Chapter 365: Phoenix Algae Transmits News

Jin Ling, Xin Chun Hao Jiangnan Headquarters.

The season was nearing the eighth month, the hottest time of the year in Jin Ling. The few large plane trees at the shop entrance did not appear wilted under the scorching sun; they remained lush and verdant, their greenery dense.

Xin Chun Hao had spent the last two years laying out its trade routes in Jiangnan, and now, in Jin Ling and the surrounding prefectures, it had gathered considerable scale and momentum.

The land of Jin Ling, the secondary capital of the Great Zhou, was filled with government offices, rich in land and people, and prosperous among the common folk; it had always been a golden land for merchants.

In Jin Ling, besides the Jiangnan headquarters, Xin Chun Hao had opened four branch shops on various bustling streets. Although the storefronts were not large, business was very prosperous.

Furthermore, after Lin Daiyu wrote to her father, and with the promotion of the Su Yang Lin family by Lin Ruhai,

Xin Chun Hao opened branches in Su Zhou, Yangzhou, and other places. The trade routes slowly extended toward the Huai River, becoming the second most important source of silver flow for Xin Chun Hao in Jiangnan, after Jin Ling and Ningbo.

With the promotion of the Imperial Household Department, Xin Chun Hao's branches in Ningbo and Fuzhou had both opened. Various types of goods produced were continuously sent from the Love Shenjing and Jin Ling to these two major coastal ports.

Under the various ingenious concepts proposed by Jia Cong, rare items such as perfume, scented soap, chicken-wing wood bristle toothbrushes, and green salt toothpaste began to embark on the path of maritime trade....

Just as Du Qingniang had said, in this world, no one was more persistent or more devoted than she was regarding the grievances derived from the major Water Surveillance Department case.

Although she was not yet very conspicuous due to her young age and lack of seniority, and had not yet formed a grand momentum, it was more than enough to provide cover for an emerging commercial firm.

At the end of the seventh month, the twilight of heaven and earth hung low. The ship's hull cut through the surging river currents. The city walls and villages on both banks turned into blurred shadows in the night, constantly receding, and were completely swallowed by the darkness.

The main responsibility of the headquarters was to manage workshops, distribute goods, coordinate resources, and handle daily sales; daily retail was not the headquarters' primary business.

If Zhou Suqing had not been caught, how could someone like Zhou Zhengyang have been implicated?

A gray-white secret memorandum, a stamped bill, and an imperial decree from the Central Vehicle Office.

Suddenly, he remembered the youth back then at the Ziyun Pavilion in Jin Ling who had yielded the jade-plate leather belt to him.

The greatest pleasure in staying alive was to have the same people who deserved to die be buried with one's father, and to make them pay the price for the humiliation one had suffered....

Perhaps Du Qingniang was right; Jia Cong was merely there by chance. The one who truly changed her fate was her own father.

Perhaps because of the sweltering weather, a layer of fine sweat seeped out from her fair and delicate forehead.

That gray-white secret memorandum was only two thin pages long, recording the six Central Vehicle Office secret agents within Jin Ling city, their names, identities, and methods of contact.

Bao Zhu entered the second-floor room, took out a small, exquisite bamboo tube, and smiled: "Just received a feather-transmitted message from the Love Shenjing. Brother Cong has received an imperial decree and will soon arrive in Jin Ling on imperial business."

Qu Hongxiu smiled at Keqing: "You guessed correctly. The Emperor must have sent him to investigate the Zhou Zhengyang case; otherwise, he wouldn't be coming down to Jin Ling at this time."

Since entering officialdom, he had also formed deep relationships with new noble figures such as Minister of War Gu Yan, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding, and Marquis Lord Weiyuan Liang Chengzong.

Back then, her father had ended his life with a single stroke, implicating her mother in a tragic death, and she herself had fallen into the lowly status of the Music Bureau, yet how many people had hidden themselves and stayed out of it?

Official ship of the Ministry of Rites Music Bureau.

Jia Cong was ennobled for military merit, currently held the Emperor's favor, was born into the Rongguo noble family, studied under the Great Scholar, and his literary fame crowned Jiangnan.

Externally, Xin Chun Hao was a dignified Imperial Merchant of the Household Department; internally, it was backed by the newly ennobled Marquis Lord Weiyuan of the Rongguo Jia family.

And in the several prefectures of Jiangnan, the Jia family was already a prominent clan in Jin Ling with deep foundations.

Although currently only a Grade 5 official, whether among the new or old nobility, or in both civil and military paths, he had gradually become a foundational cornerstone.

