Chapter 176

In Meng Xian’s mind, Jiang Xiurun had seduced the emperor with her charms, and now, as the empress, she would undoubtedly shield her relatives.

He was certain she would resist allowing her sister-in-law to be questioned.

If she dared to obstruct the emperor even slightly, it would create a rift in the eyes of the court officials, making it easier for him to act.

However, Jiang Xiurun simply sat quietly, her pregnant belly prominent, appearing weary but not uttering a word of protest.

Emperor Shengwu did not glance at Jiang Xiurun for her opinion. Instead, he tapped the armrest of his throne and said, “In that case, summon Princess Guiya to the court to explain the matter of the military supplies.”

Since Wenniang was in the capital, it didn’t take long for her to arrive, dressed in the formal attire of a Bo princess, exuding grace and dignity as she entered the court.

After paying her respects to the emperor and empress, she asked, “Why has Your Majesty summoned me to the court of Qi?”

Meng Xian stood to the side, arms crossed, waiting for the censors he had incited to inspect the ships to erupt in fury.

Among the censors were a few straightforward and tactless individuals, whom he had carefully selected and brought to the merchant ships.

Seeing unscrupulous merchants endangering the nation, how could any self-proclaimed loyal and upright official remain silent?

As expected, as soon as Princess Guiya finished speaking, a censor stepped forward and loudly accused her of using inferior old cotton to deceive and harm the soldiers of Qi.

Wenniang listened patiently and then calmly replied, “Although I don’t understand what the censor is referring to, as someone experienced in business, I have one question: how much profit could one possibly make by going through such great lengths to pass off old cotton as new?”

The censor snorted disdainfully, “Merchants chase profit. Naturally, they would only do this if there was gain. As for how much profit, I am not a merchant, so how could I calculate it?”

In the hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants were often seen as the lowest, even beneath farmers and craftsmen.

Even though Wenniang was now the wife of the regent of Bo, she was still looked down upon by the officials of Qi.

However, Wenniang was not provoked by his condescending tone.

She simply smiled and said, “In that case, allow me to calculate it for you.”

With that, she pulled out a small golden abacus from her sleeve. The beads on the abacus were made of polished gemstones, clearly an expensive item.

Wenniang, like her sister-in-law Jiang Xiurun, was skilled in calculations. Her slender fingers moved deftly over the beads, producing a pleasant clicking sound.

In no time, she had calculated the figures.

If old cotton were substituted for new, the profit would be 13,462 gold coins.

At this, the officials’ faces grew even angrier, glaring at this unscrupulous merchant who valued profit over the lives of Qi’s soldiers.

However, Jiang Xiurun then spoke up, “Princess Guiya, your calculations seem off. Since your own fleet transported the goods, you saved on shipping costs. If we were to charge the standard shipping fees, the profit wouldn’t be so high, would it?”

Wenniang smiled, “Your Majesty is right. I didn’t include shipping costs. If we add those and labor costs, the profit from substituting old cotton would only be half of what I just calculated.”

Jiang Xiurun feigned surprise, “So, if the cotton hadn’t been tampered with, you would have actually lost money on shipping and labor?”

Wenniang, hearing Jiang Xiurun’s words, replied seriously, “I am originally from Qi. Although I married into Bo, my heart remains with my homeland. When I heard Qi needed military supplies, I naturally wanted to contribute in any way I could. I never expected to be slandered by those with ulterior motives, accused of such a heinous crime for a paltry sum of gold. Do these villains think I am so desperate for money? Is that little profit even enough to cover the cost of a single banquet?”

Although the calculated profit seemed substantial, to someone as wealthy as Wenniang, it was a trivial amount.

She had single-handedly amassed the dowry for the empress of Bo.

Such generosity was not something a penny-pincher could afford.

Wenniang’s calm and detailed explanation made those with discerning minds realize that something was amiss.

Meng Xian hadn’t expected that the sister-in-law of the slippery young master Jiang would be so eloquent.

Seeing that even a dead horse could be made to breathe under her persuasion, he immediately signaled to an official he was acquainted with.

The official understood and stepped forward to loudly refute, “Your empty words are useless now. The stolen goods are on the ship. Since it was your merchant fleet that transported the supplies, it must have been done under your orders! You agreed to this unprofitable deal and then regretted it, leading to this greedy mistake!”

Wenniang remained unperturbed, “There must have been collusion within the fleet, with someone secretly swapping the goods during transport. Since long-staple cotton is rare in the Central Plains, if the culprits try to sell it for profit, they will inevitably reveal themselves. You can interrogate me then.”

Meng Xian sneered inwardly.

This frame-up was seamless.

The insider in the fleet had swapped the goods midway, in the reed marshes of Wenzhou.

The swapped cotton had been burned on the spot to avoid leaving any traces, solidifying the evidence against Wenniang.

No matter how cunning Jiang Xiurun was, the ships and workers were all under Wenniang’s control.

Once the workers were captured and tortured, they would surely confess that the substitution was done under her orders.

What could she do then?

