Chapter 27: Plan

As soon as these words were spoken, Xia Tong immediately covered her forehead in frustration and fell silent. With the plot taking such a turn, it was better for her to keep a low profile.

Gu Qin casually put down the book in his hand, glanced outside indifferently, and said in a low voice, “Do you want me to give way to him?”

Xia Tong: “……”

The boss is the boss, she couldn’t afford to provoke him.

“I’ll leave right away.” Xifeng outside didn’t dare to delay any longer.

The street was wide enough to accommodate two carriages side by side. As the black wooden carriage moved forward, the opposing sandalwood carriage slightly shifted to create space. The nearby vendors continued to shout loudly, oblivious to the scene, as was typical in the capital bustling with nobles and officials.

Once the two carriages passed each other, the servant in the sandalwood carriage couldn’t help but show a hint of dissatisfaction. Turning his head, he said to the person inside, “This regent is really too much. I think he married the fourth Miss Xia just to go against you.”

The man inside, holding a bamboo slip and reading it, merely shifted his gaze slightly and asked, “Why do you say that?”

“You don’t know? I’ve learned that the Regent hasn’t even spent a night in Miss Xia’s room these past few days, not even on their wedding night. He doesn’t genuinely wish to marry her. He’s clearly trying to go against you,” the person outside whispered through the carriage curtain.

After he finished speaking, the expression of the person inside did not change. He continued to read the bamboo slips calmly, but he was not as focused as before.

*

At the same time, Xia Tong had just arrived at the Xiahou residence. She felt a bit anxious—not because of anything specific, but because she feared the unpredictable temper of the villain. After all, he was known for his mercurial moods, and she couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

As soon as she got off the carriage, she noticed a large crowd gathered at the gate. Besides the old lady, several of her uncles and aunts were waiting there, and it looked like they had been waiting for quite some time. She saw that her second aunt’s hairpin was even slightly askew.

“I greet the Regent and respectfully welcome Your Highness.” 

Everyone knelt down and saluted. A cool breeze blew past, bringing an inexplicable chill. Xia Tong stood aside without saying a word. As the man in the carriage got out, she felt the temperature all over her body drop a lot.

The people gathered at the gate felt increasingly anxious. Although they were all officials from the court, none had ever been so close to the Regent. They had only seen those who offended him meet unfortunate ends.

After scanning the crowd, Gu Qin strode ahead, his voice low, “There’s no need for such formalities.”

Upon hearing this, Xia Tong quickly signaled for Qing’er to take in their belongings. Then she rushed over to help her mother up, sweetly linking arms with her and whispering a few words in her ear.

“Be serious.” Madam Liu patted her arm with a look of reproach on her face.

With Xia Zhian leading the way, the others finally felt they could breathe again and cautiously followed behind him, feeling uncertain in their hearts.

Inside the main hall, the servants were on edge, trembling as they served tea. As Gu Qin settled into the main seat, the others dared not sit down, standing with their heads lowered in respectful silence.

Seemingly accustomed to this atmosphere, Gu Qin took a sip of tea and suddenly remarked, “Longjing before the rain, it’s a bit bitter.”

The indifferent tone frightened everyone in the hall and made them kneel down again. Xia Zhian quickly apologized, “I am sorry for the poor hospitality, Your Highness, please forgive me.”

Xia Min, Xia Lin and others were so frightened that they broke out in cold sweats, fearing that they would anger the regent and thus implicate the entire Xiahou family.

With a glance from the corner of his eyes, Gu Qin only slightly moved his eyebrows and said, “Everyone has different preferences. Next time, let someone send some of the tea that I grow myself for Lord Xia to taste.”

After he finished speaking, everyone gasped again. Xia Min and others were even more delighted. They heard that even the emperor had never tasted the Regent’s Tianshan Snow Branch, and it seemed that he was very satisfied with his niece. If so, his promotion in the future would be a piece of cake.

“Please, sit. I’m just a guest,” Gu Qin said, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions in the room.

Meanwhile, Xia Tong was not faring much better. As soon as she went to pay her respects to the old lady, she was bombarded with questions from her aunts.

“Now that you are the only one in the family, has His Highness handed over any authority to you?” Madam Zhang asked, eyeing her critically while sipping her tea.

Many of the family’s matriarchs were present, most having come specifically to see the spectacle of her return.

Xia Tong sat on a soft couch opposite the old lady, and when she heard the question, she lowered her head and feigned shyness, managing a slight smile before nodding slightly.

Seeing this, everyone was taken aback and began to inquire further.

“The prince has entrusted this to you? Surely, you’re not trying to fool us. Everyone knows that the prince hasn’t stayed in your room these past few days. If you’re embarrassed, there’s no need to deceive us,” Madam Wang scoffed, her face showing a hint of sarcasm, believing Xia Tong was merely boasting.

The old lady narrowed her eyes but remained silent. Madam Liu appeared somewhat anxious, while Xia Tong calmly glanced at Madam Wang, looking puzzled. “I don’t understand why Aunt would ask such a question. I’ve been in my period these past few days, which is why the prince didn’t stay over. If you’d like to know about the household’s expenses, I could certainly share those with you.”

After she finished speaking, the others looked at each other and whispered a few words. They felt that there was no need for her to lie. Such things could be found out by just asking around. Besides, the fact that the prince was willing to accompany her back home today showed that he cared about the fourth girl.

“I was only making a casual remark. There’s no need for you to defend yourself so fervently,” Madam Wang replied coldly, choosing not to argue further.

