Before even stepping inside, the clamor from the shop made Ye Li frown. Antique stores were usually quiet and elegant places, not bustling with crowds. Yet the noise from this shop was loud enough to be heard clearly from outside.
Upon entering, the shop was filled with an array of items on display. The richly dressed shopkeeper, exuding an air of wealth, was looking disdainfully at a shabbily dressed young man. The man appeared haggard and sickly, his once-handsome features now sallow and dry. Though his clothes were old, they were clean and didn’t evoke disgust—instead, he carried a faint scholarly air. At the moment, however, his face was a mix of embarrassment, anxiety, and unease.
"Shopkeeper, please take another look. This painting is truly an authentic work by Master Wu Zhikai from the previous dynasty!"
The shopkeeper sneered, eyeing the man with contempt. "With your shabby appearance, how could you possibly own a genuine Wu... Wu Zhikai? This is clearly a fake! But since our shop also deals in replicas, and this one isn’t bad, I’ll give you two hundred taels for it."
The man’s face flushed with anger. "You—you—! Wu Zhikai was a master of the previous dynasty. Even an average authentic piece of his would fetch at least two thousand taels, and even more if properly appraised. Yet you dare offer a tenth of its value for my family heirloom? If I weren’t in desperate need of money, I would never consider selling it! This is outrageous—I won’t sell it to you!" Furious, he rolled up the painting and turned to leave.
"Wait!" Seeing the man about to leave, the shopkeeper’s eyes flashed with malice. He glared viciously and said, "I’m offering you two hundred taels out of kindness! Who knows if you even stole this painting? That’s right—someone as poor as you couldn’t possibly own such a masterpiece. Let’s settle this at the magistrate’s office!"
"Fine, let’s go to the magistrate! Do you think I’m afraid of you? How can a shopkeeper like you run a business so unreasonably?" the man retorted angrily.
The shopkeeper smirked disdainfully. "Reason? Do you even know who owns this shop? Let me enlighten you—this is a business owned by the family of Zhaoyi Niangniang in the palace. Moreover, the fourth young lady of our household is soon to become Princess Li. Tell me, who do you think the magistrate will believe—me or a penniless wretch like you?"
"You—!"
"Sir, I’ll take this painting. Two thousand taels." Ye Li stepped forward, her voice calm.
The two arguing men froze in surprise. The young man, recovering from his shock, looked at the elegant and refined woman before him and stammered, "You... you believe me?"
Truthfully, Ye Li wasn’t entirely certain whether the painting was genuine. But based on the shopkeeper’s behavior, the man’s reaction, and the fleeting look of guilt on the appraiser’s face behind the counter, she had drawn her conclusion. Besides, even if the painting turned out to be fake, she was determined to buy it today!
The shopkeeper, seeing his deal ruined by a mere girl, flew into a rage. Noticing that Ye Li’s attire wasn’t particularly luxurious, he assumed she came from an insignificant background and said darkly, "Miss, you’d best not meddle in others’ affairs."
Ye Li glanced at him and replied coolly, "This gentleman refuses to sell to you, but now he’s selling to me. How is that meddling?"
The shopkeeper snorted. "Today, whether you want to or not, this painting will be sold! Our fourth young lady’s wedding is approaching, and we need fine antiques and paintings for her dowry!"
Ye Li smirked. "What a forceful way of doing business. Well, today, I’m determined to buy it. Qing Shuang, pay him."Qing Shuang cleverly took out two thousand taels in silver notes and stuffed them into the man's hand, then deftly took the painting with a smile. "Young master, here's your money. You'd best leave quickly."
The man hesitated. "No, these two young ladies... If I leave, they might not make it out of this shop with the painting." Though he urgently needed the money, he couldn't bring harm to these kind-hearted women. Seeing the shop assistants already blocking the exit, the man shook his head firmly. "I won't sell this painting anymore. Please return it to me."
Ye Li took the painting from Qing Shuang, opened it for inspection, and nodded in satisfaction. "Perfect. This 'Moon Over Clear River' painting is exactly what I need as a gift. Take the money and go. I'd like to see if there's still law and order under the Emperor's very nose."
"In that case, none of you are leaving!" the shopkeeper threatened.
Ye Li looked at him with amusement. "What, are you going to kill us?"
The shopkeeper's expression turned rigid and icy. "I may not dare kill you, but I can drag you to the magistrate's office! Someone, fetch Madam's name card—we're taking these three thieves to the authorities!"
