Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 425 - 427: Cannon Fodder (4)

She sneered coldly, then rolled up the scroll and casually threw it aside, tossing it into the birch forest by the roadside, sneering: "Hmph, even if I throw you away, what can you do to me!" Saying this, she strode away.

"Why did she leave again? Didn’t she say what was happening?" Xiqiu asked the servant woman, surprised.

"I don’t know either, she said another Imperial Uncle had arrived and kept urging her to leave. The two Imperial Uncles might have urgent matters to attend to..." the servant woman replied.

Xiqiu nodded, instructed Chunliu to reward the servant woman, and when the servant woman went out, Xiqiu said to Chunliu: "When you go home later, ask why they came and left just like that." After saying this, she paused and waved her hand, saying: "Never mind, the New Year is coming in a few days, I’ll personally ask when I go back then!"

After saying this, she lowered her head again to look at the flower seeds in her hand: "In a few days, have Liu Darui’s household come to the mansion for a visit." Growing Panax notoginseng requires setting up greenhouses, which is somewhat cumbersome, but she believes its medicinal properties are much better than ordinary herbs. If she succeeds in planting it, they could later grow Panax notoginseng and pair it with other herbs in the fields, saving the trouble of deciding what to plant.

Chunliu agreed, then Chunyan came in and said: "Madam, Tianyi said several silver trees are already erected, and he came to ask where you want them placed." Xiqiu thought for a moment and replied: "Ask him to store them first, and I’ll consult with a few madams later."

"Yes!" Chunyan accepted the task and left, then encountered Fourth Master Xiao striding in at the doorway. Chunyan bowed her head in respect, and Fourth Master Xiao nodded lightly as he entered the main hall.

Xiqiu saw Fourth Master Xiao coming in and smiled as she greeted him: "Fourth Master is back." She stepped forward to help him remove his outer cloak: "They said there might be snow this afternoon. I didn’t know when you’d return and was thinking to have Tianyi bring you a thicker jiaao."

Fourth Master Xiao sat down on the bed, and Chunliu led the maidservants out. He took some tea and looked at Xiqiu, saying: "I visited Shen Mansion." Xiqiu wasn’t concerned, as Fourth Master Xiao and Shen Ji had frequent interactions, which was no surprise. However, Fourth Master Xiao continued: "Last night, the Empress Dowager gifted a beautiful maid to Shen Ji, causing a stir at Shen Mansion." Saying this, he frowned slightly.

Xiqiu was puzzled by what she heard, then sat beside Fourth Master Xiao and asked: "Gifted by the Empress Dowager? Why did she gift Lord Shen a beautiful concubine?" Madam Shen’s legitimate son is just over two months old, they married not long ago, and there hadn’t been rumors of discord between the Empress Dowager and the Shen Family!

"Madam Shen just found out she is pregnant again!" Fourth Master Xiao said flatly: "The news spread, and the whole court congratulated Shen Ji on his profound blessings, so the Empress Dowager specially issued an edict, gifting a young lady surnamed Li."

Xiqiu was astonished, thinking Madam Shen indeed was quite something, having been pregnant again while her eldest son was still an infant!

"So the Empress Dowager gifted an alluring concubine to the Imperial Uncle?" Xiqiu said in disbelief, recalling the kindly-looking old lady in the palace... Historically, it wasn’t uncommon for an Emperor to gift a beautiful concubine to a minister, like Tang Xuanzong gifting Fang Xuanling a concubine, leading to Madam Fang’s jealousy. Such examples abound, but for an Empress Dowager to gift concubines was rare!

Fourth Master Xiao slightly furrowed his brows, pulling Xiqiu closer and saying: "Though the Empress Dowager is quite considerate towards the Emperor, she has long been known to have discord with Princess Changning. When Shen Family produced an Empress and became Imperial Uncle, the Empress Dowager and Princess Changning became even more at odds. Princess Changning is probably already in the palace."

Xiqiu sighed, thinking of the gentle and dignified Madam Shen, pregnant and concerned about her young son while her husband was given a beautiful concubine whom she couldn’t beat or dismiss, making anyone feel uncomfortable.

They were merely chatting casually when Grand Dowager heard of it, asking: "Pregnant again, Madam Shen indeed is blessed." A hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

Nanny Wu discreetly advised: "Everyone has their own fortune. Having children too closely spaced isn’t good for a woman’s body!"

Grand Dowager didn’t respond and asked Nanny Wu: "Have you checked if Xiqiu’s monthly cycle has occurred?"

Nanny Wu’s face darkened and she nodded: "It came a few days ago!" Grand Dowager sighed, showing disappointment.

Nanny Wu comforted: "...Fourth Madam is still young."

At night, after Xiqiu assisted Fourth Master Xiao with freshening up, he leaned against the headboard with his eyes closed, his brow slightly furrowed.

Xiqiu took off her jacket and got into bed, glanced at Fourth Master Xiao, noticed his lightly locked brows, and asked cheerfully: "Fourth Master, has Chief Lei taken office?" Hearing this, Fourth Master Xiao was surprised, not expecting Xiqiu to be interested in court affairs, and replied: "He’s supposed to assume his position after the New Year."

Xiqiu tilted her head, picked up the "Great Zhou Geography" by the pillow, and began flipping through it earnestly. Fourth Master Xiao, watching her reading attentively, asked: "What’s wrong?"

Xiqiu replied: "I was checking how many ports Great Zhou has. Since the Emperor is considering lifting the sea ban, he probably won’t set up the Maritime Trade Bureau only at Tongzhou." The sound of pages flipping became increasingly crisp.

"No need to flip," Fourth Master Xiao said with a hint of amusement: "There are approximately thirty large ports, and countless smaller ones."

Xiqiu hadn’t anticipated so many, and then Fourth Master Xiao continued: "Before the late Emperor imposed the sea ban, there were only about ten ports, large and small—Ningbo, Taicang, Xiamen, Fujian, Guangdong, and a few others. Now, reopening must start small and gradually permeate through Fujian’s larger ports."

If she were in charge, she would do the same; gradually and steadily strategizing is the best approach. The Emperor cannot rush but can only infiltrate bit by bit.

"So, Fourth Master says, does the Empress Dowager agree with the Emperor lifting the sea ban or not?" At first, Fourth Master Xiao was merely speaking casually to accommodate her interest, but now hearing Xiqiu’s response, his eyes brightened as he slyly raised his eyebrow and replied: "Of course not." The sea ban was decreed by the late Emperor, and naturally, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t agree.

Xiqiu continued: "What about the Shen Family? The Shen Family, like Fourth Master, doesn’t express their opinions, so others would assume you naturally support the Emperor lifting the sea ban, right?" Saying this, she paused and laughed, saying: "Since everyone believes it, Fourth Master needn’t be troubled. How Shen Mansion and the Empress Dowager are, that is merely royal family matters. As an external minister, it’s not appropriate for Fourth Master to intervene. You might as well peacefully stay at home... As for Shen Mansion, I’m sure Princess Changning has ideas."

She understood Fourth Master Xiao’s troubles—the Empress Dowager’s discord with Princess Changning and the Empress, the Shen Family’s rivalry with Prince Rong. Prince Rong is the son of the former Crown Prince, and even if he doesn’t hold a court position, many court ministers hold him in high regard, supported by the Empress Dowager in the palace, whereas the Shen Family... is currently in its prime and will naturally assert itself!

In outsiders’ eyes, Xuanning Marquis Mansion and Shen Mansion are closely affiliated, yet within the mansion, Second Madam is Prince Rong’s biological sister, making Xuanning Marquis Mansion the most challenging place.