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"To congratulate Miss Lin on her marriage, we humble merchants shall no longer do business with her, lest we tarnish her noble status," Qing Luan declared, a cold smile lingering at the corner of her lips as she spoke each word with conviction. She then stepped into the Jade Pavilion, indifferent to the murmurs of those outside.
"Hah, who does she think she is, making such bold claims?" Everyone was momentarily stunned, but Zhuang Youlan was the first to regain composure.
"Ignore her, let's go!" Suppressing her unease, Lin Ya tugged at them to leave.
Whether or not she was being bold, Qing Luan did not explain. However, when Lin Ya suddenly realized that not only could she not buy any dowry items, but even the family she was to marry into could not procure gifts or even a wedding gown, the bizarre situation left her feeling anything but calm. After all her efforts to secure a good marriage, how could she let it slip away so easily? Thus, she rushed to find Qing Luan.
She wanted Zhuang Youlan to help her, but knowing the people at Jade Pavilion were not to be trifled with, Zhuang Youlan feigned illness and refused to go.
What awaited Lin Ya was the closed doors of Jade Pavilion, with no one paying her any mind.
The family that had been engaged to Lin Ya had heard rumors about why they couldn't buy gifts—because of Lin Ya—and promptly called off the engagement. Once they withdrew their proposal, they could buy whatever they wanted. They understood that Lin Ya had offended someone powerful and were unwilling to acknowledge the marriage any longer.
Initially, the Lin family had planned for a fake engagement withdrawal; they intended to marry after securing their purchases. However, it unexpectedly turned into a real cancellation—suddenly, the Lin family became the talk of the entire capital.
"Damn it! I will kill you! I will kill you!" After learning of her broken engagement, Lin Ya's hands trembled as she shredded the pillow she had embroidered herself with scissors. Her face twisted in resentment was truly chilling.
"Lin Ya has been jilted," Sister Yun reported softly.
"Mm," Qing Luan nodded, gazing out at a patch of frost outside. She said coolly, "The New Year is approaching!" It must be even colder up north!
General Bu was dead; he had been ambushed during transport. Qing Luan had never intended to use this incident to bring down Prime Minister Huang, so she felt no surprise at this news. If General Bu had made it to the capital, no one understood the stakes better than that old man; his actions were a desperate gamble for survival.
General Bu had sent all the winter supplies to the north, which relieved Qing Luan. Otherwise, she would have to reveal her trump card, making it disadvantageous for her when negotiating with the Emperor.
"Miss, Miss Qingyuan sent someone to ask where you will be spending the New Year," Sister Yun said, noticing the increasingly silent demeanor of her mistress. Knowing she had something on her mind, Sister Yun thought that perhaps a gathering of sisters could cheer her up, so she spoke up.
"Spending the New Year?" Qing Luan was taken aback, her mind wandering to Qin'er’s sweet smile. She shook her head and said, "I won’t go anywhere; I’ll just stay here." Without Qin'er’s chatter, it felt truly lonely.
Some things cannot be replaced by money or anything else. The bond she shared with Qin'er after so many years of hardship together was irreplaceable by Chen Qingyuan. Thus, she wanted to hold onto that memory.
"Oh, then I’ll go inform them," Sister Yun murmured, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"Choose some gifts to send over; don’t forget about the Zhu Family as well," Qing Luan instructed. Even if she wouldn’t go in person, gifts must be delivered to avoid facing a crowd of pleas that would give her a headache.
"Understood!" Sister Yun felt a bit relieved, knowing that her mistress still cared. If she truly didn’t care about anything, that would be a serious concern.
On the cold streets, shadows flickered; business at Jade Pavilion had also cooled significantly. The wealthy ladies were reluctant to venture out and would send their maids to check for new goods. They would take a look and make purchases accordingly. This kind of business wasn’t too bad for Qing Luan.
"Just as I thought," Qing Luan said sharply as she glanced at the stack of letters on the table. "This old fellow has quite a bit of influence; his power has extended beyond the capital." She had assumed Prime Minister Huang's influence was limited to the capital but discovered through investigation that he had connections in brothels and gambling houses—places rife with unsavory dealings.
"Miss, these are all dirty places that ruin countless families. If we don’t eliminate them, they will harm even more people," A-Song said, his eyes reflecting a hint of murderous intent. If possible, he would prefer to deal with Prime Minister Huang directly; however, that old fox was cunning and aware of any threats against him. He was either in the palace or at home, making it nearly impossible to take action.
"In one month’s time, I want all these tumors removed. We can openly tell that old fox it was the Merchant Alliance that took action," Qing Luan declared. The Merchant Alliance had already established itself in the capital; she had no reason to fear anything. Even if it came down to a confrontation, that old fellow was no match for her—if he provoked her further, assassination would be an option. Though it displeased her, there was little choice.
"Understood!" A-Song felt relieved by his mistress's decision; at least there would be an opportunity for revenge and retribution.
This year, with the hidden influence of Prime Minister Huang being uprooted one by one, a smile appeared on Qing Luan's face, and she felt particularly refreshed, greeting everyone with cheerful laughter.
On the other hand, the Huang Family and the Lin Family had a rather miserable New Year. Prime Minister Huang was anxious and unable to sleep on New Year's Eve due to someone secretly undermining his business. The Lin Family was even stranger; after being rejected in a marriage proposal, they found themselves exhausted from buying New Year goods at prices much higher than others. If you tried to haggle, they would simply refuse to sell, leaving you to eat or not as you pleased. Consequently, the Lin Family spent the entire holiday on the brink of madness.
In the first month of the new year, Jade Pavilion launched a collection of jewelry featuring the twelve zodiac signs, which drove the daughters of officials into a frenzy. Those few young ladies and their mothers who were turned away by Jade Pavilion wore grim expressions; missing out on a chance to show off was more painful than death.
Zhuang Youlan and Lin Ya were the most affected. In previous years, they loved to flaunt their specially made clothing and jewelry during the New Year celebrations. Now, even if they had money, they couldn't buy anything—no, it wasn't that they couldn't afford it; it was that people simply refused to sell to them. Even if they offered more money, they were looked down upon, leaving them feeling like cats scratching at their skin, driving them mad with frustration.
"I want to kill her; I absolutely want to kill her," Lin Ya said in a fit of madness as she clutched Zhuang Youlan's hand tightly, murmuring with hatred.
"How are you going to kill her?" Zhuang Youlan didn't try to dissuade her but instead added fuel to the fire by saying, "If she doesn't come out of Jade Pavilion, we have no way to deal with her. Besides, her methods are so formidable; how can we compete!?" This foolish woman forgot that Lin Ya had been targeted by Zhu Qingluan in the first place because she was trying to help her out of trouble. Instead, she blamed Lin Ya for bringing her misfortune. If Lin Ya knew what Zhuang Youlan was thinking at this moment, would she spit blood in anger?
"Pah! A lowly Merchant's Daughter—what's so great about her? Hmph! I refuse to believe I can't kill her," Lin Ya squinted her eyes in desperation as she racked her brain for a way to lure Qing Luan out. "Oh right," her eyes lit up as she smiled and said, "Let's find someone to invite Zhu Qingluan out under the pretense of wanting to customize a whole set of unique jewelry. If that's the case..."
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