Chapter 82 Staying in the Prince's Mansion as a Manager's Wife
The twilight in the mountains was so thick that the road ahead was obscured, were it not for the golden sunlight filtering through the branches.
I still thought it was evening.
The experienced Shadow Guards tore off some herbs from the ground, chewed them up, and applied them to Wei Xun's wounds.
"Rare herbs can only be found in deep mountains and forests."
Wei Xun was able to move his legs again in no time, and the burning sensation he had felt earlier was gone.
"This is the kind of arrow poison that only General Meng's Black Tiger Army possesses."
He inhaled deeply. The arrow was an ordinary arrow, but the poison was extraordinary.
This poison is easy to cure; its original purpose was to strike at the enemy without harming one's own brothers.
It is a poison commonly used by the Black Tiger Army.
The Shadow Guards had also heard of this poison, "but the Black Tiger Army has been disbanded for more than ten years."
Wei Xun said, "Regardless of whether these bandits are related to General Meng or not, we must report them and have them wiped out."
"Once we cross this mountain, we'll reach Yuzhou City. Let's go to Yuzhou first."
The Shadow Guards stopped him, saying, "Wei Xun, don't forget what our primary objective is. We can only report back to the capital about what happened here."
Wei Xun said, "This place is closest to Linzhou, and the Prince of Han has the most soldiers among all the vassal kings."
"What if these bandits are General Meng's soldiers in disguise, intending to collude with the Prince of Han!"
The Shadow Guard remained unmoved, only reminding him, "Wei Xun, you are a Shadow Guard."
Wei Xun waved his hand away and turned to leave.
Another shadow guard watched his retreating figure and asked, "Brother, should we chase after him?"
The leader said, "Never mind him, go back and report first."
The Shadow Guards are different from other guards.
The orders must be obeyed only by His Majesty.
Wei Xun, you're meddling too much.
He wasn't suited to be a bodyguard, but his brother Wan Quan was quite suitable.
*
Yao Shisan took Shuang'er and Fu'er out this time.
Sang Qi offered to lead the way; she had grown up in Yuzhou City and knew its streets and alleys very well.
"If you like rice cakes, the grandma at the end of the street makes the best ones. The red dates she adds make them even sweeter."
"And the rice cake with pickled radish is absolutely amazing!"
"There are also roasted rice cakes, fried rice balls, rice tofu, rice noodles, glutinous rice balls..."
Fu'er couldn't wait any longer. "Let's go!"
Yao Shisan suddenly realized that everyone in Yuzhou ate rice and grew paddy rice.
It is also the most important food crop.
Jinzhou and Ningzhou are mainly wheat-growing areas.
Some of the grain she traded in the capital was rice, and rice was expensive.
"Sangqi, is rice the most commonly grown crop in Yuzhou?"
Sang Qi nodded, "Yes, Ding County grows the most, and there's also plenty of water there."
Yao Shisan's gaze fell on the pharmacy not far ahead.
Food is the most important thing for people.
Medicine is of utmost importance in warfare.
She remembered hearing from the servants in her household that a border war had broken out during the month she was dying in her previous life.
It seems that during that period, the mansion was shrouded in gloom.
Zhou Congxian was a military general, but unfortunately he had no son. Zhao and the old lady of Zhou burned incense and prayed to Buddha every day, begging not to let Zhou Congxian go to the border.
Medicine is important, but food is just as important!
King Cheng was ambitious.
No matter what business she did in Yuzhou, Xiao Shu would be happy to see it.
Yao Shisan raised his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.
"Sangqi, which restaurant has the best food? Let's go eat!"
Fu'er leaned forward, wanting her mother to hold her, "I want to eat that rice, Sister Sangqi said there's lots of rice."
She pinched her daughter's cheek. "Okay, let's eat first, then we'll take you there!"
The flavors of Yuzhou are quite different from those in restaurants in the capital.
Even Fu'er, who is a picky eater, ate her fill today.
"Mother, this place is much more fun than the capital!"
The little child doesn't understand much; he only knows that this place is new and exciting.
Sang Qi lowered his eyes and remained silent.
With someone protecting you, it's fun anywhere.
"Sangqi, go and buy the two dishes you mentioned earlier."
Yao Shisan had Shuang'er give her some silver.
After sending Sang away, she got up and went straight to the rice shop across the street.
Sang Qi and Qing Wu were both gifts from the governor's office, so we can't trust them yet.
Besides the price, the rice shopkeepers also inquired about the differences in quality and price between rice from different counties.
The best rice comes from Dingxian.
Grain is most vulnerable to dampness and insects.
The weather in Yuzhou is humid, so the food cannot be piled up directly in the warehouse like it would in the capital.
There are also transportation issues.
There were many bandits in the mountains, and few boats on the waterways.
Yao Shisan returned to the restaurant with a bellyful of questions.
Sangqi has not returned yet.
Shuang'er sat by the railing, holding Fu'er in her arms.
She pointed and said, "That looks like Sang Qi."
Yao Shisan turned his head and saw Sang Qi protecting a little girl, with three burly men opposite her.
"Shuang'er, go to the Prince's mansion to find someone."
Xiao Shu had only just arrived in Yuzhou City and didn't yet know if his reputation was effective, so she decided not to take the risk.
Shuang'er had just left.
Then another girl appeared.
This girl must have some martial arts skills, because she knocked down the person who was trying to assault her with a single move.
"Pretty sister."
Fu'er suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm? Pretty lady?"
Fu'er looked up and said, "The pretty sister is tied up, and the bad guy... Uncle Cheng Wang is going to chop off her hands."
When did you first meet her?
Fu'er, "The day I got off the carriage!"
It was the day I arrived in Yuzhou City.
A beautiful young woman was tied up in the Prince Cheng's mansion...
