Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 218

~ PREPARATION TO FIGHT TO THE DEATH! ~ 

After another day, exchanging sand for salt’s issues became more and more heated and even began to have a story to lead the matter to the salt merchants. Wu Minzhi could no longer sit still and asked people to buy salt everywhere in order to shift the blame to someone else as soon as possible.

Qi Ming had already sent someone to urge them on two or three times, but the other salt merchants had also heard the news. At this time, they would like to see Wu Minzhi and others fall down and naturally refuse to help. Even if they are willing to sell salt to them, the price is notably high. 

Wu Minzhi angrily slammed the teacup in his hand, “These treacherous villains. Once I have safely survived this crisis, I will definitely let them have a taste of my abilities.” 

The other salt merchants sat in silence. “Even if we have to settle accounts, we will have to survive this crisis first...” But this time, there was a high chance that they wouldn’t be able to make it through. 

Just as everyone was about to lose all hope, another piece of news came from the person who had sent a letter saying that he had salt in his hand. 

Seeing the servant deliver the letter, the salt merchants were so excited. “Chief Wu, quickly take a look. Is it possible that the salt merchant is willing to sell us?” 

Wu Minzhi hurriedly opened the letter. Tand the contents of the envelope were also concise, “15 million taels of silver!” 

“What?” 

“What does that mean?” 

“The other party offered 15 million silver taels? It is no longer a big deal. It is to clean up our family!” 

The corners of Wu Min’s eyes twitched as he read the contents of the letter. “Don’t you find this letter very strange?” 

“Strange?” 

“The other party only offered 15 million silver taels but didn’t say how much salt he wanted to sell us. Furthermore, the timing of the two messages was too coincidental. Didn’t you guys think of something?”None of the salt merchants present were stupid. After hearing Wu Minzhi’s words, their faces turned ugly, “Chief Wu, are you saying that the person who sent the letter to us is the person who robbed our salt boat?” 

Wu Minzhi nodded, “It’s quite possible!” 

In the hall, it was as if water had poured into a hot pan as it exploded into a ball, “That’s what I thought. The person who robbed our salt boat obviously wanted us to purchase our things back at a price that was 50% higher than the market price!” 

“That batch of salt originally belonged to us. Not to mention that it stole from us, even wants us to use such a high price to purchase it back. Isn’t that purposely squeezing us out?” 

“What a nuisance!” 

“Chief Wu, do you have any way of dealing with this?” 

Wu Minzhi closed his eyes slightly and sighed, “Even if you and I know that this person is purposely trying to squeeze us, from the looks of it, there’s really no other way but to admit defeat.” The salt merchants’ faces turned red from anger and gradually calmed down. “That’s right, even if you know that the other party is doing this on purpose, is there any way to resist?” If we didn’t buy this batch of salt and with the current speed at which the rumors spread, it wouldn’t take long for the Imperial Guards to bring this matter to the Emperor. When the Emperor heard this, he would definitely be furious. When the time came, he would send people down to investigate, and they might not even be able to keep their heads! 

“Chief Wu, then according to your meaning, we’ll accept it just like that?” 

“What can we do if we don’t admit it?” 

“But the problem now is that we don’t have that much silver on us!” They did have money, but there was also a limit to how much money they had. The holes in the previous salt tax were too big. They filled a part of it first, but they could not fill it up, then they used the name of buying official salt to redeem it. After that, he spent a lot of money to open up the joints in succession, giving Qi Ming over 10 million taels of silver. He didn’t have much left on hand right now. How could he have the ability to gather another fifteen million taels? Wu Minzhi was silent for a moment before deciding, “After surviving this crisis, we will have a chance to rise again. If we can’t get through it, our lives will take into account. Which is more important, you will be able to weigh it yourself? 

According to what we discussed earlier, the Wu, Wei, and Cao families each contributed 20%, and you can find a way to make up for the rest. I want to advise you to stop looking at some of your current belongings. What to sell and what to discount should be put into concerted efforts to overcome the current crisis.” 

The other salt merchants nodded in agreement. At this time, even if they did not admit it, what could they do? 

After the others had left, Wei Qi, the Wei family’s head, and Cao Bing, the Cao family’s, stayed behind. Previously, some words were not convenient to say out loud, so the three of them were the only ones left now. 

“Chief Wu, I assume you have already seen through the problem?” 

Wu Minzhi clenched his hands into fists and slammed them on the table, “How can I no see it clearly! It’s clear that all of this was orchestrated by that Qi Ming, or in other words, the First Prince is manipulating it!” 

Cao family’s Cao Bing said, “Sigh, such a method is quite scary! First, they sent Qi Ming to infiltrate our salt merchant and seize the opportunity to investigate the news. Then, they stole our salt ships on the Xijiang River, according to the report. After that, they deliberately used this news to threaten us and causing us to panic. Without thinking clearly, we directly agreed to his previous proposal to pay the salt tax and then made a scene like today. These steps are intertwined, obviously wanting to squeeze out all the oil and water from our bodies!” 

Wei Qi’s expression looked heavy, “The point is that even if we knew that this was a trap set up by the First Prince, we could only silently walk inside without having the ability to resist!”Wu Minzhi sighed, “We lost the bet with just a single step. We can only blame ourselves for being careless. If we had used silver taels to fill the hole in the salt tax from the start, we might not have met with any calamity.” 

Wei Qi shook her head. “Don’t be too upset, Chief Wu. Speaking of which, we have a lot of power in Jiangnan, but if we want to fight against someone like the First Prince, it’s no different from an ant trying to shake a tree! What I’m worried about now is that after the First Prince has squeezed us out all over, he will immediately eradicate us and then recultivate the salt merchants to have control of Jiangnan’s salt tax. In this way, maybe Jiangnan will absolutely become the First Prince’s money bag!” 

“We can’t just sit and wait for death. The First Prince wants to devour us all, and we need to be prepared to fight to the death!” 

Wu Min Zhi nodded his head, “What the two of you said makes sense. I have kept the post that Li Yuanyi sent to us along with the promised letter. We salt merchants have joined hands to write down the whole story of the matter, press the fingerprints, attach the account books of each family and the invitation card with seal. Then I sent these things to the Capital overnight. If the First Prince is lenient, it would be nothing more than seeking money, but if he is ruthless enough to want to kill us and rebuild our forces, then we can merely throw the evidence in front of the Emperor and definitely not let him off easy!”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 218

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 217

~ I HAVE A SALT! ~ 

Wei Qi knew her brother-in-law very well and was at a loss for a moment. “Lord Qi, what is going on?”

“This person drank in the brothel and boasted brags in front of the girls in the brothel. That’s a place where all sorts of people gather. Once the news gets out, it will spread in the blink of an eye, and the matter will naturally uncover!” Qi Ming’s face was cold and forbidding. “I’ll secretly help you guys deal with this in the dark and find a way to make up for the loss. But you guys are directly destroying our position. Could it be that you want to drag Lord Li down with you?” 

Wei Qi stepped forward and kicked Zhou Lu. “Tell me honestly, did you spread the rumors?” 

Zhou Lu, who was drunk at this time, was still a little out of his senses. Seeing Wei Qi, he hurriedly rushed forward, crying as he begged for mercy, “Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong. I drank too much at once, and there was no door on my mouth. I didn’t expect the situation to be this serious. If you save me, I won’t drink anymore in the future.” 

Wei Qi shook him off. At this moment, he even had the urge to kill someone. “Son of a bitch! You bastard...” 

Wu Minzhi stepped forward and said, “Lord Qi, the matter has already come out. We still have to find a way to save it now.”  

“It’s easy for Chief Wu to say that. I’ve already sent the silver taels over, and Lord Li has started to take action as well, trying to find a way to make up for the deficit. Now that this matter suddenly broke out, if the higher-ups were to investigate it, it would be difficult for Lord Li to shirk the blame, and when the time comes, he’ll be unable to defend himself. How can he protect you?” 

“Take it easy, Lord Qi. The Master behind you will be able to turn things around with his hands and eyes. If you need any silver, you only need to say it. Even if the family is going bankrupt, we have to settle this matter.” 

Wu Minzhi opened his mouth, and the other salt merchants echoed, “Yes, please help us again, Lord Qi. We must keep things down.” 

“Please, Lord Qi...” 

Qi Ming waved his hand and sighed, “No need to be so courteous. Now that Lord Li is also included, you can say that I am standing in the same boat as all of you. If this boat were to capsize, we would all die and can’t survive, so we should all work together.” 

“Yes, Lord Qi is unmistakably right.” 

Qi Ming continued, “A while ago, there was news transmitted from t water transportation, claiming that someone was salvaging a sunken ship on the Xijiang River. We can do some work here.” 

“Doing some work here?” Everyone was puzzled. 

Qi Ming opened his mouth and said: “Since the salt merchants can secretly push the government to buy salt to make up for their losses under the pretense of buying official salt. I presume that you should have people in the government.” 

“This... It’s just that they can say a few words, but they can’t be considered our people. “ 

Qi Ming smiled and did not expose him, “The matter has already happened, and someone must come out to take responsibility.” 

