Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 357 - 37: An Extraordinary Matter (Second Update)

Chapter 357: Chapter 37: An Extraordinary Matter (Second Update)

Jade came to Liu Mansion and entered the main room, only to find Qin Miao and Qin Lang were there too. She was greatly surprised and quickly paid her New Year respects to Aunt Qin.

"Happy New Year, Aunt Qin!"

Aunt Qin couldn’t stop smiling. Although her husband wasn’t home for the New Year, having Jade around was a pleasant surprise.

"Happy New Year, Jade! Happy New Year to you too!" Aunt Qin said as she personally handed Jade a large red envelope, which was thin and surely contained silver notes.

Jade accepted it with a grin and sat down next to Aunt Qin.

Sister An, Sister Zhen, and Xuan came to pay their respects to Jade. Jade smiled, took out three strings of small Ruyi from the purple sandalwood box held by Zhao Wu’s house servant, and handed them over. "Happy New Year! Wishing all of you prosperity in the new year!"

These three strings of small Ruyi were all made of gold, each string composed of eight small golden Ruyi, each the size of half an inch and each golden Ruyi weighing six cash. They could be broken down and used as gold directly. At the bottom was a jade persimmon the size of a Dragon Eye, made with authentic chicken fat yellow!

Qin Miao laughed upon seeing them, "Such intricate thoughtfulness, it makes me want to become your younger sister too!"

Jade also laughed, "You better not embarrass Aunt Zhao and Qin Dusi. Haven’t you seen good things before? I think you’re coveting my red envelope."

Then Jade stood up to pay New Year’s respects to Qin Miao and Qin Lang.

The two had prepared in advance, and Qin Lang even gave a gift on behalf of Mrs. Zhao, "This is what your Aunt Zhao prepared. She has to hold the fort at home, and since you’re pregnant, it’s inconvenient for you to come over, so she asked me to bring it."

Jade accepted it with a laugh, teasingly saying, "Pay New Year’s respects, get rich. This business is worth it!"

Aunt Qin pointed at Jade and laughed, "You’re just like Sister Miao. You two are cut from the same cloth!"

Qin Miao put on a face of mock distress, "Then Jade must be cut from a new cloth, after all, she got an extra share!"

Everyone burst into laughter. Aunt Qin kept them for lunch, and Jade didn’t treat herself as an outsider, so she accepted.

However, after a while, as she became tired, Aunt Qin arranged for her to rest.

Qin Miao, pulling Jade along, spoke to her aunt, "No need to prepare a room now, just take her to my regular place at Tingtai Residence."

Sister Zhen originally protested to go too, but Aunt Qin stopped her. Qin Miao made a playful face at Sister Zhen before pulling Jade away.

Jade helplessly watched the energetic Qin Miao dragging her out, but fortunately, this girl remembered she was pregnant and walked not too fast.

"Does Sister have something private to tell me?"

Qin Miao, true to her military family background, didn’t keep her guessing, "Indeed, there is something to say. Initially, I didn’t want to trouble you, but our family is being watched by quite skillful people. At home, no matter if it’s the Hidden Guard or house servant, they follow us wherever we go."

Jade was shocked. Who could be so bold to spy on the Qin family in the Northwest? Then she thought for a bit and exclaimed, "Prince Ke? It can’t be!"

Then Qin Miao nodded slightly, leaving Jade speechless.

What’s Prince Ke been up to? Without fear, just doing it?

"Have you discovered something? Did you let out any information?"

Qin Miao sighed, "No wonder Sixth Son said if there’s anything that can’t be resolved, you could be consulted. That cleverness, not much different from mine!"

Jade was speechless.

Do you misunderstand what cleverness means?

But wait, Sixth Son?

Oh gosh, she seemed to have discovered something incredible?

Qin Miao, seeing Jade’s thunderstruck expression, realized she had let something slip. Slightly blushing, she still maintained her grace, "Why the face? Got any opinions on me, huh?"

The final "huh" was spellbinding and mesmerizing, but Jade only felt a killer vibe overwhelming her, meekly shaking her head, "Sister Miao, dear sister, I could never have any opinions about you! I’m just... shocked at Prince Ke’s boldness, yes shocked. His guts sure have grown!"