Compared to the bustling business of the several branch shops in Jin Ling city, this Xin Chun Hao headquarters appeared slightly less popular, with a rare sense of leisure and quiet.

The reason Xin Chun Hao was able to form a climate within a few years, besides having several shrewd and capable helmsmen, as well as ingenious product creation and merchant techniques, also lay in its unique background.

Her life was already ruined. No matter what happened in the future, she could not wash away the stigma of the lowly Music Bureau status. For a woman born into an official family, it was no different from being beyond redemption.

One of the six people was serving in the Jin Ling Guard, and was even a company commander who had been in office for two years.

Who could have imagined that behind all this lay hidden conspiracies, bloodshed, and the humiliation of a ruined family?

Hongxiu and Keqing on the second floor heard the thumping sound coming from the stairs, crisp and urgent.

In the slightly rocking cabin, filled with an unusual silence, Zou Min'er organized her belongings. Three items were placed on the table.

She looked at these items, her eyes crystalline, her thoughts churning.

At this moment, a girl with a nimble figure walked quickly into the first-floor hall, her delicate and pretty face slightly flushed.

When Du Qingniang saved her from despair, it was out of pity, but also because she saw the enormous potential that could burst forth from someone who was living a life worse than death, amidst the filth and madness.

Government officials from the Love Shenjing swarmed down to Jin Ling to investigate and search, leaving no stone unturned. The things her father had done would sooner or later be discovered by others.

Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing heard this, both showing joy. The two took out the letter paper from the bamboo tube; it only said that Jia Cong would be coming down to Jin Ling in a few days, but did not explain the purpose of this trip.

Bright as the moon, unparalleled in grace, he had once given a carefree, slender girl the most hazy and beautiful fantasies.

The other five people were engaged in various trades in Jin Ling, and the industries they were involved in were also diverse.

A pampered young lady of an official family, her fate changed in an instant, her leisurely and noble youth trampled upon at will.

Due to Jia Cong's unique network foundation, Jin Ling Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander Ge Ge Zhi Cheng, Company Commander Liu Hai, and Liang Huai Salt Inspection Censor Lin Ruhai, among others, became the assistance for Xin Chun Hao's rapid and vigorous growth in Jiangnan for various reasons.

With so many factors blending together, Xin Chun Hao's prosperity in Jiangnan was naturally a matter of course.

Back then, the major Longtan Port case broke out, with Jin Ling soldiers and civilians dead and injured, causing the world to look on in shock; at Shicao Wozi, people were killed to silence them, with sixty-one corpses piled up, shocking the court and the public.

Even without Jia Cong's appearance, would her father not have walked into a dead end? Du Qingniang had asked a similar question. This was a question Zou Min'er could not answer, nor did she wish to.

The two could not help but look at each other and smile. Besides Bao Zhu, no one in the shop would make such a sound on the stairs.

As for whether there were other branches beneath these six people, it was unknown.

This personnel secret memorandum was handed to her personally by Du Qingniang before she set off, and it was also her reliance and eyes and ears for acting in Jin Ling.

Zou Min'er read this secret memorandum five or six times, firmly memorized it in her heart, and then burned it in the candlelight.

That stamped bill, she had privately found someone who understood the business to look at; it was a deposit slip from a bank, and the bank's name was Sihai Bank.

Jiangnan was a prosperous and bustling place, and the number of private banks of various sizes was countless.

Banks could not only store and exchange gold and silver, but also had storage files for collecting other property, charging different management fees.

Wealthy merchants and rich households in Jiangnan each had different ways of making a fortune, and they would always have some strange and private assets, mostly having the habit of storing them in bank storage files.

It was just that Zou Min'er used to be the daughter of an official family, living in luxury, not understanding money, grain, silver, or rice, so naturally, she had never been to or come into contact with a bank.

According to the old servant in the family, this stamped bill was entrusted to him by her father for safekeeping.

The things represented by this bank bill might be the assets her father had reserved for her as a retreat.

But her father had been caught and brought to justice. Whether the things stored in the bank were still safe and sound, only when she arrived in Jin Ling would she have the opportunity to figure it out.

And that Central Vehicle Office imperial decree was what surprised her the most, and its content also exceeded her expectations....

Rongguo Prefecture, Rongqing Hall.

It was now the end of the seventh month, and the third day of the eighth month was Jia Mu's birthday.

For the past few days, the Rongguo Prefecture had been decorated with lanterns and colored hangings, and the festive atmosphere was growing stronger day by day.

Last year, the Ningguo Jia family collapsed suddenly, but the Rongguo Jia family not only stood firm, but Jia Cong of the Rongguo Prefecture was also newly ennobled as Marquis Lord Weiyuan.

