Benevolent Blade Hidden Edge
The meeting at Lantai was like dropping a huge rock into a tranquil lake. Although Gu Zhao had no further overt contact with Lu Qinglan, Lu Qinglan could sense an invisible gaze descending upon him. This wasn't a romantic relationship, but rather an intellectual scrutiny of equals, even the weighing of a chess player before a game.
She wasn't afraid, but rather became even more cautious. She continued to read, manage her accounts, and run her poetry club every day, but her reading now included more local product catalogs, grain transport records, and even copies of court reports from previous dynasties. These, of course, were carefully collected by people like Chen Xing and Zhao Tieshou, from street vendors or old paper piles.
Business at Yunshang Pavilion was lukewarm, but it gradually developed a steady customer base. Chen Xing, mindful of Lu Qinglan's instructions, remained quiet and collected only the occasional conversations of the merchants. One day, she passed along a seemingly insignificant piece of news: several merchants with Jiangnan accents, while shopping for materials in the shop, murmured about the sluggish grain transport and the backlog of goods. They mentioned that a certain "Huang Zhushi," the official in charge of the grain transport, seemed to be deliberately making things difficult for them, holding up the paperwork and refusing to let them pass after failing to obtain a bribe.
Huang, the Minister? Lu Qinglan's mind raced through memories of her past life. This man seemed to be an obscure official in the Ministry of Revenue, but was later implicated in a major canal embezzlement case and dismissed from office. It was said that the corruption behind it was widespread. Now it seemed that this malpractice had been going on for a long time. She noted the information but didn't act immediately, simply asking Chen Xing to keep an eye out for news related to the canal.
Meanwhile, the Jinxiu Poetry Society's third gathering took place as scheduled. This time, the atmosphere was noticeably different. Perhaps because Lu Qinglan's performance at the Lu Mansion's birthday banquet had spread, the ladies, who had originally been there simply to join in the fun, became noticeably more respectful. Even the two princesses of the imperial clan spoke to her with less reserve and more inquiry.
Su Yueming remained attentive and attentive, though a subtle hint of anxiety occasionally flickered across her eyes. She seemed eager to prove her worth. While recording her poems and coordinating affairs, she began to casually mention "interesting anecdotes" from the inner chambers of various mansions. For example, a certain young lady's brother had received an excellent grade in the Ministry of Personnel, or a certain lady's nephew had secured a lucrative position. Her words barely concealed her yearning for the center of power.
Lu Qinglan pretended to be ignorant, occasionally pausing and glancing at her when she "inadvertently" revealed some information that might be related to the Seventh Prince or another prince, but he didn't ask any further questions. This ambiguous attitude only made Su Yueming work harder, like a cat slave eager to perform in order to gain his master's reward.
Lin Wanru seemed somewhat silent today. She looked at Lu Qinglan, the woman everyone implicitly revered as the center of attention, watching her calm demeanor and flawless speech. Then, recalling her mother's increasingly urgent urgings, her insistence that she establish herself firmly within the Seventh Prince's residence and profit for the family, the feeling of frustration and powerlessness grew deeper. She even felt that this radiant and reserved Lu Qinglan before her was even more distant from her than Wei Linlang, galloping across the racecourse.
The gathering was halfway through, as everyone was appreciating a new piece of music composed by Liu Ruyan, when they suddenly heard a commotion outside, mixed with a woman's shrill cries.
"Let me in! I want to see Miss Lu! Please ask Miss Lu to make the decision for me!"
The shrill voice shattered the tranquility and elegance of Tingyu Pavilion. All the women were startled and looked at each other in confusion.
Fu Yu walked in quickly and whispered something in Lu Qinglan's ear. Lu Qinglan frowned slightly, stood up and said apologetically to everyone, "Ladies, please sit down for a moment. There seems to be some commotion outside. I'll go check it out."
Wei Linlang stood up immediately: "Sister, I'll go with you!"
Lin Wanru hesitated for a moment, then followed silently.
Outside Tingyuxuan, a young woman in coarse cloth and with messy hair was being stopped by two maids from the Lu Mansion. She was holding a sallow-faced child, about two or three years old, tightly in her arms, crying so hard that she almost fainted.
"What's going on?" Lu Qinglan's voice was not loud, but it had a sense of majesty.
A maid hurriedly replied, "Miss, this crazy woman is Wang, the wife of Zhang Laoshi, who runs the tofu shop in the back street. She's saying that their tofu shop was taken over and her husband was severely injured. She's desperate and has heard that you're kind, so she came here to make trouble..."
