Chapter 86

◎We must hurry after we get married◎

Jiang He had not entered the palace for a long time, and her injuries had not fully healed. She did not want to distract her brother, who was now the Phoenix Lord and in charge of all affairs of the six palaces. He already had enough to worry about every day.

Jiang Wanyi was very worried about Jiang He. She originally wanted to see her immediately after she woke up, but she held back for a few days and wanted to let her rest for a few more days. However, Jiang He not only did not stay in bed, but also ran around for the business and did not know how to take care of her body.

The moment he saw Jiang He, still grinning and joking, he felt a surge of anger.

"You've really got some nerve now. It's one thing if I can't control you, but you don't even listen to your mother and father. The business is still managed by your mother; there's no need for you to be injured and have to work so hard." Jiang Wanyi adopted the demeanor of an older brother to reprimand her, while holding her hand and looking her over thoroughly. After seeing with his own eyes that she was alright, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“Brother’s words are right, but you know my nature, I just can’t sit still.” Jiang He led him to a chair to sit down, so that his legs wouldn’t get sore from standing for too long. Jiang Wanyi’s body was still recovering, and she needed to be taken care of in every way.

Jiang He personally served tea to Jiang Wanyi, hoping to put his mind at ease.

After all, she was her own sister, so how could she really be angry? Even if she was angry, it was because she wanted what was best for her. Jiang Wanyi took the tea, took a sip, and said, "You've come at the right time. Xile and Ping'an are awake right now. If you, as their aunt, don't get to know them better, they might not recognize you after a while."

Jiang Wanyi ordered her personal attendant to bring the two little ones over.

Xile and Ping'an are still in their swaddling clothes. Compared to their wrinkled appearance at birth, they are now incredibly cute and pink. Ping'an, in particular, has grown up to look exactly like Jiang Wanyi. I wonder what they've been eating all this time, because they are quite heavy when I hold them.

Jiang He's wound hadn't fully healed, so she couldn't hold him for too long. She thought that holding one of them for a while would be just right. Xi Le was relatively quiet and didn't cry or make a fuss. But when Jiang He was about to hand Ping An over to someone else, he suddenly burst into tears.

"Perhaps he can't bear to part with his aunt. Come here, let your father hold you." Jiang Wanyi held Ping An in her arms, and he immediately stopped crying.

Ping An is a boy, so he should naturally be pampered a bit. Xi Le is the future Crown Princess, who will have to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the country, so she should be tempered more.

Jiang He moved closer to Jiang Wanyi and saw that Ping An was smiling. She reached out to tease her, but Ping An's little hand held her tightly. She couldn't help but say to Jiang Wanyi, "Xile and Ping An are both very cute. When they grow up, your brother's good fortune is yet to come."

"We don't know what the future holds, but you're not young anymore. You'd better hurry up after you get married," Jiang Wanyi said, glancing at her.

The marriage to the eldest son of Prince Feng was something he had requested from His Majesty, and it was the most suitable arrangement. Moreover, the eldest son of Prince Feng was already on his way back to the capital, and he would personally preside over the wedding, ensuring it was a grand and impressive affair, second to none.

Even if you're not the best, you still have to save face.

Jiang He said helplessly, "I understand, brother."

The two children were so adorable that Jiang He was quite envious. However, she could only look on with envy for now. She didn't know what kind of character the eldest son of the Prince of Feng was, let alone have children. It would be a long time before she could have any.

Suddenly, a figure popped into Jiang He's mind. Perhaps there was one ready-made? She couldn't help but chuckle to herself and put away this absurd idea.

Although the aristocratic families in the capital looked down on merchants, many of them coveted the vast wealth of the great merchants. For example, the He family only had one legitimate son in this generation, so some people started to think about taking advantage of the family's extinction. There were even illegitimate daughters from aristocratic families who wanted to marry He Sui as the legitimate husband.

What are they plotting? It's as clear as day.

He Sui's parents were very open-minded and allowed him to choose the person he liked and make his own marriage arrangements. So when these people refused to marry him, they tried to ruin his reputation and dragged it out so that he could not get married. In addition, He Sui was somewhat weak, and the rumors spread that he was unable to have children.

As a result, He Sui was nearly twenty years old and still unmarried, but he remained content and unconcerned, seemingly determined to never marry.

These were all rumors that Wen Huai overheard at the teahouse at the city gate. Fortunately, the head of the He family was charitable and had good relationships in the capital. The He family was generally well-liked, and ordinary people wouldn't point fingers at He Sui.

But when Huai heard this, he felt a little sad.

After returning home, she did not tell her father what she had seen and heard at Tingxuezhai as usual, but silently did all the chores.

