Third Madam hesitated slightly after hearing Mingxi’s words.
But then she quickly remembered Duan Yu’s position as an yuanwailang. Could it be that even that role had been obtained by taking risks?
Almost immediately, Third Madam made up her mind. “Mingxi, go ahead and tell me.”
Fortune favors the bold. In places like the Four Divisions and Eight Bureaus, it wasn’t just about wealth to climb higher—you needed opportunities and abilities too.
“What does your relative do there, Third Aunt?”
“He’s a Zhangsi, monitoring various tasks,” Third Madam replied.
“What about Chen Yisheng from the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau? Is he familiar?”
Third Madam froze, surprised that Mingxi even knew who Chen Yisheng was. If not for her relative mentioning him, she wouldn’t have known the name herself.
This only made Third Madam feel that Mingxi had a strong chance of succeeding in her endeavor.
“Chen Yisheng is one of Xu Donglin’s deputies and has some influence in the Internal weaving and dyeing bureau. Coincidentally, my relative, Xie Fang, works under Zhao Xunjun, another of Xu Donglin’s deputies, who happens to be a rival of Chen Yisheng.”
At that moment, Third Madam understood why Mingxi had brought this up. It seemed Mingxi was already well-informed about the connections involved.
This realization startled Third Madam. How could Mingxi know so much and be so capable?
On second thought, it made sense. If she weren’t capable, how could she have attended the Shangyang Palace Banquet and caught the attention of Consort Shu, who chose her as a daughter-in-law?
“Mingxi, do you have a grudge against Chen Yisheng?” Third Madam asked with a frown. “That man is notorious for his ruthless tactics, and since Xu Donglin trusts him, he won’t be easy to deal with.”
“Third Aunt, let me make this clear: I have no personal grievances with Chen Yisheng. The one with a grudge is the Jiang family.”
Third Madam frowned deeply.
“The Jiang family from Tazhou!” Mingxi added.
The Third Madam nearly jumped in her seat. “Mingxi, be careful with such words.”
The Jiang family of Tazhou was none other than Madam Jiang’s family—Mingxi’s maternal relatives.
“Third Aunt, Third Master Jiang framed my foster father. Do you think I can just swallow this insult?”
“Third Master Jiang framed Old Lord Duan?” Third Madam was stunned. “What happened?”
Since Mingxi had decided to completely sever ties with Madam Jiang and the Jiang family, she had no intention of covering for them. She explained everything in detail.
Furious, Third Madam slammed her palm on the table. “This is outrageous! How could they do such a thing?”
The Duan family in Jiangcheng had raised Mingxi, and the Jiang family owed them a debt of gratitude.
“Why, you ask?” Duan Mingxi smiled.
Third Madam looked at Mingxi. What else could it be? It was likely all to support Duan Huirou.
Recalling how the Jiang family had acted before—ignoring Mingxi while favoring Duan Huirou—it was clear they had been trying to bolster Duan Huirou’s position.
“You may be their granddaughter, but you’re the legitimate eldest granddaughter of our Marquisate! Mingxi, tell me how you want to handle this. Third Aunt will definitely stand up for you!”
Third Madam was genuinely infuriated. No wonder Madam Jiang was so stubborn—it must have run in the Jiang family’s blood!
“Third Master Jiang had Wang Xian use Feng Ji to set up a trap for my foster father, under the guise of purchasing seafood. But buying such items is the responsibility of the Shangshanjian. He overstepped his authority.”
Third Madam looked at Mingxi. “Feng Ji wouldn’t dare overstep his authority. He probably just used this as a pretext to trick Lord Duan, who has a thorough understanding of these matters. If trouble arose, they could easily shift the blame onto him.”
“Third Aunt, I plan to help Xie Fang secure a position as a qianshu, making him Xu Donglin’s right-hand man as a reward. Do you think Xie Fang would dare step into the muddy waters with the Jiang family?”
As long as Xie Fang obtained the position of qianshu, he would effectively be on Mingxi’s side.
“He’ll dare! Why wouldn’t he? You don’t even need to ask him—I’ll promise on his behalf,” Third Madam said immediately. “And even if there weren’t any benefits, I’d still help you get justice for how the Jiang family has treated you.”