Wu Minzhi’s heart skipped a beat. Looking at Qi Ming, who had been smiling all the time, he felt a chill run down his spine. This matter was a heinous crime, and the penalty was beheading. Whoever took the blame for this would lose their life. However, Qi Ming spoke in a relaxed manner, as if he was not taking human life seriously at all, “Lord Qi’s meaning is that we should push someone comes out to take the blame?” 

Qi Ming nodded his head, “Besides, it’s not enough only to take the blame. The amount of salt lost is enormous. When the Emperor hears about it, he will be furious, and he will think of ways to send people down to investigate. If there are any clues, you and I will not be able to escape either.” 

“Then what should we do?” 

“The first thing is to find someone to take the blame. That is to say, when the government officials saw the enormous amount of salt, they were greedy after seeing it. They deliberately hid the real salt ship and replaced it with sand and mud to make up the number before declaring that the salt ship had sunk. Then Lord Li, with a keen eye, discovered the danger and disgust of these people, directly detained and interrogated them, and chased back a large number of salt!” 

All the salt merchants couldn’t help but look at each other. After thinking for a while, their faces were full of worry. 

“Lord Qi, the method you suggested is feasible, but where can we find that much salt now?” Last time, they had taken out all the goods they had on hand. They didn’t expect to be robbed by others. There was no salt in their hands now, and it was too late to buy anything. 

Qi Ming frowned, “It is a life-and-death situation right now. Everyone, please do not hide anything! You are all famous salt merchants in Jiangnan. How can you not have goods on your hands?” 

“Lord Qi, our stocks have all been robbed by someone. There’s really no salt available right now.” 

“Chief Wu, is there nothing you can do?” 

Wu Minzhi shook his head, “A woman can’t cook without rice. There’s nothing I can do about it.” 

The salt merchant’s face turned pale, their hearts filled with despair. Could it be that they will not be able to escape this calamity? 

After pondering for a moment, Qi Ming comforted them and said, “Everyone, don’t worry. Let’s calm down and try to find the way. There are many merchants in Jiangnan, and now that it is time to check the salt tax, those smaller salt merchants must still have stock in hand. We have to find a way to buy some.” 

“The quantity is also far from enough?” 

“Let’s go buy it first and try our luck. It’ll be fine as long as we can gather as much as possible. It’s better than us getting tied up together and getting beheaded.” 

The salt merchants nodded. “That’s the only way.” 

Qi Ming sighed: “I will report this to Master, and let him think of a way to mobilize some of them. Now that we are united, everyone must keep their mouths shut and not leak any more information, or else you will know the consequences.” 

“Yes...” 

“Please rest assured, Lord Qi.” After the salt merchants left, they started to search for connections. Their purposes are to found out who among the salt merchants had hoarded the salt. But the result was not satisfactory. Those people don’t have many goods in their hands, but their taste was great, the price they offered was 40% higher than the market price. Even in this case, they can only hold their noses and recognize it. After buying salt at a high price, they still have to show gratitude to each other. 

Two days later, there was still no progress on the matter. All the salt merchants gathered at Wu Minzhi’s residence once again. “Chief Wu, I’m afraid we won’t be able to escape calamity this time.” 

“That’s right. We’ve raised the silver for two days, but the number isn’t even 10% yet. What should we do?” 

Just as he was deep in thought, a servant suddenly entered the room and reported, “Master, someone has delivered a letter to you from the entrance. It’s clearly saying that it handed over to you personally.” 

Wu Minzhi sent someone to bring it over. When he opened it, he saw the contents on the thread and stood up fiercely. There were only three words on the paper: I have salt! 

Upon seeing Wu Minzhi lose his composure, everyone hurriedly asked, “Chief Wu, is there some bad news?” They were utterly scared, afraid that the next moment, they would hear the news of the government’s order to capture them. 

“Everyone, please take a look.” Wu Minzhi handed the letter over. 

“This... It’s just three words, and there’s no name written on it. Who actually has salt in their hands?” 

“Is someone making fun of us on purpose?” 

“I actually hope that it’s true. No matter how much silver I spend, I can at least preserve my life.” 

Wu Minzhi raised his hand to signal for silence. “We are now waiting patiently. Since the other party has sent a letter over, they must want to deal with us. They will definitely find a way to send another letter.” 

“Yes, Chief Wu’s words are reasonable.”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 217

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 216

~ GIVE ANOTHER PIT FOR SALT MERCHANTS ~  

Mu Yunyao turned her head to the side and blinked, and her face was full of smiles. “How can we so easily give the things back that are hard to snatch? Naturally, we have to let the salt merchants buy back the salt at a high price!” 

Yue Wang’s eyes lit up. “You want to spread the news and cause a panic amongst the salt merchants, and then let Qi Ming come forward to guide the salt merchants to buy salt to restore the situation. This way, although it will cause a commotion, the result will not be that serious. Now that there is another the Li family in Jiangnan, Prime Minister Li Qingzhou will definitely find a way to mediate the situation, and the Emperor will likely take it lightly.” 

“That’s right.” 

Yue Wang pondered for a moment. “What if the salt merchants don’t listen to Qi Ming’s advice?” 

“If they listened to it, they just spent some silver tael to save their lives, and they would naturally have the opportunity to earn more silver in the future. If they don’t listen, they may lose their lives this time. As long as they are not stupid, they must know how to choose.” 

“This way, the salt merchants will probably hate Qi Ming.” 

“Qi Ming is just a nobody. If they want to hate someone, they have to hate the person controlling Qi Ming from behind. Didn’t Fourth Master also pave the way before?” 

Mu Yunyao guessed some of the thoughts of Yue Wang. Yue Wang had disguised Qi Ming’s identity. The rumor stated that Qi Ming is related to the First Prince’s residence in the Capital. Even if the salt merchants want to hate, they should also go to the First Prince, the main culprit. 

“This is indeed a good method. No wonder you were so generous just now to buy the salt in my hand back at the market price.” Yue Wang gave a spurious smile as he looked at Mu Yunyao. If he had agreed right now, he would probably lose a lot. 

Mu Yunyao couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Fourth Master Ning is wise and easily saw through my little tricks. It seems that I’ve made a joke out of myself.” 

Yue Wang’s eyes softened: “I will immediately send someone to spread the news. Tell Qi Ming to be alert at all times and do not let his guard down. Be sure to take proper measures and don’t fold yourself in.” 

During this period of observation, Qi Ming could be considered a rare genius. If he could use it well in the future, he would become a sharp sword. It would be a great pity if we were to lose him at this time. 

“Alright, then thank you, Fourth Master.” Mu Yunyao was happy that she didn’t need to come and cause trouble for herself. After standing up and bowing, she said goodbye. 

After Mu Yunyao left, Steward Qin walked in with a sorrowful expression. “I really wonder how deep Miss Mu’s mind is? How can she be so smart?” 

Hearing this, Yue Wang was somewhat proud in his heart: “The first time she saw me, she was astonishingly intelligent, and she even swindled a dagger from me.” 

Hearing Yue Wang’s slightly arrogant tone, Steward Qin could not help but laugh: “Previously, in order to spread the scene, I was thinking about earning silver with all my might, but I still felt that there was not enough money to go around. If it isn’t for the previous foundation’s support, we couldn’t have developed our influence in Jiangnan. But now, with the help of Miss Mu, I feel that there are silver everywhere, waiting for people to bend down to pick it up.” 

The smile on Yue Wang’s face deepened: “Uncle Qin, let the people carry out the orders Yunyao gave us, spread the news as soon as possible, but pay attention to controlling the area, don’t make things too difficult for others, and you won’t be able to take care of it.” 

“Yes, this old servant will do it right away. By the way, Wang Ye, there are still many pieces of jewelry in the storehouse, all from the past. We can take out some of the official ones, but we can wear the rest without problems. If Wang Ye wishes to use them, this old servant will have some people take them out.” 

Yue Wang nodded his head: “She has worked hard too, so we should give her some gifts.” 

“Wang Ye’s words are reasonable.” Steward Qin smiled happily and left. He sent people to spread the news, while he also went to the warehouse to clean up the gift himself. 

He had specially asked Yun Chun and the other little girls what kind of models headdress they liked. Since Wang Ye was going to give Miss Mu a present, he naturally had to think of a way to get into her heart. As a servant, he had put in a lot of effort! 

Inside Yangzhou City, the salt merchants thought they could rest peacefully, but they never thought that a piece of news would be like thunder, exploding directly on their heads! 

There were rumors that the salt boats on the Xijiang River were carrying sand instead of salt. 

The moment this news spread, it quickly attracted the attention of everyone. In particular, the people who had recently suffered from the rise in the price of salt immediately began to spread the news everywhere, their voices filled with anger. 

It was not easy for the salt merchant, who had finally spent two days in peace, gathered at Chief Wu’s residence once again. They did not even care about their bearing and manner. They were noisy as if they were in a vegetable market.”Chief Wu, didn’t you say that the matter was over? Why is there such news coming out now?” 

