Chapter 488: Proud (Part 1)

Eleventh Lady had no choice but to sit next to Xu Lingyi.

Xu Lingyi glanced at Madam Wen, whose eyes were red from crying, and said directly: "Even if you don't say it, I know why you came to see Madam. But this matter is not just about you, it also involves the Xu family. You don't need to say more, this shop must be closed. And this matter must be settled before the dragon rises on the second day of the second lunar month!" His tone was decisive, leaving no room for maneuver. He added, "You have saved a lot of money in the past few years. Be content with your fate, people often go bad because of greed."

Madam Wen's face turned red and she looked at Eleventh Lady for help.

This is similar to what Shiyi Niang guessed. Since Xu Lingyi could tolerate Madam Wen embezzling the 200,000 taels of silver, how could he not tolerate a small shop? Most likely, Madam Wen's business would affect the safety of the Xu family, so Xu Lingyi resolutely asked Madam Wen to close the shop. It's just that I don't know how deeply Madam Wen's shop is involved... Madam Wen has her own difficulties, and maybe Xu Lingyi has more difficulties in front of him!

Thinking of this, Shiyi Niang gently advised Madam Wen: "We invited the Marquis to come here to make things clear. Now the Marquis's intention is very clear. Madam Wen can speak out openly if she has anything to say."

Madam Wen was stunned.

Xu Lingyi has already made the decision. What else can I say?

But Shiyi Niang nodded slightly at her, as if she supported her.

She thought of Xu Lingyi's doting on Shiyi Niang, her mother's tears when she was sent to Yanjing, and her wet nurse whom she hadn't seen for seven or eight years... She summoned up her courage and said, "Marquis, I have no other intentions. I didn't know before that the matter of the shop was related to the important affairs of the court. Later, after hearing what Madam said, I suddenly understood your painstaking efforts. As for the matter of the shop, I will follow your wishes and sell the shop before the dragon raises its head on the second day of the second month." Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. The words have been spoken, and it is easier to say them. Madam Wen spoke more and more fluently, "I am only worried about my mother who is far away in Yangzhou. She gave birth to me and raised me, I can't just watch her..." At this point, her tone paused, tears gathered in her eyes again, "My Lord, you are a man of both literary and military skills, and you have seen the world, unlike me who is a woman in the inner chamber. I beg you to think of a way to save my mother's life." As she spoke, she slowly knelt in front of Xu Lingyi, "My Lord, saving a life is like building a seven-story pagoda. At this point, only you can think of a way to save my mother."

Xu Lingyi frowned as he looked at her and motioned to Shiyi Niang to help Madam Wen up.

"It's not as serious as you think." He said seriously, "But you might as well go and tell Madam Wen. Mr. Wen has been making a lot of noise in the past two years. If Madam Wen can give him some advice, he will probably be more restrained. It would be better if he has an idea of ​​what to do in the future!"

Madam Wen was filled with gratitude and said, "Thank you, Marquis!" She stood up and said, "Marquis, Madam, I will send someone to Yangzhou to deliver the letter. As for the shop in Jinan Prefecture..." At this point, her expression darkened, "I will also find a way to sell it."

Xu Lingyi nodded and brought the tea.

Madam Wen looked at Eleventh Lady with gratitude, then bowed and retreated.

Eleventh Lady, however, was worried about Xu Lingyi.

She made another cup of tea for Xu Lingyi and whispered, "When the Marquis went to see the Emperor on New Year's Day, did the Emperor give you a hint? Or did you see something?"

"The emperor has given me a message." Xu Lingyi took a sip from the teacup, his expression gradually softening. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have thought the emperor would make such a big move this time." At this point, he looked worried. "Cooking a small fish is like governing a big country. The emperor's steps are too big this time... I'm afraid he won't be able to handle it!"

Even if he can't control the country, he can only be a foolish king, not a king who will destroy the country.

Eleventh Lady breathed a sigh of relief.

If the emperor deliberately wanted to deal with the Wen family, why would he need to give Xu Lingyi a message? But since Xu Lingyi asked the Wen family to restrain themselves, it meant that the emperor was a little worried about the Wen family. The Yang family is the one that the emperor hates now, but if the Wen family continues to be ignorant of its importance, when the emperor takes care of the Yang family, there is no guarantee that the Wen family will be remembered by the emperor one day. Naturally, it is better to make plans early.

"The emperor has made up his mind." She comforted Xu Lingyi, "Your Highness will just have to act according to circumstances."

Xu Lingyi hummed softly, cheered himself up, and comforted her: "Don't worry about the Wen family. If the emperor wanted to punish you, how could he have given me any advice? I think the Wen family will inevitably be punished this time, but it won't be like the Yang family. If you are not careful, you might get your family confiscated and your entire clan destroyed..." As he said this, he looked at her apologetically, "I didn't want you to worry about these messy things, but I didn't expect the Wen family to be so bold that they came to you despite my warning..."

