Chapter 110 Our money will be split 30/70, An…
Ever since she returned from outside that day, Shen Lingyue had been living in fear for several days. She even dreamed that she and Yan Yi were captured by the old emperor and severely tortured, forced to reveal their strategies for strengthening the country, or else they would be dragged out and beheaded.
In her dream, she didn't need to worry about Yan Yi—as an engineering whiz, she could easily fool the old emperor with just a few things—but she didn't!
She remembered trembling as she negotiated with the old emperor: "Before you kill me, why don't you listen to a story first?"
Then she racked her brains every day to make up stories, always placing the most exciting part of the story at dawn, forcing the old emperor to keep her night after night...
Oh my god, this is like a crossover with "One Thousand and One Nights"!
Every time she woke up from a nightmare, she would turn her head and see Pei Jinghuai sleeping soundly beside her, holding her tightly, and she couldn't help but silently shed a few tears on his chest.
Waaaaah, she hadn't had enough of this carefree, leisurely life of eating and drinking well, and now it has to start all over again...
After crying for a while, anger rose from her heart and she began to pinch, touch, and nibble at him.
If she were really killed by the old emperor, given his favor towards the Pei family, he certainly couldn't just stand by and watch Pei Jinghuai remain a widow for her.
She might have barely breathed her last, her body still warm, when the Marquis's mansion will be celebrating with music and fanfare to welcome the new bride...
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Shen Lingyue took a hard bite out of his chest.
"hiss……"
Pei Jinghuai was jolted awake by the pain. The first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Shen Lingyue, disheveled and lying on top of him, her eyes gleaming with murderous intent, as if she were a vengeful ghost seeking revenge.
He felt his heart skip a beat, and with trembling hands, he gently raised his hand to touch her head, his voice very soft, "Dreaming again? Let me pat your fur, don't be scared..."
Shen Lingyue remained unmoved, her tone wistful: "If I died, would you marry someone else? Would you still pat her head like this and coax her to sleep?"
Pei Jinghuai couldn't help but roll his eyes. "What kind of nonsense is this? Ugh, children say the darndest things, please forgive me..."
I don't know what's wrong with her these past few days. She keeps waking him up in the middle of the night and saying strange things.
Last night, I asked, "If you were to marry someone else, would you want someone who looks like me to remember me, or would you want someone completely different from me to forget me completely?"
The question I asked the night before last was, "If one day I suddenly disappeared and went to another world, would you give up everything you have now and do anything to find me?"
These words sounded like a deathbed confession, which terrified Pei Jinghuai so much that he almost secretly invited a Taoist priest back to exorcise the evil spirits.
What kind of demons and monsters are you? Get off my wife!
"Why aren't you answering yet? Are you hesitating? Are you feeling guilty? Are you already fantasizing about who I can marry after I die—ah!"
Pei Jinghuai, unable to bear it any longer, flipped over and pinned her down, pinching her chin threateningly, "You won't let me sleep, huh? Then neither of us will sleep."
Shen Lingyue bit his finger, glaring at him with a pitiful expression, looking completely harmless.
They even seemed a little intimate.
That's what Pei Jinghuai thought, and that's what he did.
The rustling sounds inside the bed curtains continued until almost dawn before stopping. He tucked her, who had fallen into a deep sleep from exhaustion, into the blankets, stared at her sweaty little face for a while, and then couldn't resist kissing her forehead.
What an idiot, what are you thinking about all day?
...
Next, Pei Jinghuai seemed to have found a good way to "tame" her. Whenever Shen Lingyue made a fuss in the middle of the night, he would first pull her into his arms and kiss her.
He even mastered many new tricks on his own. Knowing that she liked to look at him and touch him, he would offer his hands to her, bite her earlobe and say some dirty things that he wouldn't let her broadcast, and finally, after taking advantage of her, he could go to sleep peacefully.
As a result, before Shen Lingyue could even be arrested by the Imperial Guards, she was first tormented to the point of almost having kidney failure by a certain energetic large dog. Every meal on the table included wolfberry, black bean, and pork bone soup; eucommia and walnut stewed mutton; and gorgon fruit and lotus seed soup with old duck...
When the menu was announced at Tanghua Garden, Meng Wanyin was astonished.
Huai Zhou is only in his early twenties, the prime of a man's life, so why does he need to take such a big tonic?
Not wanting her daughter-in-law to feel bad, she secretly called Pei Jinghuai over and gave him a scolding.
"From now on, go out less and eat and drink less with others, and spend more time at home with your wife. Don't you know how you got this Yunqiwei title? It's all because she brought you good fortune."
