Chapter 124

Chapter 124

A trace of embarrassment flashed across Xu San's face, but he quickly regained his composure, using his fan to pat his palm. "Did you see through me, Gu Erniang?"

Gu Ran nodded. "If you're worried about the business with our Gu Family orchard, there's no need. We've been long-time partners, and with the contract in place, everything will be handled according to the rules. It won't change just because I went to the capital."

"Really?" Xu San suddenly realized something and gave Gu Ran a subtle look.

"Well, you probably don't know yet. There's an official, Ren Gonggong, in the palace who has already issued me a document. The citrus fruits and a series of products from our Gu Family orchard will be acquired in specified quantities by the Jianzhou government and directly transported back to the capital for the imperial court." Gu Ran said confidently, "From now on, our Gu Family orchard will be the supplier of imperial tribute citrus."

This was news to Xu San, and he was momentarily shocked.

"I was going to tell you once we returned to Jianzhou, but telling you now is fine too," Gu Ran continued. "The batch of citrus for the palace will also be transported back to the capital before the New Year. From now on, the early-ripening citrus fruits from our Gu Family orchard will only be supplied to your Fusheng, except for the tribute."

That means the citrus sold by Fusheng will essentially be imperial tribute citrus! The value of Gu Family orchard was about to rise significantly!

"We at Fusheng are truly honored to do business with you, Gu Erniang!" Xu San smiled.

"It's also thanks to your foresight, Xu Sanlang, in choosing to collaborate with me and the Gu family," Gu Ran said with a smile. "Given our long-standing relationship, if there's anything you need help with in establishing your trading house in Da Mao City, I'll do what I can. But for anything outside of business, I can't promise any help."

Xu San, being a smart man, understood the implication in Gu Ran's words, was startled, and then bitterly smiled as he nodded. "Thanks in advance, Gu Erniang!"

He realized he had missed his chance to gain more influence over the Gu Family orchard.

From that day on, Xu San indeed stopped trying to get close to Gu Ran as he had before, and Pei Sixth Lady, after confirming this, finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With such a thick face, who could guarantee he wouldn't suddenly have ulterior motives again?

It was better to keep an eye on him.

After more than a month at sea, the official ship finally approached Cang Harbor, and Pei Sixth Lady remained wary of Xu San.

Many city officials who had already heard about General Qiao's return recently came out to welcome the official ship upon seeing it. They made sure not to delay General Qiao's journey back to Da Mao City. While swiftly moving the money and supplies brought on the ship to horse and donkey carts, they respectfully invited General Qiao and his entourage to board the well-prepared carriages. The local government sent out scouts to lead the way and escort them to Da Mao City.

The journey of over ten days was arranged meticulously by the local government. As they were about to smoothly enter Nanfeng County, Gu Ran's emotions became complicated.

Not just her, even Pei Sixth Lady and Xu San felt the same way.

After all, three years ago, they were exiled convicts passing through Nanfeng County on their way to Min Prefecture and had a deep impression of this large exiled convict distribution center.

Gu Ran especially, because it was here that she was bothered by the bandit.

And now that they had reached this northernmost county, it meant they were not far from Da Mao City.

At that time, they were criminals, and their entry into Da Mao City was just a hurried glimpse. Later, in Xiaoxi Village, they often heard Lin Ersao and the He family talk about studying in Da Mao City's academy. They never thought that one day, they would have the honor to return to Da Mao City.

Traveling south from Nanfeng County for about an hour along the official road, aside from passing through a small forest just outside the southern gate of Nanfeng County, they were amazed to see well-arranged civilian houses and farmland along the way. Gu Ran and the others realized that the land outside Da Mao City for thousands of miles had been reclaimed and utilized, unlike the desolate areas outside other prefectures.

The closer they got to Da Mao City, the denser the residential areas became. Every few hundred meters along the official road, there were side roads, and each led to houses, giving off a lively and bustling atmosphere with rising smoke from cooking fires.

