Chapter 119

Chapter 119: What Did It Have to Do With Him?

Sheng Zhi Wan replied calmly, “I saved them from before.”

But Sheng Zhi Wan’s ears still warmed slightly.

“Saved them from before?” Ting Lan frowned and muttered to herself. “Was my memory really that bad? How come I don’t remember at all…”

An Zhi was speechless.

An Zhi pinched Ting Lan’s arm and scolded in a low voice, “Enough. Do your work. Why do you have so many questions?”

Ting Lan pouted, and under An Zhi’s stare, Ting Lan did not dare ask again.

But as Sheng Zhi Wan looked at the Heavenly Pearl Fruit in Sheng Zhi Wan’s hand, Sheng Zhi Wan could not help thinking of Shang Xing Yu, the one who sent them…

Counting the days, Shang Xing Yu’s side should be close to harvest time.

Sheng Zhi Wan wondered if everything was going smoothly.

*At Lian Manor, Qi Fei Yan did not expect things to go so smoothly!

Sure enough, silver was the most useful thing in the world.

After Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan were no longer in the capital city, Qi Fei Yan could only spend silver to gather information herself.

Qi Fei Yan spent more than twenty-five hundred taels in the black market, back and forth.

Yesterday, under the lead of someone who pulled strings, Qi Fei Yan was finally accepted into the group.

The group was called Tong Society.

On the surface, it was a gathering of small merchants from different prefectures who exchanged goods, but in truth, it was huge and tangled, with both officials and merchants involved.

They all did the business of official salt and smuggled salt.

Qi Fei Yan did not dare reveal Qi Fei Yan’s identity.

Qi Fei Yan only had a shopkeeper under Qi Fei Yan’s control pretend to be a wealthy merchant and act in Qi Fei Yan’s place.

Since it was only the beginning, Qi Fei Yan felt Qi Fei Yan should be cautious, so Qi Fei Yan invested only two thousand taels first.

But those two thousand quickly brought returns.

When Qi Fei Yan held the two thousand six hundred taels now in hand, Qi Fei Yan’s brows lifted with joy.

Behind Huang Family Pharmacy in Yellow Earth Alley, Du Yi Zhi was also distributing this round of “bonus money” to the newly subdued “brothers.”

The burly Huang Yuan Gui was so grateful that Huang Yuan Gui almost crawled on the ground. “Young Brother Du! No, Brother Du! From now on, you’re my real Brother Du!”

“If Brother Du needs anything, just say the word. If I, Huang Yuan Gui, hesitate even a little, then I’m a coward!”

“And you lot, hurry up. All of you, kowtow to Brother Du and apologize!” Huang Yuan Gui kicked the few clerks behind Huang Yuan Gui.

The clerks looked ashamed.

Du Yi Zhi sat on a long bench and said generously, “We’re all brothers. Sometimes you only get to know someone after a fight. I was wrong before too.”

“If everyone was like me, picking out medicine dregs, and no one bought medicine, your shop would’ve closed long ago.”

“Besides, even though Elder Brother Huang had people teach me a lesson, Elder Brother Huang didn’t actually have the dregs dealt with.”

Because of that, Du Yi Zhi still owed Huang Yuan Gui a favor.

“It’s good that you don’t blame me.” Huang Yuan Gui scratched Huang Yuan Gui’s head awkwardly.

In truth, Huang Yuan Gui only thought it was too troublesome to deal with, so Huang Yuan Gui never bothered, but Du Yi Zhi misunderstood it as mercy.

Still, it was fine.

Du Yi Zhi now had a noble lady supporting Du Yi Zhi, yet Du Yi Zhi still remembered to bring Huang Yuan Gui along.

Fifty taels in just a few days was more than Huang Yuan Gui’s father’s pharmacy earned in months.

Du Yi Zhi stood up. “Next time there’s something like this, I’ll come find Elder Brother Huang again.”

“Good, good!” Huang Yuan Gui personally escorted Du Yi Zhi out.

Du Yi Zhi returned home and went into the room.

Du Yi Zhi took out a bracelet and a hairpin, along with the remaining two thousand-plus in silver notes that had been returned untouched after buying those items.

This was what remained of the initial three thousand taels Sheng Zhi Wan gave Du Yi Zhi after Du Yi Zhi bought clothes and appearances.

And besides that, Du Yi Zhi pulled out another two hundred-plus taels from Du Yi Zhi’s chest.

This was what Qi Fei Yan paid to buy information.

In other words, from the start of the trap until now, Du Yi Zhi not only did not spend a single tael, Du Yi Zhi even earned more than two hundred taels.

Zhang Huai Ren and Hu Shan were people Du Yi Zhi hired to act, just to stir up Qi Fei Yan’s greed.

Even if Qi Fei Yan did not bite, Du Yi Zhi had prepared a second plan.

Du Yi Zhi had gone into the gambling dens Lian Wen Hui often visited twice, waiting for the chance. If Qi Fei Yan did not fall for it, Du Yi Zhi would start from Lian Wen Hui instead.

