Chapter 25 Clues
Winter in the Huai River basin is nothing like that in the south of the Xiang River.
Even though the year-end has passed and the tenth year of Xuanren has arrived, the snow shows no sign of stopping.
The north wind swept across the northern border and rushed straight to the south, just like the indescribable desolation and bleakness of Shengjing.
The war in the north had just ended when trouble broke out in the south. The court was in a state of gloom, and the whole year was filled with anxiety. The atmosphere of the New Year was almost nonexistent.
Countless people complained that the cold winter of the ninth year of Xuanren had come too early and left too late, thus bringing misfortune.
Yao Guang: "Miss, we've arrived."
The carriage came to a smooth stop in front of Sanweizhai. Yaoguang got out of the carriage first and reached out to lift the curtain.
Wen Lingzheng snapped out of her daze and looked up. The elegant calligraphy on the carved and gilded plaque looked as vivid as ever.
Taking Yuheng's hand as she got out of the car, Wen Lingzheng looked at the empty street, her brows furrowed. "Let's go inside!"
In the elegant attic, two charcoal fires were burning brightly.
Manager Jin, who had rushed over, greeted everyone with a smile and placed a stack of account books on the table. "Miss, all of Sanweizhai's accounts from last year are here! The profit is a full 30% higher than the year before!"
"With rice prices rising so much lately, have the subsidies for the workers been paid out in full?"
"They have all been distributed as the young lady instructed. As for the caravan members, in accordance with the custom of previous years, each person was given an extra string of cash and a bolt of silk."
As if remembering something, he took out another letter from his pocket. "Oh, right, miss, this is a letter from the Lin'an branch."
Wen Lingzheng glanced at the envelope but didn't take it immediately. Instead, she picked up the top ledger and flipped through it briefly. Seeing that the handwriting was neat and the income and expenditure were clear at a glance, she looked away.
"You did a good job with last year's accounts."
"Thank you for your praise, young lady. It is my duty! I will certainly continue to work hard this year."
Upon receiving the signal, Yao Guang handed over the reward money that he had prepared beforehand.
Manager Jin declined for a while before finally accepting the gift. When he walked out of the pavilion, his steps were unsteady.
Seeing Manager Jin walk away, Yuheng followed him out a step later and closed the doors and windows tightly.
The ledger was put back in its place. As Wen Lingzheng picked up the envelope, Yao Guang had already taken out the paper, pen, and inkstone and was grinding ink.
—The Fourth Sister gently opened it.
It's the same familiar beginning, simple words pieced together to form a long and flowing text.
"What did Third Sister say? What's the situation in Lin'an?" Yuheng asked curiously as she stepped forward.
Seeing Wen Lingzheng sigh as she put the letter away, Yao Guang quickly arranged the paper and placed the ink-dipped brush on the brush holder.
Liu the tailor, whose real name was San Niang, became the manager of the Sanweizhai branch after arriving in Lin'an. In just three months, she subdued the troublemaking employees and made the branch business more and more prosperous.
As a result, Manager Jin felt a sense of crisis and worked even harder. Even though the situation was uncertain at the end of last year, the profits were still slightly higher than in previous years.
Yao Guang: "What can I say? The young lady wrote to inquire about the situation in Lin'an. Although Third Sister is capable, she is still just a weak woman. Is she any different from the other in this situation? I can only reply to the young lady truthfully. I'm afraid every word will be filled with helplessness, not bitterness."
Picking up her pen, Wen Lingzheng began to reply, “This year’s snow is heavy and the harvest is poor. Several official roads are now covered by snow. The situation in the southwest is also unclear. If the grain transport caravans are blocked, I’m afraid something bad will happen.”
Yuheng: "I heard that the Great Xia is in chaos now, and even the caravans that used to travel there are afraid to go, for fear of being affected."
The Great Xia was located in the southwest of the Great Zhou. Although its territory was small, it was rich in resources and had trade relations with the Great Zhou for many years.
In the thirteenth year of Jianzhao, the Great Xia Dynasty suffered a drought that was the worst in a century. The Xia Emperor had no choice but to seek help from the Great Zhou Dynasty, promising that there would be no war for the Taizu Emperor for a hundred years. He even sent the young Crown Prince of the Great Xia Dynasty to Shengjing as a hostage.
The old emperor of the Great Xia Dynasty was nearly sixty years old when he suddenly passed away half a month ago. The envoys of the Great Xia Dynasty arrived in Shengjing overnight, presenting generous gifts and requesting Li Shanyun to allow his crown prince to return to the country and inherit the throne.
The price was reasonable, and the reasons given by the Great Xia were also justifiable. Even though the Great Zhou was powerful, Li Shan had no excuse to refuse.
The Crown Prince of Daxia traveled south, passing through the Liangzhe region, but was unexpectedly caught in a heavy snowfall, forcing the group to change their route to waterways.
No one would have imagined that some desperate criminals would be so audacious as to target this ship for money.
—Of the nearly one hundred people on board, none survived.
