Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 108 Doubts
Shen Qingzhou's astonishment turned into understanding.

Even if Lu Jia didn't elaborate, he could imagine what kind of life she had spent in the Yan family for the past five years.

A pang of guilt welled up inside him. If he had known it would turn out this way, he shouldn't have brought it up and reopened her wounds.

An apology reached his lips, about to be uttered, when suddenly it dawned on him: "That's it. Since nobody else knows about this, how did the Jiang family find out?"

“I don’t know either.” Lu Jia’s brows furrowed with doubt. “I only understood why the Jiang family made me marry in their place after I learned the truth.”

"She and my father only had one daughter, Lu Ying, in her entire life. Although I don't know why they didn't have any more children, it's a fact that she invested a lot in Lu Ying."

"In the following years, I also inquired, but not only did no one know the reason, but even Yan Qu's inability to perform sexually was unknown to anyone except for the two mistresses he had kept in private."

It's normal for a mistress to know about a man's private affairs, but it's not normal for even Jiang, whom Yan Qu should call aunt, to know.

When the dew was heavy and the frost was cold, Shen Qingzhou returned to her room.

After standing at the door for a while, he blew out the light, quietly left the door, and then leaped onto the wall.

After returning to her room, Lu Jia thought for a moment, then went out again to find Shen Qingzhou. Just as she reached the gate of his courtyard, she saw a shadow leap over the wall.

She instinctively chased after him out the door, only to see the figure slowly walking towards the brightly lit official residences on the deserted street...

……

Early the next morning, Qinghe brought in the news that Changfu had inquired about, and said to Lu Jia, who was combing her hair:

"I asked at two places, and they do have some, but whether they're usable and whether the price is right, the young lady will have to go and choose for herself later."

Lu Jia looked at herself in the mirror: "There's no time like the present. Let's go after breakfast."

Qinghe smiled and said, "Miss, there's no need to be in such a hurry. They said that it's a purchase, not a hiring, so it's rare for them to pick out a good one in just one or two tries."

Lu Jia sighed, "I'm afraid if we don't hurry, it will be too late. Even if it's not suitable, it's better than having no one to use it."

"How do you say this?"

Qinghe picked two pearl flowers from Fuxiao's hand, compared them to Lu Jia's hair, and then inserted them on either side.

Lu Jia didn't answer, but stood up after they finished.

Changfu sought out a place similar to Jialefang, much like the Yangzhou "slender horses" (a euphemism for prostitutes), except that there was another type that served noblewomen, such as training a group of maids who had practiced martial arts since childhood.

The music hall was located inside the south gate, a place where people from all walks of life gathered.

Lu Jia was looking for a shop, so she didn't hire a carriage and planned to look around as she went.

Before I even stepped outside, a commotion erupted on the street. The noise grew louder and louder, accompanied by the sounds of car wheels and shouts.

Lu Jia poked her head out and saw that one after another, grain carts with flags were driving past on the main street at the end of the alley.

She counted, and in the short time she had been watching, more than a dozen cars had already passed by.

She asked, "Where is this government grain being transported to?"

"When the Japanese pirates invaded from the southeast coast, several officials stationed in the city failed one after another. The court sent a new general to the city. These grain carts should be the grain and provisions being sent to the southeast."

"Changfu, who was following behind, replied."

"Resisting the Japanese pirates?"

Upon hearing those two words, the Lu family also remembered.

At this time in his previous life, Yan Song strongly recommended Hu Yucheng, a general who was also his protégé, to replace the defeated general and take command in the southeast. Hu Yucheng later actually controlled the situation, proving that he was quite capable in battle.

Because of his meritorious recommendation, the emperor's growing dissatisfaction with the Yan family diminished somewhat.

However... although the southeast region has long since switched from rice to mulberry and no longer produces grain, Jiangxi, Hunan and Hubei, which are upstream, are major grain-producing areas. It would obviously be much more convenient to raise military funds nearby. Lu Jia remembers that in his previous life, grain was not transported out of the capital. What kind of trouble is this?

Lu Jia couldn't help but leave her house and walk onto the main street.

There were far more than a dozen grain carts along the way.
The trains kept coming in an endless stream, like a long dragon formation.

The escorting officers and soldiers numbered at least a thousand, including several officials, presumably from the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of War.

Lu Jia knew that the newly appointed marshal of the Southeast Anti-Japanese War was Hu Yucheng, recommended by the Yan family, and also knew about Hu Yucheng's relationship with the Yan family, because Yan Qu later inadvertently revealed it.

At that time, Lu Jia also learned from him that the imperial court had allocated hundreds of thousands of taels of silver for military pay.

So it seems that several hundred thousand taels is indeed true.

Why go through all this trouble, wasting resources and manpower, to procure provisions from here?
As she looked at the carts laden with grain, the memory of the letter that should have ended up in the hands of the Lu family yesterday, but instead ended up in the hands of the Yan family, suddenly came to mind.

Yes!

This isn't right.

The trouble caused by Zhou Sheng in Tanzhou is a problem for the Yan family. But so far, Lu Jia has not heard any news about the Yan family being reprimanded because of this case, which means that they should have already settled things.

So how did they resolve it?
They're rich!

They embezzled so much and plundered so much of the people's wealth.

After suffering defeats along the southeast coast, the emperor needed a considerable amount of money to continue fighting the Japanese pirates and regroup.

Where did this money come from?
If the Yan family could divulge something, would the emperor be able to temporarily let the case go?

Lu Jia had some understanding of how the Yan family operated.

How could they willingly give away this money?
With Hu Yucheng in command, the Yan family used military funds to solicit kickbacks, and the money they spit out was merely a transfer from one hand to the other.

Although it is unknown what they intend to do, the fact that they are now escorting military supplies to the capital is probably for the sake of their operation!

Lu Jia stood up straight instantly.

"What's wrong girl?"

Changfu looked over with considerable concern.

She said, "Where did Butler Qin go? Can't you see if he'll come back?"

Changfu was puzzled: "Isn't Steward Qin in the west courtyard? I just saw him practicing his martial arts; he didn't go out!"

Lu Jia glanced at him and walked to the west courtyard.

Shen Qingzhou was indeed waving a stick around, but when he saw her coming, he immediately hid the stick behind his back.
"Next time you come over, please stand at a distance and say hello first. Swords and spears have no eyes; be careful not to get hurt."

Lu Jia said, "I just saw that the imperial court has sent out military funds."

Shen Qingzhou paused for a moment: "How is it?"

He already knew about this.

When I returned to the Shen family last night, Song En told him everything.

He was also told that the Grand Commandant agreed, believing that Hu Yucheng's military tactics were acceptable.

“There’s something wrong with this batch of military pay. The Yan family will definitely pocket a portion of it! Try your best to find out how much military pay the court allocated to Hu Yucheng this time. I want to know the exact amount.”

Shen Qingzhou put the stick down.