Chapter 146: The Emperor's Fury

Hearing this, Jiang Clan's expression grew even uglier.

"Thirty thousand taels."

"Please do not make things difficult for this humble one, Madam. I didn't earn much silver from selling grain this time. You can't expect me to take a loss on top of that, can you?"

Jiang Clan's heart was dripping blood.

In just a few short days, thirty thousand taels of silver had been lost.

She cursed Meng Qinghe in her heart a thousand times over, but ultimately took the banknote that Shopkeeper Hao handed over.

Neither more nor less—exactly twenty thousand taels.

Jiang Clan's heart sank. This Shopkeeper Hao seemed absolutely certain about what she was going to do today; he had even prepared the silver in advance.

She suddenly had a premonition.

The events of these past days seemed to be orchestrated by an invisible hand.

No... impossible.

How could anyone precisely predict so many things?

That very day, Chi Nan Yi had people move the grain over from Weimei Zhai.

Looking at the grain that was essentially free, Chi Nan Yi felt extremely pleased.

By now, Jiang Clan and Meng Qinghe must be like ants on a hot pan!

Just then, a faint sound came from the window. Sensing a familiar presence, Chi Nan Yi smiled and said, "Prince, next time you come, you can use the front door."

Mo Junyan rubbed the tip of his nose and stepped out from the shadows.

"The guard by your side has excellent martial arts. If This Prince used the front door, he would certainly be discovered."

"Hearing the Prince say that, I suppose I'll have to ask Ji Bai to sharpen his scouting skills further."

"Are you satisfied?"

"What?"

"The Meng Family has fallen into a difficult situation now. Are you satisfied?"

Hearing this, Chi Nan Yi smiled and said, "A difficult situation? They've only lost thirty thousand taels of silver—it's not enough to put them in dire straits. At most, they're stretched thin. A starved camel is still bigger than a horse, and moreover, Madam Jiang's maiden family is one of the foremost wealthy households in Jingcheng. A mere few tens of thousands of taels—if she goes back to the Jiang family to ask for it, would the Jiang family patriarch really refuse? After all, Lord Meng is still seated in the position of Left Minister. As long as he sits there for even one day, the Jiang family will not truly abandon Madam Jiang. So this cannot shake the Meng Family's foundations."

Hearing her say this, the smile on Mo Junyan's lips deepened. Clever.

"So? What is your plan?"

Chi Nan Yi turned her gaze onto Mo Junyan, her eyes shimmering, the corners of her lips curving slightly upward. "So, this humble woman must trouble the Prince."

"Oh? Let's hear it."

"These small matters cannot shake the Meng Family's position, but there is one person who, with only a single sentence, can send the Meng Family plummeting."

"My imperial father?"

"Indeed."

Mo Junyan clapped his hands. "So you had this plan from the very beginning. This Prince somewhat underestimated you." He gazed intently at Chi Nan Yi. "You had the eldest young lady of the Meng Family buy grain from you at a high price. From the very start, you had calculated that she wanted to make a fortune from this snow disaster. When she thought she was the only one in all of Jingcheng with grain in her hands, she would sell it at a high price, letting everyone know that Weimei Zhai had driven grain prices sky-high. Just when the Meng Family was feeling smug, you brought out your hoarded grain and let it flow into the market at low prices, letting every commoner in Jingcheng receive the news. After comparing the two, they would naturally buy your grain. Weimei Zhai's reputation would be thoroughly ruined, and with Weimei Zhai's reputation ruined, the Meng Family's reputation would be destroyed as well. When the Meng Family couldn't sell their grain, you bought it back at a low price. Calculating it, you probably didn't spend a single copper and got all this grain for free, while also promoting your soon-to-open shop. Most importantly, you seized the Meng Family's weak point. Anyone with a grudge against the Meng Family need only impeach them at morning court and provoke the ire of my imperial father, and the Meng Family will bear the full force of my imperial father's wrath."

He rubbed his chin, his eyes filled with admiration. "Your one arrow struck quite a few eagles! If This Prince were to devise such a scheme, I fear I wouldn't have calculated as much as you did."

Hearing this, Chi Nan Yi smiled and said, "How could the Prince have calculated little? To guess this humble woman's intentions in such a short time shows that my clumsy acting is not worth mentioning in your eyes."

Knowing she was flattering him, Mo Junyan smiled and shook his head. Now even he had been factored into her calculations.

"This Prince understands. At morning court, I will certainly have Minister Meng lose a layer of skin."

"Then this humble woman thanks the Prince."

Chi Nan Yi's words had barely fallen when Mo Junyan suddenly leaned forward, very close to her, and said softly, "There is one thing This Prince does not understand."

Hearing this, Chi Nan Yi coughed softly twice and leaned back. "Prince, please speak."

"How were you so certain that the eldest young lady of the Meng Family would hoard grain?" If Meng Qinghe had not bought that grain at a high price as she had anticipated, everything she had designed would have been in vain. Mo Junyan's eyes flickered as he pressed further. "And why did you hoard so much grain? Don't tell me you knew the snow disaster was coming?"

Hearing him ask this, Chi Nan Yi's heart pounded like a drum. Could it be that he suspected something?

Her eyes darted about as a plan came to mind. "It was because of a dream this humble woman had."

"What dream?"

"In the dream, it snowed terribly. This humble woman's family was driven to the streets with nothing to eat, cold and hungry. Many people were just like us. In the dream, grain was scarce and prices were exorbitant—a hundred wen per jin—and many commoners couldn't afford it, freezing to death out in the open. After waking from the dream, this humble woman felt as though it was guidance from the divine, so she hoarded a great deal of grain, thinking that even if it truly was just a dream, stockpiling some grain would do no harm—after all, she would need to buy some grain when the shop opened anyway."

Mo Junyan felt that what she said didn't sound like a lie, yet he still had some doubts.

"Perhaps this is fate. As the saying goes: those who commit many injustices will bring ruin upon themselves. The Meng Family has done no shortage of wicked deeds. If it is retribution, it is their turn."

Mo Junyan nodded. "What you say does make some sense."

Chi Nan Yi maintained a smiling face. In truth, there was another purpose behind her actions that Mo Junyan had not mentioned—she wanted Meng Qinghe to be abandoned by her allies, to lose the trust and protection of Jiang Clan and Meng Hui.

In her previous life, Meng Hui and Jiang Clan had desperately compensated Meng Qinghe. In this life, she wanted Meng Qinghe to lose, bit by bit, everything she cared about—aside from the Meng Family, and the Crown Prince.

That was the person Meng Qinghe truly cared about.

Once word of what Meng Qinghe had done spread, who knew whether Mo Junheng would still have any thought of taking such a foolish person into his residence.

Without the Meng Family, without the Crown Prince—losing these would be no different from taking Meng Qinghe's life, or rather, even more agonizing than taking her life.

Early the next morning, the Emperor was furious. In front of all the court officials, he flung a stack of memorials at Meng Hui's face.

"Look! Look! Look at what your family has done!" the Emperor said angrily. "Profiting from a national disaster? You are the head of all officials! The Left Minister of the court! And you let a jin of fine rice be sold for two hundred and fifty wen? Two hundred and fifty..." His anger knew no bounds, and he even raised an inkstone, ready to smash it onto his head. "The refugees outside the city—your Minister's Residence set up a porridge shed to distribute charity. Zhen thought Minister Meng wished to share Zhen's burdens, and was quite gratified. Now it seems it was all just a show put on for Zhen. In Zhen's view, since you cannot serve as a model for all officials, then yield this position of Left Minister to someone more worthy!"