"The Marquis is doing this for my own good, and I understand that. Madam Wen has no other choice." Eleventh Lady smiled and seized this opportunity, using the example of Mrs. Tang's attitude towards Yang, the third daughter-in-law of Liang Pavilion's hometown, "...The Outer Court and the Inner Court are interdependent, and the honor and disgrace of the Outer Court is also related to the life and death of the Inner Court." As she spoke, she smiled and said, "If the Marquis really wants me to worry less, he might as well tell me everything that happened. Now that I know the reason, I can act more steadily. Guessing like this makes me even more uneasy."

This is the second time that Eleventh Lady has said this.

Xu Lingyi couldn't help but think seriously.

After a while, he slowly said: "Some things are of great importance... If you knew, I'm afraid you would be even more uneasy..."

Eleventh Lady had never thought of being Xu Lingyi's aide, and Xu Lingyi couldn't possibly tell her all the obscure things in the court...

She smiled and said, "I just wanted the Marquis to remind me at the critical moment, so that I wouldn't have any wild thoughts. For example, when Madam Wen came to me, I didn't know how the situation was going. I asked the Marquis to come and make it difficult for him, but I was also afraid that Madam Wen would make a fuss and upset him..."

After listening to this, Xu Lingyi shook Shiyi Niang's hand and nodded, saying, "I understand!" His tone was very sincere.

Eleventh Lady smiled with her lips pursed, her eyes as bright as stars.

Thinking of Madam Wen's words, he asked Xu Lingyi, "How has the Marquis arranged for the employees in the shop?"

Xu Lingyi listened with a twinkle in his eyes. Instead of answering, he asked, "What did Wen tell you?"

"Madam Wen didn't tell me anything!" Eleventh Lady laughed, "But I think the Marquis has always been cautious in his actions. Madam Wen also said that those people followed her from the Wen family and had helped the Xu family in the past. If we just ignore it, it will inevitably be suspected of crossing the river and destroying the bridge, which will not be good for the Marquis's reputation! Besides, the Marquis will always recruit virtuous people as his staff in the future. We don't want the reputation of being polite to the virtuous and humble. Maybe it's enough to reward according to merit, have a beginning and an end, and make those who help the Marquis feel at ease. I think the Marquis will make a proper arrangement for those people!"

As Xu Lingyi listened, his expression gradually became serious, and he looked at her with such earnestness that Shiyi Niang felt as if she was under a spotlight, revealing every detail.

"I was just guessing." She said uncomfortably, "I was wrong, please don't take it to heart, Lord Marquis." Then she took a sip of the tea in front of her, and found that the tea had already gone cold, so she put it down again, "The tea is a little cold, I'll go make another cup." She got up and got off the kang...but her arm was held tightly by Xu Lingyi.

"You guessed right." Xu Lingyi looked at Shiyi Niang with burning eyes, "Those people did come from the Wen family with Xu Shi, but which ones came because they helped the Xu family and were not tolerated by the Wen family, or which ones came here because of the Wen family's orders, I can't interfere in Wen Shi's affairs, and I can't tell. Even if the emperor didn't remind me, I would have let Wen Shi take over the shop in a few days. This time it just happened to happen, so I just followed the trend!" He explained to her, "I know, but people outside may not know. So I didn't go into it this time. Each of the partners in the shop will be given 20 mu of good land and 500 taels of silver, and the manager will add another sum of silver ranging from 500 taels to 100 taels depending on the size - all of them should be honestly farmed by me."

This is also a good idea!

Why would Madam Wen disagree?

Judging from her expression, she is genuinely worried about the employees in the shop!

As Shiyi Niang was thinking, someone pulled her arm and pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Silence!" Xu Lingyi leaned against Shiyi Niang's face and didn't say anything for a long time.

His hot breath echoed in her ears, and his hot skin pressed against her face made her body suddenly warm up.

The ambiguous atmosphere made her feel something was wrong, but when she looked up through the glass window, she saw Mother Gu holding Jiang'er sitting on a stone table covered with an autumn-scented mat under a tree, while Chang'an was being supported by two little maids as they took their first steps in the yard.

She began to stutter as she spoke: "Why, what's wrong?"

"It's okay!" Xu Lingyi stroked Shiyi Niang's face with his face, "I just want to hug you!"

Eleventh Lady let out an "Oh", and her body in Xu Lingyi's arms suddenly became very soft.

Xu Lingyi's arms tightened.

Eleventh Lady gradually found it difficult to breathe.

She wanted to push him away, but for some reason, she hesitated.

Bin Ju's voice came through the curtain: "My Lord, Madam, the servant from the outer courtyard came to report that the servant beside the Third Lord came to report that the Third Lord and the Third Madam have entered the Chaoyang Gate."

It's only the first month of the year, how come you're back so soon!

Shiyi Niang struggled to get up, but Xu Lingyi hugged her even tighter.

"Got it!" He responded, looking at Eleventh Lady with a smile on his face, his eyes sparkling.

Eleventh Lady felt her face getting a little hot and lowered her eyelids, but then she felt that she was being a little petty, so she raised her head and let him look at her openly, but her face became even hotter.

Xu Lingyi laughed, gave her a kiss on the face, then suddenly let her go, turned around and walked out the door.

"Go and tell mother to arrange a dust-washing banquet."

Eleventh Lady replied "yes", and Xu Lingyi had already walked out of the hall.

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