Miao Wan felt like she had a long dream. In the dream, Taotao was almost beaten to death, and a huge fire in Xining Town burned down everything.
"Miao Wan" appeared in the dream. She touched her head with a big belly, and waited for Miao Wan to come to her senses, then burst into tears for no reason.
"Miao Wan" didn't ask her what happened, but only asked her: Is there anything I can do to help you?
Miao Wan, who was frightened, lost money, had her relatives seriously injured, and had broken bones herself, was still crying and was completely stunned.
After venting her emotions, she realized that this "Miao Wan" was probably her inner desire. She hoped that "Miao Wan" could bring her more useful knowledge so that she could kill those bastards who made her lose all her wealth.
But she also knew that crying was useless and she had to do something.
How can someone who makes money give up so easily?
When she woke up, Qiao Ruichen was beside her, whispering about what had happened to several elders.
"A total of 132 Western bandits entered Xining Town. They came from the charity cemetery. They poured oil on them when everyone was making lunch, so almost no one noticed." Anyone who was discovered was killed.
Qiao Ruichen also downplayed the slaughter of the Xiban people he led, saying, "Those people didn't go west or north, so they were easily dealt with. There wasn't much trouble in Xiping County either, and it's been suppressed. There won't be any more problems for a while."
"The culprit..." Qiao Ruichen glanced down at his wife, "It's Yu Maocai, the former owner of the restaurant down the street."
When Miao Wan heard this person's name in a daze, all the confusions she had had became clear to her.
How did the bandits get into Xining Town in broad daylight without attracting anyone's attention? Because they were led by locals who knew Xining Town well.
Xining Town is just a town that rose up because of the Gubei Army. It was not even a village in the past, and now it has no city walls, only archways.
The west side of the town, close to the military camp, is where the rich and powerful live. Their homes must have a few good guards, and the security at home is also stricter.
There are more than a hundred Xiban people in total. Even if the town is not big, they cannot burn the whole town. They can only choose the place where the saint is most likely to appear, which is nothing more than a street or the Qiao family, that is, the east and south sides.
The north side is the exit of the town, not far from the charity cemetery. They came from an unknown path, and to enter the town they had to pass through the entrance of the town, so the town guards were killed.
As for why the fire was so raging, the people were awake but failed to notice the fire, allowing it to spread. It was also because Yu Maocai knew when the people in Xining Town cooked and ate, and also knew where the firewood was usually stored.
When the oil was poured, everyone was cooking and thought it was normal to smell the smell. When it started burning, everyone was eating and thought that maybe someone's fire was too strong.
By the time they react, it will probably be difficult to put out the fire.
Madam Zhang cursed Yu Maocai with gnashing teeth, "I was wondering if I could smell something frying while they were cooking. I thought someone from the Ruan family was frying meat. It must be Yu Maoyan giving the Xiban people oil from his own restaurant! What a bastard who gave birth to a son without any sense of purpose!"
She was so angry that she slammed the table hard, but her eyes had gotten into the pepper spray and had been burned by the fire for a long time, so she could hardly see and her slam went in vain.
Zhang Sanzhuang bit his cheek tightly, wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, slammed the table for his mother, and cursed Yu Maocai's ancestors for eighteen generations.
Finally, I have to add a conclusion, "It's just that his death was too easy. People like him should be boiled in oil!"
Mrs. Zhang was frightened by her son's slamming of the table. She listened carefully and slapped Zhang Sanzhuang on the head. "Are you trying to scare your mother to death? Awan just swung the kitchen knife and chopped him in the neck. It seems that God didn't want him to breathe any more. You don't know shit!"
Zhang Sanzhuang touched his head and didn't dare to argue with Am.
Just thinking of Ada who was still in a coma, his weak nephew who was born prematurely, his injured second sister-in-law, his disfigured eldest sister-in-law and... his eldest brother who had lost a leg, he held back his tears and felt so hateful that he wanted to pull Yu Maocai, who had been burned to ashes, out of hell and grind his bones and scatter his ashes again!
