CHAPTER 199: CHAPTER 197: VISITORS FROM THE CAPITAL (1)

"I remember now, that’s the carriage of the Yu Wen family from Duke Zhongyi Mansion. How could someone from the Yu Wen family come to this forsaken place?" the Second Young Master’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he said in a deep voice.

Li Yuzhu vaguely recalled the Yu Wen family.

This family is favored by the Emperor and has several young members who became officials at a young age.

However, this family is very proud, and they are not amicable. Prince Luling’s family rarely interacted with the Yu Wen family.

The two families merely nodded in greeting, without exchanging formal invitations.

"Yes, it’s so strange. Why are people from their family here?" Li Yuzhu couldn’t figure it out either.

"Wait, I think I know something." The Second Young Master’s voice deepened.

Li Yuzhu hurriedly asked, "Know what? Second Brother?"

The original owner, when at the Prince Mansion in the Capital, wasn’t concerned with affairs outside the mansion, didn’t know the grudges between various mansions, and was even less aware of court struggles.

The information she grasped was from Li Xing’an or Nanny Sun beside her.

The Second Young Master rubbed his chin, "The people from the Yu Wen family might have gone to find Pei Shenyan."

Li Yuzhu said, "Find Pei Shenyan? A person who was sick from birth and may not live long, why would the Yu Wen family seek him out?"

The Second Young Master sneered, "The Pei family and the Yu Wen family are close friends. That Pei Shenyan, although he adamantly denies being part of the Pei family, looks extremely like the Pei family members. His outright denial of being a Pei family member makes me more convinced that he is indeed a Pei family member."

The carriage had already left, now just a small black dot on the horizon. Li Yuzhu turned and walked into the shop, "Second Brother, why worry about what the Yu Wen family people are here for? Let’s focus on our own matters."

"True, why care about them? Those two families have no real ties with ours." The Second Young Master also entered the shop.

He was just curious.

Both siblings put matters concerning the Yu Wen family out of their minds and focused on the affairs of the Second Princess.

Because they had just set up their things, people started coming to ask if there were baked cakes for sale.

"Yes, yes, yes." Li Yuzhu immediately welcomed the business.

Yesterday, the Second Young Master and the Second Princess visited the shop, not only hanging a sign for the shop—Li’s Cake Shop—but also arranging the table for making cakes, the shelves for placing cakes, the charcoal used in the stove, and other things.

They also placed some spare flour in the shop.

A new large vat was filled with clean water.

After the stove was lit, the Second Princess took out the dough prepared at home and placed it on the table’s board, starting to make cakes.

Liu Si Ni lit the stove, swept and cleaned, and ran errands.

The Second Princess made the cakes, Li Yuzhu attracted business, reported prices, and collected money.

The Second Young Master was responsible for wrapping the cakes.

The four worked together, each with their own tasks.

To attract people to the new shop, Li Yuzhu not only organized a tasting event but also initiated a buy-and-get promotion.

Buy five get one free, buy ten get three free.

This time, the Second Princess adeptly followed Li Yuzhu in shouting out prices, not getting it wrong even once.

Larger cakes were three coins each, smaller ones two coins each.

The flavors were still red bean, mung bean, beef, pickled vegetables, chive, and osmanthus.

There were also unstuffed, purely sesame-flavored sweet baked cakes.

Although there weren’t many people at the market today, because their prices were reasonable, the Second Princess’s cakes were unique in taste and had a wide variety, they quickly attracted passersby and nearby residents to watch and buy cakes.

After tasting, the vast majority would make a purchase.

Buy five, buy ten, voices occasionally remarked.

Luckily, the Second Princess had made quite a few baked cakes at home yesterday, which were now just right for selling.

The Second Young Master and Li Yuzhu wrapped cakes, collected money, and were busy without a pause.

A small three-inch high bamboo tube, specifically used for storing copper coins, quickly filled halfway.

Listening to the occasional sound of copper coins jingling within the bamboo tube, the Second Princess was delighted and showed increased enthusiasm in kneading dough.

...

The carriage seen by Li Yuzhu and the Second Young Master continued forward and finally stopped at a small residence in an alley of the marketplace.

"Second Steward, we’ve arrived at Fifth Young Master Pei’s residence." the driver said.

A middle-aged short and stout man, dressed in fine clothes, stepped out of the carriage.

"Knock on the door."

"Yes, Second Steward."

The driver knocked a few times on the door, and soon it opened.

A young boy resembling an attendant student sized up the visitors, "Who are you? What do you want?"

The plump steward said, "I am the Second Steward from Duke Zhongyi Mansion in the Capital, here by command of our Second Young Master to deliver an invitation to Fifth Young Master Pei."

"Duke Zhongyi Mansion from the Capital?" the attendant student sized up the plump steward and coldly said, "We don’t acknowledge people from the Capital, perhaps you are looking for the wrong person?"

The plump steward smiled slightly, "Young lad, can you make decisions for your Young Master?"

Saying that, he held out the invitation.

The young attendant student gave him a glance, but still accepted the invitation, "I can’t let you in yet, please wait."

He shut the door.

After quite a while, the young attendant student returned and opened the door, "You may come in, our Young Master is in a good mood today."

The plump steward smiled, nodded, and stepped into the small residence.

The residence was small; upon entering the courtyard, the main house was immediately visible.

Inside the main house, Pei Shenyan was sitting, sipping tea.

On the table in front of him lay the invitation.

The signature on the invitation, bearing the name "Yu Wen Zan."

The plump steward entered the main house and respectfully saluted Pei Shenyan, "Greetings, Fifth Young Master Pei."

Pei Shenyan turned to face him, a faint mocking smile on his lips, "Fifth Young Master Pei? I’m an only child, from where did I become the fifth?"

The plump steward spoke earnestly, "Fifth Young Master, our Young Master knows you suffer grievances here, and has especially sent me to deliver this invitation. He wishes to befriend you, assist you in rising above others, and in the future, Prime Minister Pei will certainly look at Fifth Young Master Pei with new eyes."

Pei Shenyan handed the invitation back to the plump steward, sneering, "Thank you for your Young Master’s kindness; however, my stance remains—I don’t acknowledge any Prime Minister nor rank as fifth! Your Young Master must have mistaken me for someone else, please leave."

After speaking, he called upon the attendant student to escort the guest out.

The attendant student, expressionless, gestured for the plump steward to leave, "Sir, please depart."

The plump steward said, "Fifth Young Master, our Young Master resides at the Yuekelai Inn in the county town, he is here on an official task and will stay for seven days. If you reconsider, you can approach him anytime."

"No need!" Pei Shenyan stood up, flicked his sleeve, and left the main house, returning to the study.

The plump steward shook his head and left the residence.

He sat back into the carriage and the driver set off back, "Second Steward, this Fifth Young Master Pei is difficult to invite. Young Master Zan specifically arranged for Second Steward to invite him, and he refuses to come, completely disregarding our Young Master Zan! Making you run this errand for nothing."

The plump steward grunted softly and shook his head, "Clearly, this Fifth Young Master Pei is foolish, incapable of accomplishing significant things. He was sent by his father to Zhen An Prefecture because his mother had too low a status, wasn’t he? If he wishes to rise above others, his only path is through officialdom! Yet he dares not cling to our Young Master—humph, fool!"