Wang Shijing was very unhappy. His proud “huge” asset unexpectedly encountered a formidable opponent! When Wang Shijing had to reveal his entire conversation with King Luo Rong under Shao Yunan’s probing, Shao Yunan burst into uncontrollable laughter on the spot. Wang Shijing, unwilling to give up, said, “Lord Murong must be exaggerating. At least I’ve never seen anything like that.” How could it be possible for him to be an eight-ounce meat guy!
“Hahaha…” Shao Yunan laughed so hard he pounded the bed. Wang Shijing pressed on, dangerously. “Do you believe it?” Shao Yunan didn’t dare to say he believed it and shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t believe it. Brother Shijing’s is definitely the biggest, haha!”
“You’re lying.” Wang Shijing bit down. While Wang Shijing was venting with Shao Yunan, King Luo Rong dared not return to his room. Last night, he kissed and touched the other person but refused him verbally, leaving him too embarrassed to face the other person. King Luo Rong was annoyed. “Heartless, leaving me, an old man, like this, truly unfilial!”
“Lord Murong, who’s unfilial?” King Luo Rong turned around, quickly forced a smile: “Why are you here? Aren’t you playing with Brother Tiger and the others? Where are Brother Tiger and Little Gold?”
“Brother Tiger and Little Gold are sunbathing. Little Dad said Nizi shouldn’t sunbathe too much; it’s not good if she gets too dark, so we brought Nizi downstairs.”
“Oh, yes, Lord Murong is so dark because he sunbathes too much. Come, have some water.” No one paid attention and not daring to go back, King Luo Rong could only spend time taking care of the children. Thinking about Guo Zimu living next door and remembering him crying when he returned last night, King Luo Rong couldn’t feel at ease.
Having suffered the ‘unjust disaster,’ after Shao Yunan helped Wang Shijing cool down, while lying on Wang Shijing’s stomach, Shao Yunan said, “Brother Shijing, let’s be good people to the end. Lord Murong and Little Guo are not easy; they like each other. Let them be happy.”
Wang Shijing used his fingers to comb through his wife’s hair and expressed his concerns. “Their main problem is the difference in their lifespans. Lord Murong is thirty years older than Zimu. For them to grow old together, Lord Murong has to live thirty more years. I want them to be happy, but how can you extend his life by these thirty years? Lord Murong isn’t foolish. If he discovers that his lifespan extension is related to you and me, I worry.”
Shao Yunan said, “I have an idea.”
“You say.” Shao Yunan turned around, leaned close to Wang Shijing’s ear and whispered. After listening, Wang Shijing thought for a long time and said, “That might work.”
In the next three days, Guo Zimu did not show up, or rather, he deliberately avoided meeting King Luo Rong. He would go to the kitchen to personally make King Luo Rong’s favorite snacks and dishes, but wouldn’t show himself. He stayed in his room for meals every day. King Luo Rong, eating familiar flavors, couldn’t feel at ease. At such times, Nizi assisted, asking why little Uncle Guo didn’t come to eat and if he was sick. Shao Yunan earnestly replied that little Uncle Guo had seasickness. King Luo Rong’s heart felt even more uncomfortable.
It was almost time to reach Shunning Port, before directly entering the capital. King Luo Rong walked back and forth in his room, feeling restless. They would arrive at the port soon and if everything went smoothly, they could be back in the capital the day after tomorrow before the evening curfew. Originally, Guo Zimu was supposed to stay in the Wang residence, but now things had escalated. How could he ask Guo Zimu to go with him?
Guo Zimu wouldn’t be without a place to stay in the capital, not to mention the children of elder Cen. Even at Jiang Kangchen’s place, he could stay, but King Luo Rong was not at ease. With Guo Zimu’s face, if he lived elsewhere, what if he was bullied? The best and most reliable thing to do was for him to stay in his residence, but how could he bring it up! Just as he was worrying, someone knocked on the door. King Luo Rong’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly went to open it. When the door opened, he was stunned: “Little brother?”
Jiang Moxi looked up at King Luo Rong, staring fixedly. King Luo Rong touched his old face and bent down. “What’s wrong? Anything urgent? It’s late; haven’t you slept yet?” Jiang Moxi pushed King Luo Rong into the room and King Luo Rong closed the door, then asked, “What’s the matter? Looking for Lord Murong?” Jiang Moxi spoke with his poker face. “You, Little Uncle Guo, are not speaking.” King Luo Rong was first surprised, then smiled affectionately and finally helplessly said, “Even you noticed, huh?”
