Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 652 - 650

Chapter 652: Chapter 650

"But, hasn’t your family already become tyrannical? Do you know how much grain a grain merchant can collect and how much can be transported to the northwest in two years? Miss Zhu, do you want to ask me to plead for your family through the Sixth Prince to the Emperor? If I plead for you, who will plead for the soldiers who have died in this war?"

Xiao’er’s tone wasn’t heavy when she said these words, but Zhu Yan felt as if each word was like a 1,000-pound hammer striking her heart.

She opened her mouth, but she didn’t know what words to use to convince Xiao’er.

Actually, her original plan was to marry Shen Jingrui so their families could become relatives, and after the incident, she could ask his family to help her own. Marquis Shengping’s family would surely not ignore their relatives, right?

But such a way of resolving the situation was far too selfish. She was worried that if the Sixth Prince didn’t love Rui’an as much as was rumored among the public, and if the Emperor didn’t value Marquis Shengping, this would likely drag Marquis Shengping’s family down as well.

In the end, she couldn’t do such a thing and could only tell the truth.

For such a matter, she dared not surrender herself to the officials. She didn’t know which officials were working for the Imperial Court, and she couldn’t be sure whether those officials would use her family to bolster their own political achievements.

"Miss Rui’an, please believe me, my father really didn’t know about this. My uncle didn’t dare make it too obvious. Although the grain was transported to the northwest, half of it wasn’t sold. Miss Rui’an, my father is willing to donate all that unsold grain to the Imperial Court to atone for his crimes."

"How much grain was sold?" To the Imperial Court, whether she donates grain or not isn’t important. She herself has quite a lot of grain in her space and can state clearly that the Imperial Court isn’t lacking grain for soldiers.

"About 50,000 stones." Zhu Yan replied quietly.

After hearing this, Xiao’er fell silent. 50,000 stones was already a lot; combined with the prior supply to the Imperial Court, it was no wonder that Li Jun dared to rebel.

"Is your family still selling grain to the Li family’s soldiers?"

"No more, my uncle is now locked up by my father. But we were scared of stirring up more trouble and risking our lives! So, there are still merchant teams transporting medicinal materials to the northwest. But, we absolutely won’t sell to enemy forces! With the journey to the northwest being so long and distant, it’s possible that these medicines might get wet from rainwater and begin to mold!" Zhu Yan quickly guaranteed.

Xiao’er nodded after hearing this. It explained why she had seen merchant teams secretly transporting grain and medicinal materials to the northwest two days ago.

The carriage had already arrived by the Zhu Mansion. Guard Zhao resolutely continued to steer the carriage forward, deciding to take another lap around the County Town.

"Miss Rui’an, our granary in the northwest ’caught fire’ two nights ago, and all the grain has been razed! Miss Rui’an, all you need to do is send someone to investigate to know this. Miss Rui’an, our Zhu family definitely does not have any intention of betrayal. At the same time, our family is willing to donate 100,000 sets of cotton clothes to the soldiers in the northwest to save my uncle from death. We only request that he be spared from execution."

Zhu Yan understood that involving themselves in such affairs, even if they could avoid capital punishment, it would be hard to escape criminal punishment. But her own grandparents passed away early, and her uncle was raised by her father alone. Her father had once promised to take good care of her uncle. For stumbling into such a mess, her father believed he had failed to look after her uncle well, so he was willing to exchange 100,000 sets of cotton clothing to save him.

Xiao’er glanced at Zhu Yan again after listening. Although the Zhu family’s remedy was to repair the pen after the sheep have fled, it was already the smartest method: "I will relay this to the Sixth Prince. But what happens to your family and your uncle depends on the Emperor. I can’t promise you anything."

"Thank you, Miss Rui’an." Upon hearing these words, Zhu Yan beamed, then stood up to bow in respect to Xiao’er, but forgot she was in a carriage and hit her head on the top of the carriage. The pain distorted her face into a grimace.

Xiao’er laughed upon seeing this. Sigh, she hoped the truth of the matter was indeed as Zhu Yan described it. Otherwise...

"Miss Zhu, please be seated properly. If you damage my carriage, you’ll have to compensate for it!"

Zhu Yan sat back down, blushing from embarrassment.

After seeing her sit down, Xiao’er continued: "What a pity it would be for the medicinal materials being transported by those merchant teams to get wet and moldy due to the rain. The Imperial Court has tolling stations in many places, they’ll confiscate them."

"Yes, medicinal materials getting moldy is such a waste. It’s right for the Imperial Court to confiscate them."

Xiao’er laughed again after hearing this. This Miss Zhu is quite adorable.

"Miss Zhu, please gather all the relevant evidence and documents by tomorrow. My coachman will come to collect them."

"Miss, please call me Guard Zhao! I’m a guard, not a coachman!" Zhao Yong muttered to himself from outside.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yan hurriedly nodded: "Thank you, Miss Rui’an."

Xiao’er shook her head: "I’m just the messenger, I can’t help you much."

"Just by being willing to deliver the message, you’ve already helped our family enormously! Otherwise, we really wouldn’t have any way to call for help. For this favor, our Zhu family will definitely repay you." Zhu Yan sincerely replied.

Xiao’er nodded: "There will be an opportunity for you to repay this, then you can repay with your body."

Zhu Yan didn’t hear the quieter second half of the sentence and asked: "What about then?"

"We’ll talk about it when the time comes, there’s no need to discuss it now." Xiao’er said with a smile.

Hearing that they had finished talking, Zhao Yong turned the carriage around. They would be at the Zhu’s Mansion very soon.

The carriage came to a halt.

Xiao’er said her goodbyes to Zhu Yan: "We’ve arrived, Miss Zhu. Until next time."

"Goodbye, Miss Rui’an. Thank you for bringing me home." Only after Zhu Yan finished saying this did she get off the carriage.

Zhu Yan watched the carriage leave before she entered the mansion.

Xiao’er took out pen, ink, paper, and an inkstone from the hidden compartment in the carriage and began to write a letter.

At this point, Zhao Yong’s voice carried through the carriage: "Miss, do you trust the words of Miss Zhu?"

Xiao’er: "She doesn’t have any need to lie to me."

Upon consideration, Zhao Yong agreed. If Zhu Yan really wanted to use the Sixth Prince to atone for her wrongs, then she really couldn’t afford any falsehoods.

Back at the Liu Mansion, Mrs. Liu had already packed her bags. Several carriages were waiting outside for Xiao’er. Once she returned, they planned to set off for home.

Worried about extensive snow accumulation making the journey difficult, Mrs. Liu bid her family back home farewell as soon as Xiao’er arrived, and stable of carriages left the Liu Mansion.

Upon seeing Xiao’er finally return, Jingrui breathed a sigh of relief. He approached and directly climbed into Xiao’er’s carriage and asked: "Why were you away for so long?"

Xiao’er whispered a few things to Jingrui, only mentioning that Zhao Yong had discovered last night that the suspicious merchant team they encountered that day was part of the Zhu family’s team. She didn’t disclose what Zhu Yan had said to him.

After hearing this, Jingrui’s eyes widened: "This is impossible! Miss Zhu doesn’t seem like someone who could be raised in such a family."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.