It was for this reason that he had filled the courtyard with Bauhinia flowers, which symbolized family harmony and deep kinship.
Le Xing whispered from the side, "Young Master, do we need to inform Grand Prince that there’s a mole by his side?"
Le Xing and Le Shui were orphans saved by Lin Zheqi over a decade ago and were loyal only to him, feeling no fondness for the Lord they had never met.
The two had heard of the heroic deeds of Grand Prince and held him in high esteem. Despite the Grand Prince being a strong opponent, the Young Master seemed to have some inexplicable fondness for him and probably wouldn’t want any harm to come to him.
"First, investigate that mole in secret," Lin Zheqi said with a slight nod. "However, we still need to remind Grand Prince to be extra vigilant."
Le Shui suggested, "Young Master, why not tell Princess Chen?"
Lin Zheqi and Le Xing both looked at Le Shui.
"Princess Chen is on good terms with Grand Prince, and besides being extraordinarily intelligent and fortunate, if she knows about the mole, she will definitely take it seriously. With Prince Chen’s means and power, I believe it will be much easier for them to find out than for us to investigate secretly," explained Le Shui.
After some thought, Lin Zheqi found Le Shui’s point reasonable.
Firstly, although Grand Prince was seldom in his mansion, its defenses were strict, and it wouldn’t be easy for them to conduct a covert investigation. Secondly, Butler Lin, Le Ya, and Le Fei were his father’s loyal followers who, while assisting him, also had the purpose of keeping an eye on him. Thirdly, considering the incident with the Princess of Beiyue during the banquet, it had been proven that Princess Chen possessed extraordinary wit, making her the most suitable person to handle this matter.
"Inform Princess Chen as soon as possible," he instructed.
Le Xing and Le Shui respectfully acknowledged the command.
"By the way, do we have any news regarding the matter you were investigating?"
The two exchanged glances. Le Shui said, "To report back, Young Master, Zhang Run has just sent a message. The son of Grand Prince, Long Yilin, was poisoned by villains at the age of three. He also has a Lianhua birthmark on his heart that is invisible unless his emotions are stirred. As for the rest, Zhang Run is continuing the investigation."
After waving for them to leave, Lin Zheqi raised his hand to his right chest, his emotions unsettled for a long time.
On the nineteenth of March, Yang Mengchen and Long Xuanmo saw Yang Chengbin and Wu Lizhen off to the examination site (Yang Chengyou had gone to the government office early, and Yang Chenghong was still pretending to be ill). Due to various reasons, the Emperor had decreed before the end of the year to notify the world that this year’s imperial examinations would be held on the nineteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-third of March.
After planning to return to their carriage and then head to the Imperial Palace, someone suddenly bumped into Yang Mengchen before quickly disappearing without a trace.
"Ah Jiu, are you alright?" Long Xuanmo steadied Yang Mengchen in time.
Yang Mengchen shook her head: "I’m fine."
After getting into the carriage and instructing Mo Yun to set off, Yang Mengchen unfolded a piece of paper she was holding and took a look, then passed it to Long Xuanmo. Upon reading it, he furrowed his brows slightly and saw his wife’s calm expression, sparking a thought, "Ah Jiu already knew, didn’t you?"
"Not only did I know in advance, but I also arranged for someone to closely watch that person’s every move," Yang Mengchen disclosed without holding back. "Wende, take a guess, who might have sent the message?"
Long Xuanmo pondered for a moment: "Lin Zheqi."
"My Wende is truly the most intelligent man under the heavens!" Yang Mengchen praised with a smile brimming with amusement.
Long Xuanmo had heard many compliments before, but his wife’s praise was the most cherished. Embracing his wife, he kissed her deeply, only letting go after a long while, his voice filled with emotion, "The ties of blood kinship are ultimately hard to sever."
Yang Mengchen nodded, affirming his sentiment.
Long Xuanmo and Yang Mengchen directly headed to Cining Palace, and it wasn’t long before the Empress and Long Yingtong hurried over upon learning of their visit, with the Tenth Prince absent due to studies at the National Academy.
After the morning court session, the Emperor, Grand Prince, and Prince Ning also came to Cining Palace.
With a wave of his hand to dismiss all the palace attendants, Long Xuanmo handed over four agreements to the Emperor: "Father, these are the cooperation agreements Ah Jiu signed with three countries. Please review them, Father."
The Emperor took them and read carefully, his stern expression gradually filling with excitement.
Although the three agreements predominantly benefited the Yang family, the Dongchu Imperial Court also stood to gain significantly. The taxes from the Yang Family Shops were a substantial sum, and this would not only promote mutual exchanges with the three countries but also control their economies. Should any of the countries instigate wars, the Yang Family Shops would immediately withdraw, which could have incalculable severe consequences for those countries.
The last agreement was for Beiyue to pay tribute to Dong Chu annually with ten thousand fine horses, eighty thousand tons of Wind Copper, two million dan of fragrant rice, and a considerable amount of rare medicinal herbs, along with fifty thousand tons of Black Stone.
"Jiujiu, what is this Black Stone?" The Emperor was familiar with fine horses and the like, but Black Stone was unknown to him.
Yang Mengchen explained with a smile, "To respond to Father, after researching, it is a black flammable solid mineral only found in Beiyue Country, but the people of Beiyue have no knowledge of its utility and value." She then described the uses of Black Stone, known in modern times as coal, which captivated the audience with sparkling eyes.
"Excellent, Jiujiu truly is Dong Chu’s lucky star!" The Emperor praised loudly, delighted. He had learnt of the prior issue where Jiujiu had turned the tables on Wu Wenlan and Beiyue, all for his and Dong Chu’s benefit. He had truly married the right Imperial daughter-in-law!
Empress Dowager and others felt equally relieved and fortunate.
Meanwhile, Long Xuanmo gazed at his beloved wife beside him, pride and satisfaction evident on his face, feeling as sweet as honey inside.
"As an Imperial daughter-in-law, it is incumbent upon me to consider the well-being of the Long family and the state," Yang Mengchen humbly said. "Father, Wu Zhenglie also sent me a Snow Ling Flower, which I plan to use to develop a pill to strengthen the body. When ready, the family can take it. Please forgive me for taking the initiative without permission."
"Not at all," replied the Emperor. If Jiujiu was doing it for the family, naturally, he had no reason to reproach her.
Long Xuanmo produced another document and presented it to the Emperor, who after reading it, looked up at Yang Mengchen with curiosity, "What’s this?"
"I plan to build a holiday resort on the piece of land Father granted me."
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