Volume Two: Following in the Footsteps, Brocade and Blood Chapter 142: Increasing Revenue and Reducing Expenditure

Yang Ning’s scalp tingled with unease as he retorted, “Third Madam, tell me, how did you figure out that I like her?”

“Do you take me for a child?” Gu Qinghan smiled warmly. “If it were just a chance encounter, why would the young lady come all the way to the capital and wait at the Marquis’s residence for you?” She spoke with certainty. “Her silence only indicates that something is going on. Ning’er, don’t be afraid. Even if you truly like Miss Tang, Third Madam won’t make a fuss about it. This is a very good thing.”

“A very good thing?” Yang Ning asked seriously, “How so?”

Gu Qinghan pursed her lips and smiled softly, her beauty radiant. She lowered her voice. “Third Madam knows you have grown up. If it weren’t for Su Zhen’s side backing out of the engagement, I would have already arranged your marriage. You are the heir of the Brocade Guard. If all goes well, when the new ruler ascends the throne, your title will be granted. You’re not young anymore; it’s time to marry. The Grand Madam doesn’t concern herself with external matters, and now that our Marquis’s residence has severed ties with the Qi family, your marriage is solely my responsibility.”

“Third Madam, are you so eager to marry me off?” Yang Ning sighed. He had little interest in the topic. After all, he was impersonating the Brocade Guard heir, and even he wasn’t sure how long that charade could last. If he truly married, it wouldn’t be something he could simply walk away from.

Gu Qinghan’s delicate brows furrowed, and she grew serious. “Eager to marry you off? You are the Brocade Guard heir. It’s your duty to continue the Qi family’s lineage, not a matter of personal preference. Ning’er, for everything else, I can let you be, but on this matter, you must listen to me.”

“Fine, Third Madam, you want me to marry… you’re not suggesting Tang Miss, are you?” Yang Ning said helplessly. “You haven’t even clarified the situation but are already hastily arranging a marriage?”

Gu Qinghan thought for a moment before replying, “Actually, if you insist on marrying Miss Tang, her background isn’t very good; the Grand Madam may not approve. But… if you genuinely like her, I will persuade the Grand Madam to have Miss Tang become your concubine first. What do you think?”

Yang Ning thought to himself that people in this era had very different ideas from those of later times. Gu Qinghan’s suggestion showed that the concept of men having multiple wives and concubines was quite normal to her.

“Third Madam, putting aside whether I like Miss Tang or not, I ask you: what if Miss Tang doesn’t want to be a concubine, or doesn’t want to marry into the Marquis’s residence at all?” Yang Ning smiled. “You wouldn’t kidnap her and force her to marry me, would you?”

“I knew you liked her. Admit it now,” Gu Qinghan laughed. “You’re just worried that Miss Tang won’t want to marry you. I think she won’t refuse. Ning’er, you’re good-looking, intelligent, and kind-hearted. As the Brocade Guard heir, many girls would be eager to marry in, but can’t. Miss Tang wouldn’t be unwilling.”

“Good-looking, intelligent, kind-hearted… Third Madam, it seems you think very highly of me,” Yang Ning chuckled. “Do you think all women would like someone like me?”

“Of course,” Gu Qinghan replied immediately. “Who wouldn’t like my Ning’er? If she doesn’t, then she must be blind.”

Yang Ning looked at Gu Qinghan’s radiant face, her clear, sparkling eyes twinkling with wit, charming yet refined. He blurted out, “Third Madam, do you like someone like me too?”

Gu Qinghan had been quite excited, but hearing that, she first froze, then raised an eyebrow. “What nonsense are you spouting? Say one more word like that, and I’ll have to punish you properly.” She picked up a chopstick and tapped Yang Ning’s arm lightly, reproving, “I’m talking about serious matters, don’t interrupt with nonsense.”

Yang Ning knew some things could be teased lightly, but not too much. “Third Madam, when the time comes, I’ll naturally let you prepare the marriage. But forget Miss Tang for now. I’ll say it again: at most, I consider her a friend; she may not even see me as a friend… Speaking of serious matters, I do have something important to ask you.”

“What is it?” Gu Qinghan, seeing Yang Ning’s serious tone, asked.

“Money!” Yang Ning said. “The tax silver we recovered—will it cover the household expenses? We burned down so many shops; the compensation must be hefty.”

Gu Qinghan frowned. “I almost forgot to tell you about that.” She paused before saying, “Ning’er, do you remember you said last time that you found oil stains inside the pawnshop that burned down?”

Yang Ning nodded. “Right, so the pawnshop must have an insider. I was going to find out who, but recent events delayed me.”

“Don’t bother looking anymore—the insider has been found.” Gu Qinghan’s beautiful face turned icy. “After your warning, I felt something was off, so like you, I had Zhao Wushang investigate.”

“Any results?”

“All the pawnshop staff were thoroughly investigated; nothing suspicious. But on the day of the fire, Qiu Yi went to the pawnshop and entered the vault.” Gu Qinghan sneered. “Zhao Wushang finally focused on Qiu Yi and questioned him. At first, he denied it, but under Zhao Wushang’s pressure, he confessed.”

Yang Ning frowned. “Could it be an idea from the Third Old Master?” He shook his head. “No, this involves Dou Lianzhong. It must be related to him.”