Qiao Ruichen originally wanted to talk about the saint's decree to kill all nine generations of the Yu family, but when he felt movement nearby, he immediately forgot what to say and hurried over to see Miao Wan.
"Awan, are you awake?"
Everyone gathered around and saw that she had indeed woken up, so they hurried to call a doctor.
When they heard that Miao Wan had fainted, Yun thought it was probably because she cried about the banknotes. Ruan Qin and Li had nothing else to do and wanted to come over to take care of their niece. The others were also concerned about the God of Wealth and wanted to hear what Qiao Ruichen had to say about what had happened, so they all gathered here.
Only Geng was not at home. She was busy taking care of Taotao who had a fever from fright and Qiao Rui who refused to leave her side.
Miao Wan spoke, her throat aching as if cut by a knife, "Where's Taotao?"
Qiao Ruichen answered her gently, "She's next door. She was frightened and has a slight fever. Your bones are broken, and we were afraid that the evil spirits would enter your body, so we didn't leave you together. Mother is taking care of her and Xiaorui."
Miao Wan glanced at the relatives who had gathered around her, paused near Madam Zhang's still red eyes, then looked at Qiao Ruichen and opened her mouth to ask more questions.
Qiao Ruichen carefully helped her up and said, "Drink some water first. You are all alive. I will tell you slowly later."
Miao Wan felt a dull pain in her heart. They were all alive, but not everything was fine.
She tried hard to suppress her tears, looked at everyone pitifully, and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Oh, I'm so hungry. I want to eat the dog pee made by Eminem. I chased it all the way in my dream, but the dog snatched it away..."
Everyone: “…”
Although Madam Zhang was still worried about her family, she couldn't help but smile slightly. She helped Zhang Sanzhuang up and said, "Look at how capable you are. Mom will make it for you right away!"
She was not afraid of going blind, but was afraid that something might happen to her relatives, and she was also afraid that she would become a burden to them. Now that she could be useful, it was a comfort to Madam Zhang, who could not see well.
No one had any appetite to eat, which made Miao Wan laugh and cry. She also felt hungry, so she asked Qiao Shengwen and Ruan Qi to invite them to go out for dinner.
The doctor took Miao Wan's pulse, confirmed that she was fine, and left.
When only Qiao Ruichen and Miao Wan were left in the room, Qiao Ruichen carefully avoided her injured arm and hugged her tightly, "My lady, don't hold it in. If you want to cry, just cry. Qiao Bailao is here."
Miao Wan's mouth pursed and tears fell like strings. She buried her head in Qiao Ruichen's arms, cried silently for a while, then raised her head while wiping her tears.
"Did you get hurt again when you killed the bandits?"
Qiao Ruichen patted his shoulder and said, "Don't worry, it's just an old injury. It won't affect my work."
Miao Wan was so amused that she laughed with tears in her eyes. She leaned in his arms, but didn't dare to ask the question she wanted to ask most.
But Qiao Ruichen understood what she was thinking, so he carefully wiped her tears and spoke to her in a low voice.
"Ada's internal organs have been damaged. He needs to rest in bed for a month before he can get up. If he takes good care of himself, his life span won't be affected."
"Am's eyes... the doctor only said that he needed the Tianshan Snow Lotus as an inducer. Maybe he could make a medicine. Even if he can't find it right now, he'll be able to see again in the future."
"Sister-in-law is fine, she just fainted and feels a little nauseous. Brother... he's still alive. If he replenishes his Qi and blood well in the future, it won't affect his lifespan."
"My second sister-in-law gave birth to a weak child. If she takes good care of him and grows up, it won't hurt to learn martial arts to strengthen her body. She's not feeling well because she's sad that the pigs, chickens and sheep at home are gone, and she's crying so hard."
"No one from the Ruan family was injured, and neither were the children from the three families. They were just frightened, and some had fevers."
Miao Wan asked with a grumbling nose, "Where's Dad?"
