Chapter 358 Discussing the Journey West
If only I could never go home again and never get married!
Anyway, in this family, Mom is a stepmother, Dad is a scumbag, and Grandpa has only recently become a little closer to me; as for affection, there's none at all.
So there was nothing or no one in this house that she would miss!
If I could just run away from home completely, that would be the best!
but……
Jiang Hongling looked at her grandfather with a fawning smile, "Well, traveling far away will definitely cost a lot of money. How much travel money are you planning to give me, Grandfather?"
Jiang Huai gave a bitter smile. "Is five hundred taels enough?"
Jiang Hongling pouted, "This is a long trip, and you're only planning to give me five hundred taels? It should be at least... five thousand taels, right?"
Jiang Hongling made an outrageous demand: "I'm traveling with them, and I'll definitely receive a lot of help along the way. Shouldn't I be more proactive when it comes to paying? How can five hundred taels be enough?"
Jiang Huai glanced at his eldest granddaughter with annoyance. "One thousand taels, that's the most I can give."
He's not a corrupt official without any bottom line; he can't just take out five thousand taels of silver whenever he wants.
Never mind, let's leave it at that.
“Since you’ve made up your mind, then you can pack your things during this time and go with Grandma Qiao when she sets off.”
"Okay!" Jiang Hongling replied crisply, skipping and hopping out of the study.
As for whether Madam Min Qiao would be willing to take her along, that was not her concern. In any case, her grandfather had already said that she could come along, so he would definitely arrange everything.
***
After returning to the Qiao residence, Madam Min changed into some casual clothes and summoned Ashuang, Huanzhen, Wenxiu, Ajiu, and Laoqiao to discuss escorting Min Pan'er on her journey to the west.
Seeing Min Qiao's solemn expression, everyone felt a little uneasy.
Ah Shuang spoke first, asking, "Grandma, did something serious happen that you called us here?"
Madam Min Qiao didn't hide anything and said bluntly, "The Min family asked me to escort Min Pan'er to Xixi."
"What!?" A Shuang looked at Min Qiaoshi in shock and said in disbelief, "How old is the old lady? How could she travel such a long distance and leave her hometown to go to Xixi?"
Wen Xiu frowned and said with concern, "What is the Min family trying to do? Aren't Dayan and Xi'an supposed to be at odds? Why are they sending Min Pan'er to Xi'an? And why are they having the old lady send her there personally?"
Ah Shuang chimed in, "Does the Min family want the old lady to go and die?"
Ah Jiu glanced at Huanzhen and said coldly, "Grandma, do you need us to teach the Min family a lesson?"
How dare the Min family bully the old lady like this? They don't want to live a peaceful life anymore, do they?
Although he was well aware that even if he and Ajiu combined, they couldn't beat Min Fang, the fourth master of the Min family.
But she still nodded in agreement with Ajiu's suggestion.
Min Qiao looked at the old woodcutter.
Old Qiao also frowned. He thought for a moment and asked, "Does the old lady have to go? If the Min family only requires us to send Miss Pan'er to Xi'an, then I can take a few of my brothers and send her there. The old lady doesn't need to go."
"The border between the two countries is unstable right now, and a major war could break out at any time. It's too dangerous to go there. If the old lady can avoid going, then she should stay away."
Ah Shuang and Wen Xiu nodded repeatedly, agreeing with the old woodcutter's statement.
Zhen Huan, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke coldly with a gloomy face: "What right does the Min family have to order the old lady to send people away? Doesn't the Min family have any other people to rely on?"
Ajiu chimed in, "Moreover, is the Min family's association with Xi'an a plot to rebel?"
"Or are they trying to use the excuse of having the old lady send someone to Xixi, and then accuse her of treason?"
Madam Min Qiao originally wanted to conceal the news that Min Ji was not dead, but upon hearing the concern and protection from the others, she finally sighed and said truthfully, "The Min family says that Min Ji is not dead and is currently infiltrating Xixi."
"The Min family said that Min Ji asked me to escort Min Pan'er to Xi'an."
Min Ji?
The girls were all stunned for a moment, but the old woodcutter was the first to react.
He looked at Madam Min with astonishment and asked incredulously, "Is the old lady referring to the old Marquis who passed away more than ten years ago?"
“Yes. Min Ji is my husband, Min Rong’s biological father, and the previous Marquis of Xuanping.”
Min Qiao said without any hesitation, "I watched him die right in front of me."
"As it turns out, the Min family told me today that he had only faked his death to escape, and then made a deal with the Emperor to secretly infiltrate Xi'an as an undercover agent."
"No wonder the old lady caused such a big commotion in Jiangnan back then, but no one investigated the old lady and the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion for their mistakes." The old woodcutter suddenly realized. "It's also no wonder that the old lady has been acting...recklessly these past two years, and the Emperor has never punished the old lady and the Xuanping Marquis's Mansion in the slightest."
The others were also terrified.
So that's why.
Instead of dwelling on the past with the others, Madam Min Qiao got down to business and said, "Therefore, I want to go to Xixi in person to see Min Ji."
Ah Shuang and Wen Xiu wanted to persuade them again, but after opening their mouths, they ultimately said nothing.
Zhen Huan and A Jiu nodded very seriously, "We will follow the old lady's instructions."
Old Qiao nodded, "I will protect the old lady's safety with my life."
Madam Min smiled and said, "Now that things are settled, let's talk about the arrangements for this trip."
She glanced at A Shuang and the other three, "This time when I go to Xixi, I only plan to take Wenxiu with me."
Before she could finish speaking, the other three became anxious. However, before they could explain, Madam Min raised her hand to stop them.
“Listen to me. Huizhou needs a manager, and that person is A Shuang. Once we get to Xi'an, I can hand over my duties to Wei Jia. So, A Shuang doesn’t need to go with me.”
Upon hearing this, Ah Shuang, who had initially wanted to try and persuade him, ultimately agreed respectfully: "I will obey the old lady's instructions."
She understood that with Wei Jia around, she would be basically useless.
Rather than going to Xixi to fight with Weijia, it would be better to stay in Huizhou, manage the affairs of Huizhou well, and let the old lady have no worries.
Madam Min smiled, nodded in satisfaction, and then turned her gaze to Ajiu.
“Grandma, I want to go to Xixi with you. I can protect your safety! Besides, Sister Weijia has been gone for several months, and I miss her a bit. Please let me go.”
Ajiu looked at Min Qiaoshi with expectant eyes.
Madam Min shook her head and decisively refused, saying, "You stay here to help A-Shuang guard the house, property, and people under her in Huizhou."
“Don’t forget, there are still dozens of people here who trust you completely. They are either your former partners who went through thick and thin with you, or the orphans you and Weijia took in. You are their pillar of support. If you leave, A-Shuang can’t handle it all by herself.”
Thinking of those people, Ajiu finally gave in.
Min Qiao looked at Zhen Huan one last time, "You should know why I didn't let you go, right?"
He actually nodded without any expression.
She knew that because she was the fourth young lady of the Yongning Marquis's mansion, and the daughter of the Yongning Marquis's wife who had been lost and found again, the old lady did not want her to go on the risk.
Seeing that he actually nodded, Madam Min breathed a sigh of relief and made a decision with a smile, "Since you know what you're doing, then you should stay in Huizhou obediently. When you have nothing to do, you can teach those children martial arts with Ajiu."
They really didn't say anything.
Min Qiao took it as her tacit agreement.
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