After eating and securing a new warehouse, Xueye and Yushi ended up stopping by the Meigui Trading Company. Fortunately it seemed as though Lord Meigui was either out or holed up in his office. Either way, there was no sign of him which meant they could avoid any trouble for the time being.
Xueye sorted through the pile of paperwork and correspondences on his desk as quickly as he could to determine what he could take with and what he needed to handle immediately.
“Ah, seems Jinse is in need of restock,” Xueye hummed contemplatively as he looked over some of the recent order requests.
“You know that scoundrel?” Yushi’s face soured as he recognized the name. Jinse likely had more connections than he did as Shujing, however, Jinse was in charge of a gambling house known as The Fox’s Den, and it was without a doubt that not all his connections were above board. He’s also quite well known for making deals that occasionally end in disaster for the other party.
“He’s not that bad, at least he’s never been for me. He even saved me before...” Xueye trailed off, not wanting to recount the particulars of the incident.
“Really?” Yushi was in disbelief, but also he didn’t miss the haunted expression on Xueye’s face. “You’re saying he’s not one of the ones who’s tried swindling you?”
“No, but I see why you might think that.” Xueye giggled. He’d heard of Jinse’s reputation after all, but Jinse never acted that way around Xueye. He was always charming and sweet, always offering comfort when Xueye found none. “At first I was a bit wary, myself, given his establishment. He and my father don’t get along in the slightest, so I tend to be the one to do business with him. He’s always been on the level with me, if anything he overpays us even and won’t take it back. In any case, I was looking over the list you gave me of potential farmers to outsource this little investment and I recognized one is in the same farming village where I source his preferred rice and plum wine. It might save time and it’s eastward. It'll be much easier to negotiate with familiar faces.”
“You've been out there before?” Yushi was curious. He knew Xueye had quite the adventurous spirit but had a hard time imagining Xueye out amidst the farms.
“Of course,” Xueye smiled. “Unlike my father, I prefer to meet our suppliers in person. It saves time and manpower on checking the product quality as well. Also it’s a wonderful excuse to get away from the office.”
“Then we should go,” Yushi shrugged with a smile. If JInse wasn’t a problem for Xueye, who was he to intervene?
“Yes, if all goes well we can send out the caravan today,” Xueye was delighted by the idea as he practically skipped over to the door. “It would make dealing with work amidst this chaos much easier.”
“Hopefully it gets resolved soon,” Yushi sighed with a wistful smile.
“Not tired of me already are you?” Xueye teased.
“Of course not, I just hope for things to get easier for you,” Yushi chuckled. “If anything, I relish the opportunity to spend so much time with you and observe your work.”
“It’s not that interesting, I assure you,” Xueye looked at Yushi with a faint sense of disbelief about the later part of Yushi’s statement.
“On the contrary, your dedication and focus are admirable. This insight is also quite informative.” Yushi was starting to get a better idea of how to make things easier for Xueye when he brought other opportunities to the young man.
“If you insist,” Xueye shrugged.
Xueye enlisted transport from a pair from the caravan he intended to send out for this shipment. It was a good opportunity to discuss his plans in more detail and should everything go well, they’d know the exact location to stop by on their return from the eastern border. At the very least, he’d even be able to show them the new warehouse location when they got back.
⬦◈⬦
They rode out of the capital, heading east toward the farming village in a small open cart, of which Xueye and Yushi rode in the back. The weather was lovely, it wasn’t terribly warm, and there were a few thin clouds drifting along the gentle breeze.
Yushi paid no mind to the scenery, he sat idly, lounging back against the edge of the cart. His head propped up by a hand as he watched as Xueye talked business with the driver and his companion. They seemed more than delighted to be helping Xueye and extremely willing to keep this a secret from Lord Meigui.
He has more allies than he thinks, Yushi smiled contentedly as he saw how friendly the three seemed to be.
Xueye looked over at Yushi for a moment and was surprised to see that he wasn’t just watching the scenery pass, but those amber eyes seemed fixed on him with a gentle look of adoration that seemed to warm even more upon making eye contact. Xueye was starting to feel a little self conscious under Yushi’s watchful eye.