Zhuang's mother died early, leaving Zhuang's father to raise his daughter and son alone. Now his son works for a wealthy family and is said to be highly regarded by his master, sending back a considerable amount of money every month. The family's life has gradually improved. In addition, Wenhuai also takes on some copying work, which can supplement the family income. Life is getting better and better.

Wen Huai recounted what he had heard at the teahouse, but he still couldn't understand why people had such a strong prejudice against merchants, so he simply went to the school to ask the teacher.

The teacher at Wenhuai was a woman in her thirties. She had passed the imperial examination when she was young, but she was dissatisfied with the officialdom and came to teach in this small village, becoming the only teacher here.

Upon seeing Wen Huai arrive, the teacher couldn't help but ask in surprise, "Didn't I tell you to rest for a day? Why are you here now?"

The teacher knew that Wenhuai's family was poor and that he could only make a round trip to the city on foot, which would surely exhaust him. So the teacher told Wenhuai to rest and recover before coming to school.

When Wen Huai arrived, he had run so fast that he could no longer help but bend over, his face flushed, and he asked breathlessly, "Sir, I have a question. Why do scholars look down on merchants these days? Are merchants born inferior and therefore destined to suffer unfair treatment?"

When the man heard her ask this question, he put down his book.

"Although I don't know why you have such doubts, this has been the prevailing view throughout history. We can't change other people's minds for the time being, but if you ask me, I don't think that doing business means being inferior to ordinary people. Even kings and nobles who enjoy a life of luxury still have to buy things from merchants. Our dynasty has also produced many righteous merchants who voluntarily donated their wealth during the plague to help the court help the people overcome difficulties."

"In fact, no matter who you are, whether you are considered inferior or superior, it all depends on how you interpret it. As long as you have no prejudice in your heart, these things will not affect you."

The teacher attaches great importance to Wenhuai's case. She has lived in this small village for so many years, and Wenhuai is the most talented student she has ever taught. There is a very high chance that she will pass the provincial examination next year. She is still so young, and she may very well be able to achieve the highest rank in the future.

Wen Huai took these words to heart and said softly, "Sir, I don't think there's anything wrong with merchants. On the contrary, I envy them for being able to earn money with their own hands."

Just like Young Master He, every penny he earned was earned honestly and uprightly.

Wen Huai clenched his fists, his eyes shining brightly, and said with great enthusiasm, "Sir, I have no prejudice in my heart, and I also want others to have no such prejudice."

The man patted her head and encouraged her, "When you become an official in the future, you can try to change other people."

"Thank you, sir!" Wen Huai nodded, feeling that his future goals were becoming clearer.

She wants to pass the imperial examination with flying colors, become the top scholar in the imperial examination, be a good official, and also...

Wen Huai kept the last one in his heart.

Zhuang's father noticed that Wen Huai had become even more diligent since returning from the city, even keeping a book in his hand while eating, and refusing to listen to any advice.

At this moment, He Sui was unaware of Wen Huai's thoughts. After agreeing to cooperate with Jiang He, he began to formulate a plan. On the He family's side, the first thing to do was to clarify the source of the goods sold in Lu Fang. If anyone dared to sell water products or other things, they would be immediately shut down and driven out, and would never be allowed to do business in Lu Fang again.

The personnel changes in Lu Fang were even greater than those in Jiang's Bei Fang. After careful selection, He Sui promoted a group of young managers to take over.

Nowadays, we are not afraid of mediocre people; the most important thing is loyalty.

Although Jiang He's approach was similar to He Sui's, her punishment was even harsher. If she found any other goods being sold in the North Ward, she would immediately tie up the shopkeeper and throw him outside the shop, making him a laughingstock for everyone to see.

Not only will she be driven out of Beifang, but she will also be forbidden from doing business in the entire capital city from now on. She won't even allow him to set up a stall to sell vegetables.

After all, she's rather petty and vindictive.

With such strict orders, the original atmosphere of Beifang finally changed drastically, and its unique characteristics were gradually restored. The same effect was achieved in Lufang.

But that wasn't enough. Jiang He asked He Sui, "Young Master He, who do you think is plotting against our two families behind the scenes?"

Even after being severely tortured, Manager Zhao did not reveal the identity of the person who ordered it. News came from Su Yawan's side that it seemed Manager Zhao really didn't know.

That's true. People who have such audacity should hide themselves well to avoid being come after.

"We don't know for now, but given Miss Jiang's abilities, she must have some connections in officialdom. Why don't we use those connections to investigate?"

Aside from the Jiang and He families, anyone in the capital who could use such a large sum of money to cause trouble must be either rich or powerful. If we could seek help from someone in the Ministry of Revenue, finding them would be much easier.

The Minister and Vice Minister of Personnel were sentenced to death, and the rest of the Ministry of Personnel were either dismissed or exiled. Even the Ministry of Revenue was implicated, with the Vice Minister of Revenue found to be involved in selling official positions and now imprisoned. The people under him were more or less like frightened birds, let alone having any contact with merchants.

