Chapter 260 Joke
Xue Baochai took an account book and flipped through it slowly.

At this time, Ying’er came out from the small dining room and said softly, “Girl, it’s time to eat.”

Xue Baochai said “hmm”, put down the account book, stood up and walked towards the small dining room.

Ying’er quickly asked the maid to serve the meal.

Xue Baochai had just taken a small bite of rice when she heard the maid’s voice outside the door: “Madam is back.”

The door curtain was lifted and Aunt Xue walked in.

Xue Baochai stood up quickly and went to greet her: “Mom is back.”

Aunt Xue: “Why are we eating now?”

Xue Baochai helped Aunt Xue sit down and replied with a smile: “We just calculated a few accounts. Where is Baoqin?”

Aunt Xue: “I’m talking to the old lady.” She glanced at the dining table and sighed: “You worry so much all day long, but you only eat so little, and it’s all vegetables and tofu. How can this be possible!”

Xue Baochai smiled and said, “It’s not like this every day, Mom, don’t worry. It’s mainly because I had so much meat and fish for dinner at Xiangshan Villa a few days ago, and now I feel a little annoyed when I see the greasy table. I prefer something lighter, which is more to my taste.”

Aunt Xue nodded and said, “You eat, and I’ll go see your brother.”

Xue Baochai: “Mom, you don’t have to go. My brother didn’t come back yesterday.” Then she went to eat.

Aunt Xue’s face suddenly became long, and she said bitterly: “Damn you! You must have been fooling around with Wang Ren again! Congratulations, and I wish you the best!”

The two maids replied, “Yes.”

Aunt Xue: “Send someone to find your uncle.”

Two maids: “Yes.”

At this moment, the old woman outside the door called out: “Master is back!”

As he was talking, Xue Pan came in, reeking of alcohol and rouge, shouting, “Wang Ren, you bastard! How dare you cheat me!”

Aunt Xue was startled at first, then she shouted, “Damn you, you evil creature, what nonsense are you talking about!”

Xue Baochai just lowered her head and ate.

Xue Pan finally reacted and said with a wry smile, “So mom is here too. What’s going on? Mom and sister are only having dinner so late?”

Aunt Xue glared at him and said, “You know your sister is here too! Why don’t you go wash off this stinky body?”

Xue Pan agreed and walked out.

With a humph, Aunt Xue said to Xue Baochai, “Your aunt said that when things get better in a few days, Tanchun will be registered under her name.”

Xue Baochai raised her head: “Did Aunt Zhao agree?”

Aunt Xue: “Yes.” She smiled and said, “I have lived for so many years, and this is the first time I have heard of such a thing, where a concubine is allowed to do whatever she wants.”

Xue Baochai also smiled. There was no normal person in the second room.

At this time, Xiao Luo, Xue Baoqin’s maid, hurried in, bowed to Aunt Xue, and said, “Madam, our girl asked me to tell you that Earl Zhongyong has been promoted. The old lady in the mansion is preparing to send a new play to congratulate Earl Zhongyong and Miss Lin.”

Aunt Xue quickly said to Xue Baochai, “We should also send a gift of congratulations.”

Xue Baochai nodded and asked Xiaoluo, “What official position did you get promoted to?”

Xiaoluo: “There was a lot of noise in the old lady’s room, I didn’t hear it clearly, it was an official from the Ministry of War.”

Just as Xue Baochai was about to speak, she saw the maid come in and announce, “My aunt is here.”

Before he finished speaking, Wang Ziteng’s wife rushed in like a gust of wind. When she saw Aunt Xue looking up at her, she shouted, “Where is Xue Pan?”

Aunt Xue stood up quickly and asked anxiously, “What happened?”

Wang Ziteng’s wife: “What happened? Our brother Ren has only been back for a few days, and he has been led astray by him! He gambles and drinks all day long, and even sleeps with prostitutes. He has not returned yet.”

Xue Baochai interrupted: “Don’t worry, aunt, my brother just came back too.”

Aunt Xue said, “Yes, Pan’er has just come back too.” She then called to the old woman, “Go and call your master over.”

The old woman responded and went out.

Wang Ziteng’s wife looked better and said to the maid beside her, “Send someone back to check.”

The maid agreed and went.

After a while, Xue Pan hurried in and saluted to Wang Ziteng’s wife with a sullen face.

Before Wang Ziteng’s wife could speak, Aunt Xue spoke up: “Tell your aunt quickly when Ren Ge’er will be back.”

Xue Pan: “How would I know?”

Hearing what he said, Aunt Xue was stunned: “What? Didn’t you come back together?”

Xue Pan got angry: “That bastard.”

“Brother!” Xue Baochai stopped him.

Wang Ziteng’s wife’s face suddenly became very ugly. Because she was worried about her son, she swallowed her anger and looked at Xue Pan: “The servant said that you two went to the Eight Great Hutongs together yesterday. How come you didn’t know?”

