Jiang Wanwen found the price quite acceptable. “I’ll take all the remaining surrounding land. Handle this matter for me, and make sure it’s done properly. Don’t let anyone try to overcharge us again.”
“Rest assured, Master. This servant will definitely handle it perfectly. However, they only accept silver coins, not silver notes. Moreover, Shengyang’s silver notes cannot be exchanged here.”
“The remaining land outside should total about thirty thousand mu, requiring approximately one hundred and fifty thousand taels of silver.”
Ma Liu was worried that his master, having just arrived from Shengyang, might not be aware of the situation in Chengshui.
This indeed posed a problem for Jiang Wanwen. While in Shengyang, she had already exchanged all her silver notes for gold. She only had about two hundred thousand taels of silver left—she couldn’t possibly spend most of it on land!
Frowning, Jiang Wanwen asked, “Can we use gold instead?”
Seeing his master’s furrowed brow, Ma Liu assumed she was troubled by the lack of silver and felt regretful that the land purchase might have to be postponed.
But upon hearing that his master had gold, Ma Liu quickly replied, “Gold is even better. They prefer gold.”
Jiang Wanwen smiled and instructed, “Then it’s settled. I’ll give you thirty thousand taels of gold. Handle this matter properly, and you’ll be rewarded accordingly.”
“Master can await good news from this servant.” Ma Liu was overjoyed. After being idle for so many years, he was finally going to be busy again.
At the same time, Ma Liu secretly resolved to handle this task flawlessly and prove his capability to his master.
After Ma Liu withdrew, Jiang Wanwen finally responded to her adopted son Zhong Yuancheng’s earlier question. “When those people arrive, arrange for them to work in the fields first.”
“Recently, go to the surrounding areas and hire some strong farmers to build houses. We won’t provide meals, but we’ll pay wages.”
“Once our people arrive, whether they have families or not, each will be allocated a house and five mu of medium-grade land.”
“Of course, those with greater contributions will get to choose their houses and land first. They will only have usage rights to the houses and land—meaning as long as they don’t betray us, their descendants can continue to possess them, but they cannot sell to outsiders.”
“If they want to sell, they can only sell back to me.”
This place might become Jiang Wanwen’s stronghold in the future, so she naturally didn’t want anyone of unknown background coming in.
As Jiang Wanwen pondered this, she also thought about purchasing grain. Reflecting on these matters, she felt that she simply didn’t have enough people at her disposal.
In the end, she assigned the task of buying grain to Ma Liu as well. After all, he was the most familiar with the area.
Zhong Yuancheng was delighted to hear his adoptive mother’s plan. The terms were almost too good to be true, but he still hesitated slightly. “Adoptive Mother, this will require a significant amount of silver, won’t it?”
Thinking about the enormous expense, Zhong Yuancheng touched the mere few dozen taels left in his pocket, too embarrassed to offer them.
He inwardly regretted not having thought to exchange all his silver notes for silver coins before leaving.
Since his adoptive mother had traveled with them from Shengyang to Chengshui, Zhong Yuancheng had a fair idea whether she had brought much silver with her.
“Don’t worry. My capable father and the late Prince Pingwu left me plenty here—enough to cover the expenses.” While still in Shengyang, Jiang Wanwen had already planned to pin the blame on these two.
After all, neither of them was around anymore, and no one could possibly go ask them about it.
Besides, it was perfectly reasonable that her father, the great general, would leave her land, people, and some silver.
Sure enough, when Zhong Yuancheng heard his adoptive mother say this, he immediately believed it. “Adoptive father and the general are both far-sighted people.”
“But does the Emperor know about this?” Zhong Yuancheng had always been an obedient child around his adoptive mother, the kind who would go east if told to. However, after months of fleeing for their lives together, he felt more at ease in her presence and occasionally asked questions out of curiosity.
Jiang Wanwen was momentarily stunned before realizing Zhong Yuancheng was referring to her nominal “good son”: “The Emperor is formidable! Why would he care about the meager resources in my old hands?”
Zhong Yuancheng praised his adoptive mother in various ways before leaving with cheerful steps. He couldn’t wait to see the Emperor’s expression when he learned his adoptive mother had silver. Others might not know how costly war was, but he did.
Seeing her adoptive son had left and not knowing what her three biological children were up to, Jiang Wanwen decided to rest for another day and personally rouse them for work tomorrow.
Meanwhile, in Yuanzhou, Fu Xuanrui stood up abruptly upon hearing his deputy He Muwei’s report, even overturning the wooden table piled with military dispatches before him: “What did you say?”
Seeing this, He Muwei could only bend down to pick up the documents one by one.
Fu Xuanrui waved his hand impatiently. “Leave those for now. Someone will tidy them later. First, tell me about the Empress Dowager.”
Recognizing the Emperor’s urgency, He Muwei quickly righted the wooden table, placed the documents on it, and earnestly explained: “Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager and her party have reached Chengshui in Yongning. It’s said Magistrate Yu personally visited the estate to see them.”
He Muwei’s voice grew softer as he spoke. As the Emperor’s confidant, he knew His Majesty hadn’t received any messages from the Empress Dowager recently.
Though surprised by the news, Fu Xuanrui understood why his mother hadn’t contacted him—she was angry he had declared her dead. After pacing excitedly around the room, he continued questioning: “How is the Empress Dowager’s health? What about the others?”
“They say the Empress Dowager has grown much thinner, but everyone else is present, and the Crown Prince is healthy.”
Speaking of this, He Muwei deeply admired the Empress Dowager. Escaping ShengYang safely to Yongning with a five-year-old and a two-year-old was no ordinary feat for a woman confined to inner quarters.
“Then let’s return to Yongning to pay respects to Mother,” Fu Xuanrui ordered, already heading outside.
Just as He Muwei was about to advise that Yuanzhou required the Emperor’s presence, he saw His Majesty turn back from the doorway and sit down again: “Never mind, we can’t leave here yet. I’ll visit Mother when I return to Yongning. Send a letter to Her Majesty the Empress in Yongning, instructing her to pay respects to Mother in Chengshui.”
He Muwei respectfully acknowledged the order and withdrew.
Truthfully, besides being tied up in Yuanzhou, Fu Xuanrui also didn’t know how to face his mother yet and could only avoid the encounter for now.
The next day, when Fu Xuanming and his two siblings woke up, they saw servants had delivered coarse, drab-colored clothes for them to wear. Learning these were their mother’s instructions, the three siblings obediently changed into them.
Jiang Wanwen watched as the three children arrived. Sitting at the table, she quickly beckoned them, “Come quickly and have breakfast. After we finish, we’ll go work together.”
Fu Xuanming and the other two obediently sat down to eat. Although the food on the table wasn’t even one-fifth of what they used to eat in Shengyang, it was much better than what they had been eating these past few months.
So without complaint, the three obediently sat down to have breakfast with their mother.