Chapter Fifty: Mutual Exploitation

He spoke with little concern. He hadn’t considered so much; all these misunderstandings would certainly be explained one by one.

“The Zhao Family Cloth House—would you be willing to go have a look?”

Ah?

Jiang Xiuxiu was instantly stunned. She was, after all, just a woman, responsible only for the affairs of the inner courtyard. If she were to appear in public, wouldn’t that invite ridicule? The world outside would surely make a mockery of her.

“It’s not about making you show your face. The ready-made clothing shop at the cloth house is being renovated. They’ll recruit a few servants to study the classics there. Don’t you want to give it a try?”

A hint of conflict flickered in Jiang Xiuxiu’s eyes. She had never thought that one day she might teach what she knew to others.

“But Mother might not agree. If I leave, who will take care of her at home?”

Jiang Xiuxiu spoke uneasily. It wasn’t far, really. He simply wanted her to experience more of the world outside. Long-term confinement in the courtyard inevitably led to anxiety and fear.

“I’ll speak to Mother myself,” Han Qing explained considerately. He had just glimpsed the eager light in the young lady’s eyes, a fleeting moment. If she yearned for the outside, then let her try.

Jiang Xiuxiu hesitated, then nodded. That counted as agreement.

Meanwhile, the officials dispatched by the court had already arrived at the tavern these past few days. Bai Second Master spared no effort, repeatedly inviting the officials to drink and make merry, introducing all the Bai family’s businesses. Indeed, these officials from Luojing admired the Bai family’s cloth shop greatly.

Yet, on this particular day, Lord Li from Luojing heard that Drunken Flower Pavilion had a unique talent and came to see for himself. This gave Han Qing a fine opportunity. He did not go in person, but it allowed him to clear his name in the future.

“Miss Zhilian, I hear your cross-talk here is unrivaled. Could you perform a piece?”

She nodded. “An honored guest’s request—how could we refuse?”

And so the performance began. Today’s cross-talk skit blatantly struck at Bai Second Master’s sore spot. Every line was a satire of the gambling den under his name.

Including veiled references to the murder cases that had occurred within. The officials from Luojing, seasoned veterans of the court, could hardly fail to understand. They immediately realized it was a pointed satire. Their impression of the Bai family soured.

Lord Li, prudent as ever, promptly instructed his subordinates to investigate the gambling den. The truth matched the cross-talk: several families had indeed been ruined. But the evidence had been destroyed, and it could not be directly proven that the Bai family was responsible. So the matter was left unresolved.

Lord Li, shrewd as he was, would certainly not take responsibility for such old cases. Seeing the situation change, he quickly decided not to involve himself in the affairs of North County City.

The three-day inspection period concluded. All the cloth houses eagerly awaited their opportunity. But Lord Li, after leaving behind some inscrutable words, decisively departed.

“Gentlemen, cloth house owners, you have traveled here—it must have been a tiring journey. But I’m afraid none of you qualify for imperial merchant status this year.”

Why?

As soon as these words were spoken, countless doubts arose. Even the Bai family was shocked. They had always been among the chosen; how could they miss out this year? All the proper rituals had been observed, just as in previous years.

“Lord Li, may I ask the reason?” One particularly bold owner ventured.

This official was not overly harsh; even with questions, he would respond. “You’d better ask what North County City has been hiding. I’ve been here less than a week, and already discovered many unsavory matters. I dare not grant you the qualification.”

It was as if he were speaking in riddles, but it was explanation enough. No one dared press further. The issues were indeed grave; no official was willing to wade into such muddy waters.

It hadn’t been noticed before, but now that it was seen, everyone hurried to cherish their own reputation. Otherwise, if implicated, their future careers would be ruined.

Rumors, vague but persistent, somehow reached Lord Li’s ears. The Bai family, losing this chance, was furious. They had never expected such an outcome.

Not only did their family miss out, but the entire North County City lost its quota.

“Ah, what misfortune have we brought upon ourselves!” After sending Lord Li off, Old Master Bai spoke in frustration. He had held his position for decades; it was no longer about promotion, but whether he could even keep his life henceforth was uncertain.

Han Qing, seeing his goal achieved, withdrew from further involvement, focusing entirely on the Zhao family’s ready-made clothing shop.

There were more than twenty such shops in North County City; competition was fierce. The tailoring skills and materials were much the same everywhere, with little difference.

That raised a question: how to stand out?

Zhao Chengzhang, after learning about the need to patch together silks, immediately sought out several tailors. The results looked decent enough.

But Han Qing glanced at them and felt dissatisfied. Still, most of the clothing was for women, and his own opinion could not represent everyone. He sent all the finished pieces to Drunken Flower Pavilion.

Miss Zhilian, upon receiving the garments, was delighted. Though they now controlled their own destinies and earned considerable wealth, such precious silks were rarely purchased—how had they found their way to the pavilion?

Yet before she could rejoice for long, Han Qing’s words brought her back to reality.

“Look at these, which do you like best? And tell me why.”

Ah? What kind of odd request was this?

“Master Han, it’s fortunate you came ahead of time, or I’d have thought you were gifting them to me.”

“If you want them, it’s not impossible. These two are the finest—one hundred taels each.”

He earnestly quoted a price.

Zhilian’s face flushed bright red. Luckily, Young Master Zhu stepped in to smooth things over, preventing the scene from becoming too awkward.

“Brother Han, that’s not right. For girls like Miss Zhilian, suitors offering clothes queue all the way to Luojing!”

He certainly knew how to win a lady’s favor.

“I’m only speaking the truth. Besides, I need your honest advice.”

He spoke without hesitation, uninterested in banter.