How much sincerity is there?
The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated, the wooden windows of the attic were half open, and the copper bells on the eaves jingled softly in the wind. Downstairs, an old woman carrying a vegetable basket hurried along. The lively atmosphere of the Jiangnan morning market mingled with the bubbling sound of tea being brewed on the stove, spreading in the damp air.
This place was a teahouse on a street corner. She asked the owner for a private room to talk, ordered some tea and snacks, and discussed important matters with Pei Wenjin here.
Xiao Diting closed the wooden window, sat back down, picked up the tea stove that was boiling, and poured himself half a cup of tea. Opposite him was the Commander, who had been nagging him since midnight.
Pei Wenjin first explained the reasons behind the draft grain proposal, and at the same time explained the general whereabouts of some of the grain.
In short, the draft plan was about the Empress Dowager's upcoming birthday, and the matter of building the imperial mausoleum had been delayed for a long time. She was already over seventy years old, and if no plan was reached soon, she might pass away without seeing a single brick or tile of her mausoleum.
Since the recapture of Juyan Mountain in the Northwest two years ago, the imperial court has had a respite. In the preceding years, border wars were incessant and cholera was rampant along the coast. All the money was allocated to the frontier, leaving little room for trouble.
Huaizhou is a land of plenty in the south, and before the natural disasters, it was known as the "granary of the world" when it was merged with Jiangzhou.
So those people got evil intentions. Not only did they raise taxes, but they also set their sights on the granaries of Huaizhou.
But just as they were establishing good relations with their superiors, a natural disaster struck, nearly disrupting all their plans.
Even in such a world, how could those who are so focused on food possibly care about the lives of ordinary people?
So the Crown Prince spent lavishly, promising countless benefits to bribe the officials of Huaizhou, including Yang Li, the son of Yang Yuanzheng, the prefect of Huaizhou.
Yang Zhengyuan was the toughest nut to crack in his plan. He had sent people to try to win him over several times, but Yang had always righteously and firmly rejected them.
If it weren't for his family and relatives, given Lord Yang's temper in his youth, he would have definitely filed a formal complaint to expose the truth and leave no room for anyone to back down.
With everything in place, they were stuck on the most crucial link: Yang Zhengyuan. So they set their sights on Yang's son.
Yang Zhengyuan was an upright and serious man, and he was even more rigorous in educating his children. Yang Li was an extremely mediocre student from a young age, neither good enough for high school nor good enough for low school. If he had been born into an ordinary family, he would have ended up farming if he hadn't achieved anything academically.
But if he were Yang Zhengyuan's son, he would be the center of attention wherever he went, his father renowned, while he himself would achieve nothing. The higher-ups took advantage of this mediocre son's arrogance and took advantage of the loophole.
Yang Li believed that his long-suppressed talents would finally have a chance to be put to use. He conspired with villains to kill his own father and helped outsiders secretly transport grain. The porridge he was given every day was just thin porridge mixed with sand.
Most of the grain transported out was sold at high prices along the southeast coast to exchange for gold and silver, which was then deposited into the coffers.
This means that the grain transported from the four prefectures might have been completely divided up before it even entered Huaizhou City.
Pei Wenjin recounted these details comprehensively. After finishing his jujube cake, he leaned against the side and pretended to doze off. He seemed frank, but in reality, he avoided answering the question about the grain line that Xiao Diting had marked on the map, which led westward.
Xiao Diting saw through his thoughts and, not wanting to disturb him, pretended to get close to him and pinched his cheek: "Don't sleep here, it's cold."
Pei Wenjin sullenly pulled her close, rubbing his forehead against her waist and abdomen, and mumbled, "Just taking a nap..."
Seeing that he had no intention of confessing, the princess sighed. She knew that if she pressed him any further, he would get angry, so she had to stop questioning him here.
With most of the outdoor noise blocked out, Xiao Diting took off his shawl and covered Pei Wenjin with it. He saw Pei Wenjin sleeping soundly beside him, his arms propped up, with dark circles under his eyes and exhaustion that he could not hide.
People often say that lust and greed cloud judgment, but Xiao Diting prided himself on not being foolish enough to believe Pei Wenjin's nonsense. He had been mostly busy lately, staying out all night; such diligence couldn't possibly be as simple as just "avoiding her."
"northwest……"
Xiao Diting muttered to himself, his gaze sweeping over the person opposite him, his mind filled with a myriad of thoughts. To be honest, things had come to this point without harming Pei Wenjin, but Pei Wenjin was still hiding something from him. He wondered if this "hidden secret" would be detrimental to him in the future.
She was wary of Pei Wenjin suddenly turning against her.
Xiao Diting wasn't discouraged at not getting a big advantage from Pei Wenjin. Pei Wenjin had reached his current position at such a young age thanks to his shrewd and resourceful nature.
There are some things he's unwilling to say right now, but there will be plenty of opportunities to work things out with him later.
