Qing Miao was inherently timid, and the sight before her made her hands and feet tremble. Yet, she remembered not to disgrace her young lady. Bracing herself, she said, "Steward Wang is here. He said there's a problem with the shop on Zhuque Street."
Lu Nianfu was startled. Wasn't Wang Shoucheng supposed to be handling the transfer of ownership for the shop and workshop today? Why had he come here so early in the morning?
She offered an apologetic smile to Madam Fang, "Mother, your daughter-in-law has something to attend to. I'll come serve you your meal tomorrow. As for Qing Miao, although her reasons are understandable, she disrupted Mother's meal, which was wrong. Please rest assured, I will discipline her properly when we get back. Qing Ya, Qing Miao, let's go."
Without waiting for Madam Fang to reply, she strode out with a hurried pace.
Madam Fang felt a pang of anger, yet couldn't help but be curious. She looked at her two concubines and asked, "Did she buy a shop on Zhuque Street?"
Shops on Zhuque Street were not easy to acquire; even a small one was quite expensive.
The two concubines shook their heads in unison, "Your concubines have not heard her mention it."
"Bah, you spend all day gossiping together but can't find out anything. What use are you?"
Concubine Zhuang was rather slow-witted. Seeing Madam Fang's anger, she shivered slightly. After a while, she gathered her courage and spoke, "Perhaps, concubine can serve you your meal?"
Madam Fang: ...
"I will be angered to death by you sooner or later."
Wang Shoucheng was led into the Shanglan Courtyard, dejected. Upon seeing Lu Nianfu, he knelt down, "Young Lady, please punish me. It's my fault for not inquiring clearly, which led to this incident."
Lu Nianfu rubbed her forehead, "Don't kneel, don't kneel. First, explain the situation to me. What happened to the shop?"
"The yamen refused to transfer ownership."
"Why? Is there a problem with the shop?"
"I only found out just now. The shop has caught the eye of a nobleman, which is why the owner repeatedly lowered the price, yet no one dared to buy it."
With powerful figures scattered all over the capital, such incidents were likely common. Lu Nianfu had no intention of making enemies for Gu Yanchen. She thought that since only a deposit had been paid, she would not get involved. She asked casually, "Do you know which family has set their sights on it?"
"It is said to be the second young master of the Marquis of Ying's estate."
What a coincidence.
If it were another family, Lu Nianfu would have certainly given up. But since it was the Marquis of Ying's estate, she was not one to easily back down. "Do you know where the shop owner is?"
Wang Shoucheng sighed, "That old man is quite pitiful. He reportedly cried when the yamen refused the transfer, and the constables took him to jail."
"Such a small matter warrants jail time?"
"I suspect the prefectural office received considerable benefits from the Marquis of Ying's estate. They were afraid that if the old man made a scene and attracted passersby, it would escalate. So they simply... "
"This is under the Emperor's watchful eyes, is there no law anymore?"
Wang Shoucheng's head drooped, "When I was in Yangzhou, I thought that as long as one had money, anything was possible. But I've come to realize in the capital that power is more important than anything. It's all my fault. If I had investigated more thoroughly before buying the shop, I wouldn't have caused the young lady to lose two hundred taels of deposit for nothing."
Lu Nianfu smiled, "It's worth spending these two hundred taels if it lets you experience the difference between the capital and Yangzhou. Do you know where the shop owner's home is? Since the old man has been detained, I imagine the old lady is at home."
"You still want to go? Young Lady, the Marquis of Ying's estate is far more prominent than the Marquis of Guangling's estate. They have a daughter who is a noble consort in the palace, and a grandson who is a prince. Ordinary people cannot afford to provoke them."
Wang Shoucheng regretted it deeply. He had been eager to make a name for himself and help the young lady achieve great things in the capital. Unexpectedly, the very first matter had gone awry. Losing two hundred taels of deposit was a small matter, but what if it led to the Marquis of Ying's estate targeting the young lady?
Lu Nianfu smiled, "It's alright, let's go."
Jian Shizhao, the second young master of the Marquis of Ying's estate, appeared dissolute and unrestrained, but in reality, he was cunning, black-hearted, and ruthless. He was Ning Wang's foremost strategist. If he could be eliminated while Situ Jue was away from the capital, it would be equivalent to severing one of his arms. Lu Nianfu boarded the carriage, hoping that the story behind the shop owner might prove useful.
Lu Nianfu thought that a family owning such a large shop on Zhuque Street must surely live in a decent residence.
To her surprise, the carriage stopped in front of a small courtyard.
The Lantern Festival had not yet passed, and the red lanterns on the doors of various households still shone brightly. Yet, there was no trace of festivity at this particular door; instead, it exuded a sense of desolation.
Wang Shoucheng stepped forward and knocked. Footsteps soon echoed from within, and an aged voice called out, "Old man, why did it take so long to get the ownership transferred?"