The servant from Flower-Filled Building wasn’t a pushover, glaring as he retorted, "Who do you think you are? Daring to yell for a meeting with our boss? Bring out someone who can authorize the release of goods!"
The man’s gaze clearly wavered a bit as he held his neck high and said, "The higher-ups have ordered it. They want your boss to come out and talk to me face-to-face. I’d like to ask a few questions first, otherwise, we won’t release the goods."
"Pah! Have you taken a good look at who you are? Is our boss someone you can frivolously assess? You wish to have a dialogue with him? Get lost! Don’t think that holding some goods from our Winding Pavilion makes you any more significant. If we really get serious, our Winding Pavilion won’t hesitate to bring you down! A mere Wang Family, trying to turn the tables? Do you no longer wish to dwell in Yu State?"
The people on the Wang Family’s side visibly lost their momentum, some even appeared hesitant, glancing occasionally towards a boat near the shore, seemingly waiting for some instructions.
Ji Xinhe slightly opened the carriage curtain, observing the man’s expression, and guessed that the man behind the scenes this time was probably on that boat.
"Madam, don’t look. I will handle it shortly, be careful not to be noticed," whispered the boy named Chai to her, dropping the carriage curtain, clearly staying vigilant.
With Ji Xinhe’s unique identity, if she were to reveal herself, it would undoubtedly bring a significant amount of trouble.
She is now Mu Houchu’s woman. Over these past five years, she has remained by Mu Houchu’s side in obscurity, which is why the Emperor from the distant capital city has not set his sight on her. Instead, his attention had been solely focused on Mu Houchu.
But if her identity as the true owner behind the Winding Pavilion, Flower-Filled Building, and several other businesses that have stimulated the economic growth in Yu State came to light, how would the Emperor tolerate her? How could he tolerate the presence of such a powerful woman supporting Mu Houchu?
The first thing he would most likely do is target her.
Chai, keenly aware of this, also understood Ji Xinhe. She was willing to come this time probably because she suspected that the person behind this incident was from the imperial court, which is why she opted to take matters into her own hands, without letting her guard down.
But if the visitor today is indeed from the imperial court, they need to be even more cautious.
Chai did not dare to be the slightest bit negligent.
Xin He slightly nodded, refraining for now from making unplanned moves, merely listening to the outside commotion.
Suddenly, there appeared to be some commotion outside. Ji Xinhe heard the sound of a group of people disembarking from the ship. Due to the loud noise, she could tell that there were many individuals, possibly around ten.
Sudden suspicion painted Chai’s face, making him even more alert.
"Call your boss out, I want to talk to him," a slightly deep voice sounded.
Ji Xinhe squeezed her brows together, finding the voice somewhat familiar.
"Are you the one who can authorize the release of the goods?" the servant from the Flower-Filled Building inquired.
The man looked indifferent, glancing at their carriage with a hint of coldness in his eyes, "I can."
Perhaps it was the man’s stern demeanor and grandeur that made even the servant from the Flower-Filled Building speak more courteously, eyeing him warily before quickly running to the carriage saying, "Boss, they’ve invited you for a discussion."
Xin He didn’t have time to recall why the voice sounded familiar. She just looked at Chai who promptly nodded, skillfully lifting the carriage curtain and stepping down from the carriage.
Now with her veil hat on, Xin He wasn’t worried about being recognized. Even if others knew there was another woman in the carriage, they would just assume her to be a maid or similar, who could possibly expect she was the real owner?
Moreover, her face was covered.
At that moment, when Chai raised the curtain, Ji Xinhe suddenly saw a familiar yet strange man standing near the wharf.
Though it was just a moment, Ji Xinhe, having sharp senses, recognized him instantly. She turned pale, her body stiffened.
It was Duan Lan!
Familiar were his handsome face and tall stature, but strange was his austere demeanor and aloof gaze. The once clear-eyed young man seemed to have changed completely.
But even so, as they knew each other well, how could Ji Xinhe not recognize him?
While Ji Xinhe knew that Duan Lan was secretly visiting Yu State, there hasn’t been any movement from the capital city. Ji Xinhe even thought that he hadn’t set off yet. Who would have thought he had arrived so stealthily!
Ji Xinhe alerted herself not to underestimate him, he was no longer the naive and simple-minded man that she could read like an open book. But she hadn’t expected his rapid growth, managing to fool Mu Houchu’s scouts.
Ji Xinhe felt a shiver of fear and realized the severity of the situation. If it weren’t for today’s coincidence, she wouldn’t have known of his arrival in Yu State. If he caught her completely unprepared, wouldn’t the consequences be unthinkable?
Upon setting foot in Yu State, the first thing Duan Lan did was to investigate the real owner of the Winding Pavilion and using it as an excuse to force the owner to reveal themselves. He must have sensed the unusual economic development in Yu State over the last five years. The source traced back to the Winding Pavilion and Flower-Filled Building, hence, he started from there, digging out the actual owner.
He probably guessed that the owner was aiding Mu Houchu. Otherwise, why would a shrewd businessman establish an enterprise in such a remote town?
Ji Xinhe felt a heavy burden on her chest. Confronting the current Duan Lan, she realized how formidable he had become.
At the same time, when Ji Xinhe was pondering, Chai had already approached Duan Lan and his companions.
As Duan Lan studied him, Chai remained unaffected, his face emotionless as usual, his voice equally devoid of emotion, "What do you want to talk about?"
Looking at Chai, Duan Lan contemplated for a moment, then smirked, "Who are you? Operating such a large enterprise like the Winding Pavilion but never revealing yourself, I’ve heard that the renowned Flower-Filled Building is also under the same ownership and management as the Winding Pavilion. Such a capable individual, yet content to remain hidden behind the scenes?"
In a monotonous tone, Chai replied, "You should have already investigated who I am before seeing me. I am just a businessman. Meeting me isn’t such a difficult task, it is unnecessary for you to create such a fuss."
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