Chapter 116: First Volume, Chapter 116: Don

First Volume, Chapter 116: Don't Let the Fertilizer Flow to Another's Field

"That's right!"

Seeing Qin Feng had hit every point precisely, Qin Tianhu's expression finally eased.

Though the war was settled, logistics preparation was a lengthy process—longer than a year or half a year, but at least three or four months.

During this time, those aligned with the Hubei Party had ample opportunity to cause trouble and drive Qin Tianhu from his position.

After all, for these officials, national interests came second; everything revolved around factional struggle, and once you stepped onto that path, there was no turning back.

Qin Tianhu let out a long sigh, deeply resigned: "The war is merely beginning; only when it ends will everything finally settle. Now, factional strife grows fiercer. Though I have the Emperor's trust, I still walk on thin ice. The bureaucracy is too deeply entangled—pull one hair and the whole body moves; even the Emperor has his helplessness."

Qin Feng naturally understood the stakes: in plain terms, the Ministry of Revenue was merely a pawn. Strip away its facade, reveal its core interests, and you'd see the blood dripping out was all of the Beixi County War Hero's bloodline.

Qin Tianhu chuckled bitterly: "The Qingyi Ceremony is led by the Ministry of Rites, funded by the Ministry of Revenue, and overseen by me. This alone shows the two ministries are already entangled—they're clearly building a false road while secretly advancing. If the ceremony goes well, it's only natural; if it fails, the blame falls on me."

In Qin Feng's view, it was only natural for the Ministry of Revenue to sabotage this; if they behaved properly, that would be the strange thing.

Qin Feng thought for a moment, then cut straight to the point: "How much silver has the Ministry of Revenue allocated for this Qingyi Ceremony?"

Qin Tianhu's face turned livid; he gritted his teeth: "One thousand liang! Those Ministry of Revenue officials should be dragged out and beheaded right now—they claim the Qingyi Ceremony won't cost much, that one thousand liang is enough. If the Grand Hall weren't so solemn, I'd tear into those old foxes myself!"

Any event involving the Emperor is a money-burning affair.

No matter how streamlined, you can't cut the imperial dignity—some basic pomp is still required.

Qin Feng roughly calculated in his mind: to make this Qingyi Ceremony passable, at least three ten thousand taels were needed.

The Ministry of Revenue refused to pay, so the Qin Residence must cover it.

But Qin Feng didn't want to pay it either.

After a brief pause, Qin Feng devised a plan, slapped his chest, and assured Qin Tianhu: "Leave this to me—but I won't help for free!"

Qin Tianhu knew Qin Feng too well—he knew this brat had a thousand tricks. Hearing this, he instantly felt reassured.

But the second half of the sentence made Qin Tianhu furious—this brat was trying to do business with his own father! It was outright insolence!

Qin Tianhu forced patience, snapping: "If your demand isn't unreasonable, I won't stop you."

Hearing this, Qin Feng's eyes lit up; he scrambled to his feet, excited: "It's not unreasonable at all—just one word from Father will do."

Qin Tianhu grew curious: "Oh? What word?"

Qin Feng rubbed his hands, eagerly: "My four sisters are past marriageable age—they should be betrothed. But marrying them off to outsiders would be a waste. As the saying goes, don't let the fertilizer flow to another's field. If Father would grant one of them to me as a wife…"

Before Qin Feng finished, Qin Tianhu leapt from his chair, snatched up the ruler, and swung it at Qin Feng's head: "You little brat, do you have any manners whatsoever? They're your sisters! You wicked, lustful wretch—get out of here!"

Seeing his father was serious, Qin Feng didn't dare hesitate—he bolted, clutching his head.

Qin Tianhu chased him all the way to the Door. Seeing Qin Feng vanish in a flash, he gave up, his anger vanishing, replaced by smugness. He snorted: "Brat, no patience at all. If you're capable and treat her well, who wouldn't want you?"

When Qin Tianhu took in these four Yi Nu, the reasons behind it were complex.

But one thing was certain: his purpose in adopting them was never political capital, nor to secure wives for his son.

He simply wanted to raise them to adulthood and find them good husbands!

Of course, if his own son proved worthy and they fell in love, he'd gladly approve.

Family ties strengthening—no loss!

But everything depended on Qin Feng having sufficient ability; otherwise, even his own son wouldn't get an ounce of favoritism from Qin Tianhu…

Qin Feng had no idea what Qin Tianhu was thinking. He walked off with his hands behind his back, looking gloomy—but he still had to carry out his father's orders.

Since the Qingyi Ceremony was happening, he'd make it shine—turn the crisis into an opportunity.

Qin Feng returned to the Back Courtyard and kicked open Lin Quqi's door, nearly giving Lin Quqi a heart attack.

"Lin Brother, I've got something for you."

Lin Quqi, mid-wash, sighed helplessly: "Next time, knock before entering. As the Qin Family's heir, you need basic manners—don't invite ridicule. Master Qin tasked me with supervising you; I dare not slack. By the way, what do you need?"

Qin Feng felt even more gloomy—he'd thought he'd brought back a "buddy," but instead he'd brought back a "mother." This nagging, chattering style—wasted on anything but a Women's Committee director.

Qin Feng ignored him and pressed on: "Go out, find some well-known merchants or official sons in Jingzhong. Don't say why—just invite them to Zui Xian Lou. Your reputation's good; they'll listen to you. If I went, they'd ignore me."

Lin Quqi didn't ask why—he simply nodded and agreed.

Then Qin Feng summoned Qin Xiaofu and whispered mysteriously: "Go to the Imperial Treasury, draw one thousand liang of silver, and book the First Floor Main Hall at Zui Xian Lou…"