Chapter 128: Not a Simple Person

Chapter 128: Not a Simple Person

Xie Yan abruptly looked up, "Mingchao, I'm just feeling uneasy."

So uneasy that I feel like I'm walking on a floating cloud, without the solidity of the ground beneath me."

Lu Mingchao held back her smile, "A Yan, I am Lu Mingchao, your wife."

"Even if we tread on clouds, I will walk beside you."

Lu Mingchao planned to keep the secret of her transmigration into a book buried deep within her.

Out of everything and everyone, she loved herself the most.

"A Yan, there is only one Lu Mingchao in this world."

Before, it was the original owner; now, it is her.

Xie Yan's restless heart seemed to calm.

As if roots had grown from the clouds, breaking through the layers of the cloud sea, and anchoring in the earth.

What mattered was that Mingchao was his wife, the one who walked hand in hand with him.

Mingchao, truly a fitting name, the dawn he had been eagerly anticipating.

While one side was filled with warmth, the other was in turmoil.

Sun Zhiye had already found out that Lu Mingchao had flawlessly resolved the situation, and his plan had backfired.

Reviewing the entire event, Sun Zhiye belatedly realized that Lu Mingchao had long woven a large net, waiting for him, who had been repeatedly thwarted and deeply disheartened, to fall into it, using his own scheming to elevate Chaofu Grain Shop's reputation.

The mantis stalks the cicada, oblivious to the oriole behind.

Lu Mingchao was not only the oriole but also the ultimate hunter.

Lu Mingchao!

Sun Zhiye desperately wanted to crack open Lu Mingchao's mind to see what was inside.

Time after time, she turned peril into safety.

Time after time, she turned defeat into triumph.

Enough, this was not the time for Sun Zhiye to lament.

He was only relieved now that he had prudently avoided involving his close confidants in the poisoning plot.

"Eldest Young Master Sun, another letter has come from the capital."

Sun Zhiye's brow twitched sharply, and the initial thrill in his heart vanished, leaving only revulsion.

After a long pause, Sun Zhiye finally took the letter with a cold expression.

This time, there was no silver note.

Indeed, tearing thirty thousand taels of silver notes would take some time, even if they were just paper.

Sun Zhiye's expression eased a little, and he patiently continued to read.

As it turned out, he had relaxed too soon.

The real daughter of the Marquis of Yongning wasn’t after money; she was after lives instead.

Sun Zhiye slammed the letter on the table, exclaiming, "This is beyond the pale, absolutely unacceptable!"

You wouldn’t even treat a dog this way.

He was a legitimate merchant, not a murderous bandit.

With just a few offhand remarks, she wanted him to eliminate Lu Chunhe and his family of three.

Lu Chunhe and his son were originally intended to be obstacles for Lu Mingchao, yet before they could serve their purpose, Lu Minghui had sent a letter demanding their immediate elimination at all costs.

He seriously doubted Lu Minghui’s intentions.

These were three lives; getting rid of them without a trace was just wishful thinking.

Previously, when he had no choice but to kill his second brother, despite having a foolproof plan, he was still haunted by unexpected rumors, and to this day, people still speculated about his brother's death.

Killing three more—was she trying to cut her own life short?

Sun Zhiye gnashed his teeth in frustration; he was seeking a reliable ally, not a reckless accomplice!

The letter was packed with harsh and uncompromising language, clearly showing Lu Minghui's resolute determination to kill.

But no matter how resolute, he couldn’t handle such a sordid job.

It wasn’t a sudden burst of mercy, but rather the unpredictable consequences that he feared.

He...

He was a bit scared of Lu Mingchao.

Sun Zhiye acknowledged this with a bitter chuckle.

"Get another ten thousand taels in silver notes ready, and send them with my reply to the Marquis of Yongning's residence in the capital."

Young Master Sun's eyes widened in shock, and he mustered the courage to advise, "Young Master Sun, the funds in the accounts can’t be touched anymore. The funds meant to corner the grain market for Chaofu Food Store are already running low, and we still need to purchase new grain to replace the dampened stock in the warehouse. Everywhere requires funds."

