Before Errui and Liu San even reached the door, they were stopped by the guards. After a few words, a clerk-looking man came over.
There were so many things being sent to the Prince's Palace from all over the country that there were people specifically assigned to handle these matters.
Soon, Errui brought the clerk over, and Jiang Zhi was already standing by the carriage.
The clerk asked indifferently, "Where are you from?"
Xu Errui said, "We were sent by Magistrate Zhang of Pingchuan County to deliver this box to the Prince's Mansion."
The clerk pondered for a moment: "What did Zhang Zheng of Pingchuan County ask you to bring?"
The reason he was made to receive people at the door was that he had already memorized all the personnel below.
Jiang Zhi pointed to the box: "Magistrate Zhang instructed that the contents of this box are very important, and there is also a letter that needs to be delivered to the Prince's Mansion."
The box was sealed and not heavy. Magistrate Zhang only said it was to be delivered to the Prince's residence, without specifying who would receive it, which seems to be the usual practice.
The clerk first checked whether the seal on the box was intact, then took the letter and checked the seal stamp, before saying to the two guards beside him, "Take the box away!"
Then he said to Errui, "Come with me and write down the names!"
Xu Errui quickly followed the clerk to the gatehouse to register the visitors, writing down his job at the Pingchuan County government office and his household registration in Xujia Village.
However, after a slight hesitation regarding the address in Jincheng Prefecture, they chose the name of an inn.
Fortunately, her mother had told her on the way that the Nie family was Xiaotian's maternal grandparents' family, and that her own family couldn't just rush over to them. Even if they had contact, she would stay at an inn when she went to the city.
After the clerk of the Prince's mansion checked and found that the form was filled out correctly, he said, "A reply will be delivered to the inn within ten days. Do not wander off unnecessarily."
Xu Errui nodded repeatedly: "Understood!" Only with a signed reply could the job be considered truly completed, and there would be a subsidy upon returning to the county government.
Jiang Zhi wasn't idle either; she was negotiating the price with Liu San!
It was agreed beforehand that 260 coins would be delivered to the Prince's Mansion, and Jiang Zhi had said she would give him a small tip. Now, it was only natural to take advantage of the situation, and there was no dispute about it.
Jiang Zhi didn't know where Li Laoshi and Qin Shi lived, only that the Nie family lived, but she couldn't go there directly. She wanted to find the inn where she had stayed before.
After much persuasion, the final agreement was eighty coins, and Liu San took him to the inn.
After Xu Errui finished the handover, the mother and son went back to the inn where they had stayed before.
A year and a half has passed, and worldly affairs are like fleeting clouds; the Nie family's affairs have faded into the background of most discussions.
Jiang Zhi and Er Rui's arrival didn't cause much of a stir, but the waiters who came to greet them felt they looked familiar, and after a while, they remembered that day, that incident, and that person: "Oh dear, it's Madam Jiang and Young Master Jiang! Will they stay in the superior room or their usual private courtyard?"
The waiter was shrewd; he only mentioned superior rooms and private courtyards, never mentioning ordinary rooms or shared rooms.
Last time, the Nie family provided Jiang Zhi with a private courtyard house, so the cost was naturally high. Now, she has to pay for it herself, so she needs to be careful with her money.
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Book two superior rooms, order one meat dish and two vegetable dishes from the inn, and have tea and toiletries delivered to us!"
Having stayed here before, Jiang Zhi knew the rules: the room rate didn't include meals, and you had to decide for yourself what to eat and what not to eat.
The waiter immediately went to make the arrangements.
After resting at the inn for one night, Jiang Zhi was about to go out the next day when an innkeeper came to find her: "Madam Jiang, Master Nie heard that you have arrived and is waiting for you in front."
Errui was stunned: "Mother, are there people leading the way and guarding the gate in Jincheng Prefecture? How come the Nie family knew about our arrival so soon?"
Jiang Zhi smiled. She had intentionally chosen to stay at this inn to make it easier to find the Nie family. She hadn't expected that she wouldn't even need to ask, as the inn itself had delivered the message.
