Don't Ask Where People Go After Time Travel

Chapter 1740 Stability
“Those incompetent officials in the Ministry of Revenue do need to be disciplined. I appreciate the Duke of Yue’s good intentions…” Pei Jinqing narrowed his eyes and said in a measured tone, “However, the Duke of Yue has overreached. Be careful not to overstep his bounds.”

Fang Zilan laughed self-deprecatingly, "Thank you for the reminder, Duke Jin, but my reach is already extending to Qiluo City, and it's hard to avoid stretching it too far."

Pei Jinqing pursed his lips, his tone softening slightly, "If I may ask, how long can the Duke of Yue defend Qiluo City?"

Just as Fang Zilan was about to say that she would do her best, he added, "What I want to hear is the specific date. Don't try to fool me with some excuse about doing your best."

Fang Zilan took a deep breath, thinking to herself that this person was truly strange. She dared not be negligent and, after considering all the pros and cons, cautiously uttered a deadline, "One month."

"Okay, I'll remember that." Pei Jinqing left with these meaningful words, and without waiting for her reaction, he took his leave, leaving her completely bewildered, feeling as if she were in a fog.

What Fang Zilan didn't know was that Pei Jinqing was genuinely ill during those days. Most of the Pei family members were in poor health, with Pei Xiaozhe being among the worst off. Therefore, the documents she sent to the Ministry of Revenue for approval were not returned at Pei Jinqing's behest, but rather were done on the Minister of Revenue's own initiative.

As for why she did this so deliberately, it's quite simple. Ever since that incident at the beginning of the new year, not only those in the Ministry of Revenue, but everyone in the court knows that the Empress Dowager dislikes her. Moreover, the Empress Dowager comes from the Pei family, which means that the Pei family and she are at odds. Therefore, the Minister of Revenue cleverly orchestrated this incident, thinking that he wouldn't give anyone a handle to use against her, but would still annoy her and vent his anger for the Pei family. Why not?
Unexpectedly, Pei Jinqing, who had just recovered from his illness, heard about this matter and went to the Ministry of Revenue to demand an explanation. In the words of this Duke of Jin, who had not visited the Ministry of Revenue for ten years, "Even if you have to sacrifice your family fortune to relieve the crisis, you must settle the debts in the Southeast." Those who knew him would understand, but those who didn't would think that the Southeast had been destroyed because it was his Pei family ancestral hall.

The Minister of Revenue was so frightened that he sorted out the accounts in the southeast overnight. The approved memorial had just left the Imperial Study when the national treasury sent the silver to the southeast. Needless to say, such efficiency was due to the advance notice given by the Ministry of Revenue.

However, that wasn't the end of it. The Su family somehow got wind of the news and spoke with Pei Jinqing. They also secretly contacted Zhuge Yu and sent someone to deliver the silver to the southeast, bypassing the Prince of Rong'an, for fear that someone might embezzle a single penny in the process.

The silver from the southeast had finally been scraped together, but the military pay for the fighting on the border was simply unaffordable. The Minister of Revenue was overwhelmed by the snowflakes of documents from the Ministry of War, and to make matters worse, the Ministry of Works also chimed in, saying there was a problem with the military workshops. This effectively put the Minister of Revenue, like an eel in boiling water, in a very difficult position. Not only was he severely punished, but he also dared not report it to the Pei family, fearing that if Pei Jinqing personally went there again, it would truly mean ruining his family's fortunes to save the country.

This matter involves a wide range of people, each with their own ulterior motives, and the relationships involved are extremely complex. As for how much Li Shengxuan knew and how much he did, no one knows.

Fang Zilan was unaware of the implications, so her journey was relatively easy. She led three thousand soldiers from the main camp outside the capital, heading in a grand procession towards Qiluo City.

Speed ​​is of the essence in war, and Fang Zilan set off before dawn, a stark contrast to the grand send-off of thousands upon thousands during her previous expedition to the northern border. In the boundless darkness, only the lanterns hanging high on the eaves of the city tower shone brightly.

Standing atop the city wall, Li Shengxuan watched the resolute figure from a distance, and suddenly recalled the first time he led troops to quell a rebellion. The fifteen-year-old Prince Xiang had also, on a summer night, reviewed his troops and left without a moment's hesitation.

Back then, his elder brother, Emperor Ningshun, stood on the city wall to see him off; now, he stood on the city wall to see Fang Zilan off. More than ten years had passed, and the capital city still had not truly found peace.

The leading elder of the disciplinary committee lowered his voice, exasperated, and said, "Lord Fang, your business in the Northern Territory is now all in the Fang family's hands!" Fang Zilan glanced at him sideways and retorted, "So what?"

"If the Fang family's reputation is damaged, their business will inevitably suffer as well." The leading elder in charge of discipline said with great distress, "Does Lord Fang not understand the principle that we all prosper together and suffer together?"

“It is precisely because I understand this principle that I am determined to investigate to the end.” Fang Zilan leaned back in her seat, looking weary. “The saying goes, ‘One prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer.’ Only by getting to the root of the problem and going far enough can one speak of prosperity or loss. After so many years in business, has the Fang family learned to be cunning and deceitful? No wonder they have been declining in recent years and are not as good as before.”

"Lord Fang, watch your words!" Several elders were furious, but Fang Zilan remained calm and composed. "The word 'profit' is like a knife. The Fang family should be careful not to hurt themselves, or it will be too late to regret it."

Fang Lihui gave Fang Zilan, who had an indifferent expression, a deep look and said in a deep voice, "Since Lord Fang has said so, this matter is related to my Fang family, so we cannot sit idly by. Please be patient, uncles and elders."

Hearing their conversation, Cong Rong was about to rise and thank Fang Zilan, but Fang Zilan stopped her first, saying, "After this matter is settled, Miss Cong can thank me then."

Cong Rong nodded and whispered, "Lord Fang, the child in my womb..." Before she could finish speaking, she was interrupted by a servant who rushed in, "Third Young Master..."

Just as the servant was about to say something, the steward attending Fang Lihui shouted sternly, "With such an honored guest in the hall, what kind of behavior is this!"

Upon hearing this, the servant trembled like a leaf and knelt down by the door with a thud. "I was unaware that a distinguished guest was in the room. I have been impolite and deserve to die."

The steward's expression softened slightly. He walked over to the servant and dragged him out of the front hall, whispering, "Why aren't you properly serving Young Master Yu Han? What are you doing in the front hall?"

The servant hurriedly replied, "Young Master Yu Han saw that several elders had come and was afraid that something might have happened at home that would disturb the lady's pregnancy, so he sent me to inquire."

"Go back and tell Young Master Yu Han that nothing is amiss at the manor." The steward's expression was unfriendly. "Don't inquire unnecessarily; it breaks the rules."

"Yes." The servant nodded vigorously, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, and hurriedly left.

Although the two spoke in hushed tones outside the door, Fang Zilan still overheard them. She casually asked, "Does Young Master Fang Yu also live in the manor?"

Fang Lihui nodded and said, "Yu Han has always lived in the mansion, but after he married the Wang family's daughter, he felt that having too many people in the mansion was quite inconvenient, so he proposed to live separately. But it just so happened that the Wang family's daughter was pregnant, so he waited until she gave birth before moving out. Now, counting the days, she is about to give birth."