Lena Sanders was a woman of swift action. By noon the next day, she was already waiting outside Sunrise Gate for Gavin Shea. Standing by the roadside, she briefly outlined her plan in a few succinct words.
Gavin's brows arched in surprise.
"I heard that the postal relay service is jointly managed by the Ministry of War and the Privy Council. The Seventh Young Master said he holds influence with both?"
"All we need," Lena explained with a faint smile, "is permission to use the relay routes and take shelter beneath the relay posts when it rains. If the business prospers and yields profit, we could contribute twenty or thirty percent to repair the relay stations and maintain the roads—or offer subsidies to the couriers. Or, if it pleases them, we could hand the money over directly.
"If we truly make this work, then the court will have not one but two functioning postal systems to rely on whenever the need arises. After all, under heaven, all land belongs to the king."
As she watched Gavin's astonished face, Lena's smile deepened.
"When the topic of officials using the postal relays for personal letters came up the other day, Shou Zhen kept smiling as though plotting something. I thought he was overthinking. What made you conceive this idea?"
Gavin's focus seemed a little misplaced.
"I simply think it's a promising venture," Lena replied, her smile radiant.
"This must be discussed with my elder brother first," Gavin said after a pause, then added curiously, "Did you meet that noblewoman using Pan Qi's calling card?"
"Yes. On the day I registered, I happened to encounter the Seventh Young Master on the road. He mistook me for having some connection with Lord Shen of the Yongping Marquisate and stopped me to inquire. Our conversation drifted to household registrations, and he gave me his name card."
Lena offered a few extra words of explanation.
"What's your connection with Shen Mingshu?" Gavin asked, puzzled.
"Oh, that story—one thing leads to another and never ends," Lena sighed. "On the fourth day, we dined at Liu Tower and ran into both Lord Shen and the Seventh Young Master. The Marquisate of Yongping had just rewarded us with twenty or thirty thousand taels, counting both silver drafts and wages. So when we met, I thought I should at least offer a greeting. That was all—but the Seventh Young Master read too much into it."
At the mention of the "twenty or thirty thousand taels," Gavin couldn't help but chuckle. "And the last two days you went to the Ministry of Works—didn't manage to finish the registration? The village head gave you trouble?"
"No. The day before yesterday I was simply bored. I don't know many people here in Castleton, and both Master Wen and the others are busy. I figured the Seventh Young Master would be free, so I went to chat.
Yesterday he invited me to his home, offered me his family's cooking and tea, and I took the chance to ask him for Jin Yu's new book."
Lena answered Gavin's relentless questions patiently—she had to, since she needed his help.
"If you wanted that book, you could have just sent word to me," Gavin remarked, then paused. "But you should know—Chancellor Pan has no say in postal matters."
"It wasn't about the book, nor about the Chancellor," Lena explained, smiling faintly. "I was simply idle and sought someone to talk to. The Seventh Young Master has a witty tongue and a frank nature."
"He's the sort who accomplishes little and ruins much," Gavin said gravely. "And his wife—fierce and shrewish, sharp-tongued as vinegar. Whenever Pan Qi makes a mistake, she vents her anger on others. Best be cautious."
"Of course," Lena nodded.
"I'll discuss your proposal with my brother first," Gavin said after a moment. "I'll give you an answer tonight. What would you like for dinner?"
"Changqing Tower," Lena replied promptly. "I hear their chive dumplings are excellent, and this is just the right season for chives."
Without reservation, she named the place, bowed, and took her leave.
Changqing Tower ranked second on her personal list of "hard-to-book restaurants"—she might as well seize the opportunity.
———
As Lena disappeared down the street, Gavin hesitated briefly before turning back into Sunrise Gate.
The Crown Prince, Gu Jin, was about to dine. Seeing Gavin enter, he raised an eyebrow. "What brings you here?"
"Nothing much," Gavin said lightly. "I was going to eat alone anyway. Might as well dine with you. And I like this dish." He gestured toward a plate of steamed fish and smiled.
"You prefer braised fish with scallions," Gu Jin observed, then told a young eunuch, "Have the kitchen prepare another fish, braised, and add two of the Prince Heir's favorite dishes."
When the meal was done and tea served, Gavin took a sip and smiled. "That Miss Li—she wants to turn the postal system into a business. Quite the idea, isn't it?"
Gu Jin cast him a sidelong glance, silent for a moment, then chuckled.
Gavin joined in his laughter. "I simply find it amusing. The court spends nearly a million taels a year on the postal system—it's no small sum. I can't imagine how she expects to make a profit from it. Still, the notion itself is rather entertaining."
"You didn't ask her?" Gu Jin asked, smiling faintly.
"I did. She said she's not sure if it'll be profitable—she'll try and see." Gavin spread his hands.
"And what else did she say?"
Meeting Gu Jin's gaze, Gavin replied with a smile, "She plans to use the official relay routes and lodgings. If the business succeeds, she'll contribute twenty or thirty percent to the court.
"She genuinely believes it could be profitable—and even plans to share her earnings with the state. Isn't that something?"
"Relay routes and official lodgings…" Gu Jin sneered softly. "Then she merely needs to hire couriers. If she's delivering letters, giving half her profit to the court would still be cheap."
"Not exactly," Gavin countered. "Even if she didn't use the facilities, the court wouldn't save a single coin on postal costs."
Gu Jin snorted again. "If she only carries letters, that's fine. But if she starts transporting goods…? From what you've told me, she's clearly shrewd and resourceful. Before long, she'll be bribing officials here and there, and the entire postal system might as well become her personal enterprise."
Gavin frowned. "I didn't think of that. Then—perhaps we restrict her to letters only?"
"Let me think," Gu Jin murmured, his brows knitting. After a moment, he gestured to a eunuch. "Send in Da Fu."
Gavin blinked in surprise.
Cao Da Fu oversaw intelligence operations within Brightpeace Palace—what was his brother summoning him for?
Cao arrived quickly and bowed deeply. Gu Jin motioned to him. "Tell the Prince Heir what you've found about Miss Li."
"Yes. The day after the Prince Heir arrived in North Hollow County, my lord instructed me to investigate Miss Li and her three companions," Cao began, turning toward Gavin.
"Three years ago, just after the New Year, the Beggars' Guild suddenly emerged among the underworld of Riverford City…"
He paused, glanced at Gu Jin, then continued—
From there, he recounted the tangled history of Lena's rise: the mysterious birth of the Beggars' Guild, the fierce battle against the thug Qing Laizi, the takeover of the night-soil trade, the silent reverence she inspired among the city's destitute, and the enigmatic loyalty she commanded.
By the time Cao finished, the room had grown still.
"She's no ordinary woman," Gu Jin murmured at last. "And as for that matter with the Ye family…"
He spoke of Ye Anping's sudden retreat into monastic life, of his brother Ye Ansheng's poisoning, of their family's concealed secrets—and how Lena's name, curiously, was woven through it all.
At last, Gu Jin sighed. "They say she was rescued from the river and lost her past. I asked the imperial physicians—true amnesia is rare, and those who suffer it are often dull or disoriented. For one as composed and capable as her… she must have met with something extraordinary."
Gavin nodded in agreement.
"She wants to run the postal system," Gu Jin said finally, lips curling in a faint smile. "Tell her to draw up a proposal for me to review."
"You truly mean to let her do it?" Gavin asked in surprise.
"Indeed." Gu Jin's tone was firm. "I've been waiting to see which trade she'd set her sights on here in Castleton. Had she chosen to run another night-soil business, I'd have been disappointed. But the postal service…" His smile widened. "That, I find intriguing."