The day after New Year’s Eve.
“This letter is for Dongfang Yukun, and this one is for Dongfang Yuanbin. You must deliver them personally and make our position clear.” Song Qiming handed the two letters to Lanxi.
Song Jinzhao gave Lanxi the properly registered contract.
“If the Dongfang family wants to buy a share, you may accept a small amount. The businesses and connections in the capital are all being handled by Fushun, so go with him.”
The word “small” was heavily emphasized. After thinking for two seconds, Lanxi understood what Song Jinzhao meant.
“This subordinate understands.” They could accept something—but absolutely not too much. It was only meant as a gesture.
Knowing that Lanxi was returning to the capital, Song Anhao came running over with a wooden box almost as long as his arm.
“Please help me take this to Dongfang You. There are gifts and a letter for him inside. Tell him I miss him very much.”
As he spoke, Song Anhao’s eyes began to glisten. It had been nearly a year since he had seen his good friend.
Lanxi bent down and accepted the wooden box with both hands, smiling as he said, “Young Master, rest assured. I will personally deliver the box into Young Master Dongfang’s hands.”
On the day he left, Song Shixue stood where she was for a while, watching the carriage gradually disappear into the distance before finally turning away.
Standing beside her, Heye secretly sighed.
Although Manager Lan was handsome enough and very capable, he was still a servant. No matter how highly the County Princess regarded him, Heye still felt that he was unworthy of her young mistress.
Yet Song Shixue had taken a liking to him. This left Heye troubled every time she saw them together, though there was nothing she could do about it.
Two months later, Lanxi’s carriage passed a relay station five hundred li from the capital just as the Ministry of Rites officials sent from the capital were leaving.
Long-missed sunlight shone upon the gates of the County Princess’s residence. Since Song Jinzhao and the others were rarely home, the main gates were usually kept closed, and all the servants entered through the side door.
Hearing a knock, the gatekeeper called, “Who is it?” and pulled the door open a crack.
The moment he recognized Lanxi’s face, the gatekeeper’s eyes lit up, and he instantly broke into a smile as bright as two crescent moons.
“Manager Lan, you’re back!”
Seeing the carriage and the three guards behind him, the gatekeeper hurriedly opened the side gate as wide as it would go. He then brought out a ramp from inside and placed it over the steps.
After the carriage was pushed into the courtyard and handed over to the other servants, Lanxi asked the gatekeeper, “Is Steward Fu at the residence?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “The steward has been out checking the accounts at the end of the month. He should be at the perfume shop today.”
Lanxi gave a slight nod. “We’ll go rest first. Tell Steward Fu that I’m back when he returns.”
“Yes, sir.” The gatekeeper nodded eagerly.
Winter days were short, and by the time Fushun returned to the residence, the sunlight had already faded almost completely.
The gatekeeper opened the door and immediately reported, “Steward, Manager Lan is back.”
Fushun’s footsteps paused, and his eyes suddenly lit up.
“Has the County Princess returned?”
The gatekeeper shook his head. “No, only Manager Lan and three guards came back. They went to rest right after dinner.”
Lanxi woke to find that night had already fallen.
The two men discussed matters in the room for a full hour and a half before deciding to seek out Dongfang Yukun first thing the next day.
Dongfang Yukun had just finished court when he received the calling card. He accepted it with a puzzled look.
“Wasn’t one sent just last month?”
Bringing Gu Huaiyuan to the capital would not be difficult, but they needed to wait for the right opportunity.
Qiming was not an impatient man. He should not have come pressing for an answer so soon.
Lanxi bowed deeply, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Dongfang Yukun.
“I have returned from the southwest at the County Princess’s command. She has a business matter she wishes to discuss with your family. This letter was specifically given to me by the Eldest Young Master before I left. He hopes you will help mediate.”
A business matter?
The gentle expression on Dongfang Yukun’s face slowly faded as he reached out and opened the letter.
The farther he read, the more solemn his expression became.
What kind of coal could possibly be better than charcoal?
After pondering for a moment, he said, “I still have official business to attend to today. You may return first.”
Lanxi then took two more letters from inside his robe.
“This one was written by the Eldest Young Master for your family’s Old Master.”
“This one was entrusted to me by the County Princess for the Dongfang family. You will understand once you open it.”
Dongfang Yukun hesitated slightly before accepting the two envelopes. The thicker one on the left sent a chill through him.
Fushun picked up the wooden box from the table and opened it for Dongfang Yukun to see.
“These are gifts from my young master for Young Master Dongfang You. There is also a letter inside. Please see that it is delivered to him.”
Dongfang Yukun gave a slight nod, and the attendant waiting nearby immediately stepped forward to take the box.
