The Crown Prince Chases His Wife
Chapter 90 Ruthlessness
As Qin Wenzheng and Song Mei emerged from the Ministry of Justice, the sky was already darkening.
In the carriage heading back to the Qin Mansion, Qin Wenzheng was frowning deeply, his expression grim. Song Mei was anxious and apprehensive, glancing frequently at the closed-eyed Qin Wenzheng. However, even when they arrived at the Qin Mansion, Qin Wenzheng did not look at Song Mei, and they remained silent throughout the journey.
In the main hall of the Qin Mansion.
Qin Wenzheng sat at the head of the table, with several cups of tea on the table beside him, all of which had been replaced twice, but he had not touched any.
Qin Wenzheng had moved from the shock of learning these troubling matters to forcing himself to calm down and organize his thoughts.
The immediate concern was not about assigning blame but about how to minimize the impact of this situation on his official career.
The charge of hoarding grain for profit could be serious or minor. However, due to this year’s combination of water disasters, famine, and disruptions in grain transport, the issue of grain hoarding has escalated to multiple levels.
The emperor’s order to the Ministry of Justice to crack down on grain hoarders was aimed at two main objectives: first, to extract grain from the wealthy’s pockets at minimal cost, and second, to a breakthrough point in response to the continuous disaster and famine.
Hoarding grain and attempting to profit from national misfortune became the prime targets for retribution.
Naturally, this approach pleased many, as there are few who are not envious of the rich, and almost no wealthy merchants do not hoard grain, though the extent varies.
As the grain from wealthy households was confiscated and the culprits severely punished, it also somewhat shifted the public’s anxiety about the disasters. It was, in effect, a win-win strategy.
Qin Wenzheng felt a mix of shame and frustration. He had gone from being a detached observer to being thrust into the spotlight. Even if he avoided angering the Emperor, he would become a laughingstock among his peers.
The severity of the Emperor’s intent was still unclear.
Meanwhile, Song Mei was nervously twisting her handkerchief, repeatedly pondering how to phrase her responses if Qin Wenzheng questioned her about the situation, trying to clear herself from any blame.
The two sat in silence in the hall, each lost in their own thoughts.
————
After a while, Qin Wenzheng looked at Song Mei with a cold expression, “What happened when the shops were pawned? And what about Fourth Uncle going to Jiangnan to buy grain?”
Hearing this, Song Mei lifted her head, tears streaming down her face. She dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief, her voice choked with sobs, filled with grievance and sorrow.
“Prime Minister, how could I possibly know about these things? The shops and estates have always been managed entirely by Fourth Uncle. You know, I am just a frail woman who only reads books and writes. Moreover, given my weak health, I don’t have the energy to manage business affairs.”
Seeing Qin Wenzheng still maintaining a cold expression, with no sign of sympathy, Song Mei felt insecure, and more tears flowed down her cheeks.
“It’s all because I am so weak, unable to oversee Fourth Uncle personally. Back when I was pregnant with Ming’er…”
“Enough.” Qin Wenzheng impatiently interrupted Song Mei’s tearful and evasive words.
At this moment, Qin Wenzheng was very irritated but also particularly clear-headed. Once Song Mei’s sobs subsided, he spoke coldly, “I don’t care whether you truly didn’t know about these matters or were pretending not to know. The fact is, it has happened, and it’s irrelevant now.”
Song Mei was shocked that Qin Wenzheng spoke to her with such coldness and mentioned that Ming’er was useless now?
“Prime Minister…”
Qin Wenzheng, now too preoccupied with the situation to care about Song Mei’s feelings, continued, “Remember, no matter who asks you in the future, you must insist that you knew nothing about Fourth Uncle’s grain purchases. You must not let this incident implicate the Qin Mansion, do you understand?”
Song Mei’s face stiffened. Was Qin Wenzheng doubting her?
Qin Wenzheng didn’t wait for Song Mei to respond and continued, “Now, there are two options.”
