Mingxi had no idea that the Old Madam was planning everything so thoroughly on her behalf regarding the Jiang family.
She hadn’t yet heard about Jiang Sujie’s schemes. Even if she had, she wouldn’t have cared.
A side consort?
Wishful thinking.
The memorial sent by Ning Qin Wang soon reached the capital and was presented to the emperor. Once reviewed, the Ministry of War received the memorials submitted by Ning Qin Wang and Marquis Fengcheng with imperial approval.
The news about eight hundred thousand taels of silver spread like wildfire.
The entire capital was in shock.
Suddenly people recalled that Duan Pingchang had recently been selling off properties. Now it made sense—he was gathering silver.
Others mentioned how Ning Qin Wangfei had sold off some of her jewelry. At the time, no one thought much of it—they just assumed she was trading old pieces for new.
Before sending the memorials to the capital, both Ning Qin Wang and the Marquis had sent letters home to their wives. Ning Qin Wang’s residence attracted attention due to their status, so they had to prepare accordingly.
No one paid much attention to the Marquis’s wife. The jewelry sale by Ning Qin Wangfei had been intentional—meant to provide a proper explanation for the source of the funds.
In truth, neither of them had actually provided the money. It was all private silver from Mingxi and Duan Pingchang. Even if they didn’t contribute money, they had to put on a convincing performance.
Back when Duan Wang insisted on marrying Duan Mingxi, noble young ladies in the capital were envious that she would become a royal bride. But many others mocked Duan Wang for his choice.
Mingxi might have come from a noble family, but she was lost as a child and raised by merchants before being found again. What use was a good title when she had been raised by merchants? Such a background was hardly presentable.
If Mingxi had one redeeming quality, it was that she had some money.
But now—that very money had opened the door for Duan Wang’s military success, giving him the opportunity to earn massive merit.
Eight hundred thousand taels!
Even the most prestigious families in the capital would struggle to raise that amount of silver all at once.
After last year’s Dragon Boat Festival, the Duan family briefly gained some attention. But they quickly became low-key again. Whether it was Duan Yu’s position or the official roles of Second and Third Master Duan, the capital’s residents assumed it was the Old Marquis pulling strings.
No one would have guessed that Mingxi was behind it all. The general assumption was that because Mingxi had secured a marriage with Duan Wang, the Duan family was rising by association.
Only the Duan family themselves knew the truth.
They all kept quiet. Even Madam Jiang, though eager to see her sons rise, didn’t dare speak of it even among her own kin.
Besides, her relationship with Mingxi was poor, and in her heart, she didn’t want people to praise Mingxi too highly.
Mingxi herself didn’t want credit, which relieved her. If word got out, Mingxi would only be further embarrassed.
So, ironically, Madam Jiang had more reason than anyone to keep the secret.
Now that the matter of the 800,000 taels had become public, even though the Duan family only provided 400,000, the fact that Ning Qin Wang and the Marquis had to sell off family assets just to gather the rest meant Mingxi’s contribution was pivotal.
The old narrative that Mingxi was just a “wild bird turned phoenix” was shattered. Instead, more people started admiring Duan Wang’s keen judgment—he had essentially married a treasure trove.
At that time, Duan Pingchang was drinking with Xu Donglin.
“You’re not being fair,” Xu Donglin said lazily, watching him. “Such a big matter, and not a single word of warning.”
Duan Pingchang gave a wry smile and let out a long sigh. “My lord, others may not know, but you do. When Wangye left the capital to lead troops, the Ministry of Revenue barely gave him any support. My daughter wasn’t even married yet, and I was burning with anxiety.”
Xu Donglin glanced at Duan Pingchang—this man was so afraid that his daughter would become a widow before marriage that he was willing to risk everything to ensure the Wangye’s safe return to the capital.
Whether Duan Pingchang acted out of a desire for wealth and status or genuine love for his adopted daughter, his actions were far beyond what ordinary people could do.
With such loyalty, his weight in the eyes of Duan Wang would certainly be different.
Now that his name had even reached the emperor’s ears, it meant he had left an impression in front of the Son of Heaven.
This silver was well spent!
Others thought Duan Pingchang had emptied his entire fortune, but Xu Donglin knew better—four hundred thousand taels of silver would not be enough to trouble him.
At this point, Xu Donglin saw Duan Pingchang in a new light.
Previously, in Xu Donglin’s eyes, Duan Pingchang was simply the wealthy merchant and adoptive father of Duan Wang’s fiancée. Now… how many merchants in the entire court could get the emperor to notice their name?
Moreover, Xu Donglin had received word that the shizi of the Marquis Household, Duan Yu, along with his two younger brothers, had recently visited Duan Pingchang’s residence. This clearly indicated a proper alliance between the Marquis Household and the Duan family.
With this in mind, Xu Donglin raised his cup and smiled at Duan Pingchang. “Brother Duan, I’m happy for you.”
Duan Pingchang quickly lifted his cup, his expression sincere. “If it weren’t for your fairness and integrity, sir, I would have long been forced to return to Jiangcheng in disgrace. I drink this in gratitude for your past support.”
Xu Donglin laughed heartily, his expression growing even more amicable as he downed the drink in one gulp. He then looked at Duan Pingchang again and said, “You’re quite prominent now, but that also means you’ve drawn attention. Be careful in the coming days.”
Duan Pingchang was taken aback. “Sir, I haven’t offended anyone recently.”
Though he looked puzzled, his heart tightened. “Please, sir, advise me.”
“Brother Duan, we’ve known each other for a while now and get along well. I wouldn’t normally say this,” Xu Donglin shook his head. “But since we are friends, there are some things I must warn you about…”
“Sir, your sincerity means everything to me,” Duan Pingchang said earnestly, pouring more wine for Xu Donglin. “Please enlighten me.”
Xu Donglin lowered his voice. “With eight hundred thousand taels of silver supporting him, Duan Wang is sure to secure military merits. Who do you think that threatens the most?”
Duan Pingchang’s expression turned serious.
Xu Donglin sighed. “Just watch. In half a month at the latest, or as soon as three to five days, your position… I may not be able to protect it.”
Duan Pingchang finally understood. He fixed his gaze on Xu Donglin. “Sir, didn’t you say before that the Twenty-Four Bureaus were untouchable?”
Xu Donglin gave him a knowing look. “That’s just talk to keep people at bay. If they were truly untouchable, how do you think the second and third masters of Marquis Household secured their positions?”
Duan Pingchang fell silent.
He knew Xu Donglin was giving him an honest warning. “Sir, what should I do? I ask for your guidance.”
“Brother, we’ve been friends for a long time, and I will certainly try to protect you. But if someone above explicitly orders your replacement, I may not be able to do anything. You must understand—when it comes to the weaving and dyeing trade, finding a reason to dismiss someone is the easiest thing in the world.”
All it took was a complaint about the color or texture of the fabrics. If the Kunde Palace issued an order, the Internal Weaving Bureau would have to replace him immediately.
At this moment, Duan Pingchang’s expression finally changed.
