Chapter 604: Proud of You
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Mingzhu was busy washing her face and hands, earnestly replying, “Your Highness, I know there’s always more to be done. But I think if it were me, and a family member had passed away, I would hope someone from the mansion would come to visit and offer support as soon as possible.”
Yuwen Chu walked over and had already heard about what Mingzhu had done today. Seeing her serious expression and hearing her words, he felt deeply pleased. “Exactly. Attitude is often the most important thing. If you can empathize with them, they will surely repay you.”
Mingzhu whispered, “I’m not expecting any repayment. I just feel that these people are yours and they died for you. Doing a little more for them is only natural. They lost someone dear to them. What I’ve done is nothing compared to that. If it were me, no matter how much money others gave me, I couldn’t exchange it for the life of a loved one.”
Her words were sincere and sensible, warming Yuwen Chu’s heart. He looked at Mingzhu tenderly and said, “Zhu Zhu, I’m proud of you.”
Mingzhu blushed at his praise and quickly responded, “How can that be? I’m proud of you.”
Yuwen Chu chuckled softly. “You don’t understand my feelings. Just think about what you were doing this time last year and what you’ve accomplished since then. You’ll understand my feelings.”
What was she doing this time last year? It seemed she hadn’t done anything particularly outrageous, right? But in the spring and summer of last year, she had done a few foolish and impulsive things. Mingzhu blushed slightly, thinking that he didn’t know about her past. Although her performance last year was not perfect, it was much better compared to before.
“This time last year, I was dealing with Jiang Shanshan, while you were thinking about obtaining the recipe for gunpowder from her,” she retorted, unwilling to let go of the opportunity to tease Yuwen Chu.
Yuwen Chu didn’t argue with her. Instead, he held her hand and rubbed it gently. “Are you going again tomorrow?”
Mingzhu nodded. “I’ve visited all the families who lost someone today. Tomorrow, I’ll go see those who were injured. I have an idea. The charity hall we ran at the Great Temple operated for almost half a year. I think it went well. Although it didn’t make any money, it didn’t incur losses either. I’m thinking, could we try opening one in the capital? For cases like the Luo family, we can provide them with money, but our support is limited. We can’t just keep supporting them indefinitely. Besides, their problems can’t be solved by money alone. Mrs. Luo is disabled and doesn’t go out, she has no interaction with others, and she doesn’t know anything. Now, she has to be the breadwinner of the family, which is very difficult to imagine. If we have a charity hall, she can do what she can with others, meet more people, and receive more help. Peisi can study and grow up with friends, instead of always being alone.”
The charity hall not only helped people with basic needs, but also helped special groups like the Luo family integrate into society, make friends, and receive more care and assistance, allowing them to live better lives. With their minds settled, they would have a righteous path to follow and wouldn’t resort to wrongdoing.
Yuwen Chu thought carefully for a moment before saying, “That’s a good idea. However, it’s too burdensome for you alone. Why don’t you let An Xiaogu and the others help you? I believe many people would be willing to participate. Even if it’s just a pretense, they would hope to have a good reputation.”
Mingzhu smiled and said, “I want them to join me in this endeavor. Relying solely on myself, I already feel overwhelmed. Besides…” She leaned in close to Yuwen Chu’s ear and whispered, “It’s also a good opportunity to unite everyone. With many friends and extensive connections, my favorable reputation also benefits you, doesn’t it?”
Yuwen Chu sighed softly, “I already have your favor.” Initially, he simply wanted Mingzhu to understand the hardships of these individuals and improve her reputation a bit. However, she always managed to surprise him, thinking deeply and acting with humility and kindness. She probably wouldn’t know how much of an impact her actions today had on his group of guards and spies. Loyalty isn’t earned with just a pat on the back or kind words; it’s accumulated through consistent actions.
Mingzhu gestured for Yuwen Chu to sit down as she massaged his shoulders. “What did you gain today, Your Highness?”
“Don’t bother, you’re tired too.” Yuwen Chu held Mingzhu’s hand and guided her to sit down, saying calmly, “Zhu Wenhan is a tough nut to crack. He wouldn’t divulge anything important, and convincing him was impossible. I’ve ordered his execution.”
So soon? Mingzhu was extremely surprised. Someone like Zhu Wenhan held significant value, and she had thought Yuwen Chu would engage with him for a long time. But to her surprise, he swiftly eliminated him with just one outing.
Yuwen Chu explained, “Such individuals pose a significant risk if left alive. Letting him escape would be dangerous. I couldn’t take that risk.” Initially, he had Du Heng incite trouble among scholars in the northern region, successfully creating the “Mei Clan Calamity” and tarnishing the reputation of Zhongshan Wang, because Zhu Wenhan wasn’t in the north at the time, lurking in the capital. If Zhu Wenhan had been in the north at the time, the outcome might have been different.
“But I always feel that Zhu Wenhan knew a lot of things. Now that he’s gone, many truths may remain hidden,” Mingzhu said. In her past life, she didn’t know about Zhu Wenhan, of course, nor did she know about Yuwen Chu’s dealings with him behind the scenes. However, she had many unanswered questions, like how Jiang Shanshan’s crossbow blueprint ended up in Yuwen You’s hands, how they conspired against the Fu family, and so on. But now, with things changing repeatedly, she might never get the answers.
“Many things don’t necessarily need to be known unless necessary. Knowing the outcome is sufficient,” Yuwen Chu said. “Only a few people know about Zhu Wenhan’s death. Don’t spread it around. I still need this as leverage in negotiations with Yuwen Feng and his son.”
Mingzhu nodded in agreement. After tidying up, the couple had dinner and retired for the night.
In the following days, Mingzhu continued tirelessly dealing with remaining matters and then visited An Xiaogu. After a long discussion, they agreed on the establishment of the charity hall and selected the first group of participants. Then they split up, with Mingzhu visiting Qi Wangfei and other royal relatives while An Xiaogu visited young nobles’ families. After some deliberation, progress began to take shape.
Some were observant, some enthusiastic. Qi Wangfei and Dai Wangfei were all very interested and expressed their desire to participate. Even Xu Meier, who married Yuwen Long, unexpectedly came.
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