Chapter 407 - 405: Prosperity Arrives Unstoppably (First Update)

Chapter 407: Chapter 405: Prosperity Arrives Unstoppably (First Update)

In the tea house opposite Xinglin Hall, two men were sitting together chatting, and the people around them, hearing them discuss Xinglin Hall, all quietly perked up their ears.

The man who mentioned that his second uncle had a brother serving as a minor official in the capital realized the attention on him, crossed his legs complacently, and said with smugness, "You’re asking the right person about this matter. Such court secrets—how could others have access to this information? It’s said that when Xinglin Hall first started vying for the military’s supply rights, they collaborated with Tianyi Hall. The two had cooperated previously, but it seems the master of Tianyi Hall preferred to stay low profile, letting Xinglin Hall take the forefront to compete.

Now, with Xinglin Hall and Guangming Hall both down, the army still needs medicine. They can’t just ignore this because the others are gone, but fortunately, there’s one ready to step in, right?"

The other man suddenly understood, "Tianyi Hall?!"

"Exactly! Who could have expected this to ultimately fall onto Tianyi Hall’s shoulders!"

The man slapped his thigh, "In my opinion, when fortune comes, it can’t be stopped. If you talk about power, Tianyi Hall, already famous throughout Great Chu, is definitely stronger than Xinglin Hall. Logically, it should have come forward to compete with Guangming Hall! But the master of Tianyi Hall, wanting to keep a low profile, hid behind Xinglin Hall. Heh, it seems even heaven couldn’t stand it!"

"But Tianyi Hall was in a cooperative relationship with Xinglin Hall. Wouldn’t the poisoning incident at Xinglin Hall have affected Tianyi Hall?"

"Who says their cooperation means they must share the blame? The issue happened at Xinglin Hall, not Tianyi Hall.

Besides, have you forgotten how the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, Lord Cui, specifically came to Tianyi Hall for medicine earlier? It’s said that the medicines for bruises and injuries Lord Cui wanted were all made by Miss Xu, and currently, she’s allowing only Tianyi Hall and Xinglin Hall to sell her medicines. The court’s Imperial Medical Bureau and the Pharmacy Bureau evaluated Miss Xu’s medicines and gave them high praise. But now, Tianyi Hall is the only place where these medicines can be bought. Therefore, I think it’s a certainty that Tianyi Hall will ultimately secure that spot!"

The surrounding people couldn’t help but murmur in admiration.

No one could have expected that behind these medical halls, there were so many complicated entanglements, like battles among immortals!

The quiet and unassuming Tianyi Hall was the one to emerge victorious in the end. Perhaps, as the man said, when fortune comes, it can’t be stopped!

Most people present were drawn to the man’s eloquent chatter and didn’t notice that in the corner of the tea house, a man in his forties, dressed in a clean dark blue robe and with a gloomy aura, was clenching the teacup tighter and tighter, so much so that the veins on the back of his hand bulged as if he wanted to crush the teacup with force.

After a long moment, he seemed to regain some rationality, very carefully placing the teacup back on the table, stood up, put a few copper coins on the table, and then, as quietly as he arrived, quietly left.

At this moment, if anyone turned their head to see his face, they would certainly be frightened by his dark, fierce, and resentful expression.

The next afternoon, at the Zhou family residence in the Western Capital.

Zhou Xian saw his elder brother off at the door, frowning slightly, "Brother, why are you suddenly rushing back to Anping County? Has something happened at home?"

Since the reopening of Tianyi Hall’s Western Capital branch, Zhou Qi had shifted his focus here, spending most of the month in the Western Capital.

This time, he had just been in the Western Capital for a couple of days and now needed to rush back to Anping County, something that had never happened before.

Thinking of the recent turmoil, Zhou Xian couldn’t help but feel uneasy, "With what happened at Xinglin Hall a few days ago, and now you’re suddenly rushing back to Anping County, could it be... someone’s really plotting against Xinglin Hall and our Tianyi Hall? Brother, why don’t I go back with you!"

Zhou Qi turned his head, looking at his worried younger brother, smiled lightly, "Xian’er, have you begun to think about so many things and even worry about the family’s business and relatives now."

Zhou Xian stiffened slightly, turning his head away. His fair cheeks flushed slightly, "Brother, stop talking to me in that tone. I’m not a child anymore! I may have been a bit reckless in the past, but following you around recently, I’ve realized how hard you’ve worked over the years and the heavy burden you bear. I... truly want to help share your burden."

Seeing Zhou Xian in this awkward state, Zhou Qi’s eyes softened even more. With a faint smile, he said, "You’ve already helped me a lot, truly. Xian’er, seeing you so mature now, I’m really pleased. If father knew from the afterlife, he’d be delighted too.

Even if... something were to happen to me now, with you here, Tianyi Hall would not fall."

Hearing such unsettling words, Zhou Xian’s brows furrowed tighter instantly. Putting his pride aside, he turned suddenly, "Brother, are you hiding something from me? Earlier, I asked if there was a problem in Anping County, and you never answered directly. Has something major happened in Anping County!?"

"No, don’t overthink. I was just musing casually."

Zhou Qi saw that the carriage was ready and waiting for him outside. He smiled mildly, "There’s a batch of medicinal materials recently shipped back to Anping County that seems off. I’m uneasy and want to go back personally to inspect. It’s nothing serious. If you don’t believe me, you can check my study; the letter from Manager Ye of Tianyi Hall’s main branch discussing this is still on my desk.

Here in the Western Capital, manpower is much needed. Stay here with peace of mind; when you have the time, visit Miss Xu and Mr. Cheng. They’ve certainly been through a lot with these recent events.

Zhou Xian’s brows remained furrowed, but since his brother said so, insisting on going back would make him seem immature.

He looked at the carriage outside, held back for a moment, and said reluctantly, "It’s getting dark; traveling at night isn’t safe. If you must return, leave in the morning."

"There are many tasks in the Western Capital, and I must hurry back. Leaving tomorrow morning would be too late."

Zhou Qi said, "I’ve traveled at night many times before; don’t worry."

Zhou Xian didn’t know what to say.

His brother was busy with affairs, and traveling at night was not uncommon.

But this time, a vague unease lingered in his heart, as if... this departure meant he wouldn’t return, just like their father before...

He shook his head hastily, shaking away these inexplicable foreboding thoughts, and said unwillingly, "Alright then, safe travels, brother. I’ll make time to visit Miss Xu and Mr. Cheng."

Zhou Qi smiled faintly and turned to board the carriage.

The carriage slowly made its way toward the city gate.

Zhou Xian stood by the gate, watching his brother’s carriage fade into the distance. Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, his brows furrowed once more.