"Didn't you see? Wasn't his arm in a sling just now? Just like you, you have the right arm and he has the left. The doctor even joked that you and your daughter-in-law were injured evenly. At least one of you can write."
Miao Wan asked again, "What about the other families?"
Qiao Ruichen paused and said, "It's not very clear yet. I've asked A Dun and the others to go out and take a look."
Miao Wan couldn't help herself and looked up at Qiao Ruichen with tears in her eyes. "Tell me, if I hadn't opened Jufu Restaurant and didn't want to open Qianjinlou, would it be..."
Qiao Ruichen lowered his head and kissed her tear-soaked lips, interrupting her, "Whether you are there or not, the bandits will not let go of the people at the border. You don't have to take the blame on yourself."
Miao Wan lowered her eyes, blinked a huge tear, and said nothing more.
She wiped her tears, drank some sugar and egg water, and asked quietly, "Is there any way to get the burned banknotes and silver back?"
Logically speaking, the money house should also have records, and the silver bills must be matched with the records of the money house before the money can be withdrawn. If a disaster occurs, there must be some response measures, right?
The only reason Qiao Ruichen didn't mention this was not because he forgot, but because he knew that this was what would make his wife even more uncomfortable.
He spoke with difficulty, "Awan, the bank is near Qianjin Building."
Miao Wan looked at the ceiling with empty eyes, so the records were also burned?
There was no evidence left, her money really grew wings and flew away.
If sadness is like a river, then at this moment Miao Wan's heartache is like a heavy rain, a winter rain, so cold that it soaks her heart.
She slapped the edge of the kang in anger and grief, "Then the silver will be a bargain for the bank?"
In the past two years, she has saved up 80,000 taels of silver, plus the silver she prepared to build the inn and the unspent gold she bought back from Qianjin Building, the total amount exceeds six figures!
She couldn't bear to see it all gone like this!
Qiao Ruichen didn't know how to answer him, so Qiao Shengwen came in from outside and overheard him, and subconsciously answered him, "No, that bank was originally owned by the Chen family. This time, Chen Sixu colluded with the Xiban people and intended to kill the king. His crime is as high as treason, and he will be punished for multiple crimes. The Duke of Chen's mansion will be confiscated, and all the gold and silver will naturally be confiscated into the national treasury."
That is to say, it will be under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, and they know Qiao Shengwen very well!
Miao Wan's eyes widened. "But that's our hard-earned money. Why do they have to confiscate the money of meritorious officials as well?"
She immediately forgot her sadness and turned to look at Qiao Ruichen, "My husband, has the saint left?"
"Hmm... probably not yet. The Xiban people are causing unrest, and the Gubei Army is currently without a leader. The Saint decided to stay in charge for a few days and wait for the scouts to return before making a decision."
Anyway, after the incident of Chen Sixu colluding with the Western tribes to kill the king, no matter how great his filial piety was, it could not stop the emperor from attacking the Duke of Chen's Mansion and the Queen Mother.
Now that he is not in a hurry to return to the capital, it will give the Regent an opportunity to win over people and strengthen the strength of his faction. In this way, the Regent will not allow the Chen Guogong Mansion to struggle.
Then Qiao Ruichen and the Saint could put aside their mutual blaming of each other to make sacrifices in order to have a child of the Regent's bloodline.
Miao Wan struggled to get up, her intact left hand tightly grasping Qiao Ruichen, "Then I'm going to see the saint!"
Qiao Shengwen and Qiao Ruichen exchanged a glance, both knowing exactly what Miao Wan was planning to do. It was difficult for the father and son to say anything, but since their daughter-in-law wanted to go...
"I'll feed you first. Once Taotao's fever subsides, we'll go."
Miao Wan had no objection. Her right hand had been fixed with a wooden board, and as for her left hand, it was the big pot dish prepared by Ruan Qi today, so Qiao Ruichen had to feed it.
Perhaps people with good appetites tend to be stronger. At first, Miao Wan thought that as a native, if she could raise good pigs, she would definitely be able to raise good children. She really treated Taotao as a piglet and fed it.
