Chapter 55 Debt

The first day of the twelfth lunar month in the fourth year of Yongsheng.

Su Qing and his group returned to Nanjiang County.

To her surprise, the people who came to pick her up included not only General Yan, but also Mei Niang, Su Cheng, Zhu Niangzi, and Xiao Mei.

Mei Niang and Zhu Niangzi had tears in their eyes; they had recently arrived in Nanjiang County.

They even went to jail.

Yan Zhengzhou nodded to Su Qing, who sighed, put her arm around Mei Niang, who was shorter than her, and whispered to comfort her, "Don't worry, your daughter will take revenge."

Mei Niang certainly believed that she just wanted to cry, and that she just missed her husband.

Zhu Niangzi and Liu Xiaomei were also crying.

Looking at the rebel leader in the prison, no one felt the slightest fear, only endless resentment.

When they returned to the yamen, they learned that Su San's mother and son, Su Xi, had also come with them.

There were also Su Qing's cousins ​​from the Mei family, whom she was meeting for the first time. They were twins and only fourteen years old this year.

As mentioned before, Mei Niang's family was struggling financially, so Su Qing suggested that they send the child over.

At least here I can afford to eat.

However, after receiving the package, Su Qing was already in Nanjiang County, and this was the first time she had seen the two of them.

The whole family came, but luckily the back courtyard of the government office was always empty, so there was enough room for them.

Mei Niang and the others came mainly to spend the New Year with Su Qing.

Regardless of the situation in Yisong County or the affairs of Gaoqing Prefecture.

Su Qing cannot return to the prefectural city for the time being.

Mei Niang saw that she was all alone in a foreign land, so she brought her whole family to come here.

"Greetings, cousin." Cousins ​​Mei and Mei's younger sister stepped forward timidly.

Seeing their well-behaved manners, Su Qing smiled and asked, "When did you arrive? Are you settling into Guang Le Mansion? Are you getting used to the food?"

The two answered one by one. Su Qing knew that neither of them had received any formal education, so she thought for a moment and said, "How about we learn to read and write at the beginning of next year, and also go to the Bai family to study medicine?"

The arrangements for my younger cousins ​​have been made.

Mei Niang had already brought up the food.

It's the same familiar little living room, and the same familiar people.

The only difference.

Perhaps Gu Congsi was not present, and instead General Yan, who remained silent, was in his place?

Seeing that General Yan was about to leave, Su Qing called out, "Let's have dinner together? We're all family."

Yan Zhengzhou nodded and sat down. He also lived in the back courtyard of the yamen and was quite familiar with everyone.

Today is a welcome dinner for Su Qing, so the food is more lavish than usual.

But on the table were Su Qingyan and Zhengzhou, Mei Niang and Su Cheng, Aunt Zhu and Liu Xiaomei, even Aunt Su San and Su Xi, as well as Scholar Fei, Clerk Zhu, Yun Xi, Ma Hao and Constable Wu.

Although they have many chores to do on weekdays, they certainly don't lack food.

Only Mei's younger cousin and her younger cousin buried themselves in their food.

I took a couple of bites, then felt embarrassed.

Adults aside, look at Liu Xiaomei Yunxi, who is about the same age, and Su Cheng, who is eight years old, and Su Xi, who is eleven years old.

The two quickly lowered their heads, not daring to pick up any more food.

The others at the table sighed slightly.

Although Mei Niang's family was illiterate, they still owned several dozen acres of land.

Even with the help of Su Qingmei's mother, life was still so hard.

Actually, when the two first arrived at Guang Le Fu, they were even more anxious while eating, but now they are much better.

Su Qing remained calm and served some meat to the two of them, saying only, "Eat more vegetables. My cousin loves to hoard food."

Everyone couldn't help but laugh.

That's the truth, and Officer Wu also said, "Luckily, you like to hoard grain."

Otherwise, Guangyuefu would be just as desolate as the outside world.

