But glass is more expensive than jade, and Miss owns so many shops, where would she get the money to buy glass...?

"Miss, Miss Sun has sent a letter."

Just as Qingxing was scratching her head in thought, Xiaotao came in holding a letter.

Give me the letter.

Jiang Shuwan immediately put down her pen. Communication between the north and the capital was difficult, and she had not heard from Sun Wanwan since she first received her letter.

Jiang Shuwan had overheard something at Madam Pei's place before. She heard that the northern barbarians had invaded and launched a major offensive. The war at the front was critical, and the imperial court was sending all kinds of food and troops.

Jiang Shuwan was worried about the safety of the Sun family, especially Lu Shaogan and General Sun, who were both genuinely fighting on the front lines.

Is there a traitor? I wonder if Fang Xiaozhi followed her instructions and reported the unusual activity of the traitor.

She was anxious, but the two places were thousands of miles apart, and due to the war, all communication between the people in the two places had been stopped.

Unfolding the letter reveals Sun Wanwan's delicate handwriting.

...

A moment later, Jiang Shuwan breathed a sigh of relief.

In his previous life, Lu Shaogan died in battle, and General Sun lost both legs, struggling to hold on until the imperial court sent reinforcements.

In this life, Fang Xiaozi followed her instructions and reported the traitor to General Sun. General Sun was already on guard and was not ambushed by the enemy. Instead, he lured the enemy deep into his territory and won a small victory.

They held their ground until the fourth prince personally led reinforcements, which together repelled the foreign invaders.

General Sun and Lu Shaogan both made great contributions, and most importantly, they were all unharmed, with only minor injuries, but none of them were fatal.

God bless you.

Jiang Shuwan let out a long sigh of relief.

“Madam, my young lady said that General Sun will be returning to the capital to report on his duties soon. She originally wanted to come back with him, but the border soldiers have suffered countless casualties in this battle. My husband has to stay in the north to help and take care of the troops. My young lady said she also wants to stay and help, so she can’t come back to see you.”

As the messenger spoke, he presented her with specialties from the north, all of which were gifts from Sun Wanwan.

"Miss also said that it was thanks to the Crown Prince's wife that the caravan went there, otherwise she would not have known that her spies had betrayed Jing Kingdom for money. General Sun also gave you a reward, but you cannot be rewarded like the soldiers. The reward will be given to you as money. In the future, the local soldiers will also take good care of your business in the north."

Jiang Shuwan nodded and thanked General Sun.

She used to receive preferential treatment from General Sun in the northern caravan through back channels, but now that she has made a contribution in capturing spies, her position is legitimate.

Fortunately, she had a factory that was inconvenient to locate in Beijing, but the North was a good place, and it was also home to her.

Having made up her mind, Jiang Shuwan let the messenger stay in the capital for a few days, treating him to good wine and meat. When the messenger left, he took with him her writing and drawing materials.

Jiang Shuwan had a couple of days of relaxation, but the Wen family remained very busy.

Reconstructing the inventory register and assessing the losses was a very troublesome matter. One reason was that the Marquis's family had accumulated a vast amount of wealth over several decades, and another reason was that she didn't have many literate maids or servants at her disposal.

These days, any maid who can read even a couple of characters is a treasure in the inner quarters. If it were easy to find someone who could read, the Marquis's storeroom wouldn't be in such a mess.

Lady Wen searched through her dowry but couldn't find many literate people. In the end, she had to ask the accountant and penman from the front courtyard to fill in for the time being.

But she didn't want them to keep doing the work. The accountant and the pen and ink clerk weren't part of her dowry. If they were put in charge of the storeroom, it would be a breach of power.

One feels secure only when power is firmly in one's own hands.

So, Madam Wen hired a female tutor to slowly teach her the characters that came with her dowry.

For these servants, being able to read was more exciting than a pay raise. The opportunity to learn to read was brought about by Jiang Shuwan, and for a time, Wen Shi's dowry servants didn't know how to treat Jiang Shuwan.

When Jiang Shuwan heard these things, she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Who knows, folks? The Wen family's dowry was actually thanking them.

Jiang Shuwan laughed, and it was time for Pei Yanzhi to go on his study tour.

The June sun is bright but not too hot, making it the perfect time for a study tour. Pei Yanzhi will return in August, and after a period of rest, it will be the perfect time for the autumn imperial examinations.

My cousin came to Beijing in July.

The housekeeping authority must be obtained before my cousin goes to Beijing, which means there's only about a month to do so.

The incident in her previous life happened to explode at this very moment, and the Wen family, along with many noble families in the capital, were reprimanded by the Emperor. With the support of Old Madam Pei, she could seize control of the inner household without bloodshed.

When her cousin enters the household, she won't be too passive.

As for the head housekeeper...

The storeroom nanny has been sidelined and can be replaced at any time.

The head maid will observe her performance; if she performs well, she can be allowed to work for her.

If she doesn't perform well, let Granny Tao fill in for a while. Anyway, she's used all her savings to buy Donglai Street, so there's nothing left for her to manage in her dowry storeroom.

"Miss, the young master went to the old lady's room, probably to say goodbye to her."

As Jiang Shuwan was thinking, Xiao Tao ran in from outside to report.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Shuwan stood up from her chair. "Let's go, let's see the young master off too."

Soon, Jiang Shuwan arrived at Madam Pei's courtyard.

At this moment, Pei Yanzhi was bidding farewell to Madam Pei.

"Please take good care of yourself, Grandmother."

"Alright, alright, you must take good care of yourself. The journey to study abroad is long, so if you encounter any danger, you must not be a hero."

Madam Pei grasped Pei Yanzhi's hand, her eyes filled with tears, clearly reluctant to part.

Pei Yanzhi reassured her, "Grandmother, don't worry. This study tour is led by the teachers, and His Majesty has specially assigned a troop of soldiers to protect us."

"Okay, okay, that's good."

Hearing him say this, Madam Pei nodded repeatedly.

Teacher Pei Yanzhi is the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, the highest-ranking official in the Imperial Academy, a third-rank official, and an important minister of the court. This time, the students participating in the study tour are the top twenty students with the best academic performance.

With the Emperor's troops protecting her, she was naturally safe and sound. However, she was still reluctant to part with him and talked to Pei Yanzhi for a long time.

It was getting late, and the old man could only wipe away his tears as he watched Pei Yanzhi say goodbye to the other family members.

The first one is the old Marquis.

"Studying abroad is tough, but you must not neglect your studies. You must continue to study diligently to prepare for the autumn examinations."

The old marquis said a few words of encouragement and then said nothing more. He was not a warm-hearted person and could not speak softly. He only told him to be careful and study hard.

The second one was Wen Shi. She tugged at the corner of her mouth, originally intending to say a few tender words, but when she glanced at Jiang Shuwan and remembered the housekeeper's power that had been taken away, her face immediately turned mean.

“You’ve always been decisive, so I won’t say anything more. Just listen to your father.”

Her words were cold, but she fixed her gaze on her youngest son, Pei Yunzhou, with a look of heartache and affection.

"Be very careful on your study trip. The southern region is hot and humid, with miasma and countless bandits. If any bandits block your way, stay far away and prioritize your own life."