Chapter 43 Chapter 43 "No rush." Jiang Wan said to the other side...
"No rush." Jiang Wan poured tea into the cup across from him and pointed to the wooden chair opposite. "Please sit down and try some Central Plains tea. I'm a small business owner and don't have much savings. This tea isn't expensive, so please don't be disgusted."
The young woman heard her say this and took up the teacup to savor it carefully. After a moment, she set the teacup down, the bottom of the porcelain cup making a very soft sound as it hit the table.
"I'm from the grasslands, so I don't quite understand your Central Plains tea ceremony. But this tea is incredibly fragrant. If it were in Wusun, it would definitely be quite expensive." She raised her head. "What happened today was due to my sister's ignorance. If Boss Jiang hadn't shown mercy, we two sisters would have been in a lot of trouble."
Jiang Wan's expression darkened when this matter was brought up. "Not really, but I have no grudge against you. I don't know why you're picking on me."
They both knew who was responsible for the morning's incident. It was simply that the young woman, unable to reveal her true identity, had pinned the blame on her younger sister. She was willing to play tricks here, but Jiang Wan didn't want to play along. She had let the two sisters go that morning, not out of kindness, but because the other woman had hinted at her identity by raising her wrist, seeking reconciliation. Firstly, the other woman was a valuable figure; she had already saved enough money to redeem her family soon, and she didn't want to create complications at this juncture. Secondly, she also wanted to know the reason behind her sudden attack.
Jiang Wan tilted her head: "Madam You, we've never met before, right?"
The young woman raised an eyebrow.
Unlike the Zhou dynasty's system of monogamy and multiple concubines, the Wusun practiced polygamy. The Wusun king, known as "Kunmi," had two wives: the Left Lady and the Right Lady. The Wusun esteemed the left as the most respected, with the Left Lady holding a slightly higher status, similar to the Zhou empress. The Right Lady, on the other hand, was akin to a noble concubine, empowered to oversee the six harems.
Wusun had a small territory and scarce resources, and needed to rely on the protection of the Xiongnu. Therefore, the position of Left Lady had always been held by Xiongnu princesses who were married into the Huns, and the Right Lady was a "local". This also resulted in the Right Lady, although of lower status than the Left Lady, being more favored by Kunmi and more loved by the people.
Jiang Wan searched through the original owner's memories, barely able to uncover a sliver of information about the Right Lady. Born into a family of Wusun military commanders, she entered the palace as a teenager to accompany the Wusun King. At the time, the King already had two wives, the Left and the Right, and she was merely a concubine. The Right Lady and the Wusun King were childhood sweethearts, marrying them as teenagers; the Left Lady was the graceful and elegant half-sister of the Xiongnu Chanyu. However, over a decade later, the Right Lady died in childbirth, and the Left Lady developed a leg disease, leaving her trapped in the palace, unable to walk properly. She became a symbol of peace between the two nations.
The person in front of him had smoothly gained favor and power, and was named Right Lady on her 30th birthday three years ago. She was 33 years old this year, and no one knew what skin care products she was using, but she looked like she was in her twenties.
The Great Zhou and the Wusun had little contact, so Jiang Wan only heard fragments of these accounts. In her previous life, she had read a great deal of history for her research on antiques. Throughout the dynasties, the imperial harems were known to be extremely dangerous, often leaving only a few brief utterances in the history books. The bloody and untold events behind them were probably known only to those involved.
Regardless of whether the right lady in front of her had any influence on what happened back then, her life was definitely not as peaceful as she appeared.
Now, sitting across from Jiang Wan, she replied, "I've certainly never seen him. This morning, I was just too curious about Boss Jiang's new recipe, so I offended him. But, the first time I saw Boss Jiang, I felt like I'd met a soulmate, so I wanted to see what you can do. You're truly an interesting person. I've been in the palace for over a decade, and I've never met anyone as interesting as you."
"Really? If I become Madam You's confidant, won't I have to encounter such troubles every day in the future?" Jiang Wan understood the other party's intention and immediately lost interest, his voice lazy.
The other party was not annoyed, and said with a hint of pity: "Boss Jiang, this is your fault."
"You mean to say that I lack ambition, right?" Jiang Wan had already guessed what she was here for and answered casually.
"I'm not saying anything bad about you, but someone as smart and thoughtful as you is content to spend their whole lives selling porcelain in a remote little town?" Madam You leaned forward slightly, gazing at Jiang Wan. "If you're willing to supply porcelain to my mother's family—just one trip each year, spring and autumn, would net you seven or eight thousand taels of silver. Your shop may be making a lot of money now, but even if it were open every day, it'd only make a little over a thousand taels of silver a month. And how big is Xiaofangpan City? At your current rate of selling hundreds of pieces a day, demand will be saturated in a few months. Then you'll have to find another way out. It's better to start planning now."
"Seven or eight thousand taels?" Jiang Wan tilted his head slightly, a little surprised. "Wusun is not like the Great Zhou, and they don't use a lot of porcelain. Madam You and I have only just met, but she has designated me as the main supplier. I guess she has other requirements, right?"
"Although we've only known each other briefly, I feel like I've known Boss Jiang for a long time." Madam You smiled. "I do have some special requests, but they're simple. I just need you to bring one thing along with you when you deliver the goods."
