Chapter 86 Glittering Gold; Prince of Lingnan

Chapter 86: Glittering Gold · Prince of Lingnan

After some time apart, Luo Yiqi looked even thinner, clad in a loose gray short-sleeved shirt, his head drooping and his spirit completely crushed.

Thinking back on everything, Qin Jiao didn’t know how to comfort him; it felt like whatever he said would be futile. Luckily, Steward Wen was quick on the uptake. Seeing Luo Yiqi clutching a wooden box, he asked what was inside.

“Young master, this is the Guanyin statue you ordered earlier. Take a look and see if it's to your liking.”

Luo Yiqi opened the wooden box. Inside, the Guanyin was exquisitely detailed, holding a willow branch in its hand, gazing compassionately at all living beings.

“Thank you very much. This Guanyin statue is a true masterpiece. Looks like your hand is fully healed.”

Luo Yiqi nodded. “Thank you for your concern, young master. The doctor said my hand wasn’t injured to the bone.”

“That’s good,” Qin Jiao said, then asked, “So, what are your plans from now on?”

Luo Yiqi’s mother was still in prison. I heard that Wu Kun, taking pity on their tragic plight, had specially asked the authorities for permission. Luo Yiqi could visit his mother once every three months. Counting the days, by next fall, he could still see her five or six more times.

But these visits, each visit one fewer than the last, would eventually come to an end.

“After… after I’ve handled my mother’s funeral arrangements, I’ll leave the capital and make a living elsewhere.”

Luo Yiqi’s face was filled with grief, and he stammered. “This capital isn't fit for living.”

Hearing this, Qin Jiao was silent for a long time.

He didn’t know what to say, so in the end, he just let it go quietly.

Seeing Luo Yiqi in such a daze, Qin Jiao didn’t want to keep him any longer. He raised his hand and told Cong Shuang to fetch four hundred taels of silver. “Take this money.”

Luo Yiqi’s eyes turned red at the sight of the silver. Four hundred taels—exactly what he needed to compensate the families of Liu Yao and Zhu Geyong.

“This Guanyin statue is not worth that much. Thank you for your kindness, young master, but…”

As Luo Yiqi knelt down with the silver in his hands, Qin Jiao quickly tried to help him up. Just then, a flash of white shot past.

It was Ah Bai.

Luo Yiqi clearly recognized the dog that had taken his old dog Ah Huang's place. He stared blankly at Ah Bai, momentarily stunned.

Puppies grow up fast. Under Cong Shuang’s careful care these past days, with Luo Yue occasionally sending goat’s milk to supplement his meals, the little guy had already gotten rounder in just over ten days. The small white goose pendant around his neck had become a bit tight.

The little guy clearly recognized his former owner. His round eyes all wet, he wagged his tail like crazy and eagerly tugged at Luo Yiqi’s clothes.

“Do you want to take him back?” Qin Jiao asked, picking up Ah Bai.

“No, let him stay with you, young master.”

Better for the little guy to have a home than to wander with him.

“Then the four hundred taels aren’t too much,” Qin Jiao said with a faint smile. “I’m very fond of this little one. The extra silver is payment for him.”

In the Tianyuan Dynasty, there was a belief that dogs were living beings; you couldn’t just take a dog without paying something. Even if given as a gift, some money had to be exchanged. This would ensure the puppy grew up safely and bring good luck to its new owner.

Luo Yiqi knew Qin Jiao was saying this to ease his mind. But for now, he had no other choice. Four hundred taels wasn’t much, but it would take him several years to save up.

And in the short term, he couldn’t make another Exquisite Hundred-Flower Palace Lantern worth three hundred seventy taels of gold. So, the lantern that shattered on New Year’s Eve wasn’t just a lantern—it was the Luo family’s peaceful, bright life that was shattered.

“Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!”

Luo Yiqi choked up, tears streaming. Before Cong Shuang could stop him, he suddenly dropped to his knees and kowtowed repeatedly to Qin Jiao.

Qin Jiao couldn’t stand scenes like this. Even though he felt sorry for Luo Yiqi, there was only so much he could do.

