The Lucky Heiress

Chapter 538: Chapter 538 Various Thoughts_1

On the city wall.

Chu Heng looked with icy eyes towards the location of King Rui Residence’s porridge stall.

He was finally released from several days of confinement.

The price was that his uncle, Qi Yansong, confessed to all his crimes and cleared his mother of any involvement in the matter.

Despite this, the status of his mother had been relegated from Imperial Concubine to Consort.

As for him, he seemed to suffer no direct punishment; he was, however, perfectly aware he had lost the opportunity to vie for the heir apparent.

Because his Emperor Father would worry, if he ascended the throne, he would seek revenge against the Xiu Family and harm King Rui, the product of his father’s union with Empress Xiu.

How ridiculous, truly ridiculous.

He plotted all this time, step by step but a past event has thoroughly estranged him from the throne.

The despicable Chu Lan took this opportunity to win the people’s hearts and court the court officials.

Even the Fan Family, who always stood with him, began to lean towards Chu Lan.

It could be said that he had lost most of his winning odds.

These recent days, all the court officers had been praising the good deeds of King Rui Residence, so he decided to personally see the situation for himself.

“Wei Qingruo is indeed an excellent wife, it’s rather regrettable that she is wasted on a weakling like Chu Yi.” Chu Heng murmured under his breath.

Standing by his side, Qi Shijing was extremely bothered by Chu Heng’s words, yet she didn’t dare to say anything.

She knew that the mishap of the Qi Family changed her status from supporting her cousin to being a burden.

Recently, her cousin’s attitude towards her was far from what it used to be, he even stopped spending his nights in her room.

Chu Heng turned to her and said, “Shijing, as the Queen of this king, I hope you can be of some use. I brought you out today to let you see what’s happening in the broader world, time waits for no one, you and I both can’t afford to wallow in the grief of the Qi Family’s misfortune anymore.”

“Rest assured, cousin, I will.” Qi Shijing responded confidently.

Qi Shijing knew that she could only respond this way now. With her father being locked in jail, she couldn’t afford to lose her last value of use.

Qi Shijing’s gaze fell on the distant porridge stall. She was also interested in learning from Wei Qingruo, but presently she did not meet several essential conditions. Money was not the problem for her; although the Qi Family was confiscated, the Emperor, considering her youth and her position as Queen of King Yu Residence, did not dispose of her, so her dowry naturally was preserved.

But the situation now was that the Qi Family had been confiscated, she had no one else she could use except those within the Wang Residence; even with money, she could not secure a large amount of grain and fodder in a short period.

It required resources and ability to connect all transportation channels, which she did not currently possess.

What’s more, with the example of Wei Qingruo, if she did the same, no matter the outcome, she would be accused of imitating.

But that was not the end of her predicaments.

She had heard that Queen Rui was currently organizing an association called the Qunfang Association with some other noble ladies in Capital City to help the victims of disasters. The participants were all females of the aristocracy.

Many of her former intimates were involved, leaving her out completely.

Her family, the Qi Family’s involvement as the culprits who framed Duke Xiu, made her someone with deep-seated animosity against the King Rui Residence, naturally, Queen Rui would not involve her and would also isolate her.

So, although she readily agreed verbally, Qi Shijing was not certain what she could really do under the current situation.

Unless… she can help the Imperial Court to borrow grain from the Tan Family in the northwest.

The Qi Family did have some connection with the Tan Family; she also had some dealings with Miss Tan Xiaoxiao from the Tan Family. But she didn’t know if this friendship could work in front of such a significant matter like borrowing grain.

###

King Jing Residence.

“This is the recent activity of King Yu Residence.”

Xue Shaoyuan finished reporting on the activities of King Yu Residence to Chu Lan.

Chu Heng had been quite busy recently but judging from current developments, his efforts had not produced desired results. Several families that were formerly closely connected with the Qi Family now kept their distance from Chu Heng, especially the Lu Family who kept courteous refusal to receiving guests.

After all his efforts, he was still unable to reverse the tide.

Chu Lan listened with a calm expression to these reports, his chiselled face showed no emotion, as if everything was within his expectations.

Then Xue Shaoyuan continued to report about the Tan Family.

“Our men that we sent to Xi’an Prefecture to negotiate with the Tan Family were unsuccessful. The Tan Family said they didn’t have any surplus grain.”

“They don’t have spare grain, they are simply not willing.”

Based on Chu Lan’s understanding, it would be impossible for the Tan Family not to have any reserve grain.

But if the Tan Family were unwilling to lend grain to the Imperial Court, the Imperial Court could not force them.

Chu Lan said, “Send someone else to try again.”

“Yes.”

“What about King Rui Residence?” Chu Lan then asked.

“Queen Rui has been serving porridge to help out the people for ten days continuously, day and night. Aside from that, no other proper movement has been seen from King Rui Residence.”

“Have you found out how much grain and fodder Queen Rui has on hand?” Chu Lan asked.

“I’m incompetent, I have not found out yet, only managed to discover that over recent six months, Queen Rui has transported a total of thirty thousand tael(3.5t) of rice, thirty thousand tael(3.5t) of sweet potato, ten thousand tael(1.2t) of coal, and a large amount of cotton to King Rui Residence.”

People in Capital City thought that Queen Rui was foolish at that time, but looking at it now, she not only was not foolish, but she was also very insightful.

Chu Lan paused, and then asked again, “Have you found any news about that man named Wang Jin?”

“I have not found any news related to this person, nor found any travel documents…”

“So I can understand that this man’s identity might be fake, right?” Chu Lan said.

He had seen Wang Jin in Taizhou Prefecture before, and now this man appeared in Capital City again. If this person really existed, he must have travel documents when he passed from place to place.

At present, since there were no travel documents, it indirectly supported the possibility that this man might not exist.

“I don’t know.” Xue Shaoyuan answered.

Chu Lan was silent for a moment, and then he let Xue Shaoyuan retreat.

###

Loyal and Righteous Duke Residence.

After being punished, Bai Family’s Lady Bai had been bedridden for quite a while. Now she was able to get out of bed.

Sitting at the desk in her bedroom, she was flipping through the accounts and beating the abacus with one hand.

The more she calculated, the angrier she got. The more she looked, the more she had a headache.

In the end, she vented her anger on the abacus by forcefully banging on it a few times.

“What are you doing? Why are you smashing the abacus?”

Wei Mingyong saw Bai Family’s Lady Bai’s impatient action the moment he entered the room.

“What else could I be doing? The revenues of our shops this year are exceptionally poor. The grain output on the farm is also severely low, it won’t even cover our family’s expenses!” Bai Family’s Lady Bai was extremely irritated.

“Wasn’t the revenue bad in the last two years too? But we still managed to get by. Why are you so worried?” Wei Mingyong said, unconcerned.

“Is it the same? The revenue was bad in the previous few years, but the household expenses were managed collectively and the deficit was covered by my parents. Due to the actions of that ungrateful Third Room this year, the expenses of each room are their own responsibility.”