Xiao Rencheng reached out, his slender fingers massaging his throbbing temples.
Five thousand taels...
That was his salary for two years.
Lan Jinqin added fuel to the fire, eager to strip him bare and pawn his pants. "My lord, you still owe me three hundred taels from last time."
Xiao Rencheng nodded heavily. "Fine, I'll owe you that too."
"No way."
Lan Jinqin clung to the matter tenaciously. She needed money to buy new medicinal herbs and to grease the wheels for her father and elder brother in Hainan. Now that she had finally caught a high - ranking official, how could he just owe her?
"Is my lord planning to be like other officials in Daye, dragging out debts and refusing to pay?"
"Not at all..." Xiao Rencheng, after years of serving as an official, was for the first time rendered speechless by a woman. Helplessly, he said, "Madam, I, Xiao, always keep my word. Give me five days. After five days, Madam can come to the Xiao Mansion. I'll pay you all the silver in full."
Lan Jinqin stared at him intently.
Xiao Rencheng sat there, his features calm, gentle, and extremely composed.
For some reason, Lan Jinqin suddenly felt that Xiao Rencheng wouldn't deceive her.
"Fine, I'll trust my lord one more time." Lan Jinqin nodded and took out the jade pendant he had thrown to her last time. "This is my lord's personal item. I've been keeping it. I'll go to your mansion in five days. We'll settle the score then."
Meanwhile, Caiyu, Ning Wang, and the others had just returned to the Prince of Yan's Mansion with the purchased cloth and items when they learned that an unexpected guest had arrived.
A middle - aged woman was sitting at the lower seat in the main hall. Ji Ming's face looked a bit stiff.
Caiyu noticed that the woman had a sharp - featured face and was wearing the hairstyle of a stewardess in a noble family. She felt very curious but didn't ask.
After all, although she was a bit unruly in the mansion, in the end, her status was just a maid.
In front of strangers, especially in the capital, to avoid unnecessary trouble, it was better for her to remember her place.
So she just lowered her head and helped Ning Wang and the others carry the silk and cloth into the house.
Ji Ming, with a sour look on his face, said to the woman, "Aunt Mei, please go back. Our prince is not in the mansion."
Aunt Mei looked at the people coming and going outside the main hall. Her gaze fell on Caiyu, and her eyes flashed.
That was the woman the crown prince had sent to Yan.
It was said that she resembled Lady Lü, the concubine.
Seeing her today, her mannerisms were really quite similar.
When Caiyu was passing by with a roll of brocade in her arms, Aunt Mei suddenly said, "Wait, maid."
Caiyu stopped in her tracks. After confirming that the woman was calling her, she stayed where she was.
Aunt Mei walked up to Caiyu, stroking the brocade in front of her, and asked,
"The pattern of this brocade is quite special. If I'm not mistaken, this is the new Rain - silk Brocade that just arrived in the capital?"
Caiyu replied, "Aunt, according to the shopkeeper of the Brocade Pavilion, this brocade is indeed the newly - arrived Rain - silk Brocade from Sichuan."
Aunt Mei's face broke into a smile. "I knew it. I said this fabric was excellent. It turns out to be the rare Rain - silk Brocade."
Lady Lü?
Caiyu suddenly looked up at the middle - aged woman with wide eyes. "Aunt is..."
"Aunt Mei, the dowry maid of the crown prince's concubine."
The crown prince!
The crown prince's concubine!
In an instant, Caiyu could hear her heart pounding violently. Her expression almost got out of control.
She had been in the capital for so many days, and finally, someone from the crown prince's side had come.
But why was it someone from Lady Lü?
She had never heard of what role Lady Lü played in the matter of Song Yinghuai between the crown prince and others.
She had only heard the name Lady Lü from the late Nanny Yu.
It was said that because she looked a bit like Lady Lü, she had been chosen by the crown prince and sent to Yan to carry out a mission.
But for so long, she had only heard the name Lady Lü from Nanny Yu.
Of course, she had also heard that Lady Lü was the woman in Song Yinghuai's heart, but she didn't know why she had chosen to marry the crown prince as a concubine.
After Caiyu was rescued by the crown prince's people on the way to Yangzhou, she actually never had the chance to meet the crown prince in person.
But she still remembered clearly the sinister look of the crown prince from her childhood.
