Chapter 126: Joining Forces (Second Update)

Lao Jiu stared at He Xuan'er for a moment, then caught sight of Yan Yan about to head into the inner chamber. He frowned and asked, "Yan Yan, where are you going?" Yan Yan turned back, looking at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes: "The scene is too beautiful, I dare not witness it. I am returning to my room to rest my eyes."

Lao Jiu felt a vein throb in his forehead. He strode over to the main seat, sat down, and gestured for her to come over. Yan Yan, feeling reluctant, drifted toward him. "Does my Lord have any instructions?" Lao Jiu glanced at Madam He and He Xuan'er, who were still standing at the door, and said irritably, "You two may leave. In the future, do not enter this courtyard without the consent of the Ce Fujin."

Madam He quickly complied and led He Xuan'er away. Yan Yan pursed her lips, looking at Lao Jiu with dissatisfaction: "My Lord is truly unromantic; did you not see that Miss He’s heart was shattered beyond repair?"

Lao Jiu pulled Yan Yan onto his lap without a word. Lately, he was obsessed with clinging to her, as if she possessed some sort of magic. "You dare play these little games in front of me? If I had truly mended her heart, would you have run off to the ends of the earth?"

Yan Yan had not expected him to tease her like this and stared at him, momentarily stunned. After blinking for a long while, she murmured, "So, you knew all along." Lao Jiu looked into her clear, captivating eyes and let out a low laugh: "Did I not tell you? You shouldn't try to hide your little thoughts from me."

Yan Yan blushed. In the Qing Dynasty, jealousy was not exactly a trait one boasted about. Lao Jiu seemed to sense her thoughts, held her close, and whispered mischievously, "You never told me you could speak English." Yan Yan lifted her chin proudly: "What is so strange about that? Don't you speak Russian? Besides, Mr. Mu speaks English, too."

Lao Jiu burst into laughter: "Mr. Mu speaks Portuguese, you little fool." Yan Yan froze, looking at him in utter astonishment. Lao Jiu chuckled and patted her back. "All right, all right, we shall discuss these matters later. Why don't you teach me to speak English over the next few days?"

"You want to learn?" Yan Yan asked, surprised. She hadn't expected him to have the same idea as He Xuan'er. Was this what they called a meeting of minds? Lao Jiu, unaware of her thoughts, answered directly: "I have no desire to be fooled by them. If I am to continue managing the Lifanyuan, I will have to learn sooner or later."

Yan Yan raised an eyebrow. She lacked confidence in her teaching abilities, so she could only hope that her student was a quick learner. Thus, during the days spent waiting for their official robes, the couple found a new pastime: learning English and drafting business plans. While Lao Jiu displayed a staggering talent for languages, it was clear his true passion lay in business.

After several days of discussion, they decided to go into the glass business with Anna. Although the Qing Dynasty produced glass, the techniques were primitive. Yan Yan wanted to learn from Anna; after all, mirrors were something that every woman—and indeed, everyone—would adore.

However, despite finalizing their business direction, they did not reach out to Anna immediately. Instead, they sent out invitations to the high officials of Yongping Prefecture, announcing that they would be hosting a "Zhuazhou" ceremony for their three children at the Prefect's residence.

The British envoys were no fools. Upon hearing the news, they expressed their desire to He Qian to congratulate the children on their first birthday. He Qian feigned hesitation at first, but after collecting a substantial amount of gifts, he reluctantly granted the British three spots.

Unexpectedly, before the ceremony could even take place, the Tenth and Fourteenth Princes arrived in Yongping Prefecture, accompanied by Wang Quan'er. Lao Jiu looked with confusion at the two brothers, who had brought several hundred elite soldiers with them. "Has something happened that I am unaware of? Why are you here?"

The Tenth Prince sat down carelessly and laughed, "Ninth Brother, you are so happy to see Sister-in-law Yan that you’ve forgotten everything else; naturally, you wouldn't notice changes outside." He added urgently, "Quick, send someone to tell Sister-in-law that I want to eat boiled fish tonight."

Lao Jiu threw his teacup at the Tenth Prince without hesitation. "Get to the point."

The Tenth Prince dodged nimbly, watching the cup shatter against the floor, and looked at Lao Jiu aggrievedly: "Ninth Brother, you threw that at me! If it had hit my face, it would have left a scar."

The Fourteenth Prince chuckled, holding back the exasperated Lao Jiu. He whispered, "Spies sent word to the Emperor that the trail of the 'Zhu Third Prince' has been discovered in Yongping. Tenth Brother and I were sent under the guise of assisting you, but our true objective is to secretly track him down." Since only the three brothers remained in the study, the Fourteenth Prince spoke freely.

Lao Jiu frowned deeply. "How old is Zhu Cihuan now? How could he possibly have traveled all this way? Could it be someone else using his name to stir up trouble?"

The Tenth Prince shrugged dismissively. "Who cares? We are acting on the Emperor's orders. If we find him, we kill him; if there's a pair, we kill the pair." The Tenth Prince spoke with such nonchalance that one would think killing was a trivial matter. The other two men of the Aisin Gioro clan didn't think much of it either. Once Lao Jiu understood their mission, he stopped worrying and began discussing the children's ceremony with his brothers.

Had Yan Yan known, she would surely have been impressed. However, she was currently in the kitchen with Mother Chen, planning the menu, determined to make the British, who had never tasted such delicacies, bow down to the culinary culture of the Qing Dynasty.

Hearing that the Tenth Prince had arrived, Yan Yan smiled and told Mother Chen, "Quick, have someone buy two fish. The Tenth Prince must be craving boiled fish. Also, get the largest crabs with the most roe; I want to try a new way of preparing them today."

Mother Chen was overjoyed. To her, Yan Yan’s willingness to busy herself in the kitchen meant she was truly feeling better. It seemed the spat with the Ninth Prince had finally vanished into thin air.