Two titles in one family; counting the nobles in the Love Shenjing, only the Lady Bao Ling Marquis Shi family had ever had such glory.

And the newly ennobled Marquis Lord Weiyuan, Jia Cong, was not yet twenty, and the potential he possessed for the future would certainly be no less than that of Marquis Zhongjing, who had established the merit of following the dragon.

In the eyes of outsiders, this was already an undeniable signal of the Rongguo Jia family's resurgence, so the people coming to offer birthday wishes this year were exceptionally enthusiastic and diligent.

Therefore, for the past few days, Jia Mu had been sitting in the hall early in the morning, and Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, Daiyu, and the three spring sisters and other female relatives came to sit and talk in Rongqing Hall every morning.

One was to chat with the old lady, and the other was to take the opportunity to receive the female relatives of various families who came to visit.

Because in the past few days, the old relatives of the noble families had sent birthday gifts one after another, and even the Jin Ling Jia family, the Shi family, and the Zhen family had sent birthday gifts from afar.

Every noble family naturally had its own way of communicating and connecting feelings; this kind of coming to the door to send birthday gifts was an excellent opportunity to draw closer relationships.

Plus, Jia Mu held the rank of a super-grade State Lady, so even if the etiquette of the visitors was a bit more grand, it was still justifiable.

Therefore, those who came to send birthday gifts in the past few days were often the main wives of wealthy and powerful families, who entered Rongqing Hall to talk with Jia Mu, and some even brought unmarried young ladies from their families....

Letting Daiyu and the three spring sisters sit in the hall together was also for this reason, so that the young ladies who followed their mothers to send gifts could have little sisters to chat with.

If it had been a few years ago, these scheming head wives would mostly have been aiming at Baoyu, who was born with jade in his mouth, but now there was no head wife who was so lacking in discernment.

Jia Mu, a leader of the inner chambers, could naturally see the schemes of these noble ladies.

Today, those who came to the prefecture to send birthday gifts included the wife of Marquis Cheng Yang and her unmarried third young lady.

Marquis Cheng Yang Liu Xingwen was also a marquis ennobled at the founding of the dynasty, passed down through generations. Although his family status was not as prominent as the Rongguo Prefecture, he was also a noble family that could be counted in the Love Shenjing.

And this unmarried Miss Liu had a delicate appearance and was also born of the main wife; both her appearance and background were quite good.

Although Jia Mu loved and cherished Baoyu the most in her heart, she also clearly understood that this woman who talked and laughed freely and that shy young lady were definitely not aiming at her Baoyu.

Jia Mu had a kind smile on her face, but this smile always made these visiting noble ladies feel a bit of distance, a bit unfathomable.

Jia Mu was as clear as a mirror in her heart. Although she was not close to Jia Cong, the scar left by Jia Cong's birth mother, Du Jinniang, would probably remain in her heart for a lifetime.

But no matter whether she was willing to admit it or not, she clearly understood that to outsiders, Jia Cong was the golden nugget of the Jia family, not her most beloved Baoyu.

Since the facts were already like this, Jia Mu was not a fool, and naturally understood the principle of not letting fertile water flow into outsiders' fields.

The two nieces-in-law of the Shi family had gone through a lot of trouble, but it was not in vain, and it also stirred up Jia Mu's thoughts. Regarding Jia Cong's marriage, what she was thinking of in her heart was Shi Xiangyun.

Shi Xiangyun was the direct bloodline of her Shi family. If she could marry her grandson who held a hereditary peerage, the Jia and Shi families would be relatives upon relatives, their flesh and blood fused; this was something she was very happy to see happen.

And for Jia Mu, there was a deeper reason: if her own direct niece married Jia Cong, she would have greater say in the Marquis Lord Weiyuan Prefecture, and even the possibility of control.

Jia Mu had been the helmsman of the inner chambers for half her life. How to hold the power of the household had almost become her habitual way of thinking about managing the house. Her agreement to let Yingchun move to the East Prefecture was also driven by this kind of thinking.

Since Jia Mu had such a delusion in her heart, she was naturally unmoved by the actions of these noble ladies, and yesterday she had already let Lin Zhixiao's wife go to the Shi family to pick up Xiangyun to stay for a while.

Jia Mu could see the intention of the noble ladies bringing their young ladies to offer birthday wishes, and Lady Wang naturally saw it clearly, and these women praised Brother Cong for being capable in every three sentences, which made her feel exceptionally disgusted.

