Chapter 128

Chapter 128: Honey Pear Paste

Meanwhile, at Ping Lan Residence, Ting Lan’s face turned pale after Liu Shang spoke, and Ting Lan asked, “She really died?”

Ting Lan had disliked Qi Fei Yan, but now that Ting Lan heard Qi Fei Yan was gone, and in such a miserable way, Ting Lan could not help but sigh for Qi Fei Yan anyway.

Rubbing Ting Lan’s arms, Ting Lan muttered, “Princess, she was living just fine, so why did she mess with private salt? For a little silver, she ruined her own life. Was it worth it?”

Sheng Zhi Wan lowered Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes and ordered, “Go buy some joss paper outside.”

Ting Lan asked, “Princess, are you going to mourn her?”

Sheng Zhi Wan only smiled and said nothing.

Mourn Qi Fei Yan? How could that be.

Sheng Zhi Wan mourned Ruan Ruan, the one Qi Fei Yan had harmed to death in Sheng Zhi Wan’s past life. Even if, in this life, Qi Fei Yan had not yet had the chance to do those things, what did that matter?

Someone who deserved to die did not need to wait until they had finished committing evil before dying.

Sheng Zhi Wan threw an entire stack of yellow paper into the brazier. In the gentle firelight, Sheng Zhi Wan seemed to see Ruan Ruan’s small face smiling back.

An Zhi cleaned up the brazier and hurried back in, saying, “This year is unusually cold. It feels even colder than other years. Luckily, Princess, you prepared Rising Yang Powder in advance.”

Sheng Zhi Wan nodded.

With Rising Yang Powder, Sheng Zhi Wan would no longer suffer from Cold Poison. Still, thinking of this strange weather, Sheng Zhi Wan’s gaze lowered slightly.

Before long, the Mo Bei region of Sheng Kingdom, Yi Zhou, Ji Zhou, Sheng Zhou Prefecture, and Lang Zhou would face an unprecedented cold disaster.

Snow would fall for days, and the flat ground would pile up three chi deep.

Official roads would collapse, granaries would run dry, and coal and cotton clothes would not be enough for demand.

Yet it would be exactly at a time like that when Meng Yang, using Third Prince’s influence and joining hands with merchants, would hoard cotton in huge amounts and profit from a real national tragedy.

But since Sheng Zhi Wan was here in this life, Sheng Zhi Wan would not let the same thing happen again.

The next day, Sheng Zhi Wan went to Ci Xi Hall again.

Du Yi Zhi received Shopkeeper Lin’s message and rushed over. Only the two of them remained in the room, while Ting Lan and Liu Shang stood guard outside.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “This time, Master Du handled things very well.”

Du Yi Zhi replied, “I do not deserve it. This commoner was fortunate enough to live up to the task.”

As Du Yi Zhi spoke, Du Yi Zhi took out the banknotes Du Yi Zhi had tried to give Shopkeeper Lin before, only to be refused.

Du Yi Zhi said, “This was what Princess gave this commoner last time-”

Sheng Zhi Wan raised an eyebrow and asked, “You did not use it?”

Du Yi Zhi answered, “Yes.”

Du Yi Zhi explained the entire plan from beginning to end. Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Du Yi Zhi truly was a talent. Someone like Du Yi Zhi would eventually make something of himself, even without anyone to lift him up.

Unfortunately, Sheng Zhi Wan had taken a fancy to Du Yi Zhi first.

That meant Du Yi Zhi was destined to be tied to Sheng Zhi Wan’s ship.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Keep these. I have something more important for you to do.”

Du Yi Zhi froze.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked, “Have you noticed anything abnormal about this year’s weather?”

Du Yi Zhi said, “Yes.”

As someone from the lower ranks, Du Yi Zhi naturally noticed. commoner were always more sensitive to the weather.

If Princess had not found Du Yi Zhi for this job and let Du Yi Zhi earn some money, Du Yi Zhi might have been so busy with Du Yi Zhi’s mother’s illness that Du Yi Zhi would not even have had silver to buy coal for winter.

Sheng Zhi Wan dropped the news bluntly, saying, “Mo Bei is colder, and it is very likely to become a cold disaster.”

Du Yi Zhi was stunned.

The capital had only turned sharply cold these past few days. Was Princess’s information network really this sharp, that Princess even knew the weather in Mo Bei?

Du Yi Zhi did not think too deeply about it. Princess likely had Princess’s own channels.

Du Yi Zhi asked, “What does Princess want this commoner to do?”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Two things.”

