Chapter 41: Anyone who encounters Cheng Pushe dares to make a move
Lu Tingwan was busy greeting customers. When Luo Yunchu arrived at the store, he smiled happily, and Lu Tingwan knew that good things were going to happen.
She asked Feng Xin to take the person to the study on the second floor. Luo Yunchu waited for a cup of tea before she saw Lu Tingwan coming to find her.
As soon as he stepped into the room, his voice was filled with unconcealed joy. "Yun Chu, have you finalized the recruitment list?"
"Yes." Luo Yunchu stood in front of her. She had been dressed as a woman since the day the Jade Dew Cream came on the market, and she had always been dressed as a woman since then.
Lu Tingwan raised his chin slightly, eager to know: "Which companies have been planned?"
"You'll know when it's announced tomorrow." Luo Yunchu kept it a secret.
Lu Tingwan raised an eyebrow and pouted in displeasure, "Master Luo, you're still trying to act sophisticated in front of me."
"Well," Luo Yunchu teased her, "I don't know who it was, but he fled my house that day, and the next day he was chatting and laughing with me as if nothing had happened. But I was the only one still thinking deeply about it."
"Why are you still bringing up the past?" Lu Tingwan saw him teasing himself and said, "I was drunk that day and my mind was not clear..."
"Really? Are you awake now?" Luo Yunchu said deliberately.
"I'm awake." Lu Tingwan walked around him and sat down. "Honestly, which shops do you think are more promising?"
Luo Yunchu finally returned to the topic: "There were over a hundred businesses that submitted business cards, and the ones that were finally selected were the best. If we have to say, it depends on the top ten shops that were anonymously submitted by the people. It's not what you said, but those who win the hearts of the people will naturally be good."
"What if someone resorts to trickery? How can we identify fake votes?" Lu Tingwan became worried.
"According to your plan, the final list will be determined by public vote without any announcement before the public announcement. After the public announcement, there will be two days for voting. If someone tries to bribe the people to falsify the list, it will be impractical."
"First, the number of votes for each store will not be made public until the voting is over. This way, those who want to cheat will have no idea how many votes they need to buy to get into the top ten."
This is a good idea. Lu Tingwan smiled and said in admiration, "Master Luo, this is a good plan. Even I was caught off guard by this method."
"This is all thanks to Manager Jiang's advice. Don't be so modest in front of me."
"Actually, with Zhichunli's current reputation, Yulu Cream shouldn't be a problem for sales, and Zhichunli can handle so many customers. Why do you insist on selling it out as an agent?"
Lu Tingwan said casually and effortlessly, "Having one business dominate isn't a good thing. You reminded me several times when Zhichunli first opened. Merchants have been giving Zhichunli trouble more than once, often due to Sun Gui's instigation and pressure. If I monopolize the market and steal customers from the Jingdu shops, resentment will surely build over time. Then all the shops will unite to suppress me. How can my little shop withstand this?"
"Since we've opened this agency channel, I, Jiang Yanli, am telling the business community that Zhichunli is willing to make friends and share profits. This way, the Kyoto market won't fall into vicious competition, and you can maintain your position as the Chamber of Commerce president in the long run, right?"
"You've already thought about the next ten steps before you take one." Luo Yunchu sighed, "You are truly a business genius that only comes once in a century."
"Isn't this a principle that all businesspeople understand?" Lu Tingwan said, "Don't you know these intricacies of the house rental business better than I do? Why are you complimenting me?"
"It's different." Luo Yunchu seemed to be thinking about it. "Not every businessman can have your vision. Do you know what those people who handed in the invitations said?"
"What did you say about me?"
"If you want to know, you'll have to give me some sweet treats." Luo Yunchu was expecting.
Lu Tingwan didn't agree with him and just handed him a piece of candied fruit and stuffed it into his mouth.
"Mr. Luo, you've worked so hard, getting up early and staying up late. Today, my shopkeeper Jiang will host a banquet for us. Would you be so kind as to honor me?"
"It's hard to refuse such kindness." Luo Yunchu opened his fan and said, "But please don't get drunk again. I can't always control myself."
