Chapter Four
The preparations before heading to the capital proceeded smoothly. Xia Qiangwei's review of the accounts was merely a formality; she sold these shops, and of course, relatives had to come first, such as Xia Yuhe's brothers and sisters.
Hearing that Xia Yuhe was going to the capital to find her relatives, her brother was the first to arrive. Of course, he didn't come to ask about the price of the estate; he came to stop her. Xia Yuhe was an oddball; once she made up her mind, no one could change it. Just a few days ago, she said she wouldn't go to the capital, but once she made up her mind, no matter how much people tried to persuade her, she wouldn't change her mind. Xia Yuhe's brother left helplessly.
Next came Xia Yuhe's sister-in-law. Of course, she came to inquire about the price, but in her opinion, Xia Yuhe should be giving it away for free. Little did she know that Xia Yuhe didn't care about such matters at all, leaving everything to Xia Qiangwei. Xia Yuhe's sister-in-law immediately used her elder's authority to force Xia Qiangwei to obediently hand over the estate. Unfortunately, Xia Qiangwei was unyielding and ignored Xia Yuhe's sister-in-law completely.
The sister-in-law naturally went back to complain, and Xia Yuhe's brother immediately objected. Without a word, he entered Xia Yuhe's courtyard and started smashing things. Xia Qiangwei coldly ordered someone to summon the yamen runners, who locked Xia Yuhe's brother up. This caused quite a stir, and the Xia clan head personally intervened. Xia Qiangwei recounted the whole story, mimicking her sister-in-law's behavior. Xia Qiangwei carefully explained to the Xia clan head that since the estate was under Xia Yuhe's name, it could naturally be sold. However, considering they were all from the same clan, the clan members could sell first. But if they wanted it for free, she would rather donate the estate.
The Xia clan patriarch looked down on Xia Yuhe and had already expelled her from the clan. Xia Qiangwei was naturally aware of this; she was merely currying favor. Upon hearing this, Xia Yuhe's brother and younger brother, prioritizing members of the entire Xia clan, immediately beat up Xia Yuhe's brother and went to Xia Yuhe's courtyard themselves. Xia Qiangwei was receiving a lady from the Xia clan, and the two were having a pleasant conversation. "A little girl of eleven or twelve with such abilities," Xia Yuhe's brother sighed. "If Xia Yuhe had been half as capable as my niece back then, things wouldn't be like this now. Who knows, their Xia family might have… never mind." "Qiangwei, your uncle heard you're going to sell the estate," Xia Yuhe's brother asked directly after accompanying Xia Qiangwei to see off one of the clan ladies.
Xia Qiangwei nodded directly without any hesitation, "Uncle knows what kind of reputation Mother has here. Mother wants to take us to the capital to look for a home. If we can find one, we'll have a home. If we can't find one..." Xia Qiangwei lowered her head slightly, "Mother said she can find a good home for me and Ziwei in the future."
Upon hearing this, Xia Yuhe's brother thought that his sister had become wise enough to consider her daughter's needs. "Rose," he said, "Uncle wants to buy your estate. Name your price, and I won't haggle."
Xia Qiangwei cursed the unscrupulous merchant in her heart, but she didn't try to lower the estimated price. Instead, she added several hundred taels. Her uncle knew exactly what was going on, but he didn't get angry and accepted the price. They went to the yamen to complete the transfer that day. When Xia Qiangwei returned home, she didn't give the money to Xia Yuhe; she kept it all in her own purse.
After dealing with the estate, Xia Qiangwei finally breathed a sigh of relief and began having the servants pack their luggage. Even after careful reduction, the group still only had a few trunks. Waiting for the servants who had gone to purchase the land to return, the three mistresses, along with their servants, officially set off for the capital. Xia Qiangwei's purse was bulging; she had Baozhu sew it into her inner garment. She wasn't foolish enough to put all the silver notes in the purse; some were placed in the trunks. Although the servants knew their mistresses had sold the estate and received some money, none of them knew where their mistresses had hidden the money.
With someone protecting them, the journey to Beijing was much easier, and they encountered nothing particularly unusual along the way. Upon arriving in Beijing, led by a servant who had previously visited the Beijing Real Estate Agency, the group entered their new home. Xia Qiangwei first looked around, noting that it had a certain charm reminiscent of Jiangnan (southern China). She then asked the servant who had previously lived in the house, and the servant replied that it belonged to a fallen noble family. Xia Qiangwei didn't inquire further, as the house was registered in her name.
Upon arriving in the capital, Xia Yuhe's heart was filled with turmoil. She had arrived! She was now under the Emperor's nose! She was about to meet that godlike figure. Xia Ziwei, on the other hand, wasn't particularly excited. She couldn't leave the house anywhere and could only watch her mother excitedly pacing around the courtyard. Xia Qiangwei busied herself having servants find a shop; she needed to make a living and couldn't just sit around and do nothing. What kind of shop would be most profitable? A brothel, of course, but Xia Qiangwei's current status prevented her from doing so. She could only open a respectable shop. After much thought, Xia Qiangwei decided to open an embroidery shop. After having her servants secure the shop, Xia Qiangwei had Ziwei embroider some items to sell at the shop.
