Chapter 120

Chapter 120

That day, Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Miss informed Manager Hang before successfully sneaking out through the back door to explore the capital.

Since the original owner was a native of the capital, and Pei Sixth claimed she had never been to the capital before, Gu Ran had no choice but to reluctantly act as a guide, introducing Pei Sixth to the various sights of the imperial capital.

In reality, she was relying on the original owner's memories, following them like a map for this sightseeing tour.

It was like reading about or hearing of a place's magnificence in books or from others, but experiencing it firsthand was entirely different. As Gu Ran pretended to explain, she couldn't help but silently admire the prosperity of the capital in her heart.

Pei Sixth, for her part, listened and nodded. Indeed, this imperial capital was much grander than the vague memories she had of other cities.

When they entered the bustling market district, they both stopped in their tracks: at the most imposing and spacious shop at the crossroads, a sign with four bold characters in flying dragons and dancing phoenixes announced the "Fusheng Commercial House," which they were quite familiar with.

They looked at each other. Gu Ran asked, "Shall we go in?"

Pei Sixth nodded. "Let's go!"

And so, they entered the imperial shop with which they had a cooperative relationship.

They say real estate in the capital is worth its weight in gold, yet this shop owned by the Xu family of Jianzhou was just as large, with two floors, showcasing their considerable strength.

At this time, there weren't many customers in the shop. As Gu Ran and Pei Sixth were looking at the shelves full of goods, a waiter came over to enthusiastically serve them. "Welcome! What can I help you find today?"

Gu Ran looked at the waiter and calculated the time. If Xu Sanlang was returning to Jianzhou by boat, it would likely be around these few days.

When they first arrived at the northern seaports, the frozen ports had thawed. Those that hadn't were broken by icebreakers, and now, in late March, the ports had resumed normal operations with clear sea routes.

Although Xu Sanlang might have already left, Gu Ran still asked, "Is your young master, Xu Third Young Master, still in the capital?"

Given the attention their arrival had caused and the rumors about the second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family, Xu Sanlang, being as sharp as he was, must have guessed it was them.

"I'm surprised, Miss. Do you know our Third Young Master?" the waiter asked curiously, looking at the two customers. Just as he was about to explain something, he caught sight of a group of people outside the shop. He immediately pointed. "Ah, Miss, your words are magic. Look, our Third Young Master is here!"

When Xu Sanlang entered his family's shop, he didn't notice the people he knew at first. The waiter kept calling, "Third Young Master?" before he finally looked over. "Go check the warehouse and see if we have any newly acquired century-old ginseng..."

Then he stopped in disbelief, quickly realized what was happening, and hurried over to them with a delighted surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Gu Ran smiled. "We're just casually strolling around the capital. We happened to pass by Fusheng Commercial House and thought we'd ask if you had left."

"I haven't left yet. I was about to, but when I heard about your situation, I turned back. I meant to visit you a few days ago, but with all the people around, I figured you wouldn't have time. I was planning to visit later," Xu Sanlang said with a smile. "I was just about to bring a gift and pay you a visit, but I didn't expect to run into you here!"

"So, the century-old ginseng you mentioned earlier—was that meant to be a gift for us?" Gu Ran asked teasingly.

Xu Sanlang laughed louder. "If you say so. Come, come, let's go to the banquet hall on the second floor."

"Since Xu Third Young Master has invited us, we'd be happy to join you. Right, Sixth Miss?"

Pei Sixth, who had initially seemed a bit reserved when Xu Sanlang appeared, now brightened up and nodded, following Gu Ran and Xu Sanlang to the second-floor banquet hall. As they walked past the shop entrance, Pei Sixth noticed someone watching her. She turned back to see a lady with a coiled hairdo, dressed in proper attire, staring blankly at them. When their eyes met, the lady hastily averted her gaze.

"Mother, Mama? You said you'd buy me canned citrus!" The little girl tugging at her hand twisted her body like a pretzel, pouting and whining. She looked to be only about three or four years old.

"When did I say I'd buy you canned citrus?"

"You did!"

"You're such a little sweet tooth!"