"So next year, we must continue farming and stockpiling grain," Su Qing said with a smile.

Yan Zhengzhou glanced at Su Qing but remained silent.

After the meal, Su Qing handled government affairs while drinking tea.

Things are going relatively smoothly in the prefectural city.

With Registrar Luo and Registrar Wu around, there shouldn't be any major problems.

The biggest problem is that the Ye and Hua families are pressing for repayment of the debt.

Others mocked them for losing a million taels of silver, saying that even the "creditor," the prefect, was hiding and wouldn't come back, and that they were short-sighted.

It's better that the Ye family lives far away.

The Hua family is located in the prefectural city, so they are bound to be the subject of more ridicule.

For families like this, being in debt is one thing, but losing face is a much bigger problem.

The situation in Yisong County was sent there, and the problem was solved very well.

The situation of the major households in Yisong County is self-evident.

If it weren't for the Ye and Hua families, their fate would be the same as yours.

You still dare to laugh at the Hua family?

They should be grateful to his family; they saved everyone's lives.

These words came from Prefect Su, and were relayed to the Hua family by Registrar Luo.

Needless to say, the Hua family will then embellish their own image.

Therefore, the debt issue can still be resolved.

Hua Jingming asked several times when Prefect Su would return, as the prefectural city was waiting for her to take charge.

Su Qing naturally did not answer this.

The development of Yisong County is easy to talk about.

Gaoqing Prefecture is a big problem.

She's in control of Qingzhou, and since she doesn't have that area under her control, she probably won't return to the prefectural city.

Su Qing replied to Hua Jingming, only saying that the time was yet to be determined.

The situation was similar in other counties.

He was naturally overjoyed to know that the war was over.

In Nanjiang County, County Magistrate Tian is completely unable to perform his duties, and someone needs to be transferred to serve as County Magistrate.

Logically, the funds should have been transferred from the prefectural school.

But Nanjiang County is different; people who know the company well feel more at ease using it.

Su Qing simply appointed Fei Xiucai and Zhu Shuli as acting county magistrate and acting county assistant, respectively.

Outside of Guangyuefu.

It was nothing more than the Ye family in Jiangnan. She had also sent a letter to Ye Shanming, telling him not to worry, that she would be able to repay part of the money after the New Year.

Then there's the capital city.

The people in the capital were extremely angry about General Yan's failure to return.

They also had many complaints about the situation of Prince Wuyong.

There's a sense that this is a family matter, and outsiders don't need to say anything.

However, Yan Zhengzhou's injuries were extremely serious, and forcing him to return to the capital would definitely cause more dissatisfaction among people.

Although the other party clearly intended to discard the bird after it was used up.

But we still can't go too far.

Looking at the attitude from the capital, Su Qing felt speechless.

If you truly want to be merciful, then give him full trust and reassure General Yan to recover well; this would also be a comfort to the army.

If you really want to be ruthless, you could even issue an imperial edict ordering the general to return; that would probably work.

It's stuck in the middle now.

That's in line with their usual style.

Thinking this, Su Qing tossed the official documents from the capital aside.

Su Qing originally wanted to call Fei Xiucai and Zhu Shuli to go with her to see Eunuch Liang, but then she remembered that the two of them were already acting magistrates and assistant magistrates, so she could only say, "Yunxi and Lülan, come with me."

Yunxi, needless to say, is fifteen years old this year. She arranged accommodations and meals for the eunuchs and others very well.

Lülan is Liu Xiaomei, and everyone calls her by her nickname. In the past few years, she first studied at the county school, and then studied under a scholar in the prefectural city. Now that she is thirteen years old, she can also gain some experience.

Lady Zhu was naturally willing to release the person.

Perhaps when his daughter grows up, she can become an official like her father.

The two followed Su Qing directly to the residence where Eunuch Liang and Eunuch Qi were temporarily staying.

Although it was a temporary stay, Su Qing had it made very comfortable.

