As Ji Xinhe left, Marquis Mu Houchu gently set down the teacup in his hand, making a crisp clinking sound, and immediately, a man in black flew in through the window.
"Master."
Marquis Mu Houchu raised his eyes to them, "Have you relayed the news to the capital?"
"Your Majesty has been informed and has ordered that this matter be fully entrusted to the master. All officials involved in the rebellion will be executed without mercy. Whenever you need to close the net, just give the command."
"There’s no hurry, only a few pawns have emerged, let’s wait." What he wanted to catch was the big fish behind them.
"Yes!"
"There is another urgent matter at hand," Marquis Mu Houchu said gravely.
The man in black tensed up noticeably and quickly bowed, "Master, please give your order!"
"Arrange for the wedding."
The usually composed man in black almost fell and stumbled a bit before gasping, "Ah?"
"Do you object?" Marquis Mu Houchu’s cool gaze swept over him.
The man in black shivered in fright and quickly said, "This subordinate dares not, I’ll get on it right away!"
"It doesn’t have to be extravagant, we can follow the local customs, but also, don’t be too simple, understand?"
The man in black thought to himself, I’ve never been married, how would I understand?
Of course, he dared not say that. He would do whatever his master commanded.
"Yes!"
----
Early the next day, before Xin He had even opened for business, she noticed a man shivering from the cold sitting on the steps outside her shop.
Xiao Bei tugged at Ji Xinhe’s sleeve and said, "Sister, sister, this man looks pathetic, let’s give him some silver."
As Ji Xinhe approached with suspicion, the man suddenly turned around and sprang up with joy, "Oh! Miss Ji has finally arrived!"
Ji Xinhe was taken aback, "Shopkeeper Wu? What are you doing here? Did Guilin Residence go bankrupt?" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
"Pah! Don’t curse me!" Wu Zhanggui quickly replied, "Business at Guilin Residence is booming!"
"Then why do you look so..."
The person Xiao Bei had mistaken for a beggar seemed to have rather low spirits.
Wu Zhanggui gave a cheeky grin, "That’s not important, not important! I’m here today because there’s an important matter I need to discuss with Miss Ji!"
Ji Xinhe was surprised, "What’s the matter?"
Waiting for her in the biting cold from the crack of dawn, it must be no small matter.
"Let’s talk inside, Shopkeeper Wu." Ji Xinhe invited him in.
Wu Zhanggui eagerly followed her in.
The shop had a back room for resting. When business was slow, Xin He let Xiao Bei study in there, where it was quiet.
There was a brazier in the room, and it was warm inside. Once Wu Zhanggui sat down, Xiao Bei promptly brought him a steaming cup of tea. After drinking it, Wu Zhanggui finally felt warm all over.
"What exactly did you come here for, Shopkeeper Wu?" Ji Xinhe asked.
"Well, is your grape wine still in production?" Wu Zhanggui asked anxiously.
"Of course, Shopkeeper Wu. You don’t have to worry. I will not fall short on our contract. I will deliver the goods as promised, without any shortage every month," Ji Xinhe reassured him with a smile.
Wu Zhanggui hurriedly said, "Of course, I trust you. We’ve been familiar with each other for a while now. How can I not trust you with such a trivial matter? But there’s another significant opportunity now!"
Ji Xinhe immediately asked, "What business?"
Wu Zhanggui lowered his voice, "To tell you the truth, we, Guilin Residence, are a nationwide chain of restaurants with our headquarters in the capital. Last time, I bought over three hundred kilograms of grape wine from you and took a special lengthy trip to send a small jar to the capital. It was mainly for our owner to taste. Our owner then offered the wine to the nobility in the Palace. Apparently, they liked it and are asking to buy large quantities at a high price!"
Ji Xinhe’s eyes lit up, "People from the Palace?"
"Miss Ji, you’re a businesswoman. You probably don’t need me to tell you that trading with the Palace is a great honor! Why does the Wang Family have such prestige in Lian’an Town? Isn’t it because they conduct business with the Palace and are a royal merchant?
Although we are only supplying them wine and can’t be regarded as royal merchants like them, it’s still a significant honor! I want to know what Miss Ji thinks."
Shopkeeper Wu got more excited with each word he spoke. His frostbitten white face had started to regain its color.
Ji Xinhe had thought that such a day would come when Marquis Mu Houchu had said the grape wine, only found in tribute items from subordinate countries, was a favorite in the Palace. The production of grape wine here and the fame it would garner in the Palace was inevitable.
But she didn’t expect it to happen this quickly!
The inclusion of Guilin Residence was, indeed, a wise choice!
Ji Xinhe was also excited, "The Palace wants to buy my grape wine? Shopkeeper Wu, is this news credible?"
"What’s there to lie about! The news just arrived from the capital this morning. I hurried to your shop as soon as it was light. The Palace has stated that the purchasing price is fifteen taels of silver per kilogram, which is even higher than what we sell at our restaurant. As for the quantity, they say as much as possible, it all depends on how much you can give."
Ji Xinhe contemplated for a moment before saying, "Two hundred kilos! I can supply two hundred kilos a month!"
Wu Zhanggui clucked his tongue, "Isn’t that a bit too little?"
Ji Xinhe shook her head, "Shopkeeper Wu, I think you’ve forgotten what I said before. This commodity is valuable because it’s rare, not just for ordinary households, but also for the Palace! As those looking to do significant business, we need to assert ourselves. If we say we’re only giving two hundred kilos, then that’s all we’re giving, not a bit more."
Wu Zhanggui slapped the table, "Deal! I’ll relay the message right away!"
"Wait!" Ji Xinhe stopped Wu Zhanggui.
"What is it?"
"I have one more condition." Ji Xinhe said.
"Just state your demand!"
"The money I earn from selling to the Palace will be divided according to the usual ratio, but when it’s reported to the Palace, you can say Guilin Residence is supplying it, but you must also say: produced by Qinghe Small Shop." Ji Xinhe said.
To have credit for supplying wine to the Palace would be a giant leap in reputation. Only after getting this credit, could her grape wine be considered a gold signboard.
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