So Taotao only had a fever for one night, and then he came back to life, crying and calling for his mother.
Geng carried her in. Taotao saw that Miao Wan's arm was injured, so she didn't insist on being held by her mother. Anyone could hold her, but she couldn't leave her mother's side.
This made Qiao Ruichen a little embarrassed. No one knew how long the saint would stay in Xiping County. If Taotao couldn't leave home, Miao Wan would not be able to go to the county town.
Miao Wan was more open-minded and decided, "Then take Taotao with you."
Qiao Shengwen and his wife had already gone out to check the outside. There was smoke everywhere and they were afraid that the children would be scared. They were even more worried than Qiao Ruichen.
Miao Wan held Taotao in her arms and kissed her. Her hoarse voice was firm, "She was born in the northwest and is a native of Xining Town. No matter what the outside world is like, she needs to know that we can protect her, but she also needs to know that the world is dangerous."
She loved the child more than anyone else, but her grandmother had not raised her to be ignorant, and her daughter could not become a flower in a greenhouse.
In the end, Geng came along to take care of the mother and daughter, while Qiao Ruichen drove the carriage and the family went to Xiping County.
Only after leaving the house did Miao Wan understand why the whole family didn't want Taotao to come out.
In fact, Taotao was still young, and she didn't quite understand what the broken walls and ruins she saw represented. She just leaned against Miao Wan timidly because of the pungent smell of smoke and the darkness everywhere.
On the contrary, Miao Wan, who turned out from the quiet road in the west, heard crying sounds that were sometimes far away and sometimes near, as well as houses that were burned to the point of being almost uninhabitable, and dirty tents everywhere.
The weather was not too cold, but the sky looked particularly gloomy in this black and gray color, as if making people feel cold from the inside out.
She kept the curtain open and looked outside quietly, not saying a word until they left Xining Town.
Geng and Qiao Ruichen were both a little worried. In their eyes, Miao Wan had always been timid. This time, something like this happened, the shop was burned down, and her relatives were seriously injured. This was a bigger blow to her than anyone else.
But Miao Wan no longer had the urge to cry. When they were halfway there, she softly asked, "Mother, husband, why do you think the Xiban people are burning, killing, and looting?"
Even if they had never been educated, even if they lacked food and clothing, even if they were strong and martial, they could actually seek help from Dayue, or exchange things unique to Xifan with the Yue people, and they would not be unable to survive.
But why did they resort to burning, killing, and looting? This was simply another form of draining the pond to catch all the fish.
Geng sighed, "Some people are born as human beings but don't act like human beings, that's why they are called bandits."
Bandits are synonymous with barbarism.
Qiao Ruichen knew Miao Wan wasn't asking that. He shook Miao Wan's hand and said, "Because they're not afraid of the Gubei Army or Dayue's soldiers. They believe that as long as they have strong soldiers and horses, the land of abundance in the world will be their racecourse."
It's like a lush grassland that is enclosed during a hunt.
Miao Wan nodded seriously. She remembered what the great man said: those who fall behind will be beaten.
That's why the people of Xiban dared to commit so many murders. They would have killed people with or without her. But she became the cause of this catastrophe, so she should pay the people of Xining Town back for what she has done.
"Husband, I don't want to leave." Miao Wan leaned quietly on Qiao Ruichen, "At least I can't go back to the capital like this. I want to stay in the northwest."
Geng didn't say anything, and Qiao Ruichen didn't hesitate.
He hummed, "Okay, I'll stay here with you. Whenever you want to go back to Beijing, I'll go back with you."
After Qiao Ruichen spoke, Geng patted Miao Wan's head and said, "Then you and Ruichen can stay in the northwest with peace of mind. Your father and I will return to Beijing, pack up everything that needs to be packed, and then come back to accompany you."
There are still some people and things in the capital that need to be dealt with, such as the Jingyang Marquis' Mansion. Miao Wan doesn't even have the mind to slap them in the face now, so their parents have to think carefully for her.
