thefictionvixens Chapter 49 Miss, is it really you?
Chapter 49 Miss, is it really you?
The study in the backyard of Qingyutang Suzhou branch.
The candlelight flickered, casting swaying shadows on Ye Songnian's face.
The head manager of Qingyutang stared at the account books spread out on the table, his fingers unconsciously stroking the edges of the pages.
Sitting opposite him was Ye Baizhou, the manager of the Suzhou branch, a capable man in his early thirties, whose brows were furrowed in worry.
On the two chairs next to him sat Wang Ganju, the treasurer of the first ward, and Chen Youliang, the treasurer of the second ward.
The atmosphere inside was a bit tense.
"Wu Feng has already visited the three major wards with the imperial edict today," Wang Ganju spoke first, his voice low. "I reckon he should be coming to Qingyutang tomorrow."
Chen Youliang continued the conversation:
"Manager Ye, we need to discuss this first. The Princess taking over is a done deal. So... should we feign allegiance or genuinely work for her? We need a plan."
Ye Baizhou raised his eyes: "Feigned allegiance? Treasurer Chen, you're thinking too simply."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Chen Youliang retorted.
Ye Songnian, who had been silent all along, slowly raised his head: "Have you all forgotten about the young master?"
The room fell silent for a moment.
Ye Songnian's eyes flickered, filled with hope: "According to what the boss told us... the young boss must still be alive."
"You mean," Chen Youliang stared at Ye Songnian, "to feign allegiance, first use the Eldest Princess to resolve the troubles with the Ming and Cui families, and then wait for the young master to appear?"
Ye Songnian nodded without saying anything.
The candle flame crackled and popped.
"But you've forgotten one thing," Chen Youliang's voice turned somber. "Even if we sincerely pledge allegiance, the Princess may not necessarily eliminate the Ming and Cui families."
"The Eldest Princess is different from the Dong family. According to the Dong family, the Eldest Princess is the same kind of person as the Ming family, the Cui family, and so on."
Ye Baizhou sighed heavily, his face full of solemnity:
"Treasurer Chen is right. Now Qingyutang and the three major workshops are all under the management of the Grand Master. If she wants, she can replace us all at any time. When that happens, we will really have nothing left."
"So we can't just sit here and wait to die." Chen Youliang tapped his fingers on his knee. "I think... while the three major workshops and Qingyutang are still in our hands, we should unite with these aristocratic families in Suzhou, pretend to cooperate with them, and jointly petition the court for autonomy. We can't just listen to the Princess."
The other three were stunned when they heard this.
Wang Ganju opened his mouth: "Cooperate with the Ming family and the Cui family? Isn't that like asking a tiger for its skin?"
Ye Baizhou also shook his head: "That was too dangerous."
Just then...
"Knock, knock."
A soft knock sounded on the door, very soft, but exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
All four of them turned to look at the doorway at the same time.
"Who?" Chen Youliang asked in a low voice, his hand already reaching for the short sword at his waist.
No one answered.
The four exchanged glances.
They had specifically instructed that no one was allowed to disturb tonight's meeting, no matter what happened.
Chen Youliang stood up, and his short sword silently slid out of its sheath.
He moved step by step to the door, listened carefully, but there was no sound outside.
He gently pulled the bolt and pushed the door open a crack.
The outer hall was dimly lit by candlelight.
A person is sitting in the main seat.
A woman, dressed in a plain white dress, with a strange ghost mask on her face.
She just sat there quietly, like a statue.
Chen Youliang's hair stood on end. He flung open the door, his short sword held horizontally in front of him: "Who are you?"
Ye Songnian and the other two quickly walked out, and were stunned when they saw the woman.
The woman slowly stood up.
She walked very lightly, almost silently, out the door, and looked up at the moon in the sky.
The hem of her plain white dress fluttered gently in the night breeze.
The four were completely baffled.
What's wrong with this woman?
Suddenly, a song rang out. The voice was soft, but clear and melodious, and the tune was quite peculiar:
"His eyes were wide like brass bells, gleaming with lightning-like shrewdness..."
Ye Baizhou, Wang Ganju, and Chen Youliang stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with shock.
Ye Songnian trembled, and almost blurted out the next sentence:
"His ears are perked up like antennas, picking up every suspicious sound!"
The woman turned around and looked at them.
She raised her hand and gently removed the ghost mask.
The moonlight and candlelight intertwined, illuminating her face.
Delicate features, a composed expression, and a faint smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Boss!"
The four of them shouted at the same time, their voices filled with unbelievable excitement.
Ye Songnian's eyes instantly reddened, and he rushed forward two steps: "Master! You're not dead?! But Chen Pingping and Fan Jian said you were...!"
Wang Ganju's voice trembled with excitement: "Yes, boss! You're really not dead! That's wonderful... wonderful..."
Chen Youliang and Ye Baizhou also gathered around, and all four of them had tears welling up in their eyes.
Their boss is still alive!
The woman… or rather, Wu Feng, who was wearing Ye Qingmei's face, gently shook his head and put the mask back on.
"No," her voice was calm, "I am already dead. What you see now is not the real me."
The four of them were stunned again.
Wang Ganju's Adam's apple bobbed: "Master, what...do you mean by that?"
"I don't have much time left," said Ye Qingmei. "I came here to tell you something."
"From now on, the three major workshops and Qingyutang will follow Wu Feng's arrangements. You may not necessarily listen to Li Yunrui, but you must listen to Wu Feng."
"Why?" Chen Youliang exclaimed anxiously, "Master, that Wu Feng is one of the Princess's men!"
The other three also looked puzzled.
Ye Qingmei smiled faintly: "Because I made a deal with Wu Feng. He and I... have other plans. You'll understand later."
"But the boss..." Ye Songnian wanted to say something more.
"I should go," Ye Qingmei interrupted him, her voice gentle. "Remember my words. This is your only chance to protect yourself, the three major workshops, and Qingyutang...
After saying that, she turned and walked towards the courtyard gate.
"Master! Where are you going?" Ye Songnian and the other three quickly chased after him.
Ye Qingmei didn't turn around, leaving only one sentence floating in the night wind:
"Go back. I'm... a dead man now."
The moment she finished speaking, her figure suddenly blurred.
In the next instant, the pure white figure transformed into three faint afterimages, like smoke scattered by the wind, silently disappearing into the darkness.
Ye Songnian and the other three stood frozen in place, their eyes wide open.
A night breeze rustled through the courtyard. The candlelight flickered in the study, casting swaying shadows.
Wang Ganju swallowed hard, his voice dry.
"Is the mistress... really dead?"
Chen Youliang's face turned pale, and he murmured, "The master I just worked for... wasn't he human?"
Ye Baizhou shivered and subconsciously took half a step back.
Ye Songnian stood there, staring in the direction where Ye Qingmei had disappeared. After a long while, he slowly exhaled.
"Whether it's the boss or not... we have to listen to him."
The four people looked at each other, and no one said anything more.
The night was still deep, and the candlelight was still flickering.
But some things are different now.