Chapter 158 Are you very dissatisfied with your husband?
Before Dou Wenyi came to Huanhua Villa, she had already planned how to use amber. Now that she sincerely wanted to join her, she was willing to help her find a way out.
"You should stay here for now. When the time is right, I will let you know what to do."
Amber nodded solemnly.
Dou Wenyi immediately ordered someone to summon Steward Zhang, saying, "After all, Amber is Third Sister's personal maid, so let's temporarily waive her the rough work like washing clothes."
Steward Zhang was a confidant of Old Madam Dou, so he naturally listened to her every word.
As darkness fell, the carriage suddenly stopped at the intersection of Xihua Road and Donghua Road. "Your Highness, this road is blocked. Let's take another route."
Dou Wenyi lifted the carriage curtain and saw that the street across the street was packed with people, all of whom had been queuing overnight to buy grain.
It might snow heavily tonight, and who knows how many people will freeze to death.
Nowadays, major grain stores limit purchases daily. Even if grain prices skyrocket, the grain sold out within half an hour of opening.
As their carriage prepared to turn around, it was blocked by another carriage behind them, and a gentle and virtuous face appeared. "What's wrong?"
"Miss Meng, it's the Crown Prince's carriage. They seem to be turning around. The road ahead is congested, and they probably can't go any further. We need to turn around first."
Meng Jingshu peeked forward, hummed in agreement, and got off the carriage.
She walked a few steps to the window of the East Palace carriage and said softly, "Miss Dou, let's have a private chat."
Dou Wenyi got off the carriage.
The two noble ladies simultaneously turned their gazes toward the vast crowd opposite them.
Meng Jingshu spoke softly, "I thought you were a bit smarter than Dou Mingyan, but I didn't expect you to be just as foolish as her. In court affairs, everyone is supposed to blend in and conform, but you two are being unconventional. It's not necessarily a good thing for the disaster victims."
"If today's matter of moldy porridge reaches the ears of the emperor, those disaster victims won't even have a bowl of porridge to fill their stomachs. Tianning City is facing a severe food shortage, and merchants are busy driving up prices, so there will only be less and less food circulating in the market. Your actions will only lead to the deaths of a large number of disaster victims. Don't you feel that your sins are grave?"
joke!
They were even recognized as heroes for distributing porridge with moldy rice.
That's utterly shameless and ridiculous!
Meng Jingshu narrowed her eyes and sneered, "You all brought this upon yourselves, and dragged others down with you."
Dou Wenyi's expression turned slightly serious as she suddenly recalled the rumors about Shen Yanzhou and Meng Jingshu from her previous life. Meng Jingshu must have liked Shen Yanzhou, right?
But how could someone like her be worthy of Shen Yanzhou's affection?
Dou Wenyi's eyes were cold, but she still maintained a polite smile. "Does he know how worried you are about him?"
Meng Jingshu's smile froze, and she glared at her, "What do you want to say...?"
Dou Wenyi stated directly, her voice clear and firm, "Meng Jingshu, are you trying to distort the truth and seek justice for Shen Yanzhou? Every decision he makes is one he has carefully considered. Your concern is meaningless."
"Furthermore, no matter how weak the Crown Prince's power is, he will not be blinded by greed and take advantage of the disaster victims' misfortune."
Meng Jingshu's face turned completely cold, and she said sarcastically, "Is that so?"
"Do you see the two largest grain shops across the street? Those are the Sheng family's properties. The Crown Prince really has some tricks up his sleeve. He's profiting from the national crisis by inflating grain prices while simultaneously flaunting his wealth and portraying himself as someone who's doing this out of righteous indignation. What a joke!"
Of course, Meng Jingshu would never tell her that the Meng family owns three floors of grain shops in Tianning City, the Sheng family only occupies two floors, and the remaining half is in the hands of the Gu family.
Dou Wenlian's pupils contracted slightly, and a complex emotion flashed in her eyes.
Sheng Xiyue was designated as the Crown Prince's concubine. As the saying goes, "one prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer." The Sheng family's actions and behavior indeed represented the Eastern Palace, which naturally aroused suspicion.
