Reborn As The Wicked Little Sister-in-Law - Chapter 26

Chapter 26: Multiple Considerations

“You’ve gone to such great lengths to warn us—what is your true motive?”

Concubine Seven didn’t believe Lyu Guiyan was being purely altruistic, merely helping them analyze their future prospects.

Lyu Guiyan smiled elegantly. “My motive is simple: to help my cousin secure that position. We are family; if she prospers, I have a future, so naturally I help her. There are thirteen concubines in this manor, and too many eyes are on that spot. I am advising you three because I hope you will move your gaze elsewhere.”

She spoke without the slightest pretense, shocking the three concubines. They hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.

Concubine Five brushed aside her surprise and said leisurely, “I see. You want us to stop helping others and stop coveting it ourselves. Actually, you’re overthinking it. We’ve long known that position isn’t for us. We targeted you before because we were dissatisfied with your cousin but didn’t dare cross her—so we bullied the weak one instead.”

Since everything was out in the open, Lyu Guiyan wasn’t one to hold a grudge. “Then let bygones be bygones. From now on, I hope the four of us won’t find ourselves on opposite sides regarding manor affairs.”

Concubine Seven, always the “needle hidden in silk,” wouldn’t retreat without a profit. “Then will you point us toward a brighter path?”

Lyu Guiyan had originally intended to stop there, but it seemed she wouldn’t be able to exit gracefully without offering Concubine Seven some benefit.

“Do you remember Shangjing Woods, where we went for the spring outing a few days ago?”

“I remember. What about it?”

Shangjing Woods was the largest nursery in the capital. During peak seasons, it was flooded with tourists and required a massive staff. Once the blossoms faded, the staff was cut to a minimum. Those laid off had to return home and wait for the next season.

In reality, those workers possessed skills in landscaping, cultivation, pruning, and penjing (bonsai) aesthetics. If one were to organize them into a professional landscaping team to beautify private homes on a schedule, it would solve the workers’ unemployment and generate profit.

The capital was full of high-ranking officials with sprawling gardens. While the top-tier nobility kept their own gardeners, two-thirds of the wealthy families couldn’t afford a full-time staff. Without maintenance, pruning, weeding, and fertilizing, their gardens became a mess. They needed professionals to handle weeds and pests periodically.

“From what you’re saying, this could make money,” Concubine Seven noted, “but it’s inconvenient for the three of us to show our faces in public.”

Lyu Guiyan smiled knowingly. “I’m not asking you to be the boots on the ground. The three of you would invest as shareholders. Once it’s profitable, you sit back and collect your monthly dividends. I’ve calculated it: we’ll lose money initially to build a reputation—this is a new industry for the capital. After four months, we’ll break even, and by the second half of the year, we’ll see profit. Once the client base is established, you just collect the cash. By my count, each month you’d receive…”

Lyu Guiyan held up five fingers. Concubine Six gasped, “Five taels of silver a month?”

The room went silent.

Currently, a concubine in the Marquis’s manor received four taels of silver a month (calculated by the non-devalued standards of the Tang Dynasty).

Lyu Guiyan realized it was nearly time for lunch and needed to head back. “Once the clientele is stable, your monthly share would be roughly fifty taels.”

The three concubines’ eyes nearly popped out of their heads.

“That is my estimate. Implementation may vary.”

Concubine Five pulled Lyu Guiyan closer affectionately. “You said we should buy in—does that mean we don’t have to leave the house, we just provide the capital?”

Lyu Guiyan nodded.

“And do you have someone in mind to lead this ‘landscaping team’?”

Lyu Guiyan hadn’t expected them to be this interested; she thought she’d have to coax them several more times. “I have a friend named Zou. She works at Shangjing Woods. This was actually her idea, but she lacks the funds.”

Originally, she had invited Zou Shengsheng for tea yesterday to build a friendship and pitch this. The interference of Mu, Jing, and Wei had ruined that plan.

Concubine Seven asked with a beaming face, “How much capital do we need to raise initially?”

“I’ll have to ask my friend. Only she knows the local wages. We need to calculate the labor costs; the early stages will definitely be expensive.”

In truth, Lyu Guiyan already knew the numbers, but she wanted them to meet Zou Shengsheng. No matter how well she spoke, they wouldn’t feel secure handing money to a stranger without seeing results. They needed to see Zou’s capability to be fully convinced.

Concubine Seven thought it over. “How about you set a time for us to meet Miss Zou privately?”

“Deal. She lives outside the city, so it will take some time. I’ll let you know once I’ve discussed it with her.”

The three concubines nodded in unison.

Step two of Lyu Guiyan’s plan was complete.

“Then I’ll be going. Think it over, and I’ll ask for your final decision before I see Miss Zou.”

“Of course, take care on your way back!”

Lyu Guiyan felt a wave of irony. People truly only gather for profit; normally, she’d never hear them say “take care.”

The system Qiyun, silent for a long time, finally spoke: You’re helping the female lead build a career. You know Five, Six, and Seven won’t live long—you’re just using them.

Yes, I am using them to create a rift between them and Wei Chengyan, isolating her. But it’s not purely exploitation. They will outlive me; by then, they’ll have made their money, and after they pass, that monthly income will support their families.

Most of the concubines came from poor backgrounds. Aside from Concubine Seven’s deadbeat brother, the others had decent families. This was a safety net for them.

Why help the female lead’s career? Qiyun couldn’t understand.

In any era, money is the source of confidence. If the female lead has a career, the Mu family might treat her better.

In the original plot, half the credit for Zou Shengsheng marrying into the Mu family went to the second male lead, Jing Hongyi, who used his wealth to get the Emperor to issue a decree. The Mu family constantly threw this in Zou’s face, leading to her depression. Her life was hard enough; she didn’t need misfortune following her. Lyu Guiyan wanted her to be happy—even if it ended in tragedy, the process should be genuinely joyful.

Yanyan, you’re so good to her. What if she gets the wrong idea?

Please. Why would she ignore a handsome guy like Mu Yan to fall for a woman who’s someone’s concubine? Besides, I’m straight. I like rich, handsome men who are blind enough to want me. I don’t like women.

Qiyun said teasingly, You’re so sure? What if one day…

No ‘what ifs.’ I like being friends with them, but as for a romantic partner? No thanks.

Lyu Guiyan was so busy bickering with Qiyun that she didn’t notice Wei Chengyan calling her from a side path.

Seeing Lyu Guiyan looking joyful but completely ignoring her, a nameless fire rose in Wei Chengyan’s heart.

The golden sore ointment sent by Five, Six, and Seven had been taken to the Lanxin Courtyard by Xiaotan. Once a doctor examined it, the truth would come out, and a storm was likely brewing. Recalling last night, Wei Chengyan felt she had been played by Lyu Guiyan. She wanted to confront her, but was met with total silence.