Liu Ji actually sent a letter.

There’s also one from Qiu Yan at Fulong Trading Company.

Qin Yao didn’t hesitate at all, went back to her room, sat down by the window, and first opened the letter from Qiu Yan.

Mrs. Li brought over a small plate of egg cake freshly baked this afternoon, paired with a bowl of homemade honey and smoked plum drink. She put down the items and rolled up her sleeves to busy herself with dinner in the kitchen.

Although Song Yu and his family of three had moved over, they still maintained the habit of eating separately as before.

Once the meal for the main family was prepared, Mrs. Li wrapped up and went back to the backyard residence to prepare food for her own family of three.

During those busy farming days, however, everyone ate together, so it was not so particular. After all, having lived with Qin Yao’s family for a long time, Song Yu and Mrs. Li were somewhat influenced and were not as self-deprecating as when they first arrived.

Qin Yao picked up a piece of cake, eating while reading the letter, quickly skimming through it.

Qiu Yan’s letter contained a lot of content and information.

The first batch of Lady’s Boxes had successfully been received and sent aboard a ship heading to the Capital.

Everything was well-prepared over in the Capital, ready to go on sale as soon as the goods arrived.

Knowing that the Lady’s Box project was progressing steadily, Qin Yao felt much relieved.

After discussing business matters, Qiu Yan also shared a shocking piece of gossip with Qin Yao.

It has been more than half a month since escorting Wang Jin to the Prefecture, yet the bloody thrill at the time was still vivid in Qin Yao’s memory.

The Dragon Robe and weapons in the wooden box were already shocking, but what followed was even more explosive.

Qiu Yan wrote in the letter that since Wang Jin’s return to the Capital, an intense political struggle had erupted there.

He wasn’t very clear about the specifics, but the final outcome was a major reshuffling of upper-level officials and the sudden death of Prince Qi.

Afraid that Qin Yao hadn’t heard the latest gossip, Qiu Yan spent half a page detailing this Prince Qi’s background.

Prince Qi was the third child of the current Emperor and the Noble Consort, a younger half-brother to the Princess and the current Crown Prince.

It was said that because of his mother’s influence, he was dearly loved by the Emperor from a young age. At thirteen, just as the world had been newly unified and was still unstable, he was made a prince and given the most prosperous Qi Land as his fief.

Because the Noble Consort couldn’t bear to be separated from her son, Prince Qi stayed in the Capital until he was twenty, only moving to his fief after marriage.

He met an untimely death at only twenty-two.

Qiu Yan concluded that the cause of death was unknown. However, rumor had it that Prince Qi’s sudden death was due to secretly building up an army with the intent to overthrow the Crown Prince. When his secret was uncovered, the Holy Empress quietly poisoned him.

In short, the Capital had just gone through a tumultuous storm and had only just calmed down.

Qiu Yan also shared two pieces of good news with Qin Yao.

One was that after Prince Qi’s death, the influential figure who had been secretly threatening him to prevent collaboration had never appeared again.

The other was that the Lady’s Boxes had successfully been delivered to the Princess Mansion, and the Princess even took two of them to the court.

The Guard relayed the Princess’s feedback: the items were quite good.

Reading this, Qin Yao felt a jolt in her heart.

The big shots not speaking was fine, but once they did, things felt a bit off.

Qin Yao pulled out her abacus right then and there, calculating frantically, and finally decided to take out another third of the profits as the Princess’s "endorsement fee."

In this way, having the Princess’s backing would make future dealings much easier.

Such necessary expenditure never bothered Qin Yao. She swiftly marked it as a special endorsement expense in the accounts.

The entire stationery factory was now Qin Yao’s, and she had the final say, so there was no need to consult anyone else. She made the decision herself.

With business matters settled, Mrs. Li had already prepared dinner.

Yin Le and the children had finished covering the grain, washed their hands and faces, and were waiting in the main room for her.

Qin Yao temporarily set aside the other unopened letter and went out to wash her hands and have dinner.