Sheng Zhi Wan continued, “First, purchase cotton in my name. If anyone asks, say it is for donating to the army next year. Second, on the border between Yi Zhou and Ji Zhou, there is a mountain called Xian Long Mountain. It is hidden, but it contains an iron mine. I need you to use this cold disaster to organize refugees and begin mining it.”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s words made Du Yi Zhi’s pupils shrink.

Iron ore? Mining?

Du Yi Zhi’s fingers trembled hard. At first, when Sheng Zhi Wan said Sheng Zhi Wan wanted to use Du Yi Zhi, Du Yi Zhi had only thought of borrowing Princess Qing Ning’s status to seek justice for Du Yi Zhi’s father.

But now, it was clear Princess’s ambition was far larger than Du Yi Zhi had imagined.

Yet Princess was only a Princess, and a married Princess at that.

Du Yi Zhi looked up.

Sheng Zhi Wan smiled and asked, “Master Du is afraid?”

Du Yi Zhi took a deep breath and said, “This commoner is not afraid. This commoner only did not expect Princess to have such thoughts. This commoner dares to ask one thing. Does Qi Shi know about this?”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “It has nothing to do with him.”

Du Yi Zhi lowered Du Yi Zhi’s eyes and smiled bitterly, saying, “If this commoner regrets it now, it is probably too late.”

The scheme with Qi Fei Yan and private salt had already tied Du Yi Zhi and Sheng Zhi Wan to the same boat.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “That is right. If you doubt someone, do not use them. If you use someone, do not doubt them. If Master Du is unwilling, I will not force you, but after today, Master Du must keep your mouth shut.”

After saying that, Sheng Zhi Wan looked at Du Yi Zhi.

Du Yi Zhi sighed to himself. How could keeping silent be so simple?

Once Du Yi Zhi walked out of this door, Du Yi Zhi might vanish from the world completely.

If that was the case, Du Yi Zhi might as well gamble on something great.

By the time Sheng Zhi Wan left Ci Xi Hall again, two hours had passed.

When Ting Lan finally saw Sheng Zhi Wan come out, Ting Lan immediately scanned the surroundings warily, then looked uncontrollably at Sheng Zhi Wan.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s hair bun was not messy, and Sheng Zhi Wan’s clothes were neat.

Only then did Ting Lan’s tight heart sink back down a little. After that, Ting Lan glared fiercely at Du Yi Zhi.

Du Yi Zhi fell silent, thinking, Did Du Yi Zhi offend this young lady somehow?

After eating dinner outside, Sheng Zhi Wan returned to the residence.

An Zhi prepared the freshly made Honey Pear Paste with warm water and brought it over. This was Sheng Zhi Wan’s habit every autumn and winter, something gentle and nourishing.

But today, just as the Honey Pear Paste reached Sheng Zhi Wan’s lips, Sheng Zhi Wan paused and sniffed carefully.

In Sheng Zhi Wan’s past life, Sheng Zhi Wan had hidden in a muddy ditch for a whole night to escape mountain bandits, ruining Sheng Zhi Wan’s sense of smell. That was why Sheng Zhi Wan could not smell that there was something wrong with the scented pouch Qi Shu Xian wore.

But in this life, Sheng Zhi Wan’s sense of smell was not ruined.

Sheng Zhi Wan closed Sheng Zhi Wan’s eyes, then opened them again. Sheng Zhi Wan did not believe An Zhi would betray Sheng Zhi Wan.

Ting Lan’s emotions were written all over Ting Lan’s face, so Sheng Zhi Wan sent Ting Lan out first. Then Sheng Zhi Wan had Liu Shang stand guard outside.

Only then did Sheng Zhi Wan look at the confused An Zhi and ask, “You made this Honey Pear Paste today?”

An Zhi froze and answered, “Yes, Princess… is there something wrong?”

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Tell me every step you used to make Honey Pear Paste today.”

An Zhi said, “All right,” and recounted it one by one.

An Zhi said, “Other than the pears, which I took from the Main Kitchen, everything else was from our own courtyard. And when it simmered, I watched it with my own eyes…”

Biting An Zhi’s lip, An Zhi asked, “Princess, is there something wrong with the Honey Pear Paste?”

Sheng Zhi Wan replied, “Yes.”

An Zhi’s face went white, and An Zhi was about to kneel, but Sheng Zhi Wan held An Zhi up.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “Do not rush to admit fault right now. Pour it out. Later, when you go out, do not show any signs.”

An Zhi answered, “Yes…”

An Zhi was full of blame. Ever since Princess had been kidnapped, An Zhi had been careful in everything, yet someone still found a chance.

And today’s Honey Pear Paste had been personally brought to Princess by An Zhi.