Marquis Manor held a quiet family banquet in celebration. Duan Ning had to prepare for the Palace Examination, so they did not disturb him for long.
Mingxi’s support for Duan Ning had also subtly influenced the Second and Third Madams in how they regarded their own shu sons.
Before Duan Ning’s success, they had treated their concubine-born sons with neutrality—not mistreating them, but not particularly fostering them either.
But after witnessing Duan Ning’s achievements and his attitude toward Mingxi, they began to reevaluate their own sons’ futures.
Mingxi had once said, There is a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but if a concubine’s son succeeds, doesn’t the main family still reap the benefits?
A family should stand united to grow stronger, rather than engaging in internal strife that would only make them a laughingstock to outsiders.
Now, with Duan Ning as a living example before them, the message resonated even more.
This time, Duan Chen and Duan Xun were promptly given new study plans by their mothers. They were still young—there was time to push them toward excellence.
The concubines, Mi Yiniang from the second branch and Dong Yiniang from the third branch, were overjoyed upon hearing the news, knowing that it was all thanks to the Eldest Young Miss kindness.
if not for the Eldest Young Miss supporting the Second Young Master, how could their sons have such great fortune?
Since Duan Jin had failed the exam this time, his marriage had to proceed first. The Second Madam had originally intended to use her son’s success to put pressure on the Ma family. But now that he had not achieved the top ranking, she became more low-key. The Ma family, upon learning that the Marquis Manor had produced a jinshi, became even more invested in the marriage.
Finding out that their future son-in-law had narrowly missed passing, they secretly breathed a sigh of relief—thankfully, he hadn’t succeeded this time.
Once their daughter was married, her husband would continue studying diligently. If he passed next time, it would be her daughter’s good fortune to bring him luck. Facing such a difficult mother-in-law as the Second Madam, at least she would have some leverage.
The wedding had been planned long ago, only waiting for the results of the spring exams. The date was set for after the palace examination.
If Duan Ning achieved a high rank in the palace examination, it would be a double celebration.
Unfortunately, when the results came out, Duan Ning did not make it into the top three but ranked sixth. Still, making it into the top ten was already an impressive achievement.
The Marquis Manor erupted in celebration, setting off firecrackers and hosting a grand banquet.
Dingyuan Marquis, who had been labeled a playboy his whole life, was now finally receiving admiration thanks to his son’s success. He was practically beaming with pride.
Madam Jiang, however, was feeling more frustrated than ever. But at this point, she dared not cause trouble and even treated Aunt Yang more generously than before.
After all, Yang Yiniang now had a jinshi son—things were different now.
When Qi He arrived in the capital, he was immediately met with this good news and was utterly surprised. He hadn’t expected the Marquis Manor to produce a jinshi, let alone someone ranked sixth!
Qi He did not dare show himself openly and instead went to Fang Xulin’s place.
“Uncle Fang, please send someone to discreetly invite the Eldest Young Lady.”
Fang Xulin was a man of few words, but seeing that Qi He had traveled thousands of miles back, he knew it must be something important. He nodded, shut the doors, and closed the small restaurant for the day.
After changing his clothes, he left to deliver the message.
Upon receiving the news, Mingxi immediately went to meet Qi He.
Seeing her arrive, Qi He stepped forward and saluted. “Your subordinate greets the Eldest Young Lady.”
“Qi He, why have you returned?” Mingxi’s eyes showed concern. Had something happened to Xiao Muchen? “Did Wangye encounter trouble?”
Qi He quickly shook his head. “His Highness is fine. He sent me to deliver a letter to you.”
Mingxi looked puzzled. Sending her a letter at this time—was there something urgent she needed to do?
“Where is the letter?” she asked.
Qi He carefully took out the letter and handed it over with both hands.
Mingxi took the letter, sat down on a nearby chair, and opened it to read. Halfway through, her expression turned unreadable.
She was a little surprised.
Xiao Muchen was concerned that her actions would attract too much attention. First, he asked whether she had already made preparations. Second, if she hadn’t, he was ready to handle things for her.