Now it was Xue Pan’s turn to look unhappy. Aunt Xue asked anxiously, “What’s wrong?”

Xue Pan: “It was agreed that he would treat us, but when I woke up, he had already left and the bill was not settled! Yesterday he ordered two girls, a table of food, and a singing boy. I heard from the madam that he left before curfew, saying that he was going to another family to have fun. Oh, and his servant was there too.”

Wang Ziteng’s wife: “Impossible! Ren Ge’er’s servant was sent back at the first watch.”

Aunt Xue and Xue Baochai were both shocked.

Just then, Wang’s maid hurried in.

The maid of the Wang family said: “Madam, the master has been sent back.”

Wang Ziteng’s wife stood up quickly and asked: “Who sent him back? How is he?”

The maid hesitated for a moment and replied, “The master got drunk and hasn’t woken up yet. The people at the brothel were worried about what might happen, so they sent him back, and also, they sent him back with the bill.”

Aunt Xue and everyone else were stunned.

Xue Pan laughed, but quickly held it back.

Wang Ziteng’s wife said angrily: “Damn you!” She glared at Xue Pan and hurried out.

Xue Pan laughed again: “The son of the Governor-General of Liangjiang is being chased by someone asking for prostitution.”

Aunt Xue: “Shut up!”

Xue Baochai, who was standing by, couldn’t help laughing and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Look, even my sister is laughing.” Xue Pan laughed.

Now Aunt Xue couldn’t help laughing.

After laughing, Xue Baochai said: “Maybe someone set up a trap for Wang Ren to embarrass my uncle.”

Aunt Xue was shocked when she heard this: “Are you reminding your aunt and the others?”

Xue Pan immediately shouted, “What are you reminding me of? Mom, have you forgotten what the Wang family looks like? Which one of them looks at our family squarely?”

Aunt Xue was silent.

Xue Baochai changed the subject: “Brother, go back and change your clothes, and then go to the Li family to congratulate them.”

Xue Pan: “Congratulations, what are you congratulating?”

Aunt Xue: “The Earl of Loyalty and Bravery has been promoted.” Then she said to Xue Baochai, “You should go too.”

Xue Baochai was silent for a moment, then said, “Let Baoqin go with us.”

study room

The imperial desk was piled high with memorials, and Emperor Yongchang was reviewing them with his hands moving non-stop.

Dai Quan walked in quietly and said softly, “Your Majesty, the people from the Imperial Household Department are back.”

“Go ahead.” Emperor Yongchang was still looking down at the memorial.

Dai Quan: “He was drunk and his words were mixed, but we could get the general idea. It was probably because Lin Ruhai did not exchange salt for the Wang family in advance, so the Wang family came up with the idea of ​​selling private salt, and then they got in touch with the Second Prince. He was the one who had been in contact with the Second Prince’s people, and Wang Ziteng was not involved in this matter. That’s right! He also said that Wang Ziteng had written a letter to the Second Prince!”

Emperor Yongchang raised his head: “Oh?”

Dai Quan: “The Second Prince did not find any letter from Wang Ziteng.”

Emperor Yongchang put down his pen, and thought for a long time, then said to Dai Quan: “There must not be any trace left in this matter!”

Dai Quan: “Yes.”

Emperor Yongchang: “No matter what is written in that letter, Wang Ziteng can no longer stay in Jiangnan.”

Dai Quan: “But Wang Ziteng just tried a case at the Canal Transport Office. He has made great contributions. We can’t let him go to Beijing to serve as the Minister of the Six Ministries, right?”

Emperor Yongchang paused and said, “Then transfer him to Beijing to serve as the governor of Zhili, and use his status to implement the new policy in Zhili. The Kong family has already surrendered, and if we take down the nobles in Zhili, we can implement the new policy throughout the country.”

Dai Quan was shocked when he heard this, and remained silent on the surface, but was shocked in his heart: the land around the capital city belongs to either nobles or royal relatives. These people are not gentry, and they have many ways to deal with Wang Ziteng and the Wang family.

Emperor Yongchang: “As long as he can help me take over Zhili, I can forgive him for what happened.”

Dai Quan: “Your Majesty, be merciful!”

“And there’s the matter of smuggled salt!” Emperor Yongchang said, getting angry again. “It’s been almost two years since we raided those salt merchants in the third year of Yongchang. They’ve made a lot of money, so it’s time to stop.”

Dai Quan: “I will send someone to tell the princes right now.”

Emperor Yongchang: “Don’t tell anyone. Send the Imperial Household Department to mobilize troops from Anhui Guards. Kill all the people, whether they are from the royal family or the second, third, and fourth sons, including the salt transport envoys who provide them with salt permits.”

Dai Quan took a breath.

Emperor Yongchang: “I want to thoroughly clean up the Lianghuai salt industry. Anyone involved will be beheaded. And that salt gang will be wiped out on the spot!”

Dai Quan shuddered: “Yes.”

(End of this chapter)