When Wang saw Lu Qinglan, she felt like she had seen a savior. She broke free from the old woman and fell to the ground, kowtowing repeatedly: "Miss Lu! Miss Qingtian! Please save me! The people from 'Huweitang' occupied my shop and injured my husband. The government... the government doesn't care! We really can't survive!" The child in her arms was frightened and burst into tears.
Huweitang? Lu Qinglan's eyes narrowed. She remembered the name; it was a powerful gang in the West Market of the capital. It was said to be backed by a certain powerful figure, specializing in lending money and bullying people in the market.
"Do you have a complaint? Where can I file the lawsuit?" Lu Qinglan asked in a deep voice.
Wang burst into tears. "We submitted the petition... we submitted it to Shuntian Prefecture, but... it fell on deaf ears, not even a response... We went to argue, but the yamen runners kicked us out, saying we were making a false accusation..."
Shuntian Prefecture? Lu Qinglan's mind raced. The Shuntian Prefecture Governor seemed to be... a distant relative of the Third Prince's mother's family. And Huwei Hall... she vaguely remembered that in her previous life, when the Third Prince fell, one of his crimes seemed to be "indulging relatives, colluding with the common people, and oppressing the good."
This may seem like just an ordinary street dispute, but behind it may be a power struggle among the princes.
Wei Linlang's eyebrows raised when she heard this: "How can this be? In broad daylight, are there no laws?! Sister, we can't just ignore this!"
Lin Wanru frowned and whispered, "Sister Lu, this matter involves the gang and the government, I'm afraid... it's not easy to intervene." She knew the pros and cons of it very well and didn't want Lu Qinglan to get into trouble.
Lu Qinglan looked at the women and children weeping heartbreakingly before her, then glanced at the gazes of the noble ladies around her, some curious, some sympathetic, and waiting to watch the excitement. She had already made up her mind. She couldn't intervene openly in this matter, but she couldn't completely ignore it either. This was both an opportunity to observe the reactions of all parties involved and a chance to establish a reputation among the people and certain specific groups.
She bent down and personally helped Wang to her feet. Her tone was gentle but powerful. "Sister-in-law, please don't worry. Since this matter involves the government, although I am willing to do so, it is not convenient for me to directly interfere with the judiciary." She changed the subject, "How is your husband's injury? Have you called a doctor?"
Wang was stunned and choked up, "Still...still lying down, no money to hire a good doctor..."
Lu Qinglan said to Fu Yu, "Go get twenty taels of silver and my visiting card, and ask Doctor Liu from Jishitang to heal Manager Zhang's injury."
Fu Yu responded and left.
Wang was stunned, then she burst into tears of gratitude and wanted to kowtow again.
Lu Qinglan stopped her, speaking in a clear voice, ensuring that everyone around could hear: "Healing the patient is the most urgent priority. As for the matter of the shop, although I cannot interfere, I will try to convey your grievances to... those who should know. There is justice in the world, so don't worry, and heal your husband's injuries first."
She didn't promise to get the shop back, but she offered practical help and hinted that she would report the grievance to a higher authority. This approach not only maintained the reputation of being benevolent, but also avoided excessive intervention, leaving room for maneuver.
Wang thanked the old woman profusely, took the silver, and followed her mother-in-law to find a doctor.
The women looked at Lu Qinglan with varying expressions. Wei Linlang's face was filled with admiration; Liu Ruyan, Zhao Wanyi, and the others thought she was thorough, compassionate, and skillful. The two princesses exchanged glances, as if reassessing the capabilities of the future prince's consort. Lin Wanru seemed thoughtful. Lu Qinglan's move, seemingly simple, actually achieved several goals at once.
Su Yueming lowered her head, but a gleam of light flashed in her eyes. She seemed to have learned something new—the technique of using "kindness" to gain fame and people's hearts.
A storm seems to have subsided.
But Lu Qinglan knew that the stone had been thrown into the water and the ripples would spread.
She returned to Tingyuxuan and continued to preside over the gathering as usual, as if she had just dealt with a trivial matter.
However, she had already begun to make plans. Huwei Hall, Shuntian Prefecture, the Third Prince... this line might work. At the very least, it would show the aloof Seventh Prince what kind of demons and monsters he would have to face in the future. And his "virtuous wife" was more than just a poet.
The wind starts from the tip of the green duckweed.
It's time to stir up the water in the capital to make it more turbid.
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