Before the twelfth month arrived, Kang Wang and his wife returned to the capital.
Kang Wangfei came to visit Mingxi, bringing along a personal letter from Fengcheng Marquis addressed to Xiao Muchen.
The two brothers were talking in the front study. Mingxi entertained Kang Wangfei with tea in the back garden.
“You’re pregnant?” Mingxi exclaimed in delight.
Kang Wangfei gave a small nod, unable to hide the joy on her face. “I found out on the way back to the capital. Fourth Sister-in-law, it’s all thanks to your good fortune and kind words—I finally got what I wished for.”
Mingxi was truly happy for her. She quickly had the tea changed to a nourishing blend and said warmly, “The New Year is approaching, and there’s been a lot of unrest in the palace lately. Best if you stay out of it unless necessary.”
Kang Wangfei nodded seriously. “I already reported illness upon our return.”
“Good. After a long journey back, it’s reasonable to say you’re unwell.” Mingxi smiled.
Kang Wangfei then chatted with Mingxi about the East Sea. “Fourth Sister-in-law, Uncle Duan is really capable. You wouldn’t believe it unless you saw it yourself—the seaport is already taking shape. More and more merchant ships are docking every day. The place is growing livelier.”
Mingxi was pleased. Her Father had written about it in his letters, but hearing it in person made her even happier.
“Fourth Sister-in-law, I never knew that building something from nothing could bring such a sense of achievement. This time, Wangye has been running around the harbor with my Father. Uncle Duan often shares the ins and outs of managing a port with him. I had no idea there was so much involved.”
She sighed softly. “I used to think a seaport was just a few boats. It turns out I was so short-sighted—like a frog at the bottom of a well. I never imagined there could be so much behind constructing a harbor.”
Mingxi laughed when she heard that. “You don’t deal in trade, so what’s strange about not understanding it? If you knew everything, now that would be scary.”
Kang Wangfei laughed too. She looked at Mingxi with sparkling eyes. “Fourth Sister-in-law, when you used to travel with Uncle Duan for business, were you very happy?”
To be able to visit so many places, see so many sights—just thinking about it felt joyful.
“Happy?” Mingxi smiled. “Sometimes, yes. But mostly, it was hard work. For merchants like us, every trade journey meant carrying a great deal of goods, which made us frequent targets for mountain bandits. That’s why nights spent camping on the road were always the most worrying. You ask where I got these martial skills from? That’s the reason I learned them.”
Kang Wangfei sighed softly. “Outsiders only see the fun, but insiders understand the difficulty. Listening to you, Fourth Sister-in-law, I finally realize how hard merchants have it.”
Mingxi nodded. “Every profession has its hardships. Back when our family was in Jiangcheng, we had excellent relations with all the top escort agencies, precisely so we could travel with the best guards. Over time, as we built up familiarity, the routes gradually opened up. Even the bandits learned who was easy to bully and who wasn’t. We’d pay a bit in ‘passage fees,’ and most of the time, we’d get through safely.”
“What if you ran into ones who didn’t want to negotiate?” asked Kang Wangfei.
“Then it depends whose blade is sharper.”
Kang Wangfei: …
“You used to live like that?”
“I grew up in a merchant family—of course I did.”
Kang Wangfei didn’t know what to say for a moment. After a while, she murmured, “People only see the Duan family’s wealth. They don’t realize how hard-earned it is.”
Mingxi laughed heartily, then changed the topic. “Now that you’ve seen things over there, did it spark any ideas?”
“Ideas?” Kang Wangfei was momentarily blank, then shook her head.
Mingxi chuckled. “Sitting on a mountain of treasure and not knowing to dig.”
“What do you mean by that, Fourth Sister-in-law?”
“The East Sea Port is a massive pile of silver. Doesn’t that tempt you?”
“What does that have to do with me?” Kang Wangfei was still confused.
“This port was built through a government-business partnership. That arrangement won’t last more than a few years, but until then, it’ll turn a profit. Take out your private funds and put them in—it’ll multiply several times over.”
