Chapter 25: Second Uncle Should Not Have Disdained You

Yuan Shen’s proposal immediately won the support of the Li brothers, but Yan Chaonian did not want him to directly clash with the people from the Brocade Administration.

"The Brocade Workshop falls under the jurisdiction of the Brocade Administration. If they have a need, the workshop should naturally support it. Besides, it is always unwise to use a powerful figure to suppress a local authority. I will go."

"I will accompany my eldest uncle; it is not as if we are going there to quarrel."

When it came to Yuan Shen, she always exercised extra caution. "If you want brocade sent to the capital, I have a more suitable option for you."

Yuan Shen did not actually covet the brocade; he only wanted to support the workshop. As a military general, he believed the head of an enemy commander was the best gift to send to the capital; there was no real need to send mere silk to please the Empress Dowager.

The matter was settled. Half an hour later, Yan Chaonian, having adjusted her attire and donned her veil, went to the Brocade Administration with Li Chun.

Li Xia, who had been left behind, was severely scolded by Mother Yan. She told him that at his age, he still lacked composure, easily swayed by flattery and prone to foolish actions. Li Xia dared not retort, only muttering at the very end, "Eldest brother is composed, yet he was still foolish, wasn't he?"

Mother Yan glared at him again, and he obediently went off to play with his grand-nephew. Yuan Shen began processing military affairs; the terrain in the Southwest was complex, and he had little time for rest.

Two incense sticks later, Yan Chaonian arrived at the Brocade Administration. Upon learning of her arrival, Magistrate Xu felt a flicker of guilt. They had indeed behaved unethically the day before; they had only made a casual request and hadn't expected the Li brothers to agree so readily—it felt unreal. Waking up this morning, he had guessed that the workshop owner would likely refuse, and sure enough, she had come.

"Your workshop’s entry for the selection once again took top honors this year. Congratulations! What brings you here today, Workshop Owner?"

Yan Chaonian had Li Xia present a canister of tea and smiled. "The success of Chaojin Workshop is largely due to the guidance of the Brocade Administration. It is hard to have good fortune strike twice, and with so many weaving workshops in the city and talented weavers emerging like bamboo shoots after rain, winning again was an unexpected joy. I came today because my family's tea garden has produced a new harvest, and I wished to bring some for the officials of the Brocade Administration to taste."

As the tea canister was placed beside Magistrate Xu, his lips twitched. He managed a forced smile and invited Yan Chaonian to sit. "The skill of your workshop's weavers is truly unexpected; winning top honors again is well-deserved."

Once seated, Yan Chaonian spoke to Magistrate Xu about the workshop's future plans—namely, to expand and open weaving training classes in the surrounding towns. "Firstly, to prepare more weavers for the workshop so it may grow, and secondly, to provide more families with a trade to earn a living."

Magistrate Xu nodded repeatedly, agreeing that their idea was sound and promising that the Brocade Administration would provide support wherever needed.

"Many thanks, Magistrate."

Yan Chaonian proceeded to praise all the weaving workshops in Rong City, with a special emphasis on the Brocade Administration. "With the Brocade Administration and Magistrate Xu here, the brocade of our Southwest will surely flourish."

"My father has an old friend in the capital who wrote to say that our Southwest brocade is highly sought after there. From high-ranking officials to commoners, everyone clamors for it, and even the nobles in the palace adore it. Some have even sent people all the way to the Southwest to seek out exquisite brocade to present to those in power..."

Though she spoke of the brilliance of Southwest brocade, Magistrate Xu understood her implication. Her father had connections in the capital, and as he suspected, she was indeed targeting the delivery of that specific roll of silk.

"Indeed, our Southwest brocade truly has the credentials to compete with the finest in the world. To say nothing else, the roll that won you the top prize was truly extraordinary. Few workshops can weave the 'Tonghai' pattern—not because they lack the skill, but because they fear the colors will be too overwhelming. Your piece was a work of divine craftsmanship; the golden patterns hidden in the dark—who could look at it and not call it a sign of wealth and prosperity?"

"We were busy feasting yesterday and some things were left unsaid. I was thinking that the Brocade Administration should send the silk to the capital in its own name—to the palace, and directly to the Empress Dowager. It would let her know of the magnificence of our Southwest brocade."

"Our Brocade Administration will inform all the weaving workshops in the Southwest and call upon them to follow the example of Chaojin Workshop, establishing it as a standard-bearer for our Southwest weaving industry. To this end, we will grant the workshop the special privilege of selecting one person to serve in the Brocade Administration and contribute to the future of our local brocade."

"How does that sound?"

Yan Chaonian stood up and bowed slightly. "Chaojin Workshop owes its success to the care of the Brocade Administration. Since you think so highly of us, Magistrate, Chaojin Workshop will follow your lead from now on."

"However, if you are to send brocade to the capital, I fear one roll is not enough. Our workshop is willing to provide two more."

Li Chun’s legs trembled with excitement. The Brocade Administration was a proper government office; did this mean the Li family would now be eating the government’s grain?

Magistrate Xu smiled. "I am well aware of the quality of Chaojin Workshop’s silk. If you are willing to provide two more, that would be excellent. The Brocade Administration will also contact the other workshops to gather ten rolls in total to send to the capital together."

The rest of the conversation was pleasant. Before she left, Magistrate Xu urged Yan Chaonian to select a person to send to the Brocade Administration as soon as possible. Next month’s Brocade Fair would be even livelier than this one, and officials from the imperial court would also be coming; they would need to assist in receiving them.

Back at the Garrison Office, Li Chun poured himself two glasses of water. Li Xia kept asking about the result, and only after Li Chun had calmed down did he tell him. Li Xia was stunned. "My goodness, such a benefit is actually possible?"

He turned to look at the calm Yan Chaonian. "How did you manage that? I thought you were going to go and argue. You didn't argue, did you?"

Yan Chaonian was between laughter and tears. "Am I that kind of person?"

Li Chun recounted everything Yan Chaonian had said from the moment they walked in. The more Li Xia heard, the more bewildered he became. "From start to finish, I didn't hear you ask for any favors. Could it be that the people at the Brocade Administration were going to give this favor anyway?"

Li Chun felt his younger brother was hopelessly dim. "When I get back, I will break it down and explain it to you. You only need to remember one thing: if you had gone, you would have likely received no benefits and would have been thrown out instead."

Li Xia scratched his head. "Niannian, Second Uncle shouldn't have looked down on you."

So what if she was timid? A timid person could do business. He wasn't timid, but he certainly couldn't have pulled this off.

Yan Chaonian was quite helpless. "Can we stop talking about the past? Who hasn't walked the wrong path or made a mistake?"

"Exactly. My Niannian is wonderful. No one is allowed to speak ill of her again."

Father Yan had returned, wearing simple work clothes. Even in his farmer's attire, he could not hide his scholarly grace. At just over forty, he still looked quite young.

Mother Yan was very dismissive. "I thought you were going to live in the tea garden for the rest of your life."

"I finished the work at the tea garden, didn't I?"

As he spoke, he reached out to hold his little grandson. Little Xun'er smiled and threw himself into his arms, calling out a crisp 'Grandpa'.

"Oh, my dear grandson, why are you so well-behaved? You speak so clearly, how clever you are."

The grandfather and grandson were very affectionate. Mother Yan pretended not to watch; though she grumbled, she still ordered someone to prepare hot water. Seeing that Father Yan had lost weight, a flicker of heartache crossed her eyes.