Dou Wenyi thought that with her warning, the court would stockpile grain in advance to mitigate the disaster.
But the current situation seems to suggest that no matter how hard she tries to change things, the general trend will always follow the trajectory of the previous life. Is it really impossible for her to change history?
Dou Wenyi sat lazily in her chair, lost in thought, unaware that Pei Siyan had entered the bedroom.
Pei Siyan wore a black, wide-sleeved robe, revealing a loose white undergarment underneath. His well-defined chest and abdominal muscles were faintly visible, and his whole body exuded an unruly and dashing charm.
He leaned down, his strong body looming over her. "Yi'er, what are you thinking about?"
Dou Wenyi snapped out of her daze, a faint fragrance of soap wafted into her nostrils, and seeing the dampness on his neck from his bath, she hurriedly looked away.
The price of grain has already risen to 130 wen per shi (a unit of dry measure), and it's unclear how it will continue to rise so wildly.
She wanted to ask why the imperial court didn't curb the skyrocketing grain prices.
A flicker of struggle and hesitation crossed Dou Wenyi's eyes. Before she could finish speaking, she changed her approach and asked, "Your Highness, when will Tianning City receive grain?"
Pei Siyan sighed resentfully when he saw that she completely ignored his good looks.
Has his masculine charm faded...?
Pei Siyan sat down on his own, picked up the teapot, poured tea for her personally, and patiently explained, "Yi'er, Zheng Zhilong's ship will arrive at the port tomorrow, but we cannot open the warehouses to release grain. We must let him raise the price of grain like other grain merchants."
Dou Wenyi's heart skipped a beat, and she raised her voice, "The skyrocketing prices of rice and grain are due to the court's instigation. Does Your Highness also want to profit from the national crisis?"
Her gaze at Pei Siyan grew sharper. "I thought you cared about the people, but it turns out you're just like them, birds of a feather!"
Pei Siyan paused in his tea-pouring, then chuckled, "Yi'er, you're very dissatisfied with your husband! Can you let me finish what I have to say? Only when Zheng Zhilong makes a fortune will those grain merchants flock here, and the grain shortage will be easily resolved."
"Do you know how many unscrupulous merchants are eyeing Tianning City? I will not only make Zheng Zhilong raise prices, but I will raise them to over 180 wen! Starting tomorrow, the imperial court will no longer open granaries to distribute grain. No matter which meritorious family or clan dares to use moldy rice to distribute porridge, they will be investigated and held accountable."
Pei Siyan looked intently at Dou Wenyi, paused, and then said, "Now, do you understand my intention?"
Dou Wenyi's long eyelashes trembled slightly.
Pei Siyan said meaningfully, "When we raided the Tan family's estate, nearly a million shi of millet disappeared from the Yuanfeng and Yongfeng granaries. This time, we need to make sure those people in the Ministry of Justice open their eyes and investigate thoroughly!"
Dou Wenyi instantly understood that he was trying to lure the snake out of its hole.
The stolen government grain would take the opportunity to flood into Tianning City in large quantities. If the source was not clearly explained, it would be easy to trace the source.
"With no one distributing porridge outside the city, are we just going to watch those refugees starve to death?"
Pei Siyan chuckled softly, "We're getting married soon. You visited Yunjian Villa last time, and it's still too small. We should renovate it properly. Also, His Majesty's underground palace has been under construction for years. We should urge the Ministry of Works to expedite the work while the national treasury has the funds!"
Dou Wenyi understood; he wanted the refugees to serve as laborers and support themselves.
His plan was perfect, practically flawless.
But Shen Yanzhou will be the only one to be sacrificed. As an inspector, he will inevitably expose the affair of the moldy rice, which will put him in open conflict with many powerful families, and he will likely face great difficulties in court in the future.
"Yi'er, it's late, you should take care of me now, I'm exhausted after a long day."
Lost in her own thoughts, she wanted to press further, "Then Chen Yan..."
Pei Siyan's face darkened instantly. He abruptly lifted her chin and forcefully sealed her lips with his, drowning out Shen Yanzhou's name in their intertwined tongues...
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