The body of the Crown Prince of Great Xia was stripped of its clothes and hung on a flagpole, its dignity reduced to dust.
During this period, the several adult princes of the Great Xia Dynasty fought tooth and nail for the throne, leaving them no time to care about the people's livelihood. In addition, due to the famine, countless people were forced to become bandits in order to survive.
Even in the Great Zhou court, there was much discussion about this matter, but no conclusion could be reached for the time being. Li Shan had no choice but to issue an edict ordering Zhao Yingjie, the heir of the Duke of Ningguo who was stationed in the southwest, to prepare his troops to deal with the situation.
The letter was sealed with sealing wax, and Wen Lingzheng handed it to Yu Heng.
"Go to the counter later and get three banknotes, each worth five hundred strings of cash. Put them together with this letter and send them to the Marquis of Dingbei's residence. Make sure to deliver them to the Marquis personally and tell him that you are asking him to help deliver them to Third Sister."
"Can't our caravan do it?" Yuheng asked doubtfully. "In the past, didn't our caravan always deliver messages and money to Third Sister ourselves?"
Once the branch store's business started to pick up, Wen Lingzheng set up a special team to facilitate the transfer of goods between the two stores in special circumstances.
In the past, it was always the caravan brothers who delivered the letters and cash to Third Sister.
With her fingertips lightly tapping the table, Wen Lingzheng shook her head slightly. "I'm afraid there's something strange about what happened in Jiangnan this time. Our brothers only know basic martial arts; if..."
Yuheng disagreed, "These little things we have, the bandits wouldn't even want them, would they? Miss, aren't you overthinking it?"
Without a clear explanation, Wen Lingzheng still felt uneasy: "Just do as I say, and hopefully I'm just overthinking it!"
The next day was the Lantern Festival, but the streets of Shengjing City were deserted. A few ribbons that didn't fit the atmosphere were tied to the bare treetops along the roadside. Occasionally, a few ragged children would look up and peer at the passing carriages.
After leaving Sanweizhai, Wen Lingzheng changed her route and went to the rice shop. She learned that in just two days, the price of a dou (a unit of dry measure) of rice had increased by three wen (a unit of currency).
Back in the carriage, even Yao Guang couldn't help but exclaim, "This is still Shengjing!"
"In the eighth year of Xuanren's reign, a great flood in Jiangnan submerged the crops, and the people had no harvest. Last year, there was a severe drought in Sichuan, and the harvest was almost nonexistent. With two years of disaster happening at the same time, how could the price of rice not rise?"
Wen Lingzheng looked at Yaoguang and asked, "Is Madam at home today?"
Yao Guang thought carefully for a moment, "Yesterday, Madam Wu sent an invitation, asking our eldest daughter to bring Third Brother and Eighth Sister to our residence for a visit. They should not be back yet."
Wen Lingzheng: "Have the old woman keep watch at the gate later. As soon as Madam returns to the mansion, she should come and tell me."
Yao Guang nodded and replied, "Alright, I'll have Granny Yu go in a bit."
As the wind and snow intensified, the coachman pulled his faded cotton coat tighter, his hands, red with cold, gripping the reins tightly. He shook his head, trying to concentrate.
The outline of the Wen residence came into view. Just as the carriage came to a stop, Steward Feng hurriedly walked out of the residence.
"Butler Feng?"
As soon as Yao Guang got out of the carriage, he saw Steward Feng, Wen Tongwen's attendant, waiting in front of the mansion gate.
Wen Lingzheng stepped out of the car and frowned upon seeing Butler Feng. "Does Father have something to tell me?"
With a smile and a slight bow, Steward Feng took two steps forward and said respectfully, "The master said that he would like Fourth Miss to come to the study after she returns."
"Alright." Wen Lingzheng lifted her foot and walked forward. She pondered for a moment, glanced at Steward Feng, and asked casually, "Is it about matters of the court?"
With the imperial decree issued, Wen Lingzheng's marriage into the Dingbei Marquis's mansion was a foregone conclusion. Steward Feng, being shrewd, was naturally willing to give face to the future eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion.
Steward Feng: "It's about Fifth Miss."
With a plan in mind, Wen Lingzheng smiled and said, "I heard that Steward Feng's youngest daughter is also of marriageable age. This little bit of money is nothing, so let's use it as a dowry for her!"
Yao Guang then took out a few taels of silver and a delicate silver hairpin and placed them in Steward Feng's hand, saying, "It's just a small token of my appreciation! Please don't refuse, Steward."
Just around the corner was Wen Tongwen's study. Butler Feng had received a substantial reward and knew that Wen Lingzheng was valued by Wen Tongwen, so he didn't mind saying a few more words.
"The lord looked displeased when he returned from court, which is probably related to the royal family. Fourth Miss, you should make preparations as soon as possible."
Stopping in her tracks, Wen Lingzheng looked at Butler Feng and asked, "I heard your second daughter-in-law wants to work in the kitchen?"
Butler Feng's eyes lit up, and he replied in unison, "My second son's wife just came from the countryside. She's honest and hardworking, and her cooking skills are pretty good."