The person can be kept for Miao Wan to deal with herself, but it is absolutely unacceptable to allow the Jingyang Marquis's Mansion to continue to show off its power and take away Awan's mother's dowry.
However, Geng didn't want to say these things to upset Miao Wan. She could see that her daughter-in-law's brain, which was already very busy, had never stopped working along the way.
The saint did not live in the Dingbei General's Mansion, but lived in the post station in Xiping County, which is now heavily guarded by the royal secret guards.
If you want to see the saint, you need to report to the higher authorities. Miao Wan and the others waited for more than an hour before Sun Cheng came out and took them in.
After entering the room, Qiao Ruichen and Geng both bowed to the saint politely, but Miao Wan pulled Taotao and ran a few steps, trying to get as close to the saint as possible.
Just before the secret guards were about to launch a surprise attack, the mother and daughter knelt down at the saint's toes.
It would be more accurate to say that it was sitting on his knees rather than kneeling. Taotao's calves were turned outward, and he was kneeling as if he was playing.
The corners of the saint's lips twitched, "Cousin-in-law, what is this..."
"Wow, cousin, I'm so miserable!" Miao Wan burst into tears. "My husband and I, along with my parents and their family, have worked so hard to earn money to help the Saint. Who knew we would end up in such a disaster? Even our gold and silver were embezzled by the old thief Chen. I simply can't live any longer, wow..."
Taotao was stunned by his mother's crying. He didn't know whether he was trying to cheer her up or was just scared. His little mouth pouted and he started crying.
Crying alone was not enough, he also clapped his legs and wailed, "It's bitter, bitter, ah ah...it's bitter..."
Please forgive Taotao. The words she has learned are not enough for her to speak much. She can only repeat a few words she understands over and over again.
Geng and Qiao Ruichen lowered their heads, unable to bear to look at it.
The saint was stunned for a moment by the crying of the mother and daughter. He was at a loss whether to laugh or cry, and quickly asked Sun Cheng to help them up.
"Alright, alright, stop crying. Tell me everything in detail. If it's true, I'll take care of it for you..."
Upon hearing this, Miao Wan quickly pulled Taotao to her feet without anyone's help, and began to flatter her. "I knew that you, Saint, were wise and powerful, intelligent, fair and just, and your words were as good as gold. As long as you make the decision, we'll be fine."
After she finished speaking, she smiled at Sun Cheng and said, "Excuse me, eunuch...oh no, eunuch, could you please bring me some tea?"
Sun Cheng: “…” What is the title of father-in-law?
Saint: “…” My goodness, there is so much to say, I’m afraid my lips will run dry.
When the tea came, Geng and Qiao Ruichen were like a pot with a sawed-off spout, busy drinking tea and looking after the baby.
Miao Wan carefully told the saint about the business situation in the past two years, counting with her fingers. Every time she counted with her fingers, she was at her smartest.
"Jufu Restaurant and Ruan's Fast Food earned a combined 200,000 taels of silver. My family used some of it to build a house and provide for their family, and the rest was used to research new recipes and expand production, such as raising pigs, ducks, chickens, and sheep. The three families' money totaled 130,000 taels in the bank."
"Qianjinlou's monthly turnover is over 20,000 taels, with profits accounting for about 70%. It's been open for exactly one year and one month now. After deducting the profit paid to Wuliangha, there are still about 120,000 taels of silver left. However, 90% of it has been converted into gold and various items as offerings to the old villain Chen."
"Although Xining Town was completely burned down, the bank in Xining Town was managed by Qin Mao. He should have the general ledger. As for the offerings to the thief Chen, his mansion must also have records. We must ask the Saint to return these to us!"
The saint felt that he was a bit like Qiao Zicheng's little girl at this moment, and was stunned by what he heard.
He couldn't help but murmur, "So you made nearly 400,000 taels in less than two years? Just with two shops?"
If such a capable person were placed in the capital, or even in the Ministry of Revenue... would the national treasury still be short of money?
"It's three shops." Miao Wan corrected, secretly disliking the number in her heart.
