Chapter 814 Investigation

Chapter 814: Investigation Chapter 814: Investigation Editor: Atlas Studios This meant that if they could not pay the grain tax, they would have to sell their assets.

This meant that their situation, which had become slightly better after recuperating for three years, would deteriorate again.

And this time, they might be worse off than before.

The estate manager’s face was also pale.

He tried his best to recall everything that had happened from obtaining the seeds to distributing them.

After Mu Yangling wiped her hands with a handkerchief, she stood up and said, “Get someone to collect the seeds in the fields and send them to my residence before tonight.

Record clearly which plot of land the seeds belong to, how big the plot of land is, and who they belong to.” Mu Yangling came back to her senses and stared at the estate manager.

“Restrain the tenant farmers and tell them that as long as it’s not their fault, I will naturally give them an explanation.” The estate manager kowtowed and replied, “Yes.” Mu Yangling turned around and left, and Spring hurriedly followed.

The guards of the Prince’s estate hurriedly called for someone to bring the carriage over.

However, Mu Yangling did not get on the carriage.

Instead, she pulled over a guard’s horse and said to the leader, “Stay behind and help the estate manager investigate.

Keep the people in the farmstead under control and don’t let them leak the news.” Mu Yangling then mounted her horse and said to Spring, “You can take the carriage back.” Meanwhile, she rushed back with four to five guards.

Two guards consciously stayed behind to protect Spring and the others.

Helpless, Spring could only inform everyone to set off quickly.

However, how could the carriage catch up to Mu Yangling?

Mu Yangling rushed towards Ju Prefecture City and headed straight for the Harvest Grain Store.

When everyone saw the horses speeding towards them, they retreated from the path one after another.

When they saw a woman in the lead galloping towards them under the spring sun like the bright moon shining on the water, they were all stunned.

After the six horses quickly disappeared from view, everyone gathered together and asked, “Who is that?

What a suave girl!” “Are you blind?

Looking at her hairstyle, can’t you see that she’s already a married woman?

I wonder who’s lucky enough to marry such a suave wife.” “I know.” A rich young master who was fanning himself heard everyone’s discussion and said with a smile, “In our Lingnan area, Prince Rong is naturally the luckiest.” “Pfft.” Everyone hushed him unanimously and mocked, “Who in Lingnan doesn’t know that Prince Rong is devoted to the Princess Consort?

She’s the only woman in his life.” The rich young master waved his fan and said with a smile, “That’s why I said that only Prince Rong is blessed, because that’s Princess Consort Rong.” Everyone was shocked, and the rich young master laughed out loud.

“Don’t worry, Her Highness is magnanimous and won’t blame you.” Most of the citizens of Ju Prefecture knew Prince Rong and his Little Heir because they frequently showed their faces in public, shopping together in the streets every 10 days or so.

Furthermore, they didn’t have any airs at all.

However, as commoners, they had never seen Princess Consort Rong and their other two sons before.

They had only seen them sitting in the carriage.

The rich young master only recognized the Princess Consort because he had met her once when he was accompanying his mother to shop in the jewelry store.

Mu Yangling went straight to the Harvest Grain Store.

It was nearing the end of the planting season, so not many people came to buy seeds.

After Mu Yangling handed the horse over to the guard, she walked in.

Shopkeeper Chen, who was doing the accounts, looked up and saw Mu Yangling.

He immediately came out to welcome her.

“Your Highness, why are you here?” Mu Yangling scanned the shop and said, “Bring me to the warehouse where the grain seeds are stored.” Although Shopkeeper Chen was puzzled, he still hurriedly took the key and led the way.

Mu Yangling stopped in her tracks and turned to the guard who had followed her in.

“Close the shop for the day.

Keep an eye on all the assistant shopkeepers in the shop and don’t let anyone step out of the shop.” Hearing this, Shopkeeper Chen knew that something serious had happened.

He brought Mu Yangling to the warehouse even more respectfully.

There were not many seeds of Dry Rice No.

1 left inside.

Mu Yangling casually opened a few bags and found that there was no problem.

She rubbed the seed in her hand and pondered.