“It’s nice to get out of the city every once in a while, isn’t it?” Xueye gazed out at the scenery to distract himself from the butterflies in his chest. “The view sure is nice.”
“Mn, indeed it is,” Yushi hummed contentedly, his eyes hadn’t strayed from Xueye. He’d seen his fair share of the area around the capital when gathering support against the previous emperor. He was more enthralled with Xueye’s sense of ease and comfort since they left the capital. Xueye’s soft and gentle smile as he watched the greenery and distant mountains pass by was entirely different from the one he usually wore. He seemed truly happy and relaxed. Yushi was glad that recent events couldn’t keep Xueye from this moment of genuine happiness. ”Is this that adventurous spirit of yours coming forth?” Yushii asked with a knowing smirk.
“Perhaps a bit,” Xueye giggled.
“You are always welcome to come with us at some point, Young Master,” one of the caravan members, by the name of Hailing, called back.
“I’m sure the others would be delighted to have you,” the other one by the name of Qiang leaned back with a cheery smile.
“I appreciate it,” Xueye beamed. “If I can find the time perhaps I will consider it.”
“I’m sure it would be a nice break for you,” Yushi implored. “One you could definitely use.”
“I would argue that I already am taking one with all this time I’m spending with you,” Xueye rolled his eyes with a faint smile.
“That’s different,” Yushi chuckled. “You are still working after all. If you listened to my advice this morning you would be taking the break you need.”
“But then we wouldn’t be out on this lovely trip,” Xueye flashed a coy grin.
“Fair enough,” Yushi conceded defeat for the time being. He would ensure Xueye had at least a day of rest while under his care. “Just don’t overexert yourself.”
“With you around to distract me I don’t think I could,” Xueye giggled.
“Apologies, I’ll be sure to do it again,” Yushi smirked. There was a sense of satisfaction in knowing just his presence was a distraction for Xueye. He could only imagine how hard Xueye worked when he wasn’t around, considering the level of efficiency and diligence he’d witnessed thus far.
“Shujing!” Xueye shook his head in disbelief, trying to ignore the heat in his cheeks at the deeper tone of mischief in Yushi’s voice. Instead he chose to blame it on the warmth of the sun.
“I wasn’t aware there was someone who could make the Young Master lose his cool,” Qiang laughed, enjoying watching their banter. “You two must be quite close.”
“We’ve only known each other a short time,” Xueye waved away the notion. “Even so…” Xueye glanced at Yushi with a fond smile, “I think we are.”
“I like to think so as well,” Yushi tried to not be thrown off guard by that sweet smile, but his heart was melting at the sight. It seemed Qiang’s statement didn’t just apply to Xueye. His mind wandered to last night, when Riluo brought up how he was acting differently because of Xueye, and he was starting to recognize these moments since it was pointed out. Even so, it hadn’t particularly bothered him. In fact, he found himself enjoying these moments more.
They arrived at the little farming village mid-afternoon. Many of the villagers were hard at work tending the rice paddies. As they rode past, it looked as though many of the fields were already planted. They pulled off the side of the road in a way that they would be out of the way for workers and any passerby alike.
Yushi jumped off the back of the cart and held out a hand to help Xueye down. Xueye took his hand with a grateful smile. He stretched as he rounded toward the front of the cart.
“Thank you for taking us out here,” Xueye addressed the other two that accompanied them. “Feel free to rest for now. Once I finish hammering out the details I’ll be sure to inform you.”
“Take your time, Young Master,” Qiang beamed brightly.
“Yeah, we’re in no rush,” Hailing voiced with a laid back grin.
“I’m sure you don’t since you are getting paid for your time,” Xueye teased.
“Well it certainly helps but no need to push yourself, like Master Shujing said,” Hailing mentioned. “You are doing a lot of work to get this together.”
“Right, after you send us out you better use the time we are away to take it easy,” Qiang chastised.
