William Chen replied swiftly. By dusk, Lena Sanders had already arrived at the Tang Family's main establishment, a step ahead of him.
It was still the same Tang establishment, though the private room was not the one Gavin Shea had once used. This one was tucked away in a corner of the rear courtyard—small, refined, almost dainty in its seclusion.
Lena had just finished inspecting the room when William Chen entered.
"My thanks to Master Wen for taking the time to see me," she said, bowing with a polite smile.
"You honor me, Miss," William Chen returned the gesture. "The Prince Heir was worried you might have some urgent matter—he urged me to come at once."
"It's nothing urgent," Lena replied lightly. "I merely wished to see you, to speak with you for a while." She smiled warmly. "You haven't eaten yet, have you? I didn't dare order in advance since I wasn't sure what you liked."
"They already know what you prefer, Miss," William Chen said, a touch of awkwardness creeping into his tone.
"Then whatever you like, I shall like as well," Lena answered with an easy grin, watching his unease with amused patience.
William Chen's discomfort deepened; he turned away and told the servant, "Just bring Miss Li's usual dishes."
Lena lifted her teacup and sipped, her eyes gleaming with quiet laughter as she watched him struggle with his composure.
"Miss Li sought me out for a reason, I assume?" William Chen asked, straightening his posture as he turned to business.
"I heard there's something called a Street Office here in Castleton?" Lena leaned back, her tone casual.
"Has it caused you any trouble?" William Chen asked quickly.
"Not at all. I simply heard of it for the first time and found it curious—since, apparently, nowhere else in the empire has such an office." Lena smiled faintly as she spoke.
"The Street Office," William Chen began, "dates back to the reign of the late emperor.
"When His Majesty was still young, the princes' power struggle nearly tore the realm apart. The Southland army's vanguard once advanced as far as the walls of Castleton. By the time His Majesty ascended the throne, the city lay in ruin—at least a third of its residences stood empty.
"At first, the emperor was lenient, forbidding officials to harass merchants or street vendors who occupied public space for survival. But as the city prospered over the next decade, so did the congestion.
"In time, even the main avenues were obstructed—stalls crept onto the imperial road itself. When the emperor wished to travel to Jinming Pond to view military exercises, he had to send men to clear the way several times in advance before his carriage could pass.
"Toward the end of his reign, the streets became nearly impassable and filthy; after each heavy rain, the city turned to a mire. So His Majesty commanded Minister Yao of the Ministry of Works to oversee a complete cleansing.
"Yao mobilized five hundred guards, all dressed in blue, to enforce order and sanitation—and the results were remarkable.
"But once they withdrew, the chaos returned within half a month. After several such cycles, the emperor decreed the establishment of the Street Office.
"It was originally under the Ministry of Works. When the current emperor ascended, it was moved to the Jianle Prefecture.
"After the Second Prince began overseeing Jianle, the Street Office came under his jurisdiction. Presently, it is managed by the Yongping Marquisate—specifically, by Lord Shen's eldest son.
"But why does Miss Li ask about this?"
Lena sighed softly. "I only just heard of it today. It seems to me there's hardly any business left in Castleton worth attempting."
"That can't be," William Chen said, startled. "What sort of trade are you considering?"
"Nothing yet. But for people like us, most ventures are shaded in gray. We do not fear magistrates—only the officials who meddle in what's near at hand." Lena exhaled, her tone weary.
William Chen was about to respond when the voice of his servant, Baicheng, came from outside. "The Prince Heir has arrived!"
William Chen hurried out to greet him.
Lena rose more slowly, following behind. Before she reached the doorway, Gavin Shea had already entered with a broad stride.
"My brother's fasting today, so I couldn't bear to eat alone. Hope I'm not intruding?" he said with a cheerful smile, cupping his hands politely to Lena.
Lena returned the smile without speaking, stepping aside to let him in.
Gavin took the head seat; Lena resumed her place, while William Chen busied himself giving orders to add more dishes and pouring tea for the prince before sitting down again.
"What were you two discussing?" Gavin asked pleasantly. "Don't mind me—go on."
"Miss Li was just asking about the Street Office," William Chen replied.
"Oh?" Gavin arched a brow. "Did it interfere with your business somehow? What trade are you thinking of? If it's a nuisance, I'll speak to the Second Prince tomorrow—have the Street Office transferred to Zhihé to manage. He's idle enough."
