The bamboo tube was pushed into the copper ring on the pigeon's leg.
The gray shadow flapped its wings and soared through the gloomy clouds, flying swiftly towards Yong Prefecture.
In the shadows below the teahouse, Pu Yunshan slung the cast iron ruler over his shoulder and chewed on a chestnut.
He watched the pigeons fly away, spat out the broken shells from its beak, and raised an eyebrow.
Inside the study of the former Prince's Mansion.
The charcoal fire burned steadily as Gu Moran leaned back on the soft couch, leisurely sipping the hot tea that Shen Ling'er had brought him.
The curtain fluttered slightly, and Su Yao walked in, carrying a thick ledger, a relaxed smile on her face.
"Your Highness, the deposits from the pharmaceutical merchants in Liangguang amount to eight thousand taels, and seventy percent of the old medicine in the warehouse has been cleared out. Commander Xue's convoy has just left the south gate, and our scouts have already released three pigeons."
Gu Moran put down his teacup.
The fish has taken the bait.
He walked to the hanging map and pointed to the canyon where Dali and Yong Prefecture meet.
"Order the garrison at Bronze Gorge to open the gates, set up numerous empty camps, and light three hundred cooking fires."
"I'd like to see if that military governor of Yong Prefecture dares to march his troops into this gorge."
Standing beside the desk Meng Jiuning looked at him, her fingers slowly clenching inside her sleeve.
She had been tormented by eight hundred pages of messy accounts, leaving her feeling somewhat resentful.
Watching Gu Moran pocket ten thousand taels of silver with just a few words, and incidentally scare the Southern Territory Army away a hundred miles away, she felt a chill run down her spine.
Without a single soldier.
Several cartloads of bluestones collected along the way, along with two inflated prescriptions for medicine, were enough to trap all the shrewd and calculating individuals from all sides.
This man's methods were far more cunning and sophisticated than any king or noble she had ever encountered.
Night falls.
Under the outer hall of the Prince's Mansion, a draft blew through the bluestone bricks and straight into the collar.
The brass wind chimes hanging from the eaves were being blown around and were ringing incessantly.
Su Yao wore a long blue satin dress, with a well-worn abacus hanging from her waist.
He stood directly in front of the warm pavilion door, holding a newly delivered account book in his hand, without stepping inside.
A series of very hurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.
For the first time ever, Murong Xue didn't wear the narrow-sleeved Hu-style clothing she wore for horseback riding and training.
She changed into a bright red pleated long skirt, the hem swaying as she walked, and the short whip at her waist was deliberately hidden under the soft satin ribbon, with only a small part of the copper handle showing.
Su Yao lifted her eyelids and looked Murong Xue up and down.
With a flick of his thumb, he made the abacus beads clatter halfway around.
"Oh, Murong, you seem to be in high spirits today."
Su Yao leaned against the vermilion doorpost, her voice drawn out.
"She usually finds her skirt a nuisance when riding a horse, but today she's brought out her most treasured outfit. It's jingling and swaying as she walks; anyone who didn't know better would think she's a bride rushing off to her wedding night."
Murong Xue blushed, stopped in her tracks, and stood three feet away at the bottom of the steps.
His fingers rested on the whip handle at his waist, and his eyebrows rose.
"What I wear is none of your business. I didn't go to your accounting office to withdraw money."
"But Shopkeeper Su, you've been standing here in the wind for ages with your abacus, the curtain right under your nose, why don't you just step inside?"
Su Yao flipped through two pages of the ledger in her hand with a clatter.
"The merchants from Liangguang and Guangxi just deposited their cash into the bank, and the commissions from the seven passes along the southern route are all piled up on the table. My mind is in complete disarray as I'm checking the accounts."
She tucked the abacus into her waistband.
"Moreover, Your Highness has been suffering from excessive internal heat these past two days."
" Miss Murong is quite robust; you should go in first and exchange a few blows with the Prince to help calm him down."
Murong Xue curled her lips and scoffed.
Don't try to sweet-talk me.
She took half a step forward, her red dress billowing in the wind.
"The keys to the inner treasury are all hanging on your belt. The prince has just made ten thousand taels of silver for nothing, so it's only right that you, the head steward in charge of the money, come in and serve him."
"As an outsider from the Northern Territory, I dare not steal Sister Su's thunder."
Su Yao gave a soft snort.
"Could an outsider have placed a whip under the prince's pillow?"
"The balsam juice smell from the bedding the pharmacy changed a few days ago still lingers."