“Ahem!” The old lady suddenly coughed, casting an annoyed look at Madam Wang. “You really have no sense these days, picking fights with the younger generation. Hurry and check if the kitchen’s snacks are ready.”

Though dissatisfied, Madam Wang shot Xia Tong a cold glare before leaving without another word.

Xia Tong pursed her lips slightly and stopped talking. Anyway, it was all done for her to see. Madam Wang was just a target in the old lady’s hand. She just wanted to use her mouth to question her about her situation. So, the old lady is still the most experienced. She was allowed to say all the good things, while others were allowed to be the bad guys.

“You needn’t mind your aunt’s words. She tends to speak without thinking. But since the lord trusts you so much, consider it a blessing. You must act cautiously and avoid giving anyone a chance to criticize you,” the old lady said earnestly, gazing at her.

Xia Tong nodded gently, “I will remember Grandmother’s teachings.”

Satisfied, the old lady nodded and glanced at Momo Liu, who immediately addressed the other ladies in the room. “The Fourth Young Lady is somewhat shy and may not be able to hold back her private conversations in front of so many people.”

They were all smart people and would certainly not get in the way of the old lady’s business. They immediately joked with Xia Tong with a smile and left.

Once they were gone, the old lady kindly took Xia Tong’s hand, her expression serious. “Your father recently uncovered a case involving collusion between officials and merchants regarding land seizure. The Ministry of Personnel is currently reviewing your father’s promotion. If all goes well, the emperor will certainly approve it. However, we can’t guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen. Your father is at an age where he deserves this promotion, especially since he missed previous opportunities while away from the capital. Who knows if there will be another chance?”

At this time, Xia Tong knew that her father was going to be promoted to the Secretariat, which was a high-ranking official with real power. It was no wonder that the old lady was so anxious, but she could hardly protect herself, so she was afraid that she could not afford to persuade the old lady.

“This granddaughter is more anxious than my grandmother, but the prince always makes his own decisions. I can only make a few suggestions at the side. As for whether it will succeed, it is still unknown.” She said with a worried look on her face.

On the side, MadamLiu tried to console her. “This is your father’s business, you don’t have to worry.”

Hearing this, Xia Tong nodded slightly, but he was her father after all, so she had to say a few words.

However, the old lady glared at Madam Liu in dissatisfaction, thinking she had never seen a woman so unconcerned about her husband—truly a useless person!

“That’s right. Your two uncles will soon take their promotion examinations. And your cousin, I heard that the chief examiner of the imperial examination this year is the prince. You must take good care of your cousin.”

While Xia Tong felt speechless in her heart, she maintained a compliant and understanding expression.

When she finally exited the old lady’s room, she felt the air was much fresher, and it was quiet around her.

Once outside the courtyard, Madam Liu took her hand and looked around before suddenly leaning in, saying earnestly, “Your period is clearly not just these few days, don’t lie to me.”

Seeing her mother’s worried expression, Xia Tong wrapped her arm around Madam Liu’s, playfully nudging her a couple of times. “Don’t worry, Mother. I’ve been doing well. I now hold the key to the prince’s treasury, and I promise I’m not lying to you.”

A cool breeze blew by, and Madam Liu looked at her helplessly. Although still somewhat uneasy, she couldn’t help but reach up to touch the red mark on Xia Tong’s forehead.

“Hiss…” Xia Tong quickly stepped back a few paces, covering her forehead and pouting in grievance. “The carriage shook earlier, and I bumped my head. Can you check if I’m going to have a bruise?”

Seeing her act all sweet and spoiled, Madam Liu could only chuckle, lightly tapping her forehead while instructing someone to bring a warm egg from the kitchen.

When they reached the main hall, Xia Tong had no idea what the others were discussing, but as she approached the doorway, she caught snippets about “Nanzhou Commercial Tax”.

“Your Highness, according to the Ministry of Personnel, the number of people engaged in business in recent years has decreased significantly compared to previous years. Only Nanzhou remains the same as before. Lord Liu has said before that business taxes in various places should be specified according to the situation. For example, in the case of Nanzhou, the business tax should be doubled, while other regions can reduce it as appropriate. What do you think?”

Xia Tong glanced at her eldest uncle, Xia Lin, and then obediently stood behind Gu Qin. She actually wanted to discuss the division of the family estate with her father.

Seeing her coming back, the man’s eyes unconsciously fell on her forehead. A small red mark was slightly abrupt on her smooth white forehead. Thinking of the previous bump on her head, this woman was really delicate.

“I disagree. If we increase the commercial taxes in Nanzhou further, won’t the number of people doing business in Nanzhou decrease day by day? In the long run, this is not a good strategy.” Xia Zhian frowned and refuted his eldest brother’s opinion without hesitation.

Once he finished speaking, Xia Lin and the others exchanged glances, surprised at their younger brother’s foolishness. The governor of the Southern Province was a distant relative of the Xia family. Didn’t he realize how much profit they could gain from this?

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned awkward. Xia Tong listened with half-understanding but grasped the scheme her uncles were plotting. This was typical of capitalists trying to profit.

“Come here.”

Xia Tong was startled. At the sound of the voice, she looked over and saw the prince looking at her. She quietly moved a few steps closer, only to have a large hand suddenly press down on her wound, sending a jolt of pain through her.

“Xifeng, take the princess down to apply medicine.” Gu Qin released her, scanning the confused faces of the people below, and his brow slightly furrowed. “This matter has always been decided by the Grand Tutor’s residence. Haven’t you asked for the Grand Tutor’s opinion?”

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