Aside from the governor, it seems there's no one else to be found.
Before Shuang'er could even call for reinforcements, the pretty older sister that Fu'er had mentioned had already driven the three away.
The two said something, and Sang Qi pointed, and the two looked over.
Even from this distance, Yao Shisan somehow sensed the burning anger in the beautiful woman's eyes.
Um?
anger?
What's there to be angry about?
Are you suggesting that she, a pregnant woman, should hold her child and stand up for Sang Qi?
When Zheng Xier brought Sang Qi to the restaurant.
The lady whom my friend mentioned as His Highness Prince Cheng's most beloved concubine is drinking tea.
The little girl next to her was the one who let her go that day, and unintentionally saved her with her innocent words.
"This humble woman greets Madam."
Zheng Xier spoke somewhat awkwardly.
Her lips trembled slightly, but she couldn't help but speak, "Madam, Sangqi is your maid now. She's being bullied, why are you standing by and watching her die?"
Yao Shisan smiled and curved his lips into a smile.
She looked up at her and said, "We were both sent to the Prince's mansion by Lord Zheng, so why did you escape without taking your good sister with you?"
"Or rather, it was precisely because you left that Zheng Daren selected Sang Qi to fill your vacancy."
Zheng Xier ran fast and hid for two days before coming out.
She had no idea that Sangqi was also being blackmailed by her uncle.
"I……"
"How do you know I didn't save her?"
Yao Shisan interrupted her, his gaze falling downstairs.
Shuang'er has returned, bringing with her two soldiers.
“The girl knows nothing. Since she can’t even protect herself, she shouldn’t blame others.”
Zheng Xier shut her mouth.
The light in her eyes dimmed.
Yes, she can't even protect herself, so what right does she have to criticize others?
"Sangqi, I'm sorry, I didn't know that Uncle San had designs on you."
Sang Qi said, "It has nothing to do with you. It was my parents who took money from Lord Zheng."
"Besides," she glanced at Yao Shisan.
"The lady treats me very well. It's much easier to be by her side than at the tofu shop. It's quite nice."
Yao Shisan glanced between the two men and said, "Actually, I'm not as good as you guys make me out to be."
“Sangqi, my words are the same as yesterday: if you want to leave, I can let you go.”
Zheng Xier's eyes lit up.
She quickly looked at her friend.
Sang Qi lowered his eyes. "No need. If I go out, my father will sell me a second time."
"It would be better to stay by the lady's side."
Yao Shisan: "If you've thought it through, then it's fine."
Zheng Xier was visibly disappointed, and she looked back at Sang Qi several times as she left.
Sang Qi just smiled and told her not to worry.
What a beautiful display of sisterly affection!
For several days afterward.
Sang Qidu stayed obediently in the courtyard, only going out when Yao Shisan called her.
He neither asked too many questions nor said too much.
Shuang'er and Fu'er were both captured.
Only Qingwu, who was recuperating in the house, couldn't stand her.
Not only would he order Sang Qi around to serve tea and water, but he would also deliberately make things difficult for him.
Shuang'er couldn't stand it and stood up for her, which is why Qingwu restrained herself for two days.
"That Qingwu went too far!"
Shuang'er stormed in, fuming.
Yao Shisan wrote down all the information he had recently collected in a booklet.
"They're both willing to give and receive, why are you in such a hurry?"
Shuang'er sat down. "Who would want to get beaten? That's just stupid."
She looked up at the silly girl and said, "Well, you got beaten because you're stupid, but she isn't."
Shuang'er knew she couldn't win the argument, so she said, "I'll go feed Moya instead."
Moya, that little black puppy.
Fu'er originally named it Big Bone.
Xiao Shu happened to overhear this and, finding the name unpleasant, insisted on changing it to Moya.
Yao Shisan deeply understood the principle that one has to bow one's head when under someone's roof.
So, the little black dog unexpectedly got a nice name.
I've been taking care of it for a while now.
Moya is like a little black ball of dough, able to walk around everywhere with its short legs.
It stickies to Fu'er the most.
Yao Shisan took the prepared booklet and went out to the main courtyard.
The main courtyard is much more spacious and well-equipped now than when we first arrived.
The guards at the door were also familiar with her.
He announced his arrival and then let her in.
"You've raised 20,000 taels so quickly?"
Yao Shisan gritted his teeth.
She took a breath before continuing, "I know that Your Highness has a very successful business in the capital, so a mere 20,000 taels is naturally no problem for you."
"However, some things will naturally not turn out the same for me as for Your Highness in the capital."
As she spoke, she placed the booklet in front of him.
Xiao Shu looked at the booklet and realized that these were indeed things he should be careful about if he got involved with them.
The Shadow Guards should be arriving tomorrow.
He slightly raised his eyes. "So?"
Yao Shisan: "This humble woman wishes to make a deal with Your Highness."
Xiao Shu put down the booklet, crossed his arms, and showed great interest on his face.
She continued, "The basic needs of people's livelihood are nothing more than food and clothing, with food being of paramount importance."
"The rumors of grain shortages in Jinzhou a few months ago caused grain prices in Beijing to soar."
"If we can control both food and medicine, it will be a powerful tool for making money or saving lives."
Xiao Shu laughed, "I value talent. If Lady Yao stays in the palace as a manager, my debt will be wiped clean."
Yao Shisan's lips stiffened, then he said, "Paying back debts is a matter of course..."
She still wanted to leave.
Xiao Shu said no more.
Just tell them to contact Steward Qing directly if they need anything.
Yao Shisan left in high spirits.
Xiao Shu's willingness to take action will make things twice as effective.
Even if the profits are split 50/50, she can simply stay a few more months, earn enough, and then leave!
She froze instantly when she saw two figures at the gate as she passed by.
“Wei Xun…”
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