Although it can't compare to the capital, it's still far better than the hardships on the front lines.

Su Qing was not unfamiliar with this house.

Do you still remember Mr. Wang, the local gentry who was borrowed grain back then?

His family had committed numerous misdeeds, and after being dealt with by the then Magistrate Su, their fortunes steadily declined.

People frequently accuse him of crimes committed over the years.

In most of the cases, the evidence was conclusive, and Wang, the local gentry, had no way to argue his case.

Over the years, he sold his fields, land, and houses to return all the ill-gotten gains he had accumulated.

This house was one of them; Su Qing specifically rented it for Eunuch Liang and the others to live in.

Yunxi and Lülan were very familiar with the servants at the gate, and when they saw the prefect, they immediately went to report.

Eunuch Liang and Palace Attendant Qi came to greet them, both with smiles on their faces.

"Thank you, Prefect Su. Now that we've come to Nanjiang County, we can finally get some rest." Eunuch Liang's smile showed his satisfaction with life here.

While not necessarily becoming extremely wealthy, at least they live a comfortable life.

However, this also made them want to return to the capital even more.

Su Qing even inquired about this matter: "I received an official document from the capital. I suppose you gentlemen have received it as well. When will you return to the capital?"

At this point, the smile on Eunuch Liang's face faded, and he waved his hand, saying, "There's still no definite answer."

Qi's official explained, "Although the war is over, we still need to take responsibility for the food and drink of these 120,000 garrison troops."

"If no one takes our place, we cannot leave either."

Meanwhile, the accounts of the Guangyuefu were extremely clear.

Everyone witnessed the countless heads Su Qing had taken.

These eunuchs used to dare to take more than they should.

But since Su Qing took charge of logistics, there has been basically no more money to be made.

All the trouble they go through to manage supplies is for money.

Just don't go too far.

Now that there's no more lucrative work, it's naturally a pointless position.

Other eunuchs in the court avoided him like the plague.

This is just like back then when no one wanted to be the prefect of Guangyue Prefecture.

If there's no benefit, no one will come.

But Eunuch Liang and the others also knew.

We can't blame Su Qing for this, can we?

If it weren't for her taking charge, not only would he have been greedy for money, but he would have lost his life here.

In the end, it was the imperial court that was acting out of line.

They've been here for four or five years, and they still haven't found a colleague willing to take their place.

Although these words could not be explained to Su Qing, he knew she understood the reasons behind them.

Su Qing then asked, "What did the Emperor say? You all have worked hard and made great contributions, but there has been no reward?"

This statement seems somewhat like deliberately stirring up trouble.

Eunuch Liang and Palace Attendant Qi naturally saw through it, but they still snorted.

Reward?

It's good that they don't suspect that they are colluding with the General and that they have become his confidants.

Their spies in the palace said it more than once.

The Emperor was better before.

Since returning from Jinling, he has become quite suspicious. Every night he summons his concubines to his bedchamber, not letting them sleep. After they are finished, he makes them guard him all night until dawn.

No matter how many eunuchs guarded the outside, it kept him awake at night.

I've heard it's getting worse now, and his temper is getting worse too.

Under these circumstances, it seems reasonable to suspect that they had become General Yan's confidants.

But whether it's Eunuch Liang or Palace Attendant Qi.

How could they possibly be General Yan's men?

The reason I was able to come here as the garrison minister was because both Eunuch Liang and the deceased Eunuch Yu were the emperor's confidants.

Su Qing already knew this.

He himself served as the prefect, dealt with the corrupt eunuchs who embezzled winter clothing, and also sought the right to manufacture weapons in Guangyue Prefecture.

These were all secret letters written directly to the Emperor by Eunuch Liang.

If this person isn't one of the Emperor's confidants, then something strange must have happened.

In other words, this is consistent with the imperial court's usual practice.

He needed to use Eunuch Liang and others, but he also knew that these people were his confidants.

But I still couldn't help but have doubts.

