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墨書 Inktalez
After hearing Xuanyuan Rui's words, Qing Luan stood up and turned her back to them in silence. Her petite figure appeared so heavy in the eyes of everyone present, as if all the responsibilities were resting on her shoulders.
"Qiu Mingqi rushed to the palace after the wedding..." Xuanyuan Rui revealed this matter, worried that his request might have ulterior motives, so he gave Qing Luan a heads-up.
"What does he want?" Qing Luan immediately turned around and asked him seriously.
If Qiu Mingqi intended to pull any tricks at this moment, she would not tolerate such a vile and despicable person.
"He volunteered, saying he wanted to donate silver to help the suffering people," Xuanyuan Rui said, never believing that Qiu Mingqi was the kind of person who acted selflessly. Everyone knew there was something fishy about it, but without evidence, they felt helpless even if they understood.
"What did the Emperor say?" If this big boss lost his mind, many people would suffer along with him, especially someone like Qiu Mingqi, who was a hypocrite. She knew better than anyone how selfish and cold-hearted he was. If he were in charge of this matter, the capital would surely be filled with complaints.
"The Emperor praised him for being so loyal to the country despite his recent marriage and ordered all merchants in the capital to contribute silver to help the people. Anyone who disobeys will be dealt with on the spot!" This seemed like a decisive move from the Emperor, using strong measures to force the people into submission. However, such actions could easily incite civil unrest.
How could someone as despicable as Qiu Mingqi be magnanimous? It was already fortunate that he wasn't profiting from national disaster at this time; expecting him to do something great was a huge joke.
"Qin'er," Qing Luan said sharply after thinking for a moment, "bring Sister Yun here."
"Yes!" Qin'er saw her mistress's serious expression and did not dare delay, immediately running off to find her.
Before long, Sister Yun arrived, panting heavily. Unaware of the gravity of the situation, she complained as she entered, "Miss, the sky is falling! I'm about to die from running so fast."
"The sky is indeed falling," Qing Luan replied. She and Fu Tianlin were in that private room from last time, and there were A-Song's men outside keeping watch, so they spoke without reservation. "Sister Yun, you have one day to gather all valuable items from Jade Pavilion and take them away. Leave a few maids behind to handle things..."
"What happened?" Sister Yun's mouth dropped open in surprise. She knew that Jade Pavilion was her mistress's hard work; Miss would never make such a choice unless absolutely necessary.
"I'll explain later. Right now, go do it immediately without delay. Take everything you can... Once you're done packing up, leave the city right away without waiting for me," Their target was themselves, so Sister Yun's departure should not attract too much attention.
She needed to race against Qiu Mingqi and see who could move faster.
Qing Luan's decision left both Fu Tianlin and Xuanyuan Rui stunned; they felt she was being somewhat exaggerated.
"Is it really necessary to go this far? It's just a donation; there's no need to close the Jade Pavilion!"
"Qiu Mingqi is a petty man who seeks revenge for even the slightest grievance. Now that he has this opportunity, how could he possibly let go of the chance to humiliate me and take down the Jade Pavilion? He covets it so much that he wishes he could have it in his hands right now. With such a good opportunity at hand, he will not spare the Jade Pavilion... If it means keeping it from him, I would rather see the Jade Pavilion disappear!" She had said it long ago: I Would Rather Have My Jade Shatter Than My Tiles Remain Intact.
"What will you do then?" Xuanyuan Rui was worried that Qiu Mingqi would not let her off the hook.
"Fu Tianlin, I've told you most of what Tianxiang Restaurant needs to do. The court situation is unstable right now, so don't be too arrogant; it's better to maintain the status quo." This was her way of repaying his trust in her, letting him know when she received the news. "Xuanyuan Rui, can you leave the capital now?" After saying this, she looked at Xuanyuan Rui and asked.
"What's stopping me?" Xuanyuan Rui shrugged and replied, "There's no war to fight; I'm just a useless person. Many people in the capital don't want me around, so if I leave, no one will care!" As for the emperor, he never worried about being accused of rebellion.
"Alright then, go back and pack your things. Once you're ready, wait for me at the small courtyard outside the city," she had other matters to attend to.
"Okay!" He never doubted her words.
"What are you planning to do?" Fu Tianlin asked uncertainly. To him, Zhu Qingluan's current actions seemed like a hasty retreat, leaving him puzzled.
"We're going to Jiangnan," Qing Luan kindly provided him with an answer before disdainfully adding, "By the time those cowardly ministers come up with a plan, all those displaced commoners will be dead!"
"You want to go...?" Fu Tianlin was taken aback by her thoughts; even he had not considered personally going to Jiangnan and was surprised by her boldness.
"You should head back first. Come see me when I return," Qing Luan didn't waste any more words with him; she had many things to do.
People dispersed; some left while others stayed. Only A-Song remained at Ruyi Tower. To outsiders, the Jade Pavilion was Qing Luan's main business, but they did not know that Ruyi Tower was her true stronghold in the capital.
Thus, ending the Jade Pavilion posed no hesitation for Qing Luan; she left with grace.
When Qiu Mingqi arrived with his men, eager to intimidate Qing Luan, what he found instead was an empty building. Inside were only a few old women swatting flies.
"Where is Chen Qingluan?" Seeing that an old woman greeted him, his frustration was nearly unbearable.
"My young lady's surname is Zhu," she replied, showing signs of early dementia despite her young age.
"Where has your young lady gone?" He asked again, suppressing his anger.
This time, he took the initiative, pretending to be concerned for the common people and demanding money from the merchants, but deep down, he wanted to swallow up Jade Pavilion. After all, Jade Pavilion was the most profitable establishment in the capital, and if anything went wrong, he would have a hard time explaining himself.
Jade Pavilion was his target, but money still had to be paid. So after court, he led his men straight here.
"Sister Yun took people to steal the jewelry from Jade Pavilion, and the young lady led her people in pursuit," the old woman said with an expressionless face, fabricating a story that no one would believe.
"What?" Furrowing his brows, Qiu Mingqi felt that he was being played for a fool and immediately became furious. "You old hag, do you dare to fool me? Watch out or I'll kill you with one blow!"
If only you could! The old woman thought sarcastically, but her face remained impassive. "If the Young Marquis doesn't believe me, you can search for yourself. There really is nothing left in Jade Pavilion," she said. The young lady was truly impressive; she was just a step ahead of the Young Marquis, and it seemed that Qiu Mingqi was destined to suffer.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Mingqi looked around and noticed that the once-bustling shop was indeed empty. The lively scene had vanished, leaving only a few old women swatting flies inside...
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At Midnight... there will be another update tonight... The updates have been unstable for several days now, and I've noticed no one is urging for more; Lazy is feeling a bit tragic!
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