Chapter 446 - 442: Saving Lives_1

Master Wei, fuming, left his wife’s courtyard and was on his way towards his favourite concubine’s chambers when he encountered his oldest daughter-in-law in the company of a refined young lady.

Upon seeing her father-in-law, Madam Cao quickly pulled her younger sister in to greet him: “Father, we were just about to discuss something with you.”

Master Wei glanced at the girl and asked casually, “What matter?”

“This is my younger sister, Cao Qinqin,” Madam Cao replied. “I’ve asked her to stay with us for a while as a companion for Pearl, and she might also teach her some needlework.”

Master Wei nodded, “You don’t need to tell me about these things. You can make the decision yourself.” Having said that, he swept off with his hands clasped behind his back.

Madam Cao turned and quietly said to Qinqin, “My father-in-law doesn’t concern himself with household affairs, we should go inform my mother-in-law.”

It wasn’t necessary, but Madam Cao wanted Qinqin to make an impression with her mother-in-law. This way, Qinqin could often come over to greet the lady of the house. Regular visits would provide her with opportunities to encounter Wei Zhan.

“Of course,” Cao Qinqin responded in a soft voice, “I’ll accompany my sister to pay respects to Lady Wang.”

Thus, Madam Cao led her sister to Lady Wang’s courtyard.

Lady Wang didn’t really have any comment about her older daughter-in-law bringing her sister to live here. After all, all her daughters-in-law had their own courtyards – whoever they wanted to take in was their business. She didn’t care at all.

However, since they had specifically come to greet her, it was only polite to reciprocate. Lady Wang gave them two rolls of cloth and, in passing, offered some comforting words, “If you need anything, just tell your sister. She can help you.”

Cao Qinqin quickly expressed gratitude: “Thank you for your concern, Madam.”

Leaving Lady Wang’s courtyard, Madam Cao gently said, “Now we should go pay a visit to the Commandery Princess. We might even run into the Seventh Master.”

Cao Qinqin shyly nodded her head.

Meanwhile, Yingbao and Wei Zhan were in the middle of a discussion: “The officials from the Imperial Household Department have decided that our residence will be in Zhouhe County. There’s an existing house there with three sections. We can add two more courtyards later.”

The Princess Residence came complete with a guard of a hundred-plus men as well as several coachmen and servants. With so many people, they needed enough places to live and kitchens to provide meals, so a mere three-section house would never be enough.

Wei Zhan wasn’t really concerned about where they lived. As long as he was with his lady, he was content. “Zhouhe County is fine, just a bit impoverished.”

Not only impoverished, the officials there colluded with local dignitaries, oppressing the common people in countless instances.

A newly appointed County Magistrate had once attempted to rein them but the effect had been minimal.

There, the minor officials passed their positions from father to son and from grandson to grandfather, just like hereditary succession. Furthermore, marriages between officials and local dignitaries were common. After generations of this, they held the people of Zhouhe County in a firm grip; even the County Magistrate had to play by their rules.

Opressed, the common folk had nowhere to air their grievances. Their only solution was to flee.

Yingbao knew more about these issues than Wei Zhan did, but she didn’t fear them.

“Worst case scenario,” she thought, “we just kill a bunch of them to scare the rest.”

As soon as this thought arose in her mind, Xuanwu chimed in, “Lay down the butcher’s knife and become a Buddha on the spot!”

Yingbao burst out laughing at this, startling Wei Zhan. “What are you laughing at, my lady? Did I say something wrong?”

“Not at all. We’re going to Zhouhe County,” Yingbao responded.

Suddenly, a voice outside called, “Commandery Princess, the eldest madam has arrived.”

Yingbao said, “Allow her in.”

A moment later, Madam Cao, leading her sister, came in.

“Congratulations on your promotion to Commandery Princess, Seventh Brother and Sister,” Madam Cao said with a bright smile, paying her respects to Yingbao.