As for why they weren't transferred back to Beijing...

Naturally, because they have genuine military achievements, they will certainly be given important positions once they are transferred back.

The emperor was unwilling to give him an important position, so the situation remained deadlocked.

Eunuch Liang gestured to Eunuch Qi not to say anything more.

This attitude naturally shows that they still acknowledge the Emperor as their master.

Su Qing didn't elaborate. She wasn't there to sow discord between the Emperor and Eunuch Liang; she was simply trying to expand her network.

Moreover, Su Qing said directly, "My lords, there's no need to rush."

"I have an idea that can help you all return to the capital sooner."

What idea?

Eunuch Liang immediately said, "Tell me quickly."

Prefect Su's idea is definitely not wrong.

Seeing everyone looking at her, Su Qing brought up another matter: "The lost treasures in the capital."

Su Qing continued, "Do you still remember why General Yan left the capital?"

Everyone naturally remembers.

It was said that a large amount of wealth from the capital had been transported to Gaoqing Prefecture, and that General Yan should recover that wealth while dealing with the rebels.

Moreover, everyone knows that for those coming to the capital, the latter is the key.

However, General Yan did not give up.

Why bring up this old story now?

Su Qing didn't keep them in suspense: "My lords, I do have some clues about the rebels, but my connections are limited, so I can't find any specific traces."

"Therefore, I would like to ask for your help, gentlemen, to find the whereabouts of these people. Then, you will be able to return to the capital with the lost treasures."

Eunuch Liang and Palace Attendant Qi exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

If that's true.

Of course we can go back.

The rebels took so much wealth; if they could recover some of it, wouldn't that immediately stop the emperor from suspecting them?

They had cultivated connections in the palace for many years and had extensive networks of influence in various regions.

Given a general clue, they can indeed find it.

That afternoon, Su Qing told Eunuch Liang and the others the general clues that Yan Zhengzhou had told her.

It turns out that the rebels in the capital did indeed flee towards Gaoqing Prefecture with their treasure.

However, the two places are thousands of miles apart, and a conflict broke out along the way. The spoils were not divided equally, so they split into twelve groups of different sizes.

The amount of treasure distributed among the participants varied depending on their individual strength.

The three largest rebel armies headed towards the coast, western Yunnan, and Gaoqing Prefecture, respectively.

The remaining nine rebel groups were scattered in various places, and some of them came looking for General Wuyong.

Before they even arrived, General Wu Yong was captured alive, and the whereabouts of these people were unknown.

At that time, General Yan ordered his men to find the whereabouts of these people in order to leave the capital.

I never expected it would come in handy now.

Liang Gonggong and the others noted down the approximate address and immediately wrote a letter to have someone with connections check it out. They estimated that there would be news after the New Year.

"If we find the exact location, how do we bring the valuables here?" the eunuch asked.

Su Qing smiled and said, "Don't worry, we'll definitely get it back."

Whether it's Yan Zhengzhou or even Fei Yang and the others.

Capturing these small groups of rebels is relatively easy.

When the time comes, we'll move people and money to Nanjiang County. Those who want to return to Beijing can do so, and those who need to repay debts will have the money to do so.

Eunuch Liang, eunuch Qi, and others were also relieved.

Su Qing's idea was indeed good.

With the prospect of returning to Beijing in sight, they felt more at ease staying in this place.

After leaving Liang Gonggong's residence, Su Qing went to the wounded soldiers' sanatorium.

Yan Zhengzhou was also here; he was talking to Commander Wen and others.

The wounded soldiers around him looked at him with utmost admiration.

Su Qing's arrival made everyone even more enthusiastic.

One was Prefect Su, and the other was General Yan.

In their eyes, he was the most powerful official and the most powerful general in Shunchang Kingdom.

At this moment in the capital, the emperor had taken his medicine and was staring intently at the memorials on his desk.

He examined each of the New Year's greetings from various places, trying to discern the thoughts of local officials from between the lines.

