After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband-Chapter 790 - 788: Confusion

After Marquis Dongxiang finished his business, he took his leave.

The Emperor sat on the Dragon Chair, staring at the one hundred thousand taels, not knowing how to react.

This Emperor, as a father, wanted to build a Princess Mansion for his daughter but had neither the money nor efficient people to carry out the task, not even having found land.

His daughter earned her living on her own, not only living well but also able to help him, her father.

Though this money was for Marquis Dongxiang, it ultimately funded horses and equipment for the Flying Tiger Army, which is part of the court’s forces.

The Emperor was lost in thought as he looked at the silver notes for a while.

Finally—

The Emperor was annoyed with Xie Jingchen.

Why didn’t he think to first bring the silver notes into the palace to inform him, and then deliver them to Marquis Dongxiang?

The Red Book Iron Certificate was granted by him, the Emperor.

Yet all the credit went to Marquis Dongxiang.

How could he, as the father, maintain his dignity?!

After leaving the Imperial Study, Marquis Dongxiang felt completely relieved.

The one hundred thousand taels had been with him for three whole days. If returned to Su Jin, the Flying Tiger Army indeed needed horses to enhance their combat strength.

However, if not returned, using his daughter’s private money would leave him with no face as a father.

Both the Emperor and Marquis Dongxiang cared greatly about maintaining face.

These one hundred thousand silver notes, which Su Jin directly gave to Marquis Dongxiang, were spent wisely in procuring necessary resources from money earned through hard means.

She lacked no money.

The Beauty Pavilion was a money tree, envied by all.

These silver notes, if in her hands, would mostly end up at the bottom of a box, except for Xingxing occasionally taking them out to count if any were missing.

Su Jin certainly wouldn’t count them.

Su Jin didn’t have the time to deliver them, and besides, if she personally gave them to Marquis Dongxiang, he surely wouldn’t accept them.

Thus, Su Jin asked Xie Jingchen to deliver them.

Marquis Dongxiang asked Xie Jingchen to take them back to Su Jin.

Xie Jingchen, unable to refuse, said, "Just consider it as my wife lending it to her father-in-law."

Whether it was lent to Marquis Dongxiang or the Emperor, it was the same.

If Marquis Dongxiang wanted to outfit the Flying Tiger Army with horses, the funding surely should come from the court.

After leaving the silver notes behind, Xie Jingchen took his leave.

Marquis Dongxiang knew very well that lending to the court meant the money was likely gone forever.

Xie Jingchen understood this too.

He just needed a reason for Marquis Dongxiang to keep it.

These one hundred thousand taels kept Marquis Dongxiang awake at night, with no appetite for meals.

Just then, when the Prince asked him for help, Marquis Dongxiang immediately thought of a solution.

His daughter’s things shouldn’t be for free.

The value of the Red Book Iron Certificate was beyond measure by money.

If a hundred thousand taels could save a life, then the Heir of Duke Chong wouldn’t have died.

With matters resolved, Marquis Dongxiang felt completely at ease returning to the Marquis Mansion.

Along the way, he saw a soft sedan chair heading in the other direction.

He happened to recognize that sedan chair.

His eyes moved slightly.

It seemed the officials returning from investigating the Wen Yuan Bo case in Yongzhou had come back to the capital.

That direction led to Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Though the Heir of Duke Chong was beheaded, the eldest young lady of Wenyuan Bo Mansion saved him, and gratitude for saving a life shouldn’t be forgotten by Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Wenyuan Bo’s case was both serious and trivial.

It all depended on how the investigative officials reported it upwards.

The Emperor, residing long in the Imperial Palace, though he had confidants, couldn’t possibly cover all states and counties of Daqi.

The Emperor was easiest to deceive.

Because all he heard were secondhand recounts from others.

Any case could be downsized; pushing out a couple of scapegoats could nearly exonerate Wenyuan Bo.

The neglect Wenyuan Bo showed towards Mrs. Tang was remembered by Marquis Dongxiang.

Mrs. Tang tolerated it, considering Wenyuan Bo as the only surviving descendant of Old Wen Yuan Bo, sparing face for Old Master.

Marquis Dongxiang didn’t have such a good temper.

