Chapter 39
Yuli’s heart tightened. She quickly walked into the room and saw that although Xie Yao’s expression was inscrutable, he was not displeased.
Xie Yao looked at her. “You’re back.”
But his tone was not as casual and gentle as usual. Yuli was apprehensive. She sat down beside him and was about to say something.
“Let’s eat first,” Xie Yao said.
Yuli was also really hungry. She picked up her chopsticks and reached for a dish. She had intended to take a piece of her favorite, but she changed course and served Xie Yao a chopstick-full of his favorite first.
Xie Yao looked at her. Yuli smiled at him, and his expression seemed to soften a little.
Only then did Yuli start to eat with gusto. In her mind, she was thinking about Wanse Fang’s supply cut-off, and also about how Xie Yao was surely dissatisfied with her late return, and how she should coax him to be happy.
Unexpectedly, after the meal, it was Xie Yao who first showed concern for her. “You came back late today. Did you run into any trouble?”
His face was full of concern and encouragement, with no intention of blaming her for her late return. Yuli let out a huge sigh of relief and, like pouring out beans, told him about how the young master of Wanse Fang had threatened her with a supply cut-off to force her to sell Huayan Fang to him.
At the end, she said, “Actually, I was worried before that relying on one supplier would be a problem, so I was already looking for other alternatives. Today, I met with the owners of several weaving and dyeing workshops and had them dye the unique colors of Wanse Fang. Four owners have already taken the order, and there should be results soon.”
Yuli was worried in her heart, but she appeared relaxed and at ease on the surface, as if it were really as she said, and the problem would be solved soon.
Xie Yao asked with a smile, “Is there anything I can help with?”
Yuli paused. “If Husband knows of any large-scale weaving and dyeing workshops, you can recommend them to me.”
Xie Yao was impassive. “I heard that in three days, your silk threads will run out. It’s probably too late to dye them now.”
Yuli was silent. He was right, but this was the most effective method at the moment. Wait, his “heard,” who had he heard it from? Today, Jingyu had been with her all day and had no opportunity to send a message. After returning to the residence, she had also gone straight to Mingyue Residence with her and had not spoken to Xie Yao.
Could it be that he had other eyes and ears? Yuli thought of the two guards. Could it be that they were not just here to protect her?
Yuli suddenly felt a sense of helplessness.
Xie Yao: “That Wanse Fang is ungrateful. The best way is to make the second Chu face reality and have no choice but to sell to you. What do you say?”
Yuli felt a chill in Xie Yao’s expression and tone. She swallowed and asked, “How do we make him face reality?”
Xie Yao: “I have been in business for many years and have some friendship with the Director of Colors at the Palace Clothing Bureau. I can have him go and put pressure on him, so that the second Chu will not be able to oppress Huayan Fang.”
Yuli was relieved. “Alright, if it can be solved like this, that would be for the best. Thank you, Husband.”
Xie Yao’s smile was on the surface. “You’re thanking me?”
Yuli saw him intentionally or unintentionally release his majesty. Not only was she not afraid, but a sense of rebellion arose in her. “Alright, I won’t say it in the future, Boss Xie.”
Yuli deliberately emphasized the word “Xie.” Hearing this, Xie Yao’s smile reached his eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up uncontrollably.
Yuli also smiled. Xie Yao pulled her over, held her in his arms, and kissed her heavily.
He held the back of Yuli’s head and stared at her. “You must be back in Mingyue Residence before it gets dark from now on.”
“What if there’s an unexpected accident?” Yuli didn’t want to agree.
“If opening this shop causes an accident that makes you return late, I will handle everything in the future. You just need to collect the money. How about it?”
This was clearly non-negotiable. Yuli thought about it. She was already eye-catching. If she didn’t go home after dark, it would be a loss that outweighed the gain if something happened.
“Alright then, I will definitely be home before it gets dark,” Yuli agreed, but she couldn’t guarantee it, so she didn’t say it with absolute certainty.
Xie Yao was not very satisfied, but he didn’t press the issue. He had to let her experience some storms to know that what he had built for her was not a prison, but protection.