General Qiao, who had been away from his homeland for over a decade, could no longer sit still. He got off the carriage and rode a horse, galloping on the official road, clearly excited.

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady, sitting in the carriage behind, also lifted the curtains, watching the scenery outside, amazed and quietly discussing.

As the towering city walls came into view, they noticed a dense formation of black dots in the distance.

It was the garrison of Da Mao City, coming to personally welcome General Qiao after receiving the news.

Sure enough, General Qiao at the front could no longer contain his excitement. He spurred his horse and galloped forward. Gu Ran heard a loud shout, followed by the sound of a horn, and then cries rang out to the heavens: "Welcome the return of the General who conquered the South!"

"Welcome the return of the General who conquered the South!"

Gu Ran watched as General Qiao roared and raced to the front of the formation, then dismounted and knelt before the central rider. The riders nearby also dismounted and formed a circle around General Qiao.

"That must be the Duke of Ding Sheng!"

Xu Sanlang, who had already switched to a horse, now stood before Gu Ran's carriage, looking toward the city gate in awe. "It's the Duke of Ding Sheng himself, along with Generals Wang, Song, and Shi, coming to welcome General Qiao!"

Gu Ran had already heard about the military officers in Da Mao City during her time on the official ship.

In the past, during Emperor Wu's conquests, apart from General Qiao's ancestral military family, there were nine other families enfeoffed according to their merits at Wolf Den Hill. These ten great families included the Wang, Song, and Shi families, which Xu Sanlang had just mentioned.

Later, when Emperor Wu moved the capital, many descendants of these ten families followed him to the imperial capital, while others were dispatched to the northern and western borders. Those who remained in Da Mao City assisted the Duke of Ding Sheng in unifying the southern frontier.

Upon hearing of General Qiao's return, the great families all came with their troops to welcome him. Even the Duke of Ding Sheng had come personally; this was no small affair.

Gu Ran's carriage also arrived at the city gate under the watchful eyes of the troops.

General Qiao had already been helped to his feet. His eyes were red as he stood there, surrounded by both veteran and younger officers. Among them, the most striking figure was a tall, imposing general who commanded the respect of all. This must be the Duke of Ding Sheng that Xu Sanlang had spoken of.

"Erniang!" General Qiao called out as the carriage approached.

Gu Ran descended from the carriage and quickly walked to General Qiao's side. "General Qiao!"

"She is Gu Erniang, who saved me, and whom I have recognized as my granddaughter," General Qiao said to the Duke of Ding Sheng.

At General Qiao's words, not only did Gu Ran hasten to pay her respects to the Duke of Ding Sheng, but Pei Six and Xu Sanlang also bowed.

"We pay our respects to the Duke!"

"No need for such formality," the Duke of Ding Sheng said, nodding repeatedly at Gu Ran. "Thank you, Miss Gu of the Gu family, for saving the life of our general in Da Mao City. I will bestow a grand reward!"

"Thank you, Duke!" Gu Ran's heart soared with joy.

She had already received an imperial reward in the capital. Now, with another reward on the horizon, would her fortune double?

With this exciting thought in mind, Gu Ran, along with Pei Six and the others, was escorted by the group of officers through the North Gate and officially entered Da Mao City.

"General Qiao!"

"It's General Qiao's return!"

"Welcome General Qiao back to the city!"

"General Qiao!"

Inside the city, crowds lined the wide streets to welcome General Qiao's return.

General Qiao and the Duke of Ding Sheng rode side by side, passing through the outer city amidst cheers and shouts.

As she got a closer look at the city, Gu Ran was once again amazed. The last time she had arrived in Da Mao City, a brief glimpse of the prosperous South Phoenix County had left an impression. After visiting the imperial capital and witnessing the grandeur of the Emperor's residence, she thought she had already seen the most magnificent cities of the Great Sheng Dynasty. But now, truly being within Da Mao City, she realized that its prosperity surpassed even that of the imperial capital.

