Chapter 13: The Residence of Gu Xingwan's Past Life

He came from the old storeroom, a master at managing accounts; in all these decades, he had never missed a single detail. If others could be deceived, could they fool him?

If Qi Cong were an outsider, he would have no hesitation in exposing him to the lady of the house.

But he was the younger brother of Lady Qi.

Anyone with eyes could see that Qi Lady’s son, Lu Zhongwang, was far more promising than the lady’s prodigal son, Lu Lan.

Lu Zhongwang had gained great renown at the Cangqi Academy. Though two years younger than Mei Xianghan, he passed the imperial examination in the same year.

The outside world often grouped Lu Zhongwang, Mei Xianghan, and Yang Chengyong as the “Three Friends of Cangqi.”

Lu Lan, by contrast, only succeeded after two attempts, was expelled from the academy years ago after causing the death of his mentor from anger, and no academy would accept him to this day.

The comparison was clear to all but the blind: who was to be the future master of the Duke of Yu’s mansion?

Yet, with Zhongbo’s seasoned ability to judge people and matters, he carefully observed Lu Lan today, spending the entire afternoon poring over the ledgers without even taking a sip of water.

He had never noticed before how tenacious the heir apparent’s perseverance was.

As dusk fell, a raucous shouting came from the gate of the Duke of Yu’s mansion:

“Let go of me! Are your eyes blind? Do you know who I am?”

Salty Fish replied half-heartedly:

“Yes, yes, Uncle Qi. We, the servants, would never have dared to bind you without the master’s orders. Please settle down; you’ve been shouting all the way here, and my ears are chafed.”

“Bah! Damn fools, just wait—wait until I get my sister to have you killed!”

Soon after, Qi Cong was brought before Lu Lan.

Behind him followed a composed man dressed in brocade, whom Lu Lan had specially sent Salty Fish to fetch.

Qi Cong was carried in, his entire body wrapped in a sack, with only his large head exposed, bound tightly with hemp rope several times.

Seeing his condition, Lu Lan couldn't help but smirk.

“Well, Uncle, what’s happened to you?”

Qi Cong’s furious blaze instantly died out upon seeing Lu Lan.

He stopped growling.

“Y-Your Highness, the heir apparent?”

So the one who had him captured was Lu Lan?

Why would a worthless good-for-nothing seize him?

Had Lu Lan discovered discrepancies in the accounts?

Impossible. Lu Lan was such a prodigal that even when he went out for soy milk, he would order double portions—drinking one bowl and spilling another.

He knew nothing about accounts!

Lu Lan looked at Salty Fish. “What’s the situation? I told you to bring Uncle back, how did it end up like this?”

“Your Highness, Uncle Qi is slippery as an eel. Whenever we caught him, he ran off, so we had no choice but to bind him.”

Salty Fish had been with Lu Lan long enough to understand his style.

When disciplining someone, he first gives them a bit of leeway.

“Let go, let go, this is outrageous!” After untying him, Lu Lan personally helped him up, smiling apologetically, “Uncle, the servants here have no manners. I’m sorry!”

Qi Cong suppressed his anger, tilted his head, and cupped his hands, asking:

“Your Highness, what is the reason you had me brought back?”

“No reason. Your nephew simply wanted to see you.”

Seeing no serious trouble, Qi Cong immediately put on airs, snorting coldly with his nose in the air:

“I am pleased you thought of your uncle. But I do not like the way you went about it.”

Lu Lan’s mouth twitched. Complimented him, yet he was still puffing up.

He ignored him outright and turned to the brocade-clad middle-aged man standing by the door.

“Are you the merchant from the Yahang?”

The man stepped forward respectfully, his tone steady and composed, worldly-wise:

“Your Highness, I am Ma Zhuo, the manager of Tianhe Yahang.”

The moment the name Tianhe Yahang was mentioned, Qi Cong trembled as if doused with a bucket of cold water.

Every industry has its pinnacle, and Tianhe Yahang was the gold standard of the trade.

Almost all the assets in Shengjing City—mansions, estates, shops, docks, forests, fields, slaves—were priced referencing Tianhe Yahang’s valuations, making it the industry’s barometer.

Ma Zhuo was a veteran in the Yahang business, sharp-eyed and meticulous.

Qi Cong already guessed Lu Lan’s intentions.

Disaster loomed; his sneaking around the Duke of Yu’s mansion was exposed.

He had to find a way to alert his sister, Qi Xuefu.

Otherwise, today would be his end.

“Click click!”

He signaled Zhongbo with his eyes, but Zhongbo dared not respond.

Not only had Zhongbo realized Lu Lan’s methods were no simple matter, but he was also a trusted aide of Yan Shiyue—there was no way he’d side with Qi Cong.

Seeing Zhongbo ignore him, Qi Cong’s morale plummeted.

Lu Lan held the ledger and recited a property:

“Manager Ma, there’s a mansion in the south of the city, spanning twenty-seven acres, divided into east and west courtyards, with five layers of gates and over three hundred rooms. Inside, there is a small lake with willows swaying by its banks and flowers blooming in profusion—a perfect place for boating in leisure. How much would Tianhe Yahang value such a property?”

The moment Lu Lan spoke, both Ma Zhuo and Qi Cong knew exactly which mansion he meant.

The Former Pillar of the State’s Mansion.

The Former Pillar of the State was a founding hero of the Southern Chu Kingdom. Though his family had since declined, the mansion had passed through many hands before coming into the Lu family’s possession.

Though over a century old, it remained the paragon of noble residences in Shengjing City—an unmatched model that had been imitated but never surpassed.

In a past life, this mansion eventually belonged to Crown Prince Mo Ming, who kept his golden canary, Gu Xingwan, there.

Lu Lan was intimately familiar with it.

“Your Highness, are you referring to the Former Pillar of the State’s Mansion?”

“Yes.” Lu Lan’s eyes flicked to Qi Cong. “Manager Ma, give me your valuation.”

Ma Zhuo knew the professional courtesy among peers: never to undercut one another.

Especially since Qingfengyuan Yahang had gained prestige in recent years with the backing of the Duke of Yu’s mansion, earning a name in the trade. Everyone kept things civil for future dealings.

If Lu Lan were an easy mark, Ma Zhuo would willingly do a favor for Qi Cong by slightly lowering the price to ease his suffering.

But Ma Zhuo’s keen insight was unmatched. In less than a tea’s time since entering, he had already discerned that Lu Lan was not the worthless fool the rumors claimed, but a man who struck directly at the heart of matters with incisive skill.

This was not a man to be trifled with.