Gu Jiu was short on people.
Various kinds of talent were needed.
People were easy to find, but loyal and trustworthy ones were rare.
So, Gu Jiu asked Fang mama to help her search for capable individuals, preferably those who had served in the palace.
When Fang mama reported that she had found potential candidates, Gu Jiu was very pleased.
She asked eagerly, “How many people has mama found? Are they reliable?”
Fang mama replied solemnly, “Nubi found two people. One was once a palace guard but was dismissed after offending someone. He’s stubborn and tends to make enemies, so he’s been doing odd jobs to make a living.”
Gu Jiu said, “Stubbornness doesn’t matter. As long as he’s capable and loyal, I’ll use him.”
Fang mama continued, “Nubi told him about guniang’s situation. He agreed to meet guniang. This man values his promises above all. He keeps every word he gives. It was precisely this trait that got him into trouble with some high-ranking palace officials, which led to his dismissal.”
Gu Jiu nodded inwardly. Fang mama had indeed found a reliable person.
A person could lack skill but still keep promises, and that alone was valuable. One who was both capable and trustworthy was truly rare.
She asked, “I want to meet him. And the other person, what about him?”
Fang mama hesitated before speaking. “The other person’s situation is a bit complicated. He used to be a palace attendant, but after losing favor, he was demoted to a minor position as a minor eunuch. He is in his forties or fifties and has been doing the lowest-ranking tasks in the palace. Nubi has a good relationship with him, but nubi had little influence in the palace and could not help him. Now that nubi has left the palace and he’s still inside, if guniang doesn’t mind, nubi can recommend him to you.”
Gu Jiu looked at Fang mama. “He is still in palace service as a low-ranked eunuch; how could I use him?”
Fang mama explained, “Guniang cannot use him now, but once you marry into the wang fu, by regulation, you may have several low-ranked eunuchs around you. At that time, through shaofu, guniang can bring him over.”
Gu Jiu considered this and said, “His situation is indeed complicated. We’ll talk about it later. But we can try to make contact first. What is the name of the first person you found?”
“His name is Song Zheng. He lives near the south gate. He has a relative who works as a city gate official, and he’s staying at his relative’s home.”
Curious, Gu Jiu asked, “He isn’t married? How old is he?”
Fang mama said, “He was once betrothed, but after being dismissed from the palace, the engagement was canceled. He should be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight now, in his prime.”
Gu Jiu asked, “What about his parents and family?”
Fang mama replied, “His parents passed away long ago. He has an older brother and sister. He doesn’t get along with his brother, and since his brother’s family is large, he didn’t take a house during the division of property. The relative he’s staying with is actually his sister’s family.”
So that was the case.
She said, “I’ll trouble mama to arrange a meeting with him.”
“Nubi will contact Song Zheng immediately. Once nubi has news, nubi will report at once.”
“Go ahead, mama.”
Fang mama worked efficiently. That evening, she brought news to Gu Jiu.
Song Zheng agreed to meet three days later.
The meeting place was set by Fang mama at a teahouse opposite Jumeizhai in Shili Alley. It was a familiar area for Gu Jiu, and with two strong men present, it was safe.
Three days later, Gu Jiu found an opportunity to slip out from the back gate of the residence and headed to Shili Alley.
The ox-drawn cart moved through the streets, which were somewhat chaotic.
Along the way, Gu Jiu saw several incidents of shops being smashed.
She frowned. “Aren’t the Xiuyiwei or the capital magistrate taking charge?”
Li Chuan said, “They can’t manage it. There have been too many incidents like this recently.”
Fang mama cleared her throat.
Gu Jiu asked, “Does mama know something about the background?”
Fang mama whispered, “According to Song Zheng, the people smashing shops are not ordinary. One side is the Eastern Palace guards, the other is Ning wang fu’s guards. That’s why the Xiuyiwei and the capital magistrate cannot intervene.”
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow. “Has the Eastern Palace openly clashed with Ning wang fu?”
Fang mama replied, “Outwardly, they’re still amicable. If the palace investigates, they can just claim it’s the juniors’ doing, and it can be covered up.”
The juniors, of course, meant the Eldest Imperial Grandson and Gongzi Zhao.
Gu Jiu thought, what is Liu Zhao up to?
To resort to such childish, impulsive vandalism, is that amusing?
Or was Liu Zhao trying to confuse people again?
Gu Jiu asked, “Has mama learned anything about Gongzi Zhao’s injuries?”
Fang mama shook her head. “Nubi has no connections in Ning wang fu, so nubi can’t get precise information. But Song Zheng has a few old friends who served with him; they’re now guards at Ning wang fu. If guniang wants to learn about the situation there, you can ask Song Zheng.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Thank you, mama.”
“Guniang is too polite.”
The cart arrived at Shili Alley.
Gu Jiu got off and glanced back at Jumeizhai.
The doors were still tightly shut.
Over a month had passed since the case, but because it was unresolved, Jumeizhai could not reopen.
This unforeseen disaster had severely impacted the shop.