If there wasn't an old thief pressing down on her, she would have rolled up her sleeves and expanded her business to the county town and other counties. With three shops standing on the shoulders of giants, the profit would be more than hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, right?
I can't think too much about this matter. It feels like I've lost hundreds of millions, and my heart aches.
The sage pondered for a moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "But I've looked through all of Chen Sixu's accounts, and I haven't found the records you mentioned. Do you have any other way to prove it?"
As soon as he said that, Miao Wan wanted to whine again, "Most of Xining Town was burned down in one fire, and the most important places were burned clean. We have no evidence to prove it with our words, so we can only ask the saints for help!"
She slid down to her knees again, mainly to get into a comfortable position, "In fact, if these gold and silver can be offered to Your Majesty, we have no complaints at all, and we even consider it an honor.
But we earned money to do errands for the Saint, and now all this gold and silver has become the property of thieves and been confiscated. How can we bear the thought that what we earned through our loyalty to the Emperor has become stolen goods? If Am and Ada knew about this, they would be furious... "
Hmm? The Saint followed Miao Wan's words and thought about it. It was indeed quite frustrating.
All the merits are gone, and all the efforts to risk your life have only resulted in some insignificant confiscation of property for the enemy?
The Saint coughed lightly a few times, his expression becoming even more difficult. "Cousin, please stand up. What you said makes sense, but without evidence, I will give you the gold and silver you mentioned. If I report it back to the capital, it will be detrimental to the Qiao family. Someone will surely think you embezzled the Chen family's money."
Miao Wan waved her hand at Sun Cheng, "I'll just kneel down. It's tiring to stand up and kneel down."
Sun Cheng: “…”
She nodded at the Saint, her face showing a look of great understanding. "Saint is absolutely right. Those who have nothing to do every day and always want to bang their heads against the pillars are indeed capable of doing such a thing. If that happens, I will have to trouble you to protect the Qiao family. Awan would never dare to cause you such trouble."
Sage: “…” Wangshu’s little cousin’s wife’s words are really like thunderbolts. They always make people’s throats choke and they don’t know how to respond.
Miao Wan didn't need his answer. She looked up with bright eyes and handed him the ladder. "A saint should know that the catastrophe in Xining Town was caused by Yu Maocai, the former owner of Qianjin Tower.
Regardless, this is all because I'm too good, squeezing out the mediocre, and that's why I'm jealous and resentful. Since I'm the cause, I have to be responsible for the people of Xining Town."
Under the Saint's gaze, she continued, "I am willing to sign a military order with the Saint. The Saint will have the money of the Qiao family returned, and every penny will be spent on the construction of the northwest. I want to save the people from the suffering of displacement, and I want to save the soldiers from the bitter cold. I want to..."
Every word that followed, even if a saint recalled it many years later, would remember how the delicate young lady's words were so powerful that people subconsciously believed her.
Miao Wan said: "——Let the bandits and foreign enemies never dare to invade again!"
Qiao Ruichen also knelt beside Miao Wan and said, "Zicheng has captured the traitor for Dayue. I dare not ask for more. I only ask for the grace of the saint to allow Zicheng to stay in the northwest and protect the people at the border."
The saint was shocked by Miao Wan's words, but he didn't take the young lady's outrageous words too seriously.
But Qiao Ruichen's words shocked him greatly, "Zicheng, do you know what you are talking about?"
If Qiao Ruichen returns to Beijing, he will at least be a commander of the third rank, and it will be natural for Qiao Shengwen to be conferred the title of earl. By then, with two high-ranking officials in one family, it will be no surprise that the Qiao family will become a new elite.
But if Qiao Ruichen does not go back, in the northwest, where military merits are the main reason, the saint will not be able to ignore the soldiers who have made contributions in the northwest and directly promote him too high. The highest he can get is the fifth rank, and the rest can only be obtained through fighting.
His request cut off his path to a high-ranking official for at least ten years.
