Although Old Madam Kou didn't reach an agreement with Su Jingchen, she wasn't disheartened and had no intention of returning to Huizhou.
Backing down is not her style.
For a junior, she only needed to wear him down a few times, using both persuasion and pressure, and she didn't believe he wouldn't surrender.
Old Madam Kou settled down in Yangzhou, but to avoid suspicion, she didn't stay at the Heir Mansion. Instead, she took residence in the courtyard directly opposite Su Jingchen's home.
Indeed, this courtyard was Kou Family's, purchased when Lord Yin was still a Salt Transport Envoy.
Like Lord Yin, this courtyard was full of hidden surprises, with underground tunnels and secret rooms far more numerous than those in Lord Yin's mansion.
Old Madam Kou initially planned to employ a dual approach, to persuade bit by bit from inside Su Jingchen's household.