Murong Xue's neck flushed bright red.
She gritted her teeth and pointed at the curtain.
"It was clearly Shen Ling'er who spilled the medicinal soup that day, don't try to pin this on me!"
"If you're so capable, go in now and read the account books to the Prince. Let's see if he deals with the account books first or you first!"
"I'm not in a hurry." Su Yao leaned against the doorframe. "Anyway, someone has to go in first tonight. It's such a waste for Miss Murong to stand here in the wind wearing such fine fabric."
The two stood back and forth in the wind, neither willing to reach out and touch the felt curtain.
A strong medicinal smell suddenly wafted from the corner of the corridor.
The smell of medicine mixed with the strong odor of bone glue boiled over a high flame pierced into people's nostrils, making even the cold wind in the corridor feel dry and pungent.
Shen Ling'er walked over quickly, carrying a three-tiered carved food box in her hand.
She wore a coarse cloth apron, the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, and a few beads of sweat still clung to her forehead.
Upon smelling the aroma, Su Yao and Murong Xue immediately shut their mouths and stared intently at the heavy food box.
" Sister Ling'er."
Murong Xue took half a step back.
"What kind of potent medicine did you use? The stench is overwhelming from a distance. Did you stew a whole deer in the pot?"
Shen Ling'er stopped in front of the door and wiped the sweat from her brow with her sleeve.
"Almost."
She reached out and lifted the lid of the food box, revealing a celadon double-eared stewing pot inside.
Heat escaped through the gaps.
"His Highness hasn't been sleeping well these past few nights; I'm worried he might be deficient in qi and blood."
Shen Ling'er looked serious.
"I used three ounces of old deer antler powder sent from beyond the Great Wall, along with Cistanche deserticola and Cynomorium songaricum, and simmered it over a low flame for three hours. It's extremely nourishing for qi and blood."
Su Yao's eyelids twitched twice.
These medicinal herbs are all listed in the ledger as highly potent and potent tonics.
" Ling'er," Su Yao lowered her voice, "The prince is already short-tempered; after drinking this, will he be able to close his eyes tonight?"
Shen Ling'er glanced at the two of them, her tone flat.
"The medicine is indeed a bit too potent."
"Within half an hour of drinking it, you will definitely feel hot all over. The prince can suppress it by using his internal energy, but he will inevitably be restless all night."
"If someone is there to help massage the acupoints, it will save a lot of effort."
Shen Ling'er paused, her gaze sweeping over the two faces.
"Whoever brings the medicine tonight will have to endure the hardship all night. Which of you two sisters will go first?"
Murong Xue immediately retreated behind a pillar, her red skirt shrugging in.
" Steward Su has done a great job with the accounts; let's give this cushy job to Sister Su."
Su Yao stepped aside to let the door open and stuffed the account book back into her arms.
" Miss Murong is skilled and knows acupressure points; this important task of serving you all night is perfect for you."
The two of them politely declined, neither daring to touch the food box.
"Cough."
A very soft cough came from the doorway of the side room.
Xie Wanqing, wearing a moon-white brocade cloak and holding a scroll of map, slowly stepped through the moon gate.
Her hair was neatly combed and adorned with only a plain silver hairpin, giving her a scholarly air.
"These people have been arguing in the wind for ages, aren't they afraid of catching a cold?"
Xie Wanqing walked up the stone steps and gently advised, "His Highness works hard for the people of Yi Prefecture. As his wife, if we keep passing the buck, we'll only make ourselves a laughingstock."
Murong Xue pouted.
" Sister Xie makes it sound so easy. Didn't you smell the medicine? Since you're so understanding, why don't you take it in?"
Xie Wanqing remained calm and composed.
"I'm physically weak, so naturally I can't compare to my sister's robust physique."
Since no one wants to be first, let's follow the ancient ways.
Su Yao raised an eyebrow. "What ancient method?"
Xie Wanqing took out a purple bamboo skewer tube from her sleeve, inside which stood six smooth bamboo skewers.
"By drawing lots, whoever draws the first lot will be responsible for bringing the medicine into the house tonight; no one can blame anyone else."
[Thanks to: CM, Changyu, Tengteng for their update reminders, Jintang for their inspiration capsules and milk tea, Bingshui for their milk tea x2 and capsules, Gutou for their love letter, Oh Oh, Xia Ya for their flower, Wuji for their capsules, Qiuze for their likes, Gaoshou for their capsules, and everyone for their love and support!]