If someone has thoughts of disloyalty or filial impiety, he will single them out and make a mental note of it.

When the eunuchs around them saw this, they would relay it to the officials, urging them to reaffirm their loyalty.

Officials in the capital were even more so; if someone's congratulatory letter was singled out, they would be extremely cautious and would definitely send another one with excellent writing.

Therefore, a large crowd gathered around Gu Congsi.

The eldest son of the Wu family helped him entertain the visitors and exclaimed, "It's just a congratulatory letter, but the Emperor is taking it far too seriously."

He quickly slapped his mouth after saying that, luckily there was no one else around.

Gu Congsi pretended not to hear and continued writing his congratulatory letter.

He knew the emperor's preferences and was also a skilled writer, so people flocked to him.

In just half a month, he has accumulated a considerable amount of wealth.

The entire capital city was in an atmosphere of walking on thin ice.

Gu Congsi and the eldest son of the Wu family inevitably missed Nanjiang County.

If we were still in Nanjiang County, life wouldn't be so difficult.

The eldest son of the Wu family said, "Speaking of which, Scholar Gu, is your marriage with Lord Su really alright? When do you plan to get married?"

Gu Congsi paused for a moment, then insisted, "No problem."

"It's temporary, no rush."

But judging from your expression, you don't seem unconcerned.

Mei Niang was just as anxious.

Not many people know that the two of them have broken off their engagement.

Since Gu's parents worked at the Guangyue Mansion, they naturally couldn't make a big fuss about it.

Mei Niang wouldn't bring it up on her own initiative.

So now, the only people who know that the two have broken off their engagement are his family, Mei Niang and Su Qing, and maybe Hua Jingming.

There was also the family of the former head of the Guangyue Prefecture's Lisi Office, far away in Huizhou.

Mei Niang was anxious, but didn't know how to tell anyone.

Moreover, Qingqing's identity is special, so even if she were to meet someone, she wouldn't know what to say.

Before, when everyone was busy, no one had time to take care of themselves.

Now that he has some rare leisure time, with the affairs of the yamen handled by Scholar Fei and Clerk Zhu, Su Qing has nothing major to do and just spends his time chatting with his mother and younger brother.

Mei Niang started talking more.

“Qingqing, what kind of husband do you want? I’ll help you find one,” Mei Niang said. “You need to have some idea.”

The year has passed and Su Qing is twenty years old.

In modern terms, that would be the age of a college student.

It's time for her to get married.

Su Qingzhen thought about it seriously: "She has to be good-looking."

Mei Niang's mind flashed with the face of Scholar Gu.

"You must have the ability."

Gu Congsi also fits the bill.

"Be a good person."

Mei Niang sighed, "Isn't this exactly what happened?"

"You should have gotten married sooner, so you wouldn't be so far apart."

General Yan, who had come to find Su Qing, happened to hear the last sentence and paused in his tracks.

Fortunately, her younger brother Su Cheng saw it and immediately spoke up.

Seeing that someone had come looking for her, Su Qing took the opportunity to escape her mother's nagging and stood up, saying, "Mother, let's talk about it later."

Mei Niang watched General Yan's retreating figure.

This person seems to fit Qingqing's requirements better.

No, no, that won't do.

He was the emperor's younger brother, and of noble status.

But Qingqing from her family isn't lacking anything, is she?

Yan Zhengzhou had his reasons for coming to see him. He said, "I heard your congratulatory letter was returned?"

Many officials throughout Shunchang Kingdom had formally participated in the imperial examinations, yet many of their congratulatory memorials were still not up to standard, let alone Su Qing's.

But the key point is that Su Qing didn't intend to write it herself; she had Wang Xuezheng write it for her, and she simply copied it.

Even so, it still doesn't pass the test.

Su Qing was about to say that Gu Congsi was rewriting it for her, but she needed to send it over so she could copy it again.

Yan Zhengzhou said, "I've written one for you. Take a look and see if it's suitable."

