This is rather nitpicking.
Forget about the ice still being hard, even if it really melted into water, wouldn't that still be Guanglu Temple's responsibility?
It was them who came late, it was them who made the ice melt, it was them who caused the lychees to spoil.
But this is not the time for quibbling, as Zheng Ruqian said, Guanglu Temple has no right to decide who delivers lychees, but they can make trouble and persecute him to lose the lychee business.
The middle-aged eunuch in front clearly has malicious intentions, being humble has no use.
Zheng Ruqian slowly straightened his waist, taking on an even more arrogant and unconstrained attitude.
This made the eunuch across from him startled for a moment.
"Are you dissatisfied with me delivering lychees?" He raised his tone, "Is it to stand up for the Liao Family, or do you want the Fang Family to take over this business?"
Before the middle-aged eunuch could speak, Zheng Ruqian looked towards Jiang Sheng and asked in puzzlement, "When General Jiang handed this business to me, what did he say? He said that he hoped I could do a good job, but the first business has already failed, I wonder if the General would blame me for it?"
Here, the only general could be General Jiang.
The Guanglu Temple eunuch's face twisted for a moment.
What twisted his face even more was Jiang Sheng's seemingly aware response afterwards, "Daddy wouldn't have given you this business if he didn't want you to do a good job, he definitely won't blame you for it."
She called General Jiang... daddy.
She is the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.
Each layer of identity weighs down like a mountain, each layer of power can crush a person.
The Guanglu Temple eunuch dared to bully a little known small businessman, but didn't dare offend the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.
No matter what the Fang family had instructed, the Guanglu Temple eunuch could only forget it at this moment, forcing out a smile and saying, "So this business was handed to young master by General Jiang, it was our fault for not looking clearly. Let's take a good look, these lychees are fresh and juicy, young master really has good judgement, this business will surely not lose out to the Liao family in the future."
As someone from the imperial city, he couldn't possibly not know that Zheng Ruqian's lychee business was given by General Jiang.
He just didn't expect the Jiang family to protect Zheng Ruqian to such an extent.
It wasn't casually given away, and it wasn't taken advantage of either, but was a business personally protected and escorted by the legitimate daughter.
As long as the Jiang family was still around, this lychee business would not easily change hands.
Zheng Ruqian was moved inwardly, but maintained an aloof expression on the surface, only showing a faint smile after the Guanglu Temple eunuch took the lychees away to arrange delivery.
The subsequent checking process was all routine.
First weigh to confirm it was 10 catties, then hand over 500 taels of silver, and finally blindly pick 3 lychees for poison testing.
"Let us do the poison testing." The middle-aged eunuch seemed to want to make amends, smiling awkwardly and saying.
Zheng Ruqian put away his aloofness and became humble and compliant again, "How could I let the eunuch do it himself, let's follow convention and have me do it."
After speaking, he took the 3 lychees, peeled off the skin, and stuffed them into his mouth, quickly swallowing them.
This was absolute deterrence, and also telling the lychee deliverer - if anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to die.
Basically the entire process was completed at this point.
The middle-aged eunuch bid farewell with a smiling face, and was just about to leave with his men.
Zheng Ruqian spoke up again, "Eunuch, please wait."
This gave the middle-aged eunuch a fright, thinking that he was going to use the Jiang family's power to settle scores and cause trouble for him.
But unexpectedly, the young man returned to the carriage, took out a box with over 20 lychees, brought it over and said, "The previous lychees were offerings to the imperial family, these lychees are for the eunuch, I hope you can help taste them and see if the flavor is sufficient."
Even though it was a gift, he said it was to help out.
If not for the Fang family's prior instructions, the middle-aged eunuch felt that he really shouldn't make things difficult for this young man.
Over 20 lychees didn't seem like much, far less plump than 10 catties.
Because the 10 catties were offerings for the masters, distributed to the imperial family's meals, the concubines in each palace, and the princes and princesses, basically nothing would be left to reward the favored officials after that.
