After Wang Ji left.
Chen Yi sat motionless as Zhang Dabao disguised him, asking at the same time:
"When did the tavern across from Hundred Herbs Hall change hands?"
Zhang Dabao deftly combed and arranged his long hair, replying, "It has been some time."
"Probably the second day after Mid-Autumn Festival. A very luxurious carriage arrived outside the shop, carrying a very beautiful young lady."
"Ah, no, several very beautiful young ladies. They said they wanted to take over that tavern."
"At first, the tavern owner refused. But after that young lady had several chests of silver brought out, he agreed."
Chen Yi turned his head and asked, "Several chests of silver?"
Zhang Dabao replied, "You did not see the scene back then."
"There were quite a few customers in the tavern. They watched that young lady open one chest after another and ask the owner whether he would sell."
"One chest was not enough, so she opened a second. She kept going until she had opened five chests—ten thousand taels of silver in all—before the owner finally relented."
Chen Yi could not help laughing. He thought to himself that this truly was something Cui Qingwu would do.
To a certain extent, the Qinghe Cui Family was wealthier and more influential than even the Chen Family of Jiangnan Prefecture, and naturally stronger than the Liu Family of Jingzhou as well.
Even Liu Wen could mobilize three hundred thousand taels. As the legitimate daughter of the Cui Family, Cui Qingwu surely had no less silver coins in her hands.
What concerned him, however, was that Cui Qingwu had opened her shop directly across from Hundred Herbs Hall.
He did not know whether she had done so deliberately or by chance.
If it had been deliberate, what was her purpose?
Surely it