Chapter 58: Finding a Body Double

Yan Ning looked at her small boat; taking seventy people across was no pressure at all.

After returning, Yan Ning only felt that their current weapons reserve was insufficient.

She found Yan Ze, "Father, I have an idea. We can have different woodworkers make parts for different components, and then we can assemble them later."

Yan Ze pondered for a moment, "That works. I will arrange for the carpenters right now."

Yan Ze rubbed Yan Ning's head, pressing down that one tuft of hair, and asked, "What is it? Do you have a fear of insufficient firepower?"

Yan Ning nodded, "Right now, both the Second Prince and the Third Prince are struggling to protect themselves, so our family is safe for the time being."

"But only for the time being."

Yan Ning pondered, "We must take advantage of the current calm to make more weapons. I can dedicate a warehouse to store Gunpowder Bags, and we also need to stock up on grain and White Sugar. Let me think, there's also... medicinal herbs, all kinds of herbs. I've plucked all the herbs from the Imperial Hospital and moved the cabinets over directly, but I still feel it's not enough."

Yan Ze had also thought about these: "To treat colds, miasma, and wounds, we must make a large amount of Golden Sore Medicine; this stuff also has a long shelf life."

Yan Ning went to tell Qian Ruofang immediately that they would go to Haicheng tomorrow to purchase a batch of herbs.

Qian Ruofang agreed immediately.

The next day, Yan Ning went with them to the Liuli Pu to prepare to load the goods, only to find that the shop had already been sealed.

Laifu was standing at the entrance, looking left and right anxiously.

Yan Ning frowned, "What happened to this shop?"

Laifu sighed, "It was the Emperor who sent people to seal it. He said that since you are in exile, you cannot operate a shop. I heard the few shops in Shawan County have also been sealed."

Yan Ning gritted her back teeth; this Gou Huangdi is truly a dog, actually racking his brains to make her family suffer in Lingnan.

However, it was not a big problem. The money earned from those few shops in Shawan County was not much, but this Liuli Pu...

Yan Ning frowned, cursing Gou Huangdi a thousand times in her heart, then sat at the entrance thinking of a solution; this shop would likely be unable to continue operating.

It was also at this time that two wealthy merchants from Haicheng, the Bai Family and the Gu Family, both found Yan Ning.

Bai Yu sped up, arriving in front of Yan Ning a step ahead of Gu Feichen of the Gu Family. He revealed a smile, "Little sister, your shop has been sealed; why not sell it to me?"

Gu Feichen also rushed up hurriedly, "Can your family handle it all? Little sister, why not share some with me? Come to Haicheng every fifth day and give us the Glazed Ornaments, how about that?"

Yan Ning was not worried about the sales of Glazed Glass at all; she could even buy another shop to sell it, it would just be a bit troublesome.

Having two people buy everything at once was convenient. Yan Ning then said, "That is possible, but the price will be about the same as in the shop."

Bai Yu agreed immediately, "When shall we sign the contract? You decide the price, I am fine with anything."

Sending these Glazed Glass items to Ding'an City could fetch five times the price, and if they went further to Yangzhou, it could fetch more than ten times. Yangzhou had many high-ranking officials and wealthy households, just right for a good fleecing.

Yan Ning did not care how much they sold them for outside; she only collected her own share of silver. Once time passed, the price would naturally drop.

Once more Glazed Glass was sold, it would no longer be such a rare item and would not fetch so much money.

She immediately signed contracts with both Bai Yu and Gu Feichen to meet and trade at Dongsheng Tower every fifth day of the month.

However, the news that Yan Ze and Yan Ning could make Glazed Glass, as well as Yan Ning scattering money all along the way, had reached the Capital. The Emperor was even more displeased when looking at the Glazed Hairpin.

After the national treasury was emptied, the Emperor was strapped for cash. The officials in the court had donated some silver, but it was still not enough. At this time, hearing that Yan Ze and his family were living comfortably and that one piece of Glazed Glass could sell for ten thousand taels of silver, he became somewhat annoyed.

He immediately sent officials over, insisting that Yan Ze go to the Cai Shi Chang, and not only that, but he also demanded the method for making Glazed Glass.

When Yan Ning received this news, she was completely irritable.

"They hate that my father isn't suffering every day. Watch me beat them back and slaughter this old thing!"

Ji Lan patted his back to soothe him, "What should we do now? Should we keep that person or kill him? After all, it is a long journey from the Capital, and there is miasma along the way; a person dying is the most normal thing."

Yan Ning thought for a moment, "We shall be courteous before resorting to force."

As she spoke, Yan Ning casually picked up a pair of dangling hairpins, and Yan Ze brought some fine wine; the two prepared to go to Shawan County to take a look.

Ji Lan stayed behind to supervise the work and incidentally help Yan Ning send the Glass Jewelry to Dongsheng Tower.

The father and daughter sat in a small wooden boat and took half an hour to reach Shawan County.

Yan Ze took Yan Ning to the residence prepared by Laifu; the person was already waiting inside.

The person who came this time was Yan Rong, the Vice Minister of Rites. Yan Ze had spoken a few words to him before, but they were not very familiar. However, this time the Vice Minister of Rites had come and waited in the residence for a long time without showing any impatience.

Seeing Yan Ze, Yan Rong hurriedly bowed, "His Highness."

Yan Ze sat down casually and said, "Let us not beat around the bush. You came to Shawan County this time because you want me to go to the Cai Shi Chang?"

Yan Rong sighed, "The Emperor's orders are hard to disobey."

Yan Ze said, "I will not make things difficult for you. You can just turn a blind eye and report back that way."

The expression on Yan Rong's face became even more troubled, "It is not that I will not help, but there are so many eyes watching. If someone reports us again and pins a charge of deceiving the Emperor on us, we will both be finished."

The scene suddenly fell silent.

Yan Rong made sense. Yan Ning even began to calculate in her heart whether the Explosive Packages in her space could withstand an army of one hundred thousand.

For now, they still had to continue to lie low; they had no grain and no army, so they could not act rashly.

Yan Ning's eyes rolled, and she revealed a brilliant smile, "I have a way! Find someone whose figure and appearance are somewhat similar to my father's to come over, and we will bribe the bailiffs; then my father won't have to go himself."

Yan Rong: "This..."

After a long while, he said, "Fine, but this method has risks. It would be best to find someone who looks similar."

Yan Ning was happy and handed over the pair of Glazed dangling hairpins she had brought, "Thank you."

Yan Ze also prepared several jars of fine wine for him, his smile gentle, "This trip has been a trouble. Please accept these things, otherwise, I will feel uneasy."

Yan Ning also said from the side, "If something goes wrong and it is discovered, we will take responsibility."

After Yan Rong thanked them, he returned to the inn, preparing to leave in a few days.

He was still thinking about how he should bring up the Emperor's request for the method of making Glazed Glass.

Yan Ning returned to Chaoyang Village and immediately summoned Er Gouzi.

Er Gouzi did not expect Yan Ning to be so urgent; he trotted all the way over and asked Yan Ning, "Miss, is there any urgent matter?"

Yan Ning pointed at her father's face and said, "Can you find someone who looks similar to my father? Sixty or seventy percent similar will do."

Er Gouzi was a bit curious and asked, "What are you looking for this person for?"

Yan Ning did not hide anything either, saying directly: "One hundred taels of silver a month, mention my father to move stones at Cai Shi Chang."

As she spoke, she handed Er Gouzi a Cotton Pouch, inside of which were all Silver Melon Seeds.

Yan Ning asked: "Can you find them?"