“At this stage, it’s no longer about money, is it, Grandfather?”
Mingxi understood what he meant—he was worried she would feel distressed over the financial loss. But if that were the case, she would never have made such a decision.
She knew that in this world, there was never a scenario where only one side profited completely. Having died once, she found material wealth much easier to let go of.
“As long as one is alive, money can always be earned again,” she added.
“Besides, it’s not that there won’t be any profits—just that they’ll be much smaller.”
The Old Master saw that Mingxi had made up her mind. Perhaps her words about lower profits were just to comfort him.
Still, seeing such determination and boldness in her, he realized he should not hold her back.
“Are you aware of the consequences of your actions?” he asked.
“Yes,” Mingxi nodded.
The consequence was dragging the Eastern Palace and the Xingan Marquis Household into the water with her. She had already committed to donating her winnings—what about them?
The money they earned—whether they returned it or not—would still leave them open to ridicule.
And knowing the Crown Prince’s temperament, he would likely be furious.
Xingan Marquis, already disgraced by He Wanyi’s scandal, had hoped to use the dragon boat race to restore its reputation. But instead, while trying to step on her, they had ended up as her stepping stone.
“This all started because you gave that large sum to Duan Wang,” the Old Master noted.
Mingxi understood his unspoken warning—he was subtly advising her not to be too conspicuous. Otherwise, she would not have faced this situation today.
But she didn’t agree. She met her grandfather’s gaze and said firmly, “Grandfather, do you think that if I took a step back, the Eastern Palace would stop?”
“Of course not,” the Old Master replied, “but things could have been handled with more subtlety.”
“Yes, but could Duan Wang wait? Could Yuxiang City wait? Could the people at the border wait?”
“From the moment His Majesty entrusted Duan Wang with the army, he was destined to be seen as a thorn in the Empress’s and the Crown Prince’s eyes. Retreating is useless.”
The Old Master listened to her unwavering tone and met her determined gaze. He realized that this child was not one to be easily swayed.
He chuckled. “Very well. You make a good point. But remember, Mingxi—don’t push too far. His Majesty may not take kindly to it.”
Mingxi understood. Her grandfather was warning her that the Emperor was still protecting the Crown Prince. If she pressed too hard, it would not be to her advantage.
“I understand, Grandfather. I’ll be careful.”
“Go, then,” the Old Master waved her off.
As he watched Mingxi’s departing figure, he sighed softly. This child was far too much like his younger self.
Meanwhile, Fang Xulin had been keeping a close eye on the situation outside. As soon as he heard about the dragon boat race, he immediately sent word to Consort Shu in the palace.
Consort Shu took a long moment to process the news. Beside her, Hu Momo watched cautiously before hesitantly asking, “Your Highness, should we summon the young miss and ask her what’s going on?”
Consort Shu’s expression was solemn. “I know Mingxi’s temperament. If she acted this way, something must have happened. Unfortunately, Fang Xulin can only see what’s on the surface—he doesn’t know what’s behind it.”
“Indeed. To make such a commotion and drag the Crown Prince into the mess, the Empress certainly won’t let it slide.” Hu Momo grew anxious. Young Lady Duan was impressive, but if she met someone even more powerful, she would only suffer.
Feeling restless, she suggested, “Should I go out of the palace and ask her myself?”
“You’ll draw too much attention. Send Xuecen instead,” Consort Shu instructed. “Let her leave immediately.”
The sooner they got to the bottom of this, the sooner they could prepare.
Xuecen swiftly changed into plain clothes, took the Cuiwei Palace token, and discreetly left the palace.
Meanwhile, Mingxi had just left Marquis Household and headed straight for Yuxian Tower, where the major shopkeepers were waiting for her.
Since she had made her decision, all her businesses had to act accordingly. Naturally, the shopkeepers needed to understand her reasoning.
Before Mingxi arrived, You Sanping had already given them a simplified explanation. Of course, he omitted any mention of the Eastern Palace and Xingan Marquis Household, only stating that the young miss was concerned about the war in Yuxiang City—hence her actions.
Everyone knew that the eldest young lady was the future Duan Wangfei, so it wasn’t surprising that she was doing these things for him.
Xue Cen first went to the Marquis Household but didn’t find her there, so she hurried to Yuxian Tower, where she saw Mingxi discussing matters with several shopkeepers.
To be honest, this was the first time Xue Cen had seen the eldest young lady outside the palace. She hadn’t expected her to appear so formidable, so different from the gentle demeanor she usually displayed in the palace.
Mingxi glanced sideways at Xue Cen, who was waiting in the courtyard. After saying a few more words to the shopkeepers, she dismissed them.
As the shopkeepers exited the main hall, they noticed the elegantly dressed woman standing in the courtyard with an extraordinary bearing. They wondered who she was, but before they could speculate further, they saw the eldest young lady step forward with a smile and say, “Miss Xue Cen, what brings you here? Come inside and talk.”
Xue Cen stepped forward and curtsied. “This servant greets the eldest young lady. My mistress has a message for you.”
Mistress…
What mistress?
Hearing this, the shopkeepers couldn’t help but glance back. At that moment, You Sanping approached and said to them, “Gentlemen, it’s time to go.”
The manager of Yuxian Tower had already guessed the truth but kept quiet, pretending not to know. The other shopkeepers, hoping to get some information from You Sanping, were quickly dismissed by his words.
Once everyone had left, Qi Dongchun sighed at You Sanping, “Steward You, why don’t you try persuading the eldest young lady? The amount of silver she has thrown at Duan Wang already is no small sum. She isn’t even married yet, is she?”
You Sanping met Qi Dongchun’s worried gaze and replied calmly, “It’s easy to add flowers to embroidery, but hard to send charcoal in the snow.”
Qi Dongchun understood the sentiment, but few were truly willing to act on it.
“You have a point,” Qi Dongchun admitted, saying no more. You Sanping had always been loyal to the young lady, so persuading her was difficult. Instead, he decided to focus on earning more money—at the rate the young lady was spending silver, the year-end accounts might be empty. How would they celebrate the New Year then?
While Qi Dongchun was pondering ways to make more money, Mingxi wrote a letter and handed it to Xue Cen, asking her to deliver it to Consort Shu.
Xue Cen tucked the letter carefully inside her robe and softly relayed, “Niang Niang instructed me to tell you: be cautious in all things, and do not overdo it.”
Mingxi nodded slightly. “Thank you for the reminder, but when someone has already put a knife to my throat, I cannot simply offer my neck.”
Xue Cen didn’t know what was written in the letter, but hearing these words, her expression changed slightly. She immediately realized that someone must have made a move against Mingxi.
“I will return to the palace and report to Niang Niang at once,” she said. Perhaps the consort would have a solution.
“I appreciate it.”
Xue Cen carried the letter back to the palace. When Consort Shu read it, her expression turned not just grim but downright stormy.
“Niang Niang, are you all right?” Hu Momo trembled at the sight of Consort Shu’s expression.
