"It was to prevent Yao Yao from escaping. The servant who helped Yao Yao was temporarily filling in for his cousin at the Zhang residence to avoid having his wages docked, and he didn't know anything about the Zhang residence. Yao Yao gave him a total of two thousand taels of silver, and he only helped Yao Yao because he was greedy for money."
"Whether it was greed or some other reason, it was ultimately a lucky accident that helped Yao Yao. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened to her now."
“Yes. Besides what Yao Yao mentioned about Zhang Duo’s mistreatment of him, there’s something else…” Hongmi hesitated.
"What's wrong?" Mu Run asked.
Hongmi glanced at the palace entrance and, seeing that there was no one else besides the palace maids, lowered her voice and whispered, "This Zhang Duo is a scoundrel. He and Qiaoyu... also have that kind of ambiguous relationship."
Mu Run stared in disbelief. "This... is impossible?"
“I also think it’s unlikely. Qiaoyu doesn’t seem like that kind of person. But the servants at the Zhang residence are so certain of it,” Hongmi sighed.
Mu Run shook her head. "I still find it hard to believe."
"As the old saying goes, you can know a person's face but not their heart. It's been so long since my sister-in-law has seen Qiaoyu. And she's quite something now, owning hundreds of shops all over the place. I heard she's even planning to open a money exchange recently."
"A money shop?" That's a bank... If she can even open a bank, that Qiaoyu is really something, definitely not the maid from the Grand Commandant's mansion back then.
"Yes. The money exchange is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue, and the current Minister of Revenue is Lao Bai. Qiaoyu originally wanted to use her sister-in-law and Yaoyao's connections to get Lao Bai to settle the matter of the money exchange. But Lao Bai kept refusing to see her, so the matter never came to fruition."
"Isn't Lao Bai at the Ministry of War?"
"After the country was unified and the corpse problem was quelled, the boss transferred him to the Ministry of Revenue. He came from a wealthy merchant family and was a businessman by nature. He was more astute than us in anything related to money, even with his eyes closed. He was the most suitable person to stay in the Ministry of Revenue. The national treasury has been full in recent years, and his achievements are indispensable."
"Hmm, your boss's greatest strength is knowing how to use people effectively. So why did Lao Bai block Qiaoyu and prevent her from opening a money exchange?"
"I suppose he has his own reasons. I'll ask him about it later."
"Tell him by the way that official business must be handled according to regulations, and there is no room for personal feelings."
"Okay," Hongmi replied with a smile.
Mu Run continued, "Yaoyao's child?"
Hongmi's eyes showed regret, "He did indeed die from a sudden cold. But before he got sick, he was hungry for two days. A three-year-old child who goes hungry for two days must be very weak, and then an illness can easily take hold..."
Mu Run roared angrily, "Who did this?!"
Hongmi replied, "Zhang Duo's concubine, Zou, was also the maid that Qiaoyu gave to Yaoyao."
"It's related to Qiaoyu again." Mu Run frowned. "She really is as Sister Cai said, a sister who tricks her younger sister."
"Not only that. This Zou family has a younger brother who recently abducted and killed a woman. But with Zhang Duo's help, he not only escaped punishment, but also drove the victim's family to ruin."
"Severe punishment is necessary! Go tell Qiao Dongzi that no matter who is involved, there should be no leniency. If any government officials are implicated, their crimes will be compounded!"
...
Fu Yunchen stood outside the inner hall, listening to Mu Run and Hong Mi's conversation, and then quietly walked away.
Madam Cai brought over some snacks that Mu Run liked, and just then she ran into Fu Yunchen coming out of the hall. She quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Excellency the Prime Minister."
"Yes, go in and serve them well." Fu Yunchen instructed, "No need to tell them I'm coming."
Lady Cai was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Yes, sir."
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