20demayo Chapter 454
Chapter 454
fusang—
dongtiangsi, the capital of fusang, was a place of densely packed houses, cramped and crowded, lacking the grandeur and spaciousness of the capital of great yan.
there were no three or four-story buildings on the streets; the tallest structures were only two stories high, not even comparable to the most ordinary teahouse in the capital of great yan.
however, the residences of the royal family occupied vast areas, with countless servants and a strict hierarchy. many poor commoners struggled to survive.
in a remote fishing village in dongtiangsi, the crowing of a rooster broke the morning silence.
lights flickered on one after another in the stilted wooden houses, and even the wealthiest family in the village had already risen.
every villager who passed by the homes of tiao ye tailang and uesugi natsuka would cast envious glances.
recently, their son and daughter-in-law, who had been doing business in great yan for over a decade, had returned home due to the war.
they had made a fortune, renovated their house, and even bought a few servants to attend to them.
now, tiao ye tailang and uesugi natsuka no longer had to brave the storms and snow to fish at sea like the other villagers.
long after the rooster's crow, when the sky was already bright with the first light of dawn and the fishermen were returning, the gates of the tiao ye household finally opened.
shi ruojun, dressed in an expensive kimono worn only by noblewomen of fusang, stood at the doorway stretching lazily. the gold bracelet on her wrist glinted brilliantly in the sunlight.
the villagers, a mix of envy and jealousy, couldn't help but gather around their house to chat: "madam koko hisana, what kind of business did you do in great yan to make so much money? i remember you and your husband, tiao ye xinhua, left home when you were just fourteen, and now you're twenty-five, right?"
shi ruojun, who was actually only sixteen but weathered by wind and snow, thought to herself: can i just call them idiots?
but she merely smiled faintly, pointed to her throat, and shyly shook her head, indicating that she could no longer speak.
oh!
almost forgot!
tiao ye xinhua had explained that after they made their fortune in great yan, the locals, jealous of their wealth, took advantage of their foreign status to seize their shops and homes. they even poisoned his wife, koko hisana, rendering her mute. he harbored deep hatred for the people of great yan.
"those people from great yan are truly beasts. they used to do business on our land, and we never treated them so badly. they are utterly despicable and deserve to be taught a lesson."
"this time, even goguryeo is on our side. we are sure to win. after being oppressed by great yan for so long, forced to pay tribute every year, it's time for us to rise up."
kawashuu raisen stroked his cunning beard: "you're saying a couple of immense wealth has arrived in our fishing village?"
the advisor nodded: "according to our informants in the village, they likely made their fortune through shady dealings in great yan and were driven back to fusang. the man's wife was even poisoned by the people of great yan, leaving her mute. he harbors deep hatred for great yan. every time the topic is brought up, his expression turns fearsome. i believe they could be the key to your promotion, my lord."
the grand supervisor, holding the fifth rank, had the authority to recommend talents to higher officials.
with the constant stream of defeats on the frontlines reaching the royal court, the king had been so furious that he hadn't slept well for days. if this couple could donate their entire fortune to support the military, the king would surely be pleased.
"is their identity reliable?"
"grand supervisor, the tiao ye and uesugi families have lived in the fishing village for generations. their ancestors even held minor official positions. they are undoubtedly true fusang natives. their son did leave for great yan at fourteen or fifteen to do business, as all the villagers can attest."
"as long as their identity is clear, bring tiao ye tailang and tiao ye xinhua to see me tomorrow. i'll introduce them to higher officials."
it would be their honor to serve the royal court.
the advisor's eyes gleamed with ambition: "yes, my lord. i will not disappoint you."
great yan—
consort shu turned abruptly: "what do you mean? are you saying consort liang has been hiding her illness from us and is now critically ill?"
noble consort ye looked worried: "i'm not entirely sure. consort liang denies it, and when i asked her maid, shuxiang, she claimed to know nothing. but i did smell a faint trace of blood amidst the bitter medicinal scent in her room."
consort shu bit her lip and ordered mu tan, who was standing behind her: "go quietly to the imperial hospital and summon all the physicians who have examined consort liang. make sure consort liang doesn't find out."
mu tan, realizing the gravity of the situation, nodded quickly and hurried out.
jiang xinyue received the news by evening, just after she had finished playing with the children.
"let's go to consort liang's palace!"
this was a matter of life and death. jiang xinyue had promised the eldest princess to take good care of consort liang.
the second princess had married into yunyang at the start of spring, and zhang xiuzhu from the imperial kitchen had left to teach at a women's academy in the civilian world.
most of the newly selected palace ladies were from official families. rather than living as widows in the palace, they preferred to engage in meaningful work.
jiang xinyue didn't want the palace to grow emptier with each passing year.