“Even a powerful dragon can’t suppress a local snake, and besides, we’re not yet at the point where we can go all in and confront the Huang family head-on,” Luo Cuiwei shook her head, coughing again before continuing after a moment, “Although that distant relative of the Huang family is only a county magistrate, he is a powerful backer who is willing to risk losing his position to stand up for the Huang family; such a reliable backer is something our family doesn’t have right now.”
If we trace their lineage back to their ancestors, the Luo family was also illustrious: they produced imperial tutors, grand secretaries, and numerous relatives by marriage who were dukes and marquises.
But that was over a hundred years ago, and besides, the Luo family in western Beijing was a collateral branch. Even if they really wanted to force their way into those relationships, it would take a lot of effort to get close to them.
Luo Fengming thought for a long time with a pained expression, "Well, it can't be like this... Father has been recuperating from his injuries for the past few years, and his spirits aren't as good as before. I really..."
Luo Cuiwei rubbed her temples and chuckled softly, "There's never any peace in a merchant's family. People go through three periods of poverty and three periods of wealth before they even reach old age. When you're on your own in the future, you'll definitely encounter more and more dangerous things than you do now. Don't think of going to your father every time you're bullied."
"Then I'll go find my sister." Luo Fengming grinned mischievously, a hint of childishness showing on his handsome face.
"Get lost," Luo Cui smiled and gave him a reproachful look. "Your sister just wants to live a life of leisure and has no intention of protecting you for the rest of her life."
After a bit of laughter and joking, Luo Cuiwei lowered her eyes and said seriously, "This year has already turned out like this, we can only accept our bad luck; but next year we can't just stand there and get beaten up by others."
Luo Fengming realized that his elder sister already had a plan, so he nodded obediently and waited for her to continue.
“We can’t lose the trade route to the north, but Songyuan is currently a dead end that we can’t solve. We can only go around it for now,” Luo Cuiwei pushed the half-spread map on the table open a little more and pointed her slender index finger to a spot in the north of Songyuan. “Perhaps we can try sending the goods through Linchuan next year.”
The Luo family's treasury is full. The current discussions outside about the tenant farmers in the south defaulting on rent due to poor harvests and the people in the capital flocking to the Luo family's bank to cash out their silver due to a lack of confidence in the Luo family are not enough to shake the foundation of the Luo family.
However, if the trade routes to the north are lost, the Luo family will inevitably decline within ten years at most, which is the most fatal blow at present.
According to Luo Cuiwei's current thinking, if they can temporarily alleviate the troubles by passing through Linchuan next year, they will be able to free up their resources to explore other business routes. In this way, the Luo family will not only be able to get out of the current predicament smoothly, but may even be able to create a brand new situation.
Luo Fengming was shocked: "Sister! Dear sister! Are you planning to send our caravan to attack the Linchuan army's defense zone? Are you planning a rebellion?"
"What's all the fuss about? I have a headache," Luo Cuiwei rolled her eyes at him, pressed her forehead and coughed violently for a while, "I just wanted to pass through."
"Borrow from whom?" Luo Fengming was terrified, with a bad feeling.
“I received news this morning,” Luo Cuiwei said with a slight smile, her watery eyes gleaming with anticipation, “Prince Zhao, Yun Lie, has returned to the capital.”
Luo Fengming's mind went blank for a moment, and he slammed his hands weakly on the table: "Ancestors above, my sister has gone mad."
“King Zhao Yunlie… he’s a tough nut to crack, a bone that can’t be cleaved by a knife or burned by fire! His Linchuan army is the flesh and blood shield on the northwest defense line! How could he possibly agree to ‘colluding’ with us and let our caravan pass through his army formation openly!” Although fortune favors the bold, Luo Fengming felt that this idea was far too absurd.
“Father always said that business deals are negotiated,” Luo Cuiwei said, raising her bright smile and looking gently at her younger brother who was jumping up in surprise. “I want to give it a try.”
She did not expect to form a long-term alliance with King Zhao. As long as the tea and silk were successfully sold through the northern trade route after the spring of next year, this "collusion" would be considered a complete success. It would be great if they could continue to cooperate afterward, but it would not matter if they could not.
Luo Fengming suddenly stood up, one hand on his hip and the other scratching his head, pacing back and forth in front of the table, his face full of disbelief.
