Chapter 40: It Was He Who Was Blind
What Qin Baiwan was thinking, Yu Lingzhao did not know, but her first reaction was to observe this Eldest Miss of the Qin family, Qin Fangdai.
Xiao Ning’an was a man of deep calculation, he held little genuine affection for romance and had high standards for the people and things around him.
To have caught Xiao Ning’an's eye, Qin Fangdai certainly possessed extraordinary qualities. Yu Lingzhao thought of the eventual fate of Qin Baiwan and Qin Fangdai and sighed slightly; it was truly a pity for this father and daughter.
Qin Baiwan had no idea what the Little County Princess had up her sleeve.
He glanced at his daughter, and Qin Fangdai nodded slightly. Just as Qin Baiwan was about to speak, he saw the Little County Princess make a shushing gesture.
"Don't be in a hurry. I ask you two to listen in, but you must keep your mouths shut tight, you cannot let anyone discover your presence."
Yu Lingzhao’s voice was not loud, but Qin Baiwan and Qin Fangdai heard her clearly. They were dazed, having no clue what she was actually trying to do.
The Qin father and daughter obediently remained silent. Yu Lingzhao nodded to Feiyu and Zhaoxing. With Guan Xiao's help, the two moved aside a hidden mechanism, revealing what turned out to be a hollow wall.
Qin Baiwan’s heart skipped a beat. Having been in the capital for so many years, he actually had no idea that Jifang Garden Teahouse contained such a mechanism.
He looked at the Little County Princess in shock, only to see her press her index finger to her lips, repeating the gesture for him to stay silent.
Yu Lingzhao, meanwhile, picked up the teapot and slowly poured herself some tea. As she poured, she spoke, "Feiyu, the pastries at Quyuan were quite good today. Tomorrow, send someone to buy some."
Feiyu bowed. "Whatever Mistress likes, this servant will surely see it done."
Yu Lingzhao took a sip of tea and frowned slightly. "This tea at Jifang Garden doesn't seem like much after all..."
Yu Lingzhao, Feiyu, and Zhaoxing chatted about random, trivial things that seemed entirely unrelated to today's business discussion.
Watching the Little County Princess’s actions, Qin Baiwan’s expression darkened. He clearly felt the Little County Princess was looking down on them, calling him here merely for her own amusement.
Just as Qin Baiwan was about to speak, Guan Xiao used his thumb to nudge open his scabbard, revealing a sharp blade.
The reflection of the sunlight off the steel even flashed in Qin Baiwan’s eyes.
Qin Baiwan’s face changed color slightly, and Qin Fangdai’s brows knitted tightly.
Yu Lingzhao set down her teacup unhurriedly, her aura cold and aloof.
"The tea and pastries haven't even been served yet, what’s the rush?"
Seeing the Little County Princess's attitude, Qin Fangdai was also confused, this didn't look like someone coming to talk business.
Yet, Qin Fangdai also felt that the Little County Princess harbored no ill will, even if the guard beside her had bared his weapon.
Qin Fangdai pressed down on her father’s hand, signaling for him to calm down first. Qin Baiwan naturally calmed down as well. He was merely a merchant, while the person opposite him was a County Princess of a Prince’s Mansion, accompanied by guards carrying blades.
The situation favored the strong, and Qin Baiwan had no intention of forcing a confrontation with the Little County Princess.
A knock sounded at the door. Huayue stepped forward to open it; it was exactly the waiter delivering the pastries. Huayue took them at the door and did not let the man inside.
Only then did Qin Baiwan notice that guards from the Prince’s Mansion were also standing watch at the entrance of the private room. He became increasingly bewildered, what on earth did this Little County Princess want to do?
Yu Lingzhao, however, knew that the real show was about to begin. The waiter delivering the pastries was the signal arranged by Luo Chuan.
Indeed, Jifang Garden Teahouse was precisely Luo Chuan's stronghold, in other words, Jifang Garden was actually an asset of the Prince of Zhennan’s Mansion, though very few people knew this.