While everyone kept to their own territory, it was bearable; but if Wenyuan Bo Mansion dared to threaten him, it was akin to an egg wishing to smash into a rock out of its own volition.

The anger of Marquis Dongxiang, once stirred up, wasn’t easily appeased.

Watching the sedan chair go far, Marquis Dongxiang chuckled and rode back to the mansion.

Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Duke Chong was in an increasingly poor mood these days.

Being idle in the mansion was suffocating him.

Since Old Duke Chong had his incident, after succeeding the title, he had stirred the court.

With Marquis Dongxiang’s return to the capital, he couldn’t find a moment of respite.

Now, during mourning at home, he could only watch Marquis Dongxiang create waves.

Such feelings couldn’t be worse.

The matter of the Zhangzhou iron mine was another thorn in his throat, needing to be vented.

Duke Chong, irritably rubbing his eyes, saw Chief Manager Wang push the door open and say, "Duke, Mr. Zheng, who went to Yongzhou to investigate the Wenyuan Bo case, requests to see you."

Duke Chong’s face sank.

"Let him come in," Duke Chong coldly stated.

Thinking of Wenyuan Bo Mansion, Duke Chong couldn’t help but think of his son.

The eldest young lady of Wenyuan Bo Mansion once saved him, yet in the end, he still took a fatal path.

Wenyuan Bo Mansion’s gratitude for saving a life couldn’t be ignored.

Yet, it was also him wanting to bring down Wenyuan Bo Mansion.

To let Wenyuan Bo Mansion off the hook would play into Marquis Dongxiang’s hands.

As long as Marquis Dongxiang was happy, Duke Chong wouldn’t be happy.

Mr. Zheng entered the study and reported the case investigation in Yongzhou to Duke Chong in detail.

The accusation from the Imperial Censor against Wenyuan Bo proved true.

For this, Mr. Zheng didn’t need to report; Marquis Dongxiang already knew.

If Wenyuan Bo hadn’t engaged in corruption, where did all that money come from to bribe him?

Mr. Zheng originally intended to report directly to the Emperor but hadn’t known about the matter between the Heir of Duke Chong and the eldest young lady of Wenyuan Bo Mansion since he’d just returned from Yongzhou.

After hearing it, he dared not make any assumptions and quickly came to seek Duke Chong’s opinion.

Duke Chong thought a bit and said, "Charge him with the negligence of subordinates."

This charge could be serious or minor.

If serious, it certainly meant demotion, but if minor, a few scoldings and a deduction of one or two years’ salary sufficed.

How it was to be handled depended on Wenyuan Bo’s favor with the Emperor.

Mr. Zheng understood, knowing Duke Chong was irritated, and upon offering Duke Chong some rare curiosities from Yongzhou, took his leave.

However, just as he was returning home and drafting a memorandum, his brother-in-law hurriedly arrived.

Mr. Sun came to inform Mr. Zheng, "I just received reliable news. Regarding the Wenyuan Bo case in Yongzhou, the Emperor not only sent you but also sent a confidant."

Mr. Zheng’s face changed, "How come I didn’t know?"

"You are Duke Chong’s person. Marquis Dongxiang is aware of that and certainly doesn’t trust you, hence urging the Emperor to send someone else."

"Marquis Dongxiang and Duke Chong are locked in a life-and-death struggle, just waiting to catch Duke Chong’s faults. Don’t find yourself caught up in it."

Mr. Zheng panicked.

He was flamboyant while investigating the case in Yongzhou.

He assigned the charges to officials under Wenyuan Bo and provided a couple of scapegoats.

If his statements weren’t consistent with the other person sent by the Emperor, it would be like jumping into filth of his own volition.

Mr. Zheng hastily ripped up his draft and picked up the pen to rewrite another version.

Yet his pen hovered in hesitation.

Mr. Sun looked at him, "What are you hesitating for?"

"Duke Chong wants to protect Wenyuan Bo..."

"Nonsense!" Mr. Sun exclaimed.

"It’s Duke Chong who wants to bring down Wenyuan Bo."

"It’s just that the eldest young lady from Wenyuan Bo Mansion saved the life of the Heir of Duke Chong, so the life-saving grace and the destruction of Wenyuan Bo’s Mansion are connected to him."