The streets and alleys were bustling with traffic and lined with shops and markets, while the pavilions, terraces, and buildings were arranged in tiers, resembling a mountain range. Everywhere presented a scene of prosperity.

What amazed Gu Ran even more was the discovery that the inner city’s watchtowers and barracks were built right into the mountainside.

When the convoy arrived at the first gate of the inner city, the Da Zhu Gate, she had expected a ceremonial welcome like the one at the North Gate. However, instead of stopping, the convoy passed through the Da Zhu Gate, continued along a busy official road, and eventually arrived at the most prosperous outer city gate, the Guanyun Gate.

A large crowd of Great Mao City citizens had already gathered outside the Guanyun Gate to welcome General Qiao back to the city. Upon seeing him, they cheered for General Qiao, just as they had at the North Gate.

As General Qiao walked by, seeing the local people welcoming him everywhere he went, tears streamed down his face.

Finally, Gu Ran, along with Pei Six and others, entered the inner city of Great Mao City together with General Qiao, escorted by General Ding Sheng and several other great generals through the Guanyun Gate. Xu San and others went off to find their own lodgings.

Having been away from his hometown for so long, General Qiao had much to do. Locating the families of fallen or wrongfully executed soldiers, seeking justice for them, and distributing compensation would require significant time and effort.

Thus, Gu Ran and Pei Six were led to General Qiao’s mansion, where he arranged for their accommodation before busying himself with his affairs.

Gu Ran and Pei Six did not say much and, after resting well at General Qiao’s mansion for a few days, began to plan their next moves.

Initially, they had only joined General Qiao’s journey south to hitch a ride on the official ship. Back in Cang Harbor, Gu Ran had been hesitant about whether to come to Great Mao City. Although General Qiao had acknowledged her as his granddaughter, Gu Ran knew better than to get carried away.

General Qiao’s acknowledgment had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, made in broad daylight when the Yuan family had pressured him into recognizing her as family, to help her out of a difficult situation.

It was just a way to give her, as a woman living alone, some protection and support.

Even if General Qiao was sincere, what could she, Gu Ran, actually do for him?

She couldn’t bring herself to follow him to Great Mao City with the hope of inheriting his estate, could she?

But considering that the second largest city of the Great Sheng Dynasty was not a place one could easily visit, and since she had acquaintances in Great Mao City—He Qinghuan’s family and Lin Sanlang, who was also studying there—she decided to come for a small tour of Great Mao City, visit the He family’s burn jellygrass shop, and then return to Jianzhou.

The waterway from Cangzhou to Jianzhou was only a short four or five days’ journey, after all.

And so, they came.

After resting well, they planned to explore Great Mao City and visit He Qinghuan and Lin Sanlang.

The overseer of General Qiao’s mansion—after the wrongful conviction case ten years ago, all the main members of the Qiao family had perished, and the mansion’s overseers and maids had dispersed. However, General Ding Sheng had not reassigned the mansion to others. Thus, the large estate had remained vacant for many years.

Two years ago, when it became known that General Qiao had been framed and had disappeared, General Ding Sheng sent people to renovate the Qiao mansion, furnish it, and bring back some of the old servants who had worked there and were still alive, adding some new ones as well. Slowly, the original Qiao mansion was restored, with the hope that General Qiao would return.

Therefore, as soon as General Qiao returned to the city, all the affairs of the Qiao mansion resumed in an orderly fashion.

Upon learning that the two ladies staying at the mansion had saved General Qiao’s life, the overseer did not dare to neglect them. Upon hearing that they planned to go out, he immediately arranged a carriage and assigned two efficient guards to accompany them.

The carriage driver was also very kind and informed them about the differences between the inner and outer cities of Great Mao City, as well as the places to eat and visit within the city.

Gu Ran then learned that the Qiao mansion was only separated by two streets from Shenglin Academy, a place that scholars from all over the world aspired to attend. As for He Qinghuan’s Shenghua Academy, it was located in the outer city.

