Chapter 87 A Little Cute
Yao Qingling was angered by Lian Chengtai.
To be precise, he was angered by Zhan Xingzhuo.
She thought about that painting all day.
If Lien Cheng-tai spoke with such certainty, then the painting must be in his possession.
Yao Qingling could not allow her portrait to fall into the hands of an outsider.
That was a threat to her; but upon closer inspection, it was just a painting, not evidence of her crime... After thinking it over, they just wanted to disgust her.
But how do I get it back?
She has already offended Prince Xin...
She tapped the table impatiently.
Taoye suggested, "Why don't we buy a servant from the Prince's mansion and have her steal it?"
Yao Qingling said, "I've already thought about it. But today, Lian Chengtian deliberately brought up that painting, so he will hide it. I'm afraid ordinary maids won't be able to get close to it. The servants who can get close to him are loyal to him and are not easy to bribe. If Lian Chengtian finds out, he will feel that he has something on me and is bullying me."
"Besides, I'm now working on expanding my general store and buying cargo ships, so I have to be very careful with every penny. It's not worth spending extra money on a painting."
She rubbed her forehead: "Never mind, I won't think about it for now."
Tao Ye frowned slightly: "How can you say you don't care? If Miss wants to arrange another marriage, and that painting gets out, Miss's reputation will be ruined."
Qingling glanced at her, touched her belly, and said with a self-deprecating laugh, "I have one here. Even without that painting, I doubt anyone would want to be a ready-made father, right?"
"Besides, my divorce from Zhan Xingzhuo caused quite a stir in the city. Who would dare to mess with a troublemaker like me?"
Peach Leaf pouted: "Miss is the best. They don't understand. It's their loss."
But aside from that, she didn't know what other ideas she could offer to help her mistress.
I was very frustrated.
Leaving the Duke's mansion is still so difficult... or rather, even more difficult.
Seeing her sullen face, Qingling pinched her hair and coaxed, "I'm a little hungry, go to the kitchen and find me something to eat."
Peach Leaf went out.
Looking at her back, Yao Qingling felt a little more relaxed.
She had no intention of remarrying; she had a child, and once the child was born, she would obtain a title for him and let him inherit the marquis's mansion.
From then on, she became the matriarch of the Marquis's mansion.
By then, if anyone brings up that painting again, it will only be seen as a romantic affair from her youth.
The oppressive life in the new mansion taught Yao Qingling to let go and maintain a calm demeanor.
It's just a matter of "when soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it." What's there to be afraid of?
Qingling took out the planning map of the general merchandise store that she had prepared.
This shop will be an important way for her to lead the bandits of Que'er Mountain to launder their money.
She wanted to establish a canal transport system, purchase a large ship to transport goods from the south to the capital, and then transport goods from the north to the south for sale; she also wanted to establish a land route to transport spices, gems, carpets, and other goods from the Western Regions to Ying Kingdom.
She also wanted to open her general stores all over the country, with branches everywhere.
—After Yao Qingling returned to the mansion, the deeds to the shops that were part of her dowry were still in her hands.
Madam Ma had come to ask for it, but Yao Qingling refused. After the old lady returned to the manor, Qingling talked to her for an entire afternoon that day, including about the shops. Qingling assured her that in a year, the money earned from these shops would be twice the amount of the other private assets of the Marquis's manor.
Madam Ma kept saying that she had a hard time, but the income of the Marquis's mansion was always the same, and when it came to social interactions, there were hardly any good things to offer. The men in the officialdom needed to be bribed, so it was even more insufficient.
Yao Qingling's words raised the old lady's expectations, and she agreed to give her a year.
Therefore, time is just as important to Qingling as money.
Of course, with the management of the shop, Qingling could enter and leave the Marquis's residence at any time; they could no longer use the excuse that women in their boudoirs could not go out to detain her.
Qingling held the pen, holding her breath and concentrating on every detail.
The shop needs to be expanded and renovated, and we also need to talk to Big Beard Ruan again about how to bring in more staff... Right, people are also a crucial element.
It has to be someone she trusts completely...
As Qingling drew the blueprints, she pondered which people she would need.
She was so engrossed in her thoughts that she didn't even notice someone entering her yard.
Lin Shiyuan, dressed in black, stood quietly by her window, watching her hold a calligraphy brush, the tip of which occasionally poked her cheek.
She's kind of cute.
He gently tugged at the corner of his lips.
After watching for a while, I noticed she was holding a pen and starting to stare blankly.
Hold a small pebble between two fingers and toss it gently.
A soft click.
Yao Qingling glanced at the small stone that had appeared on the table and looked out the window.
She saw a dark figure standing in front of her window.
With his exquisite features and all-black attire, his powerful and aloof demeanor instantly elevates his striking appearance to that of a cold-blooded assassin.
Yao Qingling gripped the stone, gasping for breath: "Lin Shiyuan!" Afraid of attracting attention, she immediately lowered her voice, "How did you get in?"
She put down her pen and hurried out.
The two stood in the courtyard; Taoye brought over a bowl of red bean soup, not noticing the dark figure, only seeing Yao Qingling standing under the tree, assuming she was still troubled.
"Miss, would you like a bowl of red bean soup? It's a little hot since it's just been cooked."
As I got closer, I suddenly realized there was a man there!
Tao Ye was timid. With a cry of "Ah!", she let go of the tray, which fell to the ground. Lin Shiyuan simply lowered his body slightly, stretched out his long arm, and skillfully caught the bowl of red bean soup.
He glanced at it and handed it to Yao Qingling.
Even though Yao Qingling was very knowledgeable, she was still amazed by his beautiful flip.
Lin Shiyuan turned his head and said to Taoye, "I have important matters to discuss with your young lady. Please keep watch nearby, Miss Taoye."
No matter how handsome a man is, if he has a strong enough aura, it's easy for people to overlook his face and do what he says.
Tao Ye nodded, glanced at Yao Qingling, and obediently went to wait at the second gate.
Yao Qingling looked at Lin Shiyuan and said coldly, "Why didn't you send Lin Qiao to deliver the message?"
He came in dressed in black.
Her paintings are in the hands of men; her courtyard is entered by men at will.
Yao Qingling was unhappy.
Lin Shiyuan looked at her cold face and said, "I apologize for the offense. However, I went to another place tonight, and the situation was urgent, so I couldn't take care of Lin Qiao for the time being."
But in his heart he thought, "That girl Lin Qiao's words are giving me a headache."
Qingling thought that Lin Shiyuan was not a lecherous rogue, and he would not have been so offensive if the matter had not been urgent.
She took a deep breath, her complexion softened, and asked, "What urgent matter is it?"
Lin Shiyuan handed the bowl he was holding to her: "Eat while you listen."
He walked to the plum blossom table on the side and placed the bowl on it.
Qingling sat down and took her first sip of soup, only to find it was very hot. She pursed her lips.
Seeing that he held it for so long, I thought it wasn't hot anymore.
Yao Qingling glanced at his hand.
The man's hand was loosely clenched and casually rested on the table: "I went to Prince Xin's mansion and accidentally intercepted a carrier pigeon."
"The letter mentioned that Zhou Zhining possessed a list of officials in the Yellow River corruption case who had not yet been implicated."
He briefly recounted the contents of the letter.
Yao Qingling asked, "You sneaked into Prince Xin's residence at night? What were you doing there?"
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