To be fair, aside from noble figures like Prince of Lingnan Xie Nai, wearing gold and purple as a sign of nobility, and illustrious scions like Lin Wen and Jiang Qingrong from prominent families, most ordinary people find that a smooth and joyful life is just a stroke of luck, while regret and hardship are the norm.

He just hoped that one day Luo Yiqi would have a moment of insight and see that there's still a wide world out there.

After saying a few more words to comfort him, Qin Jiao had Cong Shuang escort Luo Yiqi out of the mansion.

After Cong Shuang left, Qin Jiao played with Ah Bai for a while. The puppy was full of energy; the moment he looked away, it was racing around the yard, chewing on everything in sight. Qin Jiao chased after it, working up a sweat.

When Cong Shuang came back, she saw the man and dog playing happily together and a faint smile appeared on her face. She went inside to find a place for the Guanyin statue Luo Yiqi had brought. But after searching everywhere, she realized they didn't have a Buddhist shrine for offerings.

So half an hour later, Qin Jiao and Cong Shuang showed up at the busiest store in the capital: Tongjia Mansion.

The Tongjia Mansion was the premier establishment of the Tianyuan Dynasty. Unlike the tiny Embroidery Tower in Nanzhou, Tongjia Mansion alone had seventeen pavilions that took up a whole street. From a distance, it was a hive of activity.

These seventeen pavilions had everything. There were those beloved by women, like the “Pavilion of Elegance,” “Hairpin Pavilion,” and “Robe Pavilion”; scholar-officials favored the “Writing Pavilion” and “Zither Pavilion”; items for infants and children could be found at the “Nurturing Pavilion”; and common goods were abundant at the “Gems Pavilion.”

Each pavilion within the Tongjia Mansion was further divided into four zones: east, west, south, and north. Prices varied by section. Generally, the east section offered good deals, while a single item in the north section could start at a thousand gold.

Qin Jiao usually just browsed the east sections of each pavilion at Tongjia Mansion, and today was no different.

The carriage stopped, and as Qin Jiao reached out to help Cong Shuang down, he caught sight of Luo Yue coming downstairs to greet them.

Oh, right—before coming to Tongjia Mansion, Qin Jiao had Steward Wen send a short note to the Prince of Lingnan's residence.

“Young master, you've come a long way. The prince is waiting for you.” Luo Yue smiled and bowed to Qin Jiao.

“Good, I’ll go up now.”

A young maid came to guide Qin Jiao. Cong Shuang was about to go with him, but Luo Yue suddenly raised a hand to stop her.

Cong Shuang looked puzzled.

Luo Yue blinked at Cong Shuang in an exaggerated manner.

Cong Shuang’s eyes widened!

From that lively expression, Cong Shuang seemed to have grasped something. She first broke into a bright smile, then gestured to Qin Jiao that she would wait for him downstairs, and that he should go up alone.

Qin Jiao: “...”

“You two are giving me the creeps with your weird smiles and knowing looks.”

Cong Shuang gestured urgently: “Young master, stop dawdling! Go on up!”

Qin Jiao: “...Alright.”

Under the eager gazes of Cong Shuang and Luo Yue, Qin Jiao headed upstairs. But as he walked, he soon realized this wasn’t the way to the “Seventeen Mansions.”

Sure enough, following the young maid through twists and turns, he finally arrived at the Yijia Pavilion.

The Yijia Pavilion—the most extravagant place in the entire Tongjia Mansion.

Rumor had it that a wealthy merchant once brought fifty thousand taels of gold here but still couldn’t buy even a single item inside. So, while the Yijia Pavilion was part of the Tongjia Mansion, it was not a place just anyone could enter.

Moreover, Qin Jiao had heard from Jiang Qingrong that the Yijia Pavilion generally didn’t receive outside guests. Even princes and nobles had to stay in the north zones of the various pavilions.

"Young Master, we're here. Please go in."

"Thank you."

After the maid left, Qin Jiao pushed the door open and saw Xie Nai standing with his back to him.

The young man was as striking as a jade statue, free-spirited and dashing, while also glittering with gold and silver.

Qin Jiao blinked with envy.

The Prince of Lingnan was rich.

How wonderful.

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