Kang Wangfei: …
“Is that… really possible?”
“Why not? We’re doing honest business, not stealing or robbing. Why wouldn’t it be allowed?”
“But… won’t this implicate my Father and Fourth Brother?”
“What’s it got to do with them?” Mingxi raised her eyebrows. “The port is short on silver, and we’re just pitching in to help. We’ll get a short-term share of the profits, that’s all. Not just you—I’m planning to reach out to noble ladies in the capital. I think they’ll be interested. After all, in their eyes, I’m someone who knows how to make money. And really—who doesn’t want to earn?”
Kang Wangfei instantly understood Mingxi’s intentions: the more noble families involved, the more stable the the East Sea Port venture would become.
Which meant that she and Mingxi entering first would be setting the example.
And since there was real profit, Kang Wangfei immediately agreed. “Fourth Sister-in-law, I’ll give you all my silver. Use it however you see fit.”
Mingxi smiled. “How much can you give?”
Kang Wangfei thought seriously for a moment. “I have a good sense of my dowry. If I gather it all together, I can give you about fifty thousand taels.”
Mingxi was pleasantly surprised. She laughed and said, “Looks like the Marquis and Marchioness really do treasure you. That dowry of yours is among the most generous in the capital.”
Kang Wangfei nodded. “Yes, my parents have always loved me.”
“Marquis Fengcheng is a fair and upright man. That makes it easier for you to borrow some silver from your brother and sister-in-law too. Don’t say what it’s for—just share the profits later.”
Kang Wangfei’s eyes lit up. “Alright!”
Her brother and sister-in-law treated her well, and opportunities like this were rare—naturally she should include her own family.
Mingxi lowered her voice. “Don’t tell the Marquis and Marchioness just yet. Otherwise, the silver might not make it out the door. And even if this whole thing is exposed later, I’ll take responsibility.”
“How can that be? We get the benefits, and you take the risks? That’s not right.”
“I wouldn’t say this if I didn’t have my own ways. Don’t worry about it.” Mingxi said firmly.
But Kang Wangfei had made up her mind—if there ever was a risk, she would absolutely stand by Mingxi.
“There’s one more thing I need you to do.”
“Just say the word, Fourth Sister-in-law.”
“Spread word of this slowly—let the wind leak out bit by bit. We can’t go around begging others to invest. It has to look like they are coming to us.”
Kang Wangfei nodded. “That’s easy—I’ll handle it. When I go back to my parents’ to borrow money and make a bit of noise, people will definitely start asking questions.”
“Smart girl.”
That evening, Kang Wangfei and Kang Wang stayed for dinner at Duan Wang’s residence before taking their leave. After they were gone, Mingxi told Xiao Muchen about the silver-raising plan.
Xiao Muchen had just come from a bath, robe loosely draped, still carrying the scent of steam. As he walked over, Mingxi’s eyes glinted—she knew he was up to no good.
She picked up a cloth to dry his hair. Xiao Muchen leaned comfortably on a soft pillow, smiling as he looked at her. “My wife really does have a golden touch. This way, we’ve solved more than half of the East Sea’s silver shortage. But time is short—you’ll need to grasp the timing. Don’t tie up too much money.”
“With you around, how could I not get my money back?” Mingxi casually tossed the used cloth on the incense burner and picked up a dry one to continue drying his hair. “What do you think about getting the Eastern Palace involved?”
Xiao Muchen was startled. He turned his head to look at her. “That’s quite a bold move. The Eastern Palace might not fall into the trap.”
“If the net is cast well, they won’t have a choice.” Mingxi sneered. “Duchess Cao is notoriously greedy, and Duke Cao’s household has been on the decline lately. Don’t you think she’ll take the bait?”
Xiao Muchen: …
It wasn’t a bad idea.
He really liked this sly, cunning side of Mingxi—she was exactly to his taste!
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Made for each other couple💕