Yang Xiao accompanied Yu Shi for the meal.
The table was laden with expensive tonics such as ginseng and snow lotus.
Yu Shi felt that after consuming so many supplements, her body was nearly recovered, and she had regained her strength.
“Mother, how is the harvest from our estate?” Yang Xiao asked.
“Just average. Why do you ask?” Granny Zhou served Yu Shi another bowl of ginseng soup.
“Isn’t the estate hosting a Flower Viewing Banquet in two days? I want a new set of headdress,” Yang Xiao replied.
“Don’t you already have several sets? Why do you need another?” Yu Shi finished her ginseng soup, set down her bowl and chopsticks, and rinsed her mouth gently.
“I haven’t bought a new headdress set in a long time. Which noble lady in the capital doesn’t frequently change to new ones?” Yang Xiao sounded somewhat sulky.
“The estate’s recent income has been low, and we spent a considerable amount on medicine yesterday. Where would we get the silver to buy a new headdress set?”
Yu Shi coaxed her, “Let’s discuss it next month. Xiao Xiao, you are exceptionally beautiful and will look good in any headdress set.”
“But, Mother…” Yang Xiao wanted to say more.
“Xiao Xiao, your mother is tired…” Yu Shi simply lay down on the soft couch and closed her eyes.
Seeing this, Yang Xiao had no choice but to leave.
She felt helpless and resentful, thinking that her mother only cared about her own comfort now and disregarded her dignity.
Yang Xiao walked into the garden and bumped into Lin Jiaojiao, who was lost in thought.
Lin Jiaojiao’s mind was entirely preoccupied with the matter of the drawings.
Today, she had tried several excuses to sneak into Lin Tangtang’s room but was stopped each time by Chunxue.
After Lin Tangtang returned from the pharmacy, she had kept her door shut, leaving Lin Jiaojiao with no opportunity to enter.
“Miss Lin, why are you so careless? You almost stepped on me.” Yang Xiao vented her earlier dissatisfaction on Lin Jiaojiao.
“I’m sorry, Miss Yang. I’ve been feeling a bit dizzy lately and didn’t see clearly. I apologize,” Lin Jiaojiao said with sincere exhaustion.
“Never mind. Since you seem sensible, I won’t hold it against you.”
Yang Xiao sat down in the pavilion, gazing at the blooming flowers in the garden, and grumbled, “What’s the point of hosting a Flower Viewing Banquet if there’s no money?”
“Miss Yang, you seem upset. Why not share your troubles with me? Perhaps I can be of some help!” Lin Jiaojiao said.
Yang Xiao recounted the incident about the headdress set.
Lin Jiaojiao felt that a new opportunity had arrived.
“A headdress set is nothing. If Miss Yang wants one, there are plenty of options.”
Lin Jiaojiao smiled, “Besides owning a pharmacy in the capital, my sister also runs a gold shop.”
Lin Jiaojiao had betrayed another piece of Lin Tangtang’s private information.
Yang Xiao grew excited.
If it was Lin Tangtang’s gold shop, couldn’t she follow her mother’s example and borrow a few headdress sets from there?
“Jiaojiao, I always knew your heart was with the Marquis Estate.” Yang Xiao cheered up, changed her form of address, and linked arms with Lin Jiaojiao.
Her previously arrogant attitude had completely shifted.
“However, I do have a small favor to ask of you, Miss Yang,” Lin Jiaojiao leaned closer to Yang Xiao’s ear. “My sister has been in low spirits these past few days. Could you please arrange for her to go out and relax, along with her maid, for just half an hour?”
“Deal.” Yang Xiao’s expression brightened with joy, and she immediately headed toward the West Garden.
Lin Jiaojiao’s eyes darkened as she followed from a distance.
After Lin Tangtang and her maid left the West Garden, she sneaked into the room.
“Miss Yang, didn’t you say Madam of the Hou Estate was looking for Xiangxue and me? Why have you brought us to the garden?” After following Yang Xiao around the garden aimlessly for a while, Lin Tangtang stopped in her tracks.
