Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 684 - 686: Closing In (Part 5)

After the seventh lunar day opened court, Wei Hui Prefecture sent an urgent dispatch over eight hundred miles; the citizens were outraged, numerous cases of disaster victims looting and besieging government offices had occurred. Xiao Yanyi was also searching for Fourth Master Xiao every day. Mr. Bao, serving as the Vice River Director, happened to be stationed in Wei Hui Prefecture, now trapped in the government office, unable to move, afraid for his life.

The Emperor ordered Shen Ji to personally supervise the grain relief. Shen Ji hastily led his men out of the Capital, chasing the grain convoy that had left the city on the thirtieth of the year. On the night of the twelfth, the door of the Governor Mansion was knocked upon; Shen Ji’s attendant, with a deathly pale face, knelt before Fourth Master Xiao: "The relief grain within the Shandong boundary was completely looted by a group of disaster victims, even The Princely Heir Shen was injured."

Fourth Master Xiao went directly to the palace. The next day, he returned with a sullen expression. Xiqiu served him while washing, observing his anxious demeanor, and gently said, "Fourth Master, do not worry about me, do as you wish."

Many usable people are in the court, yet few are truly effective. Now with Liaodong’s matter unsettled, Wei Hui Prefecture encountered such issues; regardless of who committed the grain looting, once this news reaches the disaster area, the disaster victims driven mad by hunger will disregard the reasons. From the floods drowning cities and the court’s ineffective disaster relief to the current snow disaster leaving a city full of hungry people, the pent-up anger will need an outlet. Once someone provokes the tinder, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Fourth Master Xiao embraced her, placed a hand on her belly, and softly replied, "Nothing is more important than you and the child, I’m not going anywhere."

"Fourth Master!" Xiqiu rested her head on his shoulder, silently for a long time.

The next day, Min sat cross-legged at the edge of the kang practicing calligraphy. Xiqiu took the small jacket she just made for him, measuring against his body. Min’s bright eyes asked, "Mother made this for me?"

"Yes." Xiqiu replied with a smile, "Min this past half a year has grown a lot. Before New Year there wasn’t enough time, so I made a set for you. Now with some leisure, I’m making another, you can wear it when the study opens on the twentieth of the first month."

Min looked at the crimson small jacket in Xiqiu’s hands, his eyes turned into crescent moons with laughter, nodding repeatedly: "The clothes Mother makes are the nicest."

Xiqiu laughed, rubbed his head, then cupped his little face and kissed it, asking: "Grandmother said during the Lantern Festival she would bring Xing over, then Tiancheng will take you to Qing Lake to release river lights, okay?"

"Sure." Min nodded then dejectedly lowered his head: "Only two days left, isn’t it too late to make the lanterns?"

"Hmm?" Xiqiu set down the thread, looked at him, and asked: "You want to make what kind of lanterns? Though two days are a bit rushed, it should be possible if not too complex." Then paused and added: "Let Erquan help you."

Min immediately stood up, looking eager: "Then I’ll have someone bring Erquan in now." He said, starting to step off the kang to put on shoes. Nanny Cen just lifted the curtain and came in, seeing him wanting to step off, she immediately ran over to put on his shoes: "Young Master Min, do you need to use the toilet? Nanny will carry you there."

Min’s face turned red, immediately waving his hand: "No, no!" Then added: "I’m having someone find Erquan."

Nanny Cen laughed and replied: "Then there’s no need to come down. Let servant handle things; it’s cold outside now, mustn’t be frozen." Saying this, she helped take off Min’s shoes: "Servant will be right back!"

Min had to climb back onto the kang, sitting helplessly. Xiqiu laughed, looking at Min: "Were you hoping to find paper and bamboo strips along the way?"

Min nodded upon hearing, Xiqiu said: "Then go ahead, there should be some in the storeroom. Let Nanny Rong take you, be careful of the slippery roads outside, don’t fall."

Min immediately revealed a smiling face, nodded delightedly, and slid off the kang.

On the fifteenth of the first month, the Lantern Festival, fireworks sounded out in the Capital, the whole city decorated with red lanterns. The festive atmosphere wasn’t affected by the disaster. The Grand Dowager and First Madam brought Xing over to eat Lantern Festival dumplings; Tiancheng and Erquan accompanied the two children to Qing Lake to release lanterns. Xiqiu also had many lanterns hung in the yard, the entire garden glowing red.

That night, in the palace, a matter neither small nor large occurred; the Eldest Prince’s new jacket reddened his tender skin. The Emperor was furious, immediately ordered an investigation. It was discovered this batch of fabric was sent from Jiangnan before New Year, originating from the Jiangning Weaving Bureau. The Emperor swept a table of memorials and tea sets aside, yelling: "Thoroughly investigate this matter, punish severely without leniency!"

The next day, court impeachment letters against Jiangning Weaving soared like snowflakes. The Liu Family behind Jiangning Weaving was implicated, leading to the Min Family, then to Prince Rong, even dragging out old affairs including the former Crown Prince issues. Someone mentioned the Liaoning salt mine incident was Prince Rong secretly masterminding, with Ren Jun merely a scapegoat. Hence, the Emperor sent from the Imperial Clan Court to fetch Ren Jun. Seeing him, even Fourth Master Xiao was startled, as the once suave Third Master Ren had, in less than a month, become emaciated beyond recognition, needing support to walk...