In Jiang Moxi’s eyes, a question appeared. King Luo Rong sighed and said, “There’s a bit of a misunderstanding between Lord Murong and your Little Uncle guo. It’s nothing, don’t worry. It’s so late; you should go to bed.”
“You’re lying.”
“…” King Luo Rong wiped his face. This child genius was indeed not easy to deceive. King Luo Rong could only say, “This is something between us adults. If I tell you, you won’t be able to do anything.” Jiang Moxi remained motionless, staring at King Luo Rong. Feeling uneasy under Jiang Moxi’s gaze, King Luo Rong walked back and forth in front of him and turned around. “Brother Moxi, can you help Lord Murong with something?”
Jiang Moxi nodded. Immediately, King Luo Rong found pen and paper and quickly wrote a letter, folding it and handing it to Jiang Moxi. “You give this letter to your Little Uncle Guo. Tell him that Lord Murong is waiting for his reply, no matter how long it takes.” Jiang Moxi still nodded, took the letter and left. Behind him, King Luo Rong sighed deeply.
King Luo Rong couldn’t sleep and Guo Zimu would only find it more difficult to sleep. They would arrive in the capital soon and Lord Murong hadn’t mentioned letting him stay in the King residence again. Lord Murong wouldn’t deny him to stay, right? Yunan also said Lord Murong liked him; it seemed not at all. The more Guo Zimu thought about it, the sadder he became and he didn’t even eat dinner.
Someone knocked on the door and Guo Zimu hurriedly wiped his face and went to open it. Surprisingly, it was Jiang Moxi outside. Guo Zimu asked in surprise, “Brother Moxi, what’s the matter? Why haven’t you slept yet?” Jiang Moxi stared at Guo Zimu’s face and raised his hand. Seeing a letter in Jiang Moxi’s hand, Guo Zimu took it, but Jiang Moxi had no intention of leaving. Guo Zimu asked, “Brother Moxi, who gave this to me?”
“Murong, Grandpa.” Guo Zimu’s heart suddenly raced.
“He’s waiting.” Guo Zimu bit his lip and Jiang Moxi urged, “Look, a reply.” Was he waiting for his reply? Guo Zimu hesitated to enter the room. Glancing at the closed door next door, he directly took out the letter and began reading it. Unbeknownst to him, in the room next door, King Luo Rong was leaning against the door, in a somewhat awkward position, trying hard to eavesdrop on the happenings.
The contents of the letter were not long. King Luo Rong told Guo Zimu that he could be angry with him, but when they reached the capital, he should still stay in the Wang residence. It wasn’t safe elsewhere and he was worried. Although the letter was only a few short sentences, Guo Zimu felt like crying again, but not out of sadness. He told Jiang Moxi, who was still waiting to get the letter back, “Little Uncle Guo won’t write a reply. Little Uncle Guo will go directly to Lord Murong. You go back to sleep.” With that, Guo Zimu closed the door and walked to the door of King Luo Rong’s room.
Jiang Moxi still didn’t leave and Guo Zimu took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The person behind the door was also ‘on edge.’ But if he didn’t open the door, the letter would be written in vain. Patting his face, King Luo Rong tried to adjust his facial expression to look more natural, grabbed the door handle and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, someone rushed into his arms and hugged him. King Luo Rong took a few steps back instinctively and without thinking, closed the door. Jiang Moxi blinked, seemingly not understanding the play these two were performing. However, Little Uncle Guo and Lord Murong were hugging, so they shouldn’t be angry anymore. Jiang Moxi went back to his room and slept peacefully.
In King Luo Rong’s room, Guo Zimu, held in his arms, asked with a grievance, “Do you still want me to stay in your residence?” After much difficulty getting him to respond, King Luo Rong couldn’t push him away. Unsure where to put his hands, King Luo Rong awkwardly held Guo Zimu’s waist, saying, “Yes, yes. How can I feel at ease if you stay elsewhere?”
“Why did you ignore me?” King Luo Rong smiled bitterly. “I thought you didn’t want to talk to Lord Murong.” Saying “Lord” at this moment made King Luo Rong’s heart ache. After a few days of grievances, Guo Zimu buried his face in King Luo Rong’s arms and sniffled. “I thought you didn’t want to see me.” King Luo Rong hugged Guo Zimu and said, “Lord Murong was wrong. Lord Murong should have come to find you. Zimu, is it good to stay at Lord Murong’s residence?” Without any hesitation, Guo Zimu nodded in agreement, finally putting King Luo Rong’s mind at ease.
