Chapter 94
Xie Sui'an didn't answer her directly, but said calmly, "The matter of the refugees wasn't originally aimed at Grandpa. If it had been directed at Grandpa from the beginning, he wouldn't have been caught off guard. He had people watching the Tan family, so nothing serious would have happened. The first refugee riot at the city gate was initially caused by a plate of steamed buns from Prince Ning'an. After the incident, Prince Ning firmly chose to stand on Grandpa's side, willing to risk being implicated to 'fulfill his promise' and marry you. Was he digging a hole for himself?"
He looked at her with a clear and innocent gaze, as if he didn't care about marrying her anymore.
Before the other party could answer, he slowly shook his head again: "No, I could see during the trial that Prince Ning'an was genuinely protecting my grandfather. What if this matter was originally intended to expose someone else's crimes, but ended up being falsely accused?"
Qin Sang's jaw dropped and she didn't recover for a while.
She understood; no wonder something seemed off—she knew Prince Ning'an was acting strangely.
"Let me put it this way. In other words, someone did indeed steal the disaster relief grain, and the Prime Minister and Prince Ning'an discovered it. So, Prince Ning'an and the Prime Minister secretly escorted refugees into the capital, making a scene. Originally, they wanted to expose the other party, but before they could sort things out, the Prime Minister got into trouble, and then... all the blame was thrown at your grandfather, and they even presented evidence to prove Aunt Tan's family's crimes..."
Xie Sui'an remained silent, the spoon and bowl clinking softly together.
Qin Sang still felt something was amiss and added, "But even if the Tan family really did participate in the disaster relief grain trade, it shouldn't implicate the Prime Minister, right? The Prime Minister is a very powerful person. Even if he wanted to be corrupt, he wouldn't do something that would be so easy for others to find fault with. Besides, how much money can you get from exchanging disaster relief grain? The salt, iron, and industrial goods can all be easily altered and that amount could be enough."
“Of course, they have more than just this,” Xie Sui’an said, arms crossed. “Do you know what the other item on their impeachment list is?”
Qin Sang: "What?"
"The gold mine in Quzhou Prefecture."
Qin Sang paused, then laughed: "...This matter has actually been implicated in Prime Minister Xie's schemes. That guy, that prefect of Quzhou, is he one of the Prime Minister's men?"
Xie Sui'an stirred the porridge in his bowl, paused for a moment, and then said, "This person's identity is quite interesting. He can be said to be Grandpa's man, or he can be said not to be."
Qin Sang listened attentively.
"He was originally my grandfather's student, but later, his second wife was the younger sister of Consort Chen in the palace. And Consort Chen was the Empress's person."
Qin Sang couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "Such a convoluted relationship? So... in the end, he managed to get in touch with the Empress and the Crown Prince through Consort Chen's sister? What was he after?"
"Naturally, he's aiming to gain merit by following the emperor. A new emperor brings a new court; by choosing his side early, he'll become a key minister in the future, something that can't be achieved through ordinary political achievements."
Qin Sang: "But he's already the prefect of a prefecture... Hmm... This man has big ambitions... So, the Prime Minister didn't support the Crown Prince and was killed by the Crown Prince's faction. But why? Isn't the Crown Prince the surest next monarch? Why didn't your grandfather support him?"
"I don't know about that. You know I'm a playboy, and I don't understand these complicated court struggles."
"Where did you hear all this from?"
"Ask my brother."
Qin Sang understood: "Hmm, no wonder..." Seeing Xie Sui'an's dark face, she smiled again, "But you're not bad either, you've already joined the Imperial Guard. Keep up the good work and strive to revive the family's glory."
Xie Sui'an's face darkened for a moment, then he asked, "You haven't been idle since you came to the capital. What have you found out about our Crown Prince?"
Qin Sang thought for a moment: "Actually, there aren't many. All I know is that the Crown Prince is the Empress's son, and he is the oldest among the current princes. He has the advantage of being both the legitimate heir and the eldest son, and he also has a good reputation. He is an indisputable candidate for Crown Prince, and I have rarely heard of any objections."
She glanced at Xie Sui'an's expression, somewhat hesitantly: "So something's wrong?"
Xie Sui'an smiled enigmatically: "Nothing's wrong with it, everything's just right."
"..." Qin Sang didn't believe his nonsense. "Tell me what inside information you know."
Xie Sui'an chuckled and cleared his throat: "I have some connection with this Crown Prince."
Qin Sang: "..."
Xie Sui'an: "When we were little, his mother was a noblewoman. Before he was the crown prince, we often played together. How should I put it, he was thin and small when he was little, introverted, and prone to crying. Actually... it's quite different from the rumors circulating now."
Why rely on rumors now?
Xie Sui'an lowered his eyelids, giving off a "what do you think?" look.
Qin Sang understood: "Yeah, he's the crown prince now, his status has risen, he doesn't look up to you anymore, and he won't include you in his group."
Xie Sui'an found her slightly pouting expression when she said this incredibly cute. She also recalled the scene from last night, where she grabbed her collar and leaned close to her body, then quickly pecked her on the lips... It was sweet and soft, and although it was only for a moment, it was unforgettable.
Qin Sang suddenly asked curiously, "Why are you blushing?" But she quickly found the answer and comforted her, "Oh, it's nothing. Different social statuses and different circles, it's normal. You don't need to take it to heart. You still have the reputation of being one of the Four Young Masters of Kyoto..."