Since it was on the way, they decided to first visit Shenglin Academy.

However, upon arriving at Shenglin Academy, they learned that it was a day off. Although visitors were allowed to enter, Gu Ran’s primary goal was to see Lin Sanlang, not to tour the academy itself. Moreover, it was said that the number of visitors allowed in had already been reached for the day, so they left disappointed.

As the carriage took them to the outer city, Gu Ran thought: If Shenglin Academy is on a day off, surely Shenghua Academy isn’t, is it?

But if Shenghua Academy was also on a day off, where would they find Huanhuan and Lin Sanlang?

They didn’t know where the He family lived. However, since they owned a shop, surely someone in Great Mao City would know. Thus, Gu Ran asked, “Uncle Li, do you know where I can find burn jellygrass in Great Mao City?”

“Burn jellygrass? What’s that?”

"It's a snack that comes from Min Prefecture. You haven't heard of it, Uncle Li?"

"I haven't. Are you thinking about trying it, Miss Gu?"

"I am, and I also want to find the family who sells burned fairy grass."

"But I doubt we have that kind of food in Da Mao City."

"Yes, they are definitely here. I know the family who sells burned fairy grass. They told me they opened a shop here, which is why I want to find them."

"Oh, is it a shop run by someone you know, Miss Gu?"

"That's right."

"I'll check for you."

The carriage left the outer city, and as Gu Ran looked out, she saw a thriving commercial district, just as bustling as when they entered the city. She asked the carriage driver to pull over, and both Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady got off to explore the market.

When she was in the capital, Gu Ran had bought many local specialties, but because Pei Sixth Lady had been by her side, she hadn't dared to store more in her space. Now that she was in Da Mao City, she naturally couldn't miss buying some local specialties. It would be best to find a chance to go out alone and buy more food to store and eat whenever she wanted.

While thinking about how to shake off Pei Sixth Lady, the carriage driver found them and said he had discovered where the burned fairy grass was sold and asked when they wanted to go.

Instead of waiting for another day, they decided to go right away.

Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady got back into the carriage, and after a short ride, they stopped again.

Gu Ran lifted the curtain, and the first thing she saw was the plaque of Shenglin Academy. Surprised, she said, "Uncle Li, why did you bring us to Shenglin Academy?"

"It's not Shenglin Academy, it's the burned fairy grass shop."

"Where?"

"There!"

Following Uncle Li's finger, Gu Ran spotted a small street next to Shenglin Academy lined with food stalls. Among them, one indeed had a plaque that read 'He family's burned fairy grass shop.' She smiled, realizing the shop was right next to Shenglin Academy.

Of course, since Huanhuan was studying at Shenglin Academy, she probably knew many female students and would naturally target them as potential customers first.

Hadn't Huanhuan suggested opening a stall near the academy back in the county? They had targeted scholars as their main customers too.

The burned fairy grass shop in Da Mao City wasn't large, but it was bigger than the small shop by the seaport in Jianzhou Prefecture.

Though the shop was small, it was full of customers, and some regular buyers were taking away packed food boxes.

Inside, busy at work were Uncle He and Aunt He, whom Gu Ran hadn't seen in a while. Lin Sanlang and another waiter were also serving customers. As for He Qinghuan, she was behind the small counter, acting as the manager.

"Well, look at that, the burned fairy grass shop has really been established."

When Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady entered the shop, the He family and Lin Sanlang didn't notice them at first. Upon hearing Gu Ran's familiar voice, they looked up in surprise. "Oh, is it... Gu Second Miss?"

"And Pei Sixth Miss?"

He Qinghuan put down the ledger and ran over, looking at Gu Ran and then at Pei Sixth Lady in disbelief. "Second Sister Gu, is it really you?"

"It's really me, no imitation!" Gu Ran laughed.

"How did you both come to Da Mao City?"

