Chapter 57: First published: This matter of killing someone with a borrowed knife, you...
Zhao Changning understood what the emperor meant.
The subordinates can gloss over the situation with perfunctory words and live their days in a muddle, but when they are in front of the emperor, there are some words they will not say, and they must not say them. It has always been like this.
Those people respected her not because she was a sixth-rank female secretary, but because she served in front of the emperor and was deeply trusted by him.
After a trip to the Maritime Customs today, she became the thorn in the eyes of countless people. If she is willing to keep her mouth shut, then everything will be fine. If she talks too much, I'm afraid she will be in great danger.
Zhao Changning understood everything, but she could only gamble.
She knelt and kowtowed, then held her head high and spoke frankly, "The Emperor trusts Changning and has shown great kindness to her. Changning should repay you with the same trust. The Emperor said he wouldn't let them hurt me, so what else do I have to hide?"
The emperor looked at her with a hint of trust in his eyes that he couldn't help but reveal.
Why don’t you believe it?
She is just a woman, a woman who can only rely on imperial power. She gets everything from the emperor. She can be more trustworthy than those men who love power, sex and selfishness, and she is more useful than those gloomy eunuchs.
A gleam of light flashed in the emperor's dark eyes. He personally helped Zhao Changning up and said solemnly, "Yes, I said I won't let them hurt you."
From this moment on, there seemed to be something more between the emperor and his subjects.
Zhao Changning breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that her bet was right. In front of the emperor, she was still more important than the termites in the Maritime Customs.
Her worries were gone, and her mind was working faster. "Your Majesty, he said he sent a batch of tribute in advance. It was originally for Hu Gou'er, but now it's for me. What do you think of these things? What should we do with them?"
The emperor smiled and asked, "What do you think?"
Zhao Changning pursed his lips and said respectfully, "Changning feels that since this is a 'filial tribute' to me, then I should naturally accept it and keep it for later sharing with everyone. For now, the most important thing is to quickly secure the shipment of silk and porcelain that will be shipped out to sea. After all, sailing does not wait for anyone."
After listening to her well-organized analysis, which took all aspects into consideration, the emperor looked noticeably more relaxed. He picked up his red brush and began to review the memorials.
"Now that you know, let's do it."
Zhao Changning bowed and retreated.
Sure enough, what happened next was just as she had expected. Although the emperor knew the situation in the Maritime Customs, he still did not take any action and everything went on as usual.
Such a scene made many people feel at ease, but also made many people grit their teeth.
However, Zhao Changning had more confidence in the emperor. The emperor could tolerate these small matters, which showed that he had great ambitions in his heart. Then, she had a greater chance of gaining a place in this.
The most important thing is that now that she has left the palace, no one should want to kill her.
Zhao Changning didn't do much and left the Maritime Customs Office alone for several days until one day, when Yunsheng quietly came to the Qinzheng Palace.
Yunsheng's eyes sparkled, and he lowered his voice and said, "Aunt, you're right. I saw that batch of imperial tribute silk outside. The patterns are exactly the same as the ones I saw that day. Some people have made clothes into them and are wearing them in the streets."
Zhao Changning frowned. The clothes were made? How could it be done so quickly?
She didn't waste any time, went back to change her clothes, and went straight out of the palace to look for him.
This kind of imperial tribute silk is delicate and soft, with excellent quality. Ordinary silk shops will not have it at all, and it may not even be produced by silk shops.
To be precise, this kind of thing is priceless and will never be put up for sale, so where did it come from? And who got it through?
Yunsheng didn't take her to the silk shop, but instead took her to a very expensive teahouse on Zhuque Street with a child.
He gave the child a handful of copper coins and sent him away, saying, "Be good and go buy some candy."
Zhao Changning smiled and shook his head, "Letting a child follow us won't expose us, right?"
Yunsheng's eyes were shining brightly, and his expression was smug. "Auntie, that guy is a fool. I walked up to him to look at him, and even reached out to touch his clothes, but he didn't even notice."
Zhao Changning was really curious. He wondered whose idiot that was that even Yunsheng looked down on.
I turned and went to the second floor, but before I got there, I heard a noise and laughter.
Zhao Changning just popped his head out from the second floor and caught sight of the flamboyant, fiery red dress. It was the Dingzhou kesi silk tribute to the emperor, the imperial tribute fabric this time.
