After casually getting some water to drink in the tea shop, the brother and sister continued on their way uneasily. Before long, they saw Wang Qinian and the others in a carriage that had come to pick them up. The other party's identity was here. His expression was strange and his mood was not very high. Wang Qinian didn't dare to say anything.
"Why would the Emperor appear here?" Fan Ruoruo leaned against the carriage and used a handkerchief to fan her slightly sweaty face. She looked very charming.
Fan Xian forced a smile and replied, "Our Emperor has always lived in seclusion. I had long expected that a man could stay for so long in the Royal Palace, which is filled with the smell of palace resentment and rouge. He must often come out to relax. Walking to the Liujing riverside is a very natural thing. It was just that it was a bit fun earlier. I always thought that Sir Gong Dian would call him master Huang. "
Fan Ruoruo giggled and said, "How can everything be like the stories you tell? If it was really like that, you should have opened a storytelling shop a long time ago."
Speaking of storytelling shops, Fan Xian immediately thought of the tofu shop. Furrowing his brows, he asked, "Ruoruo, what are you planning to do in the future?" Fan Ruoruo's expression darkened. In these days, after a woman married, it was to accompany her husband and children, do embroidery, and take care of the backyard. Given Ruoruo's knowledge and ability, she would probably be unwilling to spend her life like this.
However, she couldn't make more plans at the moment, so she could only temporarily leave it as it was.
After entering the capital, the carriage went straight to the Twenty-eight-li Slope. The Twenty-eight-li Slope was not a large slope. It was just a famous name in the south of the capital. It was said that hundreds of years ago, when Jingdou was far from being as vast as it was now, the Twenty-eight-li Slope was the last part of the slope before entering the capital. It was a full twenty-eight li from the last relay station on the official road in the southwest. Every time the carriage came here and traveled the last twenty-eight li, the horses and people were tired. They were particularly tired. The last part of the slope looked even taller than Dong Mountain by the seaside. The Twenty-eight-li Slope's name came from this.
Twenty-eight Li Hill had long since been absorbed into the city walls and turned into a street. Only its name remained, and Qingyu Hall was located here. The carriage stopped some distance away. Fan Xian and his sister alighted and walked along the street. Along the way, they saw a neat row of small storefronts, all made of the cheap wood from Lingnan. They were painted with varnish, and the wood spots were clear. If you glanced at them, you would feel as if countless one-eyed monsters were staring at you.
Fan Xian was startled and asked curiously, "Why do they all use this?" This method of cooking was common in small restaurants in his previous life. It tasted like fresh wood, cheap and refreshing.
Wang Qinian shook his head. He was not cut out for business. "This is Qingyu Hall," Fan Ruoruo explained. "Every door is where a shopkeeper teaches disciples. There are seventeen shopkeepers, so there are seventeen rooms." Fan Xian counted and found that there were more than twenty such small rooms on the side of the street. He asked his sister why, and Ruoruo said unhappily, "After all these years, there are bound to be some shopkeepers who are getting old and starting to retire, or who have died of illness."
The group of people chatted as they walked to the front. It was a very beautiful house with a large courtyard. Looking at the overhanging eaves of the courtyard walls, it must have been divided into many courtyards. Fan Xian's heart skipped a beat. It felt somewhat familiar, and after thinking about it, he remembered that this was similar to the Taiping Manor he had seen on the banks of the Liujing River.
The place where these shopkeepers lived was a little strange. The words "Qingyu Hall" were not written on the door. At that moment, a Fan Manor guard came forward to hand over a name card. When the gatekeeper saw the name on the card, he immediately knew that the newcomer was Young Master Fan, who had recently been in the limelight in the capital. He hurriedly invited him in. Because Seventh Ye was currently helping the Fan family manage the Danbo Bookstore, he didn't even need to inform them.
Just as they were about to enter the manor, the person in charge of supervising Qingyu Hall from the royal court came through and was about to question the identity of the guest. Wang Qinian looked at him coldly. He didn't even bother to show himself, so he let one of the younger members of his group deal with him. He followed Fan Xian into the hall.
The person supervising Qingyu Hall was also a member of the Overwatch Council, so he immediately knew that he had done something unnecessary.
...
...
They entered the hall, sat down, and served tea.
Sitting at the head of the table was a man of about forty years of age. His brows were gentle, and it seemed that under the pressure of all these years, he had become cautious and cautious. But Fan Xian knew that this man was the head shopkeeper of Qingyu Hall, known as Big Ye. Back in the day, he had been in charge of the Ye family's most important business. He couldn't have looked as boring and useless as he was now. He couldn't help but smile. "I've always thought you were old and virtuous, but now I know you're so young."
