Chapter 123
Chapter 123: The Imperial Merchant Is Decided
Luo Ning was silent for a moment.
Then she said, as if making a big decision: “Your Highness, I want to tell you about what is happening in my family.”
Now that the wedding date was set, Luo Ning would have to rely on Xiao Huai Feng for the next three years.
There were some things that, if she did them without a proper reason, would make her seem improper. For example, when it came to Madam Bai’s future fate, how should she explain it to Xiao Huai Feng?
Once she became Princess Consort Yong, the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence and the Bai family would all become Prince Yong’s relatives.
They would be tied to his interests as well.
The Bai family was greedy and cunning, good at taking advantage of loopholes. If they managed to find one, it would be too late to regret it.
Luo Ning said: “The Lake Inkstone, and the master of the house behind it, is named Qiu Shi Dong. He also holds a Salt Permit from the imperial court. On the surface he is a salt merchant, but in private he does many shady things.
I am not slandering him. If Your Highness sends people to investigate, they can easily find several examples. Smuggled salt is embezzling the imperial court’s profits. The salt merchants collude with one another, and every imperial inspector sent down is bribed. That is also the truth.”
Xiao Huai Feng sat straight, his expression cold, as if he did not care about this at all.
But he still asked: “Do you want to use the inkstone incident to expose the salt merchants?”
“No. I know the salt merchants, like the great clans, are deeply rooted and cannot be cleaned up in a day or two. I am only introducing who Qiu Shi Dong is,” Luo Ning said.
“You know him?”
“I do more than just know him. Our residence also has countless ties with him,” Luo Ning said.
She began to talk about the past between Qiu Shi Dong and Madam Bai.
When she mentioned Luo Yin’s birth, Xiao Huai Feng turned his face slightly and looked at her.
He seemed to understand why that day at the Earth God Temple Luo Ning had personally set that fire.
Luo Ning said: “Qiu Shi Dong and Bai Yu Lin have both come to the capital city. They brought people with them and are colluding with Madam Wang. They have money in their hands.
I have already gently reminded my family to be careful. In a few days, Your Highness may also hear some rumors. I thought I should at least tell you.”
Xiao Huai Feng said: “Without real evidence, this matter is hard to handle.”
Luo Ning agreed.
It was just like how Madam Bai had threatened Luo Chong Ye. Luo Chong Ye did not dare send Madam Bai’s servants to the officials. But if they did not go before officials, any truth forced out of them in private under torture could not be shown to the public either.
Xiao Huai Feng asked again: “Other than ruining the Imperial Merchant appointment, do you have any other way?”
Luo Ning said: “Everything is done in secret. Just like with Luo Yin.”
He would quietly die, and then they would make up some story about where he had gone.
“How will you do it in secret?”
Luo Ning said: “By returning to her maiden home. My mother can take her niece Bai Ci Rong back to Yuhang. She has returned several times to visit her parents since she married. This time, with her brother coming north, it is reasonable for him to take her back with him.”
Xiao Huai Feng asked: “Why return to her maiden home? You are about to have your wedding. At this time, is it really proper for your mother to go back home?”
Luo Ning said: “She can have an illness flare up and needs to return to burn incense before her maternal grandparents’ graves so that she can be safe and sound.”
Xiao Huai Feng thought for a moment, then nodded slightly: “That story is fairly well made up.”
He added: “Madam Luo, A’Ning, go ahead and do what you need to do. Only when a mother is kind will a child be filial. Do not be foolishly loyal.”
Luo Ning answered that she understood.
Xiao Huai Feng looked at her quietly, as if he wanted to say something.
Luo Ning looked back into his eyes, waiting for what he would say next, but he only moved his gaze away.
They had talked for a long time. The setting sun reddened the window frames on the western side. It was already late.
Luo Ning rose to take her leave.
Xiao Huai Feng asked her: “How is your whip technique now?”
“Sister Lin praised me and said I have improved a lot,” Luo Ning said. “My wrist strength has also increased. Your Highness can test me next time.”
Xiao Huai Feng rubbed the base of his thumb. Last time, the tip of Luo Ning’s whip had torn the skin there. Now the scab had fallen off, leaving a shallow scar.
There were countless scars on his body, big and small, but none of them made him feel as humiliated as this one.
“I will not test you again. If you are bitten by a dog, you just call it bad luck. How could you chase after the dog to tease it again?” Xiao Huai Feng said. “I am not that free. Let Lin Zhao watch you. I trust her.”
Luo Ning was speechless.
She thought: [He actually scolded me. Was that really necessary?]