When Yuli was bathing, Jingyu finally found an opportunity to report to Xie Yao what had happened that day. Previously, she had only roughly said that Yuli had encountered a business war. Now, she told Xie Yao in detail about how that Chu Hong had said to Yuli that if he had a wife, he would not let her come out to suffer.
Hearing this, Xie Yao was silent for a moment. Yuli had not mentioned this just now, nor had she shown any disgust towards Chu Hong, but had just discussed the matter.
Was she really not bothered, or was she too distant with him?
After hearing Jingyu’s report, Xie Yao temporarily held his troops and waited to go to bed with Yuli.
Yuli lay flat, her eyes sometimes tightly closed, sometimes open, looking at the top of the bed curtains, as if she were thinking so hard she couldn’t fall asleep.
Xie Yao lay beside her, put his arm around her shoulder, and Yuli naturally leaned on his shoulder.
Xie Yao twirled her hair and said slowly, “Jingyu said that the second Chu was rude and offended you. Do you want me to help you deal with him?”
Yuli’s eyes flew open. She sensed a chill and asked in return, “How can you deal with him?”
“If you hate him, I can make him disappear, and you will never see him again.”
This was just like what Yuli had heard when he had mentioned her parents. Yuli knew he had the power to erase a person, whether openly or secretly, without bearing any legal consequences.
But, although that Chu Hong was a bit domineering, it really had nothing to do with crime.
Yuli: “He said those things just to suppress my confidence. In fact, he is very appreciative of my Huayan Fang and wants to use all means to annex it. And I have already fought back on the spot and didn’t let him be too proud.”
Xie Yao was silent. Yuli said again, “Actually, compared to a boss like him who takes me seriously and uses all his strength to deal with me, I hate those bosses who look down on me, treat me like a vase, and only revolve around my appearance, and don’t talk business with me seriously.”
After Yuli finished speaking, she paused. Xie Yao finally responded, “So that’s how it is. Yuli is indeed very amazing.”
His tone softened, with a hint of a smile. Yuli also relaxed and burrowed into his arms.
Yuli had been running around all day, her mind constantly turning. Once she relaxed, she fell asleep.
Xie Yao gently held her back and let out a chuckle from his nose. It was just a conflict with Yuli. He had indeed made too much of a fuss.
*
The next day, Wanse Fang cut off the supply as scheduled. Three days later, Hong Fang and the other alternatives had not yet dyed a silk thread that could replace Wanse Fang’s.
Huayan Fang was in a predicament where customers were coming to pick up their goods, but they could not deliver on time.
For the past few days, Yuli had been running around the large and small weaving and dyeing workshops, embroidery workshops, and ready-made clothing stores, going out early and coming back late. She still hadn’t been able to find all the colors to make the “Ronghua Lihua.” Even if she used similar ones to replace some, there were still five that could not be replaced at all.
If the colors were changed, the “Ronghua Lihua” would be very different from Yingniang’s same style, which would be no different from deceiving the customers who had placed orders before.
At this juncture, Yuli held a glimmer of hope and had Jingyu go to Wanse Fang to negotiate one last time. What if the Director of Colors from the palace could really succeed in putting pressure on Chu Hong?
*
Wanse Fang, second floor.
Chu Hong stood by the window, his folding fan tapping his palm, nonchalantly watching Jingyu walk into the shop.
“Second Chu, don’t say I didn’t warn you in advance. If you don’t let go, let alone getting Huayan Fang, even your ancestral family business and your own little life will be hard to protect!” Director Chen said to Chu Hong angrily.
Director Chen had been hinted by his superior to do this the day before yesterday and had been guarding this Wanse Fang for three consecutive days. From the initial pleasantries to the earnest persuasion, today was also his deadline, and he was a little flustered and exasperated.
But Chu Hong was always calm and composed. Hearing this, he turned back, took his seat, and poured a cup of green tea for Director Chen.
“Old Chen, have some tea to cool down first,” Chu Hong said.
Director Chen picked up the teacup, poured it into his mouth, and was burned by the scalding hot tea. He almost wanted to curse. He slammed the teacup on the table. “You little brat, you did it on purpose!”
