bookcurios Chapter 181 Planning
Chapter 181 Planning
The bright moon hung high in the sky. In the east wing of the Marquis of Weiyun’s mansion, the candlelight was still burning and shadows were moving about. On the bed, Yu Jue looked sick and frowned in her sleep.
Qi Xin sat in front of the bed, wiping his sweat and changing the medicine bandage on his forehead. Qin Zhong quietly withdrew outside and fanned himself while brewing medicine in the corridor. Suddenly, a shadow fell.
"How is the lady?"
Qin Zhong quickly stood up and bowed to Ning Cuo, who had appeared before her at some unknown time. "Your Excellency, the young lady just had a migraine and has already gone to bed. She's fine."
Ning Cuo frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes. Qin Zhong could roughly guess Ning Cuo's thoughts from his expression. How could someone so young have such a problem?
Qin Zhong lowered her eyes and said no more. As a former member of the Duke's mansion, she knew that this was an old problem for the young lady. In the past six months, she had experienced family changes and her lover's heartlessness. She had also hurriedly taken on the responsibilities of the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, presiding over the New Year's ancestral worship and social interactions. She had no time to relax. How could she not fall ill under such pressure?
Upon closer examination of the cause of the illness... Qin sighed inwardly, realizing that the young woman had indeed been overthinking things.
Ning Cuo looked at the figure on the bed through the gauze curtain, then took a step back and whispered, "Take good care of the lady. I will sleep in the study tonight."
"promise."
Qin Zhong bowed to Ning Cuo's departing figure.
·
Pingshan Pass —
"The outside world is still far more expansive and boundless," Tao Yang said, surveying the meticulously renovated mansion. His gaze finally settled on the beautiful woman leading the servants to welcome him, and he smiled meaningfully. "Third Brother has been living quite comfortably these past few years."
"You Niang, you may leave now."
Lin Youniang was filled with trepidation and was very reserved in front of the noble young man. After receiving Tao You's words, she responded softly and returned to the backyard.
Is that all the courage you have? Tao Yang raised an eyebrow slightly.
"I am a humble servant, please forgive my crudeness, Seventh Brother."
Well, she was just a worthless person anyway. Seeing the woman leave in a hurry, Tao Yang withdrew his gaze and stopped paying attention to the timid mistress.
Upon entering the main hall, Tao Yang casually sat down in the main seat and took a sip of the tea offered by a servant.
“My mother sent me out to gain experience. My elder brother has been running things in Yucheng for many years. Please do not hesitate to give me your guidance.”
"As your elder brother, I will certainly impart all my knowledge to you." Tao Youshang said with a gentle smile, casually sitting down to one side.
Tao Rong, who was serving from the side, looked rather grim. It was obvious that the Seventh Prince had come to reap the benefits, and Tao Rong was sure to lose his position as the head manager of Tao Ji Trading Company. The Seventh Prince would definitely replace him with his own confidant.
Thinking this, she clenched her fist involuntarily, her eyes sharpened, and she had already made up her mind. It was time to talk to Lin Bei.
Tao You has been running around the border for many years, making connections and securing a residence in Yucheng. He even owns a shop in the city to facilitate gathering information. Now, the second manager of Tao's shop is none other than Lin Bei, the elder brother of his mistress.
Tao Rong was making plans in his mind, while Tao You had already begun to explain the ins and outs of the Xuan Kingdom's border to the newcomer Tao Yang.
“Pingshan Pass is backed by Yongzhou, but there are different governors. Marquis Yongyi is the General Who Conquers the South. Yongzhou is the territory he conquered when he destroyed the Li Kingdom. In addition, he has military power, so his prestige in Yongzhou is far higher than that of the Governor of Yongzhou…”
Tao Yang listened, nodding occasionally, and made it clear that he was humbly accepting instruction. After Tao You finished speaking, Tao Yang smiled and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Third Brother. I almost underestimated Marquis Yongyi."
He began to ponder in his heart that he only believed seven-tenths of Tao You's words, and the remaining three-tenths were likely traps. He did not believe that Tao You was as harmless as he appeared on the surface, and would willingly spit out the fat meat that was already in his mouth.
His half-brother has been operating in Yucheng for many years, and it's unclear how close he is to Marquis Yongyi. Given Marquis Yongyi's influence, if he were to side with Tao You and cause him trouble...
That would be extremely bad.
This was the first task his mother had given him after his coming-of-age ceremony, and he couldn't just slink back like that.
While pondering, a sudden inspiration struck him. Putting himself in others' shoes, he realized that the Governor of Yongzhou could not possibly tolerate the Marquis of Yongyi, whose prestige was too great. How could he allow someone else to snore beside his bed!
Perhaps he should visit the governor of Yongzhou as a backup plan.
While Tao Yang's mind raced and Tao Rong secretly plotted, Tao You seemed oblivious, calmly brushing away the tea foam.