Su Qing's eyes lit up, and she immediately led him to the study.

The study was cold and still. By the time the charcoal fire was lit, Su Qing had finished reading.

"Good, better than what Wang Xuezheng wrote."

“I knew Wang Xuezheng was fooling me.”

Just as Su Qing was about to grind the ink, she saw that General Yan had not only lit the charcoal fire but also picked up the inkstone. She only needed to wait to copy it down.

Outside, snow was falling heavily, but inside, the charcoal fire was burning warmly, and a handsome guy was grinding grains for her. Life was finally getting decent.

Su Qing had nothing else to do but stare at General Yan. He suddenly looked up and said, "You were just about to ask Scholar Gu to write it for you?"

Su Qing nodded, then shook her head: "That's too much trouble, just copy yours."

After Su Qing finished writing and looked at the two documents, she realized...

These two documents are fine if viewed separately.

When placed together, they look exactly alike.

Yan Zhengzhou also noticed the problem and said, "It needs to be rewritten."

As for the reason, it goes without saying.

The fact that both of them were in Nanjiang County would only fuel suspicion in the capital.

Su Qing placed the document near the charcoal fire, waited for the ink to dry, and then had it sent out directly.

The speed of their actions made Yan Zhengzhou frown deeply.

Su Qing patted his shoulder and deliberately leaned closer, saying, "It's not a big deal."

It's not like we're missing out on this one thing.

Or was it done on purpose?

Yan Zhengzhou was about to pack his bags and return to the front lines when Su Qing said, "Are you going to Gaoqing Prefecture? That's the territory of Prince Wuyong."

Going there would only fuel more suspicion.

Yan Zhengzhou hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

He was already in a dilemma.

Su Qing laughed instead, and couldn't help but look at General Yan's figure and face again.

Although I don't know what the emperor looks like, I've heard that he's in poor health.

His younger brother is not only incredibly handsome, but also has a broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped physique, and most likely, abs and pectoral muscles.

No wonder the Emperor was wary of this younger brother.

Judging by appearance alone, he surpasses the vast majority of people.

Moreover, they are invincible.

“Your very existence will be viewed with suspicion,” Su Qing said bluntly. “It really doesn’t matter if it’s just one more thing.”

"Being feared is not your fault."

After Su Qing finished speaking, she left the study directly.

Before they could even return to the inner quarters, Yunxi and Lvlan ran over and said, "Sister Su, the people transporting military supplies from the prefectural city have arrived."

Today is the 20th day of the twelfth lunar month. The last batch of military supplies has arrived. Once the supplies are distributed, the soldiers can celebrate the New Year in peace.

Su Qing and the others were also waiting for the New Year holiday to pass.

However, there's no need to report this to Su Qing.

General Yan followed and asked, "Is there something you need?"

Su Qing and Yan Zhengzhou both thought something was wrong.

Yunxi and the others said, "There are members of the Hua family in the team escorting the supplies."

Hearing this, Su Qing felt a headache coming on.

The Hua family.

Could it be that they're asking for money back?

She can't pay it back now.

We'll talk about it after the New Year.

Su Qing had done the math.

Back in May of this year, we already owed the Ye family 700,000 taels of silver and the Hua family 1.2 million taels.

Now in December, the Ye family has 1.5 million taels of debt, while the Hua family has 2.2 million taels.

These are arguably the two biggest creditors.

Fei Xiucai and his companions had obviously considered this as well, which is why they sent Yunxi to deliver the message.

Su Qing had a headache: "Who are the people from the Hua family?"

"Hua Jingming, the third young master of the Hua family."

Yan Zhengzhou looked up first and saw Hua Jingming, dressed in luxurious clothes, stroll in leisurely and introduce himself.

In the dead of winter, he wore a white and blue brocade robe, a white fox fur cloak, and no heavy hat, only a jade-colored headband.

Su Qing looked him up and down before saying, "You've spread your tail feathers?"

