Glory

Qi Ji indeed meant exactly that.

He nodded and said, "It's best to have Elder Ye return first. With the shopkeeper there, along with the housekeepers from Zi Mo's and my households keeping an eye on things, nothing major should go wrong."

Upon hearing this, Ye Yaming grew somewhat tense.

If it weren't for a military uprising, Qi Ji wouldn't have suggested Ye Hongchang's return. After all, he was merely a merchant. Although business at the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion was good, it wasn't prosperous enough to attract envy. Moreover, with Dragon Well Tea becoming a tribute tea, everyone had guessed that the owner of the Gathering Fragrance Pavilion had influential backing. Under normal circumstances, no one would trouble Ye Hongchang.

Now that Qi Ji was actually advising Ye Hongchang to return, it was clear that the situation in the capital had become critical and had reached a perilous state.

Seeing how frightened the Ye family elders were by his words, Qi Ji quickly added, "I'm only suggesting this as a precaution. The situation likely hasn't reached that point yet. Also..."

He looked at them seriously and said, "What I just said should remain between us. Don't let a fourth person know. Even if you speak of it, I will deny it."

If Ye Yaming weren't someone Lu Guanyi valued and someone Qi Ji himself respected, and if her ideas hadn't brought great benefits to everyone, and if the Ye family hadn't leaked even a hint of the great honor of forming a marriage alliance with Lu Guanyi—allowing others to speculate maliciously—it would show how tight-lipped the Ye family elders were. Otherwise, he would never have spoken those words.

Although the developments in the capital were his own speculation and he hadn't received any concrete news, he alone knew that Lu Yong's loyalty lay with the Crown Prince while appearing to serve Duke Wei, and that the Lu father and son were plotting with the Crown Prince against Duke Wei's estate.

If the Ye family were to gossip and let the news reach the capital, while the Crown Prince and the Lu father and son's plans might not fail, the Qi Family would surely face the Crown Prince's wrath.

"Don't worry, my grandfather and I will keep this matter to ourselves. Not a single word will be spoken," Ye Yaming assured him.

No wonder Qi Ji had strictly ordered the servants to keep their distance before their discussion and had his trusted page guard the door outside. So he intended to discuss such critical matters.

She stood up and bowed deeply to Qi Ji. "Thank you for the warning, Qi Gongzi."

Qi Ji quickly rose to avoid the gesture, waving his hand and resuming his usual cheerful demeanor. "No need for formalities, Miss Ye. Just come up with more good ideas to help us earn more money."

"Of course," Ye Yaming replied, returning to her seat and personally pouring him a cup of tea. She smiled and said, "The more you earn, the more I earn. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. How could I not be enthusiastic?"

After Qi Ji sat down, she took her seat again and continued, "However, haste makes waste. We need fresh tea leaves from Huizhou and Minzhou before I can produce new tea."

After a moment's thought, she added, "If you're in a hurry, perhaps we could purchase existing tea gardens locally. I'll first produce a small batch of new tea and train tea-making masters. Once the tea trees on our own tea mountains have matured, we can produce new tea in large quantities."

Considering how Dragon Well Tea became precious due to its scarcity in spring, with a single jin of pre-Qingming Dragon Well Tea selling for dozens of taels of silver, both Qi Ji and Ye Chongming were thrilled by her suggestion.

"Is that possible?" Qi Ji asked.

"I've visited the location in Huizhou. Purchasing tea gardens there is feasible," Ye Yaming said. "But I haven't been to Minzhou, so I'm not certain about there."

Qi Ji then turned his gaze to Ye Chongming.The implication couldn't be clearer—they wanted Ye Yaming to make a trip to Minzhou.

Ye Chongming looked at Ye Yaming: "The journey to Minzhou is long and arduous."

"The hardship isn't a problem," Ye Yaming said with a smile. "But I might not make it back in time for the New Year."

"Also, I'd like Da Bo to accompany me. You can use this as a reason to call him back from the capital, so it won't raise suspicion. Once he returns, we can set off immediately. If we wait for Fourth Uncle, sending someone to fetch him and waiting for his return would take half a month. Besides, with all the affairs in Huizhou, it wouldn't do to have no master there."

This arrangement was indeed the most appropriate. After all, the capital was close to Lin'an, and if anything came up, either he or Ye Hongsheng could handle it. Moreover, Huang Yaozu had been a seasoned manager for ten years and could manage affairs in the capital even without a master present.

