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The Xie and Zhao families were powerful and well-established. Their family, with a weaker foundation and smaller size, had the advantage of agility. As long as they moved quickly, the storms couldn’t catch up with them.
Each side had its own strengths in turbulent times. Lu Songli quickly adjusted her mindset.
As the saying goes, “Despise the enemy in strategy, but respect them in tactics.” When dealing with these old foxes, Lu Songli couldn’t afford to be careless.
A good general does not think only of victory but first of possible defeat, thus ensuring he is never in danger. Lu Songli began by summoning Mo Bing for a discussion.
Lu Songli dismissed all the maidservants, leaving just herself and Mo Bing in the inner chamber.
Lu Songli asked her, “Mo Bing, how would you feel if I freed you from slavery?” After being freed, she would no longer be a slave but a free citizen.
Mo Bing was shocked by this and immediately knelt down, “Miss, please don’t send me away. I have no ulterior motives towards the young master!”
Lu Songli helped her up, “Where did you get such an idea? I want to free you not because of that.”
Not because of that? Miss was about to get married and suddenly wanted to dismiss her. Mo Bing had thought the concern was about her being a potential threat.
“I also won’t hide it from you. There might be some changes involving the Qin and Lu families soon, and you might be caught in the crossfire if you stay as my maid.”
“Oh, I see.” Mo Bing quickly said, “Miss, I’m not leaving. I’m not afraid.” The miss was so smart; she must have things under control.
Mo Bing had been sold to a human trafficker when she was young due to her poor family, and her parents had died a few years ago. She had a brother and sister-in-law at home, but what difference did it make if she was redeemed? She knew that returning home would only lead to marriage, and her brother and sister-in-law would decide whom she would marry. If the husband was not good, her life would be a misery.
The world outside was harsh. As a weak woman, she had no choice. Unlike Miss, who was intelligent and could handle any situation. She felt that as long as she followed Miss, Miss would always protect her. Marrying a capable man was fine, but an incapable one would be worse than Miss.
“But I need you to be freed and then help me with tasks outside,” Lu Songli said.
Understood! “Miss, I will do as you say.” Mo Bing agreed without hesitation.
Mo Bing soon received her release papers. As per Lu Songli’s instructions, she did not immediately register at the government office but continued to assist Lu Songli. She was deeply grateful for Lu Songli’s trust and worked diligently.
Next, Lu Songli called in Chen Rong and Luo Tieniu, giving them their release papers as well. For them, she did not provide many explanations, only that she needed them to work for her as free citizens.
The servants of the Lu household soon learned of the good news. Because of Miss’s wedding, a grace period was granted, and after the wedding, a batch of servants would be freed. Among them were many who had saved enough money for their redemption. Mo Bing, Luo Tieniu, and Chen Rong were among them, blending in without drawing attention. However, Mo Bing remained to serve Lu Songli.
Seeing that Lu Songli had freed all their release papers at once, Mo Bing couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, are you not afraid that we might betray you?”
Lu Songli smiled and replied, “Would you do that?”
“No,” Mo Bing shook her head.
“Then I trust you,” Lu Songli said with a smile. “Trust those who are used, and do not use those who are doubted.” She had prepared several backup plans, and these plans had overlapping elements, so even if one failed, others could compensate.
This crisis also served as a selection process for her.
Chen Rong and Luo Tieniu, having received their release papers, walked together towards the front courtyard.
Seeing Luo Tieniu’s usual demeanor, Chen Rong couldn’t help but ask, “Luo Tieniu, after getting your release papers, don’t you have any thoughts?”
Lu Tieniu turned around, “What are your thoughts?” He did have thoughts, which were to quickly go out and take care of the matter assigned by the second young lady.
Chen Rong asked him directly, “Haven’t you thought about settling down now that you’re a respectable citizen, finding a wife, having a bunch of kids, and being the head of the household?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Tieniu became agitated. He stared at Chen Rong with a defensive look. Chen Rong’s words reminded him of his hometown, where those in charge lived difficult lives. Many people, having accumulated wealth, eventually lost their land and ended up working as tenants, struggling to make ends meet. He felt that if he were in charge, he’d end up living the same kind of life, which he didn’t want!
“Why are you looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?”
Lu Tieniu quickly shook his head, “No, no, don’t worry. I never thought of that.”
He thought Chen Rong, having a good uncle like Manager Chen, must not have experienced the hardships of life, otherwise, he wouldn’t see being the head of the household as such a good thing.
Of course, he didn’t think being a servant was a good thing either. If one ended up with a bad master, it would be a miserable experience.
