Chapter 39 Tell everyone that your husband can foresee the future.
Seeing Shi Qingchen like this, Liu felt a tightness in her chest. If she weren't already married to him and had no choice but to help him plot, she would have wanted him to suffer even more for his infidelity.
Liu had discussed the matter of divorce with her father, but he firmly disagreed, saying that the Liu family had no divorced women and that if she dared to divorce on her own, he would cut off her hair and send her to become a nun.
After threatening her, her father tried to persuade her, using both gentle and harsh words, that if she didn't want to return to the main house with Shi Qingchen and become a village woman, she must find a way to help her husband secure his position as the young master of the family.
After taking a deep breath, Lady Liu said to Shi Qingchen with a serious expression, "I am not lying. I have been having this kind of dream for a year now, and I can foresee the future in my dreams."
My prophetic dreams have been verified countless times without ever being wrong. Even my father knows about this. If you, my husband, do not believe me, you may ask my father for confirmation.
The reason I told my husband this secret is because I saw that you were in a difficult situation and wanted to use this to help you consolidate your position as the young master of the family.
Upon hearing this, Shi Qingchen finally sat up straight with a serious expression. Although he did not trust Liu Shi, he trusted his father-in-law.
As the Minister of Revenue of the current dynasty, he was not an incompetent or foolish person, and he would not be easily swayed by others. Presumably, what Lady Liu said was true.
Shi Qingchen hadn't expected that Lady Liu would possess such a miraculous ability. Changing his previous cold demeanor, he personally stood up, pulled her to the bedside, gently embraced her shoulders, and said with deep affection:
"Husband and wife are one. Since you are truly thinking of your husband, tell me in detail what you foresaw."
"There's one thing: you must keep your ability to foresee the future a secret from the Shi family. Tell everyone else that I have this ability."
Lady Liu stared intently at her husband, who was so close to her, and listened to Shi Qingchen's request, feeling that something was amiss.
Shi Qingchen noticed Liu's hesitation and continued to persuade her, "I am doing this to protect you. A woman's reputation should not be too great, otherwise, if she becomes famous throughout the world, it is easy to bring great trouble."
Moreover, foreknowledge of such things is already absurd, and if handled poorly, it could easily lead to accusations of superstition and supernatural phenomena. Therefore, it is most appropriate for me, as her husband, to take the lead.
Don't you also want to help your husband consolidate his position as the young master of the family? The more bargaining chips I have, the more secure my position as the young master of the family will be, right?
Seeing that Liu was still hesitating, Shi Qingchen promised, "I know I have neglected you lately, but it's because there have been many things to do at home."
From this day forward, you will be my devoted wife, and all the honors I have earned will be shared with you. If your precognitive dreams are of great help to me, I promise I will never take a concubine in this life.
Shi Qingchen's decision to remain chaste wasn't for Liu's sake; it was because his heart belonged to Yunxi, and he had no intention of taking any other women. He felt that if Yunxi were alive, she would be very unhappy to see him taking a concubine.
What woman could resist a promise not to take concubines? When Liu thought of Shi Qingchen's previous life, with his six or seven women and seven or eight children in his harem, she immediately felt that if he could really keep his promise, it would be the most worthwhile deal ever.
Because the drought in her previous life had caused such a great uproar, Liu had a very deep impression of it. She recalled the details while picking out the important things and told Shi Qingchen about them in detail.
Shi Qingchen was shocked after hearing this. He hadn't expected the drought to be so severe. Not to mention the subsequent plague, even ordinary medicinal herbs were being sold at exorbitant prices.
The reduced grain production at the end of the year caused the price of old grain from previous years to skyrocket by 100%, and the Great Yan Kingdom did not recover for the next three years.
Shi Qingchen sensed an opportunity in this matter. If this information could be used properly, it would allow the Shi family to make up for all their previous losses in one fell swoop.
They could also win the emperor's favor by having the imperial court donate some grain during the most critical times of famine.
The two were so engrossed in their conversation that neither noticed that Que'er, who was about to come in to serve tea, had overheard everything from beginning to end.
Fearing she would be discovered if she stayed any longer, Que'er quietly left. She immediately went to find Feng Xun and asked someone to send the message to her master as soon as possible.
After thoroughly sorting out the information he had received and the plans in his mind, Shi Qingchen went to the study to see his father.
When the Prime Minister heard that it was him, he didn't want to pay attention to him at first, but when he thought about the many clan elders and branch families who would be coming tomorrow, he thought it would be better to make things clear to him in advance, so as to avoid him making a fool of himself in public tomorrow.
Soon a servant came out and led Shi Qingchen into the study, just before the chief minister was about to say that he would abolish Shi Qingchen's position as the young master of the family.
Shi Qingchen seized the opportunity and immediately told the Grand Secretary about his dream in which he foresaw the future disasters and droughts.
At first, the chief minister did not believe it, so Shi Qingchen followed Liu's words and said that this was not the first time he had a precognitive dream.
He then advised, "Father, think about it. Even if there is no drought, you can sell the stored grain at a fair price afterward without losing money."
If successful, it would be a chance to make a fortune, and also to win the emperor's favor.
Seeing that his father was still hesitating, Shi Qingchen continued to persuade him: "I wonder if Father has noticed that I am actually blessed with good fortune."
Perhaps it was because the son had been fulfilling his filial duties in front of the ancestral hall for many years that the ancestors blessed him, as the son was able to provide so many prescriptions for ten families by simply picking up an orphan girl.
Later, although the son made some mistakes in minor matters, the money he earned for the Shi family over the past three years was genuine.
The Shi family was already in crisis, but at this critical juncture, their son received a dream that foretells the future. Who knows if this isn't yet another great opportunity their ancestors wanted to bring to the Shi family through their son?
The Prime Minister was overwhelmed with recent events and had lost all face. But now, after being reminded by Shi Qingchen, he truly remembered the benefits and honors his son had brought to the Shi family over the past three years.
He glanced down at his son standing before the desk again, deciding it was worth trusting him one more time. There was no harm in trying.
What if he could foresee the future, and that's true? Then the family's benefits would be far more than just this once or twice.
It seems that my decision to choose him as the young head of the family against all odds was in line with the wishes of my ancestors. Otherwise, why would my ancestors have told his son in a dream, instead of telling him?
Thinking of this, the Prime Minister's expression softened considerably. He pointed to the chair next to him, indicating that Shi Qingchen should sit down and talk.
The father and son talked in the study for nearly an hour, devising detailed plans for collecting grain and medicinal herbs.
The father and son unanimously decided not to reveal the news of the drought to the third prince. Firstly, they didn't want to give the credit to the third prince; secondly, they wanted to take this opportunity to give him a warning, to show him that the Shi family couldn't do without him.
During this conversation, the Prime Minister Shi made no mention of abolishing his position as the young master of the family, and Shi Qingchen also pretended that he had never heard of it. For a time, it was a scene of fatherly love and filial piety.
The next day, the Shi family began to secretly collect and store grain in Kyoto and several nearby prefectures and counties, and opened three large granaries.
Shi Qingchen continuously transported the collected grain and medicinal herbs into the granary. Afterward, he dispatched three squads of soldiers to guard the granary.
Upon receiving the news, Yunxi immediately ordered Qi Jinxiu to secretly collect grain and medicinal herbs from the people. Yunxi then told Gu Nanxiao about this, instructing him to send people to monitor the location of the grain stored at the Shi residence, saying that it would be of great use in the future.
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