“Stop!” Zhuyan leaned forward, hugging the horse’s neck, and shouted, “Do you know why the Grand Chamberlain is angry?”
Jinglin, seeing Shendu’s figure disappear from the street, was anxious. Hearing her words, he replied, “Why?”
“Because Manager Li offended him. To put it bluntly, this is called insubordination. And now, I am Shendu’s nominal wife, which means I should also be your superior,” Zhuyan explained.
Jinglin slowed his pace, thinking to himself that Manager Li was indeed bold to offend the Grand Chamberlain. Yet, it was strange that Shendu didn’t have him thrown into prison.
He couldn’t help but ask, “So?”
“So now you’re also being insubordinate. In the future, whether in public or private, please be more courteous to me.”
Jinglin looked up to see Zhuyan’s animated expression. Though tempted to throw her off the horse, he could only suppress his urge and slow down, inwardly grumbling: Let’s see how long you can remain smug!
The goldsmiths at Bijiang Gold Shop were once craftsmen in the imperial Sijin Chamber, creating jewelry for the nobility. This shop had thus gained fame, and in just ten years since its opening, it had surpassed many century-old establishments to become the leading gold shop in Chang’an.
From afar, one could see a three-story wooden building with ornate beams and painted rafters, standing prominently on the busiest street. Its bracketing and flying eaves resembled wings about to take flight in the wind, exuding grandeur. As the wind blew, the gold-edged banner fluttered, bearing four large characters: Bijiang Gold Shop.
When Zhuyan and Jinglin entered, the shop’s servants were already lined up neatly. Shendu sat on a cloud-patterned purple sandalwood chair, with a freshly brewed cup of purple bamboo shoot tea steaming beside him.
“Grand Chamberlain, please have some tea. Our manager will be here shortly,” a servant said.
Shendu slightly raised his eyelids, glancing at Zhuyan, “Any later and the sun will be setting in the west.”
The sun outside was still bright, hardly as exaggerated as he claimed.
Zhuyan knew he was in a foul mood and didn’t want to argue in front of others. She found a chair and sat down, “Husband, even if I had wings to fly here, we can’t investigate without the manager present. Please be patient.”
A servant quickly brought her a cup of tea as well. The tea was fragrant, pure, and mellow. Zhuyan tasted it and fixed her gaze on the two tea leaves settling at the bottom of the cup.
Noticing the tender, plump leaves with purple tips and a glossy green color, she remarked, “Purple bamboo shoot tea is a tribute to the current emperor, with Yangxian purple bamboo shoot being the most prized. My father once received a few taels as a reward and was reluctant to drink it. I didn’t expect your shop to be so generous.”
The middle-aged man leading the servants was taken aback and quickly explained with a smile, “This is our owner’s prized collection. We only dared to serve it because the Grand Chamberlain and his wife were here. It’s an honor to have such distinguished guests.”
Zhuyan just smiled without speaking. Shortly after, a woman in purple clothing entered from outside.
The woman appeared to be in her thirties, with a slender neck and delicate features. Her hair was coiled into a bun, adorned with two gold hairpins. She wore a scarlet purple round-collared short jacket with pearl patterns, paired with a light smoke-colored butterfly long skirt and a silver-colored gauze shawl.
As she walked, her steps were light and graceful, her waistline supple, exuding an elegance cultivated over the years.
Zhuyan felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing her but couldn’t immediately place her. She looked towards Shendu.
“Our manager has arrived,” a servant announced.
“Manager?” Shendu’s gaze also fell on her, his long eyebrows slightly raised with a hint of amusement. “If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this Manager Yang from Princess Yong’an’s entourage?”
With Shendu’s reminder, Zhuyan finally remembered her as the trusted palace maid who had appeared by Princess Yong’an’s side.
No wonder her demeanor was so refined. After all, years of immersion in the palace naturally perfected her etiquette and manners.
A palace maid certainly couldn’t open such a large gold shop on her own. It seemed that the true owner of Bijiang Gold Shop was Princess Yong’an herself.
Manager Yang smiled slightly and curtsied to Shendu, “The Grand Chamberlain has a keen eye to recognize this humble servant. I’m truly flattered. May I ask what brings you to our humble establishment today?”
Shendu pulled out a thin piece of paper from his sleeve and got straight to the point, “Five years ago, a customer named Liu Fu ordered a batch of gold ornaments from your shop. Does Manager Yang recall this?”
What he produced was the sketch given by Manager Li. Manager Yang took it, noting the yellowed edges of the paper, which depicted characters composed of golden butterflies. She frowned slightly, “Indeed, this happened. Though we’ve had numerous customers over the five years, this design was unique, so I still remember some details.”
As Princess Yong’an’s confidante and manager of Bijiang Gold Shop, her rank and status were far above ordinary palace servants. Yet, she still referred to herself as a humble servant in front of Shendu, causing the surrounding servants to lower their heads even further, afraid of offending the important figure before them.
Though Manager Yang’s tone was humble, her gestures and bearing exuded composure. She continued, “However, the shop didn’t end up making this batch of gold ornaments. Firstly, the design was too intricate and complex to easily produce, requiring the customer to personally confirm details with the craftsman.”
“Secondly, Liu Fu only had an elderly mother and made a living by creating fake paintings and calligraphy. He wasn’t a wealthy person.”
“He had never visited our shop before, yet came to order such expensive gold ornaments. For custom orders, the patterns and designs usually have special meanings. If something were to happen and he changed his mind, we couldn’t sell them to other customers. Even with a deposit, it wouldn’t cover the loss. After careful consideration, I had my staff delay this order, and sure enough, Liu Fu never appeared again.”
“Elderly mother?” Zhuyan had hoped to find some clues at the gold shop, but Bijiang Gold Shop hadn’t even made Liu Fu’s gold ornaments. Disappointed, she unexpectedly gained an interesting piece of information from Manager Yang.
Seeing the daylight gradually fading outside the window, Zhuyan said to Shendu, “Grand Chamberlain, why don’t we go to Fengle Ward to find Liu Fu’s widowed mother while it’s still early?”
Manager Yang’s gaze swept over Zhuyan, and she sighed lightly, “After Liu Fu paid the deposit and disappeared without a trace, I sent people to Fengle Ward to search, only to learn that he had been missing for some time. His mother, grief-stricken over losing her beloved son, passed away shortly after.”
“What?” Zhuyan was shocked, her brows furrowing tightly.
She had thought they had discovered another lead, only for it to be cut off so quickly.
Shendu raised his head and glanced at Manager Yang, a faint smile playing on his lips.
His gaze was too piercing, like a hook that could mercilessly penetrate one’s heart. Under such intimidating scrutiny, his smile took on a chilling, sarcastic quality, causing Manager Yang to involuntarily avert her eyes. She felt a chill run down her spine, the cold creeping up her vertebrae.
“Manager Yang is truly diligent in her duties. No wonder Princess Yong’an values you so highly,” Shendu picked up the teacup beside him, gently swirling it. The purple bamboo shoot tea leaves within curled and floated, releasing a rich aroma.
Manager Yang’s fingers curled inside her sleeve, “What does the Grand Chamberlain mean by that?”