“Not you too,” Xueye sighed in defeat. “Okay, I promise.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” Yushi flashed a satisfied smirk.
Xueye rolled his eyes as he walked towards the village. He didn’t get far when a voice called out to him.
“Young Master Meigui!” A cheerful call of a middle aged farmer caught their attention.
“Oh good, Mr. Guiying, it's nice to see you again,” Xueye smiled sweetly. “Would you happen to have time to discuss a bit of business?”
“For you, Young Master, always,” Guiying bowed politely and motioned for him to follow. Xueye and Yushi followed him back to a small quaint house, a bit larger than most in the village. When Guiying noticed Yushi was joining them, curiosity was getting the better of him, “Who’s your companion?”
“This is Shujing, he’s a trusted business associate of mine,” Xueye flashed a smile over his shoulder at Yushi.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Yushi smiled warmly, offering a polite bow. “Don’t mind me, I’m just shadowing the Young Master today.”
“Oh, that’s quite alright,” Guiying returned the bow. “I’m just curious. Any companion of the Young Master is welcome here.” He opened the door and invited them in. “Please, make yourselves at home. I’ll go make us some tea.”
“Thank you,” Xueye beamed as Guiying disappeared into the kitchen. Xueye glanced over at Yushi, “As much as I enjoy your company I doubt we’ll run into any issues out here. You are free to rest with the others while I run around.”
“I’m sure you’re right,” Yushi crossed his arms. “Regardless, I don’t intend to leave you unattended.”
“Suit yourself,” Xueye shrugged. “No need to bore yourself.”
“In your presence even the mundane is intriguing,” Yushi flashed that charming smile of his. “Don’t you worry about me.”
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“Okay, okay,” Xueye quickly looked away. He couldn’t help but wonder why he was so easily affected by Yushi’s words and actions today. Perhaps it was the restless night’s sleep and all the traveling starting to catch up to him. He sat at the table with a sigh, “Please save the distractions for after business, if you would.”
“Yes, Young Master,” Yushi couldn’t help but slip in one more tease to savor the adorable pouty expression once more before he would refrain. He intended to cease anyway, more interested in watching Xueye do business unfettered.
Soon after, Guiying returned and served them all tea and settled at the table, “So what brings you out here, Young Master?”
“A few things,” Xueye crossed his hands in his lap as he started. “First, the usual shipment of your plum and rice wine is needed. Second, if you have excess rice in your stores I would like to purchase that as well, with the Brightness Festival around the corner we may need quite a bit.”
“The last harvest was quite bountiful,” Guiying nodded with a soft smile. “I’m certain we can part with quite a bit.”
“Wonderful,” Xueye beamed. “Please don’t part with more than you all need to survive and produce that wonderful wine of yours.”
“With the generous sum you always give us I’m certain we’ll be quite alright even if we do end up a little short.” Guiying chuckled.
“I’m glad,” Xueye giggled. “Your goods are always of the best quality and very valuable to us. Especially that wine of yours, I have a particular buyer who always pays more than I ask for it. It’s well earned.”
“Really? I appreciate it all the same, Young Master. Many other merchants would likely keep that money for themselves. You are a kind soul. However, you surely didn’t need to come all the way out here just for a couple of orders.”
“Well, I’m actually in search of an herbalist in the area,” Xueye stated.
“Oh, you must mean Madam Yahui,” Guiying only knew of one such person in the area. “She cultivates her herbs just north of the village.”
“Thank you, Mr. Guiying,” Xueye smiled warmly. He finished the last of his tea and rose. “We won’t take up much more of your time. Send your invoice to the company as soon as you can. The caravan will be by in a few days hopefully.”
“If you stop by to see me before you leave town I can send you off with the invoice instead.” Guiying escorted them to the front door.
“Even better, thank you again.” Xueye waved as they left for their next destination.
“You really are quite generous, Xueye,” Yushi smiled warmly. “He’s quite right, just about any other merchant would keep that money.”
