Since Xihao understood the situation he was in, he knew there was no need to be afraid of anything. With the power of his parents, as long as he wasn’t foolish and didn’t fall for the wrong woman, he wouldn’t have to become the fool who competes with his own sister.
Moreover, he used his elder brotherly authority to teach his sister not to get involved with that lousy male lead whose mother constantly harassed their own mother. Of course, his Ningchu would definitely believe her brother more than anyone else. According to the novel’s storyline, his Chu’er still trusted and followed him.
It wasn’t until she realized he had deeper feelings for her than what she understood as sibling affection. The young girl was greatly disappointed by this and slowly distanced herself to show her brother that she saw him only as a brother and nothing more.
Unfortunately, Xihao in the novel was clueless. The more the other party ran, the more he pursued, leading to danger for himself. Perhaps his end, being imprisoned for treason, was the safest path he could take.
Xihao’s own talents would undoubtedly lead him to encounter danger, especially given how vile the original Xihao was...
Of course, he was not Xihao from the novel. He understood how firmly he was holding onto this golden opportunity. Ah... it was time to enjoy some delicious milk. He would grow up well, strive to train as his mother wished, and love and revere his parents greatly, ensuring there would be no breakage as in the novel.
"Furen, look at the young master, gazing at you with such love," Wan Gui, who had just returned from preparing things outside, said.
This brought Yueqian back from being lost in the cuteness of her son. She didn’t see her child’s happy expression, but she could feel that her little boy was indeed very happy. Her delicate hand lightly patted his bottom before handing him over to Wan Gui. Her arms were getting tired now. If she continued to hold Xihao, she might break in half.
"Has Yang Ji finished preparing the snacks for me?" Yueqian asked. Seeing her son eating so deliciously made her feel a bit hungry too.
"Yes, Yang Ji is currently setting the table. I heard that His Highness will be joining today, so she prepared a lot. Would Furen like to join for the meal?" Wan Gui asked.
Yueqian thought for a moment before shaking her head. She had no reason to join the men’s gathering. Often, they discussed their own work, and it would be better to let them talk in a relaxed manner. Moreover, she had her own matters to attend to.
“No, it’s alright. Today, I’ll eat quickly and then go to bed,” Yueqian waved her hand dismissively before getting up to go outside to find her own sweets.
In this room for nursing the baby, Yueqian did not want to bring various foods inside. She did not want to make it a habit for the baby or herself. If she brought sweets inside, it might become a bad habit her son would carry with him. It was better for her to set a good example.
In front of her, the well-wrapped and bean fragrant stuffed dough pyramid awaited. Yueqian had asked Yang Ji to make stuffed dough pyramid and rice cakes for today because she had a craving for sweets. Moreover, stuffed dough pyramid could be made with beneficial fillings and used relatively thin flour, focusing on the nutritious filling inside. Therefore, they were perfect stuffed dough pyramid for a pregnant woman.
“Delicious as always,” Yueqian murmured happily.
It was rare to have such sweets, and she felt very pleased. When she was pregnant, she couldn’t eat much. Although she needed a lot of nourishment while nursing, it wasn’t as extensive as during pregnancy. She tried to manage her diet without severely limiting it, which made her very happy.
The beautiful woman ate her sweets, waved her fan leisurely, and watched the increasing activity of the servants in the residence. More people were needed to maintain the garden and various things in the old palace.
Additionally, 500 soldiers from the former Wang’s retinue were stationed there, along with another 200 recruited based on their status. These new additions were Mu Heng’s men, and their training was rigorous. It was a positive development.
However, Yueqian’s moments of happiness often didn’t last long. As she was looking around, an urgent summons surprised her.
“Furen, a eunuch from the royal palace is here to see you,” a panting maid reported.
“Let him in, and have someone prepare tea and snacks as well.”
"Um, actually, the eunuch already came and left. He just brought a small royal decree, informing that it was a directive for all the noble households." Hearing this, Yueqian raised her eyebrows in surprise.
Thinking about her husband’s work, the situation in the city he managed was improving steadily. However, the problem seemed to lie elsewhere now.
"Bring me the decree," the beautiful woman ordered. The other party nodded and handed over the decree to her mistress.
Yueqian took the scroll, the fine silk emitting a distinctive fragrance of the aristocracy. This was a decree of not particularly high importance, discernible by its color and fabric. It seemed this decree was issued suddenly and wasn’t a major issue. Hence, she decided to read it immediately. If it were something significant requiring Mu Heng’s presence, she would wait to open it with him.
