The Heir

Сhарtеr 248: Withdrаwаl

Having gаinеd сlаritу in his mind, Luo Wenqian rеmаined as сompоsеd аs еvеr. Нowevеr, since Xiao Qi had gоnе south tо purсhаsе grаin, he nоw sреnt mоrе time еach daу аt the trаding firm.

In the blink of an еye, thе autumn breеzе bеgаn tо risе.

"Sо, how is it? Hаs Luо Jiu madе аnу unusual mоves?" In thе studу of the Yаn rеsidenсe, Yan Xilаi pacеd bасk and fоrth with a grave ехрressiоn. Stаnding bеsidе him wаs thе assistаnt mаnagеr of thе trading firm.

"Hе cоmеs bу evеrу dау to look аround, occasiоnally chеcks the аcсоunt boоks, but doesn’t interfere with our work. It’s just like usual. Honestly, nothing seems out of the ordinary. I suppose the Luo family head still trusts Manager Yan and Manager Xiao Qi," the assistant manager replied, hands hanging respectfully at his sides.

"Bah! You don’t understand anything. Think about the timing—Minister Zhang has just died, and so many people are watching Yi Hou Sheng. Given Luo Jiu’s temperament, how could he not make a move? The fact that he hasn’t is even more suspicious," Yan Xilai said, then waved his hand, dismissing the assistant manager back to the trading firm.

Indeed, just as there cannot be two suns in the sky or two rulers in a country, a trading firm can only have one person in charge. Now that he had been unable to take control of Yi Hou Sheng for so long, the prefectural magistrate would not regard him highly either. Originally, he had planned to wait for Luo Jiu to make the first move and then counterattack decisively. But now, with Luo Jiu remaining silent, he had no choice but to take action directly.

Calculating the time, his elder brother and the others would arrive soon.

It was time to make his move... Yan Xilai muttered to himself, though his tone carried a hint of melancholy. It seemed that reaching this point did not bring him the joy he had anticipated.

A light drizzle had fallen all day, only gradually subsiding by evening. A sliver of sunset glow slanted across the long street, casting a fiery red hue on the half of the moss-covered stone wall, creating a strikingly beautiful scene.

Zhen Niang, along with Lin Ge Er, was helping Chou Po move the flowerpots from the corridor into the backyard, one by one.

"Great-Aunt, isn’t it tiring to move these flowers in and out all the time?" Lin Ge Er grumbled to Chou Po as he carried the pots. The scenery outside was so lovely—he had planned to invite Tian He and the Cheng family’s little Shu Yue to skip stones by the river. Instead, his mother had roped him into moving flowerpots. Though he didn’t mind too much, having his plans disrupted left him feeling a bit disheartened.

Little Shu Yue... so gentle and well-behaved, utterly endearing. However, her family kept her too confined. In contrast, his own little sister, though mischievous to the point of being a headache, was full of energy. Little Shu Yue simply didn’t get to play enough.

"Clivia plants don’t tolerate dampness—too much water will rot their roots. With rain falling all day today, of course, they had to be moved. As for the chrysanthemums, they’re in full bloom. If left outside, the rain would spoil their beautiful flowers, making them look unsightly. It’s just like little Shu Yue—if she were caught in the rain with her face and hair drenched, wouldn’t that be a sorry sight?" Chou Po squinted her eyes, mumbling to herself. She saw right through the boy’s little schemes.

Zhen Niang smiled faintly from the side. Ever since the eight-year-old Shu Yue from the Cheng family had visited their home once, Lin Ge Er had taken a liking to her. However, the Cheng family was a prominent clan in Huizhou, strict in their adherence to Neo-Confucian principles. Shu Yue was rarely allowed to leave the house. Still, perhaps because of Third Master Cheng’s past connections with the Li and Luo families, Madam Cheng occasionally brought Shu Yue to the Luo residence to play with Yu Jie Er.Lin Ge Er now wore a serious expression as he pondered, recalling the sight of Xiao Shu Yue getting drenched from head to face. He felt certain: indeed, on rainy days, the flowers needed to be moved.

Meanwhile, Chou Po asked Zhen Niang, "Where's Wenqian? Still in the ink workshop?"

