By now, Duan Qi fully understood—his eldest sister must have planned this long ago. That was why she had sent their third uncle to the Imperial Horse Bureau.
Duan Qi was completely convinced.
With Mingxi’s foresight, the Duan family’s affairs were now stable.
However, they could not afford to lose their connection with Xu Donglin. Mingxi told her father to meet Xu Donglin privately, have a drink, reminisce, and casually bring up the business with the Imperial Horse Bureau.
Xu Donglin was a shrewd man. For now, he was sitting on the fence, aligning with neither side. However, he had been doing his best to mediate for Duan Pingchang, a favor they must acknowledge.
As for the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, Mingxi had no intention of completely giving it up. It was just temporarily set aside—there would come a time when it would be useful.
The next day, Duan Pingchang indeed sent a message to Xu Donglin, inviting him to dinner at Yuxian Tower.
Under the cover of night, the two met at the restaurant.
Xu Donglin had assumed that Duan Pingchang wanted to ask him to intervene in the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau again. He could have refused the invitation, but knowing Duan Pingchang to be a decent man, he had come to offer some advice.
Yet, he had never expected to receive such shocking news. He was momentarily speechless.
Looking back now—had the Marquis’ Residence sent Third Master Duan to the Imperial Horse Bureau already foreseeing today’s developments?
With that thought, Xu Donglin regarded Duan Pingchang with newfound caution.
Duan Pingchang, remembering his daughter’s instructions, looked at Xu Donglin with reddened eyes. “Lord Xu, I am deeply grateful for your care all this time. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far. Though I am no longer doing business with the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, if you ever need anything in the future, as long as it is within my power, I will never refuse.”
“Brother Duan, your words make me feel ashamed,” Xu Donglin sighed. “I haven’t done much to help.”
“Without your fairness, how could I have secured the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau’s business back then? And later, when I was repeatedly targeted, it was you who mediated for me.”
“You are a generous man who does not dwell on such things, but I cannot forget your kindness. I only worry for you—with someone as conniving as Tong Gaozhuo in the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau now, you must be cautious.”
Duan Pingchang spoke of Tong Gaozhuo with clear resentment.
Xu Donglin remained unfazed. Tong Gaozhuo had cut off Duan Pingchang’s business, so the two were naturally at odds.
Though Duan Pingchang was a merchant, he had Duan Wang behind him. Unless Tong Gaozhuo was absolutely certain of success, he wouldn’t dare to completely crush him.
The meal ended on a pleasant note. With Duan Pingchang stepping away from the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, his relationship with Xu Donglin actually deepened.
As they were leaving, Xu Donglin looked at Duan Pingchang and smiled. “Brother Duan, since you are getting into the Imperial Horse Bureau’s business, you must already have a plan.”
Duan Pingchang quickly cupped his hands. “Thanks to your blessing, I’ve made some money. Last year, I bought a horse ranch in the borderlands—at the time, I thought it was just a good deal. Who knew it would turn out to be my fallback plan today?”
Xu Donglin: …
He didn’t believe a single word of that.
There was no way things could be that coincidental.
After thinking for a moment, he looked at Duan Pingchang and said slowly, “Huang Shao is not as easy to deal with as I am. If you’re doing business with him, you must be careful.”
Duan Pingchang’s expression turned serious. “I would appreciate any advice, Lord Xu.”
Xu Donglin wasn’t aware that Huang Shao had already sided with Duan Wang. He simply wanted to do Duan Pingchang a favor, so he shared a bit about Huang Shao’s temperament and business practices to help him avoid making missteps.
Though it was just a few light words, their weight was significant.
Duan Pingchang expressed his deep gratitude, growing even more respectful and close to Xu Donglin.
Seeing that Duan Pingchang neither resented him for losing the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau’s business nor put on airs because of his daughter’s future marriage to Duan Wang—in fact, showing him even more respect than before—Xu Donglin couldn’t help but feel admiration.
No wonder this man had risen to become the richest merchant in Jiangcheng.
With this thought, Xu Donglin looked at Duan Pingchang. “Brother Duan, since you are no longer involved with the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, it would be best for us to avoid public contact in the future.”
Duan Pingchang immediately understood. Xu Donglin wanted to make it appear to Tong Gaozhuo that they had severed ties. He nodded at once. “Indeed, since we have no business ties, and since I lost that business to foul play, it’s only natural that we distance ourselves.”
The two raised their cups and exchanged knowing smiles.
***
With Huang Shao’s cooperation and Second Master Duan serving as a scribe in the Imperial Horse Bureau, Duan Pingchang’s horse ranch was fully prepared and met all requirements. Soon, he secured an official contract to supply horses to the Imperial Horse Bureau.
When news reached the Eastern Palace, the Crown Prince was utterly stunned.
“What did you just say?”
Eastern Palace Zhanshi Ji Huai remained calm as he faced the Crown Prince’s furious glare. He spoke evenly, “Your Highness, in my opinion, it would be unwise for the Eastern Palace to interfere with the Imperial Horse Bureau’s affairs.”
Chen Chang frowned and looked at Ji Huai. “Lord Ji, what do you mean? Are we just going to let Duan Pingchang succeed? You must realize—if the Duan family profits, it ultimately strengthens Duan Wang.”
Ji Huai looked at Chen Chang and replied bluntly, “Sir Chen, you are correct. But may I ask—how exactly do you plan to intervene with the Imperial Horse Bureau?”
Because of the previous incident with the former Chief Lu Zhilian, the Eastern Palace had already completely offended Huang Shao. Under these circumstances, how could they possibly convince Huang Shao to abandon Duan Pingchang?
From another perspective, Huang Shao’s willingness to work with Duan Pingchang might very well be his way of exacting revenge.
Chen Chang was left speechless.
After all, the Eastern Palace had no way to interfere with the Imperial Horse Bureau.
Zuo Yude and Chang Jingxiu, who had remained silent the entire time, frowned slightly. He held the lowest rank among those present and was responsible for advising the Eastern Palace on regulations and policies.
Chen Chang and Ji Huai had always been at odds with each other due to their differing political views, leading to significant disagreements. Now, once again, they were arguing, and Chang Jingxiu wisely kept his mouth shut, choosing to stay out of it.
That was his plan—until the Crown Prince turned to him and asked, “Lord Chang, what is your opinion?”
Chang Jingxiu: …
He lifted his head, looked at the Crown Prince, and slowly replied, “Your Highness, this humble official believes that both ministers have their points. However, what is more important right now is that Duan Wang is fighting on the front lines. With financial support from the Duan family, it is only a matter of time before he earns military achievements. As long as Duan Wang stands strong, the Duan family will not easily fall.”
Chen Chang: …
Ji Huai: …
Both men turned to look at Chang Jingxiu in unison.
Chang Jingxiu kept his head slightly lowered, seemingly unaware of their gazes.
So, the real issue was not the Duan family—it was Duan Wang himself. They were focusing on the wrong target.
Why waste energy fighting the Duan family? In business, they couldn’t outmaneuver Duan Mingxi and her father anyway. One failure should have been enough; was there really a need for two, three, or four more?
For the first time, the Crown Prince seemed to truly notice Chang Jingxiu. He studied him for a moment before asking, “Lord Chang, your words make sense. In that case, what do you suggest we do?”
An opportunity to stand out was right in front of him.
Chang Jingxiu spoke steadily, “Your Highness, this humble official believes that Your Highness should offer high praise for Duan Wang in front of the court officials and His Majesty.”
The higher one is lifted, the harder they fall.
And in doing so, the Crown Prince would also leave a favorable impression on His Majesty as a caring older brother.
