A Good Country Wife
Chapter 534 - 528_1

Chapter 534: Chapter 528_1

Speaking of the Princely Heir of Marquis of Zhenbei, Feng Yinan, who was left alone by the Emperor, felt quite confused. He did not understand what the Emperor meant by keeping him alone. Lately, he had not been assigned any particular tasks, and he genuinely could not figure out why the Emperor wanted him to stay. If it was a matter of personal favor, he had not been very close to the Emperor over the years; otherwise, he would not have held such a status in his residence, and it had taken him much effort to attain his current standing.

"May I know what the Emperor intends by keeping me alone?" Feng Yinan asked with a smile to the eunuch beside the Emperor, naturally not forgetting to hand over the fragrant sachet containing the silver note.

The old eunuch weighed the fragrant sachet in his hands, light yet elated with a broad smile. Although he did not know the Emperor’s intentions for keeping the Princely Heir back, it did not prevent him from giving a few hints, "Princely Heir, the thoughts of the Emperor are not for us servants to guess, but from what this old servant can see, the Emperor is in a good mood. It shouldn’t be bad news, Your Highness need not worry too much."

"Thank you for your guidance," Feng Yinan bowed to the old eunuch in gratitude, thinking to himself that silver truly is a wonderful thing. With the eunuch’s words, he felt much more at ease.

"This subject greets the Emperor."

"Cousin, rise, please. We are directly related cousins, and there are no outsiders here; you needn’t be so formal in private," Huangfu Jing said graciously with a smile, truly displaying warmth and amiability.

Feng Yinan inwardly sneered. If he really did not have to follow protocol, he feared the Emperor would blame him for a lack of propriety. The thoughts of an emperor are always so impenetrable. Nonetheless, his face showed nothing but a sincere and loyal response, "One must not abandon courtesy. May I know if the Emperor has summoned me to assign a task?"

"It’s nothing much, just that yesterday, while visiting the Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager mentioned you, saying that you are not so young anymore and yet have no one caring and warm by your side. She also recalled your childhood loss of your mother, which moved the Empress Dowager deeply. Naturally, as her son, I couldn’t bear to see her so saddened and felt I ought to look after my cousin a bit," said Huangfu Jing. In truth, the Empress Dowager had not thought of this—it was he who first mentioned that Feng Yinan had been performing well lately, steering the conversation this way. Now, facing Feng Yinan, his words seemed entirely for the sake of filial piety.

Feng Yinan, of course, was unaware of the convolutions behind this, nor did he know what the Emperor was thinking. It was correct just to express loyalty, "This subject thanks the Empress Dowager for her concern. It is my fault for worrying the Empress Dowager. These many years, I have been alone, and as for marriage, I do not seek a match from a prestigious family; I only wish to find a woman who suits me so that we might support each other and live peaceful, stable lives."

Actually, Feng Yinan truly had no interest in marriage, but since the Emperor had brought it up, he could not casually brush it off and had to present some idea of what he wanted. His words meant that he would not seek out a bride from a noble family and planned to find a gentle and deferential wife from a less prominent household, assuring the Emperor that he did not intend to form alliances with other influential families or aristocratic clans. Since he mentioned wanting a wife who appealed to him, the Emperor couldn’t simply assign any woman to be his bride.

The real purpose of Huangfu Jing summoning Feng Yinan was not here, and naturally, he wouldn’t dwell on it, readily letting the matter go, "I had indeed thought of proposing a match for my cousin, but since you have such thoughts, I won’t interfere. Still, you’re not young anymore. You must hasten with your marriage arrangements, as others your age have several children already."

"Yes, I will make haste," said Feng Yinan. When the Emperor spoke thus, Feng Yinan first tensed, then relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, the Emperor didn’t insist, otherwise he’d have no choice but to kneel in gratitude. Although he didn’t look forward to his future wife, he still wanted to choose someone appropriate. He had no other demands, but at the very least his wife couldn’t be too cruel; someone with a sweet face but a bitter heart like his stepmother was absolutely out of the question—it would end badly. Moreover, it would be best if she was gentle and compliant. And of course, if she could cook like Zhao Erhu’s wife, able to prepare all kinds of delicious dishes, that would be even better.

"I have recently heard that my cousin is engaged in sea trade?" Huangfu Jing asked after a moment of silence, seemingly offhand.

Feng Yinan’s heart tightened, understanding that this was the main reason the Emperor had called him today. He just didn’t know who had told the Emperor about his sea trade or if it was discovered by the Emperor’s spies placed within the Marquis of Zhenbei’s residence. Regardless of the source, he needed to answer cautiously, as one misstep could lead to great trouble.

"Responding to the Emperor, this subject has indeed tried trading with the foreign tribes and brought goods to sell in the shops. Business was initiated due to a lack of silver coin, but the profits turned out to be quite substantial," Feng Yinan admitted, with the understanding that the Emperor wouldn’t ask without having investigated already—he obviously couldn’t hide or deny it.

"Oh? That piques my interest. How substantial is this profit that my subject speaks of?"

"This business venture is my first, and since the capital was limited, the amount of goods bought was also restricted. Even so, this journey to sea made over a hundred thousand Silver, truly a windfall. It’s no wonder some are willing to risk their lives for the profits of trade at sea," Feng Yinan said, intentionally making sea travel sound dangerous. In truth, as long as there are skilled sailors and proper command, along with well-maintained relations along the route, there usually isn’t much danger. Of course, bad luck was an exception—sea weather is unpredictable, and nothing is completely foolproof.

As for how much he had earned, so far, only he and Zhao Erhu knew. Or perhaps Zhao Erhu would tell his wife, but he believed that someone as astute as Zhao Erhu’s wife certainly wouldn’t gossip. As for his part, even Xiaojin wasn’t fully aware of how much he had made this time, only that it was a lot. Hence, he was certain the Emperor wouldn’t find out the exact amount. There was no need to tell the whole truth when answering the Emperor—one, he didn’t want to arouse suspicion; two, he did not want the Emperor to covet this lucrative business. However, the answer shouldn’t deviate too far from reality, as the Emperor, after inquiry, would have a ballpark figure and naturally needed a credible number.

Although the current Emperor was considered a good ruler, the previous generation had not accumulated wealth. The previous emperor had lived extravagantly, spending lavishly on palace constructions, leaving the treasury with little silver. And with this year’s severe snowstorm, the treasury had to allocate funds for disaster relief, making funds tight. The Emperor might just be tempted by this opportunity.

Nevertheless, how he responded to the Emperor would have to be communicated to Zhao Erhu later, to make sure Zhao Erhu was clear on the situation and didn’t let slip.

Even so, Huangfu Jing was still intrigued by the windfall profits from sea trade—a single voyage could render so much Silver. If only...

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