bullyxtreme Chapter 101 Mission Completed
Chapter 101 Mission Completed
In the instant they passed each other, Gu Qingyue got a clear look at Zhang Junqian. He was tall and elegant, with a rather handsome appearance. He had long, narrow eyes and a high nose. A dark blue robe gave him an air of sophistication and competence, as well as the shrewdness and maturity of a businessman. This man was not to be underestimated.
Seeing the two people who had already entered the restaurant, Zhang Junqian quickly followed after them.
Mu Yun Chu's current identity is Lin Shao Zhong, the youngest son of Lin Xiang, the direct descendant of the wealthy Lin family in Youzhou. He has been well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood, but missed last year's provincial examination due to illness. He is currently helping his elder brother manage the family business and preparing to take the exam again next year. He currently holds the title of Xiucai (a scholar who passed the county-level imperial examination).
Moreover, this identity is not fabricated; it is a real person who has a very good relationship with Mu Yun Chu. Therefore, relatively speaking, it can withstand private investigations by others.
It is worth mentioning that, like other ancient societies, the Great Chu Dynasty did not allow the sons of merchants to enter officialdom. However, many merchant families that had been in business for centuries changed their household registration to farming and studying at a young age in order to gain power. This allowed their children to study and take the imperial examinations, while the family business was operated under the guise of a branch or manager, generating huge profits. Therefore, there were many families like the Lin family who had been merchants for generations and then changed their household registration to farming and studying to take the imperial examinations.
Therefore, Mu Yun Chu is now a young master from a wealthy family with a degree in officialdom.
Gu Qingyue thought to herself that it was alright; in this world, there was no electronic ID system or anything like that, so it was really quite easy to impersonate someone.
Lin Shaozhong's trip to Lizhou was also for his family's medicinal herb business. Nanzhao is located in a mountainous area with many dense forests and wetlands. The humid climate is very suitable for the growth of many medicinal herbs, and the quality of the herbs is better than that of herbs from many places in Da Chu. Just look at Meigu Mountain, which is backed by Lizhou, and you can see that it is a natural medicinal herb base.
Zhang Junqian politely invited the two into a private room on the second floor. As soon as they opened the door, they saw a graceful young woman rise and bow, her demeanor gentle and elegant.
Although Gu Qingyue didn't know if the daughters of merchants in this world could have such upbringing, she thought that as long as one had money, it wouldn't be too difficult to become proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting by hiring famous teachers.
After all, women in ancient times generally stayed at home and didn't have much else to do. Learning needlework and embroidery was quite common, provided they had money.
Gu Qingyue was scrutinizing the girl in front of her, while the woman opposite her was also shaken by Gu Qingyue's appearance.
She had never seen any merchant's daughter with such outstanding temperament, especially her appearance, which was also exceptionally beautiful.
"This humble girl, Zhang Junyao, greets Young Master Lin and this young lady," Zhang Junyao said with grace and poise.
Gu Qingyue was not originally from this world, so she certainly didn't have any of the traits of being reserved, timid, or gentle.
If the situation required, she would act more like a young lady from a noble family than anyone else. Having traveled the world in her previous life and seen all kinds of extravagance, Gu Qingyue would not be intimidated in a gathering of nobles.
In her past life, she had even mastered three foreign languages through hard work, so she could easily navigate social situations as long as it required her work. This was even more true when meeting the son of a small merchant.
Gu Qingyue curtsied gracefully in return, saying, "My surname is Zhou. I apologize for disturbing you both."
Standing beside her, Mu Yun Chu raised an eyebrow slightly, a pleased smile curving her lips.
"Please have a seat, both of you. I just saw that Miss Zhou seemed to be frightened. Is she alright?" Zhang Junqian asked as soon as he sat down. He was very curious about this girl.
"It's nothing. I twisted my ankle when I got off the carriage, but I'm fine now," Gu Qingyue replied calmly, her eyes lowered.
"You two are truly a perfect match. I am envious of Brother Lin's deep affection for you."
Zhang Junqian praised the two men without any doubt, not feeling that there was anything wrong with his words. Especially since they were from a merchant background, it was only natural for them to flatter each other.
Gu Qingyue pouted. "Which eye of yours saw our deep affection? And you're envious? A businessman's words are truly something else."
While she was pondering, Zhang Junyao sat down next to Gu Qingyue with great enthusiasm and asked where Gu Qingyue's clothes were made, which shop made her jewelry, what skin care creams and rouge she used, and even her hairstyle made her very fascinated.
Gu Qingyue greeted her with a smile, leaving no room for doubt, without any deliberate flattery; everything was natural, relaxed, and open.
