Chapter 80: Meeting by Appointment

The Dade Silk Shop in Nanjing was located near the Small Training Ground, not far from the Imperial Academy, in a bustling area. Unlike the smaller shops around it, it occupied three entire storefronts. Looking in from the outside, one could see several clerks eagerly selling silk fabrics to customers, busy as ever. There were many people coming in and out—some were owners of well-off families, others managers of moderately wealthy households, almost all carrying one or two pieces of silk.

As Zhang Yue entered with Liansheng and Lianhu, a young clerk quickly came up to greet them. After glancing at them briefly, his smile widened even more. Instead of leading them to the busiest part of the shop, he took them straight to a counter with fewer people.

“Sir, our silk is the best in all of Jiangnan. It’s an excellent gift for relatives and friends. If giving it to your parents, this large-patterned silk is both luxurious and auspicious; as for this patterned silk with small flowers, it’s elegant yet simple, perfect for young wives. If you’re preparing for the imperial examinations, this silk with herons and hibiscus patterns, called ‘Success All the Way,’ brings good luck. And if someone in your family is about to join the army, this one with horses, bees, and monkeys symbolizes immediate promotion to a noble rank…”

Before Zhang Yue could explain his purpose, the clerk kept talking nonstop. Amused, Zhang Yue noticed that the young clerk, though only sixteen or seventeen years old, spoke in an organized and fluent manner. He realized that Dade Silk Shop was good at selecting employees and doing business, so he waited smiling until the clerk finished before signaling Liansheng to hand over the invitation.

The clerk had initially assumed Zhang Yue was a wealthy client based on his fancy clothes and had recommended the most expensive silks. So when he saw Liansheng hand over the invitation, he was momentarily stunned. Before opening it, he felt a bit displeased. But once he saw the words and signature, his expression immediately became even more respectful.

“Oh, it’s Lord Zhang. The owner has been waiting inside for a long time. He ordered that you be brought in as soon as you arrived. Please forgive my oversight earlier.”

As he spoke, he respectfully handed the invitation back with both hands, then stepped aside to lead the way. Pulling back a curtain on the side, a long corridor appeared ahead. Turning around, he saw Zhang Yue and the other two standing there, staring at him with expressions of surprise. He then smiled broadly and explained, “Our silk shop is different from other shops on the street; all the buildings inside belong to our family, so they’re connected. The head manager oversees a dozen silk shops in Nanjing and the surrounding counties, and this one is located here.”

Zhang Yue, who was walking behind, listened indifferently. It was still the early Ming dynasty; no matter how wealthy a merchant was, they remained mere merchants and could not influence an entire region like the powerful salt merchants in later times, let alone in Nanjing, the capital. Among the four classes—scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants—merchants, though wealthy, were considered lowly. Although noble families had servants to manage their businesses, they themselves rarely got involved in such affairs. Thus, even though he had once thought of coming up with some clever way to make money, due to the circumstances and lack of manpower, he had to put his plans on hold for now.

At the end of the winding corridor was a hall, and beyond it was a small courtyard with a row of three rooms in the center. The clerk went to the middle room, whispered something through the thick curtain, then stepped back and smiled at Zhang Yue, saying, “Young master, please wait a moment. The head manager will come out to greet you right away. I’ll take my leave now.”

Zhang Yue was slightly stunned when the clerk had already walked far away. When he turned around again, he saw an elderly man with gray hair and beard coming out of the door, bowing to him with a warm smile. Faced with an elder at least three times his age, he couldn’t afford to be too rude. After giving a slight nod, he asked directly, “I don’t know this head manager at all. What’s the purpose of inviting me?”

“I’m but a humble merchant who wouldn’t dare to invite the third young master. I’m merely acting on someone else’s request and must comply,” the old man said, his smile becoming even more humble. Then he personally pulled back the curtain at the door and bowed deeply. “The person who invited the third young master is waiting inside. Please come in and meet them… Oh, and please have your two servants wait outside for a while.”

Already hesitant, Zhang Yue grew even more wary upon hearing that he had to leave Lian Sheng and Lian Hu outside. He certainly wouldn’t dare enter that room easily. With a cold smile, he said, “I had no idea that the person who really wants to invite me isn’t showing up in person but is hiding behind others. Besides, is this really the proper way to treat guests by keeping my two attendants away?”

Although the old man was in charge of the silk business in Nanjing and the surrounding counties, he mostly dealt with the managers of powerful families. Even so, he knew well that these influential people could change their minds quickly and were best avoided. Seeing Zhang Yue’s angry expression, he inwardly groaned, hoping that someone inside would say something to ease his predicament.

“Does the Third Young Master really refuse to meet with me?”

Just as he watched Zhang Yue turn away in anger, a voice finally came from inside. As he let out a sigh of relief, he saw Zhang Yue stop in his tracks and turn around stiffly. Despite his inner complaints, he forced himself to smile even wider and eagerly stepped aside to make way.

“You two wait outside.”

After giving that order, Zhang Yue stepped through the threshold without hesitation. The moment the door curtain closed behind him, he saw the figure sitting in the corner, leisurely sipping tea. His heart tightened, and he took a deep breath. He was impressed by his own ears—having heard the voice only once, he had managed to recognize it right away. Of course, this also showed how deeply that person’s voice had impressed him.

“Third Young Master, it’s good to see you again.”

The person in the corner wasn’t wearing the bright red brocade robe with white floral patterns and gold embroidery from before; instead, he wore a plain sapphire-blue robe and a simple headscarf. The cold aura that seemed to surround him before was completely absent now.

At first glance, he seemed like an ordinary middle-aged man—calling him a teacher would be an exaggeration. In a crowd, anyone might even ignore such a person while walking by. Yet, even though his face seemed unremarkable now, Zhang Yue still remembered how he had looked in that ornate robe.

So, he chose an empty chair and sat down, wearing a casual smile. “Captain Yuan went to such lengths to invite me here. What do you want from me?”

He thought the other person would beat around the bush, but instead, he asked directly, “The Imperial Guards are known for being impartial, yet you keep giving me advice. The Third Young Master must be puzzled, right?”