But Qi Fei Yan’s personality was exactly as the Princess said.

Qi Fei Yan was foolish and conceited.

Qi Fei Yan dared to trust two people Qi Fei Yan met only once. In the end, it was because Qi Fei Yan trusted the status of being the Duke Manor’s legitimate miss.

But Qi Fei Yan did not think about it.

If Qi Fei Yan could feel greedy over a few hundred taels, then why wouldn’t people lower than Qi Fei Yan feel greedy over a few dozen and trick a “legitimate miss” once?

Once Du Yi Zhi hooked Qi Fei Yan’s greed, the rest became even easier.

Du Yi Zhi directly had Huang Yuan Gui and a clerk named Lu Liang add an extra amount and deliver it to Qi Fei Yan three days later.

When Qi Fei Yan saw real silver, Qi Fei Yan naturally believed it completely.

But the truth was, that silver did not come from smuggling salt.

It was Sheng Zhi Wan’s money that Du Yi Zhi used.

After that, it was even simpler.

Once “Zhang Huai Ren” and “Hu Shan” left the capital city to “do business,” the greedy Qi Fei Yan would definitely refuse to keep waiting.

Qi Fei Yan wanted to get involved in the salt smuggling trade.

Du Yi Zhi lived among the lower classes, and Du Yi Zhi could actually get information more easily than Qi Fei Yan.

Du Yi Zhi only needed a dozen taels or so to find out everything.

Then Du Yi Zhi only had to wait for Qi Fei Yan’s people to bring silver to Du Yi Zhi’s door.

With that back-and-forth, the information went out, Qi Fei Yan truly connected with the private salt smugglers, and the initial thousand-plus taels Du Yi Zhi used as bait returned intact.

Not only did it return, Du Yi Zhi also earned a huge sum from Qi Fei Yan.

Du Yi Zhi tidied up the silver and went to Ci Xi Hall.

Du Yi Zhi had taken medicine there several times, and Shopkeeper Lin already recognized Du Yi Zhi and knew Du Yi Zhi worked for the Princess.

When Shopkeeper Lin saw Du Yi Zhi again, Shopkeeper Lin had the prepared medicine handed over early. “How has Madam Du been lately?”

“Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin. My mother has been much better recently.” Du Yi Zhi smiled.

Du Yi Zhi’s beauty was hard to place as male or female, and Shopkeeper Lin stared for a moment.

“Shopkeeper Lin, please report to the Princess.” Du Yi Zhi spoke politely. “The matter the Princess ordered has been handled.”

Du Yi Zhi took out the silver. “This is what the Princess gave me last time…”

Shopkeeper Lin’s eyelid twitched the moment Shopkeeper Lin saw the money.

What did the Princess have Du Yi Zhi doing?

Shopkeeper Lin waved a hand. “The Princess gave it to you. Why are you giving it to me? Keep it yourself, or hand it back when you see the Princess next time.”

Shopkeeper Lin did not want to pry into the Princess’s affairs. Shopkeeper Lin’s heart could not take it.

“Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin.” Du Yi Zhi understood.

If the Princess wanted to contact Du Yi Zhi, the Princess naturally had ways. If the Princess did not contact Du Yi Zhi, then it meant Du Yi Zhi should not seek contact for now.

Thinking that, Du Yi Zhi did not hesitate.

Du Yi Zhi took the medicine and left Ci Xi Hall.

*That day in the Imperial Court, an unspoken pressure filled the air.

Since Emperor Chong Sheng ascended the throne, Emperor Chong Sheng had waged war everywhere.

War required silver, so taxes in Sheng Kingdom were always high.

Beyond the grain tax paid by commoner and the merchant taxes paid by wealthy traders, salt and iron revenue was what truly filled the State Treasury.

But when this year’s official salt income was reported today, it was a full twenty percent lower than in previous years.

Emperor Chong Sheng flew into a rage.

Not only did Emperor Chong Sheng punish the salt-inspection censor on the spot, Emperor Chong Sheng also ordered a thorough investigation into private salt smugglers across the land.

Among the trembling officials, Duke Qi silently lowered Duke Qi’s head.

What did the sharp tension in court have to do with Duke Qi?

Duke Qi was only an idle duke living off a hereditary noble title.

And Duke Qi’s son was talented in both civil and martial arts, but in the future, Duke Qi’s son would take the path of a military officer.

No matter how Duke Qi listened, this matter had nothing to do with the Duke Manor at all.

Besides, Duke Qi was also thinking about something else.

His mistress, Madam Tao, was pregnant.

Getting another child in Duke Qi’s forties made Duke Qi both happy and worried.

Duke Qi was happy because Duke Qi was still strong enough to father a child.

But Duke Qi also worried…

Was Duke Qi supposed to let this child live outside for life, like Madam Tao?

If it was a daughter, that was fine.

But if it was a son…

Duke Qi thought Duke Qi would need to find a suitable household from the second branch or third branch to take the child in and raise the child, and later, Duke Qi would give the child more care and support…