“That’s right. The Governor of Liangjiang is already on his way to Yangzhou City. At this time, the news comes out. Isn’t he will try to kill us?” 

“Hurry up and find an idea. It is a great crime, a Capital offense!” 

Wu Min frowned and made a voice to appease the situation, “It’s just a little something that now comes up, and the matter hasn’t pointed on us. You all panicking like this in the eyes of the people who want to know more about it. Isn’t it down to the truth?” 

“Even though you said like that, who knows when the news will come out? Who knows, maybe tomorrow, someone will tear our story apart! “ 

“Didn’t Qi Ming take our silver as well? Don’t tell me he wants only to collect silver and not do anything.” 

“Yes, there’s still Qi Ming. We’ll go look for him now!” 

“...” 

“Quiet!” Wu Minzhi shouted coldly, “We still don’t know the details of the matter. Now is not the time for us to have a falling out. Li Yuanyi wrote us the letter I showed you earlier. With this evidence, even if something happened to us, he wouldn’t be able to get away with it. Don’t jump to conclusions yet. We have to get to the bottom of this first.” 

“Right. Chief Wu’s words are reasonable. Everyone, don’t be so agitated for now, lest you miss something big.” 

“Fortunately, there is a letter. Otherwise, we would really be blind.” 

Wu Minzhi stood up and led the group to Chun Feng Garden. When they saw Qi Ming, the salt merchants couldn’t help but become excited again. 

“Lord Qi, you have caused us so much trouble!” 

“If Lord Qi can’t settle down this matter, then don’t put down the big talk. What’s going on in this scene now?” 

With his teacup in his hand, Qi Ming took a sip of it: “I still have something to ask you? Why did you spread the news?” 

“What? How could we spread the news? This is a heinous crime, are we crazy?” 

Qi Ming put down his teacups and coldly snorted, “I have obtained the exact information. This time, the rumor spread out from your salt merchant first. After that, it spread throughout the whole of Yangzhou City overnight!” 

The salt merchants were stunned on the spot and angrily came over to ask about their misery, but unexpectedly heard this result, “Impossible, this shouldn’t be possible …” 

Qi Ming clapped his hands, and immediately a man was brought forward, “Do you know this person?” 

“This... Isn’t this Zhou Lu?” 

Everyone looked at the salt merchant Wei Qi. This Zhou Lu was indeed the brother-in-law of the salt merchant Wei Qi. who was very proficient in eating, drinking, and gambling. Could it be that he revealed the news?

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 216

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 215

~ GOLDEN DOLL MU YUNYAO ~ 

Liu Liang quickly returned to Jingling City with the banknotes. Mu Yunyao was in the middle of her room, pruning a pot of dwarf pine. Listening to Jin Lan’s words about Liu Liang’s return, the scissors in her hand became unstable and cut off a short branch of the dwarf pine, but she didn’t care. She just threw the scissors to the side and quickly said, “Let’s Liu Liang come in.” 

He walked in with long strides and bent his knees to pay his respects to Mu Yunyao, “Greetings, Misstress. The matter has progressed smoothly.” 

Mu Yunyao stood up. Despite her calm state of mind, she couldn’t help but blush from excitement, “ Have you brought the item back?”

“Yes.” He took off the rucksack from his back, revealing an exquisite wooden box. The box was so large and looked quite heavy.

Mu Yunyao let Jin Lan and Jin Qiao withdraw before opening the box. Seeing that it was full of silver notes, her smile became even more radiant. “This is great. It is really great.” Silver can make the ghost push the mill. With so much silver, she could even make the millstone drive the spirit away!

Seeing Mu Yunyao so happy, the expression on Liu Liang’s face softened. “Mistress likes silver very much?”

Mu Yunyao picked up a stack of banknotes and looked at it carefully: “What I like isn’t silver, but the thing that’s backed by silver. In this world right now, without power, you have to have silver taels. If there is neither, it is difficult to live with ease.” Liu Liang did not understand what she meant, but he did not ask any further, “Mistress, Qi Ming is now staying at Yi Bao Xuan in Yangzhou City. After Li Yuanyi has checked the salt tax in Jingling City, he will rush to Yangzhou City. If he is exposed, I’m afraid it will implicate Mistress. Do you need me to seal his mouth?”

Unable to contain herself, Mu Yunyao chuckled at Liu Liang, “Didn’t you say that Qi Ming is a trustworthy person? Furthermore, he has been extremely thoughtful during this time. Now that he has helped me earn so much silver, doesn’t that mean that I am cruel and merciless if I wipe people out so easily?”

Liu Liang shook his head, “It’s me who will do it. It has nothing to do with Mistress” For Mistress’s sake, he is willing to wipe out all the dangers.

“Alright, we still can use Qi Ming. In the future, I will be pointing at him to help me earn more silver, and you don’t need to worry about Li Yuanyi’ matter. When he reaches Yangzhou City, he will not even be able to take care of himself, so how would he have the time to investigate anything else?” Mu Yunyao sneered, looked at the silver noted in the box. After glancing at the silver notes in the box, she locked the lid and put it aside, “Liu Liang, you have been traveling through the night this time. You have worked hard, so you should go and rest first. If there’s anything wrong, I’ll send someone to call for you.”

“Yes.”

After Liu Liang left, Mu Yunyao changed her clothes, got up, and went next door to see Yue Wang.

Inside the study room, Yue Wang saw the smile on Mu Yunyao’s face, and his expression couldn’t help but soften. “Liu Liang has returned?”

“Fourth Master, you are so well-informed. I assume that as soon as the incident in Yangzhou City was successful, you knew about it, right?”

Yue Wang understood that she was testing the depth of his influence in Jiangnan and did not hide it, “Hmm, now the salt merchants think that they have settled a matter of mind and are secretly celebrating. I wonder if they will still be able to laugh when Li Yuanyi arrives there?”

“Qi Ming is still in Jiangnan, so I asked Fourth Master to send some people to keep an eye on his safety. I’m afraid that when Li Yuanyi gets there, the salt merchants will tear him apart.”

Yue Wang couldn’t help but look over, seeing her smiling face, his lips raised: “Qi Ming has already helped you earn enough silver. Why is it that he hasn’t gone to other places to hide?”

Mu Yunyao’s smile became even fuller. “This is only earning me 10 million silver taels. If I casually bring out one or two salt merchants, it would not just be this amount. Naturally, I have to think of a way to cheat them.”

Yue Wang’s heart skipped a beat, “Ten million taels of silver?”

Mu Yunyao blinked her eyes and said with a smile, “Does Fourth Master feel that it’s incredible?”

“Indeed, the tax revenue of the entire Dali Dynasty is s only more than 50 million taels of silver in a year, and you have already extracted ten million silver taels from the salt merchants. How could it not be shocking?” At this moment, Yue Wang did not know how to describe the feelings in his heart. His first reaction actually was that he shouldn’t have signed the agreement. Otherwise, he would have been able to split some of it.

Steward Qin, who was waiting by the door, could not help but raise his eyebrows. He gritted his teeth tightly and did not make himself cry out in surprise: His original vision was as good as expected and was right back then. Lady Mu is a golden doll or made of solid pure gold.

It was rare to see this expression from Yue Wang, so Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but deepen her smile. “If anyone dares to gather all of Jiangnan’s salt merchants, then the silver can be said to be inexhaustible and limitless.”

Yue Wang squinted his eyes slightly, a profound look flashing across his eyes: “You said that you want to trick them again. Do you need my help?”

Mu Yunyao couldn’t help raising her eyes to look over. “Didn’t Fourth Master say before that you only wanted the batch of salt that we snatched away? Why you want to get involved in other places now too?”

“I can see that you’re working really hard. I only want to help you share the burden. Why be so cautious?”

“It would be best if you can help me out, Fourth Master. I can’t let him suffer any loss. How about I pay you silver taels to buy that batch of salt?”

“You want to buy the batch of salt that I robbed?”

“Yes, Fourth Master. If you send so much salt to the west of Guangdong, you’ll likely be exposed, so it’s safer to take the silver with you. However, there are salt merchants in Jiangnan who are staring at it, and it is quite hard to get rid of them. Why don’t I buy the salt in your hand according to the market price to save you more trouble?”

Yue Wang had been thinking about how to turn this batch of salt into cash. Now, Mu Yunyao had taken the initiative to propose it to him and still pay the silver according to the market price, which was naturally the best idea. But he always felt that there was something fishy about it. “This batch of salt is not easy to get rid of in my hand. It is also the same in your hand. It is not easy for you to earn so much silver. If you give it easily, you will not be afraid to suffer losses in the future?”

“Just now, Fourth Master tried to help me out, and now that I’ve helped you convert the salt into cash, it’s mutually beneficial. It doesn’t matter if I suffer a little loss because I can sell off that batch of salt sooner or later.”

Yue Wang gave a faint smile as he looked over: “Forget it, since you treat me with such sincerity, I can’t let you suffer any losses. I will slowly figure out a solution myself.”