If the Guanglu Temple eunuchs wanted to eat some, they could at most stealthily taste half a lychee, still taking the risk of being discovered.
But these 20 plus were exclusively personal, they could eat however they liked.
The number of lychees was also very clever, too few would not be enough, too many could not be finished, showing the host's astute thoughts.
Most importantly, despite the previous friction, Zheng Ruqian still had a powerful background, yet was willing to humbly send gifts.
This ability to yield and to stand firm made the middle-aged eunuch quite moved, he took them and hid them inside his clothes, "The young master is indeed thoughtful."
"I'll have to trouble the eunuch with everything." Zheng Ruqian said with a smile as he saw these people off.
Only after the imperial city gates closed again did the siblings turn around, finally relaxing in relief.
"Big brother, you were clearly prepared to rely on the Jiang family's power, so why were you still so respectful and humble, and even sent lychees to the eunuch in the end?" Jiang Sheng asked while resting her chin on her hand.
"If not for the Fang family's meddling, I definitely wouldn't be willing to rely on the Jiang family's power." Zheng Ruqian lowered the carriage curtain.
His ideology was similar to Fang Heng's, clearly knowing that the sibling bond was enough to bluff, but still wished to rely on his own hard work.
The Jiang family was like a wide iron umbrella, shielding the children during a hailstorm.
Whether it was a small rain or heavy rain, they still had to splash through it themselves in the end.
As for the final gift of lychees and humility, it was something Zheng Ruqian realized himself - doing business required both firmness and humility, to be firm when the other party was aggressive, and humble when they were amiable.
You had to show the other party that you weren't without the ability to be arrogant, you were just willing to be modest with them.
Sufficient deterrence and sufficient humility could earn true respect.
As for the reason...
"Guanglu Temple is responsible for all the meals in the imperial city, as well as banquet offerings, with even greater demand than Youran Residence." Zheng Ruqian honestly explained, "Relying solely on lychees is not a long term plan, only by having more cooperation with Guanglu Temple, the more mutual penetration, the more money can be steadily earned."
When that day comes, not to mention the Fang family, no one would be able to snatch this business from him.
Guanglu Temple might even plead for him to supply the meat and dishes favored by the imperial concubines.
"Wow, big brother your ambitions are growing bigger and bigger." Jiang Sheng's amazed praise sounded from within the carriage, "Then can I also open Jiuzhen Stores throughout the country? To take away all the aunties who want to leave but can't, and let them live on after leaving their husbands' families..."
The horses' hooves moved faster and faster, gradually fading into the distance.
The guard who had been crouching in the corner watching the entire thing nodded, finally relieved as he returned to the East Wing of Chengqian Palace.
Here, laid an exquisitely beautiful youth with a slightly flushed complexion.
His brows and eyes were picturesque, his lips red and teeth white, his figure slender and frail. His breathing was hot, seemingly burning up with fever.
The old imperial doctor felt his forehead several times, sighing and shaking his head again, "This temperature just won't go down, if it persists the 5th prince will fall gravely ill."
The palace maidservant nearby softly sobbed, not daring to respond.
"First administer some medicine, then fetch ice to apply." The old doctor had no other way, waving his writing brush.
Soon there would be people to deliver the medicine and boil it, people to carry the ice basin.
The guard took the opportunity to slip in, softly whispering by the youth's ear, "Your Highness guessed correctly, the Fang family did make things difficult for the second young master, they resolved it by borrowing General Jiang's status, and also sent a portion of lychees to Eunuch Gou."
The youth opened his eyes, lifting his quilt to reveal 10 hot water bottles underneath, the slight flush on his face fading with relief, "Send someone to remind Eunuch Gou that the Fang family wants him to help snatch the lychee business, which would offend General Jiang instead."
His second brother was shrewd in business, but still lacked some skill in sowing discord.
"Then what about Your Highness?" The guard asked.
The youth lifted the corners of his lips, "I'll keep up this fever for a while longer, to put some people's hearts at ease."
He closed his eyes again, covering up the 10 hot water bottles.
Mm, the temperature really feels high...