"I know, Junior Sister, a while ago, General Qiao returned to the city..." Lin Sanlang also walked over quickly, equally surprised. "So..." Then he looked at the customers in the shop. "Let's talk later."

"Great!"

Behind the burnt fairy grass shop was a small courtyard with a two-story building.

The ground floor could be used as a warehouse and reception area, while the upper floor had two guest rooms for living quarters.

Although it wasn't large, it had two guest rooms. Usually, Uncle He and Aunt He lived behind the shop, and they had reserved one room for Huanhuan. As for Lin Sanlang, he normally stayed in the scholars' dormitory at Shenglin Academy.

Today happened to be a day off, so he came to help at the shop, not expecting to run into Gu Ran and Pei Sixth Lady.

"We heard that General Qiao was rescued on Dunzi Island and wondered if his savior was you, Gu Erniang. We never expected to guess right."

Meeting villagers from back home made the He family and Lin Sanlang very happy.

Although they no longer lived in Xiaxi Village, when they moved to Da Mao City, they had already learned that Gu Erniang had bought Dunzi Island to plant orange trees.

Since General Qiao was a general born in Da Mao City and the Qiao family was a century-old prominent family, the city's people paid special attention to news about General Qiao.

At first, they only knew that General Qiao had been rescued, then later learned that his savior was a Miss Gu. As more information gradually arrived from the capital, they learned that this Miss Gu from the Gu family had once been the second daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis family and had married into Prime Minister Qin's estate. How could He Qinghuan not know, and Lin Sanlang certainly knew as well?

Lin Sanlang had even asked his own mother about it, confirming that it was indeed the Gu Erniang they knew.

Later, when General Qiao returned to the city, they knew about it too. Like other citizens, they went to Guanyun Gate to welcome General Qiao back to his hometown, but they never expected that Gu Erniang would come to Da Mao City with him.

"We originally planned to return directly to Jianzhou, but then we thought, since we were passing by Cang Harbor and it was so close to Da Mao City, if we didn't come this time, it might not be so convenient to visit again in the future. If there's no special reason, we probably wouldn't come again, so we decided to take this opportunity to visit and see the sights."

"Also, we wanted to visit you all!" Gu Ran said. "I didn't expect you to have opened a shop so quickly."

"Sigh, we finally saved enough money, and by chance, a small shop here was for sale, so we borrowed some money and bought it right away." He Qinghuan also said with a smile, "Before, I was staying at Shenglin Academy. My parents were renting a guesthouse. This shop is great; the front is a store, and the back is living quarters. Now my parents don't have to rent a house, and I've saved on food and lodging expenses."

"That's true. This shop is very close to Shenglin Academy."

"It's next door," He Qinghuan said. "So even if we had to borrow money, we had to buy this shop quickly. Shops in Da Mao City are in high demand, so we had to act fast."

As they were talking, Uncle He and Aunt He had already brought over two bowls of burnt fairy grass, giving one to Gu Ran and one to Pei Sixth Lady. "Erniang, you left for the capital earlier this year, so it's been a while since you've had burnt fairy grass, right?"

"You're right, Aunt He. Let's try it and see if the burnt fairy grass here is as delicious as we remember."

Gu Ran smiled and took a couple of bites of the burnt fairy grass.

"How is it?"

"As expected of the He family's burnt fairy grass, it's the most authentic taste."

Everyone laughed and asked about how General Qiao was rescued, what the capital was like, and when they would return.

"No need to worry. Shen Erlang is managing the shop in Jianzhou well."

"The small shop at the seaport brought in a very generous profit at the end of the year, as reported by Uncle Yang."

"Uncle He and Aunt He have also helped us a lot!"

"Head Wu is doing well. Your second brother is now overseeing my tangerine orchard and is very diligent."

...

After Gu Ran filled them in on the people they were concerned about back in Jianzhou, the He family felt relieved and then asked, "How long are you planning to stay in Da Mao City?"