Five days later, the ship docked at the Tianjin Wharf. Emperor Kangxi arrived incognito with Consort Tong, while Qingyan, with the twins, followed Yinzhen down the escalator and bowed to Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong to pay their respects.
"Mother, how are you feeling?" Qingyan felt a little heavy-hearted. He walked up to Consort Tong, bowed respectfully, and then slowly stood up.
"Hmm, not bad, my little darling, how can you keep up with the Fourth Prince's demands? The Fourth Prince is really something, he should have let you rest at the naval port!" When Consort Tong heard Kangxi say that they had encountered a formidable opponent on this expedition, she immediately became worried.
"Your Majesty is worried. I haven't been able to get a proper rest at the naval port either!" Qingyan said directly to Consort Tong.
Consort Tong nodded, and led the twins, one on each side, into the palace. Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong had come secretly from Changchun Garden and could only stay here for one night to avoid anyone bringing up the matter.
"Whose people are those?" Consort Tong wanted to find out who dared to lay a hand on the fourth prince and his wife.
"It belongs to the Crown Prince and the Third Prince!" Qingyan, seeing the probing look in Consort Tong's eyes, spoke frankly as Yin had instructed.
Consort Tong's face darkened. On the surface, Yinzhi appeared very weak, but in reality, he was quite ambitious, and even Consort Rong was secretly plotting against him.
"Is it confirmed?" Consort Tong asked Qingyan.
Qingyan nodded, indicating that there should be no problem; otherwise, Yin would not have agreed to her speaking out.
"Alright, I asked you, and most of what you said was what Yin said. Little darling, tell Yin that there won't be any chaos in the capital. Tell him to be careful in his families in Guangdong and Guangxi, including the Tong Guowei lineage!" Consort Tong was completely disappointed with the Tong Guowei lineage. Not only did she bestow all the rights that the Tong family could enjoy upon the Tong Guogang lineage at Qingyan, but she also told Yin to be careful of Tong Guowei.
Qingyan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. What had Tong Guowei done?
"I will make up for Linglong Pavilion's losses over the past two months. Have the manager send the list to Tong Guogang's residence!" Consort Tong said directly.
She had been adrift at sea for some time, and news from the capital had not yet reached her; she was unaware of what had happened.
"Mother, I haven't seen the news yet. What happened?" Qingyan looked at Consort Tong's annoyed expression and knew that this time things must have gotten really out of hand.
After the Spring Festival, Yin took Qingyan and left as quickly as possible. Tong Guowei had originally asked his wife to visit Qingyan the next day.
After the news of Qingyan's pregnancy spread, some families with daughters awaiting the selection of imperial concubines began to have designs on her. It was different from going to Consort Tong. If the Empress Dowager forcibly bestowed gifts upon them, Yinzhi and Qingyan would also want to accept them. These families who pleaded with the Empress Dowager left a bad impression on Kangxi.
The Tong family always held themselves in high esteem, believing that since Consort Tong had raised Yin, he should listen to whatever they said.
Full of confidence, they prepared a grand banquet with the girls to be selected for the imperial concubine selection, so that they could ask the emperor for a marriage decree during the selection process. That way, even Fei Yanggu wouldn't be able to say anything more.
The idea was good, but reality was a slap in the face. Not only did they arrive empty-handed, but they also faced ridicule from the upper-class families behind their backs.
The concubine's daughter of the Tongjia clan suffered even greater humiliation, and even if she were to be married off by imperial decree, it would not be a good marriage.
"Mother, no way?" Qingyan was somewhat taken aback. No wonder Yin said he was leaving and left immediately.
"It's not your fault. She took advantage of my position in the palace to cause trouble at Linglong Pavilion. She even sent servants from Tong Guowei's household to guard the entrance of Linglong Pavilion. Any guests who went in were driven out. Apart from those with powerful family backgrounds, the common people also kept their distance!" Consort Tong understood that Qingyan valued Linglong Pavilion and Yuelai Inn very much. These two places were basically Qingyan's backing.
Ugh!
Qingyan was stunned. Consort Tong's vague words made her keenly aware of the seriousness of the matter. If not handled properly, it could damage the reputation of Linglong Pavilion. Therefore, Qingyan absolutely could not take it lightly.
"Mother, you don't need to compensate for this loss. As long as Linglong Pavilion can open for business, that's enough!" Qingyan said helplessly.
If she had accepted the compensation from Consort Tong, wouldn't she have acknowledged these losses? What's clear is that the Tongjia people, unable to prevail against her, became enraged. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought that the jewelry from Linglong Pavilion was of poor quality.
"My dear, how can this be? This has been a traffic jam for almost 10 days. Your losses are unacceptable." When Consort Tong heard Qingyan say that there was no need to compensate, she felt uneasy.
"Mother, I hope the Tong family can admit their mistake and explain why you blocked the door. The money is a small matter. I don't want everyone to think that Linglong Pavilion's jewelry is of poor quality!" Qingyan saw that there were no outsiders in the hall and that the two children had been taken to the side hall by Shu and Sulan, so she quickly spoke up.
Integrity is essential in business, which is why Linglong Pavilion is facing a survival crisis.
Consort Tong, nicknamed "Little Darling," was stunned. She realized that Qingyan was angry and couldn't help feeling a little helpless.
When Lady Tong Guowei went to the palace to complain, Consort Tong also pointed out that the Tong family's actions were somewhat inappropriate. Lady Tong Guowei didn't take it to heart at all, believing that what she had done was right.
“Mother, I’m not blaming you, but reputation is what a businessman must protect most.” Qingyan shook her head. “I can earn back the lost volume, but if I lose my reputation, my Linglong Pavilion will be ruined!”
Qingyan bluntly pointed out that Linglong Pavilion's development to its current state was truly remarkable, and it couldn't afford to ruin its reputation for petty electronic gains.
"Yes, my dear, you are right, but the Tong family has already learned its lesson!" Consort Tong hoped that her family would not lose face.
"Mother, I will leave this matter to Father. The family also has shares in Linglong Pavilion!" Consort Tong decided to let go. Her relationship with Consort Tong had become somewhat strained, and if Yin found out, he would definitely blame the Tong family.
"Fine, I won't try to persuade you anymore! After this matter, just acknowledge Tong Guogang's lineage!" Consort Tong pondered for a moment and realized that she had gone too far. Qingyan was smart; how could she not understand her meaning?
"Okay!" Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief. If Consort Tong kept trying to persuade her, she would have no choice but to give in.
Consort Tong and Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the other had taken a step back, thinking that the other was only doing so to save face for them.
"Mother, the two children have prepared a gift for you!" Qingyan changed the subject abruptly, glanced at Sulan, and had her bring out the gift that the twins had prepared for Consort Tong. The gift was a sea snail that the two of them had personally caught while sea fishing!
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