Qiao Ruichen kowtowed, then raised his head with a clear and resolute look in his eyes. "I understand what I am saying. My wife's wish is also my wish. The people are more important than the king. To you, Saint, the people are the most important. I am loyal to you. If I can protect the people in this area for you, I am also loyal to you. I hope you will grant my wish."
Qiao Ruichen's words forced the saint to look at Miao Wan carefully. He subconsciously wanted to believe her words more, mainly because this young lady had indeed done many surprising things.
The sage pondered for a moment and asked, "Miao Wan, do you know what will happen if the military order is not completed?"
"Bring the head to me." Miao Wan answered smoothly, and of course did not forget to ask for more benefits for herself.
"But this is easier said than done. The most important thing is that I can't have another bastard like Chen Laozhe oppressing me. I have to ask the Saint to give my husband a more convenient official position, and also leave me an imperial decree so that I won't be oppressed by others."
Qiao Ruichen's heart trembled. His wife was even more powerful than he thought. Not only did she want the money back, she even dared to ask for an imperial decree like the Golden Medal of Immunity from Death?
Geng didn't know what to say. Her arms felt weak as she held her granddaughter. She just felt that if next year was the anniversary of Qiao's death, she would understand.
The saint laughed in anger, "What if you take the imperial edict and do something wrong?"
Miao Wan blinked. "That's impossible. Your Majesty, don't you know what Concubine Jin's personality is like? She was taught by the Qiao family."
We, the Qiao family, will never act recklessly just because we are your relatives, the saint. We must be more strict with ourselves. Even if you don't trust us, you should trust Concubine Jin!"
It was mentioned in "Spring in the Mood" that this person had invented the easy way of kneeling in advance in order to disband the harem for Concubine Jin. She couldn't do anything with the prophet's plot, so isn't it easy to get some relatives?
The saint was so choked that he was speechless. He had to wait until the couple left the military order and took away the imperial edict before he remembered it.
"Hey, what's wrong with that mouth of mine, Concubine Jin? She even fooled me! Concubine Jin is half a Qiao family member, but Miao Wan wasn't raised in the Qiao family!"
Sun Cheng thought secretly, he didn't know what she looked like, but he knew how she was fooled. It must be because he flattered Madam Xiao Qiao too much.
However, Sun Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, the things that were not found in Chen's mansion, aren't they all in Qin Mao and Chen Zhisheng's possession..."
"Shut up!" The saint glared at Sun Cheng fiercely, his face looking a little uncomfortable.
He felt very frustrated as an emperor. The national treasury was poor and his private treasury was also tight. All other confiscated items had to be transferred to the national treasury, and only these hundreds of thousands of taels could be put into his private treasury.
He wanted to save more money to promote manure. Was he wrong?
He had to tell it out loud to show off how much he knew! If Concubine Jin knew that he schemed against her cousin-in-law to withhold 100,000 taels of silver, would he ever be able to enter the bedroom again?
"If anyone gets to know about this, you'll be damned!"
Sun Cheng quickly slapped himself in the face and walked out with a bitter face. He knew that his Majesty was a stingy person, so why did he bring up this matter?
On the way back, Miao Wan kept pouting. The total amount of silver was clearly more than 200,000 taels, but the saint was so stingy that he asked them to take back the gold sent from Chen Sixu's mansion and only gave them 50,000 taels of silver.
The total amount was only 150,000 taels, and about 100,000 taels would be lost and become Chen Sixu's stolen goods.
"I shouldn't have given them down jackets in the first place. It would have been better to give them gold instead. At least we can get it all back now." Miao Wan muttered to her mother-in-law.
Geng nodded her head in amusement. "Be content, you should be. You're said to be timid, but you're the most timid. Who told you to issue a military order without consulting your family? What will you do if you can't complete it?"
Miao Wan leaned against Geng, "Don't you believe in my ability? What have I said I haven't done?"
Geng's face was expressionless. "That's too much. You said you'd get up early, but how many times have you gotten up early? You said you'd eat less, but how many times have you eaten less? What's your ability? Besides being able to eat, what else can you do?"