The school had given the students a ten-day break. Realizing there were four days left, Qin Yao reminded Yin Le and the children after dinner:

"Can you go collect the rent yourselves tomorrow?"

Fearing the children might lack motivation, Qin Yao added, "I’ll give each person a 300 cent allowance."

"Really?" The four siblings, who were a bit hesitant, asked excitedly in unison.

Qin Yao nodded, "Really, but the condition is that you must collect all the rent and not make any accounting errors."

Second Lang immediately patted his chest confidently, "There’s no way we’ll make accounting errors!"

Da Lang also stood up excitedly, "I can drive the ox cart now."

Sanlang and Si Niang, although excited, were a bit scared thinking about their dad, mom, and Uncle Ah Wang not being around.

Si Niang tugged on Qin Yao’s sleeve and asked, "Aren’t you going, Mother?"

"I’m busy with tax matters and can’t go with you." Qin Yao said helplessly.

Of course, she could make time, but she saw this as a good opportunity to train the children to handle things independently, so naturally, she encouraged them more to be brave.

Qin Yao looked at the four kids in front of her with expectation and asked, "You’ve already collected rent once in the spring. This time, aside from changing wheat into grains, it’s no different from last time, so you can do it, right?"

The four siblings looked at each other, Da Lang and Second Lang full of confidence, while Sanlang and Si Niang were slightly hesitant, looking at the inexplicably cheerful Yin Le.

"What about Senior Sister Le?" The Dragon and Phoenix Twins tilted their heads to ask.

They wanted to know what part Senior Sister Le could be responsible for.

Yin Le raised her hands, showing the faint muscles she had developed on her arms, and patted the waist belt full of hidden weapons, lifting her chin proudly, "Senior Sister will be your bodyguard, all troublemakers will bow to me!"

However, aside from Qin Yao, the four siblings held deep suspicions about this.

"Senior Sister Le, are you sure?" Da Lang looked skeptically at her wide leather waist belt, after all, they had never seen Senior Sister Le use her hidden weapons.

Yin Le, annoyed, lightly tapped the heads of the four little guys, but didn’t immediately produce her hidden weapons to prove her skill.

Instead, she looked towards Qin Yao with an inquiry.

The master had strictly instructed that hers was the path of a hidden master, different from ordinary martial artists, and meant to develop secretly. Either she wouldn’t make a move, or she would hit with one sure shot!

Qin Yao noticed the children’s doubts about Yin Le, since Yin Le was her apprentice, doubting Yin Le meant doubting herself.

So, it was time to let these little rascals gain some enlightenment.

Qin Yao stepped back a few steps and nodded slightly at Yin Le.

Yin Le immediately showed an excited smile, the previous restraint making her smile somewhat menacing.

When that menacing smile was directed at the four siblings, Da Lang and his siblings felt a sudden jolt in their hearts, sensing an ominous premonition.

"Clear the dishes," Yin Le sweetly instructed with a smile.

The four siblings didn’t understand her intention, but the dinner was over, and it was indeed time to clear the dishes.

Today it was Da Lang and Si Niang’s turn on duty, and the two stacked all the dishes, carrying them towards the kitchen, looking back with every step.

Suddenly, Second Lang and Sanlang, who remained in the main room, felt a gust of wind brush past. They instinctively turned to look, only to find that Yin Le, who had been standing next to them, had already disappeared.

The brothers quickly turned back, and Yin Le was nowhere in sight, but they could just feel she was somewhere in the courtyard.

Over there, Da Lang suddenly sensed something and quickly pulled Si Niang to dodge to the side.

The second strike came immediately, with an extremely tricky angle.

Da Lang, one hand holding a stack of bowls while pulling his sister, was limited in movement.

With two crisp "crack" sounds heard inside, everyone immediately looked over to find that the small pottery bowl on top of the stack in the siblings’ hands had obvious cracks and was falling to the ground with a crash.