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In the winter of Guo Kai's 28th year, it snowed early and heavily in Jiangzhou. On this day, another heavy snowfall fell from the sky. Zhou Xuan braved the snow to go to the "Worry-Free Hall" of the Governor's Mansion, where he met with Fan Duan, Xu Cishi, and Gu Liuquan to discuss their plans for going to the capital after the new year. They decided to take three boats: one large boat and one warship from the Governor's side, and one medium-sized boat from Zhou Xuan's side. They set off on the third day of the first month.
Zhou Xuan told Fan Duanli about Hu Shang Abu's intention to go to the capital with them, and Fan Duanli, knowing the relationship between Hu Shang and Zhou Xuan, agreed to let Abu's boat follow theirs.
Zhou Xuan went to the "Super Autumn War Hall" outside the North Gate after lunch at the governor's mansion, bringing Lai Fu and San Chou, Si Chou, and also called Abu, to settle accounts for the year and take a New Year's holiday.
Liao Yin and Xia Cuihua couple kept a clear record of every income and expense of "Super Autumn War Hall" since its opening on August 1st, with the insect society and tea house, wine house earning a total net profit of 4,513 taels of silver in four months.
Zhou Xuan immediately divided the pure profit of 100 shares, took five shares and rewarded Liao Yin's couple with 450 taels of silver, making the couple so happy that they couldn't close their mouths.
Tang Xiaosan and Hu Tong each received a reward of one hundred and thirty-five taels of silver, and the two simple-minded boys held the silver and repeatedly said: "Thank you, young master, thank you, young master."
Zhou Xuan said, "No need to thank me, this is the fruit of your hard work. 'Super Autumn Hall' will be closed for the New Year's holiday starting today. Tomorrow, I'll send someone with a horse carriage to take you back home. Also, when you get home, discuss with your parents whether or not you'd like to come to the capital with me next year in the second half of the year, San and Hu Tong?"
Tang Xiaosan and Hu Tongqi said in unison: "Wherever the young master goes, we will follow."
Zhou Xuan also gave each of the insect company's partners a reward of five taels, ten taels or more. There were still over 3,500 taels of silver left, which was divided into three parts, and Abu got 1,180 taels of silver.
Abu resolutely refused to accept it, saying: "At the beginning of the insect society's establishment, a large amount of money is still needed. I'll consider this as the capital for the insect society. Master Zhou also knows that I don't lack this bit of silver."
Zhou Xuan knew that Abu would not accept it, so he ordered Lai Fu to pack everything into a silver box and bring it back to the Zhou Mansion. The "Super Autumn War Hall" was now guarded by Liao Yin and his wife, as well as Lai Fu's younger brother Wang Cai. Xia Cuihua had brought her parents here to live, and they spent the New Year here too.
Back at the Zhou residence, it was already dusk. Zhou Xuan hastily finished dinner and went to the inner courtyard to retrieve a mirror, along with 1,200 taels of silver. He prepared to take a carriage to the Du Hu Fu. The mirror was for Jingyi Xianzi, while the silver was Lin Hanyu's. To say that this 1,200 taels of silver was truly a small matter, since moving to Zhuque Fang, all daily expenses of the Zhou residence were covered by the Du Hu Fu. There were over thirty servants and maids in the entire household, with each month costing several hundred taels of silver. Especially during the two grand banquets - once for the relocation and once for the grand wedding. The expenses were in the thousands of taels of silver, but the gifts received only filled Zhou Xuan's private pockets. Du Hu Lin had indeed lost a lot of money by acknowledging this sworn nephew.
"Prince. Prince——"
Zhou Xuan stopped in his tracks and turned around to look back. A little girl was trudging through the snow, chasing after him. She ran hastily, slipped and fell, then quickly scrambled to her feet again.
This was the maid Fuer who served Yang Xiaomin. Zhou Xuan asked: "What's the matter?"
Xiaoyuan Hong patted the snow off her body and said breathlessly, "Young Master, Yang Niang has invited you to go to her room for a moment."
"Is there something urgent?" Zhou Xuan asked.
Fu'er shook her head and said: "Xiao Bi doesn't know, Yang Niang had been looking for Master since this afternoon."
Zhou Xuan said: "Tell Yang Niang, I'll go to Du Hu Fu first and come back to see her."
Zhou Xuan brought Lai Fu to Chaoyang Fang by carriage. The guard at the gate of the Fang immediately let them pass and saluted with a military salute upon seeing that it was the Zhou family's carriage.
The horse carriage stopped, and the snow fell again. Zhou Xuan wore a large cape and held a wooden box containing his mirror, while Lai Fu carried a small trunk of silver. The two men followed the light of the lanterns carried by the two servant women to the outside of "Jiunan Mountain House". The courtyard gate was closed, and when they knocked on the door, the maid Qingfeng came to answer it, exclaiming in surprise: "Young Master Zhou has arrived! You've even come out in such a big snow!"
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "What's wrong, aren't you welcoming?"
Meng Feng Xi Xi said: "How could it be? Master Zhou is the person my family's fairy loves to see most, Master Zhou, please."
The small hall had two bronze basins with faintly glowing charcoal, much warmer than outside. Zhou Xuan handed the wooden box in his hand to the maid Jianyue, took off his cloak, and on top of it was a thin layer of accumulated snow. Qingfeng took it over and walked out onto the corridor to shake off the snow.
The tall and slender Jingyi fairy walked out of the inner gate, wearing a veil hat with pink gauze hanging down from the brim. Her light yellow embroidered long skirt was still fluttering, without any bulkiness of winter clothes. With a hint of joy in her voice, she called out: "Zhou Gongzi——" but only said one word and felt that her tone wasn't quite right, unsure of what to say next.