The cloud pattern of the Four Joys and Wish-fulfilling Elephants slightly suppressed the fiery red. When the sunlight shone through it, the soft glow it cast could not be ignored. Even if one did not recognize it, one would know that this dress was expensive.
At this moment, this dress is worn by a young man who is surrounded by a group of people.
"You are not heroes to bully a weak woman, huh."
The people around were all cheering, "Young Master, you are so generous! If you have money, why don't you buy her? It would be a good show of cherishing a woman, a good story."
"Humph, buy it if you want." The young man pushed everyone aside and said loudly, "I'm not like you. Bullying a young woman in broad daylight and forcing her into prostitution is truly against the moral code of the underworld."
He helped the singing girl holding the erhu up and said softly, "Don't worry, I won't let them bully you, and you won't be sold to a brothel."
Only then did Zhao Changning see the face of the "strawberry". The young man had a handsome appearance, bright peach blossom eyes, lips like red, and skin like cream. Even the precious brocade could not cover up this unparalleled face.
Unexpectedly, the "strawberry" turned out to be the young master of the Gao family.
"Lai Xi, give me the money." He was about to take out the money.
Several people around were making eye contact with each other, and the singing girl was even more seductive, her body almost sticking to the young man, she didn't look pitiful at all.
Zhao Changning was a little bit unbelievable. He didn't expect that Yunsheng was right. What a fool.
"Wait." She stood up. "Since you want to buy someone, why don't you take out the sales contract? Is this woman a good or a bad woman? If she is a good woman, you need to go to the government to sign the contract. If she is a bad woman, you also need to find out who the owner is. Otherwise, who are you going to give this money to?"
The young master looked confused and scratched his head. After all, he was from a wealthy family and knew something.
He said to the singing girl, "Don't be afraid. I'll buy you if I say so. My family can still afford to support you. Just tell me, and I'll buy you no matter where you go."
Zhao Changning: “…”
She sneered in her heart as she watched the singing girl pretending to be pitiful but refusing to speak.
"You are a man, so it is not easy for you to deal with this. I admire your chivalrous spirit and your generosity. Why don't you let me do this good deed? It will also save you from rumors and give you an explanation when you get home."
The young master felt that she looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her. However, he was deeply impressed by her generosity.
"Sister, you are also a good person. In that case, let you come."
Lai Xi breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, and finally loosened his hand that was covering his purse. He looked at Zhao Changning as if he was seeing Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Zhao Changning went to help the singing girl and whispered in her ear, "If you leave now, I can spare you, but if you refuse and insist on cheating people out of money, I will definitely catch you and sell you to the lowest brothel in the world."
Yunsheng stood deliberately close to his aunt to keep outsiders away. He was shocked when he heard this. When his aunt had nothing to do, she had a sharp tongue but a soft heart. But when something happened and she met someone she disliked or who stood in her way, she would become sharp-tongued and cruel, and would kill anyone she said she would. This would sometimes make him shudder.
He really felt that no one in this world could stop his aunt. As long as his aunt wanted something, she would definitely get it.
Zhao Changning had a kind face and gentle eyes, but his words were extremely cold and impatient.
"Get out of my way."
She didn't have the patience to argue with the idiot about such trivial matters.
The singing girl wanted to say a few pitiful words, but when she heard Zhao Changning's threat, she looked at him in shock and doubt.
She felt that the woman's aura was too strong, especially her words, which sounded chilling and seemed like she could definitely do it.
"Hey, what are you doing? If you want to buy her, pay for it." The bearded man beside him urged impatiently, "Five hundred taels of silver. If you don't give it to me, I'll sell her to a brothel..."
The singing girl's eyes were filled with panic, but she finally rolled her eyes and said pitifully, "Brother, don't worry, I'll go back right away. I'll ask my family to sell the land and farmland, and I will definitely pay off the debt..."
As she said this, she walked towards the stairs, holding her erhu, and quickly slipped away.
The young man looked confused and chased after her, "Hey, come back, this sister wants to buy you, do you have money? Hey..."
Zhao Changning: “…”
The young master scratched his head, very confused. "Why did she leave? What if she was caught? How can a brothel be a good place?"
Lai Xi earnestly advised, "Sir, now that everyone has left, just leave it alone, okay? Count how many poor women you've saved here? You've spent so much money, and when you go back, the master will beat you again."
The young master glared with his peach blossom eyes, and his handsome eyebrows and eyes were particularly eye-catching.