"Yes, he wants to make the ink himself," Zhen Niang nodded. Some time ago, Luo Wenqian had drawn the Ink Line Diagram for the Six Righteousness Ink, then personally crafted the ink mold and ink board. He had been in the ink workshop making ink ever since. Zhen Niang had wanted to help, but he wouldn't allow it, insisting on working alone in the ink workshop. Zhen Niang understood: Brother Luo was reminiscing about the bond of brotherhood from his days in the north.

Just as they were speaking, Luo Wenqian hurried out from the ink workshop, one side of his robe still tucked into his belt, his face smudged with soot—utterly disheveled.

"Zhen Niang, Zhen Niang, look at this ink I made. Don't say it, but even though I haven't done this in years, my skills haven't faded much," Luo Wenqian said excitedly as he emerged from the small ink workshop at home, holding up the ink for Zhen Niang to see.

It was the set of Six Righteousness Ink.

"Brother Luo, this is excellent ink," Zhen Niang praised sincerely, looking at the set of Six Righteousness Ink in her hands. Brother Luo's ink had recaptured the exquisite craftsmanship of Luo Mo's "Little Taoist Ink."

"Hmm, not bad. He hasn't forgotten Luo Mo's techniques," Chou Po also nodded. For her to say this, it was clear Luo Wenqian's ink had won her approval.

"Xing Hua, where's my Ninth Uncle? Is he in the ink workshop?" Wu Zi's voice came from ahead.

"Not in the ink workshop, he's in the backyard," Xing Hua replied from the front.

A moment later, Wu Zi entered the backyard and approached the group. He bowed respectfully, then addressed Luo Wenqian, "Ninth Uncle, someone from Yi Hou Sheng has come to invite you. They say the master from the north has arrived."

Luo Wenqian and Zhen Niang exchanged a glance. What was expected had come.

"Alright, go prepare the carriage. I'll tidy up and head over," Luo Wenqian said to Wu Zi before turning back into the house. Zhen Niang quickly followed him inside.

In the room, Brother Luo placed Yi Hou Sheng's seals, personal seals, inscriptions, as well as some relationship registers and account books into a cloth bag. He then pulled the corners of the cloth together and tied them up.

He handled each item meticulously, even smoothing out the tied corners neatly.

Luo Wenqian then picked up the cloth bag. Turning around, he saw Zhen Niang standing by the door. He went over and embraced her. "Zhen Niang, don't worry. When I left Huizhou for the north back then, I had nothing. Now, even if I lose Yi Hou Sheng, I have you, Lin Ge Er, and Yu Jie Er. I've already gained more than enough."

Although this move was to step out of the situation and prepare for the future dangers facing Yi Hou Sheng, it also meant Luo Jiu was relinquishing control of Yi Hou Sheng. From now on, he would at most receive some dividends from Yi Hou Sheng.

Today's departure signified that Yi Hou Sheng was about to change its leader. Luo Wenqian's era was over, and Yi Hou Sheng would usher in Yan Xilai's era.

Hearing Luo Wenqian's words, Zhen Niang broke into a smile, her eyes curving like crescent moons.

Luo Wenqian kissed Zhen Niang, then picked up Yu Jie Er, who had run over to join the fun, and kissed her too. The little girl's eyes also curved like crescent moons—mother and daughter looked alike. Luo Wenqian laughed heartily and walked out the door."Luo Jiu, I'll go with you. Yan Xilai has gone too far this time. I'll have a good talk with Big Brother. I support you." As soon as Luo Wenqian stepped out the door, he encountered the hurriedly arriving Imperial Son-in-Law Li He.

Clearly, Li He had already learned what happened. As the third sworn brother, although he usually didn't involve himself much due to his status as Imperial Son-in-Law, at this moment he had to stand up and support Luo Jiu. No one understood better than him how much Luo Jiu had done for Yi Hou Sheng over the years. As for Yan Xilai, he was capable at getting things done, but he was definitely not someone who could take charge.

Luo Jiu was moved that Li He stood up for him now. But Luo Jiu didn't want Li He to get entangled in this. After all, the Ming princess and her consort were often caught in difficult positions amidst various political situations. Luo Wenqian actually wanted Li He to take this opportunity to withdraw his shares from Yi Hou Sheng, so that if anything happened to Yi Hou Sheng in the future, Li He wouldn't be dragged into the predicament.