“It’s late, go back to sleep. Is everything packed?”
“No.”
“Then… will Lord Murong accompany you to pack?”
“I haven’t had dinner yet.” King Luo Rong felt sorry. “Why didn’t you eat?”
“I thought you were ignoring me.”
“…” King Luo Rong let out a long sigh. “Come, let’s go to the kitchen first to see if there’s anything to eat. After filling your stomach, Lord Murong will accompany you to pack.”
“Okay.” King Luo Rong took Guo Zimu to the kitchen and Guo Zimu mentally nodded; indeed, Yunan’s idea was right!
The next morning, the ship docked at Shunning Port. Today they would arrive in the capital and the night before, everyone had gone to bed early except for three people. Jiang Moxi was too tired to get up, he often stayed up late reading at night and the adults were used to it. Wang Shijing, Shao Yunan, and Jiang Kangning didn’t know he stayed up late the night before. Now Jiang Kangning was preparing to carry him off the ship.
Shao Yunan ran over. “Big Brother, Master An personally came to pick us up.” Jiang Kangning was surprised. “Master An is here?”
“Yes, he’s at the dock.” Seeing that Jiang Moxi was still not awake, Shao Yunan said, “Leave Moxi to Shijing and you can get off the ship first.”
“Okay!” Jiang Kangning got off the ship first to meet Lord An, while Qin Niang directed the servants to move the masters’ luggage off the ship. Wang Shijing organized people to unload the items they brought one by one. In the midst of the bustle, no one noticed that King Luo Rong and Guo Zimu had come out of the same room.
At the pier, Grandpa An stood there with An Yi, who had returned early to deliver the news, standing behind him. Not only did Grandpa An come, but also the Shunning county magistrate and the Shunning Port manager came. Jiang Kangning went down the ship and bowed to Grandpa An, saying, “This official didn’t know that Grandpa An was coming. Please forgive the oversight.”
Grandpa An smiled and said. “I didn’t come for Lord Jiang. How are Yunan and the others?”
Jiang Kangning naturally knew why Grandpa An had come so he just replied, “Yunan and the others will be down in a moment.” As he was speaking, Shao Yunan came down and Grandpa An’s face immediately lit up like a flower. “Yunan, you finally came. Uncle An has been looking forward to your arrival.”
Shao Yunan ran down, saying, “Shijing and I wanted to come to the capital to see Uncle An a long time ago. As soon as we finished our duties, we rushed over. Uncle An, how have you been recently?”
“Good, just a bit busy.” Watching the servants move boxes, bags, and jars off the ship, Grandpa An laughed even more heartily. Those who accompanied the county magistrate and the Shunning Port manager were all surprised. Who was this young man who seemed to be only sixteen or seventeen?
Wang Shijing came with the children. Jiang Moxi had awakened, but he still seemed drowsy. King Luo Rong also came down and Guo Zimu, wearing a mask, followed behind King Luo Rong. When Brother Tiger, Little and Big Gold came down together, they caused a commotion and the cows and horses were terrified, mooing and neighing in fear. Grandpa An covered his chest, his eyes widening. “Are those really three large tigers?” Grandpa An had naturally heard it from An Yi.
Brother Tiger yelled at the cows and horses, surprisingly, they became afraid and stopped making noise. Everyone marveled at this scene. Wang Shijing patted Brother Tiger and with Brother Tiger leading little Gold, they ran to the front. Jiang Moxi, Nizi, and Wang Qing followed. “King Rong.” Grandpa An and others dared to step forward at this time.
“Grandpa An is here.” As a first-grade prince, King Luo Rong was the only one present who could call Grandpa An ‘Grandpa.’
“Lord An.” Guo Zimu bowed and greeted. “Lord An.” greeted Wang Shijing.
“You finally came.” Grandpa An looked at the three large tigers and the three children in the distance, instructing, “An Yi, take the children to the carriage and wait. Zimu, you can go over too. Those three big tigers…” Wang Shijing said, “They will follow us on their own.”
“That’s good.” King Luo Rong patted Guo Zimu and asked him to get on the carriage first. Guo Zimu lowered his head and went over. Seeing his appearance, King Luo Rong felt distressed. As the others chatted on the pier while waiting for all the goods and luggage on the ship to be unloaded, Grandpa An asked everyone to get on the carriage together and return to the capital.