"What's wrong with a few curses? Saving people is more important. Lai Xi, why are you so stingy? This is what I taught you..."
Zhao Changning was speechless and quickly interrupted them, "It's fate that we met today. Why don't you sit down and have a cup of tea?"
The young master readily agreed.
Zhao Changning took the opportunity to inquire, "When I came up just now, I saw the clothes you were wearing. They are really beautiful. I like them very much. I wonder where you bought them? Did your family choose them for you?"
The young master grinned, his face full of satisfaction, "Isn't it beautiful? Sister, you have good taste. I chose it myself."
Zhao Changning: “…”
She really couldn't guess it, and thought it would require an extra layer of manpower.
"Yes, it's beautiful. I wonder which silk shop in Yujing sells it? I want to buy some too."
The young master's beautiful eyes and eyebrows were full of pride. "It's not bought from the silk shop, so you can't buy this pattern. But if you want to buy it, it's easy. I'll just say hello to my cousin's husband. Where does my sister live? I'll have someone send it to you when the time comes."
Zhao Changning introduced his family and said, "I don't think this cloth is ordinary. Where did your cousin-in-law buy it from?"
The young master shook his head and said frankly, "I don't know? My cousin's husband works at the Maritime Customs. He always has these fresh fabrics from outside. Although they are very expensive, they look good. I often buy from him..."
Zhao Changning couldn't help but recall their first meeting. Wasn't the young master going to buy fabric that day?
After she parted with the young master, she began to recall the relationship network between the Gao family and the Wan family. At first, there was an aunt of the Gao family who married into the Prince's Mansion and gave birth to an only daughter, who then married into the Yu family, the Governor of the Grand Canal. The daughter of the Yu family then married into the Wan family.
It turns out that behind Wan Yu is not the surname Wan, but the character Yu.
The relationships in Yujing are complicated, layered like a spider web. Who could have thought that the young master of the Gao family could get together with the distant cousin-in-law of the Wan family?
Yunsheng frowned as he listened. This relationship was too complicated.
"Aunt, what should we do now? We are touching those people's pockets. Master Gao is the grandson of Prime Minister Gao."
Zhao Changning smiled and said, "Someone is occupying this purse, so naturally there are also people who are looking forward to getting more money. It is impossible for one party to monopolize the interests of the world forever. Don't worry too much."
Since there was a clue on the matter, she simply went back to Shuier Lane.
I haven't been back for a long time. The flowers and plants that withered in the yard last year have now turned slightly green and are still kept clean and tidy.
Li Yunqiu was sitting in the yard knitting needlework obediently, concentrating very much without even raising her head.
Granny Xu was overjoyed to see her finally back. "Girl, how long have you been away? I cooked so many dishes for Chinese New Year, and I was looking forward to you coming back for the New Year. What a pity... That's great! Mingxuan happened to buy a lot of lamb ribs today, and I've already stewed them..."
Zhao Changning raised her eyebrows. She rarely came back to her home, but Mingxuan was a frequent visitor here.
However, she did smell the aroma of lamb.
Yunsheng helped Grandma Xu as soon as he arrived, and even wanted to go up to the roof to fix it. "Grandma, I didn't have time to fix it last time. I'll fix it for you now."
"No need, don't bother. Mingxuan has been repaired. Sit down and take a rest." Grandma Xu smiled and beckoned him down. "That child is very capable. He knows everything. Occasionally, he even comes to help me chop firewood."
Zhao Changning has already gone to the cellar.
After not coming for a few months, I found that Grandma Xu was indeed capable and those boxes had been buried with jars and cans.
fine.
When she vaguely heard someone calling her, Zhao Changning alertly hid all the books and climbed out of the cellar, only to find that the sun was already overhead.
Suddenly, everything in front of her eyes became bright, then pitch black. She had to close her eyes and lie down at the entrance of the cellar to wait for it to pass.
Suddenly, a pair of hands gently held her up. She was startled at first and almost threw herself out. When she felt the calluses on her palms, she felt relieved.
"You can't stay in the cellar for too long." Mingxuan saw her body swaying and reminded her softly, "Next time, if you have anything, do it upstairs."
Zhao Changning's vision blurred as he nodded casually, "Thank you."
Mingxuan took her hand and sat her down. When he turned around, he saw his sister standing beside him, staring at their hands holding together with round eyes, her face full of confusion.
He seemed to be burned by something and quickly pulled his hand back.