To let Wenyuan Bo Mansion go free would be to fall into Marquis Dongxiang’s trap.

If Marquis Dongxiang is pleased, Duke Chong shall not be happy.

Mr. Zheng entered the study and faithfully reported to Duke Chong about the investigation in Yongzhou.

The accusations from the Imperial Censor against the Uncle of Wenyuan Bo were indeed accurate.

No need for Mr. Zheng to report that; Marquis Dongxiang already knew clearly.

If the Red Book Iron Certificate could save a life, the Heir of Duke Chong wouldn’t have been executed.

With the matter resolved, Marquis Dongxiang felt a weight lifted off his shoulders as he returned to Marquis Mansion.

Halfway, he saw a palanquin going in the other direction.

He happened to recognize that palanquin.

His eyes glanced with interest.

It seems the official investigating the Wenyuan Bo’s corruption case in Yongzhou has returned to the capital.

That direction leads to Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Although the Heir of Duke Chong was beheaded, the great young lady of Wenyuan Bo Mansion saved him once; a debt of life cannot be unpaid by Duke Chong Mansion.

The case against Wenyuan Bo was severe if viewed seriously, and light if viewed lightly.

It all depended on how the investigating official reported it.

Though the Emperor resides in the Imperial Palace for long, even with close confidants, it’s impossible to cover every prefecture in Daqi.

The Emperor is the easiest to deceive.

For whatever case, it can be downplayed, and by sacrificing scapegoats, Wenyuan Bo can largely be exonerated.

Marquis Dongxiang remembered Marquis Tang’s indifferent attitude toward him.

Mrs. Tang bore in mind that Wenyuan Bo was the only remaining scion of Old Wen Yuan Bo and tolerated for Old Master’s sake, again and again.

Marquis Dongxiang didn’t have such a good temper.

As long as the wells do not disturb the rivers, it would have been fine, but if Wenyuan Bo dared to threaten him, it was like an egg trying to smash itself against a rock.

Marquis Dongxiang’s anger, once provoked, was not easy to extinguish.

Watching the palanquin move away, Marquis Dongxiang chuckled once and rode back to the Marquis Mansion.

Duke Chong’s Mansion.

Duke Chong’s mood was worsening by the day.

He was feeling bored at home.

Since the incident with Old Duke Chong, after inheriting the title, he had been influential at the court.

With Marquis Dongxiang back in the capital, he found it hard to even catch his breath, utterly forced.

Now during mourning at home, he could only watch helplessly as Marquis Dongxiang stirred the winds and clouds outside.

This feeling was truly abominable.

The issue of the iron mine in Zhangzhou was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, needing to be spat out.

Duke Chong irritably rubbed his temples as Chief Manager Wang entered, saying, "Duke, Mr. Zheng, who went to Yongzhou to investigate the Wenyuan Bo Mansion case, seeks an audience."

Duke Chong’s expression was sullen.

"Let him in," Duke Chong said coldly.

Thinking of Wenyuan Bo’s Mansion, Duke Chong couldn’t help but think of his own son.

Though the eldest young lady of Wenyuan Bo Mansion saved his son once, he ultimately still met his end.

The life-saving grace of Wenyuan Bo Mansion cannot go unacknowledged.

But breaking down the Wenyuan Bo Mansion is his responsibility as well.

If he let go of Wenyuan Bo because of this, it would play perfectly into the hands of Marquis Dongxiang.

As long as Marquis Dongxiang is happy, Duke Chong would not be pleased.

Mr. Zheng entered the study and reported everything about the investigation in Yongzhou to Duke Chong.

The accusations from the Imperial Censor against Wenyuan Bo were true.

Regarding this, Duke Chong was already well aware, even without Mr. Zheng’s report.

Mr. Sun knew it all.

"Duke Chong wants to protect Wenyuan Bo because the eldest young lady saved the son of Old Duke Chong’s life, and because of the Old Master’s face, he has been biting back his anger for a long time.

Marquis Dongxiang isn’t as patient.

If Wenyuan Bo Mansion dares to threaten him, it is like an egg unwisely throwing itself against a rock.

Once Marquis Dongxiang’s anger is aroused, it’s not easy to dissipate.

Watching that sedan chair move away, Marquis Dongxiang gave a little laugh and rode back to his mansion.