Anyway, his point was that he thought it was great to follow the second young lady, just working honestly. Why think so much? Besides, he felt that the second young lady would definitely treat him well. As for having a wife and children, wasn’t that just a matter of time? And when the children grew up, he could ask the second young lady for advice, and she’d likely guide him.
Chen Rong looked at him, shaking his head. This person was quite loyal.
After arranging things for Mo Bing and the others, numerous orders and arrangements were issued from Lu Songli.
……
Recently, Lu Songyun had been running back and forth to her parents’ home. Her younger sister was about to get married, and the family was extremely busy. She returned to help.
Her mother-in-law, understanding her situation, took care of the two older children and always prepared delicious food for her to take back to her sister.
Lu Songyun realized that her mother-in-law truly liked her younger sister. She felt that if Lu’s household wasn’t so busy, her mother-in-law would have wanted to visit.
One day, as she was leaving, Lu Songli gave her a wooden box and a letter, asking her to pass them on to her mother-in-law.
Lu Songyun: ??? How did her sister get so close to her mother-in-law? She suddenly felt a bit superfluous.
……
“Big sister-in-law, I need to trouble you with something.”
“What is it? A Li, just tell me. Whatever big sister-in-law can handle, I will get it done.”
“It’s like this…”
After their conversation, not two days later, the medicinal materials originally stored in Lu’s warehouse were loaded onto carts in the middle of the night and transported out of the city as soon as the city gates opened. Later, in a certain small town, they were piled up in a well-ventilated but idle house, with many high-quality medicinal materials.
Nanhua Alley
A servant from Lu’s house, accompanied by two attendants, carrying baskets, knocked on the dilapidated door of Liu Erxi’s house.
“Are you from Lu’s house?”
“Yes, Liu Erxi, please let us in quickly.”
Liu Erxi quickly opened the door and, after letting them in, closed it again. “What’s this about?”
The servant explained, “Liu Erxi, with the New Year approaching, some farm produce has been sent over from the estate. Since we can’t use all of it, the second young lady instructed us to give some to you and Master Yang.”
Liu Erxi said, “How considerate! Your second young lady is too kind. I’ll sort it out and send it over; there’s no need to trouble you further.” Liu Erxi appreciated the gesture, particularly as it came from a person who understood the value of courtesy. The last time she helped them buy two maids that the Zhao family wanted to send away, she even provided some silver as a thank you, though they didn’t care much for the gift. They just appreciated the thoughtfulness. Later, they continued to assist her with various matters that weren’t easy to handle in high society.
“Alright, thank you for your trouble.”
While sorting through the items, Liu Erxi found a small box at the bottom of a basket. Upon opening it, he discovered a letter on top.
After reading the letter, Liu Erxi burned it, hid the box in a very discreet location, and then left with the sorted items.
……
“Second young lady, we found the craftsmen you asked for. They are a father and son pair, and they’ve already arrived in Chang’an.”
“Good, I understand.”
Lu Songli spent the afternoon with them. She met with the craftsmen while wearing a veil and discussed her requirements.
After leaving the house, Lu Songli and Mo Bing went to a nearby jewelry store to select some pieces.
By evening, Lu Songli had acquired everything she needed.
The craftsmen were soon sent out of Chang’an and taken to the canal dock to board a boat.
Only after they boarded did the father and son finally relax, feeling reassured as they touched the silver notes in their possession. With this job done, they could build a house back home and marry off their son.
Yang Wei Escort Agency
“Chief escort, we’ve received a rather unusual escort order.”
“What’s the escort for?”
“It’s to protect a person traveling a long distance, from Chang’an to the destination.”
“Who are we escorting? What’s the destination? When do we start?”
“The letter didn’t specify the person, destination, or start time. It only mentioned that if we see a red cloth tied to the sign of Yang Wei Tavern in Xinghua Alley, it means we’re about to start, roughly in a month, but no more than two months. It also noted that the risk is minimal.”
It was such a strange order. The chief escort was hesitant but was tempted by the high payment offered.
“Chief, are we really not taking this job?”
They also offered a 20% deposit, meaning if the job wasn’t required in the end, they’d still get that 20%! It was like a windfall. Are they really not going to take it?
Seeing the generous amount offered, the chief escort was quite tempted. Accepting this job would cover the entire agency’s expenses for a year—it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Looking at the eager faces of his subordinates, the chief escort finally decided, “We’ll take it!” They appreciated the sincerity of the offer and didn’t want to appear unreasonable.