Chapter 4 A Graceful Woman Uses Power to Relieve Worries 2 Little Sister Yu'er, I'm your cousin...
As dusk falls, the starry sky sparkles, and the streetlights gradually come on one by one.
Cui Mansion, Yutang Courtyard.
After taking a bath, Cui Fuyu sat comfortably in front of the dressing table. Her wet hair was dried by Zhu Jin, while Juning went to prepare the charcoal stove for drying her hair.
Zhu Jin suddenly asked in confusion, "Miss, why are you helping Young Master Chi?"
As soon as Juning returned, she kept pestering Juning with questions. Juning got annoyed by her pestering and told her everything in detail.
To avoid being bombarded with questions from Zhu Jin again.
Cui Fuyu thought for a moment and said frankly, "I'll help if I want to, why are there so many questions?"
Cui Fuyu caught a glimpse of the jade pendant out of the corner of his eye, picked it up, and examined it closely by the candlelight.
Only she knows what she was thinking.
However, Zhu Jin immediately retorted, "Nonsense, Miss, you must have taken a liking to him. Otherwise, why would you be so kind as to share a horse with him?"
Unmarried men and women riding together in Yongping would be the subject of gossip, but Cui Fuyu was not one to care.
Cui Fuyu scoffed, "It's just an act."
After saying that, Cui Fuyu reached out and poked Zhu Jin's head.
Zhu Jin recalled Chi Yanzhou's appearance; his looks were indeed decent, and his humble origins made him a suitable match for her young lady.
"Has the sweet soup for Father been prepared in the kitchen?" Cui Fuyu needed to go to the study in a while. "Have the kitchen send it over. I'm going to Father's place; there are some things I need to discuss with him."
She felt it was necessary to go because of what she had heard during the day.
Before long, Cui Fuyu led her people to the study. Zhu Jin brought out sweet soup, and Juning lit a lamp for her. They walked through the small garden and winding corridors of the mansion.
After the three arrived at the study door, Zhu Jin knocked lightly, and a deep, middle-aged male voice came from inside, asking, "Who is it?"
Cui Fuyu took the sweet soup from Zhu Jin, while Zhu Jin and Juning waited outside.
She pushed the door open with one hand and went in: "Father, it's your daughter."
In the study, a rosewood desk with a delicate and smooth grain sits in front of the window. A potted pine and asparagus fern are placed on the desk, and the bookshelves are filled with various books, some of which are even worn and tattered, indicating that someone often reads them.
Cui Shihai's main office desk, made of rosewood with crane legs, was piled high with documents and folding papers. Above his head hung the four characters "Loyal to the Emperor and Serving the Country," with his favorite verses on either side.
Cui Fuyu felt a sense of irony looking at the image of loyalty to the emperor and serving the country. In his dream, he was ultimately given death by the emperor whom his father respected.
After calming herself down, she put down the food box, took out the Five Blessings Soup, and placed it in front of her father.
Cui Shihai put down the book in his hand and looked at his beloved daughter with a smile: "Yu'er, is there something you need to ask your father?"
Cui Fuyu gave a cold laugh and snorted, glancing unhappily at her good father who was thinking so much about her.
"Can't I come to see Father if there's nothing wrong?" Cui Fuyu retorted, hands on her hips, "Daughter came to see Father because she missed him."
Cui Shihai comforted her to sit down, then picked up the sweet soup and sipped it. But seeing that she seemed to be saying, "You're not the kind of person who only comes to the temple when there's a reason," he said indulgently and vaguely, "Okay, okay."
Cui Fuyu smiled and revealed his purpose, "Father, is there any result regarding the salt smuggling case you mentioned last time?"
When Cui Shihai heard her mention this, he was stunned and a little confused. Why would she suddenly be interested in asking about it?
"I heard that the Enforcement Division has made arrests, so it should be soon," Cui Shihai said. "However, many people have already been arrested in this case, so I estimate it will take another month or so for the investigation to proceed."
Cui Fuyu shook his head. Things weren't that simple. There were even higher-ranking officials in the court who wanted to protect the main culprit.