Her sister Cao Qinqin followed suit.

Yingbao didn’t move; her status didn’t allow her to return the salutation to a commoner. “Please have a seat, sister-in-law. And who might this be?”

Madam Cao quickly replied, “This is my younger sister, a year younger than the Commandery Princess. She came specifically today to make her acquaintance.”

Yingbao found her words quite displeasing, and her face fell.

Magnolia admonished, “Madam, you must take care in your speech.”

It would be absurd to come to the Princess’s place to recognise people; that person must be out of their mind.

Madam Cao realized she had misspoke and hastily apologized with a smile, “Look at me! I was so happy I spoke thoughtlessly. I hope the Princess won’t be offended. This is my younger sister Qinqin; Qinqin, hurry and greet the Princess.”

Cao Qinqin was inexplicably afraid of this extraordinarily beautiful Princess, and threw herself to the ground in a graceful bow to Yingbao.

“Please stand up, there’s no need for such formalities,” Yingbao signaled to Magnolia who immediately went to help the woman up.

Yingbao picked up her teacup but did not yet drink, merely stirring the foam on the surface.

As if she hadn’t noticed, Madam Cao sat on a stool and said, “Princess, my younger sister is very good at needlework. See the colorful butterfly skirt she’s wearing? It’s her own embroidery. If you have any work that you need to be done, you can directly hand it over to her.”

Yingbao put down her teacup, “The Imperial Court has assigned me four embroiderers from the royal bureau, all of whom are very skilled. There’s no need to trouble you, sister-in-law.”

Madam Cao was about to say something when Wei Zhan interrupted, “Sister-in-law, we can discuss this later. You should go back first. My elder brother might have returned.”

Upon hearing Wei Wenbo’s name, Madam Cao immediately stood up, bowed to Yingbao, and said, “Then we will take our leave. We will come to bother you again tomorrow.”

Cao Qinqin also stood up, bowed, and followed her sister out.

Once outside, Madam Cao’s face showed that she was displeased.

Once they were alone, Madam Cao said to her sister, “A country bumpkin actually dared to stand up to me. Can you believe her audacity? When she was a child, wasn’t she begging in the marketplace? Without the Emperor’s protection, even the beggars on the street are better than her!”

Qinqin lowered her head and did not speak.

When Madam Cao had finished venting her spleen, she blamed her sister, “Don’t you always have a lot to say? Why are you silent in front of the seventh master?”

Qinqin whined, “Big sister, I want to go home.”

“What?” Madam Cao was furious, “You’re useless! No wonder you haven’t found a good family to marry into even though you’re already sixteen!”

Hearing her sister’s harsh words, Qinqin wanted to go home even more.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t find a husband, but that her mother always wanted to marry her into a wealthy family, at least no worse than her sister’s.

After this incident, she realized that she would never be able to marry into the Wei family.

Even if she flirted with the seventh master once, the Princess would probably kill her. Rather than that, she might as well marry a man with a similar background. It’s better than being a concubine.

Several days later, the Princess of Chuanhe set off with an impressive caravan stretching for two miles.

Jiang Jie, Jiang Wu, Jiang Quan, and Meixiang all stayed in Beijing.

Now that Meixiang and Jiang Quan were married, Yingbao entrusted the store in Beijing to them to manage.

As for her share of the profits each year, she asked her second cousin to split it equally with Jiang Jie and Jiang Wu.

She herself had the tax revenue from two counties, more than enough to support over a hundred people.

Moreover, there was also a textile workshop in Dongchen Village, the special product store in Qinchuan County, the income from Wei Zhan’s property, the Emperor’s rewards, all of which she could not spend all of.

Even if the Princess’s Residence had to support some officials and staff, the funds were more than enough.

The caravan left the city and travelled slowly along the official road.

After several hours, they had only travelled about twenty miles.

As they passed a deserted field, someone suddenly ran out from the side of the road, shouting, “Help! Officer, save me!”