As for Ye Jiaxing, neither Ye Chongming nor Ye Yaming had considered sending him. For one, he was young and inexperienced. When they went to Huizhou before, Lu Guanyi was there to handle everything, so Ye Hongrong never had to step up. But for the trip to Minzhou, although Qi Ji was the same age as Lu Guanyi and came from a similar aristocratic background, he was far less capable in handling matters and making decisions. Without an experienced person to oversee things, it would be problematic. Would they really let Ye Yaming step in to resolve issues? Even if she had the ability, who in the local area would give a young girl any respect?

Thus, a mature and steady person was needed. In this regard, Ye Hongchang was more suitable than Ye Hongrong.

"Alright, let's do it this way. Ming'er, you'll go with your Da Bo and Qi Gongzi," Ye Chongming said reluctantly.

He cherished his granddaughter dearly. Moreover, even without the tea mountains in Minzhou, the tea from Lin'an and Huizhou alone could ensure the Ye family's wealth for generations. Besides, for the Ye family, making money wasn't the most important thing; elevating their social status was.

For Ye Yaming to stay home safely, steadily producing new teas step by step, and then marrying Lu Guanyi in due course—that was what mattered most to the Ye family. This was far better than risking a trip to Minzhou for money they didn't particularly need.

After all, the journey was arduous, with bandits and various dangers along the way. A simple cold could cost someone their life. There were countless examples of scholars who left for examinations and never returned, dying on the road.

Ye Chongming genuinely didn't want Ye Yaming to go.

But buying tea mountains in Minzhou was Ye Yaming's idea, and she was willing to go. Qi Ji also eagerly hoped for Ye Yaming to accompany him. Having just received a great favor from Qi Ji, refusing now would make him appear utterly ungrateful and risk offending Qi Ji completely.

Seeing Ye Chongming agree, Qi Ji was delighted. With the matter settled, he took his leave.

After Qi Ji left, Ye Chongming still shared his thoughts with Ye Yaming, saying, "Why don't you think it over again? The journey to Minzhou is long, and if anything were to happen to you..."

At this point, his voice choked, and he couldn't continue.

He couldn't bear to imagine the Ye family without Ye Yaming.

Ye Yaming was no naive young girl; she was well aware of the hardships of long-distance travel.However, if Minzhou wanted to develop, she would inevitably have to make a trip there. If not this year, then the next or the year after. Rather than going later only to find the tea mountains others purchased unsatisfactory or the tea tree varieties planted not to her liking, it was better to go this year, lay a solid foundation, and return later to bring out the secret tea-making recipe.

Of course, it would be even better if she could directly buy a ready-made tea mountain.

"Brother Shen!"

"Hmm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, he would occasionally encounter acquaintances, and they would greet each other or simply nod.

But no matter who it was.

Everyone's face bore no extra expression, as if they were indifferent to everything.

To this.

Shen Changqing was already accustomed.

Because this was the Demon Suppression Division, an institution responsible for maintaining the stability of Great Qin. Its primary duty was to slay demons, monsters, and supernatural beings, though it also engaged in some side endeavors.

It could be said.

Every person in the Demon Suppression Division had their hands stained with much blood.

When one had witnessed life and death too often, they would become indifferent to many things.

When Shen Changqing first arrived in this world, he found it somewhat hard to adapt, but over time, he grew accustomed to it.

The Demon Suppression Division was vast.

Those who could remain in the Demon Suppression Division were either formidable experts or individuals with the potential to become experts.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter category.

Within the Demon Suppression Division, there were two main roles: the Garrison Envoy and the Demon Subduing Envoy.

Anyone who entered the Demon Suppression Division started from the lowest rank of Demon Subduing Envoy,

then advanced step by step, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Garrison Envoy.

Shen Changqing's predecessor was a probationary Demon Subduing Envoy in the Demon Suppression Division, the lowest rank among the Demon Subduing Envoys.

Possessing the memories of his predecessor,

he was very familiar with the environment of the Demon Suppression Division.

It didn't take long for Shen Changqing to stop in front of a pavilion.

Unlike the other solemn and murderous areas of the Demon Suppression Division, this pavilion stood out like a crane among chickens, exuding an unusual tranquility amidst the pervasive bloodshed of the division.

At this moment, the pavilion's door was wide open, with people occasionally entering and exiting.

Shen Changqing hesitated only briefly before stepping inside.

Upon entering the pavilion,

the atmosphere abruptly changed.

The scent of ink mixed with a faint trace of blood assailed his senses, causing him to instinctively frown, though his expression quickly relaxed.

The bloody odor that clung to everyone in the Demon Suppression Division was almost impossible to wash away completely.