In Love With My Fierce Farming Wife!
Chapter 1331 - 1239: Grey Income

Chapter 1331: Chapter 1239: Grey Income

"Stop nagging! Hurry up and prepare, and you, County Magistrate Liu! You must immediately contact the Ning family and tell them that the Empress has summoned them for an urgent matter, and that they should come quickly."

Su Pan’er intended to meet the Ning’s people, and she didn’t plan to hide or hold back, issuing the order directly.

County Magistrate Liu dared not neglect the order and hastened to prepare.

Su Pan’er was temporarily staying in the back office of the county office.

Claiming she was too tired and needed to rest, Su Pan’er declined the company of Mrs. Liu, wife of County Magistrate Liu, and entered the premises leading Attendant and Mother Zhou.

Looking at the once familiar buildings, she was filled with sentiment.

"Back in the day, before I was pregnant with little Yanyan, I also stayed in this garden with His Majesty."

Su Pan’er casually pointed to a lotus pond: "Look over there; back then, we used to walk along that covered corridor. Thinking about it now feels as though it were only yesterday."

Mentioning Qin Yi brought a hint of longing onto Su Pan’er’s face.

She wondered how he and the children were faring in the palace?

"Her Majesty and His Majesty truly have a fine relationship."

Unable to restrain herself, Mother Zhou covered her mouth and laughed: "Although this old woman hasn’t been by Her Majesty’s side in recent years, the news of the Emperor and Empress’s affection has still occasionally reached my ears. Finding a good man like His Majesty nowadays is really difficult!"

These words touched Su Pan’er’s heart.

She had to admit, what Aunt Zhou said was indeed the truth.

"Grind the ink for me."

She turned and walked to the desk, taking out writing paper to begin composing a letter.

The letter was addressed to Qin Yi, where she recorded the events one by one and particularly mentioned the cooperation between Ning family and the Su Qin families. Without elaborating on the matter, she straightforwardly clarified all the details. As for how Qin Yi would handle this, she could only wait for news to arrive.

As the sky brightened the next day, Su Pan’er once again rode in the carriage out of the city, heading straight for the Su family.

Compared to the Qin family’s clan leader, the current clan leader of the Su family was her clan uncle, whom Su Pan’er had never met before.

The Su family’s clan leader was not what she had envisioned; instead, he was an energetic old man, tall in stature with a dignified appearance. His conduct and his looks immediately gave off a trustworthy vibe.

"Clan Leader, I have come today to enquire about certain matters concerning the Ning family."

The Su family’s clan leader leaned slightly forward from the edge of his chair: "Is her Majesty referring to the collaboration between the Ning family and our Su family? Indeed, over the years, our Su family has collaborated with the Ning family and enjoyed the profits of bystanders. But it was far from what the world imagines."

"The Su family, together with the Qin family, although we each hold a ten percent dry share in the dock investments at Shuanghekou of the Ning family. These ten percent dry shares given to the Su and Qin families might better be said to have been given to you and His Majesty. Over the years, whatever profits the Su family has made, after deducting the family’s expenses, have been accounted for and sent to the capital city by order of this old man. I presume your Majesty has already reviewed them?"

Although the Su family’s clan leader posed it as a question, he spoke with certainty and openness.

He had a clear understanding in his mind.

The ten percent dry share the Ning family gave to the Su family was effectively for His Majesty. After deducting necessary expenses, he had sent the entirety unaltered to Shengjing.

While the rest, the Su Family’s expansion into other sources of income, facilitated by the Ning Family’s water transport convenience, was what the Su Family truly relied on for their livelihood.

These gray incomes had enabled the Su Family to grow and expand within just a few years.

And all of this was because the Su Family had produced an Empress! As the Clan Leader, he naturally understood what was more or less important.

Su Pan’er had not seen any mention of the Ning Family in the accounts!

The accounts were all about business along the river channels, and only today did she realize that this was the nature of the money!

"Outrageous!"

Su Pan’er, furious, slammed her hand on the table, "Do you think you have too many utensils atop your head that others might as well use them to drink liquor from? Or do you think that His Majesty is blind, deaf, a fool, who cannot hear or see, and will not send someone to investigate? You dare to accept such investment funds? You—you are really... getting more muddled with age!"

Su Pan’er hardly knew how to describe her feelings!

Her scolding left the Su family’s clan leader with a face full of grievance.

"Empress, it’s not that my Su Family wishes to collect this money against our conscience, but the control of the riverways is firmly in the hands of the Ning Family. Since a dock was established at Shuanghekou, if we want to transport goods by shipping through the canal, we must obtain the Ning Family’s agreement. This money under my Su Family’s control is, in fact, a petition presented to the Ning Family."

In business, it isn’t something you can simply avoid if you don’t wish or desire to be involved.

Su Pan’er understood, but instinctively felt that this was no trivial matter.

"You know it’s a petition, and yet you dare to collect money so brazenly? You go back, sift through the money received from the Ning Family these past years and bring me the accounts. Remember, not a coin less. This is a matter of life and death; if you don’t want the Speech Officials picking apart every detail, you had better be honest."

"Understood, I will organize everything immediately after returning, and deliver them to the Empress without delay."

The Su family’s clan leader promised.

"Su Ke went missing on the morning he said he was taking people to Deicide Mountain. Before he left, did he say anything to you?"

"Empress, on the night before Lord Su disappeared, he did not return to the clan but instead rested at the Changze County postal relay station. I even sent people to invite him, only to be disappointed. If Your Highness wishes to ascertain Lord Su’s whereabouts, the last people he saw, where he went, what he did, it would probably require questioning more people."

The Su family’s clan leader finished speaking, then gestured to the figure outside.

"Go, swiftly convey my command, inquire whether anyone attending to Ke’er’s daily needs might know the details."

The Su family’s clan leader wanted to advise further, but seeing the Empress’s resolute eyes, he refrained from speaking out.

"Empress, among those who attended to Lord Su’s daily needs, there were two servants who disappeared along with Lord Su, while the remaining two have been well taken care of by us, to prevent any accidents."

The Su family’s clan leader went on and on, and seeing everyone silent, he gradually slowed his speech, feeling somewhat at a loss.

When the dispatched person returned, he brought with him two young men. These were the individuals responsible for Su Ke’s diet and daily life, left behind at the postal station, who, by lucky chance, had escaped this calamity from the heavens.

"Empress, Lord Su did indeed leave early the next morning. When he left, the sky was still dark, and I did not get the chance to follow Lord Su in and out, which was distressing for a long time." There was indeed sadness, but after learning what followed, the two felt more relieved than anything.

Su Pan’er’s thoughts became clearer and clearer.

From the beginning to the end, how Ke’er left, based on the two men’s detailed explanations, also passed through her mind once more.