Xiao Diting went downstairs, paid for the tea, and instructed the owner to wake the people upstairs at 9:00 AM, and not to let anyone disturb them during this time.
After settling everything in, Xiao Diting pushed open the door of the teahouse. The morning mist just happened to drift over the threshold. She took a deep breath, about to catch her breath and find some amusement.
"Miss!" Chunyan stood at the alley entrance, clutching the hem of her skirt. Seeing her come out, she hurried forward, her voice urgent. She looked around and leaned in to whisper, "Your Highness! Madam Shuangqiao has woken up. She just finished her medicine and asked where you went!"
Xiao Diting's gaze sharpened. She turned and glanced at the tightly closed windows of the pavilion. Without further delay, she instructed Chunyan to leave two Imperial Guards outside the teahouse, then lifted her skirt and hurried toward the inn.
The snow on the stone path had melted halfway, making a sticky "squeak" sound when stepped on.
When Xiao Diting lifted the curtain and entered the inn, she bumped into the waiter carrying an empty medicine bowl. Upon seeing her, the waiter quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, Madam Shuangqiao is waiting in the inner room. She seems to be in better spirits."
Xiao Diting nodded: "Thank you for your trouble. Bring a hot water bottle."
"yes."
When she pushed open the door, Ji Shuangqiao was leaning against the folded brocade quilt. Although her face was still pale, the previous confusion in her eyes was gone.
When Xiao Diting came in, she struggled to sit up straight, but Xiao Diting quickly stepped forward and pressed her shoulder down: "Don't move around too much since you just woke up. Just lie down and talk."
Ji Shuangqiao leaned against her arm to steady herself, her gaze falling on her hair, which was damp with dew. She remained silent for a moment before speaking, her voice still hoarse from illness: "Your Highness has not returned all night. You should rest well first."
"Not really, I have to go back to the capital to report on my mission. There are some things that can't be delayed." Xiao Diting sat down on the edge of the bed, reached out and touched her forehead. Her fever had indeed subsided by more than half. "The physician said that your illness requires rest and cannot be rushed."
Ji Shuangqiao lowered her eyes to look at the dark patterns embroidered on the bedding, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the edge of the fabric. After a long while, she raised her eyes and asked in a deep, melancholy voice, "Your Highness came today to ask about the Duqu River bandits, didn't you?"
Xiao Diting felt a slight chill in his heart, but his face remained calm: "You're quite perceptive. I was thinking of waiting until you were feeling better, but I didn't expect you to bring it up first."
“This matter has been weighing on my mind for too long. Now that Yang Li is gone, there’s no point in hiding it anymore.” Ji Shuangqiao took a deep breath, as if to expel all the pent-up frustration from his chest. “Those so-called river bandits actually existed a long time ago. They weren’t some desperate outlaws from the mountains at all. They were just a ‘front’ put together by the powerful and wealthy in Huaizhou City.”
Xiao Diting paused in his tea-serving hand, quickly piecing together a rough idea in his mind: "Powerful figures? Are they after the trade routes?"
"Yes." Ji Shuangqiao nodded, her eyes reddening, but she held back her tears. "Huaizhou relies on the water for its livelihood, and trade routes are its lifeblood. But some people, in order to monopolize profits, have come up with this despicable method—bribing some refugees and desperados to pose as river bandits and rob passing merchants. At first, they only stole some goods, but later they became bolder and bolder, even daring to sink people and boats directly."
She paused, as if something was stuck in her throat, and after a long pause, she continued: "Over time, the merchants from the north became afraid, and no one dared to travel the Duqu route..."
"I understand." Xiao Di had seen the map of the world and knew that the Duqu Canal was the shortest waterway to the south of the Yangtze River. If they went around it, the time and money they would spend would be enormous.
Therefore, many merchants preferred to take another land route, cross a small mountain, go directly to Huizhou, and then head west to Loulan.
Goods brought back from the Western Regions even sell better in the Central Plains.
"Our Ji family has been in the maritime trade for generations. Losing this route is like losing half our lives. My parents personally led the ship out to sea last autumn to open up another coastal trade route, but..."
At this point, she finally broke down, tears falling onto the bedding and spreading into a small wet patch: "They said we encountered a shipwreck, the ship was destroyed and everyone died. But I later found out that it wasn't a shipwreck at all, someone had tampered with the ship... I didn't even have a chance to collect my parents' bodies."
It's not long since someone has been eyeing the Ji family's wealth. The family is small, and once the elders die, the two children left behind are easy prey. Why wouldn't they want to take advantage of that?
It's no wonder that Ji Shuangqiao had the courage to give away all his wealth, even if it meant mutual destruction, rather than let those villains succeed.
Xiao Diting silently handed over the handkerchief, watching her clench her hand so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Suddenly, he understood something. Ji Shuangqiao's marriage into the Yang family back then might not have been solely for her brother's medicine money, but also to use the Yang family's power to uncover the truth behind her parents' deaths.