Meng Wanyin went on and on, but the core message was that you should treat your wife well, not let her suffer any grievances, and have a child while you're still young, because it will be too late if you wait...
Pei Jinghuai: ...? ? ?
What do you mean it's too late?
He thinks he's doing great, doesn't he?
...
And so, she endured both pain and pleasure every day, adopting a "what's the worst that could happen?" mentality, waiting and waiting until the day the Marquis's mansion held its banquet.
Lu Xilou, acting as if nothing had happened, brought congratulatory gifts to the door and even went to Songhe Hall to pay his respects to the old lady. He flattered the old lady so much that she held his hand and kept asking him if he was married and if he had a girl he liked.
Seeing that even the notorious Lu Erhu, known as the "Devil's Bane," couldn't withstand Old Lady Xiuxiu's relentless pressure to get married, Shen Lingyue rubbed her lower back and asked Yan Yi incredulously, "So, we've managed to get away with this again?"
Didn't Lu Xilou realize that Yan Yi's actions that day were very unscientific?
He didn't report such an unscientific thing immediately... that's even more unscientific.
Where are the emperor's spies, henchmen, and confidants?
Yan Yi stood quietly behind Meng Wanyin, looked up and met Lu Xilou's gaze. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air before looking away as if nothing had happened.
She composed herself, turned her head and whispered to Shen Lingyue, "...I guess he's not qualified to access royal secrets yet, or perhaps he doesn't have any plans to report it for the time being."
They had dealt with Lu Xilou several times. Despite his infamous reputation, he was quite easy to talk to once someone was on his side.
Given his friendship with Pei Jinghuai, the Marquis's reputation in front of the old emperor, and Pei Jingyi's half-royal bloodline... all these factors combined would greatly reduce the chances of the two of them being exposed and having their secrets exposed.
Shen Lingyue always trusted Yan Yi's words, and upon hearing this, she breathed a sigh of relief, but then froze.
If I had known it would be like this, then what had she been doing all this time... binge eating?
...
The banquet went very smoothly. Everyone enjoyed the meal and returned home safely. There were no mishaps throughout the entire event, and both hosts and guests had a great time.
Shen Lingyue felt that it must be because she, the "God of Melons," was in charge.
The Marquis's residence is her territory!
Just as the two of them were seeing off the last guest with Meng Wanyin and preparing to go back to tidy up and finish up,
"Gentlemen, may I have a word with you in private?"
Lu Xilou appeared suddenly, as if by magic, with a smile on his face that was hard to decipher.
Shen Lingyue's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no, could this be my last meal before I die?
Lu Xilou bowed slightly to Meng Wanyin, his attitude becoming more serious: "Please forgive me, Madam Hou, but I have some official business to attend to and need your help with a small matter."
The official business of the Embroidered Uniform Guard...
A slight worry rose in Meng Wanyin's heart, but then she thought that since they were at home, he wouldn't dare to do anything out of line.
She nodded in agreement. "Since it's official business, why don't you go to the flower hall over there to talk? I'll have a maid prepare tea and snacks right away—"
She turned around and winked at Qi's mother, signaling her to quickly go find Pei Jingyi and Pei Jinghuai.
...
Upon entering the flower hall, Lu Xilou immediately took the seat of honor without any hesitation. He picked up his teacup, swirled it a couple of times, and said slowly, "You two don't need to be so nervous. I'm not here to arrest anyone."
Shen Lingyue: Can't laugh.jpg
Yan Yi had calmed down on her way to the flower hall. She sat down in the chair to his right and said softly, "Lord Lu, how can we help you?"
"The Crown Prince's wife is truly generous," Lu Xilou praised with a smile, not forgetting to update the title promptly, "Rest assured, the bombing case at Jishantang in the south of the city is over, and His Majesty has rewarded the brave maid Miaoshan for her report..."
“Lan Ya’er,” Shen Lingyue couldn’t help but correct, “Don’t call her Miao Shan anymore, she is Dr. Xu’s sister, Xu Lan Ya.”
“Alright, Miss Xu has been released from her official status and returned home. The sisters are reunited, and from now on she has no further connection with the Abandoned Prince’s Mansion.” Lu Xilou readily changed his words.
He spread his hands at the two of them, "Can you feel my sincerity now?"
That day when he went to the palace to meet the emperor, he didn't mention them once during the entire meeting.
"...Why?" Yan Yi frowned slightly, seemingly unable to understand his thoughts.
Lu Xilou said bluntly, "I know that the two ladies may have some unspeakable supernatural abilities, but... we are friends, not enemies, right?"
