Chapter 82 Stepping on her to climb up
When the Sixth Prince ascends the throne, all those who stand on the wrong side will be liquidated.
Will she still be able to be proud then?
"Father, I have something important to discuss with you."
The Sixth Prince had shown goodwill to them, and they must seize this opportunity to become the Sixth Prince's staff and must not let the Sixth Prince abandon them.
Chu Dingfeng had some guesses in his mind and nodded.
"Let's talk in the study."
Chu Dingfeng left first, followed by Chu Yian, and Zhao Shuning also caught up, "Yian..."
Chu Yian didn't even turn his head and didn't slow down his pace.
Zhao Shuning grabbed him and said, "You are still blaming me, right?"
Chu Yian looked at her coldly, "Shouldn't I blame you? If you hadn't insisted on doing it, how could I have been punished?"
Zhao Shuning argued loudly, "Don't you still believe what I just said? This matter was carefully planned by Lu Zhiran. She is very scheming and calculated. I am also a victim!"
Chu Yian was enraged. "What's the point of me trusting you? Do you have the ability to convince the Emperor? I warned you long ago that the imperial power cannot be challenged, but you were so self-righteous and clever that you ended up hurting others and yourself!"
He stared at her coldly, "Just stay in the backyard for the time being and don't cause any more trouble for the Marquis' Mansion!"
After saying this, he left without looking back.
Zhao Shuning stood there, biting her lips hard.
She returned to Qingdai Pavilion in a daze, sitting blankly on the chair with a vacant look on her face.
She chose this path herself. She thought it was full of beautiful flowers, but who would have thought it was full of bumps and thorns.
Was her original choice wrong?
…
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, all officials suspended court for ten days.
Emperor Defeng issued several imperial edicts in succession, rewarding several major trading companies that had made contributions this time, and Lu Zhiran's identity was also announced.
The people were in an uproar.
The area outside Lu's Trading Company was crowded with people, and everyone's face was filled with guilt.
"I didn't expect Miss Lu to be the real living Bodhisattva. We were wrong before and misunderstood her!"
"Yes, Miss Lu is a truly kind person. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be able to buy charcoal at such a low price. I even joined in smashing up the Lu store. I really deserve to die."
"We were wrong, we're sorry!"
Everyone took out the best things in their homes, such as eggs, vegetables, bacon, live chickens and ducks, and sent them to the door of Lu's Trading Company to express their guilt and gratitude.
Tan Xuwen came forward to appease the crowd and finally dispersed them, but they refused to take their belongings.
After that, every day someone would come to the door of the store to express their gratitude by giving gifts, and the store's business became better than before.
On a day that should have been a time for welcoming and seeing off guests, the Marquis Xuanping's mansion was deserted.
The mansion was in a state of desolation. The servants held their breath and dared not speak loudly.
Zhao Shuning's treatment in the mansion plummeted. The meals sent from the kitchen were watery and without a trace of oil.
That’s okay, at least it fills my stomach.
That day, Biying went to the storehouse to get charcoal, but returned empty-handed.
She was so angry that she wiped away tears. "This is too bullying. When you were in power, everyone fawned over you. Now that you've just lost power, they're all stepping on you."
Zhao Shuning lay in bed with a listless look on his face, not moving a muscle.
Hearing this, she twitched the corners of her lips in a mocking manner, "Things change, that's all."
Lu Zhiran had also experienced this before.
She was very proud of herself at that time and didn't expect retribution to come so quickly.
She took out some silver and gave it to Biying, "Go outside and buy some charcoal."
The price of charcoal has been brought under control, so there is no need to worry about not being able to afford it.
The weather was freezing cold at night and it was impossible to survive without charcoal.
In the afternoon, Biying bought a large basket of charcoal and brought back a piece of news.
"Madam, I met Manager Nie on the street."
Zhao Shuning couldn't remember for a moment, "Which Manager Nie?"
Biying lowered her voice, "It was Manager Nie, who worked under Boss Li and collaborated with us in Xiping."
Zhao Shuning immediately sat up straight, with a look of nervousness and vigilance in his eyes.
"What is he doing in the capital?"
At that time, Xiping was hit by a severe drought, which triggered a locust plague. The prices of food and medicine in the city soared. She cooperated with a boss named Li and made a lot of money.
Originally, they could have made more money, but Taicang Trading Company suddenly appeared and donated grain and medicine for free. Boss Li could no longer sell the grain and medicine at a high price.
Zhao Shuning made a prompt decision to return all the money he had earned, fearing that this would ruin the hard-earned credit.
Boss Li was sensible. He took the money and then stayed away. Zhao Shuning almost forgot about him.
"He came here specifically to see you. Madam, something happened in Xiping."
Zhao Shuning's heart tightened slightly.
Could it be that the previous incident has been discovered?
She is the real hoarder. If this old story is revealed now, she might not even be able to keep her imperial title.
Biying lowered her voice nervously, "Recently, a strange illness has suddenly broken out among the people of Xiping. Most patients suffer from palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Doctors can't diagnose the cause, but many patients continue to fall ill. In serious cases, some have even died. Boss Li suspects this may be related to the medicine you prescribed."
Zhao Shuning's expression relaxed when he heard this.
"I thought it was a big deal. What a fuss! Palpitations, shortness of breath, and fatigue are all common symptoms. How could they be related to my prescription? My prescription has saved so many people, there can't be any problem."
Her tone was firm, and Biying finally breathed a sigh of relief.
If there is really something wrong with the prescription, the consequences will be serious.
Zhao Shuning: "Go and explain everything to Manager Nie. Also, don't come to me again if you have nothing to do."
When she returned the silver, they had agreed that they would pretend not to know each other.
If people knew that she had colluded with merchants and hoarded goods, it would be difficult for her to find another opportunity to make a comeback.
Biying went there immediately.
Almost at the same time, Lu Zhiran also received a letter from Xiping.
After reading it, a layer of frost covered Lu Zhiran's face.
As expected, just like in the previous life, that strange disease had been quietly brewing in Xiping.
In her previous life, she was busy dealing with the affairs of the inner house, and when her subordinates reported this matter to her, she did not take it to heart.
Later, the disease broke out and Qiang Di took advantage of the opportunity to invade the territory of Da Qi again. The court sent Chu Yian and Zhao Shuning to suppress Qiang Di and control the epidemic.
In that battle, Chu Yian led his army to drive Qiang Di out of the border of Da Qi, and Zhao Shuning also successfully suppressed the strange epidemic. The two of them once again won the first merit and became famous.
Later, she accidentally overheard the argument between Chu Yian and Zhao Shuning, and only then did she discover that there was actually another secret behind this great victory...
Recovering from his thoughts, Lu Zhiran asked, "Is there any news from Uncle Qian?"
"I was just about to report back to you, but Manager Qian also wrote to say that all the herbs you need have been purchased and are now being sent to Xiping."
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