Early in the morning, Qingyan followed Yin to pay her respects to Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong. As soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard Songkelierha's happy laughter. She was stunned, as she had not seen Yin's family yesterday.
"My elder brother came late at night, so he didn't tell you!" Yin glanced at Qingyan and led her inside.
Today, both Consort Tong and Lady Yin Genjue Luo were dressed in loose-fitting Hanfu, a stark contrast to the restraint within the palace, which made Qingyan feel much more at ease.
"Little darling, your villa is quite nice. It's built at the foot of West Mountain, nestled against the mountain and beside the water." When Yin Genjue Luo got up in the morning, she felt that the air here was very fresh, which was even more refreshing than the chaotic atmosphere in the city.
Qingyan smiled. This place is near the modern-day Wofo Temple. Back then, when she encountered stress, she would go there to stay for a while to relax.
"Sister-in-law, are you coming over?" Qingyan was stunned. This place was still quite desolate. At least, Kangxi's villa was some distance away from here, and very few people would come to live here. There were even more common people living around.
"Yes, I discussed with my wife that we plan to build a separate courtyard next door." Yin was a military general, and he longed for a life without strife. In the Prince's mansion, he always thought that the soldiers, who were armed, could no longer put down their responsibilities.
When he arrived here, he felt completely relaxed, no longer as tense as before, and his mind and body were greatly satisfied.
"Fourth Prince, your residence is quite nice." Yin observed this five-courtyard villa this morning. Although it lacked the grandeur and magnificence of the Prince's Mansion, it was much more cozy.
The women's quarters not only had the primary wife's courtyard, but also a small playground specially set up for the children. When Songkri Yierha saw it, she kept begging Yin to have such a place in the house so that she could have fun.
"If you like it, brother, I'll give you the blueprints!" Yin didn't mind. This villa was designed by Xiao Guai and him together. Some parts were only suitable for the two of them. Yin would modify the blueprints according to the actual situation of the Prince Zhi's mansion.
Kangxi smiled. He was quite satisfied with the good relationship between Yin and his brother Yin. It was better than what Yin had done. In recent years, Yin had changed a lot. He not only sent spies to his brothers' residences, but also had people in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
"Father, I can have my own playground now?!" Songkriyirha looked at the sign outside the playground and realized that it was for children.
Yin nodded; he dared not disobey his daughter's request.
"Yes, our eldest princess can come and play anytime!" Consort Tong liked Songkelierha very much. The little girl was very well-educated and had a bit of a temper similar to that of young Qingyan.
Yay!
The little girl's eyes crinkled with joy as she smiled. Qingyan smiled and thought this was life. There was no scheming or backstabbing between Zhou Li and his mother-in-law, and their relationship was harmonious.
After breakfast, the three families went their separate ways. Qingyan was just about to leave the mansion with Yin to go for a stroll nearby when Sulan walked over quickly, her face showing worry.
"Master, something's happened!" Su Lan rarely showed any panic, but Qing Yan calmly looked at her. "The manager of Linglong Pavilion said that the shop was vandalized by Madam's younger brother!"
Qingyan was taken aback. Wasn't the lady's younger brother the second son of the Empress's family? This person had no presence, so how could he have such a big order today and dare to cause trouble at Linglong Pavilion?
"Who's behind this?" Qingyan wanted to find out what was going on. It involved the Jueluo family, and in the end, he wanted to put the Jueluo family on the list of households to be refused contact with, and also give his mother an explanation.
Su Lan quickly went out and brought the shopkeeper in. Yin and Qing Yan sat side by side on the armchair. The shopkeeper was already sweating profusely with anxiety. Linglong Pavilion had received very few orders recently. Today, as soon as Linglong Pavilion opened its doors, this man from the Jue Luo clan came. After being refused, he directly announced his identity.
After the matter was explained, Qingyan couldn't help but frown.
"Fourth Brother, how long will it take us to get to Linglong Pavilion? We can't let Linglong Pavilion's reputation be tarnished!" Qingyan coldly snorted.
"Master... This servant feels that something is amiss. This gentleman has never been to Linglong Pavilion before, but he suddenly appeared today. Among the onlookers, I saw the servants of Imperial Censor Liao!" Since Linglong Pavilion opened, the manager has been dealing with the families of these high-ranking officials and nobles. He knows which families frequently place orders.
For a long time, the women of the Jue Luo family had their headwear provided by Qingyan, and rarely did they have to spend any money on it. However, since the Tongjia family's private room was removed and the Jue Luo family's welfare benefits were also canceled, they basically had to buy their headwear. The gold and silver they had were simply not enough to buy a few sets of unique-grade headwear.
"Su Peisheng, prepare the carriage, we're going to Linglong Pavilion!" Yin Ke didn't want Qingyan to have any lingering resentment.
Qingyan sat back in the carriage, leaning against the window, her small face tense as she looked outside. Since returning to the capital, there had been too many things to deal with. The Linglong Pavilion issue remained unresolved, and unexpectedly, the mastermind behind the scenes had already made his move.
"Fourth, why would the Jue Luo clan set their sights on Linglong Pavilion?" Qingyan was bewildered. Those people should value Yuelai Inn more; that's what the officials wanted most.
Yin also found it strange; the princes would definitely want to go to the Yue Lai Inn.
Qingyan didn't get a reply from Yin, so she leaned closer to him, her little face puffed up with anger. Compared to those ministers, her little brain was much simpler; their schemes were always accurate.
"Little darling, let's go take a look first!" Yin planned to have the Sticky Rod Office investigate which court official would target Linglong Pavilion.
She leaned against Yin's chest, scheming against Linglong Pavilion's rivals. Women and children's money was the easiest to earn, and that would never change.
Within the Qing Dynasty, Linglong Pavilion was considered the most lucrative high-end shop. Many shops in the capital that had been operating for decades were envious of Linglong Pavilion's prosperity, which is why they constantly had their subordinates bribe the artisans of Linglong Pavilion.
Later, the carriage stopped at the entrance of Linglong Pavilion. She saw the troublemakers sitting leisurely in the private room, their faces full of anger.
"What about your master? This is disrespectful to me, his uncle!" Jue Luo Clan Ejeku said angrily to Manager Fu.
Ejeku has always been the most beloved son of the Gioro clan, and even Lady Ulanara has done a lot for him. Now, Ejeku is over forty years old, but he has accomplished nothing and has always been taken care of by the Gioro clan. Sometimes, the Gioro clan will give the fine jewelry they get from Qingyan to his female relatives.
Before even entering, Qingyan understood that Ejeku had come because she had reduced the gifts for the Gioro clan and was now looking for trouble. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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