Mu Yunyao shook her head somewhat regretfully: “I was still thinking of earning some silver from Fourth Master, but it seems I can’t make it anymore. I’ll be honest then. I’m going to spread the news of the salt merchants swapping the salt.”

Yue Wang’s eyebrows moved: “If that’s the case, I’m afraid that the entire Jiangnan would sink into turmoil. If the Imperial Court finds out and investigates about it, we might get implicated as well.”

“Normally, that would be the case. But what if the salt found before the news got out?”

“I got it. Do you want me to send this batch of salt back?”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 215

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 214

~ SILVER IN HAND ~ 

Everyone hurriedly nodded, “Please explain in detail, Chief Wu.” 

“At the moment, there are two suitable paths. The first path is to make a fortune and give Lord Li the silver taels we need to fill the deficit. In this way, he will take our business of exchanging salt lightly and let go of the past. The second way is to submit to Lord Li, which is an indirect way to get on the First Prince’s ship, and there’s no need for us to make a fortune at present. As for the future, that will depend on the First Prince’s intentions. What do you think?” 

“Chief Wu also said just now that the situation is still unclear …” 

“Yeah, the situation isn’t clear. I am afraid that it is not conducive to our future development. It looks like the first way is more appropriate because we can earn some money in the future. Why should we put a rope on ourselves in advance?” 

“That’s right. We’ll choose the first choice.” 

After listening to the opinions of the crowd, Wu Minzhi had a plan, and he was more inclined to the first way in his heart: “Although we have made our choice now, we can’t easily hand over the silver taels to Qi Ming. We have to make sure that the other party will not turn over after taking the silver.” 

“Yes, Chief Wu is indeed thoughtful.” 

“Since you all want to listen to me, then hold your anger and don’t make any mistakes in private. Let’s listen to the news for three days first, and then we can make a plan again.” 

“Alright.” 

According to Wu Minzhi’s plan, even if he wanted to give money, he would have to wait for a while. However, he did not expect that the next day, there was a rumor that a ship was salvaging things on the Xijiang River. Fortunately, he had some friends in water transportation and secretly delivered the news to him. Otherwise, things would be definitely become bad. 

After receiving the message, Wu Minzhi rushed to the Chun Feng Garden, and he only saw Qi Ming covered in dust and dirt walking in. 

“Where did Lord Qi go? Why are you look so tired?” 

“Sorry for the ridicule, Chief Wu. Some things are coming from below, and I went to suppress it.” Qi Ming said with a smile. 

Wu Minzhi’s heart skipped a beat. He subconsciously thought of the people who salvaged things on the Xijiang River. Could it be that those people have a friendship with Qi Ming? Or could it be that those people sent out by Li Yuanyi? 

“Lord Qi, there’s something I want to talk to you about.” 

“Please come in, Chief Wu. How about you allow me to change my clothes first, and I’ll come here again for a discussion?” 

“Of course. Please go ahead, Lord Qi.” 

Wu Minzhi sat in the room where he had come last time, and his mind was full of confusion. After a brief moment of absent-mindedness, Qi Ming had changed his clothes and arrived in front of him. 

“Chief Wu come to find me this time, but has he figured out the countermeasures to fill the silver balance?” 

Wu Minzhi became more and more uncertain after hearing Qi Ming’s blunt words. “I won’t hide it from Lord Qi. I have recently heard some rumors that merchant ships are salvaging things on the Xijiang River ...” 

“Chief Wu, no need to worry. The river is merciless. If the thing in the water isn’t in the same place, then there’s no need to mention whether or not it’s in the water. If you go down there, will you be able to get something? Besides, Don’t the things that you fished out had sunk before?” A smile appeared in Qi Ming’s eyes as he looked at Wu Minzhi meaningfully. 

Wu Min Zhi smiled along with him. “Lord Qi, we’ve thought it through, but there’s no way to control the deficit on the surface. We can only ask Lord Qi to do some hard work and think of a way secretly.” 

Qi Ming frowned, looking troubled: “This... Chief Wu is making things difficult for me.” 

Wu Minzhi took out a purse from his pocket. It was huge and thick. Then he said, “I know it’s so difficult to control it. Here is some tea money. Please accept it, Lord Qi. We will reward you handsomely after this is over.” 

Qi Ming sighed. “Chief Wu, my master really admires your character very much and has paid much attention to you in the Capital. With your intelligence, you should know that there is more than one way out.” 

Hearing the word ‘Master’ from his mouth, Wu Minzhi’s heart skipped a beat. He had guessed correctly. This fellow was most likely the First Prince’s aide, so he had to be more careful when dealing with him. With a troubled expression, he said, “If it were only me, I would be willing to sacrifice myself for Lord’s Master, but I represent a lot of salt merchants. I hope Lord Qi can help me explain a bit more.” 

“That’s also understandable, but the mountains are high, and the rivers are long. You can watch it slowly in the future will be enough.” After Qi Ming finished speaking, he put away the purse on the table, “I will do my best to help you with this. Chief Wu should prepare all the silver taels in advance.” 

“Of course. Please rest assured, Lord Qi.” 

“Yes.” Qi Ming took a sip from his teacup. 

Seeing that the other party was bringing tea to see him off, Wu Minzhi said, “Thank you for your hard work, Lord Qi. Rest early. I will take my leave first.” 

“Alright. Take care, Chief Wu.” 

“Bye.” 

Waiting for Wu Minzhi to leave, Qi Ming carried his pouch all the way out of Chun Feng Garden and returned to Yi Bao Xuan. 

Liu Liang was waiting in the backyard. When he saw his return, his eyes moved slightly. He then asked, “How did it go?” 

Qi Ming took out his pouches, “My Lord, everything is going well.” 

Liu Liang opened the pouch and took out the banknotes. Each note was worth a thousand silver taels each, a total of one hundred banknotes. 

Qi Ming sighed in admiration, “This payment of a hundred thousand taels of silver is only for my hard work. Those salt merchants are so rich.” 

“You have to be very careful. The more you act at the end, the more careful you have to be. Remember not to reveal the identity of the Young Miss in order to avoid bringing disaster upon her.” 

“Yes, this servant understands.” 

Soon, Wu Minzhi handed the silver taels to him. “Lord Qi, we have brought the silver taels. Can you give us some words from Lord Li?” 

“Chief Wu, Lord Li has made arrangements. Lord wrote a personal letter for you, and you can directly look at it. From now on, this is proof in your hands.” 

Wu Minzhi’s eyes lit up. He took the letter and carefully read the notes and seals. Finally, his heart settled down. With this letter, he was equivalent to having proof, and he was not afraid of Li Yuanyi reneging on his promise. 

After seeing Wu Minzhi off happily, Qi Ming could not help but laugh, “Hopefully, after Chief Wu learns the truth, he will still be laughing like this.” 

Upon receiving the banknotes, Qi Ming did not dare to waste any time. He collected the banknotes and delivered them to Liu Liang, “Lord, I had received the banknotes. I wonder what we should do next?” If those salt merchants knew that he was not going to do anything after accepting the silver. They would definitely tear him apart. 

“Mistress has made all the necessary arrangements. You can stay here and manage Yi Bao Xuan with peace of mind. You don’t have to worry about the salt merchants. Soon, they won’t be able to stand up again.” 

Qi Ming’s eyes were bright, and his heart was excited: “Could it be that Mistress wants to clean up these salt merchants?” This situation is enough to cause great turmoil. If the manipulation is not satisfying, it may upset the whole of Jiangnan. Then there will be a good show! 

Liu Liang looked indifferent: “Mistress’s matters aren’t something we can speculate. Just be at ease and do your own things.” 

“Yes, this servant understands.”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 214

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 213

~ MEETING WITH SALT MERCHANTS ~ 

Wu Minzhi winked at the salt merchant near the door. The salt merchant immediately rose to his feet and caught up with Qi Ming, “Lord Qi, please stay here. If you have anything to say, we salt merchants have always been at peace with each other. This time is also a crucial moment for the court to check the salt tax. We must not make any contradictions inside!” 

Qi Ming turned around and glanced at the salt merchants in the hall: “I had wanted to sell a good one and save your lives, but I didn’t expect that you guys would play with me when the disaster was imminent. Anyway, it was not me who panicked in the end, so take care of yourselves.” 

“Don’t worry, Lord Qi. If you have something to say, come in and sit down quickly.” A few salt merchants stood up again, and they invited Qi Ming back to the room. 

Qi Ming picked up the teacup and took a sip before placing it heavily on the table. “Now, do you understand what I’m talking about, Chief Wu?” 

Wu Minzhi looked at Qi Ming, finally gritting his teeth and nodding his head, “Lord Qi is probably talking about the matter of us secretly bid up salt prices, which causing the price of salt to rise recently, right?” 

“Wu Minzhi, I’m not talking about you secretly bid the price of the salt. But I am talking about that you acted bold and reckless. Even plotting with the government to replace salt with sand to fill the deficit in salt tax!” 