He then said to Shen Lingyue, half-jokingly, "Sister-in-law, don't forget I initially wanted to recruit you. If you agree, then we'll be on the same side, and I'll protect you even more—"
"Who needs your protection?"
Pei Jinghuai rushed over immediately upon receiving the news, just in time to hear Lu Xilou's words. He immediately retorted without hesitation, "Lu Er, I'm warning you, don't even think about hitting on my wife!"
Lu Xilou rolled his eyes.
Was he after Lingyue? Was it because she was good at putting sacks on people, or because she could break eggs really badly?
Only Pei Er, that simpleton, would actually treat her like a delicate flower. She's clearly a man-eating tyrant!
Pei Jingyi walked in and stood silently in front of Yan Yi, saying, "Xi Lou, if you have something to say, just tell me. Don't make things difficult for the women in your family."
Lu Xilou cupped his hands in greeting, "Your Highness is overthinking it. I do indeed have something to ask of you two ladies today."
He glanced behind Pei Jinghuai and saw Shen Lingyue clinging to his shoulder, peeking at him. She looked like she was using Pei Jinghuai's power to bully him, which made him chuckle.
He cleared his throat: "Prince An is still imprisoned in the imperial prison, Princess An has been demoted to a commoner and sent to a royal nunnery for spiritual practice, and Consort Li has been given poisoned wine. You should all know this, right?"
The group looked at each other and nodded.
Lu Xilou sighed, "His Majesty ordered me to lead a team to confiscate and inventory the property under Prince An's name. The best accountant of the Embroidered Uniform Guard has not slept for three days, but the accounts still don't match up."
As soon as there was a new melon to eat, Shen Lingyue perked up and couldn't help but say, "Didn't Prince An give away all his wealth to help the poor and weak and do charity?"
Lu Xilou looked at her with a hint of disdain: "You actually believed that?"
Shen Lingyue: ...
Yan Yi smoothed things over for her: "Everyone outside says so, and we've been to Prince An's mansion; it is indeed very simple."
Lu Xilou waved his hand, "Don't mention it. That so-called charity is a mess. To put it simply, if Prince An really used the money in his mansion and the donations from various families in the capital for good purposes, it would be enough for him to open ten more charity halls and support all the elderly people living alone in the capital."
Pei Jingyi quickly realized: "Is Prince An using the guise of charity to embezzle donations and transfer assets to carry out treasonous acts?"
You see, it was precisely because Prince An had cultivated such a good reputation as a philanthropist that many powerful and wealthy families in the capital donated a considerable amount of money to the Jishan Hall. In particular, some kind-hearted women in the inner quarters not only donated money and goods, but also frequently took their maids to the Jishan Hall to buy candy and cakes for the homeless children.
But if this money passes through Jishantang, it will eventually end up in Prince An's own pocket, becoming the capital for him to recruit soldiers and buy horses...
Shen Lingyue clenched her fist hard, "...Shouldn't we split our money 30/70, and give Prince An's money in full?"
Damn it, he got all the good reputation, and she even got a share of all that money!
She said to Yan Yi, "Do you remember when we went to Jishantang to check the accounts last year? It must be that Prince An's accountant is too capable, and the fake accounts are made so perfectly."
“That’s right. You can’t find any problems just by looking at the accounts of Jishantang. Only by comparing them with the original accounts in the Anwangfu’s warehouse can you find the problem.”
Lu Xilou continued, "Now there is a huge deficit between the two sets of accounts, but we have searched the Prince An's mansion and several estates and villas under his name, but we can neither find any valuables nor any new account books."
Such a large sum of money can't just disappear into thin air, can it?
This is why Lu Xilou came to the banquet today and stayed behind after the banquet to speak with Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi alone.
"I would like to ask the two ladies for their help in finding the silver that Prince An has hidden."
Pei Jinghuai was not happy. "Your Embroidered Uniform Guards are experts at confiscating property and ransacking the land. If you can't find anything, what can my wife and sister-in-law do?"
“That’s not necessarily true.” Lu Xilou looked at Pei Jingyi meaningfully. “Perhaps the Crown Prince’s wife is blessed by the gods and has divine assistance?”
He only realized what had happened after he prevented the bombing that night—the night he went to Prince An's villa to arrest people, Pei Jinghuai, contrary to his usual behavior, insisted on joining the operation, and it was he who accurately found the mechanism to open the secret door.
They've been friends since childhood, and Lu Xilou knows Pei Jinghuai better than anyone. This isn't something he would do cleverly.
There must be two wise mentors guiding him.
"Okay, I promise you."
Yan Yi stepped forward and agreed before Pei Jingyi could speak.