"Third Brother. I've been managing Yi Hou Sheng for so many years, and I'm tired. Since Fourth Brother wants to take on this responsibility, I couldn't be more willing. I plan to withdraw from Yi Hou Sheng. Since Third Brother supports me, why don't you withdraw from Yi Hou Sheng as well?" Luo Wenqian said with a calm expression.

Hearing Luo Jiu's words, Li He felt suspicious. This wasn't like Luo Jiu. Luo Jiu wasn't the type to retreat when pressured. No one understood better than him what Yi Hou Sheng meant to Luo Jiu—it was no less important than another Lin Ge Er. Given Luo Jiu's temperament, he wouldn't give up easily. And if he were forced to give up, he might entrust Yi Hou Sheng to him, but he would never advise him to withdraw from Yi Hou Sheng as well. There was something wrong here.

"Luo Jiu, tell me the truth. Is there a big problem with Yi Hou Sheng?" Li He asked with a serious expression.

Luo Jiu knew he couldn't hide it from Li He. Anyone capable of being the Imperial Son-in-Law of the Ming Dynasty had to be extremely sensitive to political situations. So he said, "The current situation is too complicated. With Minister Zhang's passing, his faction wants to maintain their power, while non-Zhang factions want to seize the opportunity. But that's not the main issue. The main issue is the Emperor. The Emperor wants to personally take over governance. I think the first thing he'll probably do is eliminate Minister Zhang's influence in the court..."

Luo Wenqian stopped there. Li He could figure out the rest.

"You mean the Emperor might very well target the Zhang family, and it might even implicate Yi Hou Sheng. You want me to withdraw my shares because you're afraid I'll get implicated too?" Li He countered. Although it was phrased as a question, his tone was already affirmative.

Luo Wenqian neither confirmed nor denied it.

"If that really happens, what do you plan to do?" Li He asked again.

"Someone has to stay outside to rescue people and protect Yi Hou Sheng," Luo Jiu said with a profound look in his eyes.

Hearing Luo Wenqian's words, Li He was stunned for a moment. Then he stepped forward and heavily patted Luo Jiu's shoulder, saying, "It's fine. I'll keep my shares in Yi Hou Sheng. With me there, others will still have some scruples/hesitation when the time comes." After saying this, Li He strode away.

Luo Jiu watched Li He's retreating figure without saying another word. He boarded the carriage and headed straight for Yi Hou Sheng.At this moment in the Yi Hou Sheng Money Shop, Mo Lao Da, Gu Pao Zi, and Yan Xilai sat there drinking tea, quietly waiting for Luo Jiu's arrival. Their hearts were somewhat conflicted; although they had some opinions about Luo Jiu, now that the moment had come, they still found it difficult to speak up. After all, Yi Hou Sheng had been built from the ground up by Luo Wenqian.

Just then, Luo Jiu entered carrying a cloth bag. He smiled at the three of them, poured himself a cup of tea, then stood up and bowed to them. He downed the tea as if it were wine, then opened the cloth bag, revealing everything inside.

Luo Wenqian gently pushed the cloth bag to the center of the table. "Elders, these are the seals, signatures, records, and account books of Yi Hou Sheng Money Shop—everything is here. I’ve been the head of Yi Hou Sheng for over ten years, and I’m tired. It’s time for me to rest."

"Fifth Brother, you..." Before Luo Wenqian arrived, the three had been wondering how to bring up the matter. They never expected that without them having to say a word, Luo Wenqian would hand over the lifeblood of the money shop.

After handing over the items, Luo Wenqian did not stay at Yi Hou Sheng. Remaining would only have made things awkward for everyone.

Watching Luo Wenqian leave, Yan Xilai stared intently at the contents of the cloth bag on the table. This was what he had long desired, yet now that he had it, he felt somewhat unsettled. Meanwhile, Mo Lao Da opened an ink box inside the bag, revealing a neatly arranged set of Assorted Ink Collection—the Six Virtues Ink that Luo Wenqian had just crafted.

Mo Lao Da fell silent, then suddenly slapped the table and stood up. "We must inform Third Brother about this. I’ll go pay him a visit."

In the evening, Mo Lao Da returned but said nothing more. Instead, he rented a house in Nanjing and settled there, temporarily not returning to the north.