Chapter 30: Paying a Formal Visit

Li Youcai had been staying at the manor lately.

Logically speaking, now that the young master had just passed away, the salt pans and ironworks previously under his charge should have been prioritized. However, whether the young mistress was pregnant hung like a sword over the heads of everyone in the senior branch. If she were not pregnant, the members of the senior branch would immediately face the dilemma of where to turn. At such a time, whoever remained at the manor would hold the advantage. Therefore, Chief Steward Li would never leave the manor at this juncture.

It was precisely because of this that he was there to welcome Zhang Yunyi, the master of Feng'an Manor.

When Manor Master Zhang arrived to pay his respects, he did not seek out his superiors of higher status first. On the contrary, he first met with colleagues of lower or equal rank. During this process, he presented gifts according to the importance of each person, using these interactions to glean useful information. By the time he finally approached his high-ranking superiors, he knew exactly what attitude to strike.

Because of this, Zhang Yunyi quickly learned that the senior branch had added a second steward—none other than Yang Can, the late young master’s former advisor. However, since Yang Can’s residence was adjacent to Li Youcai’s, Zhang decided it would be unwise to visit the new steward first. After some deliberation, he prepared his gifts and arrived at Li Youcai’s quarters.

Feng'an Manor was the closest to Phoenix Manor among the six major estates handed over to the clan leader by Yu Huanhu. A swift horse could travel the distance between them in a single day. Leveraging this convenience, Zhang Yunyi became the first of the six estate masters to come and "pay his respects" to the Phoenix Manor.

Li Youcai was delighted by his arrival. This was the first person among the six estates and three pastures to proactively seek favor. With all factions watching and waiting to see if the young mistress was pregnant, receiving a visitor bearing gifts was a welcome validation.

Li Youcai stirred his tea leaves with the lid of his cup, glancing calmly at the small, gilded, dark-locked chest on the table. It was one of two gifts—a foot and a half long, with a height and width of half a foot, crafted from sandalwood with copper-reinforced corners. Such chests were typically used for gold and silver. Judging by the sound the chest made when placed on the table, Li concluded it was filled with gold, not silver. The weight of the "thud" had been unmistakable. At this size, it likely contained twelve to fifteen gold cakes. And at half a jin per cake... that was a handsome sum!

A fire ignited in Li Youcai’s heart, hotter than the scalding tea he had just swallowed in his excitement. He suppressed the pain in his mouth and maintained an air of nonchalance.

"Manor Master Zhang, you have come to the wrong gate and burned the wrong incense this time."

"How so, Chief Steward?" Zhang Yunyi asked with a smile. Approaching forty, Zhang still possessed a handsome appearance; he must have been quite striking in his youth.

Li Youcai smiled. "You might not know, but the clan leader has just appointed a second steward for our senior branch. From now on, the estates and pastures handed over by the second master will be under his responsibility."

Zhang Yunyi nodded in realization. "I see. I had heard of this, but surely this second steward must still take orders from you?"

"Ah, that is where you are mistaken."

Li Youcai waved his hands repeatedly. "The appointment of the second steward is not something I can decide; we must consult one another on matters."

Zhang Yunyi smiled faintly. "No matter how much you consult, he still answers to you. I only recognize you, Chief Steward Li, as the gold standard."

"You, you..." Li Youcai laughed heartily. "Very well, since you have such intentions, I will naturally look after you where I can. But let us be clear: while it is to your credit that you were promoted by the second master, from now on, you must serve the clan leader with absolute loyalty."

Zhang Yunyi replied solemnly, "Whether it is the clan leader or the second master, they are both masters of the Yu family. I have never forgotten that I am here to guard the gates for the Yu family."

Li Youcai laughed. "That is good, that is good. It is just that no one knows if the young mistress is with child, and hearts are uneasy."

Zhang Yunyi smiled. "You are a man of capability, Chief Steward; you naturally look to the future and choose the sturdiest tree to perch upon. Someone like me simply drifts with the tide, so I have no such worries." He took a sip of tea and added, "I only need to burn incense for you, and that will be enough. One cannot wait until disaster strikes to start praying to Buddha."

"Hahaha, I never imagined you were such a wit, Manor Master Zhang. Oh, Laixi! Come here."

Seeing Laixi carrying a bundle of firewood toward the side room, Li Youcai called him over. Laixi set down the wood, dusted off his clothes, and ran into the hall. "What are your orders, Master?"

Li Youcai said, "Tell Steward Zhao of the procurement office that when he next goes to Tianshui City, he is to find a maid for me."