I had seen Hua Jingming many times before and knew that he dressed in a fine manner.

But in the dead of winter, when everyone was practically bundled up like a ball, he was dressed exceptionally stylishly.

No, that's not right either. General Yan, who was next to her, was also dressed smartly. It's mainly because he was in good health and didn't need to be wrapped up so thickly.

Hua Jingming raised an eyebrow: "So rude to creditors?"

Seeing that it was Hua Jingming who came over, Su Qing was no longer in a hurry, and said to Yun Xi, "Tell Magistrate Fei not to worry."

Hua Jingming laughed again: "Scholar Fei is already Magistrate Fei, so why isn't he taking the provincial examination next year?"

He did take the exam; otherwise, how could he have become the acting magistrate?

Seeing how familiar they were, Yan Zhengzhou didn't say much, but when he met Hua Jingming's gaze, he clearly sensed something was wrong.

When she learned that he was a close friend of Gu Congsi, Su Qing's fiancé, this feeling of unease deepened even more.

Why is he so frivolous and familiar with his friend's fiancée?

Su Qing also noticed that Hua Jingming was unusually enthusiastic and even brought New Year's gifts. She said, "When other members of the Hua family come, they will definitely ask you to tell them, so I volunteered."

"How about that? Not only is it free, but I'm also giving you a gift."

There were more than a dozen bolts of fine silk, as well as various kinds of fabrics and enough fine leather goods to make fur coats for her whole family.

There were also all sorts of rare and precious items, which made Su Qing hesitant to accept them.

Su Qing couldn't help but ask, "Are you here to offer a bribe?"

Hua Jingming paused, incredulous: "Is this all you brought as a bribe?"

Don't you know how much money my family has?!

Su Qingyou said quietly, "Stop talking, or I'll renege on my debt."

She doesn't even want to pay back the two million two hundred thousand taels of silver.

Unexpectedly, Hua Jingming only smiled and didn't say anything more.

Yan Zhengzhou frowned and looked at Hua Jingming again, both of them seeing something in each other's eyes.

Hua Jingming didn't care what others noticed during this trip.

After all, Su Qing was no longer engaged, and neither of them were married, so his pursuit was perfectly appropriate.

He simply didn't want to reveal that Su Qing's engagement with Gu Congsi had been dissolved.

The engagement was still in effect, yet Lian Feiyang and Ye Shanming kept trying to get closer to him.

If I tell them that the matter is over, my chances will be even smaller.

Hua Jingming even glanced at General Yan, whose imposing presence made him afraid to even breathe loudly in his presence.

She looked at him with barely a hint of scrutiny.

It's one thing if I didn't get it before.

Ever since he realized his feelings for someone, he's found everyone else strange.

By giving New Year's gifts, Hua Jingming quickly became close to Mei Niang.

Knowing that the fabric from last time was also a gift from him, Mei Niang thanked him repeatedly, adding, "It's just that Qingqing didn't have a chance to wear it."

Upon learning that Su Qing also had the same clothes, Hua Jingming smiled and said, "Wear them next year, and tell me when you wear them."

Su Qing waved her hand, clearly not caring, and turned her head to see Yan Zhengzhou's deep gaze.

What's wrong?

Even as Hua Jingming reluctantly left, Su Qing didn't notice anything unusual.

Mei Niang, on the other hand, was clearly very happy and satisfied with Hua Jingming.

Good-looking, capable, and a good person.

This perfectly matches Qingqing's requirements.

The Hua family incurred so many debts for the war effort; the family must be doing quite well.

Su Qing was stunned when he heard Mei Niang tell this story.

She and Hua Jingming?

Are you kidding me?

“Impossible. Hua Jingming is Gu Congsi’s friend. He knew all along.” Before Su Qing could finish speaking, she saw the understanding in Mei Niang’s eyes.

No way.

Did Hua Jingming really know that he and Gu Congsi were no longer engaged?

That might not work either, right?

