Wang Chengxian didn't take it seriously, and didn't mention his previous efforts. He simply said casually, "Your relationship with Han'er is indeed not worth me doing this for you. But child, you don't know, I'm an old acquaintance of your second uncle and your mother, and your father knows me too. Don't be nervous, I won't harm you."
His eyes held a mixture of reminiscence and melancholy, as well as an obvious tenderness.
Gu Yaoniang had never considered this reason. She quickly imagined in her mind the scene of Wang Chengxian's youthful affection for her mother, only to have him marry her old-fashioned father, leading to Wang Chengxian's heartbroken departure.
But she quickly dismissed this far-fetched image—thinking of her mother in this way was somewhat inappropriate.
But she still had doubts: "Then why have I never seen you interact with my second uncle?"
Not only had they never met, but they even seemed to maintain a deliberate distance. In his memory, Wang Chengxian would linger at the entrance of Jinyulou almost every year on the 29th of the twelfth lunar month, but would flee in panic upon seeing his second uncle.
Wang Chengxian smiled and shook his head: "You child. That's an adult matter. You just need to know that I won't harm you. In this world, I will never harm you."
He spoke in such a mysterious and cryptic way that Gu Yaoniang inwardly curled her lip. Middle-aged men just love to make things complicated.
However, he believed most of what Wang Chengxian said.
Wang Chengxian was not entirely at ease. Looking at Gu Yaoniang's wrist, which was noticeably thinner, he asked, "When we get home, I'll ask my wife to prepare some food for you. What would you like to eat?"
Gu Yaoniang raised her head, somewhat reserved: "Anything is fine."
She smiled shyly: "Uncle Wang, what about my second uncle? How is he? He's never been with us, and I don't know if he's suffering."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chengxian's eyes darkened: "Good child, your second uncle... is fine. Once you leave the palace, you can go home."
When the carriage arrived at the Wang family's residence, Madam Wang had already made all the arrangements. Gu Yaoniang changed the water twice before she felt a little more comfortable.
Having not properly combed or washed his hair all day, it was quite tangled, and it took some effort to untangle his thick, black hair.
Madam Wang prepared meat porridge for Gu Yaoniang. The milky white rice was cooked until soft and melted in the mouth, mixed with golden millet grains. The minced meat was finely chopped and mixed in, making it especially suitable for someone like Gu Yaoniang who hadn't had a proper meal in a long time.
Gu Yaoniang smiled at Madam Wang and said, "Thank you, Auntie."
Wang Chengxian frowned as he looked at the thin porridge on the table: "Why did you prepare this? How can anyone be full from this?"
Madam Wang glared at him: "What do you know? Yao Niang is weak right now, so she needs to drink some light porridge and side dishes to soothe her stomach. If she suddenly eats meat, it will only make things worse."
Wang Chengxian was taken aback. Gu Yaoniang smiled and said, "Uncle Wang, this porridge is delicious. Auntie is right, so don't worry."
Looking at her thin wrists, Madam Wang said with heartache, "Good child, you've suffered."
The sound of hurried footsteps came from outside, and Wang Zhilan ran in breathlessly. Madam Wang stood up when she saw her: "Why are you running like this? What kind of behavior is this!"
Gu Yaoniang looked up as well, and Wang Zhilan looked at her with concern. Gu Yaoniang, however, didn't seem to care and comforted her, "I'm fine. Really."
She ate the porridge spoonful by spoonful, letting it cool to lukewarm before eating, her movements quick yet silent. Wang Zhilan rushed over, but remained silent upon arrival. She didn't know what to say.
Wang Chengxian spoke up: "Now that you've finished eating, let's go."
-
Gu Yaoniang's second visit to the palace was somewhat easier than her first. Perhaps it was because Wang Chengxian vouched for her, making her feel a little more at ease than the last time she came.
Perhaps it was during his time in prison that his mind had become calm, open, and fearless.
The sage asked her, "Wang Qing vouched for you, saying that the Gu family was willing to provide financial assistance to the disaster victims?"
Gu Yaoniang knelt upright: "Yes."
"No regrets?"
"This is what we, as citizens, should do."
"good!"
An expression of appreciation flashed in Emperor Zhenlong's eyes.
"I will order people to register all of the Gu family's money and possessions, and these will be temporarily confiscated into the national treasury until the refugee crisis is resolved. Do you have any objections?"
Gu Yaoniang hesitated. It wasn't that she was reluctant; Wang Chengxian had explained things to her before she came, and she understood that even with the Gu family's wealth, alleviating the plight of the displaced people wouldn't be easy; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they would go bankrupt. She was already prepared.
But... if the money is taken into the national treasury, how will she use it? Does she have to apply for and get approval from the accounting official for every penny before she can use it?
Emperor Zhenlong laughed heartily: "The money will be recorded and put into the national treasury, and you will still have control over it. However, you must keep a clear record of every single transaction. I will audit the accounts!"
He then said, "I will send someone to help you. Your Gu family will provide the funds, and if you need manpower, you can go to Ruining."
-
Sitting in the carriage at the former residence, Wang Chengxian instructed, "The reason why prices have skyrocketed is still unclear. You have frequent contact with the princess, so you can keep an eye on things. If you discover anything, you can tell me first, and then inform the princess."
Gu Yaoniang nodded and asked, "Uncle, has anyone in the Ministry of Revenue been questioned?"
Wang Chengxian straightened his expression: "What do you mean?"
"I once read a book that said that the amount of official silver in each dynasty was fixed, so the amount of trade circulation was also fixed, and the price of goods was also fixed. Even if it rose a little, it was understandable, and it wouldn't be too much."
However, if the amount of silver in the market suddenly increases, the market will be disrupted. With so much silver suddenly available, some people will spend it lavishly, others will become envious, and merchants will inevitably raise prices. What could be bought for one tael of silver might now cost one tael. Prices will skyrocket.
Wang Chengxian seemed to be thinking about something, and then said, "But now that we have started printing flying silver and replacing cash with it, if the person printing flying silver becomes greedy, they can have as much flying silver as they want."
This extra silver would inevitably end up in the hands of a small minority, not flowing into the hands of the common people. The common people wouldn't have more silver, but they would have to spend much more to buy things, naturally leading to them quickly becoming so poor they couldn't even afford to eat.
Gu Yaoniang nodded: "Exactly. When people can't get enough to eat and are displaced, that's the beginning of chaos."
Wang Chengxian seemed to be deep in thought. Having been in officialdom for so long, he naturally possessed his own political intuition. He felt that Gu Yaoniang's guess was most likely true.
He said, "You can tell the princess this guess."
"Does your uncle also think it's possible?"
Wang Chengxian nodded.
It's not just a possibility; it's almost inevitable.
As they approached the Gu family's residence, Gu Yaoniang couldn't help but ask, "Uncle Wang, why are you helping me so much?"
He made a pledge on their behalf and guaranteed her release from prison.
As she washed up today, she could smell that she didn't smell good; it was the accumulated odor from not showering for days in prison. Embarrassing, yet undeniable.
But Wang Chengxian never showed her the slightest dislike from beginning to end, and didn't even try to avoid her.
She knew she couldn't do that if she were in her shoes.
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