The shop was being renovated. Jin Suo and Bao Zhu were helping their young mistress with her embroidery when Xia Qiangwei began to ponder how to find her father. Go to the hunting grounds? That was impossible; she wouldn't even know how she died then. File a complaint with the Emperor? That required seeing the Emperor himself. What to do? That Lord Liang or whatever, she couldn't count on him. The corrupt official He Shen was just a child now. Liu Yong? Forget it! That hunchbacked Liu was probably somewhere else!
Upon arriving in Beijing, Xia Qiangwei learned that it was now the eighteenth year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign, meaning she was only twelve years old. With six years until the story's beginning, Xia Qiangwei felt a heavy burden on her shoulders. She had to acknowledge her father now. She couldn't let Xia Ziwei acknowledge Xiao Yanzi as her sister, making Xiao Yanzi a princess. Xia Qiangwei decided to find Fu Heng, or the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Rites, but not the Imperial Household Department. She remembered countless Huanzhu fanfictions saying that the Imperial Household Department was headed by Consort Ling's father; once something was in Wei Qingtai's hands, could it possibly leave? Xia Qiangwei thought and thought, then instructed her servants to inquire about Fu Heng's residence.
Turning back, Xia Qiangwei went to Xia Yuhe again, "Mother, I've heard that Lord Fu Heng is a very capable man. Father... he greatly admires Lord Fu. If we could get on his good side, the matter of recognizing him as our father..."
"Rose, you've suffered. These are things that your mother should have been thinking about, but you, a little child, have been busy with them all."
"Mother, what are you saying? Mother, I have a few words to tell you. This capital is not like home. We can't afford to mess with even the thugs outside the door."
"Mother understands all of this. I'll just wait until they're far away. Now that Rose has grown up, Mother is at ease. I've gotten used to thinking about her all these years. I never intended to come looking for her, but now, for your sake, Mother is going to give it a shot."
Good, you've got ambition! Defeat Consort Ling, have a son, and put him on the throne! Then I can live a life of luxury, and who the hell would dare to collect my taxes, or ask me for protection money! "I'll send someone to inquire about Lord Fu's residence, but it's not appropriate for us to send a formal invitation directly, after all, we're just women."
"Then what should we do?"
"Mother, if you become friends with Lord Fu's wife..."
"Will this work?"
"Does Mother have sympathy for the weak?" Xia Qiangwei asked when Xia Yuhe nodded. "Then Mother will find a way to get Lord Fu's wife to sympathize with Mother and help her."
"Rose, I feel you've changed all of a sudden, to the point that I almost don't know how to teach you anymore."
“Mother, you are so naive and easily deceived, and so is Ziwei. If I were like you, who would protect you?” Xia Qiangwei said, wiping away her fake tears with a handkerchief. “Mother, tomorrow I will have someone invite a nanny from the palace. We will support her and teach her some palace etiquette.”
"Should we ask the nanny for help? Won't that arouse suspicion?"
"We won't say it outright, we just want the young ladies in the family to learn some manners, and no one will say anything about it. In wealthy families, which one doesn't have a nanny to raise the young ladies to be very elegant?"
Xia Yuhe wasn't sure if Xia Qiangwei was right or wrong, but since it seemed to be for her daughter's good, she immediately nodded.
After Xia Qiangwei suggested that Xia Yuhe find an opportunity to befriend Fuheng's wife, Xia Yuhe began to think about how to get to know Fuheng's wife.
The Xia family mother and daughter settled in the capital. The servants hired a matron who had been released from the palace a few years prior. Xia Qiangwei carefully inquired which mistress the matron had served in the palace. Upon learning that the matron had served Consort Huixian, Xia Qiangwei immediately invited the matron to sit on a cushy seat, treating her with great respect. Because of Consort Huixian, Xia Qiangwei suddenly remembered that they could seek help from Emperor Qianlong's younger brother, Prince He. Compared to Prince He, what was Fuheng? Xia Qiangwei knew very little about Prince He; besides knowing that he enjoyed holding funerals, she knew nothing else.
Xia Qiangwei thought that if Xia Yuhe were to enter the palace in the future, she would definitely need a confidante, so Xia Qiangwei decided to take a risk with the nanny in her family.
"Granny Liu." Xia Qiangwei paused for a moment before carefully choosing her words.
"What are your orders, Miss?" Granny Liu replied respectfully. Granny Liu had been living in the mansion for some time. She had no children of her own, and the Xia family treated her with great respect. She could see that the Xia family was extraordinary, especially the eldest daughter of the Xia family. She could see clearly that the Xia family was entirely dependent on this eldest daughter.
"Granny Liu, you've been with our Xia family for some time now."
“This servant has been living in the Xia family for three months.”
"Don't you find the Xia family strange, Granny Liu?"
Granny Liu didn't reply. She knew that this Miss Xia was testing her. The Xia family had a secret, which she could sense from the moment she entered the manor. But should she know this secret? Granny Liu hesitated. Seeing Xia Qiangwei looking at her with a smile, Granny Liu's heart wavered even more. "This servant doesn't understand what Miss is talking about."
"Granny Liu, you are an old servant in the palace. If you say you don't understand, I really don't believe it. I won't make things difficult for Granny Liu. I only hope that if we ever need Granny Liu in the future, she will wholeheartedly help my mother."
"What does Miss mean?" Could it be that the mistress of the Xia family intends to remarry? Or perhaps marry a powerful and wealthy man?
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