Chapter 371 Fatty Takes on an Apprentice
Qin Jinzhi watched Wei Lao's retreating figure as he returned to the Empress's palace.
Before long, the emperor was also invited over.
Qin Jinzhi sat at the table eating fruit.
The emperor sat down on the soft couch. "You little rascal, you're quite unusual today. What did you invite me here for?"
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow, "Issue an imperial decree to bestow marriage upon you."
"What?"
Both of them looked at Qin Jinzhi in confusion.
The emperor frowned and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to annul the engagement?"
Qin Jinzhi waved her hand, "It's not me, it's my aunt."
The Emperor and Empress were taken aback, then asked in confusion, "Ah Ying?"
Qin Jinzhi nodded. "My aunt and I have already discussed it, and we've decided on Jin Yuanbao, the son of the richest man in the capital."
Upon hearing this, the Empress immediately said, "You two are simply being ridiculous! Why didn't you consult us about such an important matter?"
Thinking of the one million taels of silver she had just received, Qin Jinzhi glanced at the Empress. Her grandmother might not hit her aunt, but she would definitely beat her. She quickly said, "It was my aunt who decided."
The emperor also disagreed, saying, "Your grandmother is right, this is utterly absurd. Guards, summon Princess Zhaorong to the palace."
Qin Jinzhi stopped the man and sat down next to the Empress.
"Grandmother, my aunt has her own plans."
The Empress tapped her head. "I won't interfere too much with who Aying likes or who she wants to marry. But we need to see who is marrying Aying. She is your great-aunt's only bloodline. How can I not care about such a big matter?"
Qin Jinzhi stood up. “That person is a smart man. If he is honest and kind, the two families can gather all the wealth in the world and jointly build a trade route. But if the Jin family is not honest, then my aunt will have a legitimate reason to swallow up the Jin family. If you interfere, wouldn’t that be plundering by trickery?”
The emperor looked at Qin Jinzhi and raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
The unease in the Empress's eyes lessened considerably after hearing this.
When Jinzhi found Aying, Aying had already begun to show her talent.
By leveraging existing resources, the business has grown to such an extent that it is unlikely to be easily deceived.
Qin Jinzhi's words also made her aware of Zhao Yuanying's ambition.
If given the choice, who wouldn't want to be the richest person in the country?
The business world is like a battlefield, and Ah Ying is a skilled general.
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "Of course, the decree is to let the Jin family know the real backer behind Aunt. If you interfere, you'll be doing the Jin family a favor."
The emperor was silent for a moment. “There’s no rush for the imperial decree. We can wait until Ah Ying enters the palace and we’ve found out the truth before issuing the decree.”
Qin Jinzhi blinked and nestled next to the Empress.
After discussing Zhao Yuanying, the Emperor and Empress began to talk about Qin Jinzhi's marriage.
This marriage was originally arranged by imperial decree.
If they were to break off the engagement, the promise of a ruler would become a joke.
The Pei family had taken the initiative to propose this marriage, so if they were to break it off, they would have to be punished for the sake of the royal family's reputation.
The two racked their brains trying to find a way to satisfy both sides.
After finishing her meal, Qin Jinzhi lay down on the swing in the yard, feeling quite content.
After a long while, Feiyan finally ran back from outside the palace.
Qin Jinzhi opened one eye to look at her, "All done?"
Feiyan said proudly, "Princess, please rest assured!"
Qin Jinzhi closed her eyes. "I'll take you to the Imperial Kitchen to find Master Pang later."
While the Queen's palace was peaceful and serene, another palace was in chaos and turmoil.
Consort Shen sat in the courtyard, her face full of anger.
"Speak! Who did this?! If we can't find the thief today, I will have you all beaten to death!"
"Your Majesty, spare me! Your Majesty, spare me!"
"This servant truly has no idea how Your Highness's things could have disappeared."
"I have searched the entire palace, but it is really not here, Your Highness!"
The eunuchs and maids in Consort Shen's palace knelt on the ground.
They were all begging for mercy.
Consort Shen shouted, "If it wasn't you, then was it me who stole from your own quarters?! Beat her!"
The palace was filled with wailing.
Today, we're taking stock of our private coffers.
They discovered that a lot of things were missing from their private vault.
These were all things she used to love very much.
Unexpectedly, some thief was so audacious as to steal from her.
By nightfall, they still hadn't been able to identify the thief, but several palace servants had died.
Qin Jinzhi was not surprised to hear the news, as Consort Shen was known for her ruthless methods.
She led Feiyan to the imperial kitchen.
Feiyan ate with great relish.
Qin Jinzhi moved closer to Fatty and said, "Come out of the palace with me tomorrow."
The fat man looked up at her and said, "I'm telling you beforehand, if you don't meet my standards, I won't take you in."
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Of course."
The next day, after court, Qin Jinzhi waited for the fat man in front of the palace gate.
As soon as she saw Fatty appear, Qin Jinzhi reached out and invited him to get into the car.
The carriage headed towards Chidori-tsukasa.
On the way, Fatty would glance at Qin Jinzhi every now and then.
Finally, Qin Jinzhi couldn't help but ask, "Fatty, what exactly are you trying to say?"
Fatty was unusually embarrassed, and he rubbed his hands together.
"Is she alright?"
Qin Jinzhi raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
The fat man was furious. "Do you believe I'll jump out of the car right now?!"
Qin Jinzhi quickly replied, "Yes, yes, she's doing very well now."
The fat man was silent for a moment, then said, "That's good."
Qin Jinzhi became interested. "Since you like Grandma, why don't you go find her?"
The fat man shook his head. "She left the capital because she wanted to leave this place of sorrow. People in the capital will only bring back painful memories for her. If she is willing to return to the capital, I will go to see her."
Qin Jinzhi leaned against the carriage, looking out the window, "Do you think Grandma will come back to Beijing?"
The fat man shook his head. "I don't know."
There was no sound inside the car.
Soon, the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Chidori Bureau.
Qin Jinzhi led the fat man to the backyard.
Before even entering the courtyard, the sound of weapons rubbing together could be heard.
The two walked to the door, where Ah Jiao and Ah Man were sparring.
Sparks flew as the double maces and double axes clashed.
When Fatty saw the two of them, he touched the corner of his mouth, a slight smile appearing on his lips.
Sensing someone was there, the two quickly separated.
Upon seeing Qin Jinzhi, Aman immediately stepped forward with a smile, "Old Qin, what brings you to the backyard?"
Qin Jinzhi tilted her head and said, "I've hired a master for you."
Fatty stepped into the courtyard.
Gillian and Ah Man's eyes widened immediately when they saw this person.
The scene of the monk's staff piercing through the horse is still vivid in my mind.
The fat man walked up to the two men and said, "Make your move."
The two were taken aback for a moment, then quickly attacked Fatty.
Within ten moves, their weapons were knocked to the ground.
The two stared in disbelief at their numb hands.
Since they began learning martial arts, the two had never encountered such a formidable opponent.
The fat man said casually, "You rely too much on brute force, you are too cautious, and going to the other extreme will backfire."
The two were taken aback for a moment, then said respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Master."
Fatty turned to Qin Jinzhi and asked, "Where do I live?"
Qin Jinzhi smiled and said, "Of course I won't make you feel wronged."
Fatty followed Qin Jinzhi to the accommodations that had been arranged for him.
"These two sisters are already among the best in the world when it comes to body tempering techniques. Why do they need me to be their teacher? What are you up to, you brat?"
Qin Jinzhi turned to look at him, "Fatty, if we use the standards you used when you took the martial arts exam, would Ajiao and Aman be qualified?"
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