“I didn’t tell you to drink it right away,” Chu Hong said with a smile.
Director Chen took the cloth that Shopkeeper Liu handed him, wiped his hands and mouth, threw the cloth on the table, and, in a fit of anger, leaned back in his chair and refused to say another word.
After a moment of silence, Chu Hong finally said, “Why don’t you reveal first, who on earth is behind that Madam Song?”
“Someone neither you nor I can afford to offend,” Director Chen snorted.
“Say it to scare me. Maybe I’ll be scared and let go, and you’ll be able to report back, right?”
Director Chen’s eyes flashed. This matter was an order from his superior. He had only said it was urgent and the consequences were serious, but his knowledge was limited to his superior’s level. He couldn’t guess any higher.
Such a matter, he thought, was probably someone in the business world using personal connections to take a shortcut. The person behind it had always protected their identity. He had also heard of his superior’s intricate relationships, but there was no one who could really surpass the Chu clan. However, this time, his superior’s expression was very solemn, and there was even a hint of fear. He would ask him about the progress every day when he went back, as if it were a matter of life and death.
Director Chen couldn’t guess the person behind it. Someone who could make his superior so afraid must be extremely powerful, but to have him do such a trivial matter, and not to use power to pressure people, was really strange.
Director Chen threw out three words, “I don’t know.”
Chu Hong laughed. “Then it’s probably not that big of a deal. It’s probably that Director Xu has a handle on someone, which is why he’s putting so much pressure on you, using your future as a threat to help him out of trouble.”
“How dare you say that!” Director Chen looked around and patted his chest.
Chu Hong’s smile did not change. “Otherwise, how else can you explain it? Director Chen is also an old friend of my old man. Do you still remember how he would rather break than bend in the face of power in his early years? Now he is old, but when he scolds me, he loves to say that I am just like him when he was young.”
The people from Huayan Fang had arrived. Shopkeeper Liu did not go to see them, but looked at Chu Hong, his face full of helplessness.
Chu Hong was not shy and said directly in front of Shopkeeper Liu, “When the gods fight, it’s the little ghosts who suffer. I also accept that the old man chose to compromise. But with the endless struggles between my uncles at home, the original weaving and dyeing business has also reached a bottleneck. The Chu clan can be said to be going from bad to worse. Since ancient times, prosperity has been followed by decline. If I don’t find another way, I’m afraid the Chu clan will be at its end.”
“Then you go and do your weaving and dyeing business. Why bother with a little girl’s jewelry workshop?”
“That’s where you’re wrong. If you’ve been to that Huayan Fang, you’ll know that Huayan Fang will definitely be a sensation in the capital. In the future, it will open in the secondary capital and Jiangnan. Its future is limitless. And Madam Song is by no means an ordinary person. She has excellent taste, a keen eye for people, and worldly talent. Although she is only eighteen or nineteen, her mind is far superior to some of the half-century-old matriarchs of the great aristocratic families. She is born to do great things. If I don’t subdue her early, I’m afraid I will only be able to look at her from behind in the future.”
Director Chen: “Greed! You merchants are all sent to a dead end by a single greedy heart.”
Chu Hong laughed twice. “Not at all, not at all. This is called ambition. Today, I have also shown my cards. If Director Chen still doesn’t make a big move, I can’t help you.”
Director Chen was heartbroken. “Can’t you use some other trick? You have to force a weak woman to a dead end. Do you know how many customers are waiting for Huayan Fang to deliver their goods every day?”
Chu Hong: “How is this forcing her? Old Chen, you officials have it too easy. You still haven’t seen the cruelty of the market. I’m just openly cutting off the supply. I haven’t tampered with the silk threads. If she can’t take it and bows to me, I am willing to buy Huayan Fang at the market price, or let her continue to operate and take some dividends every year. If she can find a substitute, then I lose, and I will admit it. Compared to those old things, my methods are clean. Besides, she is not weak. Didn’t she find her way to your superior?”
Director Chen snorted. Officials have it easy? Easy my ass! Anyway, his official career was coming to an end. Director Chen didn’t waste any more words.