So, after hearing Wenniang’s proposal, Meng Xian remained calm, waiting for the officials to continue their attacks.

As the saying goes, “After three days apart, one should view others with new eyes.”

He was no longer the man who had once argued with a woman in court.

As his career progressed, his methods had become more sophisticated.

Without saying a word, he had incited others to ruin the reputation of the new empress and her merchant sister-in-law.

Sure enough, after Wenniang’s proposal, more officials urged the emperor to arrest this scheming foreign princess and deal with her later.

The court was in an uproar, and under such pressure, even those sympathetic to the empress dared not speak up.

For a moment, there was no one to defend Wenniang.

However, in the end, it was Ji Binglin, known for his benevolence, who spoke up, “This matter has not yet been fully investigated. How can we convict her so hastily? However, I suggest that Princess Guiya remain in the capital for now, under supervision, while the Ministry of Justice investigates the matter further.”

Finally, Feng Liwu spoke, ordering that Princess Guiya be temporarily housed in the palace under close watch, while the Ministry of Justice sent officials to investigate the whereabouts of the stolen goods.

To the discerning, it was clear that the emperor was favoring the empress’s family.

Being confined to the palace meant she would be well taken care of, not punished.

But Meng Xian was not worried.

His goal of tarnishing the new empress’s reputation had been achieved.

Soon, the story of the empress allowing her sister-in-law to embezzle military funds, substituting old cotton for new, and endangering the lives of Qi’s soldiers would spread like wildfire.

By then, even if the emperor continued to dote on this calamitous enchantress, he would be despised by the people.

The title of a tyrant would crush him.

If Emperor Shengwu dared to move against the noble families again, it would be clear evidence of his tyranny.

By then, they could openly welcome the new king of the three counties back to Luo’an.

The Meng family would remain the loyal servants of the crown, enjoying their wealth and status!

Therefore, Meng Xian was pleased to see the emperor favoring Wenniang.

He sneered inwardly but maintained a respectful demeanor as he left the court.

The next steps required little effort on his part.

He could relax at home, enjoying the company of his newly acquired concubine, while waiting for public opinion to ferment.

During his days off, he received reports that slanderous songs about the new empress had been composed and were being spread by street children, lured with candy.

Meng Xian was immensely pleased.

As the saying goes, “A gentleman’s revenge is never too late.”

Back then, the young master Jiang had nearly ruined his career.

Now, he would make sure she was disgraced, her peace of mind shattered even as she gave birth.

His new concubine, with her delicate skin, was at the perfect age for a woman.

The red marks left by the whip would look exquisite on her.

Just as Meng Xian was about to indulge in his cruel pleasures, his steward knocked frantically on the door, “Master, something terrible has happened!”

Meng Xian, annoyed at being interrupted, snapped, “What’s so terrible that you have to disturb me?”

The steward stammered, “Someone just reported from the shops that several of our stores have been raided!”

Meng Xian shot to his feet and flung open the door, “What? Who dares to raid my shops?”

Meng Xian was greedy, secretly operating numerous shops through his servants, not just in Luo’an but in other cities as well.

They brought him a steady stream of wealth.

Who would dare to disrupt his business?

The steward trembled, “It’s… it’s the Ministry of Justice. They say they found military-grade long-staple cotton in our shops…”

Meng Xian’s eyes widened, and he shouted, “Impossible!”

Meng Xian was stingy and greedy.

His shops sold decent goods but nothing extraordinary.

Cotton, being a common commodity, was just the local Qi variety.

How could there be any long-staple cotton from the Western Regions?

Meng Xian could no longer stay idle.

He hurriedly dressed and went with his steward to investigate.

But a sense of dread crept into his heart.

He felt as if he had once again fallen into the young master Jiang’s trap.

Meanwhile, the palace was peaceful.

Having her sister-in-law stay in the palace was convenient.

Jiang Xiurun, with her heightened pregnancy cravings, had been longing for Wenniang’s homemade pickles.

Wenniang, despite her status as a princess, had not lost her culinary skills.

She prepared a feast for her sister-in-law.

Not only did it satisfy Jiang Xiurun’s cravings, but it also attracted her brother-in-law, the emperor, who joined them in the palace’s warm pavilion for a family meal.

Baoli, sitting obediently in his father’s lap, waited for his father to tear off pieces of flatbread and dip them in soup for him.

His little mouth opened and closed eagerly, making Feng Liwu forget to eat himself.

Jiang Xiurun, now satisfied, said, “How did the shipment arrive so quickly? I thought it would take at least half a month, even with favorable winds!”

Wenniang, while serving her sister-in-law, smiled and said, “It was like receiving a pillow just as I was about to doze off! When I sent word to my trusted shopkeeper to bring more cotton, I happened to meet the village chief of Huiwang Village, who had come with several shipowners to thank me for my help. They had avoided disaster and attributed their good fortune to you, Your Majesty. Having left their homes, they had returned to their old trade and happened to have a shipment of long-staple cotton from the Western Regions. When they heard of my predicament, they immediately offered the cotton to me. Otherwise, how could the shipment have arrived so quickly?”