"Eunuch Wan has agreed to see me!" Song Tao’s smile simply couldn’t stop bursting forth.
She brought her hands together in prayer, unable to resist silently chanting "Amitabha" in her heart.
The man standing opposite her nodded incessantly, his face brimming with a smile, "The Grand Steward from the Wan residence has made an appointment for us to go over first thing tomorrow morning."
The man, named Song Ren, was a drifter whom Song Tao had recently unearthed from Changjiang Wharf.
In a former life, he had been a steward at Song Jiyun’s kiln factory. When Song Tao first joined the kiln factory, she had worked under him.
Song Ren was not only clever and capable with a bold yet cautious heart but also of upright character; even Song Jiyun had once praised him.
However, at the time, she had little contact with Song Ren and did not know his background or when he had entered the Song Family Kiln Factory; it took her a long time to find him.
Indeed, it didn’t take long after Song Ren came to her side to settle matters with Eunuch Wan.
Previously, the people she had sent to make contact with Eunuch Wan had delivered plenty of gifts, but let alone Eunuch Wan himself, even a servant boy from his entourage couldn’t be won over.
Song Tao happily rewarded Song Ren with fifty taels of silver.
She planned to cultivate Song Ren to become her right-hand man.
Song Ren was also very happy.
He was a burden, having followed his mother to marry into the Song family, and had only recently changed his surname to Song after the death of his stepfather’s biological son.
Who would have thought that he would be recruited by Song Tao at a high salary to work at the kiln factory, just after changing his surname!
It seemed that one really needed to rely on a powerful clan for a comfortable life!
He reminded Song Tao, "Since Eunuch Wan is so fond of jade porcelain, should we bring a few more exquisite jade porcelain pieces when we visit him?"
"Of course," Song Tao laughed.
She had been prepared for this and had fired several jade porcelain pieces during this period.
However, when they arrived at Eunuch Wan’s residence as arranged, things did not go as smoothly as they had hoped.
An air of tension pervaded throughout Eunuch Wan’s residence.
As soon as the servant boys saw them, they urged them on incessantly, "Hurry up! Our master is about to leave the house, and if you’re late, you’ll have to wait until next time."
Song Tao immediately felt a sense of foreboding, but since she had come, she could only grit her teeth and quickly follow with Song Ren.
By the time they were seated in the hall where Eunuch Wan received guests, Eunuch Wan was still nowhere to be seen. The maids serving them tea and snacks were quite dismissive, indifferent to any questions, until she resolutely tipped them well, and then the maids finally wore sincere smiles on their faces as they told them that Eunuch Wan was having his breakfast.
As for when Eunuch Wan would leave, what he was going to do, whether leaving was a sudden decision, or if he had planned to leave today already, they had no idea.
They waited arduously for Eunuch Wan, but when he finally arrived, he treated them with cold indifference. He didn’t ask for their reason for coming, nor showed any intent to speak with them at length; he exchanged a few perfunctory words with a distracted air before signaling for them to leave with the gesture of offering tea.
Song Tao didn’t even find an appropriate opportunity to say a few more words.
Leaving the Wan residence, Song Tao couldn’t help feeling dejected. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎
Song Ren was even more disheartened, "It’s my limited ability that failed to make the people of the Wan residence see us in a different light."
They both realized that today was obviously not a good opportunity to visit Eunuch Wan—Eunuch Wan was in a rush to leave and simply had no mind to entertain visitors.
But if they had had the connection, even if Eunuch Wan had to leave temporarily, they could have received news beforehand and chosen another time to visit.
Song Tao could only muster up her spirits to comfort Song Ren, "This was unexpected, no one could have anticipated it!"
Song Ren felt even guiltier upon hearing this. He said, "Miss, why don’t I stay away from the Kiln Factory for the next few days and just keep watch at the Wan residence? I refuse to believe that their place is impregnable like a fortress made of copper walls and iron bastions."