“You’d better watch yourself. Don’t end up trying to steal a chicken only to lose the rice.”
Chu Hong saw Director Chen off. A young servant came to ask if he wanted to see the people from Huayan Fang.
Chu Hong’s expression was deep. “No, unless Shopkeeper Song comes in person. I won’t see anyone else.”
Shopkeeper Liu: “Then how should we dismiss them?”
“Treat them well, don’t back down, and don’t offend them,” Chu Hong said. “It seems that Shopkeeper Song is not an inexperienced and kind woman. Not bad.”
Shopkeeper Liu was about to go. Chu Hong asked again, “Is there any clue about her husband’s identity?”
“No. In the Song family, no one knows her. The people around her are all tight-lipped. I couldn’t find out.”
Chu Hong said no more, and Shopkeeper Liu left.
Chu Hong smiled. This Madam Song was probably from out of town. Her surname was fake, and her identity as a married woman was also a lie for convenience.
It was getting more and more interesting.
*
Director Chen returned in defeat. Xie Yao learned of it from the Clothing Bureau at the first opportunity.
The second Chu would rather lose the imperial palace’s orders than force Yuli into a corner and sell Huayan Fang to him.
Xie Yao still had a hundred ways to force Chu Hong to submit, but he held back for the time being. He closely monitored the movements of Huayan Fang for two consecutive days, thinking that when Yuli could no longer hold on, he would immediately go and get her.
Whether this business succeeded or not was not that important. What was important was to be by her side when she was in trouble.
However, for three consecutive days, Huayan Fang operated as usual, and the expected chaos did not appear.
Yuli returned home on time, her expression as usual, only occasionally discussing matters in a low voice with Jingyu, and sometimes holding Xuemi in a daze.
Yuli did not talk to him about Huayan Fang’s affairs again. Only when Jingyu reported some things and Xie Yao asked in detail about how Huayan Fang had solved the supply cut-off did Jingyu explain.
“This is the Mistress’s business secret,” Jingyu said with her head bowed. “Wanse Fang still refuses to sell those few colors of silk threads to Huayan Fang, and the other weaving and dyeing workshops have not yet developed them. The silk threads necessary for making velvet flowers were bought by the Mistress from other embroidery workshops and then resold to Huayan Fang.”
Jingyu had been instructed by Yuli before that besides the two of them, not even Xiyun and Lizhen could know about this matter. Jingyu had not told the master. Now that the master was asking, she also spoke in a low voice.
Xie Yao did not get angry.
Yuli was so clever and knew how to advance and retreat. It was really beyond his expectations.
In the end, Xie Yao only instructed Jingyu, “From now on, you must report any of her movements to me.”
Jingyu agreed in fear.
There is no wall in the world that does not have a crack. Yuli’s act of buying Wanse Fang’s silk threads through a third party was soon discovered by Wanse Fang.
On this day, Chu Hong suddenly came to visit, bringing with him the owner of the embroidery workshop that Yuli had entrusted to buy the silk threads. Shopkeeper Liu also followed behind.
As soon as they entered Huayan Fang and passed through two gauze curtains, the eight-foot-high four-panel screen came into view.
Chu Hong and Shopkeeper Liu stopped at the same time.
Shopkeeper Liu: “This painting looks like the work of the Hermit of the Four Seas.”
Chu Hong also thought so, but he also felt it was impossible. “The Hermit of the Four Seas is skilled in painting landscapes. He only entered the Hanlin Academy as a court painter last year. I have basically seen all his paintings and have never seen him paint these things.”
Shopkeeper Liu looked closely. His master had a genuine work of the Hermit of the Four Seas in his collection, which was hung in a secret room. He had admired it every day for a period of time, and he had also seen it many times. He felt that the use of color and the lines of this painting were really similar.
The two of them looked, from the white cat picture, to the lady picture, to the camellia picture, and finally to the courtyard picture. In the deep and warm courtyard, half a tiger’s paw, a small half of a tiger’s face, and a few tiger whiskers were abruptly revealed.
The two of them said in unison, “Hehe, it’s a copy.”