"How dare you! Watch me chop off your filthy paws!" Qing Shuang stepped in front of Ye Li, swiftly knocking down an assistant who tried to grab her mistress. Glaring at the shopkeeper, she snapped, "Open your dog eyes wide, you cur! This Hall of Prudent Virtue belongs to my young mistress!"
Everyone froze again. The shopkeeper paled slightly, eyeing Ye Li with suspicion. "You... you are..."
Ye Li met his gaze steadily and said calmly, "My surname is Ye, and I'm the third."
"Third Young Miss?" the shopkeeper blurted out, his face instantly turning ashen.
Ye Li handed the scroll back to Qing Shuang and swept a cold glance over the surrounding assistants. "Still blocking the way? Do you want to keep your jobs?" The assistants glanced uneasily between the shopkeeper and Ye Li before retreating.
The shopkeeper recovered quickly. After only a brief hesitation, he stepped forward with an ingratiating smile. "Third Young Miss, what brings you here today?"
Ye Li strolled leisurely around the shop before turning back, pretending not to notice an assistant sneaking out the door. "The name 'Hall of Prudent Virtue' was personally inscribed by my eldest uncle. What does 'Prudent Virtue' mean? I doubt the shopkeeper knows. Master He, why don't you explain?"
The painting appraiser, who had been hiding behind the counter, trembled as he stepped forward. "R-Reporting to Third Young Miss... The elder uncle wished for us in the antique trade to uphold moral integrity—prudence in speech, prudence in action, prudence in virtue."
"Well said. Then... what have you been doing? Forcing genuine artworks to be sold as fakes?"
The shopkeeper protested weakly, "Third Young Miss doesn't understand business. We're just trying to keep the Hall profitable. Times are hard for merchants these days."
Ye Li sneered. "I may not know business, but I do know commerce relies on trust. More importantly—without credibility, who would do business with you? And as for your so-called 'business'... The account books show nothing but losses."
"I..."Ye Li intended to speak coldly, "There's no need for explanations. From now on, you're dismissed. As for the previous accounts, the rest of you had better clarify them for me. If it's clear and you're uninvolved, those willing to stay may do so, and I'll reward each of you with fifty taels of silver. But if things remain unclear, you can all go rot in prison. Let's see if your master will bother to bail you out!" The shop assistants hesitated. They had all heard that the Third Young Miss was to marry Prince Ding. Now that the shop had returned to her hands, it would naturally be part of her dowry to Prince Ding's Estate. If they spoke up, they could still go to Prince Ding's Estate; if not, they'd end up in prison. Besides, fifty taels was no small sum—nearly two years' wages for them.
Seeing everyone wavering, the shopkeeper quickly stepped forward and cried, "Third Young Miss, I'm Madam's person. You have no right to dismiss me!"
Ye Li smiled faintly. "My apologies, but this Hall of Prudent Virtue is mine. If you clarify the shop's accounts, you can go back to wherever you came from. If you don't... even if you were Madam's own younger brother, it wouldn't help. Could it be that everyone in the Wang family is accustomed to taking others' belongings and treating them as their own?"
"You—you—" The shopkeeper's face flushed red and pale in turns.
Ye Li ignored him and turned to the stunned young man standing there. She had long known that the shopkeeper of Hall of Prudent Virtue had been replaced years ago by Wang Shi's youngest brother. "Young master, I apologize for the humiliation you suffered today. It was due to my lack of oversight."
"N-no, it's nothing," the young man stammered, waving his hands awkwardly. He hadn't expected this serene and elegant young lady to be the owner of this shop. After some thought, though he felt it might be meddlesome, he couldn't help adding, "Since you are the owner of Hall of Prudent Virtue, I hope... you'll take better care of it." If not for encountering this young lady today, he might have been falsely accused and thrown into prison. Judging by the shopkeeper's actions, this probably wasn't the first time.
Ye Li wasn't offended and nodded with a smile. "Thank you for your reminder. I've only just taken over this shop and will certainly enforce stricter discipline from now on. I noticed you seem reluctant to part with this painting. Please take it back with you—consider the silver a loan from me. You may repay it at your convenience."
The young man shook his head repeatedly, though he truly couldn't bear to part with this family heirloom. "One shouldn't accept unearned rewards. I only ask that you keep the 'Moonlit View of Qing River' for two months. Within that time, I'll find a way to repay you."
Seeing his insistence, Ye Li smiled indifferently. "Very well, I'll keep the painting here in the shop. You may redeem it anytime. Qing Shuang, add another hundred taels as compensation for this young master's troubles."
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