Chapter 126: Last Month

Cui Clan saw him, and in a gentle tone said, "Never mind, Zi An, I won't sit down."

"Qing'er is still young; many rules and etiquette she might not understand."

"Before your Uncle Cheng left, he repeatedly warned me to watch over you more; how could I not be attentive?"

Chen Yan felt a bit moved and urged, "Lord Bo's mother, the wedding is still ten days away; no need to rush right now."

"Please come in with me first and sit; let Qing'er take care of the rest."

"You should wait until the end to inspect, and see if anything needs changing."

"Exactly!" Qing'er quickly nodded, "Earlier I deliberately asked others about this matter; although I can't claim to know much, I won't act recklessly."

"Lady Cui, please go into the room and rest with the young master."

"No!" Lady Cui said with a stern face, "This matter is non‑negotiable; I must supervise it personally, otherwise I won't be at ease."

"Zi An, you and Qing'er can go do whatever you need to be busy with."

"I only heard from Chu Mo yesterday that your trade has started to expand; the accounts are being settled, and now you're planning something… a… auction… "

"Auction." Chen Yan added quietly.

"Right, that's the name." Cui Clan said with a smile, "I suppose you should be busy, so don't worry about my side."

"Do whatever you're supposed to do."

Chen Yan couldn't help rubbing his forehead; just as he was about to persuade again, Xiao Shunzi suddenly ran in from outside, his face beaming with joy.

Seeing so many people bustling at Bo Mansion, he was briefly startled, then noticed Chen Yan, Cui Clan, and Qing'er standing not far away.

He hurriedly jogged forward, bowed, and said, "The younger one has seen Lord Bo, Lady Cui."

Cui Clan said cheerfully, "Xiao Shunzi, you have business with Zi An?"

Xiao Shunzi replied happily, "Yes, Lady Cui, I indeed have something for Lord Bo."

"Little… "

"Alright, you may talk; I won't disturb you further."

Having said that, Cui Clan gave Chen Yan a slight nod and went on to command the maids and servants.

"Young master, this…" Qing'er hesitated.

Chen Yan replied helplessly, "Never mind, go with Madam Cui; you follow her."

"Alright, fine."

Qing'er gave a reply and ran to follow Cui Clan.

Chen Yan then asked Xiao Shunzi, "What's the matter?"

"Didn't I ask you to arrange the auction?"

"Why did you come back?"

Xiao Shunzi pulled an account book from his chest and handed it over, "Lord Bo, it's like this: the accounts for the restaurant, winery, and tea shop from last month have all been calculated."

"Please have a look."

"Oh?" Chen Yan took the account book and began to leaf through it carefully.

Although he trusted Xiao Shunzi's work, this trade involved three Dukes, as well as the Crown Prince and the Emperor, so he had to be extra cautious.

After all, the account book was to be shown to them.

If any problem arose, it would be hard to explain.

Xiao Shunzi stood quietly in place, not disturbing him.

After a long while, Chen Yan turned to the last page, glanced at the final number, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"18,423 guan?"

"Yes, Lord Bo." Xiao Shunzi hurriedly explained, "It originally shouldn't have been this low, but I have been expanding as per your orders."

"From shops, staff, decorations, to later when you said to purchase a place specifically for brewing wine and making tea, a large portion was spent."

"All of this is recorded in the account book; I have verified it three times before handing it to you."

"Hmm, thank you for your effort." Chen Yan patted Xiao Shunzi's shoulder, "I understand how costly the task I gave you was; having 18,423 guan left is already considerable."

Xiao Shunzi then relaxed, beaming, "Lord Bo, our trade has already expanded; just Zui Xian Lou alone has three branches in Chang'an City."

"The restaurant and tea shop have also begun to generate large profits."

"I think our upcoming expansion can be slowed a bit; this month's profit will likely exceed last month's."

Chen Yan thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "We'll proceed as you suggest; the current branches are indeed many."

"During this period, focus more on the auction side and make sure no mistakes occur."

"That's the trade that can earn big money in a short time."

Xiao Shunzi scratched his head, asked nothing further, and agreed immediately.

Chen Yan stroked his chin and continued, "The 18,423 guan does not include the profit from these few days of April, right?"

"Yes, Lord Bo, you previously said to count only March, so the profit from these two days of April wasn't included?"

"So that means there's still money inside the restaurant?"

Xiao Shunzi replied, "Indeed there is, and it's quite a lot."

"What do you think, Lord Bo, should I take all that money out?"

"No!" Chen Yan waved his hand to refuse, then said, "In that case, take out a hundred guan, distribute it to the staff below, and send the remainder to Bo Mansion."

"Then, in my name, send someone to the three Dukes' mansions and the Imperial Palace to notify them, and summon Chu Mo and Princess Changle."

"A hundred guan?" Xiao Shunzi hesitated, "Lord Bo, could that be too much?"

"We already pay substantial wages; why specifically take out a hundred guan to distribute?"

He had always handled matters well, so Chen Yan explained a few sentences, "A hundred guan sounds like a lot, but we have many branches and many staff; when a hundred guan is divided, they actually won't get much."

"It would probably only be enough to buy a few new clothes for the wife and children, a pair of shoes, and a few meals of meat."

The main purpose is to let them know we're not stingy, unlike those merchants who only treat people harshly—we're proper businessmen.

That way, their enthusiasm for work will surely increase, allowing them to serve customers better.

There are a few other reasons, but I won't tell you them; just follow my instructions.

All right, Lord Bo, I'll first have someone bring the money over, then go invite the three dukes' sons and the princess.

Chen Yan didn't say anything, and Xiao Shunzi didn't ask.

His mother, Lady Zhang, often reminded him to know his place; Lord Bo had given orders, so he only needed to focus on his duties and not ask about anything else.

Just as he was about to leave, Chen Yan suddenly called out to him, 'Wait a moment!'

'What's wrong, Lord Bo?'

Chen Yan said, 'Did you get any news back about the person I asked you to find last time?'

'No, Lord Bo.' Xiao Shunzi shook his head. 'Jiangzhou Longmen County isn't far from Chang'an, but you only gave me a name—finding someone in this vast sea of people is really difficult.'

It might just need a bit more time.

'All right then.' Chen Yan wasn't disappointed either, and urged, 'If you get any news, be sure to let me know right away!'