Every time Nanny Yu mentioned Lady Lü, Caiyu always couldn't help but think that Lady Lü must have been blind. How could she abandon the Prince of Yan and throw herself into the arms of the crown prince?
Caiyu stood there daydreaming, while Aunt Mei was carefully observing her reaction.
She thought the girl's expression would change when she heard the name Lady Lü.
However, she was disappointed. The girl remained unmoved, expressionless.
Aunt Mei frowned.
This girl's mind was too deep.
She didn't believe that Caiyu didn't know how she had entered the Prince of Yan's Mansion and that she was just a substitute!
It was said that the Prince of Yan doted on this girl very much. Did she think that she could replace Lady Lü in the prince's heart because of the prince's favor?
What a dream!
Aunt Mei's face turned a bit cold, then she smiled again. "It's quite a coincidence. My lady was still saying the day before yesterday that she wanted a piece of Rain - silk Brocade to make clothes. When I went to the Brocade Pavilion, I was told that the goods hadn't arrived yet. I didn't expect it to arrive today, and it was bought by the people in the prince's mansion..."
Her gaze swept back and forth on the Rain - silk Brocade. She said to Caiyu, "Miss, would you be kind enough to give me this piece of fabric?"
Ask for the fabric?
Caiyu stared at Aunt Mei for a long time, her mind racing.
All along, the crown prince had always sent his people to contact her. Lady Lü had never shown up.
So this Lady Lü should have nothing to do with her mission.
But out of the blue, Aunt Mei was trying to snatch something from her.
Based on a woman's intuition, she immediately judged that this old woman was trying to give her a warning on behalf of her mistress.
After all, she was just a substitute for her mistress!
Caiyu bit her lips tightly, her eyes showing a fierce look.
She was no one's substitute!
Not even Lady Lü could snatch this brocade from her hands!
Seeing Aunt Mei's hand reaching out, Caiyu took a step back with the brocade in her arms, avoiding her, and said coldly,
"Aunt Mei, please understand. This brocade was chosen by this maid for the prince to make summer clothes. The shopkeeper of the Brocade Pavilion said that this fabric is rare, and there's only one piece. I really can't part with it."
Aunt Mei didn't expect that a low - ranking maid like Caiyu would dare to refuse her. Moreover, she had specifically emphasized that the brocade was chosen for the prince. Her face immediately showed embarrassment.
A cold look flashed across her eyes. Aunt Mei said coolly, "I didn't know that what clothes the Prince of Yan wears is decided by a little maid!"
"I wouldn't dare." Caiyu lowered her eyes, answering neither humbly nor overbearingly. "This maid has been the prince's personal maid since Yanjing. The prince has entrusted all matters regarding his daily life to this maid. Not only what he wears, but also what he eats, drinks, and when he takes a bath are all arranged by this maid."
"You're really insolent!" Aunt Mei flew into a rage. "Which maid has ever meddled in her master's affairs so much? You're being rebellious!"
"Our prince is willing!" Caiyu curled her lips and drooped the corners of her eyes, showing no respect to Aunt Mei at all.
"You... you..." Aunt Mei felt dizzy.
She didn't know that this substitute named Caiyu had such a bad temper!
This was terrible!
If she was asked to leave in the future, how could she be obedient?
Aunt Mei took a deep breath and asked harshly, "Do you know what relationship the prince has with Lady Lü?"
"When Lady Lü was with the prince back then, whatever Lady Lü wanted, the prince would give it to her. Not to mention this piece of Rain - silk Brocade, even if Lady Lü wanted the stars in the sky, the prince would find a way to pick them for her!"
"If you refuse to give this brocade to my lady, when the prince comes back, I'll surely tell him and have you, this little shrew, severely punished!"
Pick the stars?
As soon as Caiyu heard this, she felt as if ten thousand ants were biting at her heart.
She had never cared about the other women in Yan.
First, at that time, she was only focused on her mission and didn't care about feelings.
Second, Song Yinghuai really didn't care about those women, so she didn't have to worry about jealousy.
But this Lady Lü was different!
Everyone said that Lady Lü was Song Yinghuai's white moonlight, and she was just a substitute for Lady Lü!
The sourness in Caiyu's heart welled up. She held the Rain - silk Brocade in her arms as if protecting her own child.
"Aunt, please don't mention the relationship between the prince and Lady Lü, lest you sully their innocence!"