"Could it be Li Sibu, the Salt Commissioner?" Cui Fuyu pretended to speculate, stating what she had heard. "Father, do you know that the biggest part of this salt smuggling case is the salt mines, the salt administration, and the money involved?"
Cui Shihai listened attentively to his daughter's analysis, refusing to drink the sweet soup and shaking his head repeatedly.
“Although government-supplied salt is cheap, it is in short supply, and salt is an indispensable commodity for every household. There are so many people in Yongping and beyond!” Cui Fuyu’s expression gradually became serious as she slowly explained her insights. “Furthermore, Father, think about it. During the busy farming season, salt sales are three times higher than usual. Salt merchants cannot buy salt from the government, so they cannot make money. They search everywhere for ways to obtain salt, but the price is too high for every household to afford, which is why private salt came into being.”
Cui Fuyu tried to explain the situation to the salt mines, saying, "The output of each salt mine is limited, and the official salt has never been lost. So, the smuggled salt must have been obtained by tampering with the official salt, or it must have been discovered that the salt mines were not reported to the court and were kept secret, which led to a large amount of smuggled salt. Moreover, local officials have taken bribes and colluded with others. The number of salt mines is ultimately determined by the local authorities. Therefore, the smuggling case cannot be investigated by just the salt; the law enforcement department must also investigate the salt mines."
Cui Fuyu went on and on about the rules and regulations, hoping that her father could submit a memorial to the emperor, requesting that someone be sent to investigate the salt mines. She felt that it would be disrespectful for her to speak directly to the emperor about matters of the court, especially since her father was an official and had the authority to do so.
Cui Shihai initially thought his daughter was just saying it casually, but the more she talked, the more alarmed he became.
Everyone's attention is focused on smuggled salt, but no one has yet thought deeply about salt mines.
Cui Shihai smiled with satisfaction. "How did Yu'er know?"
Cui Fuyu understood that she could only hint at the matter at this point. Her experience was too bizarre; she had just happened to overhear something and hadn't been discovered yet. She had also privately asked Juning to look for the person who delivered the message, but they just couldn't find him.
"Father, don't worry, this is just my suspicion. But I think this salt smuggling case will be dropped, and Li Sibu will be the scapegoat. The witnesses and evidence have been destroyed, so only Li Sibu will bear the blame." Cui Fuyu then changed the subject, "Father, why don't you think about it again? Salt smuggling brings in money quickly, but where is all that money being used?"
"Father, you can see for yourself at court tomorrow whether it is as I have said."
After Cui Fuyu finished speaking, Cui Shihai immediately got up to pour her water, while also thinking.
Cui Fuyu took the tea and drank two big gulps, not caring about her image at home, which was rather cute.
Before long, Cui Shihai started to urge people to get rid of him, "Alright, it's getting late, you should go to sleep too."
After Cui Fuyu left, Cui Shihai pondered for a moment, then picked up his pen and wrote a memorial.
——
The curtain of night slowly falls, and the dawn breaks like golden threads.
Cui Fuyu had an appointment with the manager of the Treasure Pavilion to look at the latest jewelry and clothes today, and went out after having breakfast in the morning.
As soon as she left, a luxurious carriage stopped at the entrance of the Cui residence.
A servant accompanying the carriage stepped forward and knocked on the door of the Cui residence: "Please inform them that Prince Gong's son, Zhao Jinghuan, has come to visit Princess Changning."
Upon hearing this, the servants of the Cui household hurriedly went in to inform the family, not daring to delay.
A tall, handsome man stepped out of the carriage, opened his folding fan with one hand, and looked at the plaque of the Cui residence with a long-lost, warm smile.
Not long after the servants announced the news, Cui Yi, the steward of the Cui household, quickly came out to greet him. After bowing to Zhao Jinghuan, he said, "Young Master, Madam is waiting for you in the small garden."
Zhao Jinghuan nodded and followed the steward to the flower hall. He saw that the Cui residence looked much the same as before, and recalled his childhood days, sometimes feeling sentimental about how things had changed.