"Yaoguang, go and tell Madam that it was me who said this."
"Okay! I understand."
After speaking, Wen Lingzheng led Yaoguang around the corner and into the study.
Wen Tongwen experienced firsthand what it means to be unable to eat or sleep.
He was restless, waiting for a long time, looking towards the door again and again, and finally saw Wen Lingzheng's figure. But before he could speak, he heard her say—
Even if disaster is imminent, one should at least have a good meal before setting off, right?
Looking at the pastries that Wen Lingzheng had placed in front of him, Wen Tongwen became even more annoyed. He was about to speak when he was stopped again.
"Even prisoners who are to be executed tomorrow need a full meal before they leave, right? Otherwise, if they starve to death and can't be reincarnated, wouldn't that be a huge loss? After all, you can't walk backwards on the road to the underworld!"
Wen Tongwen: "What are you eating...?"
You can't walk backwards...
He swallowed the rest of his sentence, a chill running down Wen Tongwen's spine. He realized what was happening and felt deflated. He picked up a pastry from the table and took a bite indignantly.
Seeing the change in his expression, Wen Lingzheng chuckled and sat down in a round-backed chair. "Tell me, what happened this time?"
Wen Tongwen put down the pastries, intending to keep half of the secret, but then he caught a glimpse of Wen Lingzheng's calm and composed gaze, and dared not play tricks any longer.
"In this year's performance review, I only received a below-average score, so I guess there's no hope for promotion... But I did the most work this year, while everyone else got at least an above-average score, but..."
His tone grew increasingly indignant, and Wen Tongwen appeared somewhat dejected. "I absolutely refuse to believe that no one tampered with this behind the scenes! I should have killed Fifth Sister back then..."
Wen Lingzheng's cold laugh stopped Wen Tongwen from speaking.
His brow twitched, a hint of fear in his eyes, but he still looked at Wen Lingzheng, "What are you laughing at..."
“Father is also well-read,” Wen Lingzheng interrupted Wen Tongwen. “Surely you don’t not recognize the phrase ‘selling one’s daughter for personal gain’?”
His face darkened, Wen Tongwen was both ashamed and angry, but for a moment he didn't know how to refute it.
Before Wen Tongwen could speak, Wen Lingzheng changed the subject and said, "Father may not care about Fifth Sister, but surely he should care about the lives and honor of the entire Wen family?"
"What do you mean by that?" Wen Tongwen was taken aback, and his previous complaints were immediately forgotten.
Wen Lingzheng stood up, walked around behind Wen Tongwen, bent down slightly, put her hand on his shoulder, and lowered her voice, "Hasn't the fire that the government set off at the end of last summer made Father realize the truth?"
At the end of June in the ninth year of Xuanren's reign, after the death of the second prince Li Hong, the palace finally welcomed two more young princes.
—They are the third prince born to Empress Shen and the fourth prince born to Consort Jiang.
That month, the Forbidden City was filled with joy.
Unexpectedly, life is unpredictable. The young prince was too fragile and died before he was even a month old. Before the emperor could recover from the loss, the third prince followed suit, suddenly developing a high fever and passing away before he was even a hundred days old.
The emperor was deeply saddened, but his ministers submitted memorials pleading with him to select an heir from the imperial clan to succeed to the throne. Two candidates were nominated.
—First, he was the third legitimate son of Li Lü, the heir apparent of Prince Xiang; second, he was the eldest legitimate son of Li Heng, the eldest son of Prince Liang.
Although the matter ultimately ended with the emperor yielding and agreeing to hold a selection of women from good families to enter the palace in August of the tenth year of the Xuanren reign, the underlying conflicts were still difficult for ordinary people to see clearly.
The lessons of the Xia and Yin dynasties are still fresh in our minds. As long as the foundation of the nation remains uncertain, it will remain a murky pool, a pool that will only become more and more turbid.
This is a fact that is obvious to everyone.
Coming to his senses, Wen Tongwen suddenly felt a cold sweat break out on his brow. "What do you mean?"
Seeing that Wen Tongwen understood, Wen Lingzheng returned to her seat. "There are no coincidences in life, but are there really so many coincidences in the world? I don't think so! You don't need your daughter to teach your father the principle of staying out of the way, do you?"
Nodding repeatedly, Wen Tongwen's last bit of regret dissipated, and he kept muttering, "To avoid any unforeseen complications, we should get Xiao Jie'er and Li Ge'er married as soon as possible!"
When Wen Lingzheng came out of the study and returned to Tu Nan Courtyard, Yu Heng had also completed his mission and returned from the Dingbei Marquis's residence.
Yuheng reported truthfully, "Miss, the Marquis said that he will have Xingyun make the trip himself, so please rest assured."
"Okay." Wen Lingzheng breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"That's right!"
Yuheng chuckled and said, "Miss Ning said that you must not forget her gift tomorrow! Even if you forget Miss Xiao's, you must not forget hers, after all, you are her sister-in-law!"
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