The Mute Wife Who Brings Prosperity

Chapter 836 - 794: Him or Me? (Third Update)

"Actually, the whole matter isn’t complicated," Yun Huai said. "Heir Xu was innocently implicated."

Xu Jia listened, her expression turning somewhat grim. She insisted that although her brother might not be a paragon of virtue, there’s no way he would molest a decent woman in public. Marquis Zhenxi is still at the Northern Border fighting. If he wins, he will be a major hero of this battle and will receive the emperor’s full trust. Yet, the Princess of Qing Shui dared to offend the Western Marquis Mansion at such a time. This matter definitely can’t be let go so easily!

Seeing Xu Jia’s sullen expression, Yun Huai withdrew his gaze, "Earlier, I discussed a business dealing with her and mentioned the word ’national policy’. Noticing her odd reaction, I managed to gather some information and have roughly figured out the sequence of events."

"National policy?" Xu Jia’s mind quickly flashed a thought that she failed to grasp, but she had a vague suspicion.

"Recently, the court just implemented a national policy," Yun Huai nodded. "Have you heard about it? In the first year of this intermarriage policy, any merchant marrying a Jiuli Clan woman can apply for a lifetime tax reduction of seventy percent."

Hearing this, Xu Jia took a deep breath.

The hierarchy is scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants. Merchants are best at profiteering; thus, their taxes are the heaviest, and their status is the lowest. For a small trader, a seventy-percent tax reduction might be insignificant, but for a large merchant, that seventy percent can be a colossal fortune—a lifetime reduction of seventy percent in taxes is a huge temptation!

Not to mention the merchants, even Xu Jia was tempted when she heard it.

"But what does this have to do with Princess Qing Shui Mansion?" Xu Jia came back to her senses and looked at Yun Huai.

"It has a lot to do with it," Yun Huai smiled. "Previous intelligence reports said that since the new emperor ascended the throne, the funds from the palace for the Eldest Princess had been interrupted, and the new emperor even ordered the demolition of unauthorized structures in her mansion, not only humiliating the Eldest Princess but also cutting off their family’s livelihood. The Feng father and son are businessmen. In such a time, they can’t rely on the Eldest Princess and must look