The investigation naturally found nothing, Ren Jun was sent back, but the Min Family’s troubles intensified.

On the twentieth of the first month, Min’s study opened. Tiancheng and Erquan took Min to the Marquis Mansion; Xiqiu paced the room for a walk... Chunliu lifted the thick curtains of the Warm Pavilion and reported: "Madam, disaster victim riots erupted in Wei Hui Prefecture. Mr. Bao and twelve officials of various ranks from the government office were all bound and paraded publicly, the urgent dispatch over eight hundred miles just arrived in the Capital."

Riots? Evidently, the matter still wasn’t concealed. Shen Ji hadn’t returned yet, but Wei Hui Prefecture’s news already leaked. Certainly, someone secretly incited the citizens: "Did Fourth Master go to the palace?"

"Yes!" Chunliu replied and added: "As Tiancheng said, there are stirrings over in Jiangnan too, likely connected to the Min Family, and even Shandong has a few groups of bandits."

Is this the true intention of Prince Rong? Because the matter of the salt mine can no longer be concealed, has he simply decided to implement his long-held plan ahead of schedule?

"Moreover," Chunliu replied, "The Empress Dowager has fallen ill, and I heard this time it’s quite serious; she’s been unconscious for two days and hasn’t awakened. Princess Rong brought the young lord into the palace to attend to her illness." The Emperor is probably aware of Prince Rong’s intentions too. Now, with the Empress Dowager ill and Princess Rong entering the palace to care for her, the next step should be Prince Rong’s turn.

Things that must come will come, but she worries about Fourth Master Xiao, as if everything from all sides is converging at once. The Emperor certainly won’t leave him idle with nothing to do; she sighed and said, "Go wait at the door, if Fourth Master returns, tell him I’m looking for him."

Chunliu replied affirmatively, looked at Xiqiu with a worried expression, and then let her gaze fall onto her stomach: "Madam, will Fourth Master be sent by the Emperor to quell the chaos?" Madam is only five months along, but the Jiangnan affair is not something that can be resolved quickly, and if Fourth Master leaves, he wouldn’t be back for at least half a year.

By then, Madam will give birth...

"We will talk about future matters in the future." Xiqiu sighed and said, "Besides, we always handled everything ourselves before, why is it that now we’re living in luxury and yet we’ve regressed."

Chunliu did not speak, lifted the curtain and was about to go out, when she bumped head-on into Biwu who was rushing in, both exclaimed in pain, with one covering her forehead and the other holding her nose squatting on the ground, Xiqiu looked at them and asked, "Let me take a look to see if you’re hurt in such a frantic state."

Biwu, with tears in her eyes, stood up while covering her nose, waving her hand: "It’s nothing, nothing." Chunliu glared at her, "What’s going on, running like there’s no tomorrow."

"Right, right." Biwu recalled something and immediately replied, "There’s someone outside who brought a stretcher and put it at the door, lying on the stretcher is a young lord, and beside him stands a seven or eight-year-old child, claiming to be looking for Madam."

"A stretcher? Who?" Xiqiu asked suspiciously.

Biwu shook her head and said, "I don’t know them, lean with dark skin, seems severely injured, and is unconscious now, that child is dumb, keeps writing the word ’Madam’ on the ground with his hand, I see he can only write these two words."

"Incoherent, talked for ages and I still couldn’t understand," Chunliu frowned and looked at Xiqiu: "Madam, let me see." Xiqiu nodded and instructed: "If they are victims of disaster, give them some food and silver, don’t make it hard for them."

Chunliu replied affirmatively and left with Biwu.

Xiqiu secretly found it strange, how did disaster victims know her name and come directly to her door?

The Governor Mansion’s location is close to the Imperial City, with guards patrolling the streets frequently here, ordinary disaster victims can’t even enter the city gates, how could they arrive at her doorstep.

Within a moment, Chunliu returned breathless, as she entered, her expression changed several times upon seeing Xiqiu.

Xiqiu looked at her puzzled, asking: "Why such a reaction, could it be someone you know?" How could she know anyone?

"Madam, it really is someone you know," Chunliu nodded, a bit stammering: "... it’s... it’s the cousin!"

Xiqiu was stunned, stood up, looked at her and asked: "Is it cousin?" Chunliu nodded, replied: "Wearing ragged clothes, terribly thin out of shape, face is bluish and bruised, talking deliriously and having a high fever, I almost didn’t recognize it was the cousin!"

"Where is he? Sent to the outer courtyard?" Xiqiu asked.

Chunliu shook her head: "Although he’s the cousin, nonetheless he’s a man, and I dare not make decisions, just let them carry him inside to the gatehouse, Madam, what should we do?"

"Move him to the outer courtyard for now." Xiqiu was worried and troubled, paused and then said: "Let Tiancheng go to the medical center to invite Sister Jingliu over."

No one knows what happened, what exactly happened to Xu Tianqing, how did he get injured and suddenly appear at her door? Where has he been these past two years, Lord Xu searched for him so long yet without a trace, now he suddenly shows up in the Capital!

Anyway, with him being ill, the priority is to treat him first.

Chunliu hesitated, thought for a moment and then said: "I looked at the cousin and found him very strange!"