Wu Minzhi’s heart skipped a beat, “Lord Qi, don’t speak nonsense. It’s a great crime to rob a family and destroy it!” 

“Since you won’t repent even if you die, there’s no need for me to say it either,” with that, Qi Ming turned to look at the other salt merchants, “Just follow this good leader and die with him!” 

“Don’t worry, Lord Qi,” some salt merchant said to Wu Minzhi directly, “Chief Wu, if Lord Qi could inform us in advance, it must be because he’s with us. He wants to save our lives. We can’t be muddle-headed anymore.” 

Qi Ming turned his head and looked at Wu Minzhi with a smile, his eyes full of mockery. 

Wu Minzhi sighed before bowing to Qi Ming and said, “Please forgive me, Lord Qi. It’s really a matter of great concern, and I was so flustered that I couldn’t think of anything to say. I don’t know where did Lord Qi get this news?” 

“Someone wrote a secret letter about you guys secretly exchanging sand for salt and delivered it to Lord Li. He also claimed that he could provide sufficient evidence.” Qi Ming shook his head, “This time, Lord Li ordered to verify the salt tax in Jiangnan. He thought it was a good idea to sell it. He also asked you to remember the kindness of the Li family and the First Prince, who would have thought that you would have the guts to cause such a disaster?” 

“Lord Qi, to be honest, if there’s a way, we wouldn’t want to do this. It’s just that deficit in the salt tax is too big. So, we had no choice but to do this. We hope to use this purchase of salt to equalize the deficit. Who would have thought that something big had happened? So I asked Lord Qi for advice. What should we do that would allow Lord Li to be so generous?” 

Qi Ming sighed: “Lord Li is not the only one who thinks about this matter now. Others also seem to be staring at it, especially those who wrote letters to Lord Li revealing that you exchanged sand for salt. There is no clue about the identity of those who wrote to Lord Li. In case Lord Li is involved in it and hard to get out. There is only one way out for you all right now, and that is to use silver taels to pay the salt tax on the deficit as soon as possible.” 

Wu Minzhi frowned, “But Lord Qi should also know that the news about the sinking of the salt ship has spread, and now everyone knows about it. At this time, we use the silver tael to make up for the deficit. Doesn’t that mean we have something to hide?” 

“I have already told you the way. As for whether you want to leave or not, that will depend on your own intentions. I’ve brought the words here, so I believe that you all also have something to discuss. I will not keep you all here any longer. If you have discussed it, you can come directly to Chun Feng Garden to find me.” 

Some of the salt merchants were anxious and wanted to say something, but when they saw Wu Minzhi’s gaze, they immediately stopped talking and followed him out of the room. 

Walking out of Chun Feng Garden, Wu Minzhi motioned to a guard to observe in the dark, and then took the salt merchants back to his residence. 

The atmosphere in the hall was entirely tense. After a long while, everyone began to speak. 

“Chief Wu, what should we do now?” 

“Could that Lord Qi be trusted?” 

“That’s right. The path Lord Qi pointed out to us clearly doesn’t work right now, but what he said was an obvious path. Exactly how should we proceed?” 

Wu Min Zhi raised his hand to indicate for everyone to be quiet, “I have carefully checked the seal on the post. The Governor Liangjiang’s seal above is real, and I have already sent people to investigate Qi Ming’s identities. I can vaguely find out that he has something to do with the First Prince’s residence. In other words, Lord Li likely visited Yangzhou City in advance.” 

“If that is the case, we must listen to him. After all, the one who has come to verify the salt tax is the Governor of Liangjiang, Lord Li.” 

“Yeah, if I knew earlier, I wouldn’t have cared about the silver. If I had taken it out earlier and used it to make up for the losses, then there would be no future trouble.” These salt merchants had at least tens of millions of silver taels. It wasn’t a problem for them to take out several million for each of them. However, they were too distressed before. What’s more, when they checked the salt tax a few years ago, they were all safe and sound. 

There was a certain amount of thoughtlessness in their mind, and they didn’t think that a moment’s neglect would lead to a great mistake. 

“We can’t fill the gap even if we want to. We have already announced the sinking of the boat. If we fill the gap now, wouldn’t we be slapping our own face?” 

“Chief Wu, what do you think we should do?” 

The color in Wu Minzhi’s eyes deepened, “You’ll understand after you think about Qi Ming’s words.” 

“Qi Ming’s words?” Everyone looked at each other, and some of them couldn’t help but repeat Qi Ming’s words, “ ... There was only one clear path, and that was to use silver taels to pay the salt tax as soon as possible ... There was only one clear path … clear path …” 

Some people can’t help but suddenly came to a realization, “There is only one path, but there can be many secret passages! Right now, we are unable to make up for our lack of money on the surface, which means that this path blocked off already. Then, we can only secretly think of a way to deal with this problem. Chief Wu, is my guess correct?” 

“That’s right.” Wu Minzhi nodded in agreement. “Qi Ming’s identity is likely real. What we should discuss now is how to satisfy him, so that Lord Li can show us his benevolence.” 

The salt merchants couldn’t help but fall silent as they pondered in their hearts. In fact, they have some idea in their heart. It is also the usual practice of checking salt taxes. Every time an imperial envoy sent down, they definitely want to give the silver taels for filial piety, but how much is appropriate? 

“Chief Wu, what do you think we should do?” 

“That’s right. Chief Wu, please tell us. You are now the salt merchant’s leader, and you have always had more ideas than us. We are all at your disposal now.” 

“Please make an idea, Chief Wu.” 

Wu Minzhi motioned to everyone to calm down: “Actually, all of you should understand that Lord Li belongs to the First Prince’s faction. Over the past two years, the First Prince has repeatedly sent people to recruit us. But now, the situation in the Capital is not cleared. If we rashly submit to him, we would be only to be other people’s money bag. Therefore, we have yet to express our attitude, but the situation is different now. The path is not clear, but there are still one or two secret passages, so we need to make up our minds together.” 

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 213

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 212

~ YUE WANG’S MURDEROUS INTENT ~ 

In the Su’s residence, filled with endless cheers and laughter, but within Jin Xiu Garden, Yue Wang’s expression was peculiarly cold. 

Steward Qin stood at the side with his hands behind his back, listening to Yue Wang’s instructions to Yu Yi.

  

“Li Yuanyi has made a careful decision there. I don’t want him to set foot in Jin Xiu Garden again for the next few days.” Yue Wang’s eyes darkened. It was as if a cold wind had blown past them, bringing with it an endless chill. 

Relying on Li Yuan’s personality, if he had set his mind on Mu Yunyao, he would definitely think of all sorts of ways to woo her in the next few days. Just thinking about such a scene made his killing intent rise in his heart. 

Yu Yi hurriedly nodded his head and replied, “Please rest assured, Master. This subordinate will handle this matter right away.” He had already made up his mind. If he could not use proper business to tie up Li Yuanyi and keep him trapped in the government office, he would secretly wrap Li Yuanyi in a sack and break his legs, and Li Yuanyi would not be allowed to appear in front of Wang Ye. 

Yue Wang nodded: “Go ahead and do it.” 

Sensing that the surrounding coldness has slightly decreased, Steward Qin stepped forward and spoke to Yue Wang. “Master, with the help of Bu Xian Luo in Jiangnan, our staff have gradually settled down and gathered a lot of news recently. The most obvious one is that there is news about the First Prince, Ling Wang, who seems to be slowly penetrating Jiang Nan. Are we going to intervene and stop him?” 

“No need. We have been planning this for so many years. The forces in Jiangnan have only just begun to take shape, and we cannot easily expose them. Otherwise, they are very likely to be uprooted. This time, when Yunyao’s plan ended, the salt merchants will probably be furious. If we cannot find a reason, then we might cause chaos in the whole of Jiangnan. So, I tried to find a way to lead the clues to the First Prince.” 

“Yes, Master.” The salt merchants of Jiangnan had always had deep roots. Even the Emperor’s previous inspections of the salt tax were very well-measured. They were afraid that it would cause the entire Jiangnan turmoil, and he hoped that the First Prince’s influence would be able to hold on once the salt affairs subsided this time. 

Li Yuanyi was in a bad mood after being warned by Li Munian again. Li Munian had even sent down two bodyguards to supervise him, and not allowing him to go to Bu Xian Lou. So, he goes to the backyard of the government office to drink. Unknowingly, he had gotten drunk, and when he woke up the next day, he felt a splitting headache coming on as he stood up, the world spinning around him. He wanted nothing more than to vomit out the bitter water in his stomach. For a time, not to mention Bu Xian Luo, he even can’t go to the government office. 

Mu Yunyao thought that in the next few days, Li Yuanyi would definitely come to bother her. However, she did not expect that he would not show up at all. She thought it was Yue Wang who made the shot, and she asked about it specifically, but unfortunately, Yue Wang did not know anything about it, and in the end, she had no choice but to let it go. 

In Yangzhou City, the salt merchants gathered at Wu Minzhi’s residence with worried expressions, “Chief Wu, no matter what, we have to investigate this clearly. The salt carried on the salt ship involves several million silver taels, and each of us has lost a lot of silver taels.” 