Lu Tingwan lowered her eyes and avoided his gaze, her dress unaware that Luo Yunchu smiled dotingly.
Lu Tingwan specially booked a room at Yunshuizhai on Weiyang Street. Officials and young men from Kyoto all loved to come here, as it was elegant and stylish.
After entering Yunshuizhai, the servant led us to the second floor and placed us in a side room. From there, we could see the dance music being performed on the stage downstairs. The location was decent.
In one of the elegant rooms on the third floor, Han Zhou and Cheng Xianzhi sat around a stove, brewing tea, and the room was filled with the aroma of tea.
A while ago, the Ministry of Justice took on a new case involving a murder case in a gambling house in Kyoto. The case involved the Ziqian family, who lent money at high interest. Murders occurred one after another. Cheng Xianzhi, as the Minister of Justice, assisted the Ministry of Justice in investigating the person behind the case. The clues they found showed that a gambling house dealer named Gao Heng was involved.
This person had been to gambling houses, brothels, and money houses. Any place where money flowed would become a place he would frequent.
The new tea was brewed. Han Zhou poured a cup and handed it over, saying, "According to the clues provided by the Ministry of Justice, Gao Heng comes to Shuiyunzhai every month in the middle of the month to enjoy music and drink. We should wait here and it will be a sure thing."
"This person is cautious. He recently caused trouble and alarmed the Ministry of Justice. He must be restrained and it is possible that he is trying to stay out of the spotlight." Cheng Xianzhi was wearing an indigo-colored straight line. His bony fingers were playing with the teacup, his eyes fixed on the door of Shuiyunzhai.
Han Zhou said, "Don't worry, sir. We have sentries upstairs and downstairs. As long as Gao Heng shows up, he will be nowhere to hide."
"Um."
Cheng Xianzhi was about to look away when he accidentally glanced at the private room on the second floor. It was Lu Tingwan and Luo Yunchu.
He paid more attention and kept his gaze on them. He saw the two of them chatting and laughing. Lu Tingwan gestured as he spoke, while Luo Yunchu listened with his cup in hand. He occasionally covered his face with a bamboo fan, and occasionally put it away. He also tapped Lu Tingwan's forehead affectionately. The interaction between the two was very intimate.
"At that time, I was running a small business in Jiangling. I would hide some of my daily income and give the rest to my mother. I thought my mother didn't know, but later I found out that she knew everything, but she just didn't expose me." Lu Tingwan talked incessantly as he recalled the past.
"The thugs in Jiangling are much more arrogant than those in Kyoto. They would forcibly collect protection fees from us. To put it bluntly, they were robbing us openly. But later..."
Luo Yunchu listened, and his smile turned into heartache. Lu Tingwan boasted, "I took care of all those little hooligans."
"Do you still dare to confront these ruffians head-on?"
"Of course not the front." Lu Tingwan covered her mouth and leaned closer to him, whispering in a low voice.
After she finished speaking, Luo Yunchu couldn't help laughing.
Lu Tingwan thought about soaking the silver that was handed over in specially formulated pollen. After the gangsters touched it, they would feel extremely itchy and their skin would ulcerate within seven days. As long as they could endure seven days, the effect of the medicine would wear off and they would return to normal.
Therefore, she compiled a book of strange stories and asked storytellers to spread it in the city. The content of the book talked about strange stories that happened in Jiangling decades ago. It said that the ruffians at that time violated their conscience, harmed the people, threatened and robbed the people of their hard-earned money, and finally got retribution. They were cursed to death by the flower god who protected the local people. Anyone who maliciously collected protection fees would itch and fester, and their skin would be covered with wounds once they were cursed. If they wanted to break the curse, they had to return the money to the people.
After this, these thugs no longer dared to collect protection fees, and only she knew the reason.
"It turns out that you have been clever and eccentric since you were a child. I believe the Madam must love you very much." Luo Yunchu smiled from ear to ear.
"My mother praises me for my intelligence, but she always nags me to learn to be more dignified as a woman. The sister next door in our village is dignified, but in the end, her father sent her to the county government office and she became the concubine of the county magistrate..."
At this point, she suddenly realized that she was also a concubine now...