As An Yi had returned early to report to the capital, Grandpa An had brought enough carriages and ox carts, with a total of about thirty or forty carriages loaded with goods. If one didn’t know, they would think a merchant caravan had arrived. But which caravan would have three big tigers running at the front?
Grandpa An specially arranged a carriage for Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan. King Luo Rong was originally assigned a separate carriage, but he didn’t sit in it and instead got on the carriage with Guo Zimu and the three children. Outsiders thought he was accompanying the three children and no one thought otherwise. Jiang Kangning was returning to the capital to report to court, riding a horse and talking with the county magistrate of Shunning.
In the carriage, Eunuch An directly asked, “Yunan, how much tea did you bring back this time?”
“All the teapots contain tea. The ones with red markings are black tea. Except for those for the noblewomen in the capital, all of them are from Yunlong Tea Plantation. However, the black tea cannot be sold now, it needs to be stored for at least half a year before it can be consumed.”
“I know that. An Yi told me when he came back. What about the green tea?”
“The green tea can be taken out for sale in another ten days. All the top-grade teas for auction will be packaged in small cans. When the black tea is unsealed, all of it will go to the auction. There are two types of black tea, Xiushui Qimen black tea and Dahongpao black tea, all of which are top-grade. The starting bid for Xiushui Qimen black tea is 500 taels of silver per two liang, with each subsequent bid not less than 20 taels. The starting bid for Dahongpao black tea is 1000 taels of silver per two liang, with each subsequent bid not less than 100 taels.”
“Wow,” Eunuch An’s goosebumps rose. “So expensive?”
“You’ll know when you taste it after it’s unsealed. By the time it can be unsealed, it will be almost the end of the year. If there’s nothing urgent, Shijing and I will come back. When the time comes, I’ll brew you a cup and you’ll know if it’s worth the price. You can release the news in advance. By the time the tea is ready to be sold, the prices will have already been driven up before it even starts. Black tea is only harvested once a year. If you miss the timing, you’ll have to wait until the end of next year.”
“Okay, okay.” Grandpa An smiled so much that his eyes disappeared. “I also have the top-grade green tea I made going to the auction. When I arrive in the capital, I’ll brew you a pot to taste.”
“Okay, okay.” Grandpa An could only say okay. Shao Yunan gave Grandpa An a price list, clearly stating the tea and other items they brought for sale this time. The grades of tea and the minimum prices were all listed. The more Grandpa An looked, the happier he became. After reading it, he said, “Stay a few more days when you come to the capital this time. An Yi has arranged a place for you to stay. You can stay there when you come to the capital in the future. If you don’t like it, I’ll pick another place for you.” Shao Yunan said hurriedly, “We are not settling down in the capital. It will be the same wherever we live. We are still thinking about where we live. Shijing and I are really scared.”
“Haha, are you really scared?” Eunuch An joked. Shao Yunan giggled and Wang Shijing said, “Let father and Uncle An worry about it.” Eunuch An waved his hand and said teasingly, “Yunan is well-known as a fierce husband in Yongxiu County. Don’t act like a young man when you get to the capital. There are many noble people in the capital, but you are the Emperor and Empress’ guest, so you can’t lose the reputation of the Emperor and Empress. I’m not telling you to be arrogant and domineering, but you must have the proper status, do you understand?”
Shao Yunan broke into a cold sweat. Instead of calling him a ‘fierce husband,’ why didn’t they just say he was a henpecked husband! Wang Shijing could only go along with it, saying, “Nephew understands.”
“Once you arrive in the capital, go directly to the residence of the Grand General to meet the Empress.” Shao Yunan asked, “The Empress still lives in the residence of the Grand General?” After asking, he chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, Uncle An, just pretend I didn’t ask.” Grandpa An gave Shao Yunan a mysterious look and said, “Once you meet the Empress, you’ll understand why he has been staying in the residence of the Grand General.”
Shao Yunan had an ominous premonition. Wang Shijing held his hand and told him not to be afraid. Grandpa An smiled again and said, “Your residence is the former mansion of the Minister of Revenue. He was dismissed and investigated for corruption and the mansion was sealed. An Yi asked the Emperor to bestow that mansion upon you. When you arrive in the capital, I’ll give you the property deed.” Wang Shijing furrowed his brows slightly. “Will it be inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it? You two really think of yourselves as mud-legged villagers.” The husbands, “…” They were not mud-legged villagers; they were rural entrepreneurs!