“Don’t let my father find out,” Xueye giggled. “I’ve no need for the excess that Jinse gives the company. I’m compensated plenty and the last thing we need is for my father to line his pockets with money he didn’t even work for.”
“Still it’s hard to come across a merchant with such a good heart,” Yushi was always impressed by Xueye’s kind nature given all the things he’d been through. Yushi knew he had barely scratched the surface on Xueye’s troubled past which was already pretty daunting. “Even with all you’ve been through, you still look out for others.”
“I’ve just never been one to take my bad lot in life out on others, it’s unfair to them,” Xueye shrugged it off.
“You give yourself too little credit,” Yushi sighed upon seeing how dismissive Xueye was over it. “There’s far more strength in kindness and understanding than there is in anger and terror.”
Xueye noticed the faintest hint of shadow behind those bright eyes, “Speaking from experience?”
“Quite so,” Yushi nodded, his mind having wandered to his violent rise to the throne in comparison to his time as an emperor that tends to serve the people the best he can. “However, I’ll tell you about it some other time.”
“Whenever you feel ready to tell me, I’ll be here to listen,” Xueye flashed a soft, understanding smile.
Yushi instantly felt at ease seeing the tender expression. Yushi so desperately wanted to steal him away from all his hardships and give him the better life he deserves. While he very well could within his power as emperor, he knew Xueye wouldn’t just take something he didn’t earn for himself. This was the one deal he would have to consider more thoroughly to not be denied outright.
Heading northward, the familiar scent of fragrant herbs was carried in the air. It always reminded Xueye of Dr. Jingji. While Xueye had plenty of different sources for the herbs he supplies for the doctor’s shop, Xueye wasn’t particularly sure he could trust those herbalists to keep a secret from his father. At the very least, they were certainly the boastful type, word of cultivating rare herbs would spread fast. Thus Xueye was greatly interested in the list procured by Yushi. He trusted that was factored into the selection, however Xueye still wished to meet the woman in person to get a better idea of her intentions.
They found her tending to her herbs, walking the line with a bucket of water, carefully tossing the liquid over them with the ladle. Every so often she would closely look over the herbs with a stern expression, occasionally granting the plant a little more water before moving on.
She noticed the two men approaching and set down the bucket and ladle. She wiped off her hands on her tattered apron and looked them over with stoic auburn eyes. Her firm gaze paired with the jagged scar across her cheek, gave her an almost intimidating aura, yet there was a calm stillness in the way she carried herself.
“Greetings, Young Lords,” She bowed politely, after which tossing her black and silvery braid over her shoulder. “What brings you all the way out here?”
“No need for such formalities,” Xueye waved his hand a bit nervously. It had been a while since someone used such a deeply respectful demeanor towards him. “My name is Meigui Xueye, I’m looking for Herbalist Yahui.”
“You found her,” she seemed to visibly ease up when Xueye swore off the formalities. “So you’re the one Guiying always talks about. It’s a pleasure to meet you. Why might you be asking after me?”
“Do you have a moment to discuss a potential business deal, should you be interested?” Xueye asked.
“I couldn’t see what you would need from the likes of me, but I’m listening,” She nodded her expression unchanging.
“Recently The Meigui Trading Company has acquired a shipment of incredibly rare herbs,” Xueye reached out and handed the list to her. “I’m looking for someone to see if it’s possible to start cultivating them anew.
“Where did you find these?” Her frigid expression cracked as she poured over a list of herbs familiar to her. She stared in disbelief.
“Along the eastern border, they were found in the Wildlands.” Xueye informed her.
“So someone else finally found them…” She sighed.
“You’ve come across these before?” Xueye blinked in surprise.
“Yes, my husband and I did, but we were attacked by one of the divine beasts of the wildlands. It’s how I got this,” She gestured to her scar. “We managed to escape so I could get treated. My husband decided to try and go find them again while I was recovering. He never came back…”
“I’m sorry…” Xueye had such a sad, sympathetic look.
