There was still no news about Fengcheng Marquis, but a letter from Duan Pingchang had arrived. Their recent sea voyage had yielded rich rewards. The journey had been long, and they discovered an island—and, to everyone’s astonishment, there were mineral deposits on it.
Great Chu had been established for many years, but due to constant wars, the state treasury had never truly been full.
Xiao Muchen reported the discovery of a silver mine to the emperor, and the entire court was in an uproar.
The silver mine covered a vast area. If mining went smoothly, it could yield hundreds of thousands of taels of silver annually. Overjoyed, the emperor granted Duan Pingchang the title of Marquis Zhenhai and ordered him to lead the effort in mining the silver.
“Marquis Zhenhai?” Mingxi stared at the imperial decree in disbelief. No matter how she thought about it, she never imagined that in this lifetime, her Father would become a marquis!
“Too happy to speak?” Xiao Muchen was also surprised that the emperor had been so generous this time—actually bestowing a marquis title.
Mingxi’s eyes turned sore and hot. Her heart was overwhelmed with joy and emotion as she threw herself into Xiao Muchen’s arms. “Thank you.”
“Why thank me? It was your Father’s own merit. Going to sea is one thing, but being able to travel so far, discover a mine, and hand it over to the court without keeping any of it—such loyal dedication is exactly what the emperor cherishes.”
When someone has luck on their side, there’s no stopping them. Xiao Muchen chuckled softly and held Mingxi in his arms. “This is a joyous occasion—no tears now.”
How could Mingxi not be overjoyed? Her Father was now a marquis. The Duan family had completely changed its standing. Who would dare mock them as lowly merchants ever again?
Xiao Muchen couldn’t understand her sorrow. In their past life, their status as merchants had brought them endless suffering.
Having no money was bad—but having money and no protection was even worse.
If it weren’t for silver, their family wouldn’t have been ruined in the end.
Xiao Muchen gently patted her back and said softly, “I know that when you first returned to the capital, many people mocked you for growing up in a merchant family. But now, that’s all over. Merchants can also serve the country. No one will look down on the Duan family again.”
Mingxi nodded vigorously, clinging to his waist and leaning against his chest as she said slowly, “These high-ranking nobles always want silver but look down on those who earn it. They think themselves noble—it’s truly laughable.”
“With this, your Father has set an example for all merchants. No one will dare look down on them easily again. Being ennobled for contributions from commerce—this sets a new precedent.”
Mingxi let out a soft breath. “Yes, from now on, things will only get better. One day, you’ll have more silver than you could ever use, and build this nation into the one you envision.”
Xiao Muchen: …
Such lofty ambition—he wouldn’t even dare say it aloud, but Mingxi did without hesitation!
“I believe that day will come,” Xiao Muchen said, smiling with curved eyes.
The decree granting the marquisate flew from the capital straight to Donggang. Since the Duan family only had Duan Sirui remaining in the capital, he suddenly became a popular figure. Countless people tried to befriend him, and he was so overwhelmed that he fled to the estate to find his sister.
Mingxi let him stay for a while. Shortly after, Duan Qi also arrived.
Naturally, she couldn’t favor one over the other, so she kept both of them.
Zhiyi now had playmates. Whenever the two boys tired of reading, they came to play with her. She would perch by the window each day waiting for her uncles, eyes full of longing. Duan Sirui aside, even Duan Qi now treated Zhiyi like a personal accessory, carrying her everywhere.
Mingxi finally had some peace. Having more younger brothers did come with its perks.
With Duan Pingchang and his wife away from the capital, all the congratulatory notes were sent to Mingxi instead—basketfuls of them. She went through them one by one and wrote replies, keeping herself busy from dawn till dusk.
Previously, the silver fundraising effort had wound down, but with Duan Pingchang now a marquis, the matter heated up again. People started sending word to Mingxi, asking whether she was still collecting silver.
Mingxi: …
She had kept this stove burning for quite a while, but now that all the pits had been dug and filled, there was naturally no more need for silver. She quietly let out word: if there was a next time, she would let everyone know.
Originally, she had planned to stay longer at the manor, but because of this matter, she returned to the residence early.
Duan Qi and Duan Sirui were reluctant to part with little Zhiyi, so Mingxi simply had two small courtyards tidied up for them to stay as well.
Naturally, Xiao Muchen had no objections—when he had time, he even quizzed the two on their studies. Now that they had moved in, it would be much harder to leave.
Duan Qi had solid academic foundations and wasn’t afraid of being tested. Duan Sirui, however, was still a bit playful by nature and had to burn the midnight oil to catch up.
When Mingxi found out, she was delighted and said to Xiao Muchen, “If I’d known this would happen, I should’ve had them come sooner.”
Xiao Muchen laughed too. “If it weren’t for how much they dote on Zhiyi, do you think they’d have fallen into this trap so willingly?”
Exactly.
Mingxi kissed her daughter. You really are your uncles’ lucky star. Just for you, they’re practically tying their heads to the beams to study.
Little Zhiyi giggled as her mother kissed her, reaching out her arms to ask for a hug.
Mingxi picked her up, looked at Xiao Muchen, and asked, “Has the court decided who to send overseas to assist my Father?”
Though Zhenhai Marquis was overseeing the mining operations, the court would still send other officials to ensure checks and balances were in place.
Xiao Muchen chuckled. “Ning Qin Wang.”
“Who?” Mingxi was stunned. “Seriously? Why would Royal Father send Uncle?”
“The silver mine hasn’t even started operation, and Ning Qin Wang jumped out first to request military funds for Xiao Lin. That annoyed the emperor, so in a fit of anger, he ordered Ning Qin Wang to go to the island and personally oversee it. Royal Father said, ‘If you want silver so badly, then go dig it yourself.’”
Mingxi: …
You royals really know how to play the game—pure indulgence!
Her expression was too vivid, and Xiao Muchen reached out and lightly pinched her cheek.
Suddenly—smack!—little Zhiyi slapped Xiao Muchen’s hand.
Both he and Mingxi were stunned.
Mingxi smothered her daughter in kisses. Of course she’s my own child, she knows how to protect her mother!
Xiao Muchen took little Zhiyi in his arms. “You little ingrate, haven’t I spoiled you enough?”
Zhiyi looked at her Royal Father with big, shiny eyes and gave a silly little smile.
Xiao Muchen: …
Fine. She’s my daughter—what else can I do?
Just after the new year, good news came one after another. News arrived that Fengcheng Marquis had returned victorious from a campaign against bandits. Along with the report came carts full of war spoils—dozens of wagons parading down the imperial avenue, filled with all sorts of exotic maritime treasures.
With that, Donggang truly caught fire. Those who had invested silver were grinning from ear to ear, while the hesitant ones were filled with regret. Those who hadn’t gotten in line stomped their feet and scrambled for news, and invitation cards flew like snowflakes to Mingxi’s residence.
After all, the Duan family had taken the first bite of the crab and reaped all the benefits of timing, location, and people.
Forget the money—Duan Pingchang had even earned himself a marquis title. Comparing people really was infuriating.
Duan Wang’s household was like a burning hot stove, while Mingxi and Xiao Muchen became even more low-key and humble.
At a time like this, Xiao Muchen’s perpetually serious face came in handy. No matter who came to sniff around or offer gifts, one stern look was enough to drive them out.