Wang Shijing was very unhappy. His proud “huge” asset unexpectedly encountered a formidable opponent! When Wang Shijing had to reveal his entire conversation with King Luo Rong under Shao Yunan’s probing, Shao Yunan burst into uncontrollable laughter on the spot. Wang Shijing, unwilling to give up, said, “Lord Murong must be exaggerating. At least I’ve never seen anything like that.” How could it be possible for him to be an eight-ounce meat guy!
“Hahaha…” Shao Yunan laughed so hard he pounded the bed. Wang Shijing pressed on, dangerously. “Do you believe it?” Shao Yunan didn’t dare to say he believed it and shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t believe it. Brother Shijing’s is definitely the biggest, haha!”
“You’re lying.” Wang Shijing bit down. While Wang Shijing was venting with Shao Yunan, King Luo Rong dared not return to his room. Last night, he kissed and touched the other person but refused him verbally, leaving him too embarrassed to face the other person. King Luo Rong was annoyed. “Heartless, leaving me, an old man, like this, truly unfilial!”
“Lord Murong, who’s unfilial?” King Luo Rong turned around, quickly forced a smile: “Why are you here? Aren’t you playing with Brother Tiger and the others? Where are Brother Tiger and Little Gold?”
“Brother Tiger and Little Gold are sunbathing. Little Dad said Nizi shouldn’t sunbathe too much; it’s not good if she gets too dark, so we brought Nizi downstairs.”
“Oh, yes, Lord Murong is so dark because he sunbathes too much. Come, have some water.” No one paid attention and not daring to go back, King Luo Rong could only spend time taking care of the children. Thinking about Guo Zimu living next door and remembering him crying when he returned last night, King Luo Rong couldn’t feel at ease.
Having suffered the ‘unjust disaster,’ after Shao Yunan helped Wang Shijing cool down, while lying on Wang Shijing’s stomach, Shao Yunan said, “Brother Shijing, let’s be good people to the end. Lord Murong and Little Guo are not easy; they like each other. Let them be happy.”
Wang Shijing used his fingers to comb through his wife’s hair and expressed his concerns. “Their main problem is the difference in their lifespans. Lord Murong is thirty years older than Zimu. For them to grow old together, Lord Murong has to live thirty more years. I want them to be happy, but how can you extend his life by these thirty years? Lord Murong isn’t foolish. If he discovers that his lifespan extension is related to you and me, I worry.”
Shao Yunan said, “I have an idea.”
“You say.” Shao Yunan turned around, leaned close to Wang Shijing’s ear and whispered. After listening, Wang Shijing thought for a long time and said, “That might work.”
In the next three days, Guo Zimu did not show up, or rather, he deliberately avoided meeting King Luo Rong. He would go to the kitchen to personally make King Luo Rong’s favorite snacks and dishes, but wouldn’t show himself. He stayed in his room for meals every day. King Luo Rong, eating familiar flavors, couldn’t feel at ease. At such times, Nizi assisted, asking why little Uncle Guo didn’t come to eat and if he was sick. Shao Yunan earnestly replied that little Uncle Guo had seasickness. King Luo Rong’s heart felt even more uncomfortable.
It was almost time to reach Shunning Port, before directly entering the capital. King Luo Rong walked back and forth in his room, feeling restless. They would arrive at the port soon and if everything went smoothly, they could be back in the capital the day after tomorrow before the evening curfew. Originally, Guo Zimu was supposed to stay in the Wang residence, but now things had escalated. How could he ask Guo Zimu to go with him?
Guo Zimu wouldn’t be without a place to stay in the capital, not to mention the children of elder Cen. Even at Jiang Kangchen’s place, he could stay, but King Luo Rong was not at ease. With Guo Zimu’s face, if he lived elsewhere, what if he was bullied? The best and most reliable thing to do was for him to stay in his residence, but how could he bring it up! Just as he was worrying, someone knocked on the door. King Luo Rong’s heart skipped a beat and he quickly went to open it. When the door opened, he was stunned: “Little brother?”
Jiang Moxi looked up at King Luo Rong, staring fixedly. King Luo Rong touched his old face and bent down. “What’s wrong? Anything urgent? It’s late; haven’t you slept yet?” Jiang Moxi pushed King Luo Rong into the room and King Luo Rong closed the door, then asked, “What’s the matter? Looking for Lord Murong?” Jiang Moxi spoke with his poker face. “You, Little Uncle Guo, are not speaking.” King Luo Rong was first surprised, then smiled affectionately and finally helplessly said, “Even you noticed, huh?”
