“Lady Qin,” Taohua interrupted, smiling as she took her hand. “Recently, Steward Xu has been unwell. The master asked me to teach you the rules. You should refrain from speaking carelessly until you understand them.”
Duan Yunxin glanced at her and said softly, “I didn’t expect the master to entrust Lady Qin’s education to you. About Jieyu’s matter…”
She hesitated, casting a seemingly timid look at Qin Huaiyu.
Qin Huaiyu looked at the two in confusion. “What about Qin Jieyu? Isn’t she in prison for her crimes? I heard there was almost a fatality in the household. For such a serious matter, the Beijing authorities shouldn’t be lenient.”
Duan Yunxin was stunned, and Jiang Taohua was also surprised. Despite being sisters, she didn’t seem to care about Qin Jieyu at all.
In an instant, Jiang Taohua understood why Shen Zaiye had entrusted Qin Huaiyu to her. If she wasn’t aligned with Qin Jieyu, she wouldn’t be on Mei Zhaoxue’s side either. This meant there was still a chance to keep her focused solely on Shen Zaiye, uninvolved in the harem disputes.
Taohua didn’t know which faction Qin Tingwei belonged to, but Shen Zaiye’s interest in recruiting him meant he wasn’t yet under Prince Jing’s command. Whether he would eventually join might depend on this second Miss Qin.
Duan Yunxin quickly recovered and smiled after looking at Qin Huaiyu. “I was worried Lady Qin might harbor resentment towards Lady Jiang because of Jieyu, but it seems I overthought.”
“What resentment?” Qin Huaiyu pursed her lips. “I only resent those who treat me badly. As for Qin Jieyu, she’s nothing to me.”
Qin Jieyu was a concubine’s daughter in the Qin household, but she was the eldest. Sometimes, even Qin Huaiyu, the legitimate daughter, had to defer to her. Qin Huaiyu’s displeasure with Qin Jieyu could fill a mountain. She could hardly contain her joy at Jieyu’s downfall.
They approached Linghan Court. As they entered to pay their respects, a maid announced, “The Madam is ill and won’t be receiving visitors today.”
Ill? Taohua was startled, then shocked by what the maid presented to her.
On the tray were the account books of the backcourt and the keys to the storehouse!
“The Madam instructed that all affairs be managed by Lady Jiang during her month of recuperation. All household matters, big and small, are under Lady Jiang’s authority.”
What? Jiang Taohua couldn’t understand. These items were the primary source of power for the main wife. How could she give them away so easily? What was Mei Zhaoxue thinking? Wasn’t she afraid of a usurpation?
Duan Yunxin was also confused her brow furrowing. “The Madam won’t see anyone now?”
The maid nodded respectfully. “No one. During her recuperation, you need not come to pay respects.”
Miss Qin had only arrived yesterday, and today the Madam claimed illness, relinquishing all household affairs. Without even consulting her, she suddenly handed over the account books and keys to Jiang Taohua.
Duan Yunxin was also displeased with this decision. However, with others present and the Madam unwilling to see them, she simply turned and returned to her courtyard.
Qin Huaiyu watched in surprise as Taohua accepted the items. Her expression softened as she blinked at Taohua. “Does this mean you’re in charge of everything in this courtyard from now on?”
Taohua nodded. “It seems so.”
But why? Mei Zhaoxue was at odds with her. With new arrivals in the household, why didn’t she seize the opportunity to strike two birds with one stone? Instead, she suddenly closed her doors and withdrew from the conflict.
As she turned to leave with the others, Taohua considered many possibilities, but she concluded that this didn’t disadvantage her.
Meng Zhenzheng and Qin Jieyu had already left the household. Madam Gu had submitted to her, and the newly arrived Miss Qin was also placed under her guidance by the master. The power dynamics in the courtyard had somehow shifted in her favor. Madam Mei might have realized the situation was unfavorable and decided to retreat. After all, regardless of circumstances, she was still the Madam, and by secluding herself, she maintained her status without risking an alliance with Duan Yunxin.
Pursing her lips, Taohua spent half the afternoon completing the handover with various household departments. She then sat with Qin Huaiyu in a pavilion to explain the rules.
“The rules of the Prime Minister’s household are strict. Lady Qin must remember everything I’ve just said,” Taohua advised. “If you break them, even I might not be able to protect you.”
Qin Huaiyu nodded obediently, then smiled. “But you can protect me, right? Now that the Madam is out of sight, you’re the most powerful person in the household after the Prime Minister.”
“In the Great Wei, the Emperor is supreme, followed by the Prime Minister. But have you ever seen the Prime Minister act improperly?” Taohua shook her head. “The more power one holds, the more cautious one must be. Lady Qin, you must avoid being reckless or acting on whims.”
Pouting unhappily, Qin Huaiyu replied, “You’re too cautious. Where’s the fun in living like that? I don’t care. As long as others don’t provoke me, I won’t cause trouble. But if someone offends me, I’ll get angry.”
Jiang Taohua was speechless. Why did she feel like Shen Zaiye had sent her an ancestor to serve? It’s not wrong to live boldly and passionately, but one must consider the circumstances. Acting appropriately in different environments is the mark of a wise person. After all, the world doesn’t revolve around just one person.
However, this “Ancestor Qin” didn’t seem to appreciate advice, so Taohua gave up. She had explained all the rules clearly. Whatever Qin Huaiyu chose to do afterward was beyond her control.
