Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The preparations for the Curio Pavilion were nearly complete, its interior transformed into something entirely new, carrying an air of ancient elegance laced with mysterious luxury.
In the storeroom, Xie Qingyan was directing Chun Cao and the household servants as they inspected, recorded, and sealed away the final batch of rare goods.
“Sir Thirteen,” she asked without lifting her head, checking the accounts as she spoke, “the shop is ready and all is prepared, save for the final step. May I ask when the business permits, land deeds, and related documents Master Zhou mentioned will be completed?”
Thirteen cupped his hands. “Miss Xie may rest assured. My master has already made arrangements. As for official approvals, there is no need for your concern. He has his own channels.”
Xie Qingyan did not pursue the matter further.
She had long suspected that Master Zhou was no ordinary figure, and now she intended to use this opportunity to see just how powerful his connections truly were.
With that, she returned her focus to the tedious work of receiving and verifying goods.
Meanwhile, at the Leping County office, Xie Wenyuan sat behind his desk, lightly tapping his fingers as he looked at the Curio Pavilion’s application submitted by his clerk.
The last time at Lingyue Restaurant, he had been utterly outmaneuvered and forced into allowing his daughter to appear in public, leaving him humiliated.
Because of that, he still harbored resentment.
It was not that he wished to obstruct this immense opportunity. Xie Wenyuan was no fool. He could see clearly that the mysterious Master Zhou had essentially placed the entire venture upon Xie Qingyan. The investment of two hundred thousand taels depended entirely on her.
Now that the paperwork had reached his desk, as the magistrate of Leping County, he felt he should assert some authority and remind Master Zhou who truly held power in this jurisdiction.
“Hmph, Master Zhou…” he sneered, pushing the documents aside.
“My lord?” the clerk asked cautiously.
“No hurry.” Xie Wenyuan lifted his teacup. “Tell them that county affairs are overwhelming and paperwork is piled high. The process will take a few more days.”
He did not intend to ruin the matter entirely, after all, the silver and his official evaluation were real incentives.
He merely wished to delay slightly, to make Master Zhou understand that in Leping County, he, Xie Wenyuan, was the authority. Anyone wishing to conduct business must show proper respect.
The clerk dared not argue and quietly set the documents aside.
When the news reached Lingyue Restaurant, Zhao Chengze could not help but laugh. “He wants a few more days? This Xie… is he deliberately blocking me?”
He could not even recall the magistrate’s name.
“My lord, shall I go to the county office and speak with them?” Thirteen asked.
“No need.” Zhao Chengze waved his hand. “I have no time to waste on such trivial formalities.”
As a prince of the imperial court, the emperor’s own elder brother, how could a mere county magistrate dare to posture before him?
Picking up his brush, Zhao Chengze did not write to any prefect or governor.
Instead, he drafted a confidential memorial and stamped it with his personal seal.
“Thirteen, send this to the palace.”
“My lord, this… directly to His Majesty?” Thirteen was stunned.
“Say this,” Zhao Chengze’s eyes gleamed with amusement, “that the imperial private treasury intends to open a business in Leping County, and instruct the Ministry of Revenue to immediately issue an official permit and register it.”
“…Understood!”
Thirteen remained expressionless, though his thoughts churned. All this… just for a small shop?
Three days later, Xie Wenyuan sat in the rear hall of the county office, sipping tea in frustration, waiting for Master Zhou to come and beg him.
Suddenly, a yamen runner rushed in, stumbling in panic.
“M-My lord! Something terrible! A notice has arrived from the capital!”
“What?!” Xie Wenyuan jerked, nearly spilling his tea.
He hurried to the main hall, where a dust-covered imperial messenger stood, holding a yellow-edged official document and proclaiming loudly:
“By order transmitted through the Ministry of Revenue, the Curio Pavilion is an enterprise supervised by imperial decree and funded by the imperial treasury. It is to open immediately, and local officials are not to obstruct it. By decree!”
A thunderous shock seemed to explode in Xie Wenyuan’s mind.
He went weak at the knees.
Imperial decree? Funded by the imperial treasury?
How was this possible?
For the first time in his life, he had delayed a process, only to find himself obstructing the emperor himself.
The messenger, after finishing, did not spare him a glance, but directly delivered the gold-stamped permit bearing the Ministry’s seal to the Curio Pavilion.
Xie Wenyuan collapsed into his chair, cold sweat forming on his forehead.
“Just who… is this Master Zhou?”
The opening day of the Curio Pavilion was set three days later.
Everything was ready, awaiting only the arrival of customers.
Xie Qingyan stood in the completed hall, conducting her final inspection.
“Sir Thirteen,” she turned to the black-clad guard standing nearby, “everything is in place now. You have worked hard these past days.”
“No trouble at all. Miss Xie’s brilliance makes any ‘final push’ unnecessary,” Thirteen replied, waving his hand.
Over the past half month, his impression of her had shifted from curiosity to admiration.
Xie Qingyan shook her head. “You overpraise me. However, what we need on opening day is crowd momentum. Though Leping County is not the capital, there are still wealthy households, but most will likely observe cautiously when faced with something as novel as blind selection.”
After a brief pause, she continued, “In the marketplace, people follow trends. Could you ask Master Zhou to invite a few respected local scholars or… popular courtesans to attend? If they make the first purchases and spark curiosity, customers will follow. All expenses can be included in the opening costs.”
In her view, this was the final step.
“Miss Xie’s foresight is thorough. I will report this to my master at once.”
At Lingyue Restaurant, in a private room, Zhao Chengze paused slightly as he listened to Thirteen’s report, the lid of his teacup hovering over the surface.
Then he let out a soft laugh.
“Planted supporters?”
He repeated the term, amusement flickering in his phoenix eyes.
“She truly thinks of everything,” he said lazily as he set down his cup. “But… local scholars? Courtesans? The scope is too small.”
Rising to his feet, he clasped his hands behind his back and gazed toward the capital.
“Thirteen.”
“At your command.”
“Deliver my order. Go and invite Liu Yingying and Su Xiaoxiao to Leping County.”
“If she wants attention, I will give her the greatest attention in the world. If she wants supporters, I will bring the most difficult people in the realm to cheer for her.”
“What—”
Even the usually composed Thirteen was shaken, lifting his head abruptly. “My lord! Liu Yingying and Su Xiaoxiao? They…”
Who were these two?
Liu Yingying, famed throughout the capital, personally titled by the emperor as a voice of heavenly music. A single performance was worth a thousand gold, and even nobles had to schedule a month in advance to see her.
Su Xiaoxiao, the celebrated courtesan of Baihua Pavilion, unmatched in beauty and skilled in every art, sought after by scholars who would spend fortunes for a single meeting.
To bring such figures to this remote county… merely to act as planted supporters?
“What, is my name insufficient to invite them?” Zhao Chengze cast him a sideways glance.
“N-No, I obey!” Thirteen was shaken to the core as he accepted the order and left.
Zhao Chengze sat back down, lightly swinging his leg as he lifted his teacup, his mood clearly pleased.
His Qingyan deserved the very best in this world.