In Jiang Moxi’s eyes, a question appeared. King Luo Rong sighed and said, “There’s a bit of a misunderstanding between Lord Murong and your Little Uncle guo. It’s nothing, don’t worry. It’s so late; you should go to bed.”
“You’re lying.”
“…” King Luo Rong wiped his face. This child genius was indeed not easy to deceive. King Luo Rong could only say, “This is something between us adults. If I tell you, you won’t be able to do anything.” Jiang Moxi remained motionless, staring at King Luo Rong. Feeling uneasy under Jiang Moxi’s gaze, King Luo Rong walked back and forth in front of him and turned around. “Brother Moxi, can you help Lord Murong with something?”
Jiang Moxi nodded. Immediately, King Luo Rong found pen and paper and quickly wrote a letter, folding it and handing it to Jiang Moxi. “You give this letter to your Little Uncle Guo. Tell him that Lord Murong is waiting for his reply, no matter how long it takes.” Jiang Moxi still nodded, took the letter and left. Behind him, King Luo Rong sighed deeply.
King Luo Rong couldn’t sleep and Guo Zimu would only find it more difficult to sleep. They would arrive in the capital soon and Lord Murong hadn’t mentioned letting him stay in the King residence again. Lord Murong wouldn’t deny him to stay, right? Yunan also said Lord Murong liked him; it seemed not at all. The more Guo Zimu thought about it, the sadder he became and he didn’t even eat dinner.
Someone knocked on the door and Guo Zimu hurriedly wiped his face and went to open it. Surprisingly, it was Jiang Moxi outside. Guo Zimu asked in surprise, “Brother Moxi, what’s the matter? Why haven’t you slept yet?” Jiang Moxi stared at Guo Zimu’s face and raised his hand. Seeing a letter in Jiang Moxi’s hand, Guo Zimu took it, but Jiang Moxi had no intention of leaving. Guo Zimu asked, “Brother Moxi, who gave this to me?”
“Murong, Grandpa.” Guo Zimu’s heart suddenly raced.
“He’s waiting.” Guo Zimu bit his lip and Jiang Moxi urged, “Look, a reply.” Was he waiting for his reply? Guo Zimu hesitated to enter the room. Glancing at the closed door next door, he directly took out the letter and began reading it. Unbeknownst to him, in the room next door, King Luo Rong was leaning against the door, in a somewhat awkward position, trying hard to eavesdrop on the happenings.
The contents of the letter were not long. King Luo Rong told Guo Zimu that he could be angry with him, but when they reached the capital, he should still stay in the Wang residence. It wasn’t safe elsewhere and he was worried. Although the letter was only a few short sentences, Guo Zimu felt like crying again, but not out of sadness. He told Jiang Moxi, who was still waiting to get the letter back, “Little Uncle Guo won’t write a reply. Little Uncle Guo will go directly to Lord Murong. You go back to sleep.” With that, Guo Zimu closed the door and walked to the door of King Luo Rong’s room.
Jiang Moxi still didn’t leave and Guo Zimu took a deep breath and knocked on the door. The person behind the door was also ‘on edge.’ But if he didn’t open the door, the letter would be written in vain. Patting his face, King Luo Rong tried to adjust his facial expression to look more natural, grabbed the door handle and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, someone rushed into his arms and hugged him. King Luo Rong took a few steps back instinctively and without thinking, closed the door. Jiang Moxi blinked, seemingly not understanding the play these two were performing. However, Little Uncle Guo and Lord Murong were hugging, so they shouldn’t be angry anymore. Jiang Moxi went back to his room and slept peacefully.
In King Luo Rong’s room, Guo Zimu, held in his arms, asked with a grievance, “Do you still want me to stay in your residence?” After much difficulty getting him to respond, King Luo Rong couldn’t push him away. Unsure where to put his hands, King Luo Rong awkwardly held Guo Zimu’s waist, saying, “Yes, yes. How can I feel at ease if you stay elsewhere?”
“Why did you ignore me?” King Luo Rong smiled bitterly. “I thought you didn’t want to talk to Lord Murong.” Saying “Lord” at this moment made King Luo Rong’s heart ache. After a few days of grievances, Guo Zimu buried his face in King Luo Rong’s arms and sniffled. “I thought you didn’t want to see me.” King Luo Rong hugged Guo Zimu and said, “Lord Murong was wrong. Lord Murong should have come to find you. Zimu, is it good to stay at Lord Murong’s residence?” Without any hesitation, Guo Zimu nodded in agreement, finally putting King Luo Rong’s mind at ease.
