Thank goodness Lu Nian Fu wasn't drinking tea, or she would have definitely spat it in his face.
She extended her slender jade-like hand and pushed his face away. "Can you not use such a serious expression when you tell jokes next time?"
"I'm serious, but not relying on my face, rather on money. My uncle clearly wants to bleed my family dry. Do you know what he said when I told him I couldn't get my hands on silver for a while? He actually asked me to give him the escort agency!"
"Has it really come to this level of shamelessness?"
"The way he put it was quite tactful. People who have mingled in official circles are different. Anything shameless said by them can be justified and sound righteous."
Lu Nian Fu: ...
Finding a new backer was something Cheng Bei Zheng had been contemplating for two years. In the past two years, he had finally gained enough say in the branch to bring this matter onto the agenda. She asked, "Do you have a target?"
"My uncle works for Prince Ning, so I've decided to try my luck with the Crown Prince."
He hadn't been idle these past two years either. Through an opportunity, he had already made contact with people close to the Crown Prince. He was just waiting for the right moment to have himself introduced to the Crown Prince.
Lu Nian Fu's eyes widened suddenly. "Is your ambition not a bit too grand? Are you hoping to achieve merit by assisting the future emperor?"
"But there's no other way. Who would dare to risk offending Prince Ning to be a backer for my family?"
"However, aligning yourself with the Crown Prince carries too much risk. If he doesn't end up on the throne, your family will undoubtedly face reckoning from the new emperor. Don't act rashly. Prince Ning's influence isn't as great as you might think, so there's no need to bet everything on it now."
Choosing the wrong side could cost the entire family their heads.
Cheng Bei Zheng slowly revealed a smiling face. "I knew you wouldn't abandon me."
Lu Nian Fu suddenly realized and couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You've been playing the victim for so long, and it turns out you were waiting for me here."
"In the capital, it's incredibly difficult for merchants to break into the circles of the nobility. The Crown Prince is the last resort, but if I want to find another backer, I need a guide. Lu Xiao Fu, besides you, I can't find any trustworthy person in officialdom."
To suppress the branch, Cheng Jing Hao had been extremely stingy when it came to connections, precisely to prevent the Yangzhou branch from becoming too powerful and rebelling. Otherwise, his father wouldn't have even given up his beloved daughter.
Unfortunately, the effect was mediocre. The more prestigious the family, the more they valued the benefits brought by marriage alliances. A beautiful face alone was far from enough.
Lu Nian Fu thought for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile. "Isn't the title 'Richest Man in Yangzhou' enough of a calling card?"
"I can't just bribe everyone I meet, can I?"
Lu Nian Fu shook her finger. "No, no, third young master, your sequence is wrong. Instead of using money to find people, you should use money to lure them."
Cheng Bei Zheng sat up straight. "Elaborate."
"To elaborate, being too proactive lowers your standing and makes you lose the initiative from the start. Aren't you afraid of raising another Cheng family in the capital? What you should do now is not to hold a mountain of gold and search for a backer, but to make people realize that you not only possess this wealth but also have a rift with the Cheng family in the capital."
Cheng Bei Zheng suddenly understood. "You're right. I was narrow-minded before. Lu Xiao Fu, you're amazing. This trip today was truly worthwhile. I know what to do now."
Lu Nian Fu smiled humbly. "You need to grasp this balance carefully, or you might enrage your uncle, and he'll crush you completely, ending the game."
"If he could truly crush me instantly, the Cheng family of Yangzhou would have been annihilated long ago. However, this matter certainly requires careful planning."
"Then you plan. I'll go call Jiao Jiao back."
The girl eavesdropping outside the door quickly ducked and retreated a few steps, then pretended to have just come upstairs and met Lu Nian Fu's eyes as she opened the door. She flashed a smile. "Sister Lu, the tastes in the capital are different from those in Jiangnan. I wasn't sure what you liked, so I had them prepare a selection of specialties. What do you think?"
"It's very good. Come in quickly. After being gone for so long, your brother and I were starting to think you'd gone missing."
"Mm."
Cheng Jiao Jiao moved with light steps. After just two paces, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs again. Then a clear voice rang out, "Sister-in-law, you're dining at Zui Xiang Lou today too?"
"Mm." Lu Nian Fu was quite surprised. Why had these two come?
Ji Jin worked in the palace during the day and didn't rest at noon, so the three of them usually met in the evening.
Looking at Gu Yan Chen behind Ouyang Wen, she took Cheng Jiao Jiao's hand and smiled. "Catching up with my little sister. Let me introduce you. This is the eldest daughter of the Cheng family in Yangzhou, Cheng Jiao Jiao."
Gu Yan Chen let out an "Mm?" "Cheng Bei Zheng's sister?"
"Yes, you remember. Jiao Jiao, this is my husband, Gu Yan Chen. And this is the young marquis of Zhen Guo Gong's mansion."
Cheng Jiao Jiao quickly bowed, her posture elegant and dignified, leaving no room for criticism. "Jiao Jiao greets brother-in-law and young marquis."
If one didn't know she was from Yangzhou, her demeanor was exactly like that of a young lady from the capital. Ouyang Wen immediately wanted to distance himself, but out of respect for Lu Nian Fu, he politely said, "No need for so much formality. Since we've run into each other, why not share a table?"
Lu Nian Fu was about to refuse when Cheng Bei Zheng's head popped out from inside the room. "Lord Gu, Young Marquis, it's been a long time. I trust you are both well?"
Upon seeing this fellow, Gu Yan Chen's already unpleasant mood worsened. "Weren't you in Yangzhou? When did you come to the capital?"
"Just now."
He came to find his wife as soon as he arrived? This interloper was clearly up to no good.