Gu Qinghan nodded. “Right. The pawnshop fire has nothing to do with the Third Old Master. It was Dou Lianzhong behind it.”

Yang Ning clenched his fists. “That damned scoundrel. I won’t let him off.”

“Do you know what Dou Lianzhong’s goal is?” Gu Qinghan asked.

Yang Ning said, “I heard that Minister of Revenue Dou Kui has a grudge against our Marquis’s residence. Dou Lianzhong wants to take this chance to avenge his father?”

Gu Qinghan answered, “That’s part of it. His real target is our family’s pharmacy.”

“A pharmacy?” Yang Ning was surprised. “The Dou family shouldn’t be short of money. Why plot against our pharmacy?”

Gu Qinghan sighed softly. “You don’t know. The residence was short on silver last time, so I had Qiu Yi borrow money from a bank. The tax silver was recently retrieved, and I sent someone to repay the loan. Canghai found out that the bank is owned by Qiu Yi. He’s the son of the Minister of Revenue. Because he doesn’t want to show his face, few know the bank is his.”

Yang Ning immediately understood. “I see. Qiu Yi and Dou Lianzhong conspired, borrowing from the Dou family’s bank. They planned for us to be unable to repay on time, forcing us to hand over the pharmacy as debt.”

“That’s exactly their intent.” Gu Qinghan felt a chill recalling it and lightly patted her chest. “They kept striking to push our Marquis’s residence into a desperate situation, ripe for the taking. That heartless Qiu Yi not only colluded with the Third Old Master to harm us but also secretly became a lapdog for the Dou family, plotting against us behind our backs.”

Yang Ning felt a cold shiver down his spine.

Often, the deadliest blow comes not from the enemy before you, but from those behind your back. If they hadn’t caught Dou Lianzhong’s weakness and held it over him with that glazed horse statue, the Marquis’s residence would be in even deeper trouble.

Gu Qinghan indeed said, “Ning’er, if you hadn’t thought of a way, even if we recovered the tax silver, it wouldn’t have helped. Luckily, you caught Dou Lianzhong’s weakness. The bank knows their place and hasn’t come to collect, fearing they would stir up trouble and inconvenience themselves.”

“And now? How are things?”

“The pawnshop suffered heavy losses; much merchandise was destroyed. They demand double compensation,” Gu Qinghan explained. “The bank hasn’t come, but we still must repay the loan.”

“How long will our remaining silver last?” Yang Ning knew that even if the Marquis’s residence didn’t spend extravagantly, daily expenses were still considerable.

Not to mention the funeral for Qi Jing and the pawnshop compensation, either would cost a fortune. Without the pawnshop, the mansion lost a source of income. Though the immediate crisis was over, harder times were likely ahead.

“I’ve been tallying up these past two days,” Gu Qinghan said with a bitter smile. “With our usual expenses, the silver will last less than two months. Originally, the tax silver was supposed to last six months, but now we’re several months in the red.” She shook her head. “We have to think of other ways.”

“What other ways?”

Gu Qinghan hesitated before saying, “If all else fails, we’ll have to send someone to Jiangling to seek help from the Gu family…”

Yang Ning immediately said, “Third Madam, you’re planning to borrow money from your family?”

“For now, that’s the only option,” Gu Qinghan said helplessly. “The residence must keep running, and who knows what else may come up. Without silver, nothing can be done.”

Yang Ning’s expression turned stern. “That absolutely won’t do. Third Madam, borrowing from the Gu family may be easy to say, but how would outsiders see the Marquis’s residence? And how would your family feel about that? Besides, relying on borrowing isn’t a solution. We must find ways to increase income.”

“That’s easier said than done.” Gu Qinghan forced a smile. “I know about tightening expenses, which is manageable. But increasing income is much harder.”

Yang Ning said, “I will find a way to handle the money. Since Grandmother entrusted the Marquis’s residence to me, ensuring everyone eats well is my responsibility.” In his mind, he was already considering how to leverage his strengths to raise funds. “By the way, what happened with Qiu Yi? Is he still held in the residence?”

“Canghai and the others want to hand Qiu Yi over to the authorities,” Gu Qinghan said with some anxiety, her bright eyes fixed on Yang Ning. “But the father and son have been here for many years. If we send him to the capital’s prison, he might spend his life there. I wanted to wait for your return, but knowing your temper, if I waited, you might have already thrown him into jail. So… I decided to expel him from the residence. However, he voluntarily handed over several houses he had embezzled to save his own life. Ning’er… I hope you don’t blame me.”

Yang Ning sighed. “Third Madam, you have a kind heart. How could I blame you? Since you’ve expelled him, I’ll let him go this once. As long as he doesn’t cause trouble in the future, it’s as if he never existed.”

Gu Qinghan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled radiantly, like a blooming peach blossom welcoming the spring breeze.

At that moment, a voice came from outside: “Third Madam, Miss Tang has arrived!”

Gu Qinghan replied softly. Yang Ning stood up as the door opened. Before him stood a young woman dressed in a rose-red jacket woven with golden silk cloud patterns. On the collar was an embroidered blooming ice lotus. She wore a rose-purple long skirt with a peacock blue floral satin underskirt peeking beneath. Her slender hands folded naturally over her abdomen as she stepped lightly into the room.

Yang Ning paused, looking her over carefully before recognizing Tang Nuo, though her attire was vastly different from their last meeting—so much so that he almost failed to recognize her at first.