“First, you deny ever giving Fourth Uncle the authority to mortgage the shops and estates. This way, Fourth Uncle would be seen as defrauding both you and Yu Qingfeng, adding more charges against him, and you would be cleared.”
“However, since Fourth Uncle has worked for the Qin Mansion all these years, the shops will still be sealed, and whether they will be returned or not remains uncertain.”
“Second, you admit to having entrusted Fourth Uncle with the authority to mortgage the shops and estates, but only for business turnover. You claim ignorance of his private mortgaging and running away with the money. As for what he did with the money, you knew nothing.”
“In this case, if we don’t repay the money borrowed from Yu Qingfeng, Yu Qingfeng will take the shops and estates.”
“This approach would almost sever the connection between Fourth Uncle and the Qin Mansion, and best preserve the residence. But the shops and estates taken by Yu Qingfeng will truly be lost.”
This was the advice Qin Wenzheng had received from the Ministry of Justice, Minister Peng Du before leaving, a suggestion from Peng Du’s perspective that could help Qin Wenzheng.
Qin Wenzheng almost decided on the second option: cutting off the limb to save the body. Money could be recovered, but he needed to act quickly to prevent his political enemies from exploiting this issue further.
Song Mei had never anticipated that the situation would become so severe. What was initially planned as a profitable venture now seemed to result in losing both Fourth Uncle and the properties, leaving her empty-handed.
———-Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Song Mei bowed her head in silence, realizing that Qin Wenzheng had likely already made his decision and wasn’t truly offering her a choice. But then she suddenly thought of something, lifting her head urgently and speaking out, “Prime Minister, Nian Nian’s wedding is approaching. The dowry list we sent to the He family included over twenty shops. We need to get them back!”
Hearing the mention of Qin Nian, Qin Wenzheng’s anger flared. Recently, he had heard people talking about Qin Nian’s situation. The scandal of her losing her virginity before marriage was bad enough, but now that He Xiao was about to become Qin Nian’s husband, the matter would have been buried after their wedding. Yet, Qin Nian had to go with Song Mei to Yangzhou, where she publicly miscarried, making the incident widely known.
Qin Wenzheng, who had carefully navigated his life, found himself questioning whether he had exhausted all his luck with these continuous troubles.
“You bring up your good daughter again. How did you raise her to embarrass the Qin Mansion like this?” Qin Wenzheng’s face was ashen, struggling to contain his anger.
Song Mei began to sob again, “Prime Minister, Nian Nian is still our daughter. You can’t ignore her. This is the first time our family is marrying off a daughter; we can’t let others laugh at us. Prime Minister…”
Qin Wenzheng thought about his two daughters: Qin Nian, who had brought disgrace to the family, and Qin Yan, who was ruthless and had even schemed against her own father. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He grabbed the cold tea next to him and drank it quickly, but his haste caused him to choke and cough, turning his face red.
Meanwhile, the usually attentive Song Mei didn’t rise to check on her husband. At this moment, her mind was solely on her shops and money.
As Qin Wenzheng’s coughing subsided slightly, Song Mei tentatively spoke, “Prime Minister, perhaps you could discuss with Qin Yan and have her return the shops to us.”
Qin Wenzheng’s anger flared up again at the suggestion. Go ask Qin Yan? Today, outside the Ministry of Revenue, Left Prime Minister Wang Xian had also sourly suggested he discuss the matter with Qin Yan. As Qin Wenzheng’s father, to lowers himself and asks Qin Yan? Or rather, to beg Qin Yan?
Fury coursed through Qin Wenzheng, his chest heaving with the intensity of his emotions. He had no doubt that if things continued like this, he might end up suffering a heart attack.
As Song Mei was about to continue persuading her husband, Qin Wenzheng, gasping for breath, spoke, “Recently, the person behind the Wen Trading Establishment, Wen Luo, who was targeting us was backed by Qin Yan.”
Song Mei’s eyes widened in disbelief. Qin Yan?