How could Mingxi not have a backup plan? it was just that time had been tight, and she hadn’t had the chance to fully arrange things. She hadn’t been able to explain everything to Xiao Muchen at the time.
Yet he had already considered all the risks for her, even offering to take care of the aftermath.
Qi He watched as the Eldest Young Miss stared at the letter in a daze. After a while, he quietly reminded her, “Eldest Young Miss, Wangye asked you to be sure to send a reply.”
Mingxi snapped out of her thoughts. Hearing Qi He’s words, she nodded with an awkward expression. “Please fetch me paper and a brush.”
Qi He immediately complied.
Mingxi took a deep breath.
Eight hundred thousand taels of silver was no small amount for them. Her father had kept only the merchandise funds from the imperial Weaving and Dyeing Bureau and had given her all the liquid silver he had earned.
She had then taken a portion of her personal savings to make up the full eight hundred thousand taels. She had already consulted Third Master Duan and had her accountant estimate the military expenses.
She didn’t know how long this war would last, but she knew the military costs would be immense.
Qinan’s terrain was complex, suitable for both attack and defense. But the Great Chu army faced shortages of provisions and warhorses. if the standoff lasted too long, they would inevitably suffer losses.
If the Great Chu forces lost another battle in Qinan, the Crown Prince’s faction would surely launch a fierce attack on Duan Wang.
Mingxi was giving money not just for Xiao Muchen’s sake, but for her own.
She picked up the brush to write the reply, but the weight of the pen felt like a thousand pounds, pressing heavily on her wrist.
After a brief pause, she steadied herself and began writing.
Although she and her father had contributed the eight hundred thousand taels, the credit for this silver must not fall entirely on their shoulders.
Mingxi had already made plans, but judging from Xiao Muchen’s letter, he had his own considerations. She outlined her initial strategy for him, suggesting that he adapt it to the circumstances. If he had a better plan, she would follow his lead.
Originally, she had intended to distribute some of the credit to Xu Donglin and Huang Shao. But since Xiao Muchen had mentioned Fengan Marquis and Xiao Lin in his letter, she understood his intentions.
If just a few hundred thousand taels of silver could bring Fengan Marquis and Xiao Lin firmly onto Duan Wang’s side, it would be more than worth it.
Money could always be earned again, but opportunities like this were once in a lifetime.
Moreover, this money would save Great Chu’s soldiers, protect its land, and earn Xiao Muchen military merits.
This wasn’t just worthwhile—it was an absolute bargain!
Mingxi sealed the letter and handed it to Qi He. “Please deliver this to His Highness.”
“Eldest Young Miss, you are too kind. This is my duty,” Qi He said solemnly, carefully stowing the letter away.
Mingxi then inquired about the army’s situation. Since military matters were confidential, she didn’t ask too many details. Aside from the dire shortages of food and horses, the army was holding up. She sighed in relief.
That silver would be enough to resolve these urgent problems.
Suddenly, Mingxi remembered something that she had forgotten to mention in the letter. She quietly told Qi He, “The grain supplies near the Great Chu border are likely running low after the second round of requisitions. If we need to buy more, we’ll have to go farther.”
Qi He nodded. “The Eldest Young Miss is right. The counties around Yuxiang City have already undergone two rounds of grain collection, and their stock is indeed limited. His Highness is reluctant to impose another levy on the people, fearing it would cause unrest, so he has been holding off on this matter.”
Mingxi looked at him and said, “The common people near Yuxiang City have no grain left to collect, but there must be grain merchants in Qinan hoarding supplies and waiting to make a profit.”
In times of war, there were always unscrupulous traders looking to make a fortune.
Qi He’s eyes lit up—yes, they hadn’t even considered this possibility.
Then, he hesitated. “But how do we find these people?”
They weren’t merchants and didn’t understand the trade networks.
Mingxi responded decisively, “I’ll have You Sanping go with you.”
It was time to bring out this valuable asset!
When it came to business, there was no one sharper than him!