“It’s late, go back to sleep. Is everything packed?”
“No.”
“Then… will Lord Murong accompany you to pack?”
“I haven’t had dinner yet.” King Luo Rong felt sorry. “Why didn’t you eat?”
“I thought you were ignoring me.”
“…” King Luo Rong let out a long sigh. “Come, let’s go to the kitchen first to see if there’s anything to eat. After filling your stomach, Lord Murong will accompany you to pack.”
“Okay.” King Luo Rong took Guo Zimu to the kitchen and Guo Zimu mentally nodded; indeed, Yunan’s idea was right!
The next morning, the ship docked at Shunning Port. Today they would arrive in the capital and the night before, everyone had gone to bed early except for three people. Jiang Moxi was too tired to get up, he often stayed up late reading at night and the adults were used to it. Wang Shijing, Shao Yunan, and Jiang Kangning didn’t know he stayed up late the night before. Now Jiang Kangning was preparing to carry him off the ship.
Shao Yunan ran over. “Big Brother, Master An personally came to pick us up.” Jiang Kangning was surprised. “Master An is here?”
“Yes, he’s at the dock.” Seeing that Jiang Moxi was still not awake, Shao Yunan said, “Leave Moxi to Shijing and you can get off the ship first.”
“Okay!” Jiang Kangning got off the ship first to meet Lord An, while Qin Niang directed the servants to move the masters’ luggage off the ship. Wang Shijing organized people to unload the items they brought one by one. In the midst of the bustle, no one noticed that King Luo Rong and Guo Zimu had come out of the same room.
At the pier, Grandpa An stood there with An Yi, who had returned early to deliver the news, standing behind him. Not only did Grandpa An come, but also the Shunning county magistrate and the Shunning Port manager came. Jiang Kangning went down the ship and bowed to Grandpa An, saying, “This official didn’t know that Grandpa An was coming. Please forgive the oversight.”
Grandpa An smiled and said. “I didn’t come for Lord Jiang. How are Yunan and the others?”
Jiang Kangning naturally knew why Grandpa An had come so he just replied, “Yunan and the others will be down in a moment.” As he was speaking, Shao Yunan came down and Grandpa An’s face immediately lit up like a flower. “Yunan, you finally came. Uncle An has been looking forward to your arrival.”
Shao Yunan ran down, saying, “Shijing and I wanted to come to the capital to see Uncle An a long time ago. As soon as we finished our duties, we rushed over. Uncle An, how have you been recently?”
“Good, just a bit busy.” Watching the servants move boxes, bags, and jars off the ship, Grandpa An laughed even more heartily. Those who accompanied the county magistrate and the Shunning Port manager were all surprised. Who was this young man who seemed to be only sixteen or seventeen?
Wang Shijing came with the children. Jiang Moxi had awakened, but he still seemed drowsy. King Luo Rong also came down and Guo Zimu, wearing a mask, followed behind King Luo Rong. When Brother Tiger, Little and Big Gold came down together, they caused a commotion and the cows and horses were terrified, mooing and neighing in fear. Grandpa An covered his chest, his eyes widening. “Are those really three large tigers?” Grandpa An had naturally heard it from An Yi.
Brother Tiger yelled at the cows and horses, surprisingly, they became afraid and stopped making noise. Everyone marveled at this scene. Wang Shijing patted Brother Tiger and with Brother Tiger leading little Gold, they ran to the front. Jiang Moxi, Nizi, and Wang Qing followed. “King Rong.” Grandpa An and others dared to step forward at this time.
“Grandpa An is here.” As a first-grade prince, King Luo Rong was the only one present who could call Grandpa An ‘Grandpa.’
“Lord An.” Guo Zimu bowed and greeted. “Lord An.” greeted Wang Shijing.
“You finally came.” Grandpa An looked at the three large tigers and the three children in the distance, instructing, “An Yi, take the children to the carriage and wait. Zimu, you can go over too. Those three big tigers…” Wang Shijing said, “They will follow us on their own.”
“That’s good.” King Luo Rong patted Guo Zimu and asked him to get on the carriage first. Guo Zimu lowered his head and went over. Seeing his appearance, King Luo Rong felt distressed. As the others chatted on the pier while waiting for all the goods and luggage on the ship to be unloaded, Grandpa An asked everyone to get on the carriage together and return to the capital.