"Mama, please buy it for me. I promise I'll be extra good and filial to you!"

"No, no, didn't you hear what the shopkeeper said? There's no canned citrus for sale right now. We'll have to wait a bit longer."

"It will be even more expensive later!"

"If you know it's expensive, why do you still want to eat it?"

"Mother~"

"There's nothing for sale, so we can't have any. Let's go home!"

"Mother, mother, you don't like me anymore!"

"Don't be silly."

After the mother and daughter had walked away, Pei Sixth Lady finally felt relieved. Gu Ran, who had gone upstairs earlier, called down, "Sixth Miss?"

"Coming!"

When Xu Sanlang heard about how Gu Erniang and the others had rescued General Qiao, he was quite shocked.

The capital was buzzing with rumors that the deserted island where General Qiao had taken refuge after his escape was Dunzi Island, wasn't it? The same island that Gu Erniang bought to plant the tangerine orchard?

He had been there!

That's how Gu Erniang discovered General Qiao's whereabouts. Why didn't I notice anything when I was there before? If only...

Xu Sanlang felt a deep sense of regret for missing such a great opportunity.

It was said that the people who saved General Qiao had been summoned to the palace by the Emperor himself and received many rewards. If he had been one of them, it would have been extremely beneficial for the Xu family and Fusheng.

Suppressing his regret of missing such a golden opportunity, Xu Sanlang inquired in detail about how they had discovered General Qiao and how they confirmed his identity. When he learned that the Heaven Rank First Bandit Group, led by Jia San, had launched a nighttime raid on the tangerine orchard with so many people, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of unease and sigh deeply.

"Gu Erniang, I think you have some luck on your side. Fortunately, there was General Qiao, otherwise..."

"That's right, I'm also very glad to know General Qiao." Gu Ran said with a smile.

While General Qiao called her his savior, in truth, he was also hers.

She kept things in perspective, knowing exactly where she stood.

"Since that's the case, do you know what General Qiao's plans are?" Xu Sanlang asked, "Or rather, what are your plans?"

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady looked at each other.

"What plans could we have?" Gu Ran mentioned how General Qiao planned to bring the compensation for the fallen soldiers back to Da Mao City, "We thought, since we rarely come to the capital, we'd stay for a while. Once General Qiao finishes the tasks assigned by the Emperor, we'll depart together."

"It's on our way back." Pei Sixth Lady added.

"Then, what about you, Xu San?"

Did he delay his departure because he wanted to discuss something important after hearing about their rescue of General Qiao?

"Me?" Xu Sanlang said with a smile, "If you're departing with General Qiao, how about you take me along?"

Initially, he had only planned to pay a routine visit to Gu Erniang, whose status was rapidly rising. Now, it seemed that not only could he use Gu Erniang as a stepping stone to get closer to the famed General, but it might also be an opportunity to further expand the business routes of Fusheng.

"What are your plans, Xu San?"

Gu Ran wasn't foolish. Hearing Xu Sanlang's question, she understood that he must have other intentions and asked directly.

Xu San suddenly opened the fan he had been holding in his hand and said, "We admire and honor our heroes."

Gu Ran wasn't buying any of Xu San's excuses and shot back, "If you don't return to Jianzhou immediately, what will happen to the cargo that needs to be transported back?"

"Simple. Just assign a trustworthy overseer, or my second brother, to personally go to Jianzhou and escort the goods back," Xu San said.

In any case, he had already established the maritime cargo route to Jianzhou over the past three years, and there wasn't much risk involved. As for Jianzhou, his own trusted aides were fully in charge there, so it could operate even without him.

Now, the next step was to see how Fusheng Trading Company would expand its territory.

For example, going to Da Mao City to see if there was room for Fusheng Trading Company there. He could discuss it with the old man at home, and it was likely that he would be allowed to make this trip.

Regardless of Xu San's intentions, when Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady left that day, they were carrying quite a few late New Year's gifts from him.

Among them were two century-old ginseng roots.

One was for Gu Ran, and the other, Xu San asked Gu Ran to give to General Qiao.