She turned back and gave him a reassuring look before saying to Lu Xilou, "I will try my best, but I can't guarantee that I will be able to find it. I hope Lord Lu will not force me to do something I can't handle."
"Don't worry, I know the rules." Lu Xilou reassured her again, "Even for Princess Tong'an's sake, I won't do anything to you."
However, these words did not reassure Yan Yi; instead, they added to her surprise.
Why are we bringing up Princess Tong'an again?
She and Shen Lingyue exchanged a glance and decided to hold back for now.
“I want to go with my sister-in-law too,” Shen Lingyue said to Lu Xilou. “You’ve always wanted to recruit me, haven’t you? I agreed, so is it okay now?”
Pei Jinghuai immediately chimed in, "And me too. I have to protect them, right, big brother?"
Pei Jingyi: ...Suddenly I feel that his position as Yunqiwei is still somewhat useful.
There should be at least one idle person in the family who can run errands, right?
Lu Xilou readily accepted, "Buy one get two free, I'm making a profit today. Okay, get ready, I'll send a car to pick you up tomorrow."
He took his leave in a good mood.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Yan Yi gently took Pei Jingyi's hand, "Now it's Lord Lu who needs our help. He knows what he should and shouldn't say."
Pei Jingyi tucked her hair behind his ear, his gaze lingering on the faint blue marks beneath her eyelids.
On the night of the incident at Jishantang, Yan Yi told him what had happened during the day.
Although her words were vague, explaining how she discovered the unusual jade pendant on Lan Ya'er's body and how she recognized the villain who intended to detonate Jishantang as the peddler who had been loitering outside the Prince An's mansion, none of this could corroborate her seemingly divine inspiration.
For Pei Jingyi, the first time such a thing happened was a coincidence, the second time was astonishing, and the third and fourth time... then it was no longer an accident, but something he had become accustomed to.
Whenever she gets together with her younger siblings, she always seems to have a constant stream of whimsical ideas, and these bold ideas are eventually proven true.
So what? She's the wife he's chosen; as long as she's happy, that's all that matters.
If it's something she absolutely has to do, he will do everything in his power to help her fulfill her wish.
...
This was Yan Yi and Shen Lingyue's first "business trip at public expense".
Lu Xilou even went so far as to procure a brand-new flying fish suit that fit the two of them perfectly, telling everyone that they were colleagues who had been transferred from elsewhere and were skilled at finding objects.
Yan Yi indeed lived up to expectations. As if he had opened his eyes, he led Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai into the woods outside the villa. After many twists and turns, they finally dug out a box of account books wrapped tightly in oil paper under the hollow of a dead old plum tree.
Lu Xilou was dumbfounded when the object was unearthed.
Prince An is definitely not playing by the rules!
Besides himself, who would have thought that the ledger was hidden in such a remote mountain valley with no landmarks or reference points?
He couldn't possibly demolish all the houses and courtyards under Prince An's name, or even search through all the land within a ten-mile radius; that would take forever.
Yan Yi was responsible for finding the account books and the money, while Shen Lingyue was responsible for... finding excuses.
"This is feng shui."
"This is a secret technique."
"This is metaphysics!"
"This is……"
Lu Xilou: ...Stop, I give up :)
He doesn't need a reason; he just needs a good cat that can catch mice.
...
When Lu Xilou entered the palace to meet the emperor with account books and several boxes of gold bricks dug from a solitary grave in the mountains, Princess Tong'an happened to be there as well.
Because there might be detonators buried throughout the palace, Emperor Qingxi and the entire harem hadn't had a good night's sleep for many days. He had a terrible headache, and reading memorials only made him more upset, so he would occasionally summon Princess Tong'an to the palace to read them to him.
Some unimportant daily greetings were simply picked out and approved by Princess Tong'an.
"Of all my children, you are the most dear to me."
Emperor Qingxi leaned back, intending to rest for a while, but the cold, hard dragon throne made his back ache, and he couldn't help but curse, "This broken chair is really uncomfortable everywhere."
Princess Tong'an picked up a large cushion and tucked it behind him, laughing, "Father, you're mistaken. This is the best chair in the world. Otherwise, why would Uncle An be so eager to snatch it and sit on it?"
Emperor Qingxi snorted coldly, "I'm not afraid of him trying to take it. Once he actually sits on it, he'll know it's not so comfortable."
He couldn't help but complain to Princess Tong'an: "You know, he's always making a fuss over nothing. He should be using that energy to pray for a son. Otherwise, what good is it if he becomes emperor? Who will he pass the throne to?"
"Not everyone is like Father, who is so devoted to the well-being of his children and descendants."