Xie Sui'an's face darkened again, and he completely forgot what he was about to say. He said coldly, "Have you finished eating? If you have, go out and look for clues."
Qin Sang hesitated for a long time, then decided that since Xie Sui'an also harbored a plan for revenge, he and Qin Sang were now in the same boat. Moreover, Xie Sui'an had connections in the court and could gather information more easily than Qin Sang. So, she reluctantly took him with her to Yanyun Tower.
***
Yanyunlou is closed for the night. Under the guise of mourning the Prime Minister, it is shutting down to avoid customers, but in reality, it is being renovated.
The peeling paint on the railings was repainted, the dirty red silk was replaced, the lamps and decorations were all replaced with new ones, and the carpets on the ground were all taken to the backyard to be washed and dried.
When Qin Sang pushed open the door, the busy people inside nodded and bowed to her, calling her Boss Sang.
Xie Sui'an's eyes widened: "When did you become the owner of this place?"
Qin Sang had changed to a silk fan today, which she waved lightly as she walked up the wooden stairs step by step: "I was already Boss Sang when I was in Li County, what's the big deal?"
Thinking of her vast tea plantation, Xie Sui'an fell silent.
Dust rose up inside the Yanyun Tower. Xie Sui'an looked around and saw that although it was messy, there was order in the chaos, which meant that it was clearly managed by a master.
Before they could speak, they went up to the second floor and saw a slender, veiled woman leaning against the railing of the second-floor corridor, instructing a painter on how to apply paint. The woman was tall and slender, her pleated skirt accentuating her slim waist, but her head and face were covered with blue floral cloth to cover the dust. Although it didn't match her clothes, it wasn't ugly either.
Hearing the noise, she turned her head, her eyebrows curving slightly: "Boss Sang is here."
Qin Sang's request for the Prime Minister to remove Cao Anmu from the register was processed quickly. At this time, Cao Anmu was no longer the one with a deep melancholy between her brows when they first met. The dark clouds that had been hanging over her head had dissipated, and she smiled innocently, which made the red mole at the corner of her eye even more beautiful.
Qin Sang couldn't help but smile, and looking around at the workers busily working in an orderly manner, she said, "You've really worked hard."
Cao Anmu removed her veil: "Working for myself isn't hard work, much better than living under someone else's roof. And this is..." She looked at Xie Sui'an, sized him up for a moment, "...the second young master of the Xie family?"
Xie Sui'an was not surprised that others remembered him but he did not remember them. He simply nodded politely and then teased Qin Sang: "This Yanyun Tower is outdated. You bought this building because you have too much money to spend?"
Qin Sang glanced at him: "It's just a share investment, it doesn't count as having money... cough cough..." Then she coughed because of the flying dust and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief.
"Let's go outside; this isn't a suitable place to discuss matters." Cao Anmu led the person away again. "Miss, did you come here today simply to pass by, or is there something you wish to discuss?"
Qin Sang coughed twice more: "I came here specifically to find you. I wanted to ask if you know how to get to Worry-Free Island."
Xie Sui'an looked at her in shock: "Worry-Free Island?"
The two women still ignored him.
“Worry-Free Island?” Cao Anmu frowned. “I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know how to get there. I’ve heard that this place is very special, and you have to join a guild to get on the island.”
Xie Sui'an quickly interjected, "An appraisal event. I already mentioned it."
Cao Anmu nodded: "It is this association. I heard that only those who join and have their records kept are qualified to go to the island."
Qin Sang: "Is there no other way?"
Cao Anmu thought for a moment and said, "Go find someone."
"Who should I look for?"
"I'll go to the place I was before, to find Mother Ying. As far as I know, she has some connections with Worry-Free Island, for example, by sending some fresh-faced girls to the island..."
Cao Anmu was sold into prostitution at Yunxiufang. The two disguised themselves and went to find that Madam Ying.
As luck would have it, this Ying Mama was an acquaintance. Qin Sang had once rescued a girl she had abducted on the street. This girl had a wealthy appearance, was dressed in gold and silver, and had a cheerful smile on her face.
Fortunately, Qin Sang was disguised as a handsome young man and was not recognized by her.
Knowing that the two men weren't there to amuse themselves with girls, Ying's mother immediately lost her smile, raised her chin, and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Oh? Trying to find out what kind of information?"
Qin Sang: "Does Mom know about Worry-Free Island?"
Ying's mother glanced at her sideways, and gradually, a faint smile appeared on her face: "What? Are you two interested in going?"
Xie Sui'an swiftly opened his folding fan, striking a pose of dashing, unrestrained frivolity: "Take us in, and you'll be well rewarded."
Ying's mother smiled, her eyes crinkling, her pupils darting around, but she still maintained a reserved tone: "It's not a matter of how much money there is, the problem is that I... well, alright, since you two are so sincere," she reached out and accepted the small gold ingot Xie Sui'an handed over, "I'll help you make the introduction."
She turned and took a step when Xie Sui'an folded his fan and held it horizontally in front of her: "Wait."
Ying's mother was puzzled and looked a little impatient.
Xie Sui'an: "You're not planning to recommend us to join that damn treasure appraisal club, are you?"
Even after being exposed, Ying's mother wasn't annoyed: "So you two know about the treasure appraisal event..."
"We don't want to go through the antique appraisal event. Do you have any other connections?"
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