After reading its content, Yueqian couldn’t help but raise her delicate eyebrows. What she hadn’t expected was that this decree appeared to be directed not at the officials but at their wives.
The decree expressed concern for the people in the city, mentioning the imminent arrival of refugees to the capital. The emperor issued this decree asking the nobles to contribute charitably by dedicating themselves to welcoming these refugees properly.
Each noble was expected to host 300 refugees, providing them with accommodation and food.
Typically, in dire situations forcing citizens to seek refuge in the capital, the emperor would release funds from the royal treasury, sourced from taxes, to aid the people.
However, this decree was truly unexpected. Though it was common to ask nobles for donations, having them take responsibility for the refugees’ welfare was unprecedented and made no mention of financial support, implying the nobles should pay out of their own pockets.
The beautiful woman’s eyes narrowed helplessly. This peculiar idea would surely face substantial opposition. Which noble would want such an expense? She didn’t know what the emperor was thinking, but issuing such a significant proclamation near noon. Could it be that this matter had already been discussed in the morning’s assembly?
No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t figure it out. She didn’t want to believe that the nobles suddenly developed compassion. It seemed she would have to discuss this with her husband.
Of course, even if they needed to discuss it later, the task couldn’t be avoided. It wasn’t as if the nobles’ dissatisfaction meant they wouldn’t follow orders. After all, this was a royal decree from the Emperor. Thus, all she could do was make the necessary preparations.
Yueqian summoned Wan Gui, Yang Ji, and the others to meet with her. Preparing the accommodation was still an issue. However, the authorities had several places ready for the refugees. Most of the people would be housed there, but she would still need to facilitate their arrival to some extent.
The refugees wouldn’t arrive empty-handed; they would have their own clothes and other necessities. Otherwise, how could they have traveled so far to get here?
Yueqian called her servants to give instructions. They were to prepare by stocking up on rice, dried foods, meats, and vegetables that needed to be processed in anticipation of the refugees’ arrival in a few days.
With the number given as 300 people, they could make simple meals like porridge every day or broth with cooked rice. There were many options for pickled vegetables to eat with rice. Therefore, the most crucial thing seemed to be the rice supply.
Ten gold coins were handed to a maid. This amount should be enough to buy rice for 300 people for about a month. However, Yueqian didn’t expect that someone was intentionally causing trouble for her.
"Furen, something terrible has happened." Rui Beng ran in, breathless.
She had been assigned to help Yang Ji buy fresh and dried food supplies. After just a few hours, she returned with a distressed expression, surprising Yueqian, who was resting.
"What happened?" Perhaps it was because she already sensed trouble brewing, she wasn’t too alarmed.
How could this sudden decree be good? Moreover, it wasn’t directly related to the nobles but rather a competition among the furens to prepare in time. She didn’t know if she was overthinking it, but Yueqian felt this issue was targeting her specifically!
"At the market, there’s no rice left at all, Miss!" Rui Beng exclaimed fearfully.
No matter which shop she visited, none could sell the amount of rice needed. They all said they had received orders too, only allowed to sell about 1 jin per person. They couldn’t sell in large quantities to prevent the nobility from hoarding food for profiteering.
Under normal circumstances, this policy would certainly be right. There were many times when the upper class exploited such opportunities, taking advantage of disasters to hoard rice and then selling it at the right time at exorbitant prices. When people saw the high prices, no matter how reluctant they were to buy fresh and dried food, it was impossible for them to resist.
Ultimately, such despicable actions were bound to be opposed. Shops with a conscience often set such rules. This time was no different. To ensure that the refugees had enough food, it wouldn’t be right to let the upper class hoard rice and sell it at excessively high prices.
The method was correct, but was it suitable for the situation where the imperial decree asked the nobles to help the people? If they had to prepare food and set up soup kitchens, where were the nobles supposed to get the food from?
Yueqian felt there had to be something behind this. She sent Rui Beng to gather more information and found that no noble household wanted to order more supplies. They had already stocked up since the last epidemic. Thus, the emperor’s decree seemed to help them manage their leftover supplies while also gaining merit for their efforts.
This was unlike Yueqian and Mu Heng, who had just arrived from the Red Earth City. When would they have had the time to stock up food for the refugees? It seemed that whoever came up with this plan truly understood the nobles, using this opportunity to help both the nobles and the common people. Both sides benefitted, but unfortunately, Mu’s manor had nothing prepared at all.
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