"Am I inexperienced and slow to think? In business, one party has to gain something and the other has to ask for something, right? What could a prince who is an adult with a title and military merits possibly not want? Do you think our family would offer him a dragon throne?"
“The dragon throne is certainly not something I can afford, but even princes have their favorites and those who aren’t,” Luo Cuiwei chuckled. “Do you remember when I returned from Songyuan two years ago, there were five cartloads of grain missing?”
Luo Fengming finally stopped running around and looked at his older sister in surprise.
“If I’m not mistaken, the Linchuan army is so poor they’re practically eating the ground,” Luo Cuiwei said cryptically, revealing the whereabouts of the five cartloads of grain. “Although I don’t know the details, I guess His Highness Prince Zhao is probably short of money.”
It seems that the Luo family has nothing else besides money.
After pondering for a long time, Luo Fengming turned his head to look at the gray sky outside the window and murmured to himself—
"My ancestors, my sister has gone mad. And I can't help but want to go mad with her."
2. Chapter Two
Although the Luo family of Jingxi was only a wealthy merchant, their attention to food was no less than that of royalty and noble families, and they were very willing to spend money and effort on it.
After Luo Huai took over the family business, he even set aside a kitchen courtyard in the mansion and hung a plaque that read "Tiao Ding Tang". All the chefs were hired from all over the country at great expense.
Therefore, as long as the Luo family members are in the capital, unless it is an extremely urgent matter, they will not miss eating, no matter what.
At dusk, Luo Cuiwei and Luo Fengming entered the dining room together. Seeing Zhuo Yu there, the siblings bowed to her.
"Will Mother be eating with us tonight?" Luo Cuiwei asked.
Since Luo Huai was seriously injured at sea and brought back to China two years ago, he has been recuperating in the main hospital. His meals are delivered separately to the main hospital. Zhuo Yu has been accompanying her husband and has not been to the dining room for a long time.
Zhuo Yu smiled and shook her head, explaining softly, "I heard you've been eating very little lately, so I came to see if the food is wrong."
Luo Huai had suffered internal injuries, and now his meals have to follow the doctor's prescribed tonics. The dishes in the dining room are arranged by the chefs themselves, so Zhuo Yu doesn't usually know what the children are eating. Today, she heard that Luo Cuiwei had been eating too little lately, so she was worried and rushed over to check on her.
"I just had a bad appetite from taking medicine for too long," Luo Cuiwei coughed lightly a few times before continuing, "I've already asked the chef to make some porridge for me, so my mother won't worry."
Zhuo Yu was slightly relieved.
The waiters were setting out the bowls and chopsticks when Luo Cuizhen, the youngest daughter of the Luo family, rubbed her frostbitten fingertips and walked to the table on tiptoe with a smile.
"Tonight's dish is tuanyou rice..." Luo Cuizhen looked at the tuanyou rice that had just been brought in, her face beaming with delight.
The Luo family's rice is incomparable to anything you can find outside. Inside, there are fried shrimp, grilled fish, chicken, goose, pork, mutton, sausage, steamed egg, ginger, cinnamon, salt, and fermented black beans. Just a small bowl is incredibly abundant.
Zhuo Yu gave her a gentle reproachful look and said softly, "Why are you jumping around? Walk properly."
Luo Cuizhen secretly stuck out her tongue and snuggled close to Luo Cuiwei affectionately, "Sister, let me tell you something... Sister!"
The girl, who was twelve or thirteen years old, naturally had a high-pitched voice. This sudden shout startled both Luo Cuiwei and Luo Fengming.
Zhuo Yu was also startled. After calming down, she frowned slightly and gently scolded, "Zhen'er, why are you yelling at your sister like that?"
"I ate rice with glutinous rice, while my sister ate water chestnut and minced meat porridge..." Luo Cuizhen pouted, gazing longingly at the small porridge bowl placed in front of Luo Cuiwei. "Sister, can I have some of this porridge?"
The porridge looked ordinary, but it was made by repeatedly filtering chicken broth that had been simmering all night until it was clear before adding water chestnut pieces and finely minced meat to the rice. Although it was only a small bowl, it took more effort than making glutinous rice. Normally, the kitchen would not make this porridge unless someone asked for it.