As An Yi had returned early to report to the capital, Grandpa An had brought enough carriages and ox carts, with a total of about thirty or forty carriages loaded with goods. If one didn’t know, they would think a merchant caravan had arrived. But which caravan would have three big tigers running at the front?
Grandpa An specially arranged a carriage for Wang Shijing and Shao Yunan. King Luo Rong was originally assigned a separate carriage, but he didn’t sit in it and instead got on the carriage with Guo Zimu and the three children. Outsiders thought he was accompanying the three children and no one thought otherwise. Jiang Kangning was returning to the capital to report to court, riding a horse and talking with the county magistrate of Shunning.
In the carriage, Eunuch An directly asked, “Yunan, how much tea did you bring back this time?”
“All the teapots contain tea. The ones with red markings are black tea. Except for those for the noblewomen in the capital, all of them are from Yunlong Tea Plantation. However, the black tea cannot be sold now, it needs to be stored for at least half a year before it can be consumed.”
“I know that. An Yi told me when he came back. What about the green tea?”
“The green tea can be taken out for sale in another ten days. All the top-grade teas for auction will be packaged in small cans. When the black tea is unsealed, all of it will go to the auction. There are two types of black tea, Xiushui Qimen black tea and Dahongpao black tea, all of which are top-grade. The starting bid for Xiushui Qimen black tea is 500 taels of silver per two liang, with each subsequent bid not less than 20 taels. The starting bid for Dahongpao black tea is 1000 taels of silver per two liang, with each subsequent bid not less than 100 taels.”
“Wow,” Eunuch An’s goosebumps rose. “So expensive?”
“You’ll know when you taste it after it’s unsealed. By the time it can be unsealed, it will be almost the end of the year. If there’s nothing urgent, Shijing and I will come back. When the time comes, I’ll brew you a cup and you’ll know if it’s worth the price. You can release the news in advance. By the time the tea is ready to be sold, the prices will have already been driven up before it even starts. Black tea is only harvested once a year. If you miss the timing, you’ll have to wait until the end of next year.”
“Okay, okay.” Grandpa An smiled so much that his eyes disappeared. “I also have the top-grade green tea I made going to the auction. When I arrive in the capital, I’ll brew you a pot to taste.”
“Okay, okay.” Grandpa An could only say okay. Shao Yunan gave Grandpa An a price list, clearly stating the tea and other items they brought for sale this time. The grades of tea and the minimum prices were all listed. The more Grandpa An looked, the happier he became. After reading it, he said, “Stay a few more days when you come to the capital this time. An Yi has arranged a place for you to stay. You can stay there when you come to the capital in the future. If you don’t like it, I’ll pick another place for you.” Shao Yunan said hurriedly, “We are not settling down in the capital. It will be the same wherever we live. We are still thinking about where we live. Shijing and I are really scared.”
“Haha, are you really scared?” Eunuch An joked. Shao Yunan giggled and Wang Shijing said, “Let father and Uncle An worry about it.” Eunuch An waved his hand and said teasingly, “Yunan is well-known as a fierce husband in Yongxiu County. Don’t act like a young man when you get to the capital. There are many noble people in the capital, but you are the Emperor and Empress’ guest, so you can’t lose the reputation of the Emperor and Empress. I’m not telling you to be arrogant and domineering, but you must have the proper status, do you understand?”
Shao Yunan broke into a cold sweat. Instead of calling him a ‘fierce husband,’ why didn’t they just say he was a henpecked husband! Wang Shijing could only go along with it, saying, “Nephew understands.”
“Once you arrive in the capital, go directly to the residence of the Grand General to meet the Empress.” Shao Yunan asked, “The Empress still lives in the residence of the Grand General?” After asking, he chuckled awkwardly. “Uh, Uncle An, just pretend I didn’t ask.” Grandpa An gave Shao Yunan a mysterious look and said, “Once you meet the Empress, you’ll understand why he has been staying in the residence of the Grand General.”
Shao Yunan had an ominous premonition. Wang Shijing held his hand and told him not to be afraid. Grandpa An smiled again and said, “Your residence is the former mansion of the Minister of Revenue. He was dismissed and investigated for corruption and the mansion was sealed. An Yi asked the Emperor to bestow that mansion upon you. When you arrive in the capital, I’ll give you the property deed.” Wang Shijing furrowed his brows slightly. “Will it be inappropriate?”
“What’s inappropriate about it? You two really think of yourselves as mud-legged villagers.” The husbands, “…” They were not mud-legged villagers; they were rural entrepreneurs!