If it wasn’t a problem with the grain store, it would be a huge relief.

That meant the problem most likely laid with the farmstead.

As such, the range was still under control.

Shopkeeper Chen asked nervously, “Your Highness, did something happen?” “There’s a problem with the seeds in the farm.” Mu Yangling turned around and asked him, “Have there been any abnormalities in the grain store recently?” Shopkeeper Chen thought for a moment and shook his head.

“There’s nothing abnormal.

What’s wrong with the seeds?” “The seeds have been replaced.” Seeing Mu Yangling take down the few bags of seeds from above, Shopkeeper Chen was shocked.

How could he let the Princess Consort do such a thing by herself?

However, before he could say anything, Mu Yangling had already finished moving the bags from above without the dust touching her clothes.

She opened a bag below and saw that it also contained top-notch Dry Rice No.

1 seeds.

Frowning, Mu Yangling asked, “Is the account book from last year still in the shop?” “Yes, it hasn’t been sealed yet.” The Harvest Grain Store in Ju Prefecture was only a branch.

Every once in a while, a copy of these account books would be sent to the capital, and then a copy would be sealed here.

Logically speaking, the account books from last year should be sealed at the end of the year, but because there were still people who owed grain seeds, these account books were still in the shop.

“Find the account book and compare it with this year’s account book.

Circle the names of the people who didn’t buy seeds last year but bought them this year.” This was a huge project, but Shopkeeper Chen did not dare to complain and agreed repeatedly.

Mu Yangling carefully reminded him again to check the grain store even if the problem now most likely laid with the farmstead.

After all, if that was the case, the impact was limited because the farmstead only belonged to her.

However, if the problem was with the grain store, Mu Yangling’s expression could not help but change when she thought of the seeds that had been sold from her grain store this year.

In the afternoon, when Qi Haoran returned with his two sons in his arms and Little Bear on his back, Mu Yangling’s expression didn’t look good either.

However, when she saw him being pestered by the three children like this, she couldn’t help but smile.

She took her two sons from his arms and said, “Aren’t you afraid of dropping Little Bear?” Little Bear nimbly climbed onto his father’s neck and shouted, “I won’t fall.

Mother, do you think I’m tall?” Qi Haoran hugged his legs tightly and proudly carried him around the house, making Little Bear scream.

Mu Yangling ignored them and brought her two sons to drink milk.

After happily coaxing his three sons to sleep, Qi Haoran hugged the exhausted Mu Yangling and asked, “What happened?” He reached out to rub her furrowed brows.

Mu Yangling told him about the incident on the farm and frowned.

“Who has the guts to cause trouble on our farm?” “According to what you said, there’s no problem with the estate manager and the tenant farmers, and there’s no problem with the warehouse of the grain store either.

That leaves the people who can come into contact with the grain seeds somewhere in between.” Mu Yangling nodded.

“I suspect the same.

Before winter, the estate manager will report the number of seeds needed in their farm to the Prince’s estate.

The Prince’s estate will then report it to the grain store.

After the grain store prepares the seeds, they will inform the Prince’s estate.

At the beginning of spring, the Prince’s estate will ask the estate manager to take the list and directly go to the grain store to get the grain seeds.

“They’ve checked.

I’ve asked the estate manager and Shopkeeper Chen.

As there were quite a number of seeds, the two of them were present.

Every bag of grain seeds had been opened for inspection.

Only after both parties confirmed that there were no mistakes did they sign the documents and hand the grain seeds over.

“Then, the estate manager took the grain seeds and transported them back.

He divided up the grains into bags according to the weight reported by the tenant farmers last year.

After that, he wrote the names of the tenant farmers on the bags and handed them directly to the tenant farmers.” Mu Yangling said in a low voice, “And the tenant farmers typically only checked to see if the seeds were supple and dry enough, and if they were given the correct amount of seeds.

It wouldn’t have occurred to them that these seeds were fake Dry Rice No.

1.

In addition, many of those tenant farmers had never planted Dry Rice No.

1 before.

These grain seeds looked so similar that nobody realized they’re actually fake.”

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