Chapter 556 - 558: Live a Few More Years

Chapter 556: Chapter 558: Live a Few More Years

Li Cuicui dismissed Granny Song and Luo Gang to go eat first. Her face was cold as she said, "So you finally get it. At this point, I’m not afraid to tell you—I was the one who intentionally had your legs broken.

Rather than let you run wild and bring disaster upon this family, I figured it was better to neutralize the source of the trouble myself."

"You..."

"What about me? If you go tell people now, who’s going to believe you? And aren’t you curious why none of the boys came to see you today?"

"Don’t you dare mention those unfilial brats to me..."

"Shut your filthy mouth," Li Cuicui shouted, cutting him off. "My sons couldn’t be more filial! To clean up your mess—the mess made by their own father—they left for Fu County at the crack of dawn, right when the city gates opened."

I imagine they’ve just about finished handling things by now. I’m sure you’re a little eager to find out, aren’t you!"

"You... you vicious woman..."

"Hah. I won’t accept that accusation. When it comes to being vicious, I doubt anyone can top you.

No, wait, I take that back. It’s not viciousness, it’s stupidity. Who would hand you large sums of silver to squander for no reason?

Was it because they found you so ugly and old? To satisfy some special fetish of theirs?"

Gu Dashishi lowered his head, his self-esteem shattered. As much confidence as he might have had, he had to admit that his wife was right.

In the beginning, he wasn’t entirely oblivious to the strangeness of it all. But with the benefits right in his hands, egged on by the Chen Family, his ego had swelled.

’All I wanted was to live comfortably for a few days. I never sold out my sons.’

"Mother, we’re back." Gu Yuanshui’s voice preceded him into the room.

Li Cuicui went ahead and called all her sons inside. As her sons and daughters-in-law crowded into the small room, filling it to capacity, she didn’t send them away.

"So, tell me. How did you handle everything?"

Gu Yuanjin glanced at Gu Dashishi.

"Why are you looking at him? Just say what you have to say."

Gu Yuanjin briefly explained what had happened and what the outcome was.

Having nothing to throw but his pillow and quilt, Gu Dashishi could only glare furiously at everyone in the room.

"How could you?!"

Li Cuicui clapped her hands, dismissing her sons and daughters-in-law from the room. Only then did she say with a smile, "Someone only gave you a serving girl. As the matriarch of this family, it’s my right to deal with her. And look how worked up you got.

I never thought that after all your ridiculous antics, you’d end up cementing my good reputation. I suppose that’s the only thing you’ve ever done for me in your entire life.

For that alone, I won’t bother changing up your meals for the next few days. I’ll make sure you can recover from your injuries in peace and comfort."

Gu Dashishi fumed. ’If only I had a blade right now, I’d finish off this old hag first.’

In the span of a single day, he had been deserted by everyone. His clan had abandoned him, and his own children and grandchildren were disloyal. ’Will I have to spend the rest of my life surviving at that woman’s mercy?’

The thought made him feel faint. Li Cuicui was not a forgiving person. Who knew what grudges she was nursing in her heart?

’What if one day she gets tired of looking at me? Will she just kill me quietly in my sleep?’

If Li Cuicui had known what he was thinking, she would have rolled her eyes at him. For the sake of her children and grandchildren, this scumbag needed to stay alive for a few more years.

「 」

Meanwhile, Ancient Wenheng received a Holy Decree from the Emperor. For the next two years, he would have absolute authority over the Lu City region.

"It seems Brother Zhou understands this Emperor better than anyone," Jin Qianqian said. She had expected that even if Ancient Wenheng’s proposal was approved, it would be a watered-down version. She never anticipated this additional, pleasant surprise.

Ancient Wenheng replied, "An emperor who doesn’t want to leave a legacy for the ages isn’t a good emperor.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been clashing with the old guard at court ever since he took the throne.

Those ministers left over from the late Emperor’s reign are too conservative. Their thinking is so rigid, they might as well have drawn up a list of rules to box the Emperor in.

But the biggest factor was the proposal you helped me write, my dear.

It was such a clear and promising plan. Any emperor who wasn’t a complete fool would have agreed to it."

Jin Qianqian playfully slapped his arm. "You have to be more careful about what you say outside our home. Don’t make a habit of it. If you let something like that slip, it would be a complete disaster."

Ancient Wenheng quickly put on an appeasing smile. "As long as we’re in the rear courtyard, everyone keeps their distance. No one can hear us."

Jin Qianqian said, "You still need to be careful. And remember, as for that proposal, you wrote it all by yourself."

"But that’s so unfair to you," Ancient Wenheng said.

Jin Qianqian sighed. "Don’t forget the era we’re living in. Sometimes, telling the truth would only bring me trouble.

This is fine. I don’t want to be in the spotlight anyway. Besides, it’s not as if you couldn’t have written it yourself. I just wanted to share your burden, so I insisted on taking it on."

Ancient Wenheng wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Regardless, I must thank you properly. You’ve worked so hard for me, my dear wife."

Jin Qianqian pushed away his approaching face. "If you really want to thank me, then show me some real sincerity."

"Your wish is my command, Madam."

Jin Qianqian said, "Over the past few days, I’ve managed to recruit some boatmen who are skilled swimmers and sailors. The only problem is, we don’t have a place to train them yet."

Ancient Wenheng understood at once. "I’ll arrange to meet Brother Zhou at Tianfu Restaurant later. I believe his training grounds are vacant right now. Do you want me to ask if he can spare a couple of instructors as well?"

"If he has them, that would be for the best, of course. In that case, I’ll leave it all in your hands," said Jin Qianqian.

Ancient Wenheng pinched her nose, feigning displeasure. "We’re husband and wife. Are you still going to be so formal with me?"

Jin Qianqian swatted his hand away. "You’re the one who started it..."

"...I was wrong," Ancient Wenheng immediately apologized. ’The wife is always right, anyway,’ he thought.

Jin Qianqian huffed. "Good that you know.

There’s something else I need to tell you. Those boys from Minister Cao’s family each sent over two thousand taels of silver yesterday. They said it was for their share of the investment. I took the liberty of accepting it."

"They were that generous?" Ancient Wenheng was surprised. "I heard Minister Cao is very strict with his sons and grandsons. Sometimes they don’t even get a monthly silver allowance."

Jin Qianqian replied, "Don’t forget, the wives they marry all come with dowries. Just because Minister Cao doesn’t give them an allowance doesn’t mean they’re poor."

This time, however, Jin Qianqian was mistaken. It had been Cao Xiangqian’s idea for the boys to bring the silver.

He might have been a gruff man, but years in the political arena meant he wasn’t without cunning.

Sea trade had always been a controversial topic at court, but the fact that merchants were always willing to take the risk hinted at the enormous profits involved.

Even though no one had yet succeeded, what if this gamble paid off?

The chance to earn that first fortune wasn’t zero. After mulling it over for a night, he made a snap decision: the family’s public fund would give each of the boys one thousand taels of silver, and they would have to make up the rest from their own households.

If they made a profit, it would be their private property. But if they incurred a loss, that thousand taels of silver would have to be paid back.

Truly, wisdom comes with age. This way, the other descendants of the Cao Family who weren’t involved had no grounds for complaint.