All the progress they had worked so hard for was lost. Once it reopened, business would certainly suffer.
Everything was back to square one, needing to start over.
Fortunately, Gu Jiu now had confidence.
The three thousand taels of ransom money from Fang shaojian, combined with the dowry silver given by Wei lao furen, meant Gu Jiu was now moderately wealthy.
With over five thousand taels of silver, she could make a big move.
Arriving at the teahouse, she went up to a private room on the second floor.
Song Zheng was waiting inside.
The table was clean, with no tea served yet.
Gu Jiu smiled. “Qing Mei, have the waiter serve tea and some snacks. You must be Guard Song.”
“I don’t dare. I am no longer a guard. Gu guniang should please just call me Song Er,” he said, standing and cupping his fists in respect.
Gu Jiu looked at him. His spirit was good; the hardships of life hadn’t broken him. His eyes were especially bright and spirited.
She sat opposite him. “Please, Guard Song, have a seat.”
Gu Jiu didn’t change the way she addressed him.
Song Zheng’s eyebrows and eyes twitched slightly. From Gu Jiu’s attitude, he didn’t feel scorn; instead, he felt respect.
Respect?
Just two simple words, how long had it been since he last experienced that?
Especially respect from someone of a higher status.
Thus, Song Zheng’s first impression of Gu Jiu was very positive.
The waiter brought tea and snacks, then withdrew.
Gu Jiu personally poured tea and offered it to Song Zheng.
Song Zheng was taken aback. “Gu guniang, you’re too polite. I can serve myself.”
Gu Jiu put down the teapot. “No need to be polite, Guard Song. Fang mama has already told you about my situation, right?”
Song Zheng nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard everything.”
Gu Jiu lifted her teacup and blew across the surface, letting the tea fragrance drift to her nose.
The teahouse was simple, but the tea leaves were good.
She put down the cup without drinking and looked seriously at Song Zheng. “At the end of this year, I will marry into the wang fu as an Imperial Granddaughter-in-law. I urgently need various talents around me.
“Guard Song, would you be willing to help me? Of course, I cannot grant you an official post now, but once I am in the wang fu, I promise to secure you a seventh-rank guard position.”
Song Zheng didn’t immediately agree, even though a seventh-rank post was very tempting.
He asked, “May I know what Gu guniang wants me to do?”
Gu Jiu pointed to Wang Yi beside her. “Inside, I have Wang Yi to protect me. Outside, I need someone with exceptional martial skill for protection.
“Also, I have several shops that will open one by one. I need someone well-connected to keep an eye on things, to prevent any trouble from petty thieves.
“Lastly, I need your network of contacts to gather all kinds of information.
“Of course, maintaining connections requires money. Don’t worry about that, I will provide enough silver. Your job is to reconnect with your old contacts and gather all the useful information you can.”
Song Zheng raised his teacup, frowning in thought.
Fang mama stared at him. “What are you hesitating for? Guniang came today with full sincerity. If you miss this, you’ll never find a better opportunity in your life.”
Gu Jiu raised her hand to stop Fang mama. “Don’t pressure Guard Song, mama. This must be voluntary; it cannot be forced.”
Song Zheng quickly finished the tea in his cup and refilled it.
He stared at Gu Jiu. “Earlier, Gu guniang spoke about gathering all possible information. Does that include palace news as well?”
Gu Jiu looked at him with a faint smile but said nothing.
Some things didn’t need to be said, they both understood.
“I do have some contacts in the palace, though I haven’t been in touch for several years, and they’ve drifted away.”
“That’s fine. With a few more interactions, you’ll gradually become familiar once again.”
Song Zheng looked at Gu Jiu. “I will not sell myself.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “I don’t need you to sell yourself, but I do need your loyalty.”
Song Zheng lifted his cup and drank in one gulp.
“I’m honored that Gu guniang thinks highly of me. I’m willing to serve you. I promise to be loyal and never betray Gu guniang’s trust.”
Gu Jiu smiled satisfactorily. “Guard Song, I look forward to working with you. But this is official business, so please sign this contract.”
Gu Jiu had prepared three contracts: five years, ten years, and twenty years.
This was essentially a labor contract, Gu Jiu was hiring Song Zheng.
Qing Mei presented the four treasures of the study.
Song Zheng looked at the contracts. Aside from the different terms, all the contents were identical.
The core of the contract was absolute obedience to Gu Jiu and total loyalty.
Song Zheng looked at Gu Jiu. “Does Gu guniang trust me?”
Gu Jiu said, “I don’t trust you yet, but I will try to trust you.”
Song Zheng suddenly smiled. “Gu guniang didn’t say you trusted me right away. I believe Gu guniang is someone methodical and careful in her actions.”
Then Song Zheng picked up the pen and signed the twenty-year contract.
Gu Jiu examined the contract, satisfied with the signature and seal, and handed it to Qing Mei.
After Qing Mei put it away, she presented a purse to Song Zheng.
“This is from guniang. Take care of it. Start reconnecting with your old contacts and gather useful information for guniang as quickly as possible.”