He had heard that General Qiao's health had deteriorated after years of survival on a deserted island, so he offered the century-old ginseng as a token of goodwill.

Tsk, he was practically rubbing it in her face.

Out of consideration for their generally pleasant cooperation, Gu Ran reluctantly agreed to convey his regards to General Qiao.

When they returned to the Hang family's separate residence, still in high spirits, Manager Hang was anxiously waiting at the gate. As soon as he saw them return, he immediately went to greet them, "Gu Erniang, Pei Sixth Lady, we've been eagerly waiting for you!"

"Is there something urgent, Manager Hang?"

"It's not me who's looking for you, but there's something quite urgent. There's a noble person in our residence looking for you two, and they've been waiting quite a while now!"

Gu Ran noticed that although Manager Hang was anxious, he didn't show any signs of fear or panic, so she felt relieved.

Since Gu Erniang had returned to the capital and was revealed to be General Qiao's savior, the news spread like wildfire. Many families who had known her before started sending invitations, but Gu Ran declined all of them.

Her return to the capital was to repay General Qiao's favor and receive rewards, not to use her previous connections to get close to people—truth be told, there wasn't much of a connection to begin with. When it was revealed that she was not the biological daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family, the noble ladies who associated with her due to her status as the Marquis' daughter began to distance themselves. After the Qin family, whom she had married into, encountered trouble, almost no one associated with her anymore.

The people who tried to get close now were mostly those who were good at following the wind's direction.

Just like the Ningyuan Marquis's foster daughter, so she simply didn't see anyone to avoid trouble.

Therefore, only a few old acquaintances of General Qiao came to thank them. Could this be another one of General Qiao's old friends?

However, this time, Gu Ran was wrong.

The noble person who came was from the palace, an official eunuch in charge of purchasing materials within the palace, known as Eunuch Ren.

Eunuch Ren smiled as he watched Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady return and said, "I assume you're Gu Erniang and Pei Sixth Lady?" Eunuch Ren's sharp gaze lingered on Pei Sixth Lady for a moment before he smiled and continued, "I have long admired you both!"

"You're too kind, Eunuch Ren. May I ask what brings you here? Does the Emperor have any orders?"

"I have heard that Gu Erniang and Pei Sixth Lady are the ones who cultivate oranges in Jianzhou, on a dedicated island filled with orange trees?"

"Not quite. We haven't reached a thousand trees yet, so it's not an entire island."

"Then, does the Gu Family Oranges that Fusheng Trading Company transports back to the capital every year belong to your family?"

"Eunuch Ren indeed has a discerning eye. Yes, the oranges we grow are called Gu Family Oranges, and we mainly collaborate with Fusheng Trading Company," Gu Ran nodded with a smile, trying to guess the purpose of Eunuch Ren's visit. Could he be here to do business with her? Could it be?

"The Gu Family Oranges that Fusheng Trading Company transports to the capital every year also includes some that are sent into the palace. The Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the late Emperor all enjoyed these oranges from Jianzhou."

Gu Ran's heart began to race when she heard what Eunuch Ren said.

"What a coincidence. I heard that the owner of Gu Family Xiaoju is the one who saved General Qiao's life. So, I submitted a memorial to the Emperor, thinking that if we could procure directly from Gu Family Xiaoju, we could save a lot of effort on the palace's annual citrus supply."

Eunuch Ren said with a smile, "Also, about the citrus marmalade and canned citrus, if the palace were to procure directly from you, Miss Erniang, do you think it would be feasible?"

Gu Ran almost didn't catch her breath as she grabbed Pei Sixth Lady's hand.

Was he saying that she could do business directly with the palace?

"It's feasible, of course, it's feasible." Gu Ran nodded vigorously, immediately agreeing before explaining, "But Eunuch Ren, in business, we must speak frankly. Most of our citrus products have already been sold to the Fusheng merchant house this year. The marmalade and canned citrus you want might only be available in small quantities. If you need large amounts, you'll have to wait until next year. As for the citrus fruits, if you tell me how many you need, I can gather the early-maturing batch for you this year."

