hou Fengming suddenly realized that the reason she had long been reluctant to accept her cousin Liu Boda's love might have something to do with the chief accountant of the manor, Wan Lifang!
Wan Lifang was handsome, elegant, cultured, and a former provincial scholar, a well-known talent in Jiangnan. To marry such a charming and accomplished talent from Jiangnan would truly be a harmonious and complementary relationship! Moreover, Wan Lifang could read through accounts quickly and remember them effortlessly, leaving no loopholes in business — a rare talent in commerce. Every time Hou Fengming saw Wan Lifang entering or leaving her study, she had thought many times about this.Could it be that I have really fallen in love with the elegant Jiangnan talent Wan Lifang? Hou Fengming shook his head unconfidently, stopping his own wild thoughts. The urgent matter at hand was to assist the government officers in quickly uncovering the truth about his cousin Liu Boda's death. Liu Boda rarely took part in the decision-making of 'Fengming Manor' during his lifetime, and he certainly did not attend external negotiations, so it was impossible for him to have offended any business rivals. Then, could it really be, as rumored inside and outside the manor, that he was killed out of jealousy in a brothel after despairing from his unrequited love for me over many years? 'I heard from the servants that the place where Master Liu was killed really used to be home to a courtesan?' Hou Fengming suddenly put down the account book Wan Lifang had sent and asked him abruptly. Just as Wan Lifang was about to answer, a servant rushed in to report that news had come from the Maritime Bureau office: the murderer who killed Master Liu had been caught! The teacup in Hou Fengming's hand slipped to the ground as he suddenly stood up. Wan Lifang was also so shocked that his face turned pale.