Song Tao appreciated his indomitable spirit. After a moment of thought, she said decisively, "Then go to the Accountant and withdraw a few hundred taels of silver. Use it where necessary without trying to save money for me. But for unnecessary expenses, you still need to figure out how to save. After all, we are just starting now. Once the Kiln Factory is on its feet, I’ll share the profits with you."
By the end of her speech, her words carried a hint of teasing.
Song Ren was overjoyed and promised repeatedly, "Miss, rest assured, I will handle this matter well."
Only then did the two head toward their own Kiln Factory’s mule cart.
When they looked up, to their surprise, they saw Eunuch Wan’s palanquin hurrying past them.
"What’s this?" Song Tao’s heart tightened. She instructed Song Ren, "Let’s follow."
To see if there was another chance to speak with Eunuch Wan.
Song Ren had the same thought.
The two followed at a discreet distance.
But as they moved north, the crowd grew thicker, and by the time they reached the city gate, it was impassably crowded.
With Eunuch Wan’s official aura, the soldiers guarding the gate immediately came forward to disperse the crowd, and he passed the gate swiftly. However, Song Tao and Song Ren were stuck inside the city.
Song Ren casually inquired with someone.
The person he spoke to had a face flushed with excitement, "You don’t know? Today is the day the Song Family Kiln Factory is delivering the porcelain Guanyin statue to The Eight Immortals Nunnery! Everyone’s gone to watch the spectacle."
Before Song Ren could say anything, someone else joined in, "I heard that they even invited a revered monk from Mount Jiuhua who resides at the Nameless Temple to recite scriptures. It’s so crowded at The Eight Immortals Nunnery that it’s impossible to enter. If you want to watch, you can go to Huian Square next to the nunnery; there are stalls set up, and people performing feats. It looks even busier than the Kiln God Festival, and more fun too."
"Exactly!" The crowd joined the discussion, "I saw Magistrate Jiang’s sedan pass by here earlier, and just now, Eunuch Wan’s. I heard from people up front that they were all heading to The Eight Immortals Nunnery."
"I even saw Old Master Ma’s palanquin! I guess all the notable figures of Liang County are there today."
"That’s a lot of people!"
The crowd was loud and jovial, immersed in their lively chatter.
Song Ren had grown up in the Song Family, and he had heard of the brotherly feuds among the Song siblings. But as they say, ’act within your capacity,’ naturally, he was going to stand by Song Tao’s side.
As he hesitated on how to break the news to Song Tao, she had already lifted the carriage curtain and said coldly, "Let’s go back to the Kiln Factory!"
Song Ren quickly complied with a "Yes," and directed the coachman to leave the North City Gate.
Song Tao sat upright in the carriage compartment, her handkerchief twisted in her hands like dried mustard greens.
*
Song Jiyun stood on the second floor of the warm pavilion next to Guanyin Hall at The Eight Immortals Nunnery, looking out at the dense crowd inside and outside the temple, feeling her scalp tingle.
If Magistrate Jiang hadn’t called in Government Officials early to maintain order and arranged for city merchants and peddlers to set up stalls in advance, The Eight Immortals Nunnery would have risked a disastrous stampede.
Yet she was somewhat puzzled.
She asked Zheng Quan, "Why are there so many people?"
It was not like the future, where news spread extremely quickly.
Zheng Quan had just returned from a round of patrol and hadn’t even had time for a sip of tea. Upon hearing the question, he immediately said, "Young Master Shao mentioned that they had contacted Middleman Businesses to hire people to shout in the streets, alleys, and rural hills. Now, there’s hardly anyone in Liang County who doesn’t know about the Guanyin statue event. When I was on my way here, I even heard Young Master Yuan and Magistrate Jiang discussing how The Eight Immortals Nunnery will probably be overcrowded for the next few days, shoulder to shoulder. He advised Magistrate Jiang not to withdraw the County Yamen staff, offering to subsidize their meals with one tael of silver per day, per person."
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