You can't just sell yourself because you owe more than two million.

Su Qing immediately hid in the study, pretending she knew nothing.

As the year drew to a close, Su Qing visited Eunuch Liang more frequently.

Meanwhile, the palace officials have already located a group of rebels.

"It is one of the twelve rebel groups, whose leader is surnamed Zhang, and who carries more than thirty boxes of gold and silver jewelry."

"He had about a hundred men under his command, and he occupied a mountain stronghold in Shanyang Prefecture, which was next to Guangle Prefecture. Before the end of the year, he stockpiled grain and took out a string of agate to pawn in a nearby county town."

“This agate is of extremely rare quality, so someone bought it and presented it to the local inspector.”

The eunuch was sent from outside the capital and could tell the origin of the agate at a glance.

Seven or eight years ago, when the late emperor was alive, he bestowed it upon several princes and nobles, as well as the concubines in the palace.

It cannot appear anywhere else.

Since it's an item from the capital, the identity of the person who pawned the agate is obvious.

The old man had worked under Eunuch Liang and, after finding out about the rebels, immediately wrote a letter.

After listening to what Eunuch Liang had said, Su Qing told General Yan, looking at him with sparkling eyes: "Thirty-odd boxes of gold and silver jewelry, how much silver could we get if we sold them?"

Yan Zhengzhou said, "It's enough to pay off all the debts owed by Guangyuefu."

"Including the Ye family and the Hua family."

Su Qing was completely puzzled.

She did have this plan.

But she didn't tell anyone!

And General Yan, what's wrong with you? Aren't you entrusted with an imperial mission to help recover the stolen goods?

Yan Zhengzhou said directly, "I will go in disguise to retrieve it, and then you can do whatever you want with it."

Su Qing didn't expect that she wouldn't need to say anything more?

She originally thought she would have to go to great lengths to persuade Yan Zhengzhou to help her intercept the valuables.

A portion was given to Eunuch Liang so that they could return to the capital smoothly.

Most of the items, however, need to be sold and returned to the Hua and Ye families, so that Guang Le Prefecture will not have to use next year's tax revenue to make up for this shortfall.

Explaining these words is indeed quite a task.

General Yan is being far too savvy.

Moreover, Yan Zhengzhou could even tell the name of the rebel leader Zhang, as well as the situation of his men and even their fighting habits.

Indeed, they had fought before, and he had been defeated by the general.

Seeing that Yan Zhengzhou was about to take action, Su Qing subconsciously grabbed him: "No, the mountains are blocked by heavy snow, it's too dangerous."

"Your injury hasn't healed yet, so there's no rush."

Yan Zhengzhou looked at her hand, frowned, and said, "Aren't you in a hurry?"

The Hua family has tracked us down here, aren't they worried?

"No rush." ​​Su Qing showed him Ye Shanming's letter. "If all else fails, you can become the manager of his family to pay off their debts."

Whether it's Su Qing or Ye Shanming.

Everyone knows this is a joke from back then.

Yan Zhengzhou looked at it carefully again and said with even greater certainty, "I will bring the valuables back before the fifteenth of the first lunar month."

? ? ?

It's already the 26th of the twelfth lunar month?

In less than twenty days, they went to the neighboring Shanyang Prefecture and robbed the treasures of more than a hundred rebel soldiers.

Su Qing remained silent for a moment.

The God of War does seem to have this ability.

But what about your injuries?

Yan Zhengzhou smiled, a rare occurrence: "How could I possibly get injured dealing with them?"

That evening, General Yan, along with his deputy and over two hundred personal guards, left.

He claimed to be inspecting the military camp, but in reality, he left Guangyue Prefecture that very night and headed straight for a mountain stronghold in Shanyang Prefecture.

Having tasted the sweetness of buying piles of supplies from just a string of agate beads, the rebels took advantage of the market being open and went to the county town to enjoy themselves with their wealth.

They were completely unaware that they were being targeted.