“No need for sympathy, it was a long time ago.” She shook her head and cracked a soft smile, likely the first in a long time. “Fate brings it back to me…” She sighed and looked at Xueye after regaining her composure. “I would very much be interested, that was my intent if we were able to harvest them back then. What are your terms?”
“First of all this is an investment I would like to keep under wraps, even with the company, I fear my father might not understand the value to the people in being able to regrow these. So any correspondence you send should be sent directly to me,” Xueye explained.
“I’ll keep that in mind, go on,” She nodded.
“We will supply you with anything special you might need to aid in cultivating these, as well as a stipend for your time and dedication.” Xueye pulled out the contract he had drafted that had the numbers in detail. “It’s all written out here. Please look it over to see if it is to your liking. The Meigui Trading Company will handle transport and distribution should you end up successful.”
Yuhui read over the contract quietly until her eyes landed on the amount of the stipend. She was completely flabbergasted. She hadn’t expected such large numbers from a merchant, “Are you serious?!”
“If there is anything you would like to change I’m more than happy to discuss terms,” Xueye said with a sweet smile.
“This is far too much, Meigui! Is this really correct?” Yuhui swore it had to be some sort of mistake. What merchant in their right mind would put so much money on the line for an investment with no guarantee?
“Mn,” Xueye nodded. “You are revitalizing some potential life changing herbs. How could I possibly not compensate you accordingly?”
“You don’t even know if I’ll succeed.” Yuhui was starting to feel sorry for the young man. Was he really making so much money it wouldn’t be an issue?
“You seem rather intent on doing so with quite the passion. That’s more than enough for me to invest in.” Xueye’s earnest smile was starting to soothe those nagging suspicious thoughts Yuhui had lingering. This was just a sweet young man, just as Guiying always seemed to praise.
“Alright, wait here,” Yuhui sighed as she went into the rough looking house near the field with the contract. She returned shortly after and handed the contract to Xueye. “I look forward to doing business with you, Meigui.”
“As do I, Yuhui!” Xueye beamed as he carefully rolled up the contract. “With any luck the caravan should be able to set out by tomorrow morning so they will likely stop by here in the next few days to deliver some of the herbs. Some of it is going to the imperial stores in the palace but take as much as you think you’ll need from the Trading Company’s supply. If you don’t have room to store them or if there’s some you are worried about there being more trial and error involved, just let me know and I’ll be sure to keep extra on standby in our warehouse. In the meantime, if you do think of anything you might need right away, send me a letter and I’ll procure it as soon as possible.”
“Will do,” Yuhui nodded as she looked over the list in hand again. “Am I able to keep this?”
“Yes, of course,” Xueye nodded.
“Thank you, Meigui,” Yuhui bowed her head. “I am grateful you chose me for this task. Did Guiying recommend me?”
“It was actually my companion, Shujing, here,” Xueye gestured to Yushi who had been quietly watching with a soft smile.
“Have we met before?” Yuhui certainly didn’t recognize the man.
“Unlikely,” Yushi shook his head. “I heard of your talents from a friend of mine that works in the palace.”
“Ah, I did grow some special herbs for them in the past,” Yuhui closed her eyes. “Tell your friend I thank them for their recommendation.”
“Certainly,” Yushi smiled. He was delighted that this was helpful for both Xueye and Yuhui. Even if it was from a list fate still aligned to create such a fortuitous encounter for them both.
“We will be leaving soon but if you don’t mind I’d like to introduce you to two of the caravan members that accompanied us today,” Xueye suggested. “That way they know who to look for when they come back through.”
“Sure thing,” Yuhui nodded. “I’ll come with you, save you the trip back up the hill.”
The three made their way back to the cart that was waiting for Xueye and Yushi’s return. Hailing was laying in the back of the cart with his straw hat over his face and Qiang was chatting with some of the farm girls that were taking a break.
“Oh, you’re back, Young Master!” Qiang greeted him like an excited puppy. He bounded over, oblivious to the farm girls’ whispers and giggles over the pretty merchants joining him.
