Chapter 453 - 453 The Matter was Actually Resolved

Zhang, the shopkeeper, was uneasy, rubbing his hands, but he didn’t know where to start. Shouldn’t this matter be discussed calmly and reasonably? Why was Lady Qu so harsh? She seemed ready to explode. How could she speak like that?

Yue’s Gold Pavilion was the party at fault, originally weak, and now by saying that, weren’t they pushing the other side towards hostility?

Zhang, the shopkeeper, understood merchants well. Though they prioritized profits, in situations like this, they may change their stance when facing real consequences. Besides, Lady Qu’s identity cannot intimidate this Master Zhao. Even Earl Ling’an’s Mansion failed to do so; how could our Lady Qu succeed?

Shopkeeper Zhang was sweating profusely, glancing at Yu Dong behind Qu Moying, hoping she’d take the initiative to mediate.

Unfortunately, Yu Dong just glanced at him and ignored him, lowering her head.

What a foolish servant girl, Shopkeeper Zhang cursed inwardly, rubbing his hands harder. He looked at Master Zhao, whose expression was grim, gathered his courage, and was about to speak.

In this situation, someone must resolve the conflict!

“Master Zhao…”

“Do you have to be this way?” Master Zhao’s words interrupted Shopkeeper Zhang, his gaze fixed on Qu Moying. His smile slowly faded, replaced by a powerful aura that silenced Shopkeeper Zhang.

When Master Zhao smiled, he appeared less imposing, but when his face turned cold, he stifled any words from Shopkeeper Zhang. This made Shopkeeper Zhang suspect that he was no ordinary person.

Shopkeeper Zhang turned to look at Qu Moying, pleading with his eyes.

Qu Moying, her face still behind the veil, remained calm, and her voice had no fluctuations. “Master Zhao, why don’t you propose a reasonable condition? If there’s any difficulty, my father might be able to help. After all, Earl Ling’an’s Mansion isn’t what it used to be.”

Earl Ling’an’s Mansion had fallen. After the deaths of Earl Ling’an and the Crown Princess, the whole Earl Ling’an’s Mansion declined, a fact well-known throughout the capital.

Formerly, Earl Ling’an’s Mansion ranked among the best in the capital. Now, although it retained its status, everyone knew it was just an empty shell; few would take it seriously anymore.

At this point, Qu Moying was confident that Qu Zhizhen could accomplish more than Earl Ling’an’s Mansion.

Of course, achieving more also meant having greater influence. If it truly becomes a lose-lose situation, there’s a difference between a lose-lose with the Qu Mansion and a lose-lose with the Ji Mansion.

If this was a matter of the Ji Mansion, the crown prince would not intervene in the end. Previously, the crown prince had caused trouble because this was the crown prince consort’s dowry. Most people in the capital knew that if the crown prince intervened, people would suspect that the crown prince was coveting the crown prince consort’s dowry.

The situation was different for the Qu Mansion. Qu Zhizhen was Qu Moying’s father, and he had every reason to protect his daughter and stand with this mysterious Master Zhao.

Considering this, the Qu Mansion’s influence was much greater!

As a result, Qu Moying was quite confident. The only way Master Zhao would go to such lengths was if he either wanted to sever ties with the Qu Mansion completely or had a real grudge against them.

“Can you make the decision?” His expression turned cold.

“Of course, I can make the decision.” Qu Moying nodded without hesitation.

“Can your father listen to your arrangements? I heard you was raised elsewhere.” Master Zhao smiled faintly, implying something in his words.

Qu Moying understood the implications but responded calmly, “Although I was raised in a manor, I am still my father’s daughter, and his legitimate daughter at that. Could there be any enmity between a father and daughter in this world that lasts overnight?”

Since Master Zhao brought it up, she did not hesitate to lay out the conditions. It was better to take the initiative, rather than appear overly timid or indecisive. This way, she could create an impression that she was in control of the situation.

The more hesitant one appeared, the more it showed a lack of confidence.

Master Zhao was surprised by Qu Moying’s response. After observing her for a moment, he shook his head and smiled, “Since Lady Qu is so forthright, I won’t beat around the bush. I want to acquire fifty percent of the shares in Yue’s Gold Pavilion.”

“Occupy fifty percent of Yue’s Gold Pavilion’s shares?” Qu Moying asked with an unchanged expression, “That’s not acceptable. At most, I can offer you ten percent.”

“That’s too little, Lady Qu. I genuinely want to establish a foothold in the capital. Ten percent is insufficient. I need at least fifty percent to become a true owner of Yue’s Gold Pavilion.”

“If it’s only to establish a foothold in the capital, how about I give you a store instead? That way, you won’t have to compete with me for the property rights of Yue’s Gold Pavilion.” Qu Moying said after a brief pause.

