In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1140 - 1052 Doubts

Chapter 1140: Chapter 1052 Doubts

"Big Brother Lui, please get up quickly."

Su Pan’er stepped forward, but then remembered the differences between men and women, so she halted, pretending to support him with her hand: "It’s actually my fault that you and your wife were separated for so long, and yet you’re thanking me, which makes me..."

"It was her own severe illness, what she deserved. Besides, sending her to the ancestral hall to recover in peace was also my father’s decision. How could the Empress be blamed."

Lui Muyi had always used the severe illness as an excuse, never mentioning the past wrongs.

"Alright then."

Su Pan’er had done all she could; the rest was up to the two of them to sort out.

"Your Highness, during this visit to the palace, Muyi has brought the business ledgers that were temporarily in Muyi’s care, and they have already been discreetly handed over to Nanny Xiao, who serves you. If Your Highness has time, please take a look. The profits from the businesses have been kept aside for rotation, and the remaining silver has been converted into silver banknotes, totaling two hundred thousand taels, also entrusted to Nanny Xiao for you to count and verify, in case Muyi made an error in the accounts."

Lui Muyi didn’t wait for Su Pan’er to ask and directly revealed the information.

Su Pan’er felt quite touched: "You know, I have actually been in need of a large amount of silver lately. A few days ago, His Majesty intended to build mausoleums for the late emperor..."

Su Pan’er recounted Qin Yi’s thoughts, emphasizing the substantial amount of silver needed for constructing the mausoleums and the current empty state of the national treasury.

"... This would be a fitting opportunity for me to express my filial piety as a daughter-in-law. This silver you’ve brought has indeed solved a pressing issue."

"It seems that a large sum of silver is needed then?"

Lui Muyi pondered carefully: "If Your Highness still needs silver, when Muyi returns home, I am sure gathering another hundred thousand taels will not be a problem."

Su Pan’er was aware that although her manors and shops were profitable, Su Huarong had only handed them over to Lui Muyi less than a year ago, and he had already accumulated two hundred thousand taels? Initially, Su Huarong barely made one hundred thousand taels a year. It seemed that Lui Muyi must have supplemented a considerable amount himself.

She was trembling as she received the silver banknotes!

"There’s no need to gather any more! Big Brother Lui, I appreciate your intentions, but the shops still need silver for turnover. It’s not fair for you to both exert effort and contribute silver. That would make me, Su Pan’er, quite deplorable."

Having reached this point in the conversation, Lui Muyi had no choice but to nod his head.

"Actually, the Lui Family also has its own businesses, I’m just managing them incidentally..."

"Thank you, Big Brother Lui."

Su Pan’er smiled with curved brows: "Big Brother Lui, didn’t you understand what I said earlier? Since the mausoleums will be built for the late emperor, the timber, stone, manpower... there’s a great business opportunity here, and it’s quite profitable!"

With the plan that ’fertile water should not flow into other’s fields’, Su Pan’er didn’t mind Lui Muyi taking on this task.

Unexpectedly, Lui Muyi shook his head and declined.

"It’s absolutely impossible. Not to mention that the Lui Family has never been involved in the business of constructing mausoleums, what if an amateur handles it and something goes wrong during the process? How could that be managed?"

What Lui Muyi left unsaid was that if he really took on this task, ministers in the court would all be watching closely! It was inevitable that people would talk about the Empress. While managing the Empress’s private properties, he had already encountered several groups of people coming to pry. Those private properties seemed plentyful, but they were quite scattered and didn’t draw much attention.

However, constructing mausoleums was different; everyone knew it was a lucrative opportunity and coveted it. If he said he would take it on now, before he could react, the complaints from those Speech Officials, who reveled in creating trouble, might already be presented to His Majesty.

If it came to that, it would cause trouble for Pan’er again.

He didn’t wish to alleviate worries for Pan’er, but at the very least, he did not want to add to her troubles.

"Big Brother Lui, I meant that the Lui Family could take on the transportation of timber, stone, or one of the other raw materials for the business. I mean..."

Su Pan’er began, but then felt a bit irritated, realizing that Lui Muyi was simply not interested in the matter.

"We should wait for Muyi to return and discuss it with father before making any long-term plans," he said without rebuffing her.

He casually made a remark, so as not to embarrass her.

"That sounds good."

Su Pan’er sighed in relief and sincerely smiled, "Discuss the business with Uncle Lui. If it’s feasible, then do it; if not, do not force yourself just for my sake."

"Muyi understands."

Lui Muyi bowed with his fist in his palm, "It seems everyone has finished their meal. Shall we go over and take a look?"

It was indeed time to join the others. They had been talking for quite a while, and to continue would be unwise.

"Let’s go."

As they spoke, Su Pan’er walked ahead of him. Unexpectedly, Lui Muyi quickly moved to walk behind her.

"Your Highness mentioned twins just now, and Muyi would like to take the liberty of adding something."

"What is it?"

Su Pan’er stopped and turned slightly.

"It is said that the Liu Family’s Mansion suffered a great fire recently, leaving scarcely one in ten of the Liu Family’s people. After all, Your Highness is of the Liu Family, and Recognizing Ancestors and Returning to Clan is only proper."

Lui Muyi knew it wasn’t his place to speak of such matters, yet he was aware that if he didn’t say it, no one would dare to bring it up in front of Su Pan’er.

"Recognize Ancestors and Return to Clan?"

Su Pan’er was genuinely surprised by Lui Muyi’s words, her face showing clear astonishment.

She had not acknowledged her lineage before, and now that the Liu Mansion had been reduced to nothing, to recognize it now seemed... too much.

"Your Highness may want to consider Muyi’s suggestion carefully. Muyi has your best interests at heart. No matter what the Liu Family’s people have done, now that the Liu Family is gone, what harm could there be in acknowledging them?"

Indeed, what harm could there be!

Why hadn’t she recognized her ancestors and returned to her clan in the first place? It was merely because her feelings had been hurt!

Pushing it off time and again, her anger had gradually subsided, and now the thought of reconnecting with the Liu Family didn’t stir her in the least. With the Liu Family in error and no one daring to confront her about it, outsiders were even less likely to bring it up, and so the matter remained unresolved.

Now that the past was being brought up again, Su Pan’er began to seriously consider it.

How had the great fire at the Liu Family erupted, and why had it grown uncontrollably? And of all things, why did it spread to the Jun Family’s Mansion? For such a major incident, why hadn’t the Ministry of Revenue reported it? Were the captains in charge of the Capital City’s security just idly accepting their pay, allowing the fire to rage on?

With so many doubts and inconsistencies, yet the whole court, both civil and military, was pretending to be blind and deaf to it; what did this kind of willful ignorance indicate?

Numerous thoughts crossed Su Pan’er’s mind until after all the guests who had come for the palace entry had bid farewell and left. Then, she suddenly burst into laughter.

She was the one being foolish, thinking too much of it. Even if she hadn’t Recognized Ancestors and Returned to Clan, even if she really had, there wouldn’t be any resolution, would there? So why bother thinking about it?

Having come to this realization, Su Pan’er cheerfully picked up the account book, scrutinizing it closely, so much so that she didn’t even notice when Qin Yi returned.