Big Ye had no idea why Young Master Fan had come to Qingyu Hall today. Although more than ten years had passed, and the Ye family was no longer a taboo, he had been under house arrest in the capital for more than ten years. His temperament was no longer as lively and bold as it used to be. His body was hunched, and his spirit had faded. He smiled bitterly. "I've long been an old man. Young Master Fan, you're always funny."
Fan Xian chuckled. "Let's get straight to the point. The first reason I'm here today is that the Danbo Bookstore's business is excellent. I want to thank Seventh Ye, and I want to see what Qingyu Hall looks like."
Big Ye smiled. "Young Master Fan, you've paid for the people of our hall to do things. Naturally, we should let you earn some money. If we were to lose money doing business, I'm afraid Qingyu Hall would have fallen long ago in the capital." When it came to earning money, Big Ye's countenance naturally revealed a sense of self-confidence, and his whole body glowed with brilliance.
Fan Xian secretly praised him, thinking that this was how someone who had been taught by his mother should be. He cupped his hands in greeting and said politely, "Actually, I've come today to trouble you with something, Big Ye."
Big Ye's heart skipped a beat. If it was just for business, Fan Xian's distinguished status would not have brought him here personally. Could it be that he was thinking of something? Big Ye had to think of the lives of the Qingyu Hall's shopkeepers, waiters, and relatives. He didn't dare listen to what Fan Xian was thinking. He refused. "The court has a clear rule that Qingyu Hall's people are not allowed to leave the capital. If Young Master Fan is too arrogant, Qingyu Hall will not be able to help."
Fan Xian laughed. "Of course I know that. I've come today to ask Big Ye to be someone's teacher. As far as I know, over the years, there have always been officials from the Ministry of Revenue and palace treasury who have been apprenticed to Qingyu Hall. They specialize in business management. I've been very comfortable working with Seventh Ye, so I'd like to introduce a student to you."
Big Ye asked curiously, "Who could it be?"
Fan Xian smiled and didn't say anything. Big Ye understood and said quietly, "Honored guests have come from afar. Why don't you let my wife take Miss Fan for a stroll in the back garden?" He looked at Fan Ruoruo with a smile. "Although our courtyard is nothing special, it was personally designed by the master of the house. It's quite impressive."
Fan Ruoruo had already understood. She smiled and followed the shopkeeper's wife to the back garden. Wang Qinian and the others were also driven out by Fan Xian. Seeing him so cautious, Big Ye couldn't help but feel afraid. He didn't know who it was that wanted to learn the way of business.
"Fan Sizhe, my second brother." Fan Xian took a sip of tea. "You must have heard of him."
Big Ye was shocked. Although there was no conflict between the two sons of the Fan family, Count Sinan's property was still there. How could the son of a noble be willing to learn the way of business? Could it be that Young Master Fan wanted to use this matter to prevent Fan Sizhe from inheriting the title? But such a clumsy trick was too absurd and unworkable.
Fan Xian hadn't expected Shopkeeper Ye to think so much. He said softly, "My second brother is a businessman by nature, but he is only relying on his inheritance and love to support himself. In the future, if he really wants to do something, his ability is not enough. So I hope he can have the honor of becoming a disciple of Head Shopkeeper."
Big Ye quickly shook his head. As cautious as he was, he didn't dare get involved in such matters. He said, "Assistant Minister Fan is in charge of all the money and grain in the world. This business is bigger than anyone else's. How could a mere Qingyu Hall dare to teach Young Master Fan?"
Fan Xian was a little disappointed, but he wasn't in a hurry. According to his plan, Big Ye wouldn't be able to escape being his teacher. He sat quietly in his chair, slowly moving the zhenqi in the snowy mountain. He opened his four meridians, closed his eyes, and muttered to himself for a while. After confirming that his sensitive ears couldn't hear anyone eavesdropping, he lowered his voice and said, "There's one more thing. I don't know if Big Ye dares to listen. If you do, I'll tell you."
Seeing him so secretive, Big Ye smiled helplessly. He knew that even if he didn't listen, Fan Xian would tell him anyway. As expected, Fan Xian smiled and said, "I am now the Functionary of Taichang Temple."
Seeing him say this without a head or tail, Big Ye was a little puzzled, but he still respectfully congratulated him. He knew that this young man in front of him was about to marry a noble from the palace. Unexpectedly, Fan Xian immediately said, "My fiancee is the young lady of the Lin family." He knew that although Big Ye had been sitting in the capital for 15 years, many years ago, he must have had many channels to learn of certain secrets.
As expected, Big Ye's expression changed dramatically. He stared at Fan Xian's eyes and said coldly, "What is Young Master Fan trying to say?"
Fan Xian lightly replied, "In at most two years, I will be able to take control of the palace treasury … but I know that my ability is insufficient. Father's Ministry of Revenue, after all, is the wealth of the nation, and I want to manage the wealth of the palace, so they can't give me much help. And I …" He looked back at Big Ye's emotionless eyes and said, "need help … need your help."
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