Chapter 767 Black-Hearted Couple (4)
"I think he's planning something again." Shen Miao said, "Invite me to taste incense." She was stunned for a moment, then smiled, "Since you've come to taste incense, it seems the foundation of Yuanwailang's residence is not bad."
Drinking tea and wine is generally quite conventional, but appreciating incense is different. A piece of the finest incense can be worth thousands of gold, but once burned, it's gone. Shen Miao knew that the most valuable incense was the jade pear agarwood; a piece the size of a fingernail could cost ten thousand taels of gold. Once, a merchant from the Western Regions presented tribute to the palace, seeking the title of Imperial Merchant. The jade pear agarwood was as big as a child's fist and was so rare that all the concubines in the harem came to see it, and Shen Miao herself found it quite novel.
Shen Miao had always assumed that the jade pear agarwood would be kept in the national treasury, as it was a very precious item. Later, on Madam Mei's birthday, Fu Xiuyi lit the jade pear agarwood to make her smile. The incense burners used real gold and silver, which was equivalent to losing a lot of silver notes at once. Shen Dongling's note said it was a phoenix-shaped incense, which was also very precious. The salary of the Yuanwailang family could not withstand such a toss. Clearly, the family Shen Dongling married into was actually a wealthy family. After all, many officials in Dingjing City, including many first-rank ministers, would not squander money like this. One wonders if Shen Yue, in the afterlife, would be furious after learning the truth.
"Fengzuixiang is not cheap. You spent so much money, it must not be just to reminisce about the past."
"Plotting against you?" Xie Jingxing asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Shen Dongli isn't Shen Yue. If she really wanted to plot against me, I wouldn't let her do it so easily. Shen Dongling isn't stupid. I guess she asked me to go because she wants to plot something. If I go, it will only make things go more smoothly for her. If I don't go, I won't lose much." Shen Miao smiled. "I just think it's amazing that the Yuanwailang family has so much silver." She looked at Xie Jingxing. Appreciation: When she saw Shen Dongling at the execution ground, Shen Miao noticed that her clothes and jewelry were extremely expensive. Even if Wang Bi doted on her, it would be irrational to spend more money than the Wang family could afford. So how did the Wang family have so much silver?
Xie Jingxing caught a glimpse of Shen Miao's eyes and tactfully replied, "The Wang family belongs to the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince has some connections with salt dealers who sell illegal salt. Wang Bi is the middleman."
Shen Miao suddenly understood. No wonder. Smuggling salt was a highly profitable business. Even a small profit was enough to attract envy. No wonder the Wang family was so prosperous. Now, Shen Miao understood where Shen Dongling's confidence came from. If Shen Dongling had married an ordinary official, she would have been cautious. But now that the Wang family was filthy rich, and Wang Bi worked under the Crown Prince, Shen Dongling believed that with Emperor Wenhui supporting the Crown Prince, the world would ultimately fall into his hands. Naturally, Wang Bi, as someone working for the Crown Prince, would see her worth double. She was Wang Bi's legal wife, enjoying immense glory. Perhaps she was blinded by the temporary glory, which had emboldened her.
Born in hardship, die in comfort. Shen Dongling couldn't always maintain a clear mind, so she couldn't see the truth clearly. With so many uncertainties in world affairs, who could guarantee that the Crown Prince would succeed him? Even if the Crown Prince succeeded, who could guarantee that Wang Bi would continue to rise to prominence under the Crown Prince? There are countless cases of the cunning rabbit dying and the running dog being cooked, and the imperial family is the most ruthless.
"Wang Bi is the prince's man," Shen Miao pondered, "Shen Dongling's sudden behavior must be related to Wang Bi, which means it's related to the prince." Shen Miao looked at Xie Jingxing, "The relationship between me and the prince...she wants to make a fuss about my marriage?"
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