Chapter 44

Return Hall

The next day, when Xie Sui’an and Nan Yi went to find Qiao Yin Zhi, they were told that Qiao Yin Zhi had hurriedly returned to her family’s home the previous night.

How could it be so coincidental?

Both Nan Yi and Xie Xiao Liu didn’t believe it. After some inquiries, they learned that before leaving, Xie Que Shan had visited her.

Upon hearing this, Nan Yi’s heart immediately sank.

She realized that when he delivered the clothes to her room last night, he must have seen the Buddhist scripture of the Hundred People on her desk and confirmed that Qiao Yin Zhi was a spy. Before Nan Yi and Xie Sui’an had a chance to make contact with her, he had already let her go.

Nan Yi was furious.

Every move he made was never without reason. She pitied herself, having been so pleased with his casual kindness the night before, only to find it was all part of his plan.

She was seething with anger.

Nan Yi could no longer pay attention to what Xie Sui’an was saying. She stormed back to her room, took off her new clothes, and threw them deep into the wardrobe.

Aside from this weak and futile protest, she couldn’t storm to Xie Que Shan and yell at him.

That said, these matters didn’t actually concern her much. All she had to do was stay quietly, like a puppet, letting Xie Que Shan manipulate her. At a certain point, he would let her go.

In this matter, she was still willing to trust him.

For now, she would focus on the New Year. At least with one less spy in the house, she didn’t have to worry so much, and the exhausting journey wasn’t completely wasted.

Not just Nan Yi and Xie Sui’an, but everyone at Wangxuewu felt that this New Year was exceptionally refreshing.

When Lady Gantang returned, she drove out the annoying Qi people from the household, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much freer.

On New Year’s Eve, everyone just hurried through the New Year’s Eve meal. Lady Gantang suggested that they host a New Year banquet on the fifth day of the new year, for everyone to gather and enjoy.

It seemed like there was plenty of time, but a banquet required a lot of preparation. There were special “Four Departments and Eight Bureaus” that handled banquet arrangements for the nobility and officials. As long as money was paid, they would take care of everything. However, due to the war, many things were unavailable, and even the most skilled cooks couldn’t work without ingredients.

Moreover, Lady Gantang was not one to be extravagant. For this banquet, her core goal was to save money, while cutting a large portion of the miscellaneous expenses in the rear courtyard managed by Lu Jinxiu, in an effort to save and increase revenue.

Nan Yi, who helped Lady Gantang, thought she would only be a passive participant, but to her surprise, Lady Gantang treated her as if she were the mistress of the house, patiently teaching her all the small, tedious tasks.

Lady Gantang was a kind but formidable woman. The difference between her and Lu Jinxiu was that while Lu Jinxiu’s approach was driven by “profit,” Lady Gantang’s was driven by “goodness.”

Nan Yi genuinely liked Lady Gantang.

The responsibility of coordinating matters within the house was enough to keep Lady Gantang busy, so she entrusted Nan Yi with the task of shopping outside the house.

When Nan Yi saw the shopping list, she felt a sense of unease.

The quantities of rice, flour, oil, and sugar were clearly far more than what would be needed for a single banquet. Lady Gantang had said it was for future use—during chaotic times, it was always wise to stock up. But since New Year prices were higher than usual, why didn’t she wait until after the Lantern Festival to stock up?

Though curious, Nan Yi didn’t dare to slack off and set out with the maids to shop around the city, comparing prices to avoid being cheated.

In the marketplace, Nan Yi first heard of a business called “Return Hall.”

Although it was called a business, it didn’t have a storefront. It resembled more of a mobile black market or an underground network that controlled the flow of goods and money in the market.

It was said that as long as you were willing to spend money at Return Hall, there was nothing they couldn’t procure, including intelligence and even lives.

Nan Yi had no desire to deal with the black market, but some things could only be purchased through them.

For instance, salt and sugar. These seemingly common goods were crucial wartime supplies, and when purchased in large quantities, they needed to be reported to the authorities.

Nan Yi guessed that no matter what Lady Gantang needed these items for, speed was probably important. She didn’t want to make a big deal out of the purchases by using the excuse of the Xie family’s banquet. So, Nan Yi gritted her teeth and, guided by the shopkeeper, entered the back room of a salt shop.

The dim room was filled with an intoxicating fragrance that made one feel drowsy. In the room, there was an accountant, with two burly men standing guard, each wearing a waist knife.

Nan Yi pressed her handprint on the contract, handing over the money and receiving the goods. There were no extra words or bargaining; within the time it took for a short incense stick to burn, the transaction was complete.

It seemed like the black market was not so terrifying after all.

Once the transaction was done, Nan Yi felt a cold sweat on her back. She hurried back to Wangxuewu with the purchased items.

Little did she know, every one of her movements had been meticulously reported to the glamorous flower-filled pavilion of Huazhao Pavilion.

New figures around Xie Liu became objects of suspicion for Zhang Yuehui. The young madam of the Xie family, and that Lady Gantang.

He listened absently to his subordinate Luo Ci’s report, his eyes scanning the paper that was handed to him.

It noted that today Nan Yi had purchased items from various shops in the city, each in small quantities, but collectively enough for ten banquets for the Xie family.

Luo Ci added, “Master, our men had a brief encounter with her, and after a close interaction, it was confirmed that she does not have martial arts skills.”

Zhang Yuehui threw the paper into the charcoal stove and watched the flames lick the paper until it turned to ash.

He pondered, “This young widow from the Xie family, is she being used as a pawn by Lady Gantang, or is there more to her than meets the eye… I’m not sure what to make of her.”

He stroked his chin and thought for a while, before hearing the approaching footsteps. He stood up and adjusted his robes.

“Continue keeping an eye on her.”

“Understood, Master.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Luo Ci quietly slipped out through the window. The next moment, the door was pushed open.

Zhang Yuehui greeted the new arrivals with ease, his expression calm.

“Lord Wanyan, oh, and this must be—”

Wanyan Jun led Xie Que Shan inside, smiling, “Naturally, this is our Daqi’s ace strategist, Young Master Que Shan,” he said, then turned to introduce Xie Que Shan, “This is the master of Return Hall, Zhang Yuehui.”

The two exchanged glances, and in their eyes, a hint of danger was sensed.

One appeared indifferent, the other calm, but both were deep and unreadable.

“Master Zhang, I’ve heard much about you, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

On the surface, there was cordiality, a warm meeting, yet beneath it, a sense of rivalry simmered.

So, he threw all his effort into making a name for himself in Lidu Prefecture. He personally oversaw the construction of the dragonbone ships, while the capture of King Ling’an was mainly handled by Xie Que Shan and Hu Sha.

Hu Sha had a violent temperament and clearly wasn’t as enthusiastic about shipbuilding. If it weren’t for the pressure from above, he would have gladly wiped out all of Lidu Prefecture.

A reckless person like him was not fit for collaborating on important matters. Wanyan Jun had to bring Xie Que Shan into his camp, and naturally, he had to generously share his resources. That’s why he introduced him to Zhang Yuehui. If he wanted to succeed, he couldn’t do it without these two.

Just as the three were about to sit down, they noticed there were four seats at the table.

“Does Young Master Zhang have other guests?” Wanyan Jun asked.

At that moment, a knock sounded at the door. The servant opened the door and led Hu Sha inside.

Hu Sha walked in with a broad smile, but when he saw Wanyan Jun and Xie Que Shan in the room, his expression instantly froze.

Damn it, he had thought that Zhang Yuehui had only invited him!