Before the words had even finished echoing, Second Madam Liu walked through the courtyard gate while lifting her long skirt.
Seeing Cui’er, she first shook her head, then caught sight of Fu Jingxuan through the main house window and said to him, “I’m going to Ye County today to meet the merchant ships from the Procurement Bureau. Have the Fang family’s nephew get dressed and come out so we can see if there are any final instructions.”
Fang Zesheng had already heard her voice. He moved from the bed to his wheelchair with the mute uncle’s assistant. Just as he was about to merely tie his hair back, Fu Jingxuan stepped forward to assist him. Then, draping a light-colored robe over him, Fu Jingxuan guided Fang Zesheng into the flower hall.
San Bao poured a cup of tea for Second Madam Liu and then stood off to the side, unwilling to serve her. Business was business; although she had closed a deal with his young master this time, it didn’t mean their past grudges were wiped clean. Once this transaction is over, they should go their separate ways; ideally never seeing each other again and staying out of each other’s business.
Second Madam Liu didn’t have a kind face for the little servant either, but seeing Fang Zesheng emerge, she hurriedly set down her teacup, stood up, and smiled. “Nephew, come here quickly. Are you feeling any better?”
It was uncertain which year or month these greetings came from, yet she delivered a string of rambling salutations with boundless enthusiasm.
Fang Zesheng nodded and made a gesture for her to be seated. “Madam Liu, please sit.”
Second Madam Liu chuckled and took a sip from her teacup.
In the tea market, there was a rule: if a woman oversaw the accounts, she had to be addressed by her maiden name, not her husband’s surname; for example, Madam Xie, Madam Cheng, Madam Shu of the Lin family, or Madam Wang, who had once represented the Fang family. Using her husband’s surname was seen as disrespectful. In trade and commerce, one relied on their own abilities; a husband’s family should not stand in front of them and overshadow their competence.
Second Madam Liu had never managed the accounts before, so naturally, no one had called her Madam Liu; most referred to her as the Second Madam.
Now that Fang Zesheng addressed her this way, she was naturally delighted while casting a smug glance at Fu Jingxuan.
Fu Jingxuan was in a good mood and politely returned the gesture, his eyes drifting toward Cui’er, who was still kneeling in the courtyard.
Liu Ruyan followed his gaze. She had visited the outer residence before coming here today. She had intended to go to Wang Xiuhe’s courtyard to mock her only to find that the woman had already hanged herself with her body covered by a white cloth.
Liu Ruyan brushed aside the tea leaves and sighed, though there wasn’t a hint of pity in her eyes. “A person like her certainly didn’t die out of shame.”
Fu Jingxuan asked, “What does Second Madam think?”
Liu Ruyan said, “I reckon she saw the writing on the wall. The other three families have all sided with Nephew Fang. Once the batch of tea we prepared enters the Procurement Bureau’s warehouse, she won’t get a shred of credit; she might even have been kicked out onto the street. She wore that mask of hypocrisy for half her life; how could she let the whole world point at her spine and call her a piece of trash? She died for her own sake; she doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy.”
San Bao, who was listening from the side, was completely bewildered. He leaned toward Fu Jingxuan and whispered, “Wasn’t all the tea burned last night? How can it still be sent to the Procurement Bureau?”
Fu Jingxuan, who was seated in the side chair of the flower hall, tapped San Bao’s thick head with his folding fan. “It was arranged beforehand, of course.”
San Bao blinked, mulling it over for a long moment before it suddenly clicked.
The scheme traced back to the Tea Tasting Convention. Lord Song’s arrival in Chu had been anticipated by both Fu Jingxuan and Fang Zesheng; though Hu Yunshan was an unexpected factor, using the recluse in Wang Xiuhe’s hands to win the tasting session had been a near certainty. Winning that round secured the imperial contract, allowing them to deliberately leak word that, after years of endurance, Fang Zesheng was finally moving against her, triggering her paranoia and wild suspicions. She planned to outmaneuver them in their own game, so they played along. Before this, Fu Jingxuan had prepared backup plans, arranging three separate deals with Tao Xianzhi, Hu Ruosong, and Second Madam Liu. These deals involved purchasing the Tao family’s new buds, hiring the Hu family’s tea workers, and using the Fu family’s shipping. Thus, the three families collaborated to prepare the tea for the imperial family, gathering it at the Fu residence before sending it to the capital.