Miao Wan: "..." No, there's no need for you to analyze it so clearly.
She turned her eyes and met Qiao Ruichen's gentle gaze. Her heart warmed and she hummed and leaned against Qiao Ruichen again, "Then if you don't believe me, you should believe my husband. Together, we can definitely kill those Xiban people!"
Taotao in Qiao Ruichen's arms also rushed between his parents, "Wash! Wash!"
The adults all laughed at Taotao.
Geng was still a little worried. "Since you've asked the Saint for the imperial edict, I won't advise you on anything else. But even if Chen Sixu is gone, don't be too ostentatious. There's no harm in being low-key at any time."
Miao Wan nodded quickly, "I'll remember that. Don't worry. Eating meat in the quilt, the imperial edict must be hidden in the quilt as well. It will be scary when it's taken out."
Geng: "..." After her daughter-in-law said that, she became even more worried.
But although Miao Wan looked unreliable, she still felt a little sad when she saw her father-in-law who supported her silently, the Ruan family who didn't want to leave after learning about her plan, and the Zhang family who stood firmly behind her.
Even people from the Yu family and the Yang family came, and Sun Laohuo's family of three and his apprentice also came, but only the Lin family did not come.
Zhang Sanzhuang sniffed, "My uncle sent someone to tell me that my grandparents are old, ran away late, and caught a cold. My grandmother has passed away, and there's a funeral at home. It's not good to come here and disturb the child and the confinement period."
"But my uncle and his family said that no matter what we do, he and his family will follow our arrangements."
Miao Wan was silent for a while and asked everyone to go into the west courtyard.
There is a tent set up in the west yard. Originally, the plan was to make a wooden playground for the children in the tent, but no one moved in later on. The toys were left at Yu's house and no one went there to take them, so it is still empty.
After lighting the brazier in the tent, everyone sat on small stools and discussed what to do next.
Zhang Sanzhuang spoke first, fearing that the Qiao and Ruan families, who came from the capital and Jiangnan, had suffered hardships before but had never suffered such a hardship, and might be a little hesitant.
"Although the fire in Xining Town was severe, fortunately none of the fields were destroyed. This year's harvest in the countryside is considered a bumper harvest. When the harvest comes, if several families contribute their grain, at least everyone will have something to eat."
Sun Laohuo also nodded. "But the weather is getting a bit cold. These days I've been taking people to the tile market and down the street to make ginger water. I'm still short of some herbs and need to go to the county town to buy them. Besides food, the most important thing is a house and a kang."
"With the Lin family here, the Yu family and the Yang family can barely be considered half-experienced, and there are also fellow villagers. Building a house together is not a difficult task. I think warm bedding and clothes are more important." Ruan Qin said thoughtfully, looking at Qiao Ruichen.
"The Wuliangha clan wasn't affected too much; only some of their goods were burned. I wonder if we can discuss this with them and first resolve the issue—"
He was halfway through his words when his face suddenly turned pale and he looked at Miao Wan fiercely, "Awan, the contract we signed has been burned."
So the roast duck recipe and the loom were given away, but the ten-year contract signed with Bayin, Jiangnan, and Dengzhou merchants was no longer recognized and they refused to give them the duck down and cloth, so they had no choice.
Miao Wan was stunned for a moment. She wanted to say that all her abilities were in her head. Could it be that there was someone who was so short-sighted as to cut off his own financial path for a small profit?
But when she thought about what Qiao Shengwen and Qiao Ruichen had always told her about the dangers of the world, and witnessed it with her own eyes, Miao Wan had grown a lot without realizing it.
She looked at Qiao Ruichen. Now that Chen Sixu had been captured, Xining Town was weakened and the merchants had suffered heavy losses.
Will Bei Meng and the merchants still cooperate with the Qiao family?
The author has something to say:
The title "gonggong" was only used since the Ming Dynasty. Before the Ming Dynasty, it was used to refer to eunuchs and servants, and not all eunuchs were eunuchs.
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