You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 283: Chapter 212: Why Would a Man Go to a Painted Boat and Not Call for a Maiden? (Part 2)

How could someone as intelligent as Xiao Wan’er not have figured out Liu Zhaoxue’s intentions for having Liu Wen tag along at the banquet?

Now, seeing Liu Zhaoxue again, her feelings were complicated.

It wasn’t resentment, so much as the vexation that comes with being deceived.

That was especially true since Liu Wen had not only been insolent toward her that day, but had also dragged Chen Yi into it.

Xiao Wan’er felt that since she had been the one to invite Chen Yi to Fengchun Building, she was not only upset but also felt rather guilty about what had happened.

Just then, Chen Yi closed the carriage curtain. Noticing Xiao Wan’er’s gaze, he smiled and said, "I’m surprised Liu Zhaoxue is still in Shu State."

Xiao Wan’er pressed her lips together and turned her head. "I heard about it from Sister Wan a couple of days ago."

"The Jing State Liu Family intends to open Xinglin Hall branches all over Shu State. They’ve specifically ordered Liu Zhaoxue to stay here and oversee things for the time being."

Chen Yi’s interest was piqued. "Temporarily?"

Xiao Wan’er hummed in agreement. "I heard Liu Hong himself gave those instructions in front of some people at the Governor’s Office."

"Perhaps someone else from the Jing State Liu Family will come to replace Liu Zhaoxue and take over the expansion of Xinglin Hall in the future."

Chen Yi frowned to himself. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

If he remembered correctly, the agreement reached when the old master met with Liu Hong had explicitly stated that the Jing State Liu Family was not to send any more people to Shu State.

Liu Zhaoxue staying in Shu State was already her exploiting a loophole in the agreement.

If more of the Liu family were to come, wouldn’t that be a blatant slap in the old master’s face?

With this in mind, Chen Yi asked pointedly, "This time, Xinglin Hall won’t just be targeting our few Medicine Halls, but every medicine hall and apothecary in Shu State."

"Do you know how the people at Wan Family Medicine Hall intend to respond?"

Xiao Wan’er shook her head. "I don’t know."

"Between the expansion of Hundred Herbs Hall and matters with the Medical Dao Academy, I haven’t been paying much attention to the Medicine Hall side of things lately."

After a pause, she looked at Chen Yi and said, "After the Mid-Autumn Festival, perhaps you could go and ask?"

"Me?"

"Yes. Just to get a better sense of Xinglin Hall’s plans, so we can prepare a response in advance."

Chen Yi considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."

’Xinglin Hall’s expansion into Shu State will probably follow their old playbook.’

’They’ll win through their Physicians’ exquisite Medical Skill, their inherited formulas, and a supply of low-cost medicinal herbs from their backers.’

’As long as Xinglin Hall doesn’t encroach on Hundred Herbs Hall’s business, there’s nothing to worry about.’

Seeing him agree, a smile touched Xiao Wan’er’s lips as she said:

"After the Mid-Autumn Festival, I’d like to make a trip to the fiefdom. If you’re free, you should come with me."

"To choose a site?"

"Yes. The first step is always the hardest. The Medical Dao Academy has to start somewhere..."

「Meanwhile.」

Liu Zhaoxue glanced at the sky, then ordered her subordinates to make the necessary preparations.

"Uncle Lin, we’re opening after the Mid-Autumn Festival. Make sure our Physicians are well-rested."

"And as for Elder Chang, please pay him extra attention. Since the other Medical Saint Hands aren’t coming, he is the public face of Xinglin Hall in Shu State."

"Yes, Third Miss."

Liu Zhaoxue nodded and turned to the next person. "Uncle Fu, finalize the contracts with the herb merchants as soon as possible. Any delay could cause problems."

The older man, Shopkeeper Fu, had a troubled expression as he said:

"There’s been a complication."

"What kind of complication?"

"The merchants are out of the cheapest herbs our Xinglin Hall requires. They say their entire stock was sold to Hundred Herbs Hall in the West Market."

"Furthermore, Hundred Herbs Hall has also bought up their entire supply of several quality herbs used as medicinal guides."

Liu Zhaoxue frowned. "Not a single stalk?"

Uncle Fu shook his head. "None at all."

"It’s my fault. I was so focused on stocking the expensive herbs that I neglected the others."

"However, I’ve already written back to Jing State. The major merchants there still have plenty of inventory. It can be shipped to Shu State within half a month at most."

"I can’t wait that long," Liu Zhaoxue said, her tone sharp with displeasure.

"Arrange a meeting with those merchants for me tomorrow morning to negotiate a new contract. Tell them that whatever price Hundred Herbs Hall offered, Xinglin Hall will triple it."

’They’re just common, low-priced herbs, after all. She refused to believe those merchants would turn down good money.’

But Uncle Fu quickly tried to dissuade her. "Third Miss, you mustn’t! You absolutely mustn’t do that."

"Oh? And why not?"

"According to the merchants, Hundred Herbs Hall just signed a new contract with them for a massive quantity of herbs—enough to last them until the end of next year."

Liu Zhaoxue’s brows knitted together. "How much?"

Uncle Fu said hesitantly, "An estimated two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"They also added a specific penalty clause for breach of contract. Even if Xinglin Hall truly offered triple the price, the merchants wouldn’t agree."

Liu Zhaoxue fell silent after hearing his report.

Triple two hundred thousand taels is six hundred thousand, which was nearly all the silver she had on hand.

’She really had overestimated her own resources with that earlier boast.’

"I recall that Hundred Herbs Hall sells various types of tea beverages, correct?"

Uncle Fu nodded. "You’re correct, Third Miss. Hundred Herbs Hall doesn’t focus on treatments by Physicians."

"They only sell low-cost herbs and five types of potent medicinal teas."

"It’s said that since they opened, they’ve earned a handsome sum of silver from those teas alone."

Liu Zhaoxue nodded slightly. Her gaze shifted toward the West Market as she said pensively:

"Go buy some of their teas and bring them back. Have our Physicians study them and see if they can reverse-engineer the recipes."

Uncle Fu froze for a second. "But..."

"Just do as I say."

"Yes. This old servant will go at once."

After he left, Liu Zhaoxue took a deep breath to compose herself, then boarded her carriage to return to her residence.

After listening to Uncle Fu, one thing had become clear to her—

if she wanted to expand Xinglin Hall throughout Shu State, she wouldn’t just be competing with rivals like the Xiao Family Medicine Hall. Hundred Herbs Hall was now a hurdle she could not avoid.