She bent down and pulled out a small blade of grass about four or five centimeters long from her boots. The top of the grass was dark red, the leaves were dark green, and the stem was green with a hint of red.
Jiang Wan's eyelids jumped: "Red Aconite."
Madam You played with the grass in her hand and nodded.
Red aconite root is a common medicinal herb in the Central Plains, known for its blood-activating and blood-stasis-removing properties. However, it should not be used on those with large wounds, as it can hinder the formation of scabs. In rainy weather, wounds can fester over time. If treatment is delayed, wounds may never heal.
Jiang Wan couldn't help but think of the rumored Madam Zuo's long-standing leg ailment. Wusun is a land of heavy rain, especially in spring and autumn. The spring rains are heavy and continuous, while the autumn weather is cold and damp. And if you add the medicinal properties of red aconite... how much of Madam Zuo's leg ailment is Madam You's fault?
Seeing Jiang Wan deep in thought, Madam Right didn't try to hide her feelings and said directly, "A small packet will be enough—but Madam Zuo's inspections have been tightening lately. The Xiongnu Khan will be meeting Kunmi again soon, and caravans entering the royal city are being scrutinized very strictly. Madam Zuo is taking this opportunity to keep a close eye on me. To avoid being exposed, the delivery channels we used previously are no longer available. How can this package of herbs escape inspection? It's up to you."
"If you do well, I will try my best to do all the porcelain business for the Wusun royal court in the future. How do you think?"
Jiang Wan listened and pondered, his index finger unconsciously tapping the tea tray. It seemed that Wusun's Left Lady might have sensed that the leg ailment was related to the Right Lady and was hoping to take advantage of her brother's visit to Kunmi to investigate.
Madam You, who had been dispensing medicine all year round, had run out of medicine and had no supply channels. She probably had no trustworthy people, so she had to leave Wusun under the pretext of ordering porcelain and secretly look for someone who could deliver red aconite for her.
Madam Zuo's mother's family and close associates within the royal court were under close scrutiny. If her plan was ever exposed, she would be implicated because of these connections. Therefore, she had no choice but to take the risk and choose a seemingly unrelated person. This person needed to be both capable and resilient to ensure they wouldn't turn against her and ruin her plans.
After some probing this morning, she chose Jiang Wan. On the one hand, she recognized Jiang Wan's ability, and on the other hand, she believed that Jiang Wan and she were of the same kind.
Her judgment was correct. If it were Jiang Wan in her previous life, she would definitely be interested in this dangerous yet rewarding mission.
But she was wrong about one thing. She thought Jiang Wan's character had been shaped by the struggles in the capital, or by his exile. She recognized the antique tycoon Jiang Wan from her previous life, but it was the love she had experienced since exile, the love between mother and daughter, brother and sister, mentor and apprentice, and the simple and harmonious atmosphere of the small town that softened Jiang Wan, giving her soft emotions, a sense of attachment, and, consequently, a soft spot.
Jiang Wan's first thoughts were of her elderly mother and her hardworking brother. She wanted to simply be with them. As for money, a little more, a little less, didn't matter. As long as her family was well fed and warm, and always together, that was all that mattered.
It wasn't that she had lost interest in those dangerous challenges, nor had she become indecisive because of her tenderness. It was just that once a person had concerns, it was difficult to take a gamble with all their heart.
Jiang Wan withdrew his hand from the tea tray and said softly, "Your suggestion is brilliant, but I don't have any good way to help you. I will pretend I haven't heard what Madam said today. I hope you can find another expert."
The woman was stunned. She hadn't expected Jiang Wan to refuse. She figured he must be like her: the more difficult the challenge, the more excited he became. Was she lacking sincerity, testing him? Or had she misjudged Jiang Wan, believing he was just an ordinary person content with the status quo?
Perhaps because he had stared at Jiang Wan for too long, or because the atmosphere was too strange, Jiang Wan helplessly spread his hands and explained, "Madam, I'm just a shop owner. I earn a small fortune, so I don't have such grand ambitions. As the saying goes, while parents are still alive, one shouldn't travel far away. I just want to be able to stay with my family in peace and have enough to eat. That much money is of little use to me."
Madam You nodded. "I heard that Boss Jiang works tirelessly day and night, and even saves money on a daily basis. Is this to save money for his family's release?"
"So what will happen after you're freed? Will you still live in that shabby house? You run the shop during the day and work on the porcelain at night. Firstly, you don't have time to spend with your family, and secondly, your body won't be able to handle it for a long time. Although my business is a bit risky, two trips can cover most of your income for half a year, so you can have more free time to go out and have a walk."
Madam You looked out the window and said, "Boss Jiang, unlike me, who lives in the harem, you should have more freedom. You're new here, and there are many beautiful sights around this small town. Have you enjoyed them with your family yet?"
"Besides, this place is at the junction of three countries, and the forces of various parties are mixed. If you don't have a backer, it will be difficult for you to live in peace. If Boss Jiang is willing to do business with me, I can help you solve a lot of troubles. Not to mention 100%, at least 99% of the problems I can help with." She rose in tone at the end, with a sense of confidence.
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