"Understood, I will go as soon as I finish with the firewood."

"Wait!" Zhang Yunyi put down his teacup. "Is the Chief Steward in need of a maid?"

Li Youcai replied calmly, "Oh, Yang Can has just arrived and has no one to attend to him, so I sent him a servant boy. I figured I should purchase a bright and obedient maid to help look after my wife."

Zhang Yunyi smiled. "Why look so far afield? Leave this to me. In two days, I will select a maid that will satisfy you and send her up the mountain."

"This... would that be appropriate?"

"Why stand on ceremony, Chief Steward? It is merely a small token of my appreciation."

With the exchange of money and the promise of a servant, the two men grew even more cordial. After another cup of tea, Zhang Yunyi took his leave.

Li Youcai walked him to the corridor and watched him leave the courtyard, only to have his ear pinched by a soft hand.

"You old fox! So that’s why you sent Wangcai to Steward Yang—to make room to buy a pretty maid, is it?"

"Ouch, ouch! My lady, calm down, please! Someone might see!"

Tiptoeing and neck craned, Li Youcai was dragged back into the hall by Pan Xiaowan. Inside, she glared at him with arched brows and a cold laugh. "You old man, you still have the leisure to buy maids! What? Do you think a young girl will turn your pickled old radish into something fresh and crisp again?"

Li Youcai muttered in embarrassment, "Keep your voice down, my lady! If people hear this, how am I to face them?"

Madam Xiaowan shoved him, causing him to stumble. She placed her hands on her slender waist and scoffed, "I was a fresh, blossoming girl, only to marry a walking coffin like you! And you won't let me speak? I advise you, if you have that spare money, buy some tiger bone wine instead. Save yourself the embarrassment of being nothing but noise and no action when it counts."

Li Youcai’s old face flushed red. His physical prowess was indeed... not what it used to be. The less capable he became, the more insecure he felt before his young wife, and the more insecure he felt, the worse he performed. He now feared sharing a bed with her, dreading her demands. As for buying a pretty maid, he felt no such pressure. He had a duty to satisfy his wife, but a slave was merely an object—he didn't need to care what she felt!

Stung by her words, Li Youcai said in a low voice, "My lady, you truly misunderstand me. Why do you think Zhang Yunyi came? Was it really just to find a patron?"

"What do you mean?"

"My dear, we don't even know if the young mistress is pregnant. Who would spend such a fortune to curry favor right now? Feng'an Manor lies just outside Phoenix Mountain; it is the best vantage point for the second master to keep an eye on the clan leader."

Pan Xiaowan’s eyes flickered. "He is here to recruit you on behalf of the second master?"

Li Youcai boasted, "My wife is truly brilliant! Your husband is the Chief Steward of the senior branch; even if the senior branch is dissolved, I have other places to go. Zhang Yunyi sees this, which is why he wants to recruit me for the second master."

Pan Xiaowan became nervous. "You aren't actually thinking of defecting to the second master, are you? The clan leader has treated you well. Betrayal is a one-time coin; once it's spent, you're worthless. If you take the wrong path..."

Li Youcai waved a hand. "Of course not. I intend to wait and see. As long as the situation remains unclear, I will keep my options open. But that doesn't stop me from accepting his 'goodwill.' By accepting, I signal to the second master that I am open to his overtures should the time come. Delivering help in a blizzard is far more valuable than adding flowers to a brocade. If I remain loyal to the clan leader in the end, it will show that I was not tempted by the second master’s bribes. As for taking his gifts, that is merely to lull him into a false sense of security."

Pan Xiaowan remained half-convinced. "Fine, I will believe you for now. But if you are lying to me—if you are out causing trouble while your own field is parched—humph!"

"Impossible, how could I?" Li Youcai thought to himself: *My speed at stealing a nibble is faster than you can imagine; you'd never catch me.*

He pointed to the two chests. "Look, if your husband weren't a man of status, would these gifts be flowing in like this? Pack them away, my lady..."

That remark successfully diverted Pan Xiaowan’s attention. She opened the chests. One, as expected, contained neatly stacked gold cakes. The other held a beautifully polished "ox horn vessel" that had already taken on the color of jade. Through the translucent horn, a pale red liquid could be seen. When she pulled the stopper, the scent of wine mixed with medicinal herbs filled the air.

Li Youcai exclaimed happily, "Medicinal wine?"

Pan Xiaowan arched a brow, thinking, *A waste to give this good stuff to this old man. I’ll take some later and test its quality with young clerk Yang.*