In the Imperial Study, Prince Jing presented all the follow-up evidence of Prince Yu’s corruption case on the desk. The Emperor glanced at it, frowning slightly. “This matter isn’t settled yet?”
“Of course not,” Prince Jing sighed. “Father Emperor may not know, but General Han, who sealed Prince Yu’s mansion, was originally under Prince Yu’s command. Therefore, the search yielded little in terms of silver and valuables. I had people conduct a thorough investigation and discovered that Prince Yu still has a large number of property deeds and banknotes stored elsewhere. I request Your Majesty’s judgment.”
The Emperor looked at him. “Where are they hidden? Can’t you just send people to find them?”
“I am willing but unable,” Prince Jing bowed. “Does Father Emperor know of the Guantong Money House? That place stores items for people and requires a token for retrieval. Even officials cannot forcibly enter.”
“Oh?” The Emperor raised an eyebrow. “There’s such a thing? How come I don’t know about it?”
“Your Majesty,” Shen Zaiye stepped forward and bowed. “This matter was mentioned in a memorial last year. At the request of the Minister of Agriculture, the court supported cooperation with merchants to establish money houses to facilitate trade with neighboring countries.”
“I remember now,” the Emperor nodded. “There was such a matter. However, recently some officials have submitted memorials mentioning issues of counterfeit banknotes and corruption. Have you investigated?”
Shen Zaiye lowered his head. “A thorough investigation has been conducted. The mastermind behind it was executed by Prince Jing, and Minister Duan, the Head of the Court of State Ceremonial, has been demoted to an internal official as a self-imposed punishment. The report is on your desk.”
Looking at the pile of memorials on his desk, the Emperor chuckled lightly. “It’s because I’ve been busy accompanying Noble Consort Lan lately and haven’t attended to state affairs for a while. With Wuyin helping, it’s indeed been relaxing.”
“It is my duty,” Prince Jing smiled. “If Father Emperor wishes to rest, I will take care of all other matters for you. When you are well-rested, I will assist you from the side, sharing your burdens.”
These words were well-spoken, and the Emperor’s expression grew more benevolent. “In that case, continue investigating Prince Yu’s matter. Have him hand over the remaining items. If he doesn’t comply, extend his confinement by another month.”
“Yes!”
Prince Jing was overjoyed. As soon as he left the Imperial Study, he couldn’t hide his smile. He bowed deeply to Shen Zaiye. “Thank you, Prime Minister!”
“Prince Jing has done all the work. What is there for me to be thanked for?” Shen Zaiye smiled. “The items are all in the Guantong Money House. Now, if we take Prince Yu’s tokens from his mansion and forcibly confiscate them, there shouldn’t be any problem. Afterward, I will have court officials submit memorials emphasizing the severity of Prince Yu’s corruption, making it difficult for him to recover.”
“Excellent!” Prince Jing laughed heartily, looking at Shen Zaiye. “With the Prime Minister here, I feel at ease. To avoid any unforeseen circumstances, let’s go now.”
Nodding slightly, Shen Zaiye accompanied him out of the palace. They first went to Prince Yu’s mansion, then headed to the Guantong Money House.
However, the items in the money house were gone.
Opening the cabinet, Shen Zaiye experienced for the first time the feeling of being outmaneuvered. Prince Jing was still waiting behind him, but the items had vanished. The matter had already been reported to the Emperor, and now, without evidence, Prince Yu would surely retaliate.
Why did this happen?
Prince Jing was also stunned, staring blankly at Shen Zaiye. After a long silence, Shen Zaiye lowered his head and said, “It is my fault for failing in this task.”
“…It’s alright,” Prince Jing sat in his carriage, looking at Shen Zaiye with a complex expression. “But what do we do now?”
“There’s no other way,” Shen Zaiye pursed his lips. “While Prince Yu is still restricted from freely entering the palace, I will intercept all his memorials to the Emperor. Your Highness only needs to secure the position of Crown Prince before then.”
Once he ascended to the position of Crown Prince, all of Prince Yu’s struggles would be in vain.
“That’s true in theory,” Prince Jing frowned. “But Father has always been reluctant to establish a Crown Prince.”
“The Emperor is in his prime, with good health, so naturally, he won’t consider the heir apparent,” Shen Zaiye looked at him with deep eyes. “What Your Highness needs to do is make the Emperor actively consider this matter.”
Meeting his gaze, Prince Jing immediately understood Shen Zaiye’s meaning and nodded slightly.
The two parted at the intersection. Shen Zaiye returned to the Prime Minister’s mansion, seething with anger, almost colliding with Duan Yunxin, who was about to leave.
“My Lord,” Duan Yunxin looked at him curiously. “What’s wrong? Why are you so angry?”
Narrowing his eyes at her, Shen Zaiye said nothing and strode inside.
He didn’t know who had leaked the information this time, but he vaguely felt it might be related to Duan Yunxin. However, without any evidence, he couldn’t do anything to her.
The Guantong Money House had quite a few incidents these past two days, and the source seemed to be from Jiang Taohua, right? When he first heard her mention the name of this money house, he had a bad feeling. He didn’t expect problems to arise now.
Prince Yu, Jiang Taohua – was all this a coincidence, or someone’s plot?
(End of Chapter)