She had a few stores in her possession and could offer one to Master Zhao. She didn’t want Master Zhao meddling in her family’s affairs, even if it was just taking a share of the profits.

However, she also believed that Master Zhao wouldn’t like the idea of sharing a store with her.

“What kind of store would you give me? Can it match the value of the ruby?” Master Zhao furrowed his brows, asking seriously.

“It’s also located in a bustling area. It’s a pastry shop situated on a busy street just ahead. You’ve been in the capital for a while, so you should have an idea of what that area is like!” Qu Moying explained.

This proposal made Master Zhao pause for a moment. “How many rooms does it have?”

“It has three rooms, and there’s a small courtyard behind the pastry shop, suitable for baking pastries or accommodating people.” Qu Moying answered.

Master Zhao remained silent, pressing his eyebrows with his hand, appearing somewhat conflicted.

Qu Moying observed him quietly, neither rushing nor pressing for an answer.

After a long while, when Shopkeeper Zhang’s palm on his knee was covered in sweat, Master Zhao finally raised his head, looked at Qu Moying, who appeared composed despite her concealed features, and nodded, “Alright.”

Zhang, the shopkeeper, was so excited that he almost stood up, his face filled with unrestrained joy. He turned back with surprise to look at Qu Moying. He hadn’t expected that this seemingly difficult-to-deal-with young man, Master Zhao, would be so accommodating.

“Deal!” Qu Moying turned to look at Yu Dong. Yu Dong stepped forward and took out a document from her sleeve, handing it to Master Zhao. “Master Zhao, please take a look. This is what our lady has prepared.”

Master Zhao accepted the document and carefully examined it before nodding. “Lady Qu, are we going to the Yamen now?”

Once they had made a decision, they needed to formalize it at the Yamen to establish a clear resolution.

Qu Moying nodded in agreement.

The two of them left together, each getting into their own carriage, and headed to the Yamen to settle the case and notarize the store’s transfer.

Upon hearing that they had chosen to settle the matter amicably and not proceed with a lawsuit, the Yamen officials were naturally pleased. They closed the case, notarized the store transfer, and received a compensation payment from both parties. The Yamen officials cheerfully sent them off.

“Master Zhao, Yu Dong will take you there. As for the store’s employees, if you wish to keep them, feel free to do so. If not, I have a relocation fee prepared.”

Qu Moying said as she stood by the door.

The pastry shop was previously under the control of Yu. Qu Moying had originally planned to reorganize the store after settling other matters. However, that plan was no longer necessary.

As for the relocation fee, it was just a small token of appreciation.

Moreover, there were some peculiarities about this pastry shop that Qu Qiuyan had mentioned. Sending it away directly also ensured a clean break.

“There’s no need for someone to accompany me. I will handle it with the document I have. If you don’t need those people around, I might keep some of them. If it doesn’t go well, I’ll compensate on behalf of Lady Qu.” Master Zhao said with a faint smile.

Looking at Qu Moying, the long veil obscured her face, but her clear and cold voice could be heard. It was different from the intentional soft voice affected by most noble ladies. Her voice had a certain icy elegance, especially when she spoke without a hint of emotion, which made it even more chilling.

“Alright.” Qu Moying replied, giving Master Zhao a sideways salute before turning away without any further interest.

This woman was quite decisive!

Was she really just fourteen years old?

Earlier, he had thought that even if he didn’t get any shares, she would at least give up more benefits. But unexpectedly, it was him who had to give up some of his own benefits.

Qu Moying, the fourth lady of the Qu family, although the legitimate daughter, was abandoned at a manor outside the capital from a young age and had to fend for herself. Rumors said that the deceased Prince Consort still cared for this cousin and sent things over from time to time. It was said that the treatment for her eyes was arranged by the Prince Consort.

After returning to the capital, she was rejected by Young Master Yongning and still had no engagement until now.

With so many pampered young ladies in the capital, unable to find suitable marriages, let alone a girl with an eye condition. But was that eye condition real?

One thing was for sure, this kind of woman was completely different from any he had encountered before…

As he watched Qu Moying depart, lost in thought, he observed her getting into the carriage. The Qu family’s carriage slowly left the front of the Yamen and disappeared into the distance.

“Your Excellency, Your Excellency!” The servant following him called out a few times when he noticed Master Zhao lost in thought, gazing at the Qu family’s carriage.

“Let’s go!” Master Zhao nodded, a thoughtful smile appeared on his handsome face. A young lady who couldn’t find a good marriage was indeed surprising!

But it’s not a bad thing, right?

People here might not appreciate such a lady, but he found her appealing. Just from that one glance, he could tell that she was an exceptionally beautiful young girl…