“The loss of several million silver taels is considered a small matter. The key point is, once the Emperor investigates this matter, I’m afraid we won’t have any place left in Jiangnan.” 

“That’s right...” Wu Minzhi’s eyebrows creased slightly, and he looked relatively calm, “The matter has already come out. There is no point in thinking about anything else now. No matter what the real situation is, to outsiders, the batch of official salt purchased has sunk to the bottom of the river, which is absolutely a dead-end. At least, the salt tax in the book account had evened out, and we can use it to deal with Governor Liangjiang.” 

“Even though I said it like that, but this matter is really frustrating. What’s more, if the people who robbed us in Yan City were to spread the news, what would happen then?” 

Wu Minzhi sneered, “If they sell the salt, they’ll probably get for over ten million taels of silver. Since those people robbed the salt ships for the sake of money, could they be stupid enough to hand over the salt boats to the government?” 

“Chief Wu’s words are extremely reasonable.” 

“Yeah, they shouldn’t be so stupid.” 

The salt merchants left with many worries, and not long after, they received a post at the same time, inviting them to go to Chun Feng Garden to discuss important matters. Chun Feng Garden is very popular in Yangzhou City and is famous for its vocal music. The girls in it are all well-known courtiers, each of whom has very high musical attainments and is extremely sought after by some romantic talents. But this isn’t a proper place to invite these people to Chun Feng Garden to discuss anything important. What could they discuss? 

Initially, many people didn’t care about it, but when they saw the seal at the bottom right corner of the post, they immediately rushed back to Wu Minzhi’s residence again. 

Wu Minzhi was also holding the same post in his hand. Seeing that everyone was rushing back, he could not help but shake his head, “The letter sent by the Governor of Liangjiang, Li Yuanyi. Whether it’s true or false, we must not neglect it. We will go to Chun Feng Garden with me in the evening.” 

“Chief Wu, could it be that the matter regarding the salt ship exposed?” 

Wu Minzhi did not have any clue as he felt uneasy in his heart. “I’m not too sure either. Let’s go to Chun Feng Garden first.” 

“Sigh …” 

That night, the salt merchants came to Chun Feng Garden with heavy thoughts. The usually lively Chun Feng Garden was very quiet today, and the salt merchants found it increasingly difficult to calm down. When they arrived upstairs and saw the person sitting upright in the room, they couldn’t help but open their eyes wide. “Lord Qi?” 

The smiling man who sits in the room was the same person they had met before! 

Qi Ming stood up with a smile: “Greetings everyone. I take the liberty to invite you to come here because it is really a matter of great importance, and we need to discuss it carefully. Please forgive me.” 

Wu Minzhi’s eyes shook violently before calming down. “Lord Qi has been keeping us in the dark for a long time. To think that you would be a member of the governor’s office.” 

Qi Ming was still smiling, neither admitting nor denying. He turned around and instructed the girls on one side to serve tea. When the tea had set on the table, the girls in Chun Feng Garden retreated, closing the doors and windows tightly. The salt merchants were apprehensive. Even though all of them had experienced hardships, they were still a little confused. Previously, they had all prepared generous gifts and came to Wu Minzhi’s residence to congratulate him. They thought that this man was a businessman with a little background and wanted to make a fortune on salt, but now it seems that the situation was far from what they had expected. 

Qi Ming looked around the salt merchants, shook their heads, and sighed: “Everyone, this time, what you have done is really too much.” 

Wu Min Zhi asked on behalf of everyone, “What exactly does Lord Qi mean by his words?” 

Qi Ming smiled and looked over, “Chief Wu, why are you still pretending to be confused? Naturally, I’m talking about the incident that the official ship carrying salt sank on the Xijiang River some time ago... “ 

Wu Minzhi lifted his teacup and took a sip. With smooth and natural movements, he said, “We knew about this a long time ago. It’s a pity to say that. I heard that there was quite a lot of salt in that batch.” 

Qi Ming’s expression turned cold, “From Chief Wu’s point of view, you’re not planning to discuss this with me about this matter?” 

“We really don’t understand what Lord Qi means, nor do we know what we should discuss.” 

“Since that’s the case, then I am sorry to trouble you all. I will prepare a gift for you all another day and then apologize to you. Please go back.” As he spoke, he sneered, stood up, and walked towards the door.

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 212

Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 211

~ PURPOSE ACHIEVED ~ 

Li Yuanyi didn’t want to taste tea at that time. Usually, he would coax women to have fun, but now that he looked at Mu Yunyao, he felt that everything was too abrupt. He could only accept the teacup and absent-mindedly savor it, “Miss’s skills in brewing tea are peerless in the world, and I feel a bit drunk just by smelling the fragrance of tea.” 

“Lord, you praise me too much.” 

Mu Yunyao smiled and said, “If Lord has anything to do, then go and busy yourself first. If you want to drink tea later, you will send someone to inform me in advance. At that time, I’ll find some new tea for you to taste.” 

“Alright, if that’s the case, then we’ll agree on it.” 

Li Yuanyi is afraid of Li Mu Nian. He knows that his previous tricks have been seen through by him. At this time, he does not dare to stay any longer. Even though beauty is essential, but if he angers Li Munian and reports his actions to Prime Minister Li, maybe they will do something, and the future of the branch office will be affected. 

“Well, Yunyao respectfully sees Lord Li out.” Once Li Yuanyi had left, Mu Yunyao took the seal and hurried back to the study. Steward Qin had already taken out the box, which was full of well-written posts. If Li Yuanyi here, he would definitely find that the handwriting was the same as his handwriting. Even if he observed more carefully, it would be obviously difficult to notice the difference. 

Mu Yunyao quickly took out the seal and sealed the letter. Then, she cleaned up the imprint and returned it to its original state. She placed it in a scented pouch and handed it to Yu Yi, who was waiting by the side, “Be careful, you must not let Li Yuanyi detect any abnormalities.” 

“Don’t worry, Miss.” Yu Yi took the scented sachet and quickly left Jin Xiu Garden, chasing after Li Yuanyi. 

Li Yuanyi was in a bad mood as he rode his horse towards the government office. As he passed through a cross street, a horse carriage suddenly rushed out, causing his horse to be shocked and almost shaking him down. 

Some of the stalls on the street knocked over, and he panicked. He quickly steadied his horse and got off the horse. At that moment, a child was knocked over by a horse and flew straight into his arms. 

He quickly reached out to catch the child and saw that some officers and soldiers were rushing over not far away. His face was gloomy as he ordered, “What happened? Hurry up and kill the startled horse as soon as possible, so not to hurt any more innocent people.” 

“Yes, My Lord.” 

One of the women stepped forward to thank Li Yuanyi. “Thank you for saving us, or my child might have fallen to his death.” 

Li Yuanyi handed the child over to the woman. “Be careful in the future.” 

“Yes, many thanks to the Lord for saving my child’s life. You are truly a good official!” 

“Hurry up and send your child to the hospital. The impact was not light.” He had always been kind to the people and had won a good reputation for it. 

“Yes, yes!” The woman quickly carried the child and ran towards Ren Shan Tang, which not far away from them. Inside, Zhang Chun led the woman and the child to the backyard. 

Seeing that there was no one around, the child in the woman’s embrace directly jumped down and handed the scented sachet to Yu Yi. “My Lord, the scented sachet has been exchanged over, and Li Yuanyi did not notice anything amiss.” 

“Alright, you can take the silver and head to Huai’an City overnight. Bu Xian Luo has already opened there, so I’ll get people to arrange things for you.” 

“Yes, My Lord.” 

In Jin Xiu Garden, Mu Yunyao finally relaxed after receiving Yu Yi’s news that everything had gone smoothly. She placed the sealed posts into a box and gave it to Liu Liang. She then sent Liu Liang to head to Yangzhou City that very night. 

After everything settled properly, Mu Yunyao let out a heavy sigh of relief. The corner of her lips lifted high, and she was so happy in her heart: “We’ll be waiting slowly from now on.” 

Yue Wang couldn’t help being curious, “That’s how you came up with the idea of extracting silver from the salt merchants?” Mu Yunyao had previously said that she would not take a single cent of the silver they got from selling the stolen salt. He kept speculating what method Mu Yunyao would use to squeeze more silver from the salt merchant. Now that he saw that batch of posts, he could somewhat guess something. 

Mu Yunyao couldn’t help but laugh with a sly smile in her clear eyes. “Which salt merchant in Jiangnan isn’t rich enough? Every year, watching the tides on the Qiantang River, the boxes of golden leaves are tossed into the tides is enough for the people of Jingling City to chew for a few years. Just cutting off a batch of their salt was really too cheap. No matter what, we have to make them bleed a little more.” 

“Then, I shall wait and see. However, you must be careful and let Qi Ming come out. You don’t have to come out directly.” 

“I know.” If she personally offended those salt merchants, Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo would be hard to establish a foothold in Jiangnan. After all, they should not underestimate the salt merchants’ power. The reason why Yue Wang was able to succeed easily this time around was only that the salt merchants were not on guard. If we really show off our ferocity and fight fiercely, without using power. In such a situation, it would be hard to say who would win and who would lose. 

