Chapter 629 - 623_1
Zheng Qin’s actions were such that no one could find fault, even if the Emperor knew that Zheng Qin had sent a message to the Ceng Family. With the precedent set by the former incident and the Empress’s intervention during the dispute with Ceng Lu, although the Emperor outwardly pretended to be unaware, he actually understood that Zheng Qin was ’compelled by necessity’. Therefore, he could not be blamed.
When the Ceng Family received the message, they generously rewarded the messenger, giving him a whole ingot of ten taels of silver and asked him to convey their gratitude to Zheng Qin. Little did they imagine that after leaving the Ceng Family, this person went to meet someone who lounged in a tea house for a while. Emerging with a hint of a malicious smile, it wasn’t long before rumors about Ceng Lu began to spread wildly, and soon, not just Ceng Lu, but all sorts of sordid affairs related to the family were dredged up, becoming more exaggerated as they spread.
Putting aside the situation in the Capital for the moment, Lin Yue was also worried about the gates of Xin’an City staying closed. With such a long time since they’d been able to enter the city and so many new servants added to her household, many supplies needed replenishing. Yet, the city gates remained stubbornly closed. If it was previously to keep beggars out, now that they’d dispersed, it was puzzling as to why the gates were still shut. Was Ceng Lu out of his mind? Was he not afraid of being held accountable by the higher-ups? Little did Lin Yue know, the real reason the gates stayed closed was that Ceng Lu simply had no idea that the beggars had already left.
Seeing the dwindling supply of grain in the family storehouse, Lin Yue didn’t want to tap into the reserves kept hidden away, and simply waiting for the city gates to open was no solution. With the gates closed for so long, the situation inside the city was likely grim, and even if the gates did open, it would take a while to recover. She had no choice but to send Liu Aniu with others to a town even further away to make the necessary purchases.
"Madam, it’s only purchasing grain and daily necessities, these items aren’t expensive, it shouldn’t cost so much silver," Liu Aniu said, seeing Lin Yue give him a silver note worth two thousand taels.
"I trust you, just take it with you. It’s always good to carry more silver when going out to buy things, in case you find you’re short and can’t come back to get more. Just the journey back and forth will take three or four days, and with the flood having just passed, the price of grain is certainly not cheap. Make sure to get a clear idea of the market prices. Regardless of how expensive grain is, buy more to bring back. With so many mouths to feed at home, we’re going through grain very fast," Lin Yue cautioned, worrying that Liu Aniu might hesitate to make a purchase if he found the prices too steep. She didn’t know what the future might hold, but for the foreseeable future, grain prices were unlikely to drop, and whether the situation would improve was uncertain. It was only sensible to store more grain at home for peace of mind. She knew all too well that during the previous crisis, even with a handful of silver notes, there was nowhere to spend them, while the consumption of grain at home was still massive. She had been resourceful, mixing corn or sweet potatoes with rice to cook into porridge, trying to save as much as possible. Even so, the grain in the storehouse had already been reduced by more than half.
"Don’t worry, madam, I understand and will handle everything well," Liu Aniu assured her, never questioning his master’s instructions. If Lin Yue told him to do it, it must be right.