Fang Zesheng would not take a single cent of the rewards this time. Moreover, the three families were allowed to select the personnel who would escort the goods to the capital. Entering the Procurement Bureau meant a chance to speak with the procurement officials; one right word could potentially lead to a massive business deal.
It was well known that Fang Zesheng had a leg disability, so it was understandable that he couldn’t personally accompany the goods to the capital. In the name of the Tea Merchant Association, he sent a letter to Lord Zhang of the Procurement Bureau, stating that he dared not neglect the imperial business and that the four great families had joined forces to ensure everything was foolproof.
By doing this, he set aside personal profit and shared the prestige before the Imperial Court with the other three families. Naturally, the three families were delighted and more than happy to help.
However, the “Auspicious Carved Lotus” technique was no longer an exclusive secret of the Fang family. Since the Hu family’s tea workers were helping with the production, they would naturally have to learn it thoroughly.
Ever since Liu Ruyan learned of this arrangement, she felt a twinge of envy. But on second thought, she let it go; how could selling someone else’s tea be better than selling her own? If the Fu family ever claimed to produce “Auspicious Carved Lotus,” it certainly wouldn’t be the real thing anyway.
“How do you plan to handle that little girl outside?”
Fang Zesheng said, “Just let her go.”
Liu Ruyan was relentless. “That’s far too easy on her. That girl surely did plenty of wicked things alongside Wang Xiuhe; her heart is likely blackened through and through. It’s better to hand her over to the authorities.”
Fang Zesheng nodded but said nothing, leaving the matter to the mute uncle to handle.
The mute uncle did not hand Cui’er over to the officials. Instead, he gestured to her, telling her to keep a conscience in the future and learn to distinguish right from wrong; that a master isn’t always right, and she must never blindly follow others or let her mind be easily manipulated.
Cui’er wept with gratitude while clutching her bundle. She begged the mute uncle to hand over Wang Xiuhe’s body to her when standing at the gate of the outer residence. Though Wang Xiuhe had been unkind to the Fang family over the years, she had shown Cui’er some mercy; she had bought her off the streets and provided food and shelter so she would never go hungry or cold again. Now that the woman was gone, burying her with her own hands would serve as a final repayment of that debt.
The mute uncle nodded and helped her push over a wooden cart before leaving her alone. Following Fang Zesheng’s orders, he dismissed all the servants of the Fang household, leaving only Zhou Qi, and returned to the inner courtyard.
Second Madam Liu stayed to sit for a while and then departed; the Fu family had major affairs waiting for her attention. If the Tao or Hu families managed to steal her thunder at the Procurement Bureau during this trip to the capital, wouldn’t her efforts have been for nothing?
They had originally planned to head to the outskirts for an autumn excursion in the early morning, but with all the commotion, two hours had already slipped by.
The autumn sun hung high, carrying with it the sweet fragrance of osmanthus drifting through the air.
Fu Jingxuan was unwilling to let such beautiful scenery go to waste. He arranged for San Bao to find a carriage and had the mute uncle help buy some pastries. He packed two pulp fiction story books, stuffed in two cloaks for the cold, and prepared tea sets, a chessboard, two jars of fruit wine, and a bamboo flute; moving them onto the carriage one by one like an ant moving house.
Fang Zesheng had come out dressed in an autumn robe patterned with ink-wash cranes long ago. He sat near the carriage holding several blank scrolls; these were his only belongings, while the rest of the carriage was packed to the brim with things Fu Jingxuan wanted to bring.
Second Young Master Fu was currently crouching inside the carriage counting the items. He checked them over and over, always feeling as though something was missing.
Everything that should be on the carriage was there; he had even hauled out the guqin that had hung unplayed in Fang Zesheng’s study for a long time.
So, what exactly was missing?
Fu Jingxuan stared at the guqin for a good while, then suddenly arched an eyebrow. He jumped down from the carriage, headed straight for Fang Zesheng, and abruptly pulled him into his arms.
Startled by the sudden motion, Fang Zesheng rested his chin on the other’s shoulder and asked blankly, “What are you doing?”
Second Young Master Fu narrowed his eyes and smiled. “And here I thought I’d forgotten to bring something.”
“Turns out it was this one.”
“The most precious one.”
