The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 121 Investigation
"The young lady you are afraid of is leaving the city. When are you going to take action?" Shang Mingshu had just left Huizhou Prefecture when the people who came to cooperate with Shi Houqiong couldn't help but come to urge her.

He personally watched the person leave the city. If Shi Houqiong hadn't threatened him, he really wanted to chase him and kill him.

"The day after tomorrow." Shi Houqiong also knew that this person's patience had reached its limit, so he gave an accurate time.

"Why wait until the day after tomorrow?"

"I'll be in charge of this plan." Shi Houqiong said with a serious face.

"You'd better be safe." The choked man sneered and left.

On the first day that Shang Mingshu left, Xiang Mingzhai was still recycling tea, but the amount of tea was gradually decreasing. Many tea farmers who had previously broken their contracts came to the door with contracts in hand. Shang Jinliang selected some of them to sign new contracts and rejected all those who wanted to cut off cooperation.

On the third day after Shang Mingshu left, someone came to visit early in the morning with a generous gift. It was an old friend of Shang Jinliang, also from Huizhou Prefecture. They did business together when they were young, but they had not been in contact for a long time.

"Dad, who is this uncle?" After everyone left, Shang Zishu couldn't help asking. Shang Jinliang hadn't entertained guests so warmly for a long time, and the key point was that they had never seen such a guest.

"An old friend." Shang Jinliang was a little tipsy and in a very good mood. "When I was young, I met him at the post station on my first business trip with your grandfather. He was also traveling with his father for the first time. We were both unlucky. We encountered horse bandits that night and almost died on the spot. Fortunately, the government arrived in time and he barely escaped with his life..."

The merchant only sold tea, but the other party was different. He did all kinds of business. After parting at the post station, they unexpectedly met again on the boat on the way back. I don’t know if they were unlucky, but they encountered pirates on the boat again. Seeing that they were no match for them, the two young men grabbed their fathers and jumped into the sea to escape. Later, they met a fisherman and saved their lives.

Both of them were injured, and both fathers caught a cold. The four of them stayed together in the small fishing village for a while, and thus formed a friendship. In the following years, they exchanged New Year gifts. Later, both sides had their own changes, and they have not had any contact for more than ten years.

"We haven't been in touch for more than ten years, and he suddenly comes back with such generous gifts. Does he want something?" Xiao Yu counted the gifts and found that they were all top-quality delicacies from the mountains and the sea.

"He has a batch of goods that will be loaded on the ship in a few days. The warehouse space at the dock has been in short supply these days. When he heard that I had a warehouse, he came to ask if it was idle." Shang Jinliang replied with a smile. His warehouse was not idle either, but the other party only needed it for a day or two, so he could still temporarily allocate it.

"What kind of goods?" Shang Zishu was attracted by Xiao Yu and ran to the gift box to look through it. It was indeed a generous gift, so she asked casually.

"Some seafood." Shang Jinliang rubbed his dizzy head. "I'm going to rest for a while. Although your Uncle Han used to be a noble man, we haven't been in touch for over ten years. Wenshu, have Du Zhong personally oversee the loading of the goods and assign someone reliable to guard it."

Being responsible for your own goods also means being responsible for other people's goods.

"I understand, Dad." Shang Wenshu, who was accompanying Xiao Yu to register the gifts into the warehouse, raised her head and responded.

Shang Zishu watched Shang Jinliang walk away before nudging Shang Wenshu with her shoulder: "Dad has been relying on Brother Du a lot lately."

Shang Wenshu paused and said nonchalantly, "Dad has always relied on Brother Du."

Shang Zishu looked her elder sister up and down and said, "I don't believe that you still haven't understood what Brother Du is thinking."

She could clearly see that there was some vague affection between the two, but she, as the elder sister, refused to face it. "If you're worried that I'll delay your marriage, don't worry..."

Before Shang Wenshu finished speaking, Shang Zishu threw the jade bracelet she had picked up into the box: "Don't use your words to hurt me. I won't argue with you, lest I make you cry again."

After saying that, he left angrily.

Shang Wenshu knew that she had angered her sister and wanted to chase after her, but Xiao Yu stopped her: "Don't go. It's just a few angry words now. If you chase after her, I'm afraid there will be a big quarrel."

These two stepdaughters who have no blood relationship with her have been bickering since they were young, perhaps because their zodiac signs are incompatible. If it weren't for Shang Mingshu, her sister who can coax them, the two sisters would have become enemies long ago.

Shang Mingshu is not here at the moment, and Xiao Yu will not mediate the dispute between the two sisters. She can only prevent the situation from getting worse.

Shang Wenshu thought about it. If she chased forward to apologize, Shang Zishu would definitely stab her. She could tolerate a few words, but she might not be able to tolerate more. She couldn't help but sigh, "I wonder when my third sister will come home..."

At this time, Shang Mingshu was still on her way to the capital. She traveled light and rode at full speed with the two siblings Hemu and Hesui, but they had not yet completed half of the journey.

In the capital, Cheng She thoroughly investigated the entire matter. It was true that the Yan family girl had taken a liking to Cheng Mian shortly after he arrived in the capital. She had made advances to him several times, but she had never done anything out of the ordinary. Cheng Mian had always rejected her advances decisively. Nothing unusual had happened before the Yan family girl drugged him...

A young lady clearly had plenty of time to be infatuated with Cheng Mian. What forced her to suddenly take a gamble and disregard her reputation as a girl?

Cheng She even sent people to investigate whether Yan's daughter had met with misfortune, intending to make his brother a scapegoat, but the result of the investigation was not what he found.

He always felt that there were some things about this matter that were difficult to explain, but it was not easy for him to go and discuss it with his brother. He knew that Cheng Mian did not want to mention this matter.

"Second Master, Censor Yan is here." Cheng She was thinking alone in the study when a servant came to report.

"Where is the Third Master?" Cheng She asked first.

"The Third Master is reading in the yard. Before the Second Master came, Censor Yan also came to visit, but the Third Master told him not to see him..." the servant replied in a low voice.

Cheng She paused and said, "Please invite Censor Yan to the main hall and serve tea."

Not many people knew about the affair between Yan's daughter and Cheng Mian. Only a few ladies who were close to Yan's daughter knew about it. Perhaps they did not think of asking their elders to intervene, which led to Cheng Mian grabbing the favorable evidence as soon as he woke up. With the evidence in hand, Cheng Mian ignored the people of the Yan family.

"Erlang Cheng." Censor Yan was over forty, yet he looked untouched, his black hair sleek and dressed in casual clothes. After exchanging pleasantries with Cheng She, he got straight to the point. "My daughter's behavior was indeed inappropriate, and it's my fault for not disciplining her properly. However, she and Sanlang Cheng are already a done deal, so I have no choice but to come to her house. I hope Erlang, as your brother, can offer some counsel to Sanlang."

"I understand the feelings of a father, Your Excellency. I also ask Your Excellency to understand Sanlang's feelings as a son. This would be a great shame and humiliation for any man." Cheng She did not back down just because of Yan Yushi's seemingly easygoing attitude. "Although our dynasty's laws do not forbid a woman from defiling a man, if this matter gets out, how can Yan Yushi regain the trust of Your Majesty? How will Yan's daughters marry? And how will the civil and military officials, and even the people of the world, view Yan Yushi?"