Jiang He's closest relationship was with Su Yawan, but she couldn't help her in that regard. Next was those old stubborn people in the Ministry of Rites. Although she forgot why she had drunk with them a few times, they still had a good relationship.

“I don’t know anyone in the Ministry of Revenue,” Jiang He shook her head.

"I heard that His Majesty has appointed Prime Minister Xue to temporarily manage the Ministry of Revenue. Miss Jiang, why don't you..." He Sui stopped mid-sentence, as if realizing something.

He had completely forgotten about the feud between Jiang He and the Xue family, and couldn't help but worry that this might cause a rift between him and Jiang He.

Jiang He remained calm. Seeing that he suddenly stopped talking, she pressed him for an answer: "Why not what? Young Master He, please speak frankly."

Seeing that she seemed genuinely unconcerned, He Sui had no choice but to speak up, "I've heard that Prime Minister Xue detests opportunists the most. Since this person intends to disrupt the capital's business circle, perhaps we can try to seek Prime Minister Xue's assistance."

Jiang He thought this method was feasible. He had heard that Prime Minister Xue was extremely upright and incorruptible, and disliked bribery. This time, he would have to plan carefully. If this approach didn't work, he would have to try another method.

She was determined to find this person.

To demonstrate her noble character, Jiang He went empty-handed. To her surprise, Xue Lingyi immediately greeted her upon hearing of her arrival and readily agreed to her request without hesitation.

Jiang He found this rather strange, but as long as the goal was achieved, that was fine. Xue Lingyi was, after all, the current prime minister, so he wouldn't lie to her. Besides, even for the sake of her brother, Xue Lingyi couldn't just do a perfunctory job.

Xue Lingyi thought she had misheard, but Jiang He really came. After all, the Xue family had wronged her. This matter was not difficult to handle. She could treat it as repayment and make herself feel better.

Especially when she saw that Jiang He's right hand injury had not yet healed and that she was still somewhat sluggish when using it, Xue Lingyi dared not say another word.

Jiang He didn't stay at the Xue family for long. After drinking a cup of tea, she was about to leave. Seeing that she didn't mention Xue Lingyu at all, Xue Lingyi didn't take the initiative to bring it up either.

Xue Lingyu had just returned from outside and was being helped up the steps by a servant when he saw Jiang He coming out of the mansion. He couldn't help but blink, wondering if he was seeing things.

Why would Jiang He come to the Xue residence? Is she here to see me? Xue Lingyu began to have wild thoughts, and her steps faltered, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds, unable to move an inch.

When Jiang He saw him, her gaze unconsciously fell on his protruding belly. What a beautiful woman, it's a pity that she has another man's child.

Xue Lingyu didn't move, so Jiang He took the initiative to step down the steps, as if deliberately passing by Xue Lingyu.

Xue Lingyu tugged at his sleeves as he heard Jiang He's voice ringing in his ears, not too loud, not too soft, but only loud enough for him to hear.

Her tone was still as mischievous as ever, and Xue Lingyu could imagine the playfulness in her eyes.

“Little abandoned husband, we meet again.”

Jiang He glanced at him slightly and found his reaction quite amusing.

It seemed tense and afraid, yet like an untamed wildcat, it refused to submit.

However, this aggressive nature will have to be changed sooner or later.

Jiang He curled her lips into a slight sneer and boarded the Jiang family's carriage.

It was a false alarm. Even Xue Lingyi couldn't help but wipe away her cold sweat, fearing that Jiang He would retaliate against Xue Lingyu on the spot.

Xue Lingyu kept her head down and almost bit her lip until it bled.

Jiang He's words just now were more painful than cutting his heart out.

◎Latest Comments:

[Change your shipping! Change your shipping! Change your shipping!]

【repair】

Little Jiang, please don't let your life become one of betrayal. That jade thing, please get as far away from me as possible!

So is this love at first sight? Even if you don't remember the person you like, you can still like them again.

[That's great, that's great! I really like Yu Yu, the official pairing is the best!]

I love reading this! Please update more often, don't change the pairings, stick with the author! I really love reading this!

In real life, very few businessmen who achieve the scale of the Jiang and He families without losing their conscience are truly wealthy. Those who reached immense wealth in that era all exploited the people to some extent... I never imagined that my urge to abandon the story wouldn't stem from Xue Lingyu and Jiang He's happy ending, but from the capitalists... Although I don't believe in the saying "all professions are inferior, only studying is superior," commerce is indeed considered lowly, and those who earn their living through their own labor are clearly farmers and workers; what does that have to do with merchants and capitalists?

[Please don't torture Yu Yu, waaaaah!]

[New cover! It looks great!]

-over-