By the time she returned to the Marquis of Zhen Nan’s residence, the sky was already dark, and large lanterns had been lit at the gate of the Marquis Manor.
Bai Ci Rong had also just come back from outside.
She greeted her with a smile: “Sister A’Ning.”
She wore a jacket similar to Luo Ning’s, with a light green silk skirt. Her posture was graceful as she walked, every step looking delicate and pretty.
Luo Ning asked: “Where did Cousin go? You are only coming back now?”
Bai Ci Rong said: “I went to see my father this afternoon, to help him make arrangements and do some errands.”
“When will Uncle return to Yuhang?”
“Father may stay for a month or so,” Bai Ci Rong said.
“Is there something going on?”
Bai Ci Rong was very cautious and only smiled lightly: “Nothing much. The journey is long, and it is rare to come to the capital. We do not know when the next time will be, so of course he wants to stay a bit longer.
Also, the Bai family has businesses in the capital city and nearby, so he needs to meet the shopkeepers. There are many businesses and many small, detailed matters to take care of. Sister A’Ning, please do not laugh at us.”
Luo Ning said: “No wonder Uncle has made a fortune. He really does have many businesses.”
She did not say anything more. The two of them entered the Chuihua Gate and parted ways at the fork in the path.
The maidservant beside Bai Ci Rong whispered: “The Eldest Miss is copying you again, wearing the same clothes, but she does not look as good as you.”
“Do not talk nonsense,” Bai Ci Rong said with a smile.
Her cheeks were full and her eyes bright.
Today, she had gone to Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple in the suburbs and met the Madam of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence.
The Madam of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence had told Bai Ci Rong a secret: Consort Li in the imperial palace had already been sent to the cold palace, and for now there was no one favored in front of the Emperor.
Once Qiu Shi Dong’s Imperial Merchant appointment was confirmed, with him as a guarantee, the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence would take Bai Ci Rong in as their adopted daughter and send her into the palace.
The Madam of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence wanted Bai Ci Rong to promise that she would change her surname to Wang in the future and treat the Wang family as her maiden home, always thinking of her maiden home in everything.
Bai Ci Rong was clever and sweet-tongued, so of course she agreed to everything, coaxing the Madam of the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence into a very good mood.
When she returned to the East Main Courtyard, Bai Ci Rong told Madam Bai about this.
Madam Bai was also overjoyed.
Madam Bai said: “I have a first-rank imperial honorary title. Once you are made a consort, if you want to see me, just send a summons and Mother will come to see you. Who cares what your surname is? You are Mother’s own daughter.”
Bai Ci Rong leaned against her.
Two days later, the list of Imperial Merchants, chosen once every four years, was released.
The Ministry of Revenue posted the list at the gate of their offices.
There were names for each trade, and for inkstones the Imperial Merchant was Madam Dou of Cheng Yan.
Qiu Shi Dong and Bai Yu Lin squeezed in early in the morning to look. When they saw the list, they checked it again and again, and cold sweat flowed straight down from their temples.
“What does this mean?” Bai Yu Lin asked Qiu Shi Dong.
Qiu Shi Dong stood very still, but the hands hidden in his sleeves were trembling slightly.
Had the four years of waiting and hundreds of thousands of taels in silver notes all gone to waste?
There had to be something wrong.
Qiu Shi Dong said to Bai Yu Lin: “Let us go to the Marquis of Jian Ning’s residence. We need to get a clear answer.”
The Marquis of Jian Ning was in the middle of a temper because the Emperor had summoned him to the imperial study, scolded him harshly, and even threw a Lake Inkstone at him.
The Emperor had shouted: “I ask you, you give me something like this to use? Do you want me to have no children or grandchildren?”
The Marquis of Jian Ning had trembled and kowtowed again and again.
He was completely confused.
After leaving the imperial study, he looked for a familiar eunuch to ask and finally learned what had happened to the Eldest Prince.
No wonder Consort Li had been sent to the cold palace. It turned out she had made such a huge mistake.
The Marquis of Jian Ning had worked hard for someone else only to be scolded himself, so he was already filled with anger. Yet his Madam still asked him when the Imperial Merchant list would be decided and when they could bring Bai Ci Rong over to train her for a while before sending her through the palace gates.
The Marquis of Jian Ning said in an unfriendly tone: “You two just have no luck. I did my best to help with your matter and even spent money. But you were dragged down by Consort Li. This cannot be done now. Try again in four years.”
Qiu Shi Dong and Bai Yu Lin were left standing there in a daze.