The door on the second floor closed once more. Lan Jin went to the long table and glanced over the notes Aunt Chang had just recorded.
When 'Feng Deng' accepted a commission, everything would be documented on paper. Only after the client reviewed, approved, and signed the agreement would the commission officially take effect.
"Be prepared. She will return."
Aunt Chang acknowledged the order.
Lan Jin sat down at one end of the long table, picking up several prepared bamboo strips to compare their lengths. "Investigate the Zhou family, the Chen family, Zhou Yarou's husband's family—the Zheng family—and Chen Shan's husband's family—the Wu family. Gather all the details and bring them to me."
"Yes." Aunt Chang took out specially made gloves and helped the young lady put them on. Bamboo strips often had many tiny splinters, and the young lady had suffered quite a bit from them in the past, yet she always seemed to forget.
In truth, Lan Jin simply disliked wearing gloves. Although the gloves made from sheep intestine fit snugly and were thin, having that layer between her fingers always felt off when crafting lanterns.
She often pretended to forget, but there was always someone around to remember for her.
As she helped the young lady with the gloves, Aunt Chang chuckled, "I thought she might ask about your relationship with Lord Lin, but she didn't mention it at all."
"She truly came for me, and her concern for her close friend was genuine. In the end, her worry took precedence, so she forgot to ask." Lan Jin tested the flexibility of the bamboo strips one by one. "We'll only accept this one commission in the coming days. Unless something particularly interesting comes up, we won't take any more for now."
"By 'interesting,' does the young lady mean… something related to the deposed Crown Princess?"
"Yes. However, it's unlikely to happen soon. She isn't so impatient; she'll observe for a while first." Lan Jin smiled. "In the struggle among the princes, Lord Lin—who holds immense power and enjoys the Emperor's exclusive favor—is a coveted prize for all of them. The Deposed Crown Prince is even more eager to secure his support. Without Lord Lin, the deposed Crown Princess wouldn't have noticed 'Feng Deng' so quickly. But now, I am Lord Lin's fiancée! Regardless of the truth, there's no smoke without fire. Compared to me going to great lengths to draw her attention, this outcome is far more advantageous."
Aunt Chang laughed. "The young lady speaks wisely. It can't be groundless rumors."
Lan Jin smiled faintly, picking up a small knife to carefully scrape the bamboo strips. Every lantern from 'Feng Deng' was crafted in such a way that even if taken apart, its inner workings would remain a mystery. Daring to sell at high prices naturally came with the justification for those prices.
Aunt Chang brewed a fresh pot of tea and placed it on the table. After stepping out briefly, she returned to find two additional plates of pastries on the table. Then, she quietly closed the door and went downstairs.
The first floor had grown even busier. Aunt Chang looked at the stream of customers—each like a gold ingot—and with a bright smile, she blended into the crowd.
When asked about the lanterns, she would answer one question with ten. For those inquiring about the shop owner, she would casually pick up a nearby lantern, claiming it was personally made by the young lady. When questioned about the relationship between Lord Lin and the owner, she would say it wasn't proper to gossip about her master's affairs. In short, none of her responses revealed anything useful, yet lantern after lantern was sold.
Chun Yang learned another trick from Aunt Chang and seemed to grow even more clever as a result.
Yu Zhi Yue, on the other hand, learned many tricks. Initially reserved, she gradually adopted a demeanor reminiscent of Aunt Chang without even realizing it.
The shop bustled with a constant flow of customers. While it was still hard to say what kind of person the young lady named Lan Jin was, by the time lanterns were lit in the evening, the lanterns sold from 'Feng Deng' glowed one by one in various courtyards, and the shop had already earned a favorable reputation.
Lin Xihe gazed at the lantern on his desk, listening to his subordinate's report on the day's bustling activity at 'Feng Deng,' and drew two conclusions.
First, they truly dared to set high prices.
Second, they had made quite a profit in just one day.
Ordinary lanterns can be bought for just a few dozen wen, better ones for a few hundred wen, and even finer ones for one or two taels.
Even during the Lantern Festival, a lantern of this size would cost no more than ten taels. Thirty-eight taels would be enough to buy a specially crafted, eye-catching oversized lantern.
"Was Madam Zheng the only one who went upstairs to see Lan Jin?"
"Yes." Zuo Li lowered his head to reply. "Our people didn’t dare get too close, so we don’t know what the two discussed. But after Madam Zheng left, someone followed her and discovered she went to the Chen family. When she left, her eyes were red, as if she had been crying."
In other words, Madam Zheng’s visit to the Chen family was related to Lan Jin.
Lin Xihe held the lantern in his hand and examined it closely. It was a six-sided lantern, each side seemingly telling a story.
On the first side, two young women—one dressed in red, the other in green—held hands as they chased after butterflies ahead. Behind them, two dignified men—one in blue, the other in purple—applauded and waved toward the two women.
On the second side, the woman in red played the qin amidst a garden of flowers, while a figure in purple watched her from afar.
On the third side, the woman in green danced in the snow, gazing at the purple-clad figure ahead.
On the fourth side, the man in blue looked at the green-clad woman, raising his sword to scatter a flurry of petals.
On the fifth side, the red-clad woman playing the qin watched the blue-clad man practicing his sword, as if playing the qin for him.
On the sixth side, the four figures stood in four directions, with a lantern in the center—and that lantern was the very one in his hand.
Lin Xihe smiled. A six-sided lantern, the entanglements of four people, yet in the end, the story offered no resolution.
How interesting—she managed to turn a simple lantern into something so intricate.
He blew on the fire starter to light the lantern, and the figures seemed to come alive, their expressions vivid. Under the lantern’s glow, Lin Xihe’s face appeared softer.
"Has Lan Jin taken any action regarding the rumors?"
"No. Our people watched all day. Not only did Miss Lan Jin not show herself, but the others also only conducted business within the shop and did not venture out."
Lin Xihe’s lips curved slightly. The rumors had already spread and even reached her shop. Even if she hadn’t known before, she must know now. Yet she acted as if she knew nothing, focusing solely on business and earning silver. If this wasn’t deliberate, it would be a disservice to the intelligence she displayed the day before yesterday at Chengenhou Manor.
Was it just for silver?
Gently stroking the lantern, Lin Xihe immediately dismissed the thought as he considered the meaning of "Feng Deng."
If not for the name Lan Jin, he wouldn’t have given much thought to the meaning of "Feng Deng."
But since she had chosen this name, he could easily suspect that "Feng Deng" was derived from "a lamp encountered in a dark room."
With such a meaning, it couldn’t possibly be solely for silver.
"I recall the Zhou and Chen families were on good terms?"
"After learning of Madam Zheng’s whereabouts, I investigated the Zhou and Chen families. In their grandfathers’ generation, the two families were connected by marriage. Though not particularly close, they maintained regular contact. Because of this relationship, Madam Zheng and the Chen family’s young lady were close friends since childhood, often visiting each other. When the Chen family’s young lady married far away, Madam Zheng’s dowry gift exceeded even that of the young lady’s own sisters. At the time, this was considered a beautiful story, and their relationship was said to be exceptionally close."
Zuo Li glanced at his master and added, "I also discovered that after the Chen family’s young lady married, Madam Zheng rarely visited the Chen family."
Lin Xihe looked at the illuminated lantern, its paintings now infused with emotion, and already understood the situation.
Feng Deng: An entity that facilitates matters for women, accepting commissions from them.
Madam Zheng went upstairs to see Lan Jin, then immediately proceeded to the Chen family, emerging with reddened eyes—there must be a connection here.