Chapter 43: Investigating the Whereabouts of the Military Pay

Wang Baochuan glanced back at the refreshments in Qingqing’s hand and motioned for her to put them down.

The sun was shining brightly, and a gentle spring breeze carried the scent of flowers.

Qingqing had brewed Junshan tea from Dongting Lake, its color and taste similar to Longjing tea, but with a more refreshing aroma. The snacks were perfectly suited to the season: apricot flower curd, jade belt cake, flower-edged beauty pastry, and two plates of fruit, crisp plums and sugared almonds.

“Qingqing, did the mansion change cooks?” she asked.

Qingqing puffed out her chest proudly, as if showing off a treasure, “I taught the cooks how to make these.”

Wang Baochuan took a bite and her eyes lit up. She didn’t expect Qingqing to be not only clever and insightful, but also a skilled cook.

“Big Sister loves sour things, you should make more crisp plums for her when you have time.”

“Yes.”

“Second Sister… Second Sister loves sweets, teach the cooks some more. When she comes back, have the kitchen make some for her.”

Wang Baochuan said as she ate.

Seeing that she liked it, Qingqing was overjoyed and repeatedly agreed.

“Right, why haven’t I seen you go out to find your fellow villager for a long time?”

Qingqing explained, “He’s far away in Qinzhou, I don’t know when he’ll be back in the capital.”

“Qinzhou?” Wang Baochuan was surprised.

“He was sent to Qinzhou after the battle of Jincheng.” Qingqing explained haphazardly.

“That’s easy. Tell me his name, I’ll go find Father and ask him to transfer him to the capital.” Wang Baochuan looked at her seriously.

She quickly waved her hands, “No, no, he… he…”

“Oh? You have a crush on him. Well, never mind.”

Wang Baochuan looked at her sympathetically, suppressing a smile. She wanted to see who was so blind as to make Qingqing have a crush on him.

Qingqing was beautiful and delicate, and she was also clever and capable. That man really had no taste.

Qingqing didn’t respond. Everything was good in the capital, except that she couldn’t see the person she wanted to see.

Wang Baochuan had heard about Qingqing’s background. She was the distant niece of the head housekeeper in the mansion. The head housekeeper was an old hand in the mansion, so Qingqing was able to serve in her courtyard.

Since she was a trustworthy person, Wang Baochuan liked her even more.

After a few days, Wang Baochuan took a few of her personal attendants and quietly left the mansion. She saw the roster of war casualties in her father’s study. Some of the families lived near the capital, so she decided to go and inquire.

Wei Hu’s embezzlement wasn’t something that happened overnight. In her previous life, he had embezzled Xue Pinggui’s military pay. In this life, Xue Pinggui was accused of treason, so he wouldn’t have any military pay. He must have had his eye on someone else’s.

Wang Baochuan visited more than a dozen families. Some families had received the military pay from the court, while others had not. They didn’t even know if their family members who had joined the army were alive or dead.

Wei Hu was a smart man. He was too close to the Emperor in the suburbs, so he wouldn’t dare to be so brazen.

Thinking about this, Wang Baochuan decided to go to Wannian County nearby to investigate.

The trees along the way were lush and green, with peach blossoms and willows, making for a pleasant scenery.

From time to time, she could see inns and taverns in the countryside, and the scent of wine wafted from afar. There was a constant stream of people coming and going on the road: travelers, woodcutters, and wanderers from afar…

Wang Baochuan sat in the carriage. Qingqing lifted the curtain, and the warm sunlight fell on her. She could hear the chirping of birds, the buzzing of insects, and the sound of gurgling water.

“Miss, I didn’t expect this small mountain village to have such beautiful scenery.”

Wang Baochuan nodded. Yes, the scenery was beautiful, and the wild vegetables by the roadside were also growing luxuriantly.

Ugh! She had been digging wild vegetables for eighteen years, a bad habit.

The mountain village ahead was called Lianzi Village, with hundreds of households in front of and behind the village.

The carriage drove into the village, attracting the attention of many people.

“You old hag! Get out of the way, or I’ll kill you!”

“Please, don’t hit my mother-in-law, please spare us…” The woman knelt on the ground and begged the man in front of her.

The man wanted to beat the old woman, and the young woman hugged his legs tightly, protecting the old woman.

“Don’t pretend to be pitiful! If you hadn’t owed me money and refused to pay for three months, I wouldn’t be bothering you, a widow and her child!” The man said seriously, but his eyes were full of lust for the young woman.

There were quite a few people who stopped to watch the commotion, but no one dared to step forward and intervene.

The man was a butcher. He had a brother who was also a well-known hunter, and his sister was the concubine of the county magistrate. Their family was wealthy, so they were always arrogant, and no one dared to offend them.

Wang Baochuan heard the noisy crying and commotion. She motioned for her attendants to go and check. A moment later, the attendants came back and reported that a family owed someone money, and the person wanted to take the young woman home as collateral.

“Absurd.” Wang Baochuan scolded.

The man was about to forcibly drag the woman away. The old woman begged, “Master Pang, please have mercy. Give us a little more time.”

“More time?” Butcher Pang laughed.

The old woman pleaded, “You only lent us five taels of silver, but in just three months, you’ve raised it to eight taels. We… we really don’t have time to gather…”

The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore and stepped forward to plead, “Master Pang, you’re not in a hurry for the money, and the interest you’re charging is too high.”

“Yes, her husband is away fighting, and you’re bullying a widow and her child…”

“Haha, bullying? I’ve had my eye on this little girl since she married into our village!” Butcher Pang drooled, not even trying to hide it in front of everyone.