Granny Xu had already come out with some lamb ribs, smiling, "It's still cold today, so eating lamb ribs is just the right way to warm yourself up."
Zhao Changning saw a dish of braised pork ribs with yam and several plates of vegetables on the side. "Why are there so many?"
Granny Xu laughed, "Mingxuan learned that you were back, and was worried that there wouldn't be enough food, so he specially bought some spare ribs, yams, and these, and asked me to cook them all."
Mingxuan said sincerely, "We are always bothering you, Miss Changning. It's so hard to see you back, so it's only natural that we buy you some extra vegetables. We are sorry to bother you."
He stood up to help everyone make soup. Everyone had a full bowl of mutton soup with piles of mutton ribs in it, but Zhao Changning only had half a bowl with just one piece of mutton rib meat.
Although Zhao Changning was confused, he didn't say anything. After drinking it, he felt that it was to his liking, so he reached out to get some, but was stopped by Mingxuan.
"Miss Changning, you have a bad stomach. You shouldn't eat too much mutton." Mingxuan pushed the pork chops and yam in front of Zhao Changning. "Yam, spinach, tofu, and fish are good for your stomach."
Zhao Changning narrowed his eyes and did not retract his hand that was reaching out to Yang Xiezi.
Yunsheng now understands his aunt a little. She has been independent and strong since she was a child. She doesn't like other people's nonsense and doesn't like being controlled by others, even when it comes to eating and drinking.
If there is, only Xiaoshun, whom she trusts, can tell.
"Aunt, the pork ribs and yam stew are also delicious. I'll eat with you. This lamb rib is too hot. I don't like it. Aunt, let's eat something good for the stomach, okay?"
Zhao Changning pursed his lips, looked into Yunsheng's cautious and pitiful eyes, and finally put down the wooden spoon.
Mingxuan was obviously a little embarrassed, but he was not very familiar with Zhao Changning, and he didn't know what to say at the moment.
The meal was not very enjoyable. The lamb ribs were barely touched, while Li Yunqiu's face was covered in oil from gnawing on them, which smelled delicious.
After Zhao Changning finished his meal, he sat in the yard to bask in the sun.
Mingxuan had his job of washing dishes snatched away by Yunsheng, so he could only wander around empty-handed. After all, it was not his own home, and he looked nervous and restrained.
He didn't know why, but he always felt nervous when facing the cold and majestic Zhao Changning.
Zhao Changning naturally saw his embarrassment. Although he was not very willing to approach him, he felt that he was a good person after all.
"Master Ming, please take a seat."
Mingxuan sat down obediently and breathed a sigh of relief. "Miss Changning, do you have something to say?"
Zhao Changning nodded. "You've been an official in Zhejiang for so many years. Do you know anything about the imperial tribute?"
Mingxuan was a little surprised. "I know a little bit. Zhejiang is rich and diverse. It's only 800 miles away from Yujing, so there are a lot of tribute items to the emperor."
Zhao Changning nodded when he heard this and told him some of his own stories.
When Mingxuan learned that she had taken on such a task, he felt a little sad, but he was not stingy and told her everything he knew.
"The imperial tribute has increased and decreased significantly over the years. As you know, over time, it becomes difficult to distinguish between officials and merchants. Do you know where the silk and porcelain sent to the palace came from? What connection does the head of that family have with the people in Yujing? This time, you are not only trying to affect the interests of the Maritime Customs, but also the interests of those imperial merchants, and even the interests of certain people in Yujing. Each transaction involves a huge amount of money. Miss Changning, you should not have taken on this matter."
Zhao Changning laughed. "Master Ming, how did you decide to do that head-loose thing?"
Mingxuan was stunned for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "My purpose and Miss Changning's must be different."
Zhao Changning nodded calmly, "It's different, but the determination is the same. I must see this through. Of course, I also want to thank Lord Ming for telling me the truth. It was very enlightening."
Mingxuan was stunned when he heard this. He was so smart that he understood what Zhao Changning was going to do after thinking about it carefully.
He looked at Zhao Changning with his bright eyes shining again, and there was an indescribable aura on his body, but he was still trying to persuade him.
"Miss Changning, have you come up with a solution?"
As soon as Zhao Changning saw his expression, he knew that he was moved, but he didn't say it. He couldn't help but feel a little funny.
"Master Ming, you are familiar with this matter of borrowing a knife to kill someone."
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The author has something to say: Mingxuan: Hehe [heart][heart][heart]
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