I inherited my grandfather's Tang Dynasty assets.

Chapter 42 The Manager of Wanbaolou Has Changed

On the way there, Zhao Qimei told Fan Tao that Chen Yue had changed his appearance. Fan Tao didn't pay much attention to it, thinking it was just some ordinary disguise.

But when he saw Chen Yue in person, he stood there for a long time, hardly believing his eyes. This man, who was about the same age as him, had absolutely no resemblance to Chen Yue.

"Lord Fan, I did this for convenience. Could you please take me inside?"

Chen Yue's voice didn't change much. If that didn't work, he might have to go to Li Chengqian, but that would be too conspicuous. Fan Tao came to his senses and nodded repeatedly, bowing with a face full of emotion.

"Your methods are truly astounding. Please, I will lead you into the city now."

Fan Tao was the magistrate of Wannian County and a member of the Fan family in Chang'an. The guards at the city gate all knew him. With just a word, he easily brought Chen Yue into Chang'an.

It was a lively time in Chang'an. Although the weather was cold, Zhuque Street was bustling with activity. The afternoon sun shone into the crowds and the lively atmosphere, creating a breathtaking sight.

"My lord, what brings you to Chang'an? Is there anything I, Fan, can do for you?"

Fan Tao walked beside Chen Yue with great enthusiasm.

"It's really boring to stay at Shennong Temple for too long. I heard from Old Chen that Chang'an is very lively, so I came here to see it. I'm new here and don't know where I am. Thank you, Lord Fan, for bringing me in."

"You go ahead and do your work, you don't need to follow me. Seventh Sister and I are just taking a walk."

Fan Tao was quite famous in Chang'an, and his constant presence would inevitably draw attention to him.

"This..." Fan Tao hesitated, looking at Chen Yue with a conflicted expression.

"Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush."

"My lord, His Majesty wishes to reopen the Yang Wanli case from five years ago. Since I, Fan, solved the Hu family's case, he specifically ordered me to lead the investigation, with the Dali Temple assisting from the side."

Fan felt deeply grateful for the Emperor's great favor, but also felt immense pressure. However, Hu Shanren was seriously ill and mentally unstable. The Imperial Wardrobe had indeed discovered problems with that batch of silk.

Now, Fan is truly at a loss as to where to begin. If this case is indeed a miscarriage of justice, where is the evidence? If it is not a miscarriage of justice, why is the mute girl so meticulously plotting revenge? He earnestly requests guidance from the esteemed official.

Fan Yue was genuinely seeking advice.

Chen Yue's expression did not change after hearing this. His involvement in the Blood Child case was entirely due to the mission from the Time Gate.

All of those were just his own guesses. Yang Wanli's case is much more complicated, so how could he possibly know how to investigate it?

But that's definitely not how you should put it.

After thinking for a moment, Chen Yue said.

"Every case has clues, even those from five years ago. If this case is true as the mute girl said, it was a conspiracy between Hu Shanren and officials from the Imperial Wardrobe."

Besides the two of them, there should be other accomplices, and these two must have some special relationship or business dealings.

You can explore this from these aspects.

"What you say makes sense, sir. I understand. I will immediately begin the investigation."

Although Chen Yue's words were somewhat perfunctory, Fan Tao firmly believed that Chen Yue must have a complete understanding of the case and had already foreseen it.

Since he said so, I'm sure I'll find something if I investigate in that direction.

"My lord, I will not disturb your enjoyment any longer. Boyan happens to be free these days, shall I have him come and keep you company?"

Chen Yue waved his hand.

"No need. If anything happens, I will come to the government office to find you."

Liu Boyan was quite famous in Chang'an. Chen Yue came to Chang'an this time purely to take a stroll and have a look around.

Chen Yue's first stop was Wanbaolou in Chongrenfang.

This ward is located in the southeast of the imperial city and is one of the most prosperous wards in Chang'an. It is known as the No. 1 ward in the world.

Chang'an, 110 wards.

Each of the neighborhoods is roughly equivalent to a rectangular commercial center of 500-1000 meters, operating various types of businesses. Chongrenfang, due to its superior geographical location, has many shops and very dense buildings.