Zhou Xuan let Lai Fu put down the silver box and wait outside, smiling: "Dao Yun sister, this is 1,200 taels of silver, which is the profit of the insect society. Han Yun is one of the three major bosses of the insect society, and this is what she should have."
Jing Yi Xianzi let out a cold laugh: "Hanyu is just a child, what's the point of taking her seriously? Take this silver back."
Zhou Xuan smiled and said, "Hanyu sister asked me for silver a long time ago. If I don't give it to her now, she'll pinch me. It's okay, our insect society made a lot of money this year, let her be happy too. At the beginning, she also contributed 300 taels of silver... Why isn't Hanyu sister here tonight?"
Jingyi Xianzi said: "I thought you wouldn't come, I'm afraid the girl's place is too quiet, it seems like I heard that the guest has gone to listen to a legend." Immediately let someone go and invite the second miss.
Zhou Xuan took the wooden box from Jianyue's hand and placed it on the table, saying: "I have something else to give to Daoyun sister, sister come see."
The gift presented by Zhou Xuan was always in line with Jingyi's taste, and now she walked closer, watching as Zhou Xuan carefully unwrapped the layers of silk, revealing a goose egg-shaped mirror, its surface gleaming brightly.
"This is a kind of crystal mirror created by my younger brother, named Xuan Mirror. It can reflect every detail of a person without any distortion, as clear as autumn water and bright as stars. Copper mirrors cannot compare with it, and there is no such thing in the world. I specially brought it to give to sister Dao Yun. My younger brother is in Jiangzhou, and we often receive your care, so we always feel grateful in our hearts. Therefore, whenever we have something good, we first think of giving it to sister."
Sweet words and honeyed phrases flowed from his lips, but poor Jingyi had never heard such tender words before, especially not from a young man who was not her kin. Her thin veil trembled with a quiver, and she made two faint "tsk" sounds in her throat, but couldn't get out any words. Suddenly, she twisted her waist and stepped into the side room.
Mingfeng and Jianyue, the two maidservants, gazed at Zhou Xuan with their beautiful eyes.
Zhou Xuan pointed to the mirror and said: "Daoyun sister wants to go in and admire herself, hurry up and bring it in, be careful, one bump and it will break. Alas! I still haven't seen Daoyun sister's immortal beauty, what a pity! After the New Year, we'll enter the capital, who knows when we can see Daoyun sister again!"
Zhou Xuan's emotions were so deep, the two maids naturally conveyed them, and only a faint voice was heard from inside the room. After a while, Jingyi Xianzi came out with an intentionally calm tone: "Young Master Zhou, I have to accompany Hanyun to the capital next year. Hanyun is still young, and I am worried."
Zhou Xuan was overjoyed, his small eyes wide with excitement: "That's great! Younger brother can continue to learn the art of tea from Dào Yùn sister and listen to her wonderful music. It's really great!"
"What's too good?"
A crisp, silvery voice came from outside the curtain, and then the embroidered curtain parted, this lovely little elf of a girl jumped in, stamping her feet to shake off the snow on her small leather boots.
Zhou Xuan said: "Dào Yùn sister is going to enter the capital with us, it's too exciting!"
Lin Han Yun looked at Jing Yi Xian Zi with dissatisfaction and said, "Sister, didn't we agree to not let Zhou Xuan know about it first and surprise him when the time comes? How did he find out? This isn't fun anymore!"
"It's fun, it's really fun!" Zhou Xuan walked up to the silver box and said: "Vice President Lin, bring out your silver."
Lin Han Yun's eyes lit up and she asked: "Is it from Bug Society? How much silver will you give me?"
Knowing it was 1,200 taels, Lin Han Yun was overjoyed. Initially, her 300 taels of silver were borrowed from her sister. Although she was born into a wealthy family with fine clothes and food, where everything was taken care of by servants, the most she had ever held in her own hands was 100 taels of silver.
Jingyi Xianzi smiled and said: "You little money lover, aren't you afraid of being laughed at by Master Zhou?"
Lin Han Yun held a silver ingot in one hand, tilting her head to look at Zhou Xuan with a smile as bright as a flower, and said in a soft voice: "It's my own brother, what's there to be afraid of? - Brother Zhou Xuan, isn't it?"
Lin Han Yun smiled slightly, and Zhou Xuan felt a slight numbness at the back of his head. He said, "It's nothing, it's nothing. Tonight, I can even sleep with silver in my arms, haha! Dao Yun sister, little brother is taking leave now. There are still things to attend to in the mansion, and after the New Year, I will be traveling far away, so I need to make arrangements properly."
Zhou Xuan returned to the mansion, carrying a lantern through the side alley and corridor all the way to the fourth entrance. He wanted to go in and say hello to Que Er and the others first, then see Yang Xiao Tuan. However, he saw a small, dim lantern sticking out from the front of the side alley, followed by two thin figures, one tall and one short, holding an oil-paper umbrella. The light from the lantern illuminated a three-foot radius, where snowflakes were falling like moths flying into flames.
"Your Highness—"
Yang Xiaoyan's voice was like ice cracking, crisp and desolate, making people feel infinite pity, as if they wanted to capture this sound and take good care of it.
Zhou Xuan hastily went up to greet her and asked: "Xiao Chen, what brings you here?"
The sheep under the oil-paper umbrella is speechless.
Xiao Yaotou Fu'er said: "Young master, Yang Niang has been waiting for you all day. We've been standing at the gate of the courtyard for a long time and our feet are frozen stiff."
