Six years and seven million taels of silver, Xu Lingyi's outer courtyard was still short of money. In times of danger, the second wife even sold her most valuable property. I just don't know whether the second wife sold the property before or after she started the business?

Eleventh Lady pondered and said slowly: "From your tone, after the Emperor ascended the throne, the Marquis took the initiative to cut off the business. Didn't your father say anything?"

Concubine Wen's eyes flashed with confusion, and she recalled: "My father wanted to do business with the Marquis for two years, but the Marquis had already made up his mind and went to fight in Miaojiang, so my father did not force it."

One million taels of silver per year, just say no...

Some previous speculations gradually surfaced.

"Is it from then on that the Wen family took over the Jiangnan weaving business?" She looked at Madam Wen.

Madam Wen did not answer immediately. Her face changed slightly, she was silent for a long time, and then she whispered "yes".

Eleventh Lady helped her unravel the mystery: "In the past, the Wen family was just an ordinary merchant, and the Marquis could make a million yuan in profit every year. But after the Marquis and the Wen family separated, the Wen family was able to obtain the Jiangnan Weaving business. I wonder if it was because the Marquis was unlucky? Or was it because the Wen family was too lucky? If the Marquis and the Wen family continued their business, they would probably make more than a million yuan in profit every year, right?"

Madam Wen was in a state of confusion.

She had always thought that her father had already acquired the Jiangnan weaving business, and the Marquis wanted to break up with him. In order to protect the greater interests of the family, he took the opportunity to break up with the Marquis. Otherwise, how could it be possible...

Thinking of this, Madam Wen's eyes were filled with horror!

Or maybe I was just thinking wrong.

She raised her eyelids and looked towards Shiyi Niang.

Shiyi Niang's eyes were calm and composed, as if she was strong enough to remain calm even when facing a mountain collapse. She could not help but grab Shiyi Niang's hand: "When I was at my mother's house, my father was obsessed with the Jiangnan weaving business. He broke up with the Marquis in November, and got the Jiangnan weaving business in February of the following year. Others don't know, but I know that it is not a problem to make 2 or 3 million taels a year, let alone 1 million taels. My father is a shrewd man. After breaking up with the Marquis, he sent someone to ask the Marquis for a favor, but the Marquis only said, 'I am no longer suitable.' Later, I learned that my father had won the Jiangnan weaving business, and I thought he wanted to monopolize it. I thought it was too risky for him to do so. You know, for a family like us, a county magistrate could make us lose everything. But he had the support of the Marquis, and he actually broke up with him. I once reminded my father about this. He smiled and said that he would not treat the Marquis badly. In June, he sent someone to deliver a silver note of 200,000 taels..."

After hearing this, Shiyi Niang's face changed. She shook Madam Wen's hand and asked, "Did the Marquis accept it?"

Madam Wen looked at Eleventh Lady timidly and said in a stammering voice, "No, I didn't take it. I, I took it."

Eleventh Lady’s words were silent.

After a long while, he whispered, "How can you be so confused!"

"I'm also speaking up for the Marquis." Madam Wen defended herself in a low voice. Feeling guilty, she murmured, "But it's not much, only 200,000 taels a year. Compared to the past, it's just a drop in the bucket..."

The matter has been resolved, and there is no point in saying more. Eleventh Lady is concerned about other things.

"Does the Marquis know that you took the money?"

"I didn't know when I was not at home for the first few years." Madam Wen whispered, "She found out later. She told me that if I really like doing business, I might as well open a shop myself. In this way, I can get a share, and if the Wen family asks him for help, he may not be able to do everything for me. So I opened a shop myself..."

Eleventh Lady’s mind started to work rapidly.

Xu Lingyi had said before that the Emperor was going to clean up the Yang family. Then there was the unexpected incident when he entered the palace, the Second Lady's private visit to the Marquis of Yongchang on behalf of the Grand Lady, and Xu Lingyi's private meeting with Madam Wen to ask her to end all her business... Madam Wen had been doing business for so many years, she should be very clear about how these noble families in Yanjing made money privately, right?

She asked Aunt Wen: "What business is the Huang family of Yongchang Marquis doing?"

Madam Wen didn't know why Eleventh Lady asked this question at this time, and said puzzledly: "Their family has a quarry and does business with the Ministry of Industry. They can make about 500,000 taels a year."

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised. She originally thought that the Huang family was doing business in the military.

"Isn't it said that most of the Ministry of Industry's business is monopolized by the Yang family? Then why is it the Huang family?"

Speaking of what she is good at, Madam Wen's face lit up a bit. "The Yang family is just a one-handed income and two-handed expenditure. Relying on their reputation, they buy goods on credit from other companies and take on business from the Ministry of Industry. In fact, they don't have to use any capital. Moreover, they can temporarily not settle the money taken from the Ministry of Industry with the suppliers, and use it for a few days. Because of this, their family also lends money, and they have the best reputation and the largest business in Yanjing. Not only is the interest rate low, but they can also lend you whatever amount you want. In recent years, Marquis Huang has handed over all the family affairs to the prince, but the Huang family is only an empty name after all. The prince had a difficult time in the first few years and even borrowed money from the marquis. But somehow, he suddenly got in touch with the Yang family and started to supply stone materials to the Yang family. Only in recent years have they become more comfortable."