Song Zheng opened the purse hesitantly. Inside were silver notes of various denominations, totaling two hundred taels.
He felt the money burn in his hands. “This is too much. I don’t need so much.”
Gu Jiu said, “Two hundred taels may seem a lot, but to rebuild connections, this is barely enough.”
“Take this money, find a place to settle down, and move out of your relatives’ house as soon as possible.
“Next, think carefully about who would be the quickest to approach to rebuild past connections. Recently, the fight between the Eldest Imperial Grandson and Gongzi Zhao has caused quite a stir. Find out the details for me, how serious are Gongzi Zhao’s injuries?
“Also, try to gather any news from the palace. If anything comes up, contact Fang mama. If you run out of money, remember to ask Fang mama for more.”
Song Zheng clenched the purse tightly and nodded heavily. “Don’t worry, guniang. I’ll find out the information as soon as possible.”
Gu Jiu smiled. “I trust you, you won’t disappoint me.”
Song Zheng took his leave, busy finding a new place to move to and reconnecting old contacts.
Er Zhuang went upstairs and entered the private room.
“Xiaode pays respects to guniang.”
“Sit and speak.”
Er Zhuang sat where Song Zheng had been.
Qing Mei poured tea for Er Zhuang, who smiled at her.
Qing Mei gave him a sharp look.
Gu Jiu asked, “What’s the current situation?”
Er Zhuang sighed. “Guniang, Jumeizhai may not be able to continue operating. Xiaode was thinking, if it really doesn’t work, we could find another place and reopen.”
“Have you found a suitable location?”
Er Zhuang’s face darkened.
Doing business in the capital, the hardest part was finding a proper shop.
Er Zhuang said, “In Shili Alley, there’s nothing suitable. We’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Gu Jiu replied decisively, “If we find a suitable place, relocating to reopen is fine. If not, don’t worry. I plan to open an apothecary, have the people you were asked to recruit been found?”
Er Zhuang nodded repeatedly. “Yes, guniang. Everyone you instructed has been found. Contracts are signed, and they’re being trained according to the guide you provided.”
Gu Jiu had her own business plan.
To start a business, two things are needed: money and people.
She had a little money on hand now.
Since arriving in the capital, she had instructed Er Zhuang to carefully gather talent.
Nearly a year had passed, and finally there were some results.
Er Zhuang handed Gu Jiu a list. “Guniang, I’ve recruited ten people. Their details are all here for your review.”
Gu Jiu opened the list and glanced through it.
They basically met her requirements.
“Are these people currently in training?”
Er Zhuang nodded. “I’ve brought them all to the house for training. Guniang, do you want to take a look?”
Gu Jiu shook her head. “Not for now. First, secure the apothecary. Let’s aim to open it before the end of the year.”
“I understand. Will the jewelry shop still open?”
Gu Jiu nodded. “Of course. My dowry includes two fabric shops and a grain-and-oil shop. The jewelry shop requires more capital and highly skilled craftsmen. We’ll deal with that after I marry into the wang fu.”
Opening a jewelry shop in the capital without backing was impossible.
All kinds of connections had to be handled.
Gu Jiu’s current status, as the second young lady of the Gu family, was not enough to support a jewelry business.
Once her status changed, marrying the Imperial Grandson, she could personally support all her businesses.
She was building backing for herself.
Then, her extensive business plan could gradually unfold.
She would need even more talent.
Gu Jiu instructed Er Zhuang further, telling him to continue recruiting competent people with good character.
Er Zhuang nodded. “Don’t worry, guniang. xiaode hasn’t had much to do lately, so I’ve been circulating the market. When xiaode meets suitable candidates, I will talk to them.”
After the business talk, Gu Jiu hurried back to the Gu residence.
Entering quietly through the back door, she returned safely to Zhilan Yuan.
Just as she sat down and exhaled, Xiao Cui brought her news.
“Guniang, something bad. I heard that laoye brought someone back from outside.”
Gu Jiu held her teacup, forgetting to drink.
“Who did laoye bring back?”
Xiao Cui shook her head. “I’m not sure. Should I inquire?”
“Go quickly.”
Gu Jiu exchanged a look with Fang mama. Both suspected the same thing: had laoye brought a woman home?
Soon, Gu Jiu’s suspicion was confirmed.
Gu daren had indeed brought back a woman, a singer, reportedly from a respectable family.
Her family lived on the outskirts of the capital and was in financial difficulty. She came out to sing and perform and was noticed by Gu daren, who brought her to the household as a concubine.
A newcomer naturally had to pay respects to the household matriarch first.
Xiao Cui said Gu daren was having the woman prepared and would bring her to the Furong Yuan to see Xie shi once she was ready.
Fang mama said, “Taitai isn’t fully recovered. If laoye brings a woman home now, taitai’s condition may relapse from the shock.”
Gu Jiu nodded. “This will be like adding insult to injury for taitai. Let’s also go to Furong Yuan to see the new concubine, let’s see if she’s beautiful.”
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