After settling the matter, Mu Yunyao felt very relaxed. After bidding farewell to Yue Wang, she first went to the greenhouse to choose a high-grade two-colored peony pot, and then she cut many foxtail lilies. She carefully inserted them into a spring vase and brought them to the parlor before going to the kitchen to prepare a meal. 

“Miss, I haven’t tasted your culinary skills for a long time. No matter what happens, you must reward us with a dish today.” 

Mu Yunyao was happy in her heart, but in her heart, she was also thinking jokingly, “No reward!” 

Jin Qiao giggled as she begged, “Miss, please have pity on us. The gluttony in my stomach is about to revolt.” 

“Then, I’ll let you guys eat together and feed the gluttony in your stomachs!” 

Jin Lan and Jin Qiao were overjoyed. “We actually caught to the light of gluttony. However, it’s good enough for us to have a taste of Miss’s culinary skills.” 

When Su Qing returned at night, she saw Mu Yunyao waiting at the door. “It’s getting dark. Why is Yao’er standing here?” 

Mu Yunyao went up to grab onto Su Qing’s arm and pulled her straight to the parlor. “Mother, come quickly. Today, I’m the one who is cooking. I’ve cooked a lot of delicious food, so we’re going to have a fun time together.” 

“Oh? What makes you so happy?” 

“It was because I saw that Mother was working hard, so I specially prepared a meal for you. Mother, you have to praise me well later on.” Mu Yunyao blinked her eyes as a radiant smile blossomed on her face, causing Su Qing to burst into laughter. 

“Alright, when Mother praises your craftsmanship in the future, I’ll have to praise your shamelessness!” 

Mu Yunyao cupped her face with both hands, turned her head, and said obediently, “Mother, look at my smooth and delicate face, you need to find a word to describe it … Un, that is skin that is so smooth and creamy that it can easily break with a blow. You don’t need to praise it if you want to see it to your heart’s content.” 

Su Qing couldn’t stop laughing. “Come over here and let Mother pinch you to see if it can break with a blow.” 

“That won’t do. If I break it, Mother will feel sorry for me.”

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Continue reading Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 211

Incurable Chapter 8 Part 2

Chapter 8 (2/2)

Rain had begun again.

The wooden windows stood wide open. In the courtyard outside, dense groves of bamboo gleamed green with moisture. By the pavilion and garden paths, a pond of lotus flowers lay in bloom. Fine rain fell over the broad leaves, the droplets gathering, then rolling off into the water below. It was almost possible to hear the clear sound of each drop entering the pond.

Liu Qingyuan sat to one side of the main hall and lifted his eyes toward the man in the seat of honor.

Ascetic. Remote. Noble.

His face was turned toward the open window, and since the lights in the hall were not on, the line of his profile looked like black paper cut by hand—precise, refined, almost impossibly beautiful.

“Qianxiu,” Liu Qingyuan said at last. “Stay and have dinner at home.”

He smiled as he spoke, but in his long, narrow eyes there was a careful, almost deferential kind of hope.

Liu Qingyuan was only a few months older than Liu Qianxiu, yet he looked much more mature. His features were handsome, his bearing straight-backed and polished, his hair immaculate, his whole person carrying the sharp, efficient air of an elite executive.

But he did not resemble Liu Qianxiu.

Each had taken after his own mother.

Liu Qianxiu was cool, restrained, and aristocratic.

Liu Qingyuan was mild, cultivated, and full of ambition.

Although Liu Qianxiu was younger by a few months, he was now the head of the Liu family. When Liu Qingyuan spoke to him, there was unmistakable respect in both tone and expression.

Liu Qianxiu did not reply.

His lashes lowered once.

Outside the wooden window, a single drop slid down the surface of a lotus leaf, broke apart, and vanished into the pond—alone.

“What exactly keeps you so busy at the hospital all day?” another voice sounded from the far side of the main hall, heavy with authority. “If it weren’t for your grandfather’s memorial, would you even have bothered to come back?”

When the speaker finished, a low cough followed.

Liu Fengmian was already in his sixties, but he looked far younger. Dressed in black, he was still lean and straight-backed. Beneath the fine lines of age, one could still see how striking he must once have been.

Even past sixty, Liu Fengmian still had style. Presence and polish had not left him.

The moment Liu Fengmian spoke, Liu Qingyuan stood and refilled his father’s tea, acting the part of the mediator.

“Qianxiu has his own responsibilities,” he said. “And besides, Uncle Cai is here to help.”

Uncle Cai—Cai Qingliang—was the Liu family’s chief secretary, responsible for consolidating information from around the world and reporting it to the family head. The family head gave the orders; Cai Qingliang carried them out.

Liu Fengmian coughed twice again.

Liu Qianxiu’s gaze did not shift. His tone remained level and calm.

“You’re ill?”

Liu Fengmian’s brow twitched. He lifted his eyes briefly to Liu Qingyuan, gave a faint sigh, and took a sip of tea to soothe his throat.

“I’ve been a bit overworked lately.”

“Father handles too many things himself. Of course he’s tired,” Liu Qingyuan said, first explaining it to Liu Qianxiu, then turning to Liu Fengmian. “You’re not as young as you used to be. Some of these matters should be left to me.”

“Bring Aunt Shen back,” Liu Qianxiu said.

Only then did he withdraw his gaze from the window outside.

He lifted his eyes and let them pass once, calmly, over the father and son whose expressions had gone subtly stiff at his words.

His own eyes remained still, bottomless.

“If I wanted to move against her, it wouldn’t matter where she hid.”

Both Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan felt their hearts jolt. The stiffness on their faces vanished almost at once.

Liu Qianxiu behaved as though he had not noticed.

His phone vibrated once in his hand. He lowered his gaze and opened the message, the screen lighting the dark depths of his eyes without making them any easier to read.

Liu Qianxiu rose from his seat.

He was wearing a black suit that day, the collar neat and severe. His tall frame looked spare and imposing as he stood, and both Liu Fengmian and Liu Qingyuan lifted their heads to look at him.

Then Liu Qianxiu turned and walked toward the door.

“You’re not staying for dinner?” Liu Qingyuan asked just before he stepped outside.

The only answer was the man’s disappearing back.

The moment Liu Qianxiu left, the heavy, oppressive air in the main hall seemed to refill with oxygen. It came back to life. The two men inside relaxed almost unconsciously.

Liu Qingyuan frowned and cursed under his breath, looking toward the doorway where Liu Qianxiu had vanished, his eyes full of resentment and unwillingness. Then he looked back at Liu Fengmian, who had returned to the seat of honor.

“Are we really going to bring Mother back?”

Now that Liu Qianxiu was gone, Liu Fengmian seemed to settle back into his own authority as well. He lifted his tea and drank, the fragrance faint, the taste bitter.

“Yes,” he said. “Otherwise, he’ll really start to think we’re afraid of him.”

Mu Wan had sent Liu Qianxiu a message. Apparently, he was not home yet and had asked her to wait a little.

By the time she reached his floor, confirmed by a knock that he truly wasn’t there, and stood at the window at the end of the corridor holding the bouquet, night had fully fallen.

The sky was black, not a single star in sight.

Below it, however, the city glowed with lights, spreading outward like an endless man-made galaxy.

In a good neighborhood, even the night view was beautiful.

Mu Wan waited for fifteen minutes.

Then the elevator chimed.

She turned toward the sound.

The moment he stepped out of the elevator, Liu Qianxiu saw her standing by the window.

She held a large bouquet in her arms. Behind the clustered flowers, her oval face, red lips, and pale, delicate beauty seemed almost like a painting pasted against the night—more moving than the flowers themselves.

Black night.

Bright blossoms.

A soft woman.

The elevator doors closed soundlessly behind him.

Liu Qianxiu’s mouth tightened slightly. His throat moved once, and when he spoke, his voice was low as the night.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“No.” Mu Wan shook her head.

It was her first time seeing Liu Qianxiu in a suit. She had not expected Taoist Liu in formalwear to carry such a different kind of presence.

He had probably just finished with something important and hurried back.

Mu Wan walked over and said lightly, “It doesn’t matter. I wasn’t doing anything on my own anyway.”

On her own.

She was always on her own.

Once the woman drew close, Liu Qianxiu lowered his gaze.

“What happened?”

Mu Wan froze for a moment. The corridor was drafty, and loose strands of hair at her ear kept brushing her cheek, making it itch. Following his line of sight, she shifted the flowers aside and lowered her eyes.

The corridor was empty, just the two of them. The overhead lights were bright enough to show every detail in the other’s face. When she looked down, the flowers in her arms trembled softly, the petals rustling, their fragrance stirring around them.

“I fell while filming,” Mu Wan said.

Then she lifted her head and looked at him over the flowers.

His black eyes were still as deep and cold as a winter pool, and yet something about them made her heart soften.

