Ruling the Historical Romance Novel as the Female Supporting Character-Chapter 279: Arrangements Made in Secret

Qin Kaize explained, "Uncle Xia refused a marriage proposal from a prominent family in Jingdu City. The woman involved made a fuss for five or six years. Eventually, she married someone less desirable, but she held a grudge, and her family used their influence to keep him stuck in this position."

Wow!

How intense!

Despite being suppressed by a powerful family in Jingdu City, Uncle Xia had managed to avoid major trouble and rise to his current position. This showed he was quite capable, not just a pushover as she had initially thought.

"Did the influential families in Jingdu City make any moves against Uncle Xia’s recent promotion?" Su Yijia asked curiously.

"They tried, but it was futile. The medicine we developed not only benefits us but can also generate significant foreign exchange. The higher-ups wouldn’t allow them to interfere with such an important matter," Qin Kaize said, reaching out to gently pat her head, seeing her looking a bit too cautious.

"Don’t worry. While those influential families are powerful, they can’t cover up everything or steal something this significant. Their interference this time already earned them a reprimand, so they’ll think twice before causing trouble for Uncle Xia again."

Prominent families do wield great power, but only in matters where there’s some gray area can they push their influence. To interfere with something as significant as this? The higher-ups might be busy, but they’re not blind. There’s no way they’d let them act recklessly.

All of this, though, was thanks to his little wife.

Completing missions could earn merit, but even if they hadn’t done it, others would have. Each year, many people are recognized for these types of accomplishments, so their actions wouldn’t have stood out enough for someone to champion their cause.

However, Jiajia’s two medicinal formulas were irreplaceable. They were so miraculous that even the highest authorities became particularly interested.

"Do you and Uncle Xia plan to stay here or move to Jingdu City in the future?" Su Yijia probed.

"Move to Jingdu City," Qin Kaize replied without hesitation.

This answer made her secretly breathe a sigh of relief, her smile growing even brighter. To seek revenge against the Mu and Wang families, they would need to establish themselves in Jingdu City. After all, unless Uncle Xia and Qin Kaize retired from their current work, they would have to aim for the heart of the action. Otherwise, no matter how capable, they would always remain on the periphery.

"Moving to Jingdu City is good, but we have too few people. Those influential families have dozens of members, including extended family and in-laws."

After her initial joy, Su Yijia couldn’t help but frown and mumble quietly to herself. The Xia family had always been involved in business, possessing wealth but lacking connections. If they had any real influence, Qin Kaize’s mother wouldn’t have needed to seek protection from someone as treacherous as Qin Zongyao.

Seeing how troubled she looked, Qin Kaize gently kissed her forehead to reassure her. "Don’t worry. I have people. They may not hold high positions, but once in the capital, they can band together."

He explained that when Uncle Xia had previously offended a powerful family, he had already taken precautions and placed people in the capital. Over the years, Qin Kaize had gradually trained a few more trusted individuals. While they weren’t numerous or highly ranked, they had all been through life-and-death situations together.

But after hearing this, Su Yijia lowered her head and shot him a doubtful glance. "If your people are that reliable, then why did they send you back to the Qin family back then? You were bullied and mistreated there, and I didn’t see anyone stepping in to help."

She recalled from Uncle Xia’s book that there had been a mission that took him away for a year or two. But from the way Qin Kaize was talking now, it seemed like he always had people around him. So how did he end up with the tragic fate described in the book? Something didn’t add up.

Feeling a bit guilty, Qin Kaize rubbed his nose. When he saw his little wife staring him down, refusing to let it go, he knew he wouldn’t be able to avoid explaining everything today.

"I was injured, and there’s a rule in the team that care must come from a spouse or parents first, then siblings if they’re unavailable. Even with Uncle Xia looking after me so well in the team, he couldn’t break that rule," Qin Kaize explained, sneaking a glance at Su Yijia.

Seeing her purse her lips, silently urging him to continue, he had no choice but to push forward. "And the people I’ve arranged behind the scenes all know the rules. If I don’t contact them first, no matter what happens, they can’t reach out to me. I didn’t want their connection to me or Uncle Xia to be discovered, especially as they were climbing the ranks."

He paused, then added, "Besides, Huabin lives out of town, Zeming is busy with missions in the team, and Ziruai has his hands full with work and his side business. Even when they visit, it’s mostly brief check-ins, not enough to help regularly."

What Qin Kaize didn’t mention was that, after the doctor told Xia Weiguo that he might spend the rest of his life bedridden and would need meticulous care to live longer, Qin Kaize had lost his will to live. He believed that staying alive would only be a burden on others and a form of self-torture. Of course, he would never dare tell his little wife this--he’d be done for if she ever found out.

Su Yijia sighed, a bit helpless. "I don’t know whether to call you cautious or just plain stubborn."

Still, she couldn’t argue with his decisions. Uncle Xia had indeed offended some powerful people deeply. One of the women involved had wasted five or six years of her youth and, in the end, hurriedly married someone else.

While they had refused her before and the issue was more her family’s fixation, it wasn’t something they’d easily let go. They would undoubtedly use their influence to suppress the Xia family, ensuring that no friends or allies could transfer into the capital--a typical move in such circles.

As for Ke Zeming and Zhu Zirui, it made sense they visited more often after she came into the picture, though their trips were usually rushed or involved them taking leave.

"Alright, don’t worry about our trip to the capital," Qin Kaize said, tightening his embrace around Su Yijia. "We may not have many people, but they’re all top-tier. And besides, we have you--you’re worth ten of anyone else."

In a prestigious family, out of dozens, only two or three might prove truly useful, four or five would be average, and the rest, even if they don’t hold others back, are mostly insignificant. The people on their side, while fewer in number, had all been carefully selected. They might not be extraordinary, but they were more than competent. He and Uncle Xia had never intended to avoid the capital permanently, so they had made preparations long in advance.

After spending a while cuddled together, enjoying their moment of intimacy, Qin Kaize finally led Su Yijia to the supply and marketing cooperative for a meal. They indulged in a variety of seafood and bought a lot of supplies--new leather shoes, beautiful fabric, and some yarn that Grandma Lin had asked them to bring. Qin Kaize even personally picked out a straw hat for her, one that matched all her dresses, so she wouldn’t have to wear the practical, less stylish hats they usually used.

Su Yijia had originally wanted to stop by the scrap yard to see if she could find any hidden treasures, but they were running out of time.

By the time Qin Kaize drove them back to the courtyard, a man in his thirties was already sitting there, waiting for them.