It wasn’t long ago that thirty thousand taels were sent, and now another ten thousand was needed.

No matter how rich the Sun family was, they couldn’t sustain such wastefulness.

"Maybe it’s time to cut ties with the noble in the capital."

Money was pouring out, yet there was no return.

Young Master Sun said gravely, "It’s hard to get on a pirate ship, and even harder to get off."

Nothing in life is free; the real daughter of the Marquis of Yongning should know this simple truth.

What’s been taken will have to be paid back with interest.

"Plant patiently, and the harvest will come, sooner or later."

"As for the stored grain in the warehouse, it’s normal for grain to get damp, and those who cooked and ate the warehouse grain didn’t get sick."

"Arrange for people bound by a life contract, who are tight-lipped and trustworthy, to pick out the discolored grains, come up with a plausible excuse, and sell them at a discount."

"I still have some private assets. Selling some off can temporarily keep the Sun family's accounts from showing discrepancies."

"Tian Dong, at this point, it's do or die."

Tian Dong's lips trembled, still hesitating, "But..."

"No buts!" Sun Zhiye decisively cut off Tian Dong's words.

Tian Dong hung his head in defeat.

The Sun family, which was thriving and had a bright future ahead, how did it come to such a state of desolation and constraint?

Just over a month ago, he and Chuan Bai watched the Eldest Young Master Sun skillfully navigate among the wealthy merchants in the city, envisioning the Sun family business reaching new heights.

And now?

Now, the past prosperity now feels like a fleeting dream.

Tian Dong gritted his teeth, knelt down with a thud, "Eldest Young Master Sun, perhaps we should seek reconciliation with the owner of Chaofu Grain Shop."

"Reconciliation could lead to mutual benefit."

Lu Mingchao is not an ordinary woman.

Sun Zhiye was stunned, and after a long while, he said, "Lu Mingchao is not a saint."

"Tian Dong, from now on, don't say things that lower our morale and boost theirs."

"The Sun family, no matter how dire, should not fear a small grain shop like Chaofu Grain Shop."

Sun Zhiye still harbored a secret hope.

He wanted to win over Lu Mingchao.

He wanted Lu Mingchao to kneel at his feet and admire him.

There was no turning back, and he didn't want to turn back.

"Tian Dong, go get the banknotes ready."

Sun Zhiye said no more, sitting upright at his desk, he spread out paper and ground ink to prepare a reply.

He did not intend to follow the order to kill, so naturally, he needed to use banknotes to appease the legitimate daughter of the Yongning Marquisate.

Far away in the capital, Lu Minghui, upon seeing the silver-plated hairpin handed to the backyard by the gatekeeper, could hardly sleep peacefully for days.

For several days in a row, she was distracted and made mistakes in Madam Chang's class, being punished each time.

Madam Chang sighed in frustration, calling her a lost cause, and immediately broke the ruler and returned to the Duke's family.

After that, she was punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall to reflect on her mistakes.

Lu Minghui sat on the prayer cushion, her slender eyebrows accentuating her fierceness.

Lu Chunhe! And Lu Bao!

This father and son have really gotten bold, daring to threaten her.

She is set to marry into the Duke's family, becoming the wife of the refined gentleman Gu Huai.

The Duke's family already disapproves of her; if they were to find out that she had nearly been intimate with Lu Chunhe and his son in the fields, they would likely cancel the engagement outright.

No.

Absolutely not!

She was reborn to take Lu Mingchao's place and live the luxurious life of a noblewoman.

Dead men tell no tales.

The Lu Chunhe family had the audacity to deceive her when she was young and naive; they all deserve to die.

With Lu Xin being a fool and the Lu Chunhe family gone, no one would know the truth.

By now, Sun Zhiye should have gotten her letter.

A dog should stay in its lane.

Hearing footsteps approaching the ancestral hall, Lu Minghui quickly straightened up, kneeling piously and upright.

The Sun family's troubles were just beginning...