Chapter 351: Chapter 341 Luxury
The rain poured relentlessly, forcing Xie Xun and the large army to halt and camp temporarily. Lin Helin was tied up inside a tent, which could only provide shelter from the wind and rain. In the rush to set up camp, there hadn’t been time to clean properly, and the ground was covered in streams of water.
Lin Helin had a glib tongue capable of talking his way out of anything. Xie Xun feared he might trick someone, yet leaving him alone in the tent wasn’t an option either—if he escaped, it would be troublesome. Therefore, Fengyu and Nuanyang were tasked with keeping an eye on him. Xie Xun had many military affairs to attend to and couldn’t personally monitor Lin Helin in the tent at all times, but he trusted Fengyu.
The Third Miss was a girl who loved cleanliness and beauty. Since arriving in Jiaozhou, she had been more reserved and understated, knowing that a military camp full of young men wasn’t a place to draw too much attention to herself. Even when dressed modestly, her beauty was still captivating. When Lin Helin noticed how easily Xie Xun entrusted Fengyu to remain in the tent, he was somewhat surprised. In his impression, the young girl was gentle and easily persuaded, prone to softening her heart. Yet Xie Xun truly trusted her? Still, Lin Helin held no interest in deceiving a young girl; she seemed even younger than Lin Yunong in appearance.
Lin Helin had heard a little about the matter of Emperor Jianming granting marriage back then. Princess Huazhen had wanted the daughter of the National General as a concubine, but the Feng Family refused. Xie Xun stepped in to mediate and requested the emperor to grant the marriage. What had initially seemed like an ill-matched union eventually gained the approval of both the Marquis Mansion and the Feng Family. If nothing went wrong, Fengyu and Feng Shu would both marry into the Marquis Mansion.
Lin Helin did not initiate conversation, nor did Fengyu make any effort to engage him. She sat quietly, going over accounts. Despite being in Jiaozhou, where many things were inconvenient, the account ledgers from the trading houses in Jinzhou were sent to Manager Wang, while Manager Wen handled the ones in West Continent. Fengyu only needed to review the overall records.
From June to November, a mere six months, the trading volume of the Su Family’s Trading House had drastically declined. The fall of the Marquis Mansion had deeply affected the business, leaving its operations in Zhongzhou in a precarious state. The process of transferring assets from Zhongzhou had been conducted very discreetly. Yet, because of this discretion, they had been forced to leave behind half of the assets, including some farmland and shopfronts that couldn’t be relocated, ultimately surrendering them to the local State Mansion. This represented a significant financial loss.
Though Fengyu had mentally prepared herself, actually tallying the numbers still made her heart sink. And this only accounted for Zhongzhou and the Twelve States. The situation in Jiangnan and the Capital City remained unknown.
In Jiangnan, merchant networks had long established their own traditions. Despite their high standing, they couldn’t withstand pressure from the government. Luckily, the Grand Marshal was stationed in Jiangnan and also served as the Governor of Jiangnan. If the provincial governor wanted to overstep his authority and plunder trading house assets, it wouldn’t be easy. However, if the court issued a decree, it would be a different story. Yuwen Jing’s covetous desire for the Su Family’s wealth wasn’t new. Her maternal grandfather’s situation was bound to worsen, with her mother and elder sister both in the Capital City. Whatever Yuwen Jing wanted, her grandfather wouldn’t be able to refuse.
The trading house in the Capital City, located so close to the emperor’s throne, faced even greater challenges.
Fengyu couldn’t see the accounts for Jiangnan and the Capital City, but she was certain the situation there was even worse than in Zhongzhou and the Twelve States.
Her father had resigned from office, and the Marquis Zhenbei Mansion had fallen.
Her maternal grandfather, now merely a common merchant, no longer held the same authority or influence. Fengyu felt deeply anxious, further solidifying her resolve: the economic development of the Twelve States must be revitalized. Otherwise, the family’s remaining foundation wouldn’t be enough to sustain the Ningzhou Iron Cavalry.
Fengyu pressed her fist lightly against her lips, coughing repeatedly. Chunlu and Qiuxiang had already boiled water and prepared medicine to ward off the cold. Although Fengyu’s health had improved significantly, she was still prone to catching cold in winter—especially under the harsh conditions of traveling with the army.
Qiuxiang said, "Miss, we truly don’t have to go to Zhongzhou. We could return to West Continent. Constant travel in this increasingly cold weather will take a toll on your health."
"I know." Fengyu had only come to Jiaozhou to celebrate Xie Xun’s birthday. Now that his birthday had passed, she ought to return to West Continent. However, with Xie Jue in trouble in Zhongzhou, she wanted to accompany Xie Xun to bring him back before returning west. Besides, there were matters in West Continent she needed to discuss with the Second Young Master. These couldn’t be resolved through correspondence alone. "Once we’ve picked up the Second Young Master, we’ll return to West Continent."
Xie Xun lifted the tent flap and entered, holding dry rations and water. His raincoat was soaked through, and his hair was damp from the rain. Nuanyang went over to take his raincoat as he removed it, while Fengyu poured him a cup of hot tea.
Lin Helin kept his eyes shut, pretending to meditate. Even when Xie Xun entered, he didn’t look.
"Do you have a fever?" Xie Xun had overheard her coughing outside and was concerned. His hands were freezing, so he dared not touch her. Instead, he asked Chunlu and Qiuxiang. Chunlu didn’t dare hide anything from him. "There’s a slight fever, but she’s already taken her medicine."
Fengyu pulled him to sit down beside her. "It’s nothing serious. Don’t worry."
Once Xie Xun came in, Nuanyang, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu left the tent. Xie Xun placed the dry rations and water in front of Lin Helin. "Sorry to put you through this, cousin."
Lin Helin stared silently at the hard, coarse yellow bun in front of him. Xie Xun didn’t care whether he liked it or not—so long as he didn’t starve to death. Meanwhile, Fengyu’s body felt warm but not unbearably so. She handed him a towel to dry the rainwater off himself. "When can we continue the journey?"
"Once the rain eases up a bit," Xie Xun replied. "You’ve worked too hard traveling with the army. I can go to Zhongzhou on my own. Nuanyang will escort you back to West Continent."
He couldn’t bear to see her endure such hardship.
"I have matters to discuss with the Second Young Master as well. It’s not an issue; it won’t delay anything."
"If your condition worsens, you must promise to listen to me."
"Alright!"
A stick of incense later, Qiuxiang carried in a bowl of noodles. Traveling with the army during heavy rain made it difficult to prepare anything hot, so it wasn’t easy to get her a steaming bowl of noodles. Chunlu even sliced a bit of beef and added some greens, making it look appetizing and fragrant. The aroma and steam wafted throughout the tent. Chunlu said, "Miss, eat something hot to warm yourself up."
"I will!"
Lin Helin’s gaze fell on the cold, hard bun in front of him. He raised an eyebrow slightly, noticing Xie Xun pick up a piece of the same cold bun and eat it with cold water.
Fengyu’s gaze flickered between the two cousins, then landed back on her hot bowl of noodles. Suddenly, she felt... perhaps she was being a little extravagant.