Chapter 954 - 948: Grain and Grass
After leaving the Wei Mansion, Su Jin returned to the inn.
The folded fan was returned to Mr. Lin, and the matters at the Wei Mansion were temporarily suppressed. She could leave Su State undistracted.
Once the bundle was packed, and the coachman and servant returned, she could set off, stay a night on the boat, and depart early next morning.
But Su Jin’s plans, though well-thought-out, did not account for the coachman and servant who were bribed by Sun Prefect.
She waited and waited at the inn, but the coachman was delayed.
Instead, Mr. Lin arrived, returning the writing set Su Jin had given him.
Su Jin looked at him and said, "What is Mr. Lin doing, not satisfied with my choice of stationery?"
Mr. Lin quickly replied, "Brother Xie’s gift was too precious, I dare not accept it."
Su Jin laughed, "Mr. Lin yield his guest room to me, and nearly ended up on the streets himself. What does it matter if I send a gift of gratitude?"
"Since it’s given to you, how is there any sense in returning it?"
Mr. Lin refused to accept it.
Su Jin said, "If you don’t accept, then I’ll throw it away."
Mr. Lin had never met anyone like Su Jin, he couldn’t refuse anymore.
Xingxing was still concerned about Madam Lin matchmaking for her family’s young lady. She asked, "Doesn’t the Lin Family have a good relationship with the Wei Family? Why didn’t they matchmake for Mr. Wei, letting him fall into Sun Prefect’s hands?"
Mr. Lin also didn’t know how to explain this well.
Because the situation is a bit complicated.
Madam Lin thought Mr. Wei was nice, intending to form an alliance.
But the Wei Family’s eldest daughter married into the Liu Family, and Madam Liu wanted to marry her daughter off to him, with Madam Lin disagreeing.
The Wei Family feared that if they allied with the Lin Family, their daughter who married out would not be treated well by Madam Liu...
Since Mr. Lin never mentioned his own sister, he didn’t feel comfortable discussing these matters, only smiling awkwardly, "Mother hadn’t had the chance to act before Sun Prefect got ahead."
This was Mr. Lin’s evasive words, Su Jin didn’t believe it, Xingxing did.
Just because of the missed opportunity and regret, she hurried to take action after meeting her family’s young lady. People always learn from experience, right?
Seeing Su Jin pack the bundle well, Mr. Lin said, "Is Brother Xie leaving Su State now?"
"Once the servant returns, I’ll depart," Su Jin said.
"Given the chance, I’ll visit Mr. Lin again."
Mr. Lin felt somewhat regretful.
Although he hadn’t known Brother Xie for long, Brother Xie’s words often refreshed him, and he considered Brother Xie a confidant.
Mr. Lin wanted to see Su Jin off.
Unfortunately, Su Jin didn’t know when the servant would return, nor could she delay Mr. Lin repeatedly.
Moreover, she didn’t have much to talk about with Mr. Lin either.
Staying too long, fearing exposure.
After sending Mr. Lin away, Su Jin continued waiting for the coachman and servant.
Waiting and waiting, patience wore thin, Steward Zhou sent someone to inquire with Sun Prefect about the coachman and servant situation.
Hmm.
The coachman and servant were at the pinnacle of life.
Sun Prefect hosted a banquet for them, with singers performing happily.
After all, they were caught with leverage, no good not to entertain well, lest they return to the Capital speaking of Su State’s matters, which would make forming family ties difficult.
Knowing they drank too much, Su Jin worried about the coachman speaking recklessly in a drunken state.
Steward Zhou sent someone to fetch them, but they returned sent away by Sun Mansion’s people.
By evening, Sun Mansion’s people finally sent the coachman and servant to the inn.
The coachman was dead drunk, while the servant was still sober.
Xingxing poured cold water on the coachman’s face but failed to wake him.
Xingxing looked at Su Jin, "What should we do?"
"Carry him into the room," Su Jin said, holding her forehead.
Steward Zhou asked the servant, "Did you say anything you shouldn’t have?"
The servant shook his head, "No, didn’t say a word."
Though just a servant, he has a remarkable tolerance for alcohol.
The coachman also tolerated alcohol well, though drunk, only said a few things, nothing problematic.
He was a servant of the Beauty Pavilion, responsible for transporting Princess Consort Zhenbei this time...
He only said this much, then collapsed at the table unconscious.
Even drunk, he was so cautious, worthy of being from the Beauty Pavilion.
The servant retrieved a thousand silver notes from his chest, "This is hush money given by Sun Prefect, a thousand each for both the coachman and me."
He dared not keep this money.
Steward Zhou accepted the silver note, rewarded the servant with five silvers, and handed the silver note to Xingxing.
Xingxing was one to accept whatever was given.
The steward said, "Steward Shen, have a good rest, set off early tomorrow morning."
A night of good sleep.
The next day, after breakfast, they set off.
Just after leaving Suizhou Prefecture, Zhou Family’s servant rode hastily to catch up.
The servant ran so urgently, nearly crashing into the carriage, tightening the reins urgently.
Seeing this, the housekeeper asked, "What happened that you’re running so hastily?"
The servant quickly said, "A major incident occurred, the court’s ship transporting grain and grass to the border was set afire, all grain and grass burned."
"Even our family’s three boats borrowed to the court were burned."
More important than the boats, losing the grain and grass was the real issue.
The servant was relieved they stopped in Su State, otherwise the enemy burning the grain and grass might have taken them down along with it.
Whether those bandits who burned the grain and grass had left or not was unknown, making the waterway potentially unsafe.
The servant on the boat was uncertain, not knowing when the steward would return. Upon learning of the incident with the grain ship, he quickly rode to notify the steward.
Steward Zhou furrowed his brows tightly.
Su Jin sat in the carriage, coldly laughing.
Putting sand and gravel on the boat, then setting it completely ablaze, no one the wiser.
Steward Zhou looked at Su Jin, "The waterway these days seems unsafe, although time is of the essence, we cannot take this risk."
Zhou Family’s goods could not risk, nor could Princess Consort Zhenbei.
Su Jin considered and said, "Let’s return to Suizhou Prefecture."
The servant looked at the steward and asked, "What about the shipment?"
"The shipment is minor, dock the boat at Suizhou Prefecture first," said the steward.
The servant was a bit puzzled.
How could this be the steward’s words?
He had always regarded goods as more important than anything else.
The steward instructed everyone to turn back to Suizhou Prefecture.
Su Jin returned to the inn and room she had stayed before.
Back there, Su Jin’s first task was to write a letter.
Originally, she planned to have the steward deliver a letter to the Capital for her, but it wasn’t urgent, now it’s unavoidable.
Moreover, this letter was of critical importance, she didn’t trust a regular servant to deliver it.
She thought of Mr. Lin.
After writing the letter, Su Jin went to Lin Mansion.
Mr. Lin had just heard of the grain ship incident at the border of Su State and Lizhou, worried that Su Jin would be in danger taking the boat, unexpectedly Su Jin came to find him.
Su Jin knew of the grain incident but didn’t know it was at the border of Su State and Lizhou.
The location was well-chosen.
The grain incident is a major affair.
Su State and Lizhou would not want to bear such a mistake; in time they would shirk responsibility, and investigating the case of burned grain would become even more difficult.
Mr. Lin looked at Su Jin, "Brother Xie’s visit is?"
Su Jin took out the letter and said, "I came to find Mr. Lin to ask for your help with a matter."
"What matter?" Mr. Lin asked.
"Help me get this letter to the Capital City, personally deliver it to Old Duke Chong."