Gu Qingyue was well aware that this was not only to build a closer relationship, but also to extract some useful information.
It is said that the business world is like a battlefield, where a careless word or a small matter can affect every aspect of the cooperation. Therefore, Gu Qingyue dared not make the slightest mistake.
Compared to Gu Qingyue's outward composure and inner tension, Mu Yun Chu was clearly confident about this meeting.
The negotiations between the two parties mainly revolve around price, quantity of goods, delivery method, delivery time, payment method, payment time, etc. Given their positions, they mainly focus on agreeing on the general framework, while the details are usually discussed by their subordinates.
At the dinner table, both sides engaged in a heated debate. Mu Yun Chu skillfully demonstrated his familiarity with the business world, but also his lack of negotiation skills, perfectly capturing the persona of a scholar born into a merchant family.
Since he was publicly stating that he and Gu Qingyue were engaged, there would inevitably be moments of their 'unintentional, affectionate gazes' and natural mutual care at the table.
Of course, this was in ancient times, and these behaviors were all very restrained and subtle.
Zhang Junqian and Zhang Junyao, who were sitting next to them, noticed it, but neither of them showed any emotion.
Gu Qingyue was a little petrified, especially when she saw the doting look hidden beneath Mu Yun Chu's indifferent expression. She almost believed that she and he were already engaged.
The four enjoyed a very harmonious lunch, and before leaving, they exchanged gifts to express their gratitude.
After getting into the carriage with Mu Yun Chu and saying goodbye to Zhang Junqian and his sister outside, Gu Qingyue breathed a long sigh of relief. These siblings were really not easy to deal with, especially Zhang Junqian. He looked like a refined gentleman, but he was more shrewd than anyone else when it came to interests.
He scanned her and Mu Yun Chu countless times throughout the afternoon; if they hadn't been so mentally strong, they might have given themselves away.
In fact, the purpose of this operation was not the goods themselves, but rather their origin—the people who brought them.
Zhang Junqian led a branch of the Nanzhao Herbal Medicine Merchants Association, which formed the main force for this sale. Among them were spies of the Nanzhao royal family. They had to cooperate openly with these merchants to more naturally track down their hidden forces.
As the person in charge, Zhang Junqian is naturally very important.
Once this hurdle is overcome, you can then directly contact various merchants.
Mission accomplished, Gu Qingyue leaned against the car wall, 'drowsy'.
Gu Qingyue closed her eyes, but she felt a pair of eyes glued to her. Of course she knew who it was. She turned to face him without making a sound, pretending to yawn as if she was extremely sleepy.
"Hehe-------", a man's clear and deep laughter came. Gu Qingyue held back for a while, but still sat up.
"What's so funny?" Gu Qingyue pretended to be angry, but she was actually a little flustered inside.
"I'm laughing at how adorable you are," Mu Yun Chu said leisurely, making no attempt to hide her gaze from her eyes, as if she wanted to embed her image into her own.
Gu Qingyue was finding it difficult to cope.
"What was going on at the restaurant just now? Why were you looking at me like that?" Gu Qingyue wanted to know the answer. This question had been bothering her for a while. She felt that if his gaze was fake, it was too convincing.
She can't hold on any longer.
"Isn't this supposed to be a show for them, a coordinated effort?" Mu Yun Chu said casually, tugging at her wrinkled sleeves.
"really?"
"Otherwise what? What are you thinking?"
Gu Qingyue retorted irritably, "Remember, I'm a male doctor now, don't get it wrong!"
After saying that, he crossed his arms, adopting a businesslike and unapproachable demeanor.
"A male doctor? Aren't you my fiancée now?" Mu Yun Chu teased her, amused.
"Nonsense! Once this mission is complete, you'll still be a male doctor," Gu Qingyue said, raising her chin. She really didn't want to cause any more trouble; it was best to keep her female identity a secret.
"Okay, I understand. Whatever makes you happy."
Mu Yun Chu didn't mind the little girl's current troubled state. There was plenty of time, no rush. After all, she was still young.
Back at the house, Mu Yun Chu took Mu Nan to the study. The remaining matters needed to be explained and arranged with the people who stayed behind.
The next day, the three of them returned to the Lizhou camp together. Gu Qingyue also put on her old long robe, her black hair tied up, her skin slightly dark. She was still the same Gu Qingyue Doctor with superb medical skills and a somewhat eccentric personality.
Life went on as usual, except that the border conflict continued to escalate, and a formal declaration of war seemed inevitable.
Half a month later, Liquan Pass, under the jurisdiction of Lizhou, was breached by the Nanzhao surprise attack, and the Great Chu officially declared war on Nanzhao.