"Oh, let's not talk about this anymore," she said with a smile, ending the topic. "Let's just eat and talk."
Han Zhou noticed something strange about Cheng Xianzhi, and following his gaze, he also saw Lu Tingwan and Luo Yunchu. He said thoughtfully, "The second lady has also come to Yunshuizhai. What a coincidence."
"The Chamber of Commerce is right on Weiyang Street," Cheng Xianzhi calmly retracted his gaze and sipped his tea, saying, "It's not surprising that she's here."
The guests at Shuiyunzhai gradually dispersed. After nightfall, Gao Heng still did not show up until midnight. Cheng Xianzhi could no longer wait and stood up and said, "Remove the sentries. We've already alerted the enemy."
If he had appeared, he would have shown up long ago. Han Zhou nodded and retreated, giving instructions to the guards outside the door.
The secret sentry stationed at Yunshuizhai was retiring. Cheng Xianzhi glanced at that location and found it was already empty.
After leaving Yunshuizhai, Han Zhou rode his horse to follow the carriage and said to the people in the carriage, "We've been keeping an eye on Gao Heng all day, but he hasn't come in or out. Maybe he's hiding away. The Ministry of Justice's information was kept secret, so I wonder how he was alerted."
"Given Gao Heng's personality, he must be cunning and suspicious. Have the Ministry of Justice bring a list of all those who have borrowed money from Gao Heng to the government office. We can just send secret agents to watch these people's homes. If Gao Heng can't get the money back, he'll find them."
"Wouldn't that be walking into a trap?" Han Zhou said, "Gao Heng wouldn't be so foolish as to take such a step."
"As long as the bait is big enough, wealth and honor can be sought at the risk of danger, and then the news is released, the Ministry of Justice has withdrawn the case. After the storm has died down, I don't believe he won't come out." Cheng Xianzhi said leisurely.
After a while, Cheng Xianzhi remembered something and asked casually, "Did you investigate Luo Yunchu?"
Han Zhou raised his eyebrows and smiled across the curtain, "Which one are you referring to, sir?"
"Don't you want to know whether Luo Yunchu knows Lu Tingwan's identity? Has he found out?" A serious voice came from behind the curtain.
Han Zhou pretended not to know: "Oh, so this is what the adults are talking about."
"Don't be so pretentious. I don't want to hear any nonsense." Cheng Xianzhi warned him.
Han Zhou stopped joking and said seriously, "I'm not sure about this either, but one thing is for sure: Luo Yunchu is a man of deep thoughts. From the time he revealed Kong Fan's crimes in the letter, it's clear that he's not a pure man. However, if he knew the identity of the Second Madam, and still dared to get close to her, he probably thought his life was too long for him."
"Cheng Pushe's men dare to come up with any ideas." He emphasized this point deliberately.
"Birds of a feather flock together." Cheng Xianzhi, however, was unconcerned. "Lu Tingwan even dared to act intimately with a man outside her family in front of me, confident that I wouldn't touch her. I imagine Luo Yunchu also understands the underlying meaning, so it's not impossible that he might be intentionally approaching her."
"If it's as you say, then Second Madam has put her trust in the wrong person." Han Zhou was shocked. "Don't let her end up losing everything, becoming disheartened and committing suicide for love..."
"You've been talking a lot lately." An unhappy voice came from behind the curtain.
Han Zhou fell silent in the silent night. The wind quietly entered the curtains and blew on Cheng Xianzhi's cheek. Through the gap in the curtains, half of his profile could be clearly seen, cold and distinct.
As Cheng Xianzhi entered the study, Lu Tingwan's figure disappeared in the direction of Yansheng Hall.
Three days later, the people responded to the election for the shop agent Yu Lu Cream, and there was an endless stream of people entering and leaving the Chamber of Commerce every day. Lu Tingwan handed the affairs of Zhichunli to Feng Xin and went to the guild hall to learn about the latest situation.
In Luo Yunchu's public housing, Tianshu presented the results of the three-day voting.
Lu Tingwan considered it carefully, scanning the number of votes for each store. At first, it seemed normal, but the more he read, the more he felt something was wrong.
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