Chapter 30: What Are Your Plans After This?

Grand Tutor Chen thought for a moment: "I should go to the post house and work as a handyman."

General Xie: "I have to go move stones."

Lan Xin: "I will just stay by your side. This place is unfamiliar, so please don't drive me away. Perhaps I might even recall some of the foolish things the Crown Prince has done."

Qian Ruofang: "Since I am unfamiliar with this place, I had better stay at your residence. If there are any illnesses or pains, I can help treat them."

The Prince of Nanyang and the young heir: "We will leave early tomorrow morning; I cannot be away for too long."

Yan Ning agreed.

Yan Ning said to Lan Xin and Qian Ruofang: "You two pick whichever courtyard you like."

As soon as the words fell, a servant boy led them over.

Afterward, Yan Ning said to General Xie and Grand Tutor Chen: "Uncle Xie, Grandpa Chen, you have traveled a long way and are still injured. Why not rest here with me for a while?"

Xie Luyan's eyes rolled; this period was perfect for recovering from his injuries, and he could incidentally incite the First Prince to rebel.

Both of them decided to rest for another half month before leaving.

Early the next morning, after seeing off the Prince of Nanyang, Yan Ze went to the post station to help Grand Tutor Chen settle in. Those people immediately said they would arrange for him to have lighter work; since the accountant had just left, Chen Yuan could serve as the accountant.

Yan Ze's family and Xie Luyan's family were supposed to report to the Cai Shi Chang together.

Yan Ze and Yan Ning went to the Cai Shi Chang together.

The Steward of the Cai Shi Chang took one look at them and asked with a frown: "Why are you only coming now?"

Yan Ze smiled and said: "Let's find a place to sit down and have a good talk."

Steward Chen looked the father and daughter up and down, then turned and entered the room. The room was very simple, with one table and one bed.

Yan Ze said: "We probably won't be able to come often in the future. See if you can help us muddle through; whether it's finding someone to stand in for us or you cooking the books, in short, just help me handle the matters here."

Steward Chen's expression changed instantly. How could he be so blunt? How was he supposed to respond to that?!

Before he could speak, Yan Ning took a handful of Silver Melon Seeds out of her pocket and gave them to him.

Steward Chen swallowed his original words, his expression somewhat conflicted.

Yan Ning continued to pull out a large handful of Silver Melon Seeds and asked: "Is this okay?"

Steward Chen hesitated, "Let me think about it."

Yan Ning frowned; why was this person so difficult to talk to?

But thinking of the mountains of gold and silver piled high in her space, this money felt as if it had been blown in by a strong wind, and Yan Ning didn't feel a shred of heartache using it.

Yan Ning took out several silver ingots, "One thousand taels, that should be enough, right?"

Steward Chen continued to hesitate.

"Three thousand."

"Five thousand."

"Eight thousand."

"Ten thousand. If that is still not enough, we will think of other ways."

Steward Chen immediately said: "It's enough, it's enough."

Yan Ning was just preparing to flip through to see if there were any Silver Notes when Laifu's voice rang out: "Steward Chen, didn't we agree on this earlier? One hundred taels, why are you collecting more money? Do you want to defy the Empress Dowager's imperial decree?"

Steward Chen's gaze drifted, and he wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, hurriedly saying: "M-My Lord, I didn't recognize that this was the First Prince for a moment. No need to give any more money; I have already received the one hundred taels in Silver Notes earlier."

Yan Ning looked at the silver ingots on the table; there were only five or six hundred taels there.

Yan Ning pushed the silver ingots and Silver Melon Seeds over, "Take these. From now on, Xie Luyan will not have to suffer the hardship of Corvee again."

Cold sweat beaded on Steward Chen's forehead. Suddenly, all these people were trying to use the back door, and he worried he wouldn't be able to cover it up when the time came...

If he had known, he wouldn't have taken money from both sides. Looking at the pile of Silver Melon Seeds and silver ingots on the table, he only felt they were exceptionally hot to the touch. Steward Chen began to regret it.

Seeing Laifu's gaze, Steward Chen had no choice but to accept the money.

He must not have checked the almanac before going out today; he was having such bad luck.

The money had already been accepted, so Steward Chen nodded and bowed, saying: "My Lord, if you are not familiar with this place, you can come find me at any time."

Yan Ze nodded and led Yan Ning back to the residence in Shawan County.

After leaving, Laifu said: "Your Highness, you can rest assured. Everything in Shawan County has been taken care of. If you feel Shawan County is not lively enough, you can also go live in Haicheng. Although it cannot compare to the prosperity of Jingdu and Yangzhou City, it is not bad either."

Yan Ning said: "Let's not go to Haicheng for now. This journey has exhausted me to death. The road was difficult to travel, and the carriage was so bumpy it nearly shook me to pieces. Let's rest well in Shawan County for a while before thinking of anything else."

After taking care of everything, it was still early, so Yan Ning went back to her room to rest first.

Just as she entered the room, there were two young girls wearing maid outfits at the door. The two looked to be under twenty.

The Prince of Nanyang had sent quite a few maids. Just now, when she walked in, she even saw her mother playing mahjong with three maids; it was quite comfortable.

Yan Ning just assumed these two were also maids.

However, she was not used to having others around in her daily life, nor would she let maids do anything.

Who would have thought that when she entered the room, one maid would pull a long face and let out a cold snort.

Yan Ning frowned, "What do you mean by this?"

Qiushuang said with dissatisfaction: "If it weren't for you saying you liked listening to music, how would I have come to a place like this?"

Yan Ning was so angry she laughed: "Earlier, I asked you all if you were willing to follow us. Those who said they weren't willing stayed at the Wangfu, and the rest were all willing. What, you didn't say anything at the time, and now you are going back on your word and giving me attitude?"

Qiushuang felt a bit guilty, but she still said: "I didn't know at the time that you were actually coming to this remote place of Lingnan."

Originally, seeing that Yan Ze was young and handsome, they thought they might have a chance to become concubines, and the Prince had always been very polite to them, so they thought their status wasn't low. Only after arriving in Lingnan did they realize they were exiled princes.

Regardless of what his status was before the exile, he was exiled now, and he would certainly never be able to make a comeback in the future.

Qiushuang was so angry she could die; staying at the Wangfu would have been better than this.

Yan Ning looked at the other maid: "Do you think the same as her?"

Chunming didn't speak, but she nodded.

Yan Ning wouldn't force those who weren't willing to come, and besides, being given attitude was really unpleasant.

Yan Ning frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Since that is the case, the next time a merchant caravan heads over, you two should go with them and return to the Wangfu."

As for the contracts of indenture, don't even think about them.

If they had spoken properly, Yan Ning would have given them their contracts of indenture; after all, it was not a major matter.

But now, they were giving her attitude.

However, when Yan Ning said she would send them back to the Wangfu, both of them looked panicked and at a loss; they absolutely could not return to the Wangfu, for if the Prince found out, their lives would be finished.

Qiushuang's face turned deathly pale: "No, you can't, give my contract of indenture back to me."

Yan Ning sneered: "On what grounds should I return it to you? Because you gave me attitude, or because you were badmouthing me behind my back?"

Qiushuang was flustered for a moment, "I'm sorry, I was just muddled by anger for a moment, I... I didn't mean to badmouth you, I was just..."

She had not expected that Yan Ning, who had always been easy to talk to, could be so ruthless.