"Does Yang Li... know about this?" Xiao Diting asked softly.
Ji Shuangqiao raised her eyes, her gaze full of mockery: "How could he not know? His father, Yang Zhengyuan, was considered a thorn in their side precisely because he refused to compromise his principles. Yang Li later allied himself with the Crown Prince, probably hoping to use external forces to bring all these people down—"
"Unfortunately, he went astray and ended up getting himself killed."
The morning light shone through the window paper and fell on Ji Shuangqiao's face. Although it was a warm light, it made her look even more lonely.
As Xiao Diting looked at her, he suddenly recalled the way Yang Li rushed into the sea of fire at the end, and his words when he fell off Ji Shuang Bridge, "I also want to be a true overlord." He felt a little uneasy.
You've always known about her difficulties, but you've pretended not to see them, letting her be depressed and tormenting each other.
"Do you know exactly who those powerful and influential people are?" Xiao Diting pressed, his fingertips unconsciously clenching his sleeve.
Ji Shuangqiao shook his head, his voice lowering: "I only know that there are people from the prefectural government and a few large merchants who do grain business. As for who they are, Yang Li kept silent, probably because he was afraid I would seek revenge. I couldn't find out either—when my parents' ship sank, all the evidence was destroyed cleanly, and even the government's files were written in a vague way."
Xiao Diting pondered for a moment, then suddenly remembered the westward grain route that Pei Wenjin had avoided answering last night.
If the bandits along the Duqu River were colluding with officials and merchants, could this grain route be related to them? Just as she was about to ask something else, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by Chunyan's voice: "Your Highness, Lord Pei has woken up and says he has important matters to discuss with you."
Xiao Diting looked up at Ji Shuangqiao and saw her nod to signal him to hurry up. He then stood up and said, "You should rest first. I'll come see you after I've finished dealing with things."
Ji Shuangqiao watched her retreating figure and suddenly spoke up: "Your Highness, I am an old acquaintance of Lord Pei."
“I know he came to Huaizhou once. In order to suppress this grain draft, he probably had to silence you.” Xiao Diting nodded frankly. “I apologize to you on his behalf for this.”
"If you solve this river bandit case for me, I'll wipe the slate clean."
Ji Shuangqiao extended her hand, her eyes piercing. Xiao Diting stepped forward gracefully and agreed with her immediately: "Deal, that's exactly what I came here for."
After all, Yang Li alone could not stir up any trouble; there must be other forces supporting him.
Seeing that the two had nothing more to say, Xiao Diting flicked her sleeves and prepared to leave, but Ji Shuangqiao, for reasons unknown, called out to her again: "Your Highness, please wait."
Xiao Diting paused, and when he turned around, he saw that her eyes were full of solemnity: "He may have some sincerity towards you, but the Embroidered Uniform Guard is never an ordinary person, and could be a sharp knife to stab you at any time."
Hearing this, she knew that these were Ji Shuangqiao's heartfelt words and advice.
So Xiao Diting straightened his expression and said sincerely, "I understand this principle. Pei Wenjin is arrogant and unruly, like a knife without a master. It's just that I am more comfortable holding it now."
"I will be on guard."
Xiao Diting left Ji Shuangqiao's room and carefully closed the door. Before he could catch his breath, a slender hand covered his mouth and nose and led him into the guest room across the hall.
"Damn it." She cursed inwardly, worried that it was an assassin. She pushed her hand back and touched a warm chest. By the time she realized what was happening, she couldn't pull her strength back.
Pei Wenjin didn't dodge, but hissed in pain and gasped for breath.
Shocked, Xiao Diting forgot to speak, and Pei Wenjin, who had been intent on capturing her, pulled her into his arms. He reached out to protect the princess's neck and pressed her down onto the bed beside him.
The fall didn't hurt, but the chill from outside made her shiver. Xiao Diting was startled, and fearing she would disturb others, she could only mutter angrily, "Pei Wenjin! What's wrong with you?"
Pei Wenjin pressed her firmly into the blanket, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look up at him.
"You call me unruly?"
"Just because it's convenient to use?"
Xiao Diting sensed the anger in his words, bent his knee and kicked him, taking advantage of the moment when Pei Wenjin was in pain to flip over and pin him down. In an instant, the tables were turned, and Xiao Diting was now in control.
"So what if it is?" Xiao Diting was frank and straightforward, admitting it without hesitation. "You yourself are full of lies, how can I trust you wholeheartedly?"
Pei Wenjin lay beneath her with his arm as a pillow, his expression indifferent. He didn't struggle at all, but just glanced at her sideways, looking cold and indifferent.
Are you really angry?
Xiao Diting leaned down, getting extremely close to him, and Pei Wenjin hummed twice before falling silent. Their breaths mingled, and it was impossible to tell who was truly heartless.
“I hate you, Pei Wenjin.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