Eleventh Lady pondered for a moment after listening, and simply made things clear to Madam Wen: "On the first day of the new year, after the Marquis came out of the palace, the Madam immediately sent the Second Madam to deliver food to the Huang family, and then the Marquis called you to talk. Madam Wen is a smart person, please help me think about whether there is any connection between these things? I heard that the Wen family has been competing with the Yang family for the business of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in recent years. I just don't know how it is going... and the two hundred thousand taels of silver given by the Wen family every year, the Marquis should have done a lot for the Wen family in these years, right? I wonder if the Wen family has been the same as before in the past two years, and they come to the Marquis for help when they have something..."

Madam Wen began to sweat at her temples as she listened.

She said in a mosquito-like voice, "I was wondering... since my father passed away, why did my third uncle repeatedly default on paying me money? Sometimes he even asked me to go to the Marquis and ask him to do one or two things before he would send me the money... In the past two years, he has rarely come to visit me. Third aunt is getting more and more arrogant. Sometimes she even says, 'If it doesn't work, just give me money'..." At this point, she suddenly stood up, "No, I have to let Qiuhong find out about this matter to see which business the Wen family has taken over from the Ministry of Internal Affairs..."

Eleventh Lady was thinking about the cause and effect of this matter.

Xu Lingyi knew that the emperor was going to deal with the Yang family. He asked Madam Wen to deal with the business after meeting the emperor on the first day of the Lunar New Year. He also gave Madam Wen a deadline. Was it because of what the emperor said? Or did the emperor warn Xu Lingyi? Otherwise, why was he so anxious? Moreover, Xu Lingyi was very disgusted with the Wen family doing business with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If the Wen family had any collusion with the Yang family, Xu Lingyi would not have been unaware of it. Since he knew about it, he would not have failed to warn them. After Madam Wen knew the seriousness of the matter, she did not doubt whether the Wen family had taken over the Ministry of Internal Affairs' business, but asked Qiuhong to find out which part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' business they had taken over. In other words, the Wen family was doing the Ministry of Internal Affairs' business, and they were doing it despite Xu Lingyi's opposition.

She grabbed Madam Wen's arm and asked, "After your father passed away, was your third uncle in charge? Is he close to the Marquis?"

Madam Wen was stunned, thought for a moment, and said with a pale face: "It's not that Third Uncle doesn't want to get close to the Marquis, but the Marquis doesn't like the people of the Wen family... Third Uncle came to see the Marquis several times in a humble manner, but the Marquis left Third Uncle in the gatehouse..."

Eleventh Lady smiled bitterly upon hearing this and said, "If the Wen family's business wasn't so big, your Third Uncle wouldn't have felt so humbled by the Yongping Marquis when he was left alone at the gate, right?"

Madam Wen's face turned even paler.

Eleventh Lady looked at Madam Wen and said softly, "Things have come to this point, even the Marquis can't control it, let alone you. You should listen to the Marquis and quickly sell the shop! As for the Wen family, you should just do your duty as a daughter and pass on the message. There are some things that you shouldn't force. As for how to arrange for those shop assistants, why not invite the Marquis to come and discuss it properly..."

Before she finished her words, tears as big as beans fell from Madam Wen's eyes: "My mother... is still being taken care of by my brothers... and my wet nurse, I asked her to stay in Yanjing, but she refused and insisted on going back to serve my mother... and my wet brother, also followed me back to Yangzhou..." When she said this, she became even sadder and finally covered her face and cried bitterly.

Eleventh Lady sighed helplessly and gave her a cup of tea to cry. Then she patted Madam Wen's shoulder and said, "There is no time to lose. You should make plans early!"

Madam Wen raised her head, her flawless face covered with tears.

She sobbed with a confused expression, "Then, what should I do?" She seemed to be in a state of panic.

Eleventh Lady didn't know how the situation had developed and what Xu Lingyi was planning, so it was difficult for her to make a decision. She could only say, "How about we invite the Marquis? If we talk things over in person, you will have a better idea of ​​what to do and a plan..."

Upon hearing this, Madam Wen nodded like a chick pecking at rice, and grabbed Eleventh Lady's hand as if she had grabbed a piece of driftwood: "Madam, it's all up to you to make the decision." As she spoke, she burst into tears, "Madam, I will never forget your great kindness..."

Shiyi Niang was ashamed. She couldn't help but laugh at herself. Being remembered by someone for a lifetime couldn't be a relaxing and happy thing...

She turned around and called Binju, asking her to tell Fangxi to ask Xu Lingyi to come over.

* * * * * *

Xu Lingyi arrived faster than she expected. When he saw Madam Wen, he was a little surprised at first, but soon regained his composure.

It seems that she has guessed Madam Wen's intention.

Shiyi Niang made tea for Xu Lingyi and closed the lattice door to leave, but Xu Lingyi stopped her and said, "There are some things you should listen to!"

※

Hehehe, the alarm clock is really unreliable... I continued not waking up at the prescribed time...

PS: Since February, my life has been a bit chaotic. Time is not controlled by others. Thank you for your tolerance. I will try to adjust my life rhythm as soon as possible!

O(∩_∩)O~