Soon, Zhao Jinghuan saw a well-maintained, noble-looking woman in the flower hall. More than ten years had not left any trace on her face. Although he had not seen his aunt for a long time, he still felt a sense of warmth and familiarity.
Zhao Jinghuan called out from a distance, "Aunt."
Princess Changning, Zhao Ying, was surprised to see him for a moment, then greeted him with pleasantries: "Over the years, Jing Huan has grown taller and thinner, and he's become quite handsome. Do you have a wife and children?"
Zhao Ying helped Zhao Jinghuan, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet. She recalled how he used to visit the Cui residence often, but unexpectedly, he suddenly returned to his fiefdom, and they hadn't seen each other for more than ten years.
Zhao Jinghuan put down his folding fan, lifted his robe, sat on the stone bench, and explained, "I am not married yet. My father and mother originally wanted me to take the imperial examinations first, but my father's health has not been very good these past two years. This year, he intends to find me a wife, and I estimate that I will soon have to trouble my aunt to act as matchmaker."
Zhao Ying knew that her brother, Prince Gong, had been granted special permission by the Emperor to return to the capital to recuperate.
However, they did not know his specific condition. They thought it was a minor illness, but hearing him say it made it sound like he was about to die.
"How was your father's health when you returned to the capital? Did you have the imperial physician examine him?" Zhao Ying asked with concern. "His letters over the past few years said his illness was not serious, how come it has suddenly become so severe?"
Although Prince Gong was in his fiefdom, he still frequently corresponded with people in the capital.
Zhao Jinghuan sighed, looking sad: "I had the imperial physician examine him yesterday, but he couldn't find anything wrong and just told me to rest well. As for what illness Father has, he said he had no clue. He's gotten even worse since we returned to the capital, and he's been bedridden all day recently."
After Zhao Jinghuan finished speaking, he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.
Zhao Ying never imagined that her brother would fall to such a state, and she couldn't bear it.
"Alright, in a couple of days, Aunt will take Yu'er to the Prince's Mansion for a visit."
Zhao Jinghuan looked around and asked about Cui Fuyu's whereabouts: "Jinghuan hasn't seen Yu'er for a long time, why haven't I seen her today?"
Besides visiting his aunt today to inform her about his father's health, he also hoped to meet Cui Fuyu.
Unexpectedly, just as he arrived at the Cui residence, his younger sister Yu'er had already gone out.
Zhao Jinghuan recalled someone saying that she had ridden with a man yesterday, disregarding her reputation, and thought that Cui Fuyu was indeed promiscuous and had colluded with Zhao Xuansi.
Actually, I looked down on Cui Fuyu a little!
It's okay, we'll train him properly in the future.
Zhao Jinghuan smiled slightly at this thought. Since the person he wanted to see was not there, there was no need to stay any longer. He then found an excuse to take his leave.
As soon as Zhao Jinghuan left the mansion and boarded the carriage, a man in black quietly slipped in, knelt inside, and said respectfully, "My lord, we have found what you are looking for. We have news from the divine physician that the item is valuable and he is on his way to the capital!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Jinghuan immediately burst into laughter, his eyes softening with a smile. He clapped his hands and exclaimed "Excellent!" several times. "In that case, it's truly heaven's help!"
This was the first piece of good news that made Zhao Jinghuan extremely happy since he arrived in the capital.
His subordinates seized the opportunity to flatter him: "Congratulations, sir! Congratulations on your wish coming true!"
Just then, a gust of wind blew up, lifting the curtain of Zhao Jinghuan's carriage, and he immediately saw Cui Fuyu, who had just come out of the Treasure Pavilion.
He immediately ordered the carriage to stop: "Stop the carriage!"
Zhao Jinghuan got out of the car and stared straight at Cui Fuyu: "Sister Yu'er..."
Cui Fuyu stared at him with a puzzled look, only feeling that the face was familiar.
Zhao Jinghuan walked up to her and said softly, "Little sister Yu'er, I'm your cousin!"
A note from the author:
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Zhao Jinghuan: I'm your cousin! How can you not recognize me?! (Looking wronged)
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