Yun Zhengze understood all of this.
She looked up at Gu Moran.
"Your Highness, this humble official is willing to cooperate."
Gu Moran's smile became increasingly meaningful.
" Lord Yun is indeed a wise man."
He clapped his hands.
Uncle Fu brought in a pot of hot tea.
Gu Moran personally poured Yun Zhengze a glass.
" Lord Yun, this cup of tea is offered to you by this king."
Yun Zhengze accepted the teacup.
He looked at the tea in his cup.
My heart was filled with mixed feelings.
He came to demand people back.
Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, she found herself on Gu Moran's ship.
Yun Zhengze finished his tea.
Set down the teacup.
"Your Highness, I have another request."
Gu Moran raised an eyebrow.
"Please speak, Lord Yun."
Yun Zhengze glanced at Yun Shuyue, who was hiding in the back.
"My daughter has been willful since childhood, and I have failed to discipline her properly."
The warm room was so quiet that only the crackling of the charcoal brazier could be heard.
Yun Zhengze's gaze swept over Gu Moran's half-open blue robe before settling on his daughter's head.
He felt as if a stone was pressing on his chest, heavy and suffocating, and he forced himself to swallow the breath.
"His Royal Highness Prince Yi."
His tone was calm, carrying the composure honed by years of experience in officialdom. "My daughter is sixteen years old and not yet married. According to etiquette, it is improper for an unmarried woman to remain in the Prince's residence."
If this matter were to reach the capital, the Censorate would likely be issuing a barrage of impeachments.
He paused, then turned his head to look at Yun Shuyue, who was huddled behind Shen Ling'er.
"Please, Your Highness, allow her to return."
These words were perfectly measured, watertight, and courteous.
Gu Moran, holding a teacup, listened to these words, then slowly put down the teacup, leaned back on the couch, and turned to look at Su Yao.
Su Yao had already gotten up.
She stood to Yun Shuyue's left, her back straight, holding an account book in her hand, her voice neither hurried nor slow.
" Lord Yun has misunderstood."
She opened the ledger and pushed it in front of Yun Zhengze.
"This is the recent list of joint shareholders of Land of Abundance Granary. Miss Yun is listed first."
Yun Zhengze looked down.
The ledgers were filled with densely packed entries.
Mixue Ice City has stores in the west, east, and north of the city, plus a bookstore, a Shu brocade joint venture, and a medicinal cuisine shop. Next to each of these stores is Yun Shuyue's name, and the shareholding ratio is clearly stated.
His fingers tightened slightly on his knee.
Xie Wanqing stood to Yun Shuyue's right, took out another document, and spoke in a gentle tone, as if explaining a very simple arithmetic problem.
" Lord Yun, as the joint major shareholder of the Prince's Mansion, Miss Yun is required by custom to be stationed in charge and participate in discussions at any time in order to protect the interests of all parties."
"If she returns to the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's office, every important account will require a joint review by all three parties, wouldn't that cause problems?"
Yun Zhengze looked to the left, then to the right.
Two young women stood firmly on either side of each other, like two walls.
He had lived half his life and seen his share of things, but he never expected that a royal palace would house such an eloquent and persuasive woman.
Just then, Gu Moran took out a roll from his sleeve, unfolded it, and spread it on the small table.
It is a contract.
The eight characters, "Letter of Appointment for Supervisor of Land of Abundance Granary," were written in a vigorous and powerful style.
Gu Moran picked it up and read it slowly.
"Employee: Yun Shuyue. Position: Supervisor of Land of Abundance Granary. Monthly salary: Five taels. Year-end bonus: To be settled separately based on the granary's profits. Due to the special nature of the supervisor's position, requiring participation in meetings and review of accounts at any time, a separate courtyard in the east wing of the Prince's Mansion is hereby allocated to her, effective immediately upon occupancy."
He read this far, then looked up and glanced at Yun Zhengze.
There's another one below.
Gu Moran pointed his index finger to the end of the contract.
"If the employee terminates the contract early, they must pay a penalty of 100,000 taels of silver."
Yun Zhengze's teacup remained suspended in mid-air, not being put down.
One hundred thousand taels.
Yun Zhengze mentally calculated the total annual tax revenue of Yi Prefecture and almost lost his composure.
Gu Moran handed the pen to Yun Shuyue.
"Miss Yun, do you agree?"
Yun Shuyue emerged from behind Shen Ling'er, grabbed a pen, glanced at the betrothal letter, and quickly affixed her seal.
Gu Moran nodded, his expression unchanged, and turned to look at Yun Zhengze.
" Lord Yun, this is a legitimate hiring process; a contract with a life imprisonment has been signed."
He paused, his tone extremely sincere.
"If you really want to take her back, there will be a penalty of 100,000 taels of silver."
Yun Zhengze put down his teacup.
He looked at his daughter.
I was so angry I laughed.
Having navigated the treacherous waters of officialdom for twenty years, this was the first time he had been rendered speechless at the negotiating table.
It's not that he doesn't understand.
This contract from Prince Yi, nominally a betrothal letter, was in reality a protective talisman.
With this agreement signed, neither the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office nor the capital can raise any issues based on etiquette or law— Prince Yi has officially hired someone with a monthly salary of five taels of silver and even provided a courtyard for them. It's a clean and official employment, a deal that's set in stone.
Yun Zhengze picked up his teacup and concealed his expression.
His gaze fell on his daughter.
Wearing a pale white padded jacket and light red embroidered shoes, he looked more dashing than ever before he had seen him at the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's residence.
He thought of the Lady Wang.
Thinking of his second wife who had been secretly sabotaging him in the inner quarters over the years, and recalling that night three years ago when he was checking the accounts under the lamp in his study and found that half of the account book in the secret compartment was missing, knowing that his daughter had taken it, he didn't say a word, but simply locked the secret compartment again, acting as if nothing had happened.
He owed her so much.
Yun Zhengze put down his teacup and slowly exhaled.
"You brat."
His tone was low, but the anger he had shown before was gone.
"You ungrateful wretch."
Yun Shuyue peeked out with half her face showing, her eyes red, barely daring to breathe.
Yun Zhengze stood up and straightened his official robes.
He glanced at Gu Moran.
Gu Moran held his teacup, his expression calm and composed.
Their eyes met for a moment, neither of them spoke, but they each understood what was going on in their hearts.
This salt tax ledger was handwritten by Yun Zhengze, Yun Zhengze naturally recognized the secret marks.
Since Prince Yi didn't directly use the account books to pressure him, he left room for maneuver, wanting cooperation rather than a fight to the death.
This deal is a good one.
Yun Zhengze cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.
" Your Prince Yi is kind and generous; I will remember that."
He turned around, stepped towards the threshold, took two steps, stopped, and didn't look back.
"That girl has an old ankle injury that will flare up before winter; make sure she takes her medicine."
After saying that, he straightened his sleeves and stepped out the door.
The warm room fell silent for a moment.
Su Yao casually put the account book away.
Xie Wanqing lowered her head, folded the letter of appointment, and placed it under the inkstone beside her.
Yun Shuyue slowly released Gu Moran's arm, looked down at the still-damp contract, and then looked up again, her eyes were terribly red.
Gu Moran casually picked up a roasted taro from the small table and stuffed it into her hand.
"Alright, stop crying, the taro is still warm."