The people who frequented this place were mostly high-ranking officials and nobles. The main products sold here were expensive gemstones, spices, gold and silver ornaments, and various musical instruments.

Although the place is not large, it is very lively. Ordinary people mostly stroll around the outer streets of Chongrenfang.

To describe it specifically, it's very similar to the City God Temple that Chen Yue visited in modern society, where there are many stalls on the street selling low-end goods, while Chongrenfang is like a high-end store in the center.

Chen Yue led Seven Sister as they strolled around. Everywhere they looked, they saw people dressed in strange clothes, whose appearances resembled those of people from the modern Middle East and Xinjiang.

They can all speak fluent Tang language, and although some have strange accents, they are still easy to understand.

Chen Yue and Seventh Sister just browsed around casually without buying anything, and soon arrived at Chongrenfang.

Looking around, all you see are magnificent buildings, and while the number of people inside has noticeably decreased, there are still quite a few.

Chen Yue easily found out the location of Wanbaolou, which is situated in the west corner of Chongrenfang.

It is a three-story wooden building with red eaves and a golden plaque hanging high, standing out majestically among the shops in Chongrenfang.

The building was glittering with jewels and filled with the aroma of various spices, and there were quite a few customers strolling around inside.

As soon as Chen Yue and Qi Mei entered, a waiter dressed in Wanbaolou clothing walked over with a big smile on his face.

"Sir, what would you like to buy? I can help you with that."

No matter the situation, as a salesperson, the most basic thing is to assess the client's needs and offer appropriate service. Chen Yue looked extraordinary and even had a pretty maid with him, so he was definitely a potential customer.

Chen Yue casually picked up a red sachet from the spice section. It was embroidered with a very beautiful flower and had a special fragrance.

How much does this item cost?

"Sir, you have a good eye. This pouch is infused with styrax from the Western Regions and frankincense from the Arab world. Styrax opens the senses, and frankincense calms the mind. Wearing it can ward off evil and prevent disease, leaving a pleasant fragrance on your sleeves. It is elegant and refined, and costs only four hundred coins."

The man looked to be in his early twenties and gave Chen Yue a detailed introduction.

Chen Yue remained calm upon hearing the price, but Zhao Qimei was shocked. A mere sachet cost four hundred coins—it was too expensive!

Chen Yue took the sachet and played with it for a moment. The scent was indeed pleasant. He then turned around and handed it to Seventh Sister.

"Here you go, remember to carry this sachet with you often."

"Master, this is too precious, this servant..."

Seventh Sister was surprised that Chen Yue suddenly gave her something, and she tried to refuse, but Chen Yue waved her hand to interrupt her before she could finish speaking.

"It's just a sachet, what's the big deal? Take it if you want, pay up."

Zhao Qimei pursed her lips, not daring to say anything more. She immediately took out four hundred coins and gave them to the shopkeeper. Then she carefully put away the sachet. When Chen Yue wasn't paying attention, she secretly smelled her hand, and her face turned slightly red.

"Tell me, is the head manager of Wanbaolou a foreigner named Ang?"

Chen Yue picked up a jade thumb ring and casually asked a question.

The servant, without suspecting anything else, immediately spoke up.

"Manager Ang is quite old; the current manager is Master Jiang Gui."

"Jiang Gui? Who is he?"

Chen Yue raised an eyebrow. Before coming here, the old man had made it very clear that when he left the Tang Dynasty ten years ago, Ang was not yet forty, so the other party was not yet fifty.

Where does the claim that he is old come from? Also, even if he is no longer the manager, he should let his son take over, but Jiang Gui sounds like a Han Chinese name.

When people from Central Asia came to the Tang Dynasty to do business, they would give themselves Han names for convenience. For this reason, the emperor bestowed upon them two surnames: "An" and "Kang".

Only people of high social status and nobility could use these two characters as their surname, and their given names were not much different from those of Han people. As for ordinary people of the Hu, their Han names were so distinctive that it was clear they were not Han people.