dognovel Chapter 497 Li Qiulan's Secret
Chapter 497 Li Qiulan's Secret
Li Qiulan was taken aback. When she looked up and saw that it was Yun Yi, her brows furrowed. "Miss Fang, this is not a place for you to play around. I..."
“I told you I could help you.” Yunyi sat down on the stone bench opposite the other person, calm and composed. “Besides me, no one else can help you.”
"It's only a thousand taels of silver, what do you think..."
“Madam Liu,” Yunyi interrupted her, “you know this isn’t just about a thousand taels. Even if you give it to her today, what about the future? These kinds of things will only happen more and more often. You know Liu Shan’s character better than I do, right? You’ve been holding on for so many years, how many more years can you hold on?”
Li Qiulan's expression changed slightly.
"You've sold off most of your dowry, haven't you? Now all you have left is a manor in the suburbs and this Taotie Restaurant, right?"
"The Taotie Restaurant was doing well before, but after Master Pan was kicked out, it has been losing money ever since. I roughly estimate that it has lost about 20,000 taels of silver in the past six months."
"There are many women in the entire Duke Dingguo Mansion. The Duke alone has more than thirty concubines, plus the concubines and maids of his two sons. I heard that there are more than forty women in the backyard alone. Just supporting these people is a huge expense every month."
Li Qiulan suddenly deflated. Indeed, over the years, as the mistress of the Duke's mansion, she had been exhausted from trying to maintain appearances.
"Also, I can tell you a secret," Yunyi said in a low voice.
"What secret?" Li Qiulan looked up at the girl in front of her.
"Since it's a secret, do you think it's appropriate to talk about it here?"
Li Qiulan took a breath and stood up: "Come with me."
The two went into a private room on the second floor.
Li Qiulan had her trusted nanny, Gui, stand guard at the door before closing it and turning to Yunyi: "Sit down and let's talk."
Give me your hand.
Although Li Qiulan was puzzled, she still reached out her hand.
Yunyi took her pulse: "What's your birth chart?"
Li Qiulan frowned: "What do you need my birth chart for?"
"I'll do a divination for you." Yun Yi raised an eyebrow slightly. "I do three divinations a day, and each one costs a thousand gold pieces. But today, since I said I'd help you, I'll give you a divination for free."
Li Qiulan's expression was somewhat complicated, but she still spoke up.
Yunyi did some calculations before smiling and saying, "Madam Liu, I was originally only 80% confident, but after taking your pulse, I was 90%, and after knowing your birth date and time, I was 100%. However, this secret is a bit cruel to you, but I don't think you would want to be kept in the dark forever."
"What secret is it? Stop keeping me in suspense."
"Your child is still alive."
"What?" Li Qiulan suddenly stood up, even swaying her chair and making a jarring sound.
"Sit down and calm down."
Li Qiulan took a deep breath and sat down: "Fang Yunyi, what exactly did you say?"
"Because you lost a child when you were young, your health is not good, so you have not been able to give birth to a legitimate son for so many years. However, although the Earl is a womanizer, he has never abandoned you. Your position as the Earl's wife is very secure, which is why you have worked like a slave in the Earl's mansion without any complaints."
Li Qiulan's face showed a pained expression: "Fang Yunyi, you are very capable, and what you said is all correct, but these things are not secrets, and it is possible to find out if you want to."
"I can tell your physical condition by taking your pulse, and I can guess your thoughts by your behavior over the years. The children's palace on your face is bright. I also asked for your birth chart and did some calculations. I confirmed that you are not a single person. You have a child, a son, and that child is still alive."
“How is this possible? How…” Li Qiulan’s lips trembled violently.
Yunyi remained silent, allowing the other party to slowly process this astonishing news.
After a long while, Li Qiulan finally sat down with red eyes: "Fang Yunyi, if what you said is true, then... you are my benefactor."
Yunyi smiled; she knew the other person had already figured out the key point.
"I want to know where my son is."
"Divination is about revealing heavenly secrets, and I've already given you the maximum amount of divination I can offer for free."
“Hehe.” Li Qiulan laughed. “I will sell this Taotie Tower to you. In addition… I also have a manor near Huguo Temple. Although it is not big, only about 20 acres, the land is fertile and there is a small hot spring. I will sell it to you as well.”
Name your price.
"Just give me 40,000 taels of silver, and the rest can be considered as a fortune-telling fee."
You got ripped off at this price.
Even if Taotie Tower loses money, the building alone is worth more than 30,000 taels of silver. Nearby shops are selling for around 50,000 taels of silver each, and the estate is currently worth around 10,000 taels of silver. So, she's practically giving the estate away for free.
"Rather than feeding those bastards, I'd rather give them to you."
"Okay." Yunyi nodded. "Then when will the formalities be completed?"
"Immediately, right away." Li Qiulan's attitude was firm. She immediately called in Granny Gui from outside the door, drafted the sales contract herself, and after both parties signed and sealed it, she had her take it to the yamen for filing.
"Madam Liu is very agreeable." Yunyi handed over the 40,000 taels of silver notes.
"Now this Gluttonous Tower is yours." Li Qiulan took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief.
"Okay." Yunyi stood up. "The troubles outside are mine now too."
Li Qiulan shrugged: "Then I won't worry about it."
Yun Yi then walked out.
Although more than half an hour had passed, those people remained outside.
"They haven't left yet?" Yunyi glanced at the group.
"We won't leave until we lose money, and we'll make sure your business can't continue."
"If you can't keep doing it, then don't." Yun Yi shrugged. "But... if you don't leave now, you won't be able to leave later."
"Who are you, Xia Hu Shi?"
Yunyi beckoned to the shouting man with her finger, then lowered her voice and said something.
The man's expression changed, and he subconsciously glanced back. He indeed saw the men from the Five Cities Garrison walking towards them. He hurriedly called for his men to take the old man and run away.
"What did you say to him?" Li Qiulan, who had been watching from behind, asked curiously.
“Of course I can handle him,” Yunyi smiled. “Now that this building is mine, I’m going to reorganize the staff.”
That man has a murder case on his hands, though it happened a long time ago and is very well hidden. But if it really gets to the authorities, it's very likely to be discovered, and then it's uncertain whether he'll survive.