Princess Tong'an went behind Emperor Qingxi and massaged his shoulders and neck. "For Uncle An, as long as he can sit on this throne and enjoy being the only one in heaven and earth, that's enough. He'll be happy as long as he's happy. Who cares about the aftermath?"
Her massage pressure was just right, and she found the acupoints very accurately; it was clear she had received specialized training.
...It must be because the prince consort was injured on the battlefield back then and has been recuperating in seclusion all these years. Ah Ying learned massage in order to take care of him.
Emperor Qingxi suddenly became jealous of his son-in-law and patted Princess Tong'an's hand, saying, "Alright, I'll have the imperial physician come and massage it in a bit. You don't need to go through all that trouble."
“How can this be considered hard work? This is my filial piety. Doesn’t Father want it?”
Princess Tong'an spoke in a lighthearted tone, which made Emperor Qingxi feel comfortable before she revealed her purpose: "Uncle Anwang is hypocritical and hateful for using charity as a pretext to win people's hearts. However, now that Anwang Mansion has been raided and those charity halls have lost their support, I'm afraid they will have a hard time this winter."
Emperor Qingxi lifted his eyelids and glanced at her. "You want to take over this matter?"
"Your subject thinks so," Princess Tong'an readily agreed, "but I'm afraid I can't handle this alone. Besides, the lessons of the past are still fresh in our minds. Given the circumstances, I must also be mindful of the public opinion of the Imperial Censorate."
Emperor Qingxi liked her frankness in saying what she wanted and chuckled, "From what you're saying, it seems you've already made up your mind? Tell me about it."
"Your subject is willing to share the burden for Your Majesty and take the lead in organizing the royal family and the women of each household to jointly establish the 'Royal Compassion Temple' to openly care for the young and help the poor in the name of the court."
Princess Tong'an took out a memorial from her sleeve. "This is a draft of the personnel composition and basic functions of the Min'en Temple, as well as the source, raising, distribution and use of charitable funds. Please review it, Father Emperor."
"You came prepared, didn't you?"
Emperor Qingxi smiled as he opened the memorial, as if recalling the scene when she submitted her petition to establish Yunshao Girls' School.
"Ha, your Min'en Temple was built in imitation of the 'Five Temples,' do you want to be the sixth temple?"
The Five Courts were the Court of Judicial Review, the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Court of State Ceremonies, the Court of Imperial Stud, and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
“If Father Emperor agrees, it is not impossible.” Princess Tong’an said calmly, “Once the affairs of Min’en Temple are on track, I am willing to accept the supervision of the Ministry of Revenue and the Censorate.”
Emperor Qingxi joked, "Why don't you just let me assign a few newly appointed Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) to assist you? That would free up a few official positions."
“I don’t want to,” Princess Tong’an immediately refused. “If even my Uncle Prince An can’t be trusted, then outsiders are even less reliable. Besides, caring for the young and helping the poor, rescuing the orphaned and elderly, is, in principle, the duty of the Queen Mother…”
Emperor Qingxi's eyes dimmed, and there was a moment of silence in the warm pavilion.
Princess Tong'an placed her hand on the back of his hand. "Father, it's fine if you usually dote on the Consort in the palace, and I also hope that you have a thoughtful and intelligent person by your side. But it's not appropriate for her to handle this matter, and she doesn't have that much ability."
Emperor Qingxi snapped out of his reverie and waved his hand, saying, "You don't need to say it, I understand. I wouldn't want the Consort to work too hard."
Just as Princess An's memorial stated, with her taking the lead and organizing, along with Le Kang and several other princesses in the palace who had reached a certain age, as well as Princess Heng and Princess Yu, who were all his daughters and wives, they were definitely family.
This avoids one party becoming too powerful and allows for mutual supervision. As long as Princess Tong'an keeps a firm grip on the helm, the ship can operate smoothly.
"Alright, I grant your request. Go back and draft a more detailed proposal. I will also allocate you a piece of land to serve as the 'official residence' for your Min'en Temple. Take good care of this matter for me, so that the people will not only remember the good deeds of Prince An."
Emperor Qingxi snorted vengefully, "What a load of rubbish! Doesn't he even consider who gave him all that money?"
Even his charity work is fake; he deserves to have no son!
When Lu Xilou carried the gold bricks into the palace to report, Emperor Qingxi waved his hand and said, "Half of them will be confiscated into the national treasury, and the other half will be sent to the princess as start-up capital for the Min'en Temple."
Princess Tong'an left the palace in high spirits and instructed her female official: "Send two invitations to the Marquis of Changning's residence, inviting them to come over for tea tomorrow."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Here it comes! [Let me see!]
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