“That’s right, that’s what my mother said. Why haven’t we seen her yet?” Yang Xiao also appeared puzzled.
“It’s getting late now. The Madam probably won’t be coming. I have matters to attend to and will return to the West Garden first.”
After saying this, Lin Tangtang left with Xiangxue.
Yang Xiao shrugged indifferently. After all, she had managed to delay them for half an hour.
Returning to the West Garden, everything in the room appeared intact.
Lin Tangtang walked to the desk and noticed several more drawings were missing.
“Young lady, this…” Xiangxue’s expression turned grave. More drawings were gone!
“It’s alright. These were my discarded drafts. The real drawings are all kept on my person now.” Lin Tangtang patted her sleeve.
Earlier, when Yang Xiao came saying the Madam had invited her to admire flowers in the garden, she had found it strange.
The Madam’s Head-wind hadn’t improved after just one day of rest – why would she risk going out in the wind?
She had followed Yang Xiao out merely to see what tricks she was trying to play.
Now it appeared that Yang Xiao had joined forces with Yu Shi.
“Xiangxue, go ask the Mamas sent by the Madam if Yang Xiao has made any recent requests?”
She firmly believed that only shared interests could temporarily unite two selfish individuals.
The Mamas were all long-serving staff in the estate. Soon, Lin Tangtang received news: Yang Xiao had requested a Headdress Set from Yu Shi.
“Probably planning to use it as collateral for more credit.” Lin Tangtang wrote a letter. “Xiangxue, please make a trip to the Gold Shop, and while you’re at it…”
She whispered a few additional instructions.
After Xiangxue left, she was gone for quite some time.
Lin Tangtang wasn’t anxious, leaning over the desk as she slowly worked on her drawings.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when a crisp scent of snow pine reached her nose.
Without looking up, she continued drawing until she completed the final stroke.
She presented the drawings with both hands to Qin Mo’an. “The drawings and detailed explanations are all complete. Please review them, Your Highness.”
Qin Mo’an flipped through the drawings and nodded slightly.
The women of the Lin family were indeed meticulous.
“His Majesty issued an edict several days ago ordering the nearby Longxi troops to provide reinforcements. They should have reached the Northern Territory by today. Tomorrow morning, the first reinforcement troops from the capital will depart.”
Qin Mo’an briefly explained, “But the second reinforcement army will gather even more troops. We must not relax our efforts regarding the command authority.”
“Thank you for your mediation in securing the reinforcements, Your Highness. This humble subject is profoundly grateful.” Lin Tangtang knelt on the ground, performing a deep bow.
Her body trembled with uncontrollable emotion as tears streamed down her face, broken sobs escaping her throat.
She had finally reached this moment – her father and brothers now had a glimmer of hope!
All the humiliation she had endured was worth it.
Qin Mo’an remained silent.
This woman, usually brave as a beast, now wept pitifully like a dove.
After a while, her crying gradually subsided.
“Rise,” Qin Mo’an said calmly.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” She stood up, lifting her head to look at Qin Mo’an. Her eyes were red, with glistening tear stains still visible in them.
“Your Highness, this subject has a request to make.” She wiped the tears from her face.
“What is it?”
“I have two shops and would like to find a reliable person to temporarily transfer them to, then transfer them back after some time.” Lin Tangtang explained.
As long as the shops weren’t under her name, Yu Shi and her daughter couldn’t continue running up debts and acting arrogantly.
“That shouldn’t be difficult.”
“It’s not difficult, but the transfer procedures take a long time—at least three months, up to half a year. Especially for a pharmacy, all parties involved in the transfer must possess the qualifications of a medicinal merchant, and it ultimately requires filing with the Ministry of Revenue.”
Lin Tangtang pleaded, “But I wish to transfer it within a single day, so I can only ask for Your Highness’s assistance.”
A single day—that was asking too much.
Yet if it took longer than a day, her plan for the Flower Viewing Banquet would fall through.
Caught in a dilemma, she had no choice but to give it her all.
“Then tell me, what is your plan?” Qin Mo’an asked.