Afraid that Eunuch Ren might be angry, she quickly added, "You understand, citrus fruits are seasonal. Once these few months are missed, you can't buy them anywhere!"

"That's true. I was also thinking that we would need a batch of citrus fruits this autumn, and the marmalade and canned citrus would be for next year."

"So, Eunuch Ren, do you plan to start collaborating with Gu Family Xiaoju from this autumn?"

"That's correct." Eunuch Ren nodded.

Gu Ran couldn't contain her joy. "Then why wait? Eunuch Ren, please finalize the quantity of citrus fruits you need from our Gu Family Xiaoju each year and guide us through the necessary procedures."

"Alright, since Miss Erniang can agree, I will naturally show you how to proceed."

Would the Gu Family Xiaoju, which is supplied directly to the palace, be called 'tribute citrus' in the future?

If they became tribute citrus, their value would certainly rise.

After Eunuch Ren left, Gu Ran looked at Pei Sixth Lady and smiled happily, excited. "Sixth Lady, the citrus we grow, will it be called tribute citrus in the future?"

Doing business with the royal family of the Great Sheng Dynasty, her Gu Family Xiaoju had truly become something remarkable.

Once Gu Family Xiaoju claimed to be tribute citrus, how much would the value of her tangerine orchard increase?

The reputation of being used by the royal family was invaluable. With this title, even in Jianzhou, no one would dare to underestimate Gu Family Xiaoju anymore. It might even attract more merchants to do business with her citrus products.

Before even returning to Jianzhou, Gu Ran couldn't help but fantasize about the future fame of the citrus on Dunzi Island.

Then she would own the entire Dunzi Island and wait for the annual citrus business.

A future of living a relaxed life was just around the corner!

That night, Gu Ran's mood was incredibly wonderful, and she even ate an extra bowl of rice.

This trip to the capital was absolutely worth it.

Her good mood was broken the next day when Manager Hang informed her that someone from the Yuan clan had come to recognize her as their kin.

"The Yuan clan?"

Gu Ran was momentarily confused and couldn't recall who the Yuan clan were until Manager Hang coughed twice, "Miss Erniang, they are, as the rumors say, your birth parents."

Only then did she realize it was the Yuan clan that the original owner had never acknowledged.

The original owner had originally didn't have the surname Gu but Yuan.

If the original owner had been correctly identified at birth, she would have been a young lady of the Yuan clan.

However, although the incident of the original owner being mistakenly swapped into the Ningyuan Marquis family had been uncovered, the original owner had never met the Yuan clan because she didn't want to return to a commoner status. After being adopted as the Ningyuan Marquis's foster daughter, she became estranged from her birth parents. Except for some seasonal offerings from the Ningyuan Marquis family out of respect for having raised their own flesh and blood, and some money the original owner sent, they remained estranged.

These biological parents were also prudent. They received benefits from the Ningyuan Marquis family and the original owner but never mentioned wanting to reclaim their daughter.

Perhaps because of their prudence, when the Prime Minister Qin's family fell from grace, and the original owner was to be banished to the Min region, they never showed up. Just like the Ningyuan Marquis family, they never inquired about their daughter, even though she had been living in Min Prefecture for many years.

Yet, these same prudent people now shamelessly showed up at Gu Erniang's door. What could have driven them to do this now?

Gu Ran was clear-headed about this.

"I won't see them. Just say that I, Gu Erniang, have no Yuan clan parents, and tell them to leave!"

Probably, upon hearing that Gu Erniang had severed ties with the Ningyuan Marquis family, they came, using the pretext of being the original owner's blood relatives, to seek benefits!

Gu Ran had guessed correctly.

When General Qiao entered the city, and his savior was invited into the palace by the emperor for rewards—one of whom was the second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family—the Yuan clan couldn't help but prick up their ears to gather all the information.

The original second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family, wasn't she their daughter?

Although a member of their Yuan clan, the original second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family had been pampered for a while, which made her high-minded. Even after it was confirmed that she was not of the Gu family's blood, she remained proud and refused to acknowledge them. Later, after recognizing the Ningyuan Marquis's foster daughter as her adoptive parents, she never showed up at the Yuan family's home, as if being from the Yuan family was a disgrace to her.