Mu Wan bent her knee slightly, instinctively about to say it was nothing, when she heard him ask:

“Does it hurt?”

The bend in her knee straightened again.

She looked up at Liu Qianxiu.

That hollow place that had caved in inside her the night before seemed, because of those two words, to fill itself up all over again.

Full to the brim.

Like the flower scent in the corridor.

Mu Wan smiled, her eyes glimmering with moisture.

“Mm,” she said. “It hurts.”

Liu Qianxiu withdrew his gaze and pressed his finger to the lock. The door opened at once.

He turned back to look at her, his voice low—

“Come in.”

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 8 Part 2

Incurable Chapter 8 Part 1

Chapter 8 (1/2)

The sky had only been clear for two days before the rain started again.

The plum rains of June and July fell in fine, dense threads, veiling the sky in mist. Dark, low-hanging clouds made the whole world feel heavy and oppressed.

Thud.

Mu Wan hit the ground hard, muddy water splashing everywhere.

She let out a sharp sound of pain, swore under her breath, and scrambled quickly back to her feet.

“Cut!” the director called.

That scene was done.

Mu Wan’s costume no longer looked anything like it had originally. It was soaked through and caked with filthy mud. When she had fallen just now, the mud had splashed across half her face, leaving only part of her small face visible—pale, delicate, and set off by dark, bright eyes.

After thanking the assistant director, Mu Wan was done for the day. She dragged herself to the dressing room in her mud-soaked costume and changed out of it.

There was nowhere to shower in the studio complex, so she went into the restroom and washed her face. She had just finished and was about to wipe herself dry when someone beside her handed over a tissue.

Mu Wan glanced sideways, smiled, and took it.

Gao Mei watched as Mu Wan wiped her face. One patch of her pale skin had turned red, probably irritated by the dirty mud. In Gao Mei’s eyes—usually narrowing to slits whenever she smiled—there was nothing now but sympathy and indignation.

“Mi Yu is too much,” she muttered in a low voice. “If she’s in a bad mood, why take it out on other people?”

Gao Mei was a friend Mu Wan had met while filming her very first drama after graduation. Like Mu Wan, she was a professional supporting actress. The difference was that Mu Wan was usually cast as the pretty supporting role, while Gao Mei was the comic relief. She was plump, with a round face, and when she smiled, her eyes disappeared into cheerful slits. She was cute in a soft, pillowy way. The two of them often ran into each other on the same sets, and when work wrapped, they would sometimes go out for food together.

This scene Mu Wan had just filmed was with Mi Yu.

It had been obvious the whole time that Mi Yu was in a bad mood. The scene had gone through four takes, and every one of the retakes had been because of her. Because of Mi Yu’s mistakes, Mu Wan had thrown herself into the mud four separate times.

“What happened to her?” Mu Wan asked.

After wiping the water from her face, she smoothed on a layer of ointment for the irritation. It felt cool against the skin and smelled faintly of mint.

Though she and Mi Yu were from the same agency and often worked on the same productions, Mu Wan did not know her very deeply and rarely pried into her affairs.

“She got cut out,” Gao Mei said.

After years of supporting roles, Gao Mei had connections everywhere. Folding her arms, she leaned against the washroom counter and watched Mu Wan apply the ointment.

“Zhang Chengze had a drama lined up for her as female lead. Then Shen Entertainment came in with funding and pushed a newcomer into the lead role instead. So naturally Mi Yu got bumped down to second female lead.”

Mu Wan remembered that drama.

That was the one where she had attended the dinner and helped drink on Mi Yu’s behalf, only to be hauled back by Liu Qianxiu in the end. At the time, Shen Entertainment had pulled its funding, and Zhang Chengze had cursed them, saying Shen was nothing without the Liu family behind it. Because of that, Mi Yu had not been especially willing to take the role.

Now that Shen had reinvested, the director had accepted the newcomer they sent over as the female lead without hesitation. Even so, Mi Yu was still willing to take the second female lead role in the project.

That did not mean she was happy about it.

The entertainment industry really was that practical.

Money ruled everything.

Once she had finished tidying herself up, Mu Wan commented, “With Shen’s money behind it, second female lead isn’t bad either.”

Seeing that Mu Wan was done, Gao Mei agreed, then asked, “You heading out now? Wait for me—we can grab skewers tonight.”

“I’ve got something to do,” Mu Wan said. “My kitten’s in the pet hospital. I need to go see it.”

She planned to visit Zhongfen first, then go to Liu Qianxiu’s place to see Datou and Ertong.

And the moment she said it aloud, a sense of urgency stirred sharply inside her. She grabbed her bag and was about to leave, but halfway out the door, she suddenly caught the frame and turned back to ask:

“If someone helped me with something, and also bought me dinner, and I want to get him a gift... what should I give him?”

Gao Mei looked at her.

“What kind of help? A friend?”

“He’s helping look after the kittens,” Mu Wan said after thinking for a second. “Not exactly a friend. We’ve only dealt with each other a couple of times.”

Looking after kittens was not the kind of errand that made Gao Mei think of a man, so she immediately began offering ideas.

“Buy flowers. Fresh, pretty—hey, what happened to your leg?”

Only then did Gao Mei notice that Mu Wan’s knee had been scraped open. A little blood had seeped out, vivid against her long,g pale leg.

The wound itched a little. Mu Wan lowered her head for a glance and didn’t think much of it.

“I scraped it filming just now. It doesn’t hurt. I’m going.”

Then she left.

She went first to the pet hospital to see Zhongfen. After a day of treatment, the kitten was already much livelier. The vet told her Zhongfen could be discharged tomorrow.

“Your boyfriend didn’t come with you today?” the vet asked with a smile as they came out of the observation room.

Apparently, ly it wasn’t only the neighbor from across the hall who had misunderstood her relationship with Liu Qianxiu.

Mu Wan turned back and smiled at the vet.

“Do we really look that well matched?”

“Yeah,” the vet answered automatically. “You look especially good standing together.”

Only after saying it did he realize something was off. If they were actually a couple, Mu Wan would not have asked that question. He straightened slightly, looking apologetic and a little disappointed.

“So you’re not? Sorry.”

Last night, after Mu Wan and Liu Qianxiu left, people at the clinic had discussed it for quite a while. The man was refined and imposing, the woman bright and beautiful. They really were striking together.

Mu Wan smiled at the vet and walked out.

She did not go far.

At a nearby flower shop, she bought a bouquet in shades of indigo, with roses, lilies, and orchids woven through it. At the center stood two birds-of-paradise. The whole arrangement was elegant, but bright.

Holding the flowers, Mu Wan stepped outside and hailed a cab.

The moment she got in, the driver glanced back at the bouquet and praised it at once.

“Smells wonderful. From your boyfriend?”

“No,” Mu Wan said, adjusting the flowers in her arms. Fragrance filled the space around her. She lifted her head, eyes bright. “For my boyfriend.”

The driver laughed.

“That’s nice.”

Then, inwardly admiring young love blooming like flowers, he glanced again at the delicate pale face half-hidden behind the bouquet and asked, “Where does your boyfriend live?”

Playing along with the joke, Mu Wan gave him the address.

The moment he heard Nanfeng Apartments, the driver switched off his empty-car light and signaled.

“Miss, let’s take Qiyun Road instead. I just came from Zhongshan Road—too many cars. The whole road is jammed.”

It was a little after six in the evening, right in the middle of rush hour. The rain had stopped for now, though the sky remained dark and threatening, as if preparing for another downpour. Taking Qiyun Road to Nanfeng would mean a longer detour.

Looking at the heavy sky and the traffic streaming past, Mu Wan asked, “Why is it so bad over there? That road’s usually fine, isn’t it?”

Zhongshan Road was somewhat out of the way, which in increasingly congested Xiacheng usually made it one of the less crowded routes.

“Today is the third anniversary memorial for the previous Liu family head,” the driver said, thinking back to the spectacle he had just seen. “The road past the Liu family cemetery is packed with luxury cars, and they even sent traffic police to direct everything.”

It had looked like a movie set.

Rows of luxury cars lined both sides of the road, opening the way. Several more drove at the center in advance.

Their bodies were black and gleaming, almost sacred against the endless rainy-season gloom.

All of this belonged to the Liu family—and not even close to all of it. At the very center of that heavily protected procession sat the head of the Liu family. As his car moved silently along the road, the entire scene carried a solemn, almost ceremonial grandeur.

Families like that had wealth too vast to count. People born into it would never have to struggle just to survive, and probably never know real worry in their lifetimes.

The thought was enough to make anyone envious.

Earlier, during a meal break on set, Gao Mei had even shown Mu Wan the discussion on Weibo. Traffic control had been imposed because of the Liu family memorial. The formal event had ended around three in the afternoon, yet the roads still had not fully cleared.

A true old family was like a bottomless abyss.

Its roots and branches were beyond anything ordinary households could compare to.

“All right,” Mu Wan said. “Let’s go by Qiyun Road.”

Then she took out her phone and called Liu Qianxiu.

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Continue reading Incurable Chapter 8 Part 1