There's no time like the present, so An Lingrong, accompanied by Juqing, headed towards Changchun Immortal Pavilion. Upon entering, they found a large stack of silver notes on Sun Miaoqing's table.
Besides that, there were several boxes piled high with South China Sea pearls, jade bracelets, gemstone beads, and mutton fat jade.
Excluding banknotes, the jewelry alone is worth at least tens of thousands of taels of silver.
Sun Miaoqing didn't try to hide it; these were nothing compared to what was going on. These days, those people were like headless flies, showering the capital with gifts and money. It wouldn't be long before An Lingrong received a share too.
"Now that you're here, you can help me take a look and see which of these bracelets looks best on me."
One was as clear as a pool of blue water, another had purple floating flowers like clouds in the sky, another was hollowed out in a twisted shape, and yet another was made of blood jade, with bright red making up a small part of it.
An Lingrong said, "This emerald green bracelet is nice, but it's not as good as this purple one with floating flowers, which suits your temperament better."
Sun Miaoqing put on the purple one, which suited her outfit perfectly.
"The sea ban has been lifted. Although the Emperor had made excuses to purge twice, there were always some who slipped through the net."
"With their backers on land gone, and no match for the imperial navy, their smuggling business was on the verge of collapse, and they were all as anxious as ants on a hot pan."
"So he brought a lot of silver with him, hoping to find a powerful backer and secure a future for himself and his children and grandchildren."
An Lingrong said, "These pirates are quite capable; they managed to find a way to deliver the goods directly to you, sister."
"Sister, are you accepting these gifts to welcome their refuge?"
Sun Miaoqing said, "Of course, these people are used to being at sea. Over the years, the nautical charts they have must be more accurate than those kept by the imperial court."
"Moreover, they knew how to live at sea, how to read the weather, where to take shelter from the storm, and where pirates frequented."
"It would be such a waste if I didn't use such talents and let them fight with the navy, or even go abroad and cause trouble for the court."
Even the most wicked person must first be squeezed dry of their remaining value, and only after they are completely useless are they thrown into the sea to feed the sharks.
The sea is so dangerous. We've gained experience from the previous two reconnaissance missions. We need to burn ourselves out to light up others.
This is called making the best use of resources!
An Lingrong thought that made sense; if something good is offered to you, you shouldn't refuse it.
Besides, this is just the beginning; more will be sent in continuously in the future.
“Sister is right, that’s exactly right. With these people around, the fleets going out to sea will have more security.”
The two talked for a while before An Lingrong brought up the purpose of her visit. She explained everything to Sun Miaoqing in detail.
After listening, Sun Miaoqing also thought it was a good idea. How many more years could the chubby orange cat live? With a prince as her support, An Lingrong's future days would be much more comfortable.
Her younger brother is only ten years old and can't be of much help right now. Even if he passes the imperial examination and becomes a scholar, he'll likely start as a minor official of the seventh rank, and most likely be appointed as a county magistrate.
If there is a prince or nobleman standing in the court, no one dares to disregard his words, as they directly affect the quality of life in the future.
As a good friend, how could I not help with something like this?
Sun Miaoqing patted her chest with a show of loyalty and promised, "It's no big deal. Leave it to me. I'll make sure the Fourth Prince goes to you."
An Lingrong smiled and nodded, "Thank you, sister. Luckily, you've been there to help me and the Fourth Prince. The Emperor doesn't like the Fourth Prince; he gets angry just hearing his name."
“I want to ask him, but I’m afraid it will backfire. After thinking it over, I think only if you, sister, ask him will the Emperor not be angry.”
An Lingrong originally planned to proceed slowly, first subtly probing and laying the groundwork to soften the attitude of the chubby orange (the prince) towards the Fourth Prince.
Then find another opportunity to lead the big fat orange out for a walk, where it will accidentally bump into the Fourth Prince and happen to discover that the Fourth Prince has been mistreated.
Then, have Sun Miaoqing or Zhen Huan say something like, "The Fourth Prince is being bullied because he doesn't have a mother to take care of him." Advise the Emperor to find the Fourth Prince a foster mother so that he can be looked after.
If she takes the initiative to offer to raise the Fourth Prince, and the Fourth Prince is willing to acknowledge her as his mother, there shouldn't be any problems.
But after what happened today, An Lingrong couldn't wait to take the Fourth Prince over to raise him.
She and Sun Miaoqing had always been close, and such matters were always discussed directly. With this promise, she could rest assured to prepare everything for the Fourth Prince.
The Emperor will definitely agree; he's bound to be indebted to those who accept bribes, and he can't stand Sun Miaoqing's unreasonable demands.
*
Hall of Mental Cultivation
Big Fat Orange had just finished his afternoon nap and set up a target in the backyard of Kyushu Qingyan, practicing his archery skills.
He fired thirty or fifty arrows in quick succession, each one hitting the bullseye. Big Fat Orange handed the bow to Su Peisheng and stretched his slightly sore arm.
Then he hugged Xing'er in his arms and patted her head.
A balance between work and rest really does make one feel refreshed.
However, one might notice a red gold gemstone collar around the pet's neck, with a palm-sized longevity lock pendant hanging from it.
The locket features auspicious cloud patterns as its base, inlaid with over twenty gemstones of various sizes and colors. At first glance, its value is immediately apparent.
"Who put this thing on Xing'er? It's utterly tacky!"
Just as Su Peisheng was about to speak, Sun Miaoqing walked up from behind and said directly, "This is what I gave you. It matches the dog bowl perfectly. Does Your Majesty find it inappropriate?"
Big Fatty Ju noticed Sun Miaoqing's furrowed brows and the threatening tone in her voice. Although it wasn't obvious, how could he not hear it?
Taking a step back opens up a whole new world; don't bother with trivial matters.
"No, you misheard me. I said it fits perfectly when worn."
"Having come at this hour, is there something you wish to see me about?"
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