But then again, how could their ordinary Yuan family, living in the county, compare to the grand and powerful Ningyuan Marquis family?

When they sent the eldest daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family—the child they had raised—to the marquis's family, they saw the dragon-carved beams and painted rafters of the marquis's mansion, which were far more magnificent than their small house.

It was understandable that a lady raised in such a grand mansion would be arrogant and unwilling to acknowledge them.

But the Yuan parents had a nagging worry.

They had raised Gu Daniang—no, the eldest daughter—properly. Although they had her do more chores and help take care of more children, they couldn't provide her with an education or teach her to play the qin or paint. They treated her like any ordinary family would their daughter, without being harsh.

After all, what could you expect from an ordinary family?

But at this time, upon hearing that Gu Erniang—their own flesh and blood—would rather die than return to their Yuan family, they felt a faint anger in their hearts.

If she didn't want to acknowledge them, so be it. What was the big deal? If she had returned, there would have been another mouth to feed. Besides, a lady pampered by the marquis's family would have many demands, be picky, and might even expect them to wait on her.

Better not to return!

After all, they had never raised her, so there was no closeness or familiarity.

In fact, it was more beneficial for her to stay in the Ningyuan Marquis family—they could receive support from the Ningyuan Marquis family and occasionally receive silver from Gu Erniang as a token of filial piety. That was enough!

As the Yuan family's status improved, no one in the Yuan family ever thought to ask about Gu Erniang in the Ningyuan Marquis family.

Later, when Gu Erniang married into the Prime Minister Qin's family, they were even happier: originally, because of the relationship between the eldest daughter and Gu Erniang, they could have connections with the Ningyuan Marquis family. Now, their own flesh and blood was the lady of the Prime Minister Qin's family, which meant the Yuan family was now related to Prime Minister Qin.

The Yuan family had truly brought honor to their ancestors!

The once obscure Yuan family suddenly became the center of attention in the neighborhood.

Yuan father and mother were proud. Fortunately, they hadn't brought Gu Erniang back home. Otherwise, with their limited means, how could they have arranged such a prestigious marriage for her with the fourth young master of the Qin family?

They would never have become related to Prime Minister Qin!

Although they still couldn't meet their daughter who had been raised outside the family, the benefits she brought to them were real: at first, the Ningyuan Marquis family would send annual gifts to the Yuan family during festivals, and they could also get silver from Gu Erniang. Later, besides the Ningyuan Marquis family's share, the Prime Minister Qin's family also sent gifts, and there was no shortage of small silver coins from Gu Erniang.

As the Yuan family's status improved, Yuan father and mother were delighted!

Until Prime Minister Qin fell from grace, and that daughter, along with the Qin family, was sent to prison.

Prime Minister Qin is dead, and his daughter is to be exiled to the southern frontier along with the rest of the Qin family.

The status of the Yuan clan fell instantly, and Gu Erniang, who had once been praised for marrying the Qin family's young master, became a taboo subject within the Yuan family.

Treason? No one in their right mind would want to get involved in something like that! At worst, like Prime Minister Qin, death wouldn't save them. At best, they'd be exiled to the wild frontier, just like the Qin family and Gu Erniang.

What used to be a source of pride is now something everyone fears to even talk about, living every day in apprehension that the Qin family's affair would implicate them, turning them into outcasts, locked away in prison.

No one even considered trying to save Gu Erniang. They wished they had never had her in the first place.

When outsiders came asking about the Qin family's Fourth Lady, the Yuan family unanimously shook their heads. "She is not our Yuan family's daughter!"

"Indeed, she was raised by another family and never called us parents. To us, it's as if she never existed."

"The Qin family was chosen for her by others. We had no say in it, so why should we be blamed when things go wrong?"

To show where they stood, they didn't even show up on the day of the exile. They just wanted her gone from the capital as quickly as possible.

From that point on, the Yuan family's fortunes started to dwindle.