Chapter 162 – General Jin Lao

Chapter 162 - General Jin Lao

After some casual conversation, Tang Mingrui finally came to the point.

"Brother Mo, Sister Mo, you didn't bring any dolls this time?"

He Zhiran shrugged and spoke honestly.

"I'm not aware of the recent sales of your dolls, so I didn't bring any along. We've rented a courtyard near the docks for temporary residence, where the dolls can be conveniently stored. Whenever Brother Tang needs them, he can fetch them anytime."

"That's great. Younger Brother will accompany Brother Mo and Sister Mo to your residence later to get some dolls."

Tang Mingrui was eager to receive the goods, finding even his tea less appealing now.

He Zhiran and Mo Jiuya also didn't wish to spend their time on idle chatter, so they took the initiative to lead Tang Mingrui to retrieve the dolls.

Knowing their residence made it easier for Tang Mingrui to make future trips, so he only took fifty dolls with him today.

With the increased income this time, He Zhiran raised the pay for the women's doll-making to one tael of silver per doll.

The women's earnings might have gone up, but the materials for making dolls were soon depleted.

He Zhiran intended to stop while they were ahead. It was good enough to earn some silver for security; she didn't want to invite trouble because of it.

Tang Mingrui proved to be quite the businessman. Within seven days, he had sold all the dolls that the women had made.

The Xie and Fang families each received another fifty taels of silver.

Now, thanks to the doll-making, both families had accumulated several dozen taels of silver.

If managed wisely, these funds would allow them to buy a house and land when they reached the northwest, providing for their family's basic needs without worry.

This only deepened their gratitude towards He Zhiran...

They had expected to stay for a while longer, and had even prepared to spend the New Year in this place.

Little did they know that plans could change so swiftly.

A large contingent of royal envoys, dispatched to locate Nan Heng, had entered the city.

General Jin, their leader, owed a favor to the late Old Marquis Mo from his time on the border.

Originally, he intended to secretly bid farewell when the Mo family was being exiled.

Unbeknownst to him, Emperor Shunwu had already taken precautions. Anyone who had previously been close to the Mos was detained in the palace during morning court until news of the family's departure reached the capital. Only then were they released.

General Jin's family, fearful of drawing the emperor's ire through association with the Mos, persuasively deterred him from taking any action.

This caused General Jin considerable guilt for several days.

One of his reasons for volunteering for this mission was the hope that he might catch up with the Mo family's exile and offer them covert assistance.

To his disappointment, he failed to find any trace of the exiled group throughout their journey.

Just as General Jin believed his mission would be fruitless in reconnecting with the Mos, he stumbled upon a familiar figure while conducting routine searches on the streets.

Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran, out purchasing supplies, heard the approach of soldiers and deliberately moved aside, trying to minimize their visibility.

Little did he expect that his figure would still be recognized by General Jin in the blink of an eye.

"Is it Nephew Mo?"

Mo Jiuya paused and turned around.

"General Jin."

The elderly general hastily dismounted and strode up to Mo Jiuya.

He scrutinized Mo Jiuya carefully before giving his shoulder a hearty pat.

"Hmm, you're still alive and kicking. That's great to see."

Then, he burst into a hearty laughter, drawing the attention of all passersby towards them.

Seeing that General Jin was being surrounded, the soldiers quickly and tactfully dispersed the crowd.

Mo Jiuya felt a sense of familiarity towards General Jin.

"General, have you come here to investigate Prince Heng's disappearance?"

General Jin sized up Mo Jiuya from head to toe before leaning in close to whisper, "Tell me, is Prince Heng's disappearance somehow connected to you?"

From the moment he laid eyes on Mo Jiuya, he had a feeling that the prince's disappearance was linked to him.

"General, you're really putting too much on Jiuye. I bear no grudge against Prince Heng, so why would I harm him?

Moreover, I am now an outcast, with no involvement in the court's intrigues. All I wish for is for my family to safely reach the northwest and live a peaceful life."

General Jin had merely asked out of curiosity. Seeing the sincerity in Mo Jiuya's expression, he didn't think the man was lying.

"That's good to hear. Otherwise, I'd be racking my brains on how to help you escape."

Mo Jiuya chuckled. "General, you worry too much. Prince Heng's disappearance has nothing to do with me."

"Alright, that puts my mind at ease." General Jin then turned his gaze to He Zhiran standing beside Mo Jiuya.

"And this young lady must be the daughter of Minister He?"

He Zhiran could tell that General Jin was an ally, not an adversary.

She bowed respectfully to the old general.

"Good day, General."

General Jin laughed heartily once more. "Excellent, excellent! Jiuye is a lucky fellow to have married such a beautiful wife."

Mo Jiuya beamed with pride at his wife's compliment.

"My wife is indeed remarkable. She has endured much hardship alongside me on our journey."

"Indeed, you two make a fine couple, both talented and good-looking. I hope you'll live happily together and bear many sons to carry on the Mo family line."

Pausing, General Jin spoke gravely, "Niece, rest assured. Your father is a cunning fox who knows how to read the situation. He hasn't been implicated due to his familial ties with the Mo family."

From this brief exchange, He Zhiran discerned that the old general was a straightforward man who didn't fuss over trivial matters.

"Thank you, General, for your reassurance. Please convey my regards to my father when you return to the capital, and tell him that I am well and not to worry about me."

"Certainly, I'll convey your message to your niece," the old General Jin replied after their lengthy conversation. Only then did he realize that Mo Jiuya and He Zhiran were strolling freely on the streets.

In his understanding, those in exile were always under the watchful eye of the authorities. How could they be so carefree?

"Dear nephew, why are you and your wife out on the street?" the old general asked, noticing the abundance of food they carried.

Mo Jiuya had no intention of hiding the truth from the old general. "I won't hide it from you, Uncle. We've gotten along well with the head of the law enforcement officers. He permits us to venture out occasionally to purchase necessities."

"That's good to hear. I was worried that after leaving the capital, with your injuries and no one to assist you in dealing with those officials, you'd suffer. But seeing how well you look now, I'm relieved," the old general paused before sighing and continuing.

"You are unaware, on the day the Mo family was ordered to be expelled and their belongings confiscated, all of us officials who were friendly with the Mos were commanded by the Emperor to remain in the palace until your procession had left the city," he explained.

So that was the case.

He Zhiran had previously been puzzled as to why her parents had taken so long to catch up with the exile convoy. Now she realized it was because the tyrant Emperor had not allowed them to depart.

Moreover, she now understood that her sisters-in-law's families might have been prevented from seeing them off for the same reason.

It seemed that her sisters-in-law had truly misjudged their own kin.