Allure of a Country Maiden-Chapter 219 - 217

"This place is too remote, it’s not safe for a child like you to come here alone." Xiao’er couldn’t help but advise.

"I used to come here with my mom. Sister, brother, let’s hurry up and pick!" The little boy finished speaking and started picking mushrooms.

Hearing his words, Xiao’er didn’t say anything further.

Xiao’er was looking for mushroom spores, so she took up her small shovel and scooped up the mushrooms along with the decayed leaves and muddy soil around them into her basket.

She only took one scoop of each kind.

Seeing this, the little boy asked curiously, "Sister, are you trying to plant mushrooms?"

"How did you know?" The kid was really smart.

"Sometimes my mom also digs up some veggies and plants them in a different place."

"Very smart!" Xiao’er couldn’t help but praise.

"But..." The little boy hesitated. He had tried digging some mushrooms and planting them at home before, but his mom said that mushrooms cannot grow like that.

Indeed, it turned out they couldn’t.

"You wanted to say these mushrooms can’t be planted, right?" Xiao’er, seeing his troubled expression, simply finished his sentence for him.

"How did you know?" The little boy widened his eyes.

"I can tell. Everything you’re thinking is written all over your face." said Xiao’er while looking around for other edible mushrooms.

Shangguan Xuanyi was also helping with the digging, but he didn’t speak.

"Then why are you still planting?" The boy touched his face. Was it that obvious?

"This mushroom can be planted, it’s just that before now, people hadn’t found the right way. Everything in this world can be solved, it just depends on who can find the solution."

Pondering over these words, Shangguan Xuanyi appeared lost in thought.

The little boy was still in doubt, "So, did you succeed in planting it?"

"No." Xiao’er shook her head honestly.

What?! The boy couldn’t help but roll his eyes, what profound words, but it turned out to be a bluff.

Xiao’er didn’t mind his rolling eyes, he would know when the time came.

Actions speak louder than words! She preferred to prove things with facts.

Once Xiao’er had dug up all the edible mushroom spores in the area, she called Shangguan Xuanyi and then they left.

Xiao’er glanced at the mushrooms that Shangguan Xuanyi had dug up and then looked at his hands, which were covered in mud. She couldn’t bear to criticize him.

The boy ran over and took a look, then shouted loudly: "Brother, all the mushrooms you dug up are poisonous! How could you be so incredible, not even one of them is edible!"

After hearing that, Xiao’er couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Shangguan Xuanyi’s face darkened, he stood up and dusted off his hands, "Throw them away! They might harm others!"

Only then did the boy have a sudden realization, "Brother, you’re so considerate. You have such a kind heart."

Shangguan Xuanyi’s expression softened a little after hearing that.

Xiao’er couldn’t help but roll her eyes, this little brat was way too gullible.

Shangguan Xuanyi glanced at Xiao’er, she quickly stopped rolling her eyes and smirked, "Brother Shangguan is the kindest person in the world."

Such a blatant lie!

"Really?"

"Really. Otherwise, would he have helped you build a bridge?" Xiao’er nodded earnestly.

"That’s true!" The boy also nodded solemnly after hearing that.

Shangguan Xuanyi didn’t bother with them and left straight away.

The two hurriedly followed.

Before getting into the carriage, Xiao’er asked, "What’s your name, kid? When I succeed in growing the mushrooms, I’ll teach you first, as a way to thank you for taking me to such a great place today."

"Deal, my name is Jiang Shan, everyone calls me Shan Zi!" Even though he didn’t believe, the boy handed over his basket full of mushrooms, "I’m giving these to you."

Xiao’er didn’t refuse, thanked him with a smile, and then took out a bag of dried meat weighing one pound from the carriage and gave it to him, saying, "One good turn deserves another."

The little boy, not knowing that it was dried meat, thanked her with a smile. After returning home, however, he was given a good lesson by his mother.

When Xiao’er and Shangguan Xuanyi arrived home, they saw the housekeeper directing people to move two large bags of something into the kitchen.

A few people greeted them as they passed by.

Xiao’er casually asked, "What is that?"

"Miss, it’s salt. The price of salt in the town has skyrocketed in the past few days, and many people scramble to buy it. After consulting with madam, I bought two bags of it," he replied.

Hearing this, Xiao’er and Shangguan Xuanyi exchanged a glance.

Xiao’er nodded to the housekeeper and said, "If that’s the case, let’s get more." Albeit insignificant.

The two of them continued to walk inward.

"Brother Shangguan, when are we going to get that thing?"

Shangguan Xuanyi calculated the days, "It’s in these couple of days."

Xiao’er nodded, and the two did not say anything more.

That night, a hidden guard quietly requested to see Shangguan Xuanyi outside his room.

The next day, Xiao Fuzi arrived early.

At midnight, Shangguan Xuanyi received a roster and a bunch of account books from Xiao’er.

Shangguan Xuanyi stayed up all night to verify the roster. Once sure there were no mistakes, he gave a token to Xiao Fuzi.

After receiving the token, Xiao Fuzi quickly left on horseback.

Only then did Shangguan Xuanyi recline back into the bed to rest. freёwebnoѵel.com

As dawn was about to break, Xiao Fuzi, with the token in hand, knocked on the city gate, yelling for the gatekeeping soldiers to open the city gate.

The sleepy gatekeeping soldier, irritated, opened the city gate, and seeing a group of soldiers neatly lined up at the gate, got a start, thinking the city was about to be invaded!

Xiao Fuzi took out the token, the soldier took it, carefully looked at both sides, confirmed it was correct, and hurriedly bowed and nodded, fully opening the city gate.

A thousand soldiers quietly surrounded Tan Mansion, Hu Mansion, Jiang Mansion...

At this time, some diligent commoners had already set out to sell things with their load-carrying pole on their shoulders.

Seeing this situation, they were frightened and hurriedly turned back home and secured their doors. But they couldn’t resist climbing on the ladder to peek over the wall.

The same scene happened in different states, county towns, and even the Imperial Capital of the Minze Dynasty on the very same day.

These gentry didn’t even know how it all happened before their homes were confiscated.

In this operation, more than half a million tons of private salt were seized nationwide! The officials also found innumerable ill-gotten gains!

The Emperor, looking at these account books, the list, deeds, and other evidence, was livid with anger!

With Longevity Festival approaching, the Emperor has always ruled with benevolence, so although these people were guilty, they could avoid capital punishment.

The Minister of the Right was dismissed, and all able-bodied male members of his family were striped of their nobility and sent to mine coal mines. The females and the young ones were registered as slaves!

The other guilty officials and businessmen were dealt with according to the severity of their crimes. Those who could be sold were sold, and those who had to be reformed through labor were reformed!

They were sent to dig coal mines, iron mines, quarrying...

It was the time when various industries of the Minze dynasty were waiting to develop. Resolution keeping these people in jail to live on food, for those who were used to luxury, forced labor was the best punishment.

Since they fattened themselves by exploiting people and disregarding national interests, selling private salt, let them serve their remaining life in hard labor, doing the hardest and tiring work for the public and the state, contributing the fat they grew on public and state provisions!

Despite kneeling outside the study room day and night, crying her eyes out, the imperial consort couldn’t persuade the Emperor to change his mind.

The First Prince was pacing back and forth in the room, still worried that evidence against him would emerge.

Though his mother-consort secretly ordered him to maintain order.

The Minister of the Right never left a trace of evidence on his affairs.

But he still couldn’t sleep or eat well due to worry.

Without the help of the Minister of Right in the future, it would be more difficult for him to sit in that position!