Qin Wenzheng sighed deeply, “From the targeting by Wen Trading Establishment to the subsequent mortgaging of our shops to Yu Qingfeng, and now to Fourth Uncle buying grain in Jiangnan, it’s possible that Qin Yan’s hand is behind all these incidents.”
“She has been setting up these traps for so long. Do you think she will easily give back the shops and estates?”
At this moment, Qin Wenzheng began to speculate. Qin Yan’s actions might be driven by the fact that the dowries involved once belonged to her mother, Shen Shiying.
Shen Shiying… If Shen Shiying were still here, the situation today wouldn’t be as it is…
Qin Wenzheng tugged at the corner of his mouth. When Shen Shiying was still around, he had never worried about money; if she were still here, he would never have ended up in such a predicament.
Was he really to beg his own daughter?
He looked at the disheartened Song Mei, swallowing back the words he had almost spoken. His first reaction was to think of Shen Shiying again.
Shen Shiying never showed such despondency. Her beautiful face was always radiant and full of vitality. She was not an ordinary weak woman; she was adept at proactively solving problems and bringing strength to those around her, rather than losing her composure and crying when faced with trouble.
Qin Wenzheng no longer wanted to look at Song Mei’s gloomy face. He furrowed his brows and spoke, “Use the treasury funds or sell some antiques and artworks. Buy some comparable shops according to the dowry list and add them to Qin Nian’s dowry.”
Upon hearing this, Song Mei, who had been keeping her head lowered, stiffened but maintained her posture, not responding.
Qin Wenzheng noticed something odd about Song Mei’s reaction. He squinted and asked, “What’s the matter?”
Song Mei swallowed hard, her hand tightly clutching the already wrinkled handkerchief. She eventually looked up at Qin Wenzheng.
“Aside from your salary, there has been no income in the household for a long time. We’ve been relying on the previous savings, and there is no money left to buy shops.”
“Previously, our business was besieged by the Wen family. They launched a price war, and Fourth Uncle had no choice but to spend money to cope. But soon, the funds for business couldn’t be turned over.”
“Fourth Uncle told me the situation. We couldn’t just abandon the business after so many years, so I also sent money to Fourth Uncle and sold some antiques from the treasury. But it was only a drop in the bucket, and the business continued to decline…”
Qin Wenzheng raised his hand to silence Song Mei.
He closed his eyes, sinking into the back of his chair, overwhelmed by a deep sense of helplessness.
He understood better than anyone how crucial money was in the world of politics. Even at his level, he was not exempt from the dependence on finances.
It seemed that he would have to visit the Princess Zhaoren Mansion personally.
——-
That night, in the Prime Minister Qin Mansion, the sound of plates and cups shattering could be heard coming from Qin Nian’s boudoir.
After Qin Nian was hit by a carriage and had a miscarriage in Yangzhou, rumors about her quickly spread through the city. Although Song Mei had originally planned for Qin Nian to stay in Yangzhou for a short postpartum period before returning to the capital, Qin Nian, unable to tolerate the gossip, decided to return to the capital with Song Mei.
Unfortunately, the rumors had also reached the capital.
From the moment she returned to the capital, Qin Nian had not stepped outside her room again.
Her mother had just come to tell her about the recent events in the household, and Qin Nian was shocked, sorrowful, and relieved.
She was shocked to learn that Qin Yan had done so much to undermine the Qin family, to the point that even Qin Nian’s own dowry was now incomplete because of Qin Yan.
It was only then that Qin Nian understood the meaning behind Qin Yan’s words in Yangzhou, “This lifetime is still long; you’ll have to go through many more interesting things…”
Qin Yan, it turned out, was so ruthless, leaving no room for compassion.
Qin Nian lamented that she was now forced to marry the very person who almost caused her death.
On that day in Yangzhou, He Xiao had clearly intended to harm her; he likely hoped that her death would cancel the marriage he also did not wish for.
Is this how her marriage will turn out?
Yet Qin Nian also felt a sense of relief. If what her mother said was true, the upcoming days in the family would be difficult, and even her father might be implicated.
In this sense, her marriage might have allowed her to escape a greater disaster.