Even if Lady Wang was wishful thinking, she had no way to pin other people's intentions on her own Baoyu, so in her resentment, the Buddhist beads in her hand turned faster and faster, as if they were about to spark against her skin.

Among the people in the hall, besides Lady Wang, the most uncomfortable one was Daiyu. She was always intelligent and wise, and naturally could see the gusts of demonic wind in Rongqing Hall these past few days.

Whenever a delicate noble young lady came to visit Jia Mu, and the head wife beside her was eloquent and witty, Daiyu would tense her little face, looking at her nose and heart, just pretending not to see.

Yingchun was the softest-hearted person, and she knew a little about Daiyu's feelings for Jia Cong, so she chatted with her to relieve the atmosphere.

Only Seeing Tan Chun was on the side, as if she were out of the matter, her pair of handsome eyes turning with autumn waves, heroic and charming, often looking at those wealthy young ladies offering birthday wishes, and then looking at the "Sister Lin" beside her who had suddenly opened up her full aura.

In her heart, she was somewhat proud, somewhat lost, and more of it was relief. Fortunately, Third Brother was my cousin; otherwise, I would probably have added a lot of trouble....

At this time, the old woman at the second gate came to report that the eldest young lady in the palace had sent her maid, Baoqin, to send birthday gifts to the old lady.

Jia Mu stood up as soon as she heard this, and Lady Wang also had a look of surprise.

Ever since Yuanchun entered the palace eight years ago for selection, and was later ennobled as the Female Historian of the Phoenix Algae Palace, the palace rules had been strict, and women entering the palace were never allowed to send items outside the palace.

Yuanchun had been in the palace for eight years, and such a thing had never happened before. Why would she be allowed to have her personal maid go out of the palace alone to send birthday gifts to the Jia Prefecture today?

Jia Mu and Lady Wang were suspicious and surprised, and hurriedly asked someone to invite Baoqin into Rongqing Hall.

After a while, Baoqin followed a small eunuch into Rongqing Hall.

If Jia Cong were here, he would recognize the small eunuch following Baoqin as Xiao Fuzi, who had been following Yuanchun ever since he first met her in the palace.

Even with the palace's grace, Baoqin was only a small palace maid. Letting her out of the palace to send gifts was not without concerns, so this small eunuch was also following her closely.

When Baoqin followed Yuanchun into the palace eight years ago, she was still a childish girl, but now she had grown into a graceful, beautiful, and charming young woman, her skin like condensed clouds, her eyes bright.

Jia Mu and Lady Wang naturally had seen her childhood appearance, and had seen her several times during their visits to the palace in the past two years.

Baoqin smiled and bowed to Jia Mu and Lady Wang, and also greeted the young ladies present. Yingchun and Seeing Tan Chun were seen by Baoqin when they were young.

Daiyu and Xichun were strangers to her, because Daiyu had not yet entered the Jia Prefecture eight years ago, and Xichun was still in swaddling clothes at that time.

Baoqin followed Yuanchun into the palace and was a person with palace status. Her status was already different from that of the Jia family maids. If Yuanchun could receive the Emperor's grace, Baoqin, as Yuanchun's personal maid, would also increase in value.

Therefore, neither Jia Mu nor Lady Wang dared to treat her as a Jia family maid anymore.

Lady Wang asked in a gentle tone: "We have always known that the palace rules are strict. Why were you allowed to go out of the palace to send birthday gifts today?"

Baoqin smiled: "In recent years, Third Brother Cong has pacified enemies and been ennobled in Liaodong, and has also developed and built firearms, making contributions to the Emperor several times. The Empress feels that Third Brother is young and wholeheartedly devoted to the country, and praises him very much.

She also pities the eldest young lady for having been in the palace for many years, being respectful and diligent, and neglecting family affection, so she has allowed Third Brother and the eldest young lady to meet in the palace several times to express their sibling affection.

This time, the eldest young lady knew it was the old lady's birthday, so she begged the Empress. The Empress bestowed her Phoenix grace again, and allowed me to go out of the palace to send birthday gifts."

Jia Mu and Lady Wang were shocked when they heard these words.

They never expected that Yuanchun, who had been in the palace for eight years and was unknown, had unexpectedly received the Empress's favor because Jia Cong had made contributions several times. To put it plainly, it was bestowing grace on Jia Cong.

Whether this was the Emperor's intention or the Empress's own thoughts, Jia Mu had many doubts and concerns in her heart.

And Lady Wang was thinking somewhat explicitly: would the Emperor therefore bestow dragon grace on her daughter? Wouldn't that be wealth falling from heaven....

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 366 =====