“Then I’ll thank you in advance, Third Aunt.”
“You silly child, there’s no need for formalities. Just tell me what needs to be done.”
Mingxi leaned in and whispered something into Third Madam’s ear. Third Madam’s expression shifted repeatedly. “Isn’t this too risky?”
If such a huge shipment goes wrong, no one could bear the consequences.
“The goods from the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau are mostly distributed to embroidery workshops. Once the workshops finish, the goods are sent back to the Bureau for inspection. There’s room for maneuver in this process. Let Xie Fang proceed boldly; I’ll take care of the rest.”
The Third Madam, recalling that Duan Pingchang was the wealthiest man in Jiangcheng, figured he must have his own connections. “Alright, I’ll visit the Xie family today.”
“This matter is of utmost importance, and not a single word can leak. Chen Yisheng is ruthless and dangerous. If he finds out, Xie Fang’s life might be in danger.”
“Don’t worry. Xie Fang has worked in the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau for many years and knows Chen Yisheng’s character. He’ll definitely act with caution.”
Duan Mingxi took her leave of the Third Madam. This time, she not only intended to strip the Jiang family of their assets using Xie Fang but also to ensure that he gained a qianshu position. That way, she would have her own person inside the Internal Weaving and Dyeing Bureau.
With this arrangement, her father’s business in the capital could directly connect to the Eight Bureaus. No vice-president of any merchant guild would dare target her father lightly anymore.
Using Xie Fang’s hands, she also planned to gradually infiltrate the Twenty-Four Bureaus and place her own people there bit by bit.
Even in her alliance with Duan Wang, she wouldn’t fully trust or rely on him. She’d always keep a backup plan for herself.
Meanwhile, Wang Xian sought out Duan Pingchang again to press him on the sea cargo matter. Duan Pingchang, having discussed it with his daughter, decided to play along and agreed to Wang Xian’s request.
Wang Xian was delighted and introduced Duan Pingchang to Feng Ji formally. Feng Ji, exuding the authority of the Eight Bureaus, tried to intimidate Duan Pingchang into walking into his trap.
In Feng Ji’s eyes, Duan Pingchang was nothing more than a merchant.
Duan Pingchang smoothly met with Feng Ji and, following Mingxi’s instructions, agreed to the sea cargo deal but insisted on having a written contract as proof.
Five hundred thousand taels of silver—it was an enormous deal. Feng Ji, thinking about the incoming gold and silver, felt reassured. After all, he figured Duan Pingchang would soon have to pack up and return to Jiangcheng. If lucky, he might keep his life; if not, he might lose it entirely.
Thus, Feng Ji happily signed the contract, personally wrote his seal on it, and even added his small stamp after some flattery from Duan Pingchang.
Wang Xian sensed something was off and wanted to intervene, but he was afraid Duan Pingchang would notice. Moreover, he reassured himself that Duan Pingchang had no connections in the Twenty-Four Bureaus. Thinking this, he dropped his concerns.
The signed contract soon fell into Mingxi’s hands. She had the Third Madam deliver it to Xie Fang for use at a critical moment.
The Third Madam, holding the contract worth five hundred thousand taels, was both excited and anxious. Seeing how casual Mingxi was about it, she suddenly realized that Mingxi’s talk of making the Marquis’s residence wealthy wasn’t just empty words.
The Duan family of Jiangcheng was actually so rich!
Mingxi then received an invitation from Liu Yunhua. A few friends were hosting a banquet to celebrate her becoming Duan Wangfei.
This life was different from her previous one. In her past life, she had no friends and wasted her days in Duke Gao’s mansion. In this life, she wanted to cherish her rare like-minded friendships.
Coincidentally, the banquet was set at Yuxian Tower—her own establishment.
Arriving at Yuxian Tower, Mingxi stepped down from the carriage with Qiancao and Xiangxiang following close behind. Just as she entered the lobby, someone rushed out and accidentally bumped into her.
Duan Mingxi quickly avoided falling and looked up at the person.
Oh? A familiar face!