“Thank you for waiting, Qiang,” Xueye smiled with delight, He gestured to Yuhui, “This is Herbalist Yuhui. She’ll be the one handling the cultivation of the herbs you will be picking up.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you ma’am,” Qiang bowed with a chipper smile. He skipped over to the cart and smacked on the side to wake Hailing since he hadn’t gotten up yet, “Hailing! Get up and meet our new supplier!”
“No need to be so loud,” Hailing yawned as he sat up. He leaned on the edge of the cart rather than getting out. He casually waved to the woman next to Xueye. “I’m Hailing, nice to meet you. We’ll likely see each other often since we’ll be handling this secret project of the Young Master’s. So let’s get along.”
“I don’t think we’ll have a problem,” Yuhui couldn’t help but crack a smile at their lax demeanor. She was already starting to feel comfortable about the whole arrangement.
“Young Master,” Guiying called as he approached. “Wonderful timing.”
“Oh, Mr. Guiying, I was about to go see you,” Xueye smiled as Guiying handed him the written invoice. Xueye looked it over and was surprised by the amount of rice added to the invoice. “Goodness you certainly did have a bountiful harvest.”
“We have been quite fortunate indeed,” Guiying chuckled. He glanced over at Yuhui chatting with Qiang and Hailing. “It’s lovely to see that you lot can bring her to smile more. I was hoping that would be the case. You continue to bring joy to this village, Young Master.”
“Ah, I’m just doing my job,” Xueye flushed under his words of praise.
“You do it better than most,” Yushi chimed in. “But you are quite adept at bringing happiness to those around you.” Yushi wished to say more, thinking of what a shame it was that Xueye had to suffer so much to get to this point but he wasn’t about to bring that up in mixed company.
“Thank you both for your kind words,” Xueye shifted nervously, he was suddenly feeling rather hot under the warm spring sun. “As delightful as this outing has been, perhaps we should head back before it gets too late!” Xueye moved towards the cart in a bit of a hurry to get away from such overwhelming kindness.
“I agree,” Hailing nodded, standing up to stretch before crawling over to sit on the front. “Sooner we get back, the sooner we can head out to the border.”
“Fair point,” Qiang hopped up on the front next to him. “We’ll see you in a couple days, Lady Yuhui.”
“Just Yuhui is fine,” she shook her head with an exasperated sigh. “I look forward to seeing you two again.” She waved as she started to return towards her fields. “Thank you again, Meigui.”
“Mn, have a wonderful evening, Yuhui,” Xueye smiled and waved at her. Suddenly a hand appeared in front of him from above on the cart. He hadn’t even noticed Yushi had jumped on already and was now offering to help him up. Xueye took his hand and couldn’t help but marvel at how easily Yushi had pulled him up. It was enough to make his heart pound. Xueye flashed a grateful smile as he sat down against the cart’s low walls. He smiled over at Guiying. “It was lovely to see you again, Mr. Guiying. Thank you again.”
“It’s always a pleasure to have you here, Young Master. You are welcome anytime.” Guiying waved with a warm smile.
“You’re too kind,” Xueye laughed softly as he settled for the trip.
Yushi had settled next to Xueye this time. Even though he’d been with him all day he just felt the need to be close to him.
“All set?” Qiang called back.
“Yes, I’d say so,” Yushi nodded.
The cart lurch forward and they were bound for home.
Yushi looked down and saw the energy quickly fading from Xueye. He quietly reached his arm around the young man’s shoulders and pulled him close. Xueye didn’t even resist, just rested his head against Yushi’s shoulder.
“I’m beat,” Xueye didn’t even have the energy to feel embarrassed over the close proximity. He was more wrapped up in the comforting warmth that Yushi emitted.
“Rest, I’ll wake you when we get to the city,” Yushi whispered tenderly, gently stroking that soft white hair.
“Mn, thank you…” Xueye drifted off.
Each time that familiar nightmare of darkness began, Xueye felt a warm light envelop him, chasing away the darkness and haunting voices with tender words of a familiar deep voice saying, “Rest easy, I’m with you…”