In short, the outside world was quite peaceful, and there was no suppression from outsiders.

Thinking about it now, it made sense. Last time, Shopkeeper Sòng of Míngyù Xuān and that Guō Bǔtóu had joined forces to cause trouble in front of Huìbīn Tower. Although Lord Yè appeared to handle the matter impartially on the surface, anyone perceptive could tell that he had been extremely biased in their favor. Naturally, they would not dare come to Huìbīn Tower again to stir up trouble and suffer a rebuff.

Su Yujin nodded repeatedly. “That’s good.”

“However, I heard these past few days that Qinghe County seems to be considering establishing a chamber of commerce. They’re having various industries compile lists, and they estimate it will take about a month before they start gathering shopkeepers to prepare for it.”

Wu Jiantong said, “The term ‘chamber of commerce’ is quite new. I’ve inquired around, and it seems this has been going on for two or three years in the Jiangzhe area. It’s said that merchants can unite to help each other against natural disasters, coordinate and mediate many issues, and jointly deal with some taxes and levies imposed by the imperial court.”

“It sounds like there are many benefits. The Jiangzhe area is commercially prosperous and highly values ​​this, which is probably why Qinghe County is thinking of following suit.”

“The main person who spearheaded this initiative is the eldest son of the Feng family. In addition, Madam Zhou of the Zhou family has expressed her approval, and Manager Yun of Yunzhizhai is very active, running around trying to make connections.”

“The Feng family runs a tea and cloth business in Qinghe County. They are arguably the richest family in the entire county. It would be quite prestigious and legitimate for them to take the lead in this matter.”

Su Yujin said. “The establishment of this chamber of commerce will likely bring some benefits. As for whether the benefits outweigh the drawbacks, we’ll have to see how things go. It’s hard to say right now. Since someone is doing this, our Huibinlou and Su’s are just small businesses. We can just follow along.”

They would observe the situation and then discuss other matters.

“What you say is very true, Miss. That’s what I meant too,” Wu Jiantong nodded. “If the Feng family or Manager Yun comes again in the next couple of days, I will sign the joint document. However, if they need to get together to discuss matters, it would be best if Miss could also come and take a look.”

After all, he was a head manager. Even though Su Yujin trusted him, he couldn’t make decisions on his own, especially for something new like this. He needed to see what Su Yujin’s idea was so that he could act according to her principles in the future.

“Well, Manager Wu, let’s go check out the preparations together then.”

The Chamber of Commerce matter was still far off, and discussing it further after learning about it wouldn’t be of much use. So Su Yujin continued talking about the Huibinlou restaurant with Wu Jiantong and Zheng Mingyuan.

Having not seen each other for a long time, they couldn’t stop talking, and the conversation lingered until the kitchen was busy preparing dinner before they parted ways. As the sun set, Su Yujin, tired from a busy day, simply asked Liu Mama and Ai Cao to prepare some simple food.

Meanwhile, He Yanxiu was having dinner in the capital.

Not at the He residence, but at a restaurant in the capital.

He sat by the window with a pot of fine Zhuangyuanhong wine and several exquisite dishes. The window was wide open, and He Yanxiu could be seen from the teahouse opposite, who, perhaps curious about him eating and drinking alone, frequently glanced in his direction.

An ordinary person would likely be quite particular about the meal, perhaps even asking someone to close the windows. But He Yanxiu seemed unconcerned, even appearing to be in high spirits. He picked up his chopsticks and ate heartily, occasionally sipping his wine.

Caught up in the moment, he even sought out a courtesan in the tavern, asking her to bring a pipa so he could sing and entertain them.

The people in the teahouse couldn’t help but sneer at this scene. Their master had said He Yanxiu was cunning and difficult to deal with; now it seemed he was nothing more than a pleasure-seeking man who relied solely on his family background, lacking ambition and drive.

Even if he had some skill, it wouldn’t be much.

Meanwhile, in the tavern’s backyard, two men dressed in black robes led horses out of the back door, turned into a side alley, and hurried away.

When they rode straight to a deserted spot, Xing’an finally removed the black robe covering his head and let out a long sigh of relief. “How did Second Master know someone was following us?”

“Ever since I entered the capital, someone has been following us.” He Yanxiu narrowed his eyes. “But since they want to follow, let them follow.”

The person drinking and making merry in the tavern was just a bodyguard with a build very similar to He Yanxiu, his face slightly disguised, dressed in He Yanxiu’s clothes. From the teahouse across the street, and with the lights twinkling at night, he wasn’t easy to spot.

Plus, he had someone similar to Xing’an keeping watch, making him even more convincing.

As the Second Master said, if they wanted to follow, then let them follow. They could keep watch there until midnight, and things here would be pretty much settled.

Xing’an chuckled and cracked his whip.

Horses weaved through the dark alleyways. Suddenly, a figure dressed in black leaped overhead, then returned moments later, using a very tall poplar tree for leverage, finally landing in front of He Yanxiu and Xing An.

“Master”, Shi Ding bowed respectfully.

He Yanxiu tightened the reins. “How is it?”

“As you predicted, Master, that person has found a weakness, attacked the guards, and escaped. They’re currently heading west. Shuangchuan and the others have followed, leaving tracks along the way for easy tracking.”

“Go”, He Yanxiu urged the horse forward.

The three dark figures followed the tracks, stopping frequently as they headed west.

Meanwhile, Qiao Gan, already disheveled, tattered, and covered in wounds, hurried west, stopping frequently to check if anyone was following him.

Only after confirming that no one was following him did he breathe a sigh of relief and stop walking quickly along the alley.

He walked silently for another fifteen minutes before turning into an even more inconspicuous alley. He stopped at the fifth door in the alley and knocked.

He knocked twice, then paused once; then three times, then twice, repeating this three times before stopping.

A moment later, the door creaked open, and the short, stout Third Wei poked his head out. When he saw it was Qiao Gan, he was immediately stunned. “Qiao Gan?”

“It’s me.” Qiao Gan nodded hurriedly. “I just escaped.”

He added, “I didn’t have anyone following me.”

Third Wei looked around and, seeing that there was indeed no movement or person, quickly let him in and shut the door behind him.

Upon entering, Qiao Gan was already too weak to stand and slumped against the door, collapsing to the ground. “I’d appreciate it if Third Uncle could quietly summon a doctor to take a look at me.”

Third Wei frowned, hesitated for a moment, then helped him up. “You go inside first; I’ll go find a doctor right away.” He also needed to inform his master quickly.

(End of Chapter)

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