Qin Miao looked at the jesting Jade, feeling a bit helpless and disappointed, knowing Jade wasn’t aware of her connection with Sixth Son, so it was inappropriate to speak indiscreetly to protect both her and Sixth Son.

Jade really dared not speak, even though her brother was Duke Li’s son. Previously, both being from Duke Mansion, it seemed compatible.

However, now the Ruan Family had been stripped of its title, the status of Ruan Sixth Son being a criminal aside, even if the title was restored, it would certainly be Brother Lin inheriting.

Ruan Yu, as an illegitimate uncle, even with a good relationship between uncles and nephews, would surely go separate ways.

Unless Ruan Yu could earn an official title.

In the original story, Prince Ke ascending to the throne was thanks in part to Ruan Yu and the others. It was said Ruan Yu even saved his life when he came to the Northwest to oversee the battle.

After Prince Ke ascended, Ruan Yu and the others were heavily relied on, and their maternal family’s strength was pivotal for the female protagonist’s eventual rise to Empress Dowager.

All that remains is to see when Ruan Yu will be granted a title, and how long it will take for the current Emperor to pass away for the restoration of the Ruan Family title!

Unless the current Emperor passes away tomorrow, according to Jade’s estimation, there are still seven or eight years to wait!

Now, Qin Miao is already sixteen years old, and Ruan Sixth Son is twenty-two. Waiting seven or eight years is their problem, but would others agree? They won’t just elope, will they?

Not that Qin Miao would do such a thing, nor is Ruan Sixth Son that reckless.

So Jade just pretended not to hear and didn’t want to continue the topic. Besides, her brother didn’t mention this to her before he left.

Zhang Xiaoxian said that meeting the right person at the wrong time is a sigh.

Luckily, both Jade and Qin Miao are rational people, knowing they should not continue talking, immediately changing the subject.

"The Hidden Guards beside Prince Ke are not weaker than those of the Qin family. Our Hidden Guards dare not follow too closely, so some were sent to keep a close eye on the Bai Family. It was found that since the army was dispatched, the Bai Family sent out several groups to various places to purchase autumn grain!"

"The Bai Family started by buying and selling grain to make a fortune, and now the largest grain trade in Hami belongs to the Bai Family. Is there a problem with the grain?"

The grain from Hami mainly supplies the military, and the Bai Family deals in military grain.

Moreover, Hami mostly grows spring wheat, rice is a precious grain there. The price of ordinary rice is almost equivalent to one and a half bushels of refined flour. The Bai Family must go to other places to collect grain.

Qin Miao waved her hand, "It’s not a grain problem, but a problem with people. The Bai Family sent out five teams to collect grain, and they returned before the New Year but didn’t match in number.

Each team was missing three or four people, claiming they weren’t from Hami, and Bai Wansan was kind enough to let them go home for the New Year.

But tracing the clues with our Hidden Guards, they found those missing people detoured to Shanxi and disappeared without a trace as if entering a vast ocean."

"Now Shanxi is requesting support, and we’re unable to send people, so I’d like to ask for your help." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Shanxi, known especially for the former thirteen dynastic capital Chang’an. The previous dynasty’s capital city was also in Chang’an. When the Great Chu’s Founding Saint Martial Emperor built the capital, he was torn for a long time between Chang’an and Beiping and ultimately chose Beiping, giving it a mismatched name Changle, which was quite peculiar.

"Honestly, the people in my hands aren’t mine, they are on loan temporarily. I can help with this but please ask Sister Miao to caution your family’s Hidden Guard not to be too curious."

Jade considered dispatching Rat Guard to contact the Song Family Northwest Secret Department, and she vaguely remembered overhearing Shu Xin and Dragon Horn bickering, mentioning their hometown was Shanxi.

But she feared the Qin family Hidden Guard would be too curios, exposing any secrecy making Jade a criminal to both the Song and Ruan families.

Yet operating now, she also wanted to find out what Prince Ke was recklessly doing?

After all, except for Ruan Shiniang becoming Prince Ke’s concubine, everything else had been wrecked.

Only if Prince Ke ascends could Ruan Shiniang have a chance to become the Empress Dowager.

Qin Miao and Jade clapped hands, "I will warn them not to ask what shouldn’t be asked!"

The two quickly settled a significant matter, even though Ruan Yu far away in Tartar didn’t quite understand that love affects rationality, causing oaths of life and death.