OFTLHFRO C110

Chapter 110: The Secret Signal

It took three days to prepare the dowry, and only after Huo Yan pressed twice did they finally deliver it.

One heavy chest after another was carried into Qiuyue Courtyard, and Luo Mingchen opened them all right in front of them.

Huo Yan checked against the list as he inspected.

Originally, Huo Yuntao had used his late wife’s dowry to patch financial holes. Much of the original property was long gone, replaced now only with items of similar value.

Yet, looking at the high-value pieces before him, Huo Yan asked, “Who selected these?”

Another steward answered, “The Madam personally chose them.”

At that, Huo Yan gave him a meaningful glance. “Oh.”

After verifying all the items, Huo Yan refused their offer to carry the chests inside the house.

Once everyone had left, Luo Mingchen asked curiously, “This enameled glass vase is worth more than that white jade one, isn’t it?”

“Mm. These items far exceed the value of my mother’s dowry.”

As he spoke, Huo Yan picked up a box and opened it, revealing a pair of heavy golden peony hairpins.

“What? Has she lost her mind?”

Luo Mingchen thought they’d be lucky not to be shortchanged, yet here they were being given things even more valuable.

“She isn’t mad. She simply assumes we won’t be able to take so much away with us. Once we leave the capital for the frontier, all of this will end up back in her hands sooner or later. Naturally, she chooses the finest, to silence us for now.”

Luo Mingchen laughed. “So this is what they call trying to steal a chicken and ending up losing the rice?”

Huo Yan closed the box, smiling faintly at him.

Who would guess they really could spirit everything away without a sound?

They took out part of the grain from the space, put the contents of the large chests into the space, and then refilled the chests with grain. Using water ropes, they moved the boxes inside. Tomorrow, they would contact the Third Prince.

With everything arranged, Luo Mingchen looked at the chests and raised a concern. “If we try to move them out, what if they’ve stationed people outside to watch?”

Earlier, Huo Yan had said they would deliver these chests to the Third Prince.

With such conspicuous cargo, if Huo Yuntao had men watching, they would inevitably see where the contents ended up.

And if, after they left, the Third Prince’s people unloaded the grain, it would be obvious the contents were not the dowry.

While they could argue it to death, it still wasn’t the most secure plan.

Huo Yan replied, “This great capital is riddled with underground tunnels. There’s no shortage of ways to move them.”

At that, Luo Mingchen suddenly understood—ancient nobles did indeed love to dig hidden passages and build mechanisms underground.

Though some of those tunnels served the same purpose as modern-day sewers.

Their task now was simple: make contact with the Third Prince.

That wasn’t difficult.

The next morning, Luo Mingchen saw the steward from before trudging miserably toward them and cheerfully called him over to drive the carriage.

It wasn’t that Luo Mingchen wanted to torment him on purpose, but this steward was originally Liu Lanyun’s spy. The whole point of tiring him out these past few days was to muddle the waters so they could contact the Third Prince.

If they switched to someone else now, they’d have to start over. Better just to let this steward suffer.

After the steward puffed his way through two streets, Luo Mingchen glanced at Huo Yan and had him stop at a jade shop.

Finally, a moment’s rest—teary-eyed, the steward watched them enter the shop.

This was the address given by Master Ming.

Holding little Xinyue’s hand, Luo Mingchen heard Huo Yan say to the shopkeeper, “Do you have millennium black jade here?”

At those words, the shopkeeper looked them over and smiled. “The black jade is sold out. How about cold jade?”

“Let’s see the quality.”

“This way, honored guests.”

The shopkeeper signaled a clerk to mind the front while he led them into a secret room.

Inside, he opened a wooden box containing several exquisitely carved pieces of cold jade.

Huo Yan glanced over them, picked one up, and set it before the shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper looked, then smiled. “How has Lord Ming been lately?”

Huo Yan produced the Third Prince’s token and a letter. “Please deliver this to His Highness. It is urgent.”

Hearing the last word, the shopkeeper instinctively glanced at Huo Yan. His calm demeanor hardly looked like urgency.

But with the token presented, the shopkeeper quickly agreed. “Of course.”

Outside, the steward craned his neck, peering into the shop, only to find the men gone. Alarmed, he rushed in.

“Those two men with children who came in just now—where did they go?”

The clerk smiled. “The honored guests said they wanted to buy jade. The shopkeeper took them to look. They’ll be out soon.”

Relieved, the steward waited.

Before long, he saw Luo Mingchen and Huo Yan emerge from the secret room with the three children, Huo Yan carrying an elegant wooden box in his hand.

Afterward, the five of them strolled through other shops, buying clothes, hair ribbons, and especially street snacks, finishing with a roasted lamb leg at a grillhouse.

On a freezing winter’s day, a bowl of lamb soup and a roasted leg left them warm from head to toe.

Some disliked lamb for its gamey smell, but this family welcomed all foods. Even salty-sweet tofu pudding and salty-sweet rice dumplings had never caused family quarrels—if it was tasty, they loved it.

The steward, waiting nearby: “…”

Not even a sip of soup for him.

Full and satisfied, little Xinyue grew drowsy, burrowing into Luo Mingchen’s arms.

He picked her up expertly, patting her back until she fell asleep, and carried her out.

Loaded with parcels, the steward thought they were heading back—only to be told they wanted to stroll another street.

Miserably, the steward asked, “Young Master Luo, didn’t you say earlier you had no money?”

He had figured it out—Huo Yan rarely answered questions, and everywhere they went, it was Luo Mingchen calling the shots. Better to ask him directly.

“You don’t know?”

Feigning surprise, Luo Mingchen said, “My mother’s dowry was returned. Of course we have money now.”

The steward froze, then realized he meant Huo Yan’s late mother.

“Isn’t there a place around here where things are really expensive?”

“…There is.”

So the steward led them through several more streets.

That day alone, they spent several thousand taels of silver. Luo Mingchen wore a smile, but inside he was bleeding.

Yes, the dowry was safe in the space, but he was spending from their actual savings.

Still, the image of a spendthrift nouveau riche worked perfectly to fool the steward.

Back at Bamboo Garden.

After hearing the steward’s report, Liu Lanyun sighed in pain. “Truly a bunch of country bumpkins who’ve never seen the world.”

That steward—running errands, leading the horse, hauling purchases—had worked all day, never tasting even a bowl of broth. Resentful toward Luo Mingchen and Huo Yan, he chimed in, “Exactly! Madam should’ve seen how they flaunted themselves, as if they wanted the whole world to know they had money.”

Liu Lanyun gave him a sidelong glance. “You’ve worked hard today. If they stir up anything else, report to me at once.”

A maid handed him a heavy purse.

Tucking the bulging pouch into his robes, the steward beamed. “This servant will not fail Madam’s trust.”

Once he was dismissed, Liu Lanyun’s brows drew tight. “Find some people to keep watch on them. Don’t let them squander everything away.”

“Yes.”