William Chen could only stare out the window in silence.
Lena chuckled softly. "No need, truly. I'm not planning any business in the city. I just found it curious—since it exists nowhere else but here."
"Don't give up on city trade because of that," Gavin said earnestly. "It's no trouble for me at all. If I take it over, both the Second Prince and Shen Ming would owe me a favor—and it's hardly a prestigious post anyway."
Lena smiled. "Really, there's no need. I haven't even decided what line of work to pursue yet. Before doing business, one must first inquire—ask about this office and that authority. I've heard of most, but this Street Office was new to me, so I merely asked out of curiosity.
"In the future, there will be many matters for which I'll need Master Wen's advice." She turned politely toward William Chen and bowed slightly.
William instinctively leaned back against his chair.
"You could always come to me instead," Gavin said with a grin, leaning forward.
Lena's eyes curved with a smile, and she nodded agreeably.
A procession of servants soon entered, carrying trays laden with food. Ruby and Baicheng arranged the dishes neatly across the table.
Lena ignored the fish noodles and the sweet-and-sour mandarin fish she'd eaten before. Instead, she examined the spread carefully, scooped a bowl of rice, and began eating heartily with the plate of scallion-fried lamb, finishing two full bowls.
"You don't care for the mandarin fish or the noodles?" Gavin asked, setting down his chopsticks after a bowl.
"It's not that," Lena replied contentedly. "It's just that this is fresh lamb. The meat markets close during the first month—I haven't had fresh lamb in over a month." She sighed in satisfaction.
"If you ever crave something, just send Jack Golden or Harris Ma to me," Gavin said, laughing. "I can't promise everything, but I can manage most things."
Lena gave a sly chuckle, glancing at William Chen across the table.
Caught in her gaze, William smiled awkwardly. "The Prince Heir is right—it's only food, after all. Nothing of consequence."
"Indeed." Lena nodded, then asked with apparent innocence, "Your Highness, do you know how much lamb costs per pound these days?"
Gavin blinked. William quickly answered, "In the twelfth month, it was around seven hundred cash."
"So expensive?" Gavin frowned.
"It's always been that high. But now that Your Highness has spoken, Darren Chang can finally eat lamb without restraint," Lena said with a teasing smile.
William couldn't help laughing.
Gavin frowned again. "I recall that a county lieutenant's monthly stipend amounts to only six thousand or so—barely enough for a few pounds of lamb. Hah… That memorial from the day before yesterday—I'll speak with my brother; we'll approve it."
William looked puzzled. "Which memorial?"
"The one requesting permission for officials of all ranks to use the postal relays for private correspondence—not just those of the seventh rank and above. Life is hard; even officials struggle." Gavin sighed.
"Will the couriers be paid extra for the added work?" Lena asked at once.
Gavin paused, caught off guard. "Extra pay? For the same delivery?"
William quickly explained, "Unlike in the Southland, our couriers are drawn from the military. Their rations and stipends are fixed by regulation—such matters can't be changed lightly. It's not a case of one or two men."
"Oh," Lena murmured thoughtfully. "So now that letters home can be sent at public expense, I imagine there'll be plenty of them. And what counts as a family letter? Surely one can't exclude a note to a friend, can they?
"How many official documents does a minor clerk send each month—and how many personal letters will he now write? I suspect soon there'll be fewer dispatches of state and far more of sentiment.
"Unless they hire more relay men, the workload will double, even triple. A trip that once took a day will soon take two or three.
"However hard the officials' lives may be, they're still far better off than the couriers. That county lieutenant with his six thousand cash a month can certainly afford pork—and lamb, perhaps three or five times a year.
"My men—Darren Chang and the others—had never tasted lamb before they followed me. When they begged for food, they couldn't even beg that. And still, Harris Ma had the gall to look down on the relay couriers.
"What you're doing, Your Highness, is robbing the poor to ease the burdens of the well-fed."
William glanced toward Gavin. The prince was silent for a long while before exhaling heavily.
William's eyes shifted from Gavin to Lena—watching as she leaned back, eyes half-narrowed, the faintest curve at the corner of her lips. His heart gave an uneasy thump, as a sudden thought crossed his mind:
Is she… calculating something?