"Let's go, you should also meet Xiaotian's grandfather!" Jiang Zhi led Errui outside.
In the outer hall of the inn, Old Master Nie was sitting and waiting. Compared to his aged appearance more than a year ago, Old Master Nie, though still with a full head of white hair, was now in good spirits and had a ruddy complexion.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, Old Master Nie immediately stood up: "Since Aunt Jiang has come to Jincheng Prefecture, why didn't you come directly to my house? Is there anything I have done wrong before? Please forgive me."
Old Master Nie's words left Jiang Zhi speechless, and she could only apologize: "You're overthinking it, sir. I just arrived in Jincheng and it's not appropriate to disturb you right away. I was just looking for a suitable time to visit you."
She explained briefly, then quickly had Errui bow: "Errui, this is Xiaotian's maternal grandfather, you should call him..." Jiang Zhi was speechless; she didn't know how to address this fake cousin's maternal grandfather.
Grandpa Nie laughed heartily: "Errui is Xiaotian's cousin, so you can call me Grandpa like Xiaotian does!"
Jiang Zhi blinked. It seemed that Nie Fantian had already recognized the Nie family and was even included in the family genealogy. After all, the Nie family adopted a son-in-law to inherit the family business.
Er Rui knew the truth about the Nie family. He felt guilty for harming the Nie family on behalf of his aunt, after all, she was his own aunt.
At this moment, Grandpa Nie didn't hate the Xu family. Instead, he told me to call him "Grandpa," so I immediately shouted, "Grandpa!"
Grandpa Nie beamed from ear to ear: "Good, Xiao Tian said you used to take the best care of him, always letting him have the best food at home. Grandpa thanks you! Come on, now that we're in Jincheng, let's go to our own home!"
Since Old Master Nie personally invited her, Jiang Zhi couldn't refuse. She could go as a guest, but she still didn't want to stay at the Nie family's house.
She felt uncomfortable staying at the male lead's house, and getting too close could easily cause trouble.
"Old Master, I've come here on behalf of Li Laoshi and Qin Shi. I have urgent business to discuss with him first, and I'll visit him another day!"
Jiang Zhi felt that she should meet with Li Laoshi and the others to exchange information first, and then go to the Nie family later.
"Since that's the case, then I won't force him. I've already sent someone to tell Laoshi that he'll be here soon!" Old Master Nie didn't insist any further.
Grandpa Nie then briefly explained Nie Fantian's situation.
Two years ago, Du Baolin and Xu Xiaogu died in prison. Before leaving, Nie Fantian formally recognized his relatives, calling Grandpa and Grandma Nie "Grandpa and Grandma" and registering them in the Nie family household.
The male protagonist's vampire mode is automatically activated: Knowing that Nie Fantian has a bright future, the third branch of the Nie family has invested heavily in this young general. Apart from their business dealings, the three families have converted all their assets that can be exchanged for money into silver and handed it over to Nie Fantian.
All the houses and land have been sold.
From Old Master Nie, Jiang Zhi learned that the main branch of the Nie family had moved from their original location to a small courtyard. If Jiang Zhi hadn't arrived at the inn first, she definitely wouldn't have been able to find the Nie family.
When Li Laoshi arrived in Jincheng Prefecture, he wasn't so clever. Perhaps he went directly to the Nie family to save money, only to find them empty-handed and almost ending up homeless.
Jiang Zhi felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this; the male protagonist's family was destined for misfortune at the beginning of his business venture.
However, as long as one's birth chart shows signs of resilience, they will rise to prominence along with their family and friends.
Although he didn't have much contact with Nie Fantian, merging with the Huo family's pharmacy was essentially handing over the pharmacy and technology.
If it weren't for his own deep pockets and inexhaustible supply of new technologies, his final fate would have been the same as the Huo family's pharmacy, willingly having his wealth and fortune taken away to help him rise to prominence.
As soon as Grandpa Nie mentioned the medicinal fat, Li Laoshi rushed into the inn. Upon seeing Jiang Zhi and Er Rui, he immediately danced with joy: "Hahaha, you've finally arrived!"
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