Yu Lingzhao moved her index finger, signaling Huayue to place the pastries in front of Qin Fangdai, and said warmly, "Have some snacks first; just drinking tea won't do."
Qin Fangdai found that she simply could not read this Little County Princess. She seemed to be speaking to her, yet it also felt as if she were speaking in double entendres.
Yu Lingzhao didn't care what expressions the Qin father and daughter were wearing, the main event that followed was what mattered most.
Sure enough, a moment later, activity could be heard from next door. It sounded like two people had entered, the sound of footsteps and the rustle of them moving and sitting down could be heard with perfect clarity.
Despite Qin Baiwan being a veteran of the business world, he had never imagined a scene like this today.
And in the next instant, the voices coming from the adjacent private room left both Qin Baiwan and Qin Fangdai stunned.
"Eunuch, you have worked hard coming out of the palace on official business today. This is a small token of my respect; I hope you will kindly accept it."
Someone next door spoke, it was the voice of a young man. Yu Lingzhao didn't find it familiar, but she knew exactly who it was.
Qin Baiwan and Qin Fangdai also recognized who this person was the moment he spoke—it was the Qin family's adopted son, Qin Sicong.
Immediately following that, another high-pitched, thin voice came from the other side. It was distinct from an ordinary person's, with very obvious vocal characteristics; it was a eunuch.
"At least you have a heart, kid. In that case, this Eunuch won't stand on ceremony."
As the voice trailed off, it was accompanied by the sound of the other person weighing a money bag; the clinking was quite loud, suggesting the reward was substantial.
It was these few brief sentences that caused Qin Baiwan's face to change color. He had never thought of using the Qin family to curry favor with any powerful figures, he only wanted to earn money honestly.
He had already paid all the customary "respects" one should, and had no extra private dealings.
However, these few words from his adopted son, Qin Sicong, clearly indicated that he had been in private contact with the other party for a long time, to the point where their relationship was already quite deep.
Qin Baiwan looked toward the Little County Princess, who was still composedly sipping tea and eating pastries.
Noticing his gaze, Yu Lingzhao even smiled. "How is it? The pastries at Jifang Garden Teahouse aren't bad, are they?"
Qin Baiwan opened his mouth, about to speak, but caught sight of the guard with the blade and the masked guard by her side, he immediately clamped his mouth shut again.
The conversation in the private room next door had not yet ended, in fact, the eunuch had begun asking Qin Sicong how much of the Qin family’s assets he currently had in hand.
The more Qin Baiwan listened, the more unsightly his expression became, and Qin Fangdai and Qin Qiuniang by his side fared no better.
If he still didn't understand what kind of person Qin Sicong was by now, then Qin Baiwan, as the richest man, truly deserved to be swindled to death.
Qin Sicong had no idea that someone in the next room could hear him clearly. Instead, he detailed exactly which shops he had recently taken control of to the eunuch.
"His Highness’s meaning is that you needn't worry. As long as the Qin family is willing to pledge their loyalty, when the time comes... there will naturally be no lack of benefits for you." The eunuch spoke cryptically, yet who among those present—and in the next room—could fail to understand the meaning behind those words?
Qin Sicong immediately declared his stance: "Please rest assured, Your Highness. The Qin family will definitely support Your Highness with all our strength. Once Fangdai becomes Your Highness’s Side Consort in the future, the Qin family will naturally follow Your Highness’s lead."
Hearing this, the eunuch seemed very pleased. He let out a piercing laugh and gave Qin Sicong a few more instructions before leaving the adjacent room with the silver.
Qin Baiwan’s face was now as dark as the bottom of a blackened pot. He had treated his adopted son with kindness, raising and educating him with all his heart—he never imagined he would nurture such an ambitious, greedy, and ignorant villain!
He actually dared to plot against his Fangdai!
That brat!
It was he who was blind!
Jade: My monthly bundles is running out any moment from now😅 So we're 40 Chapters out!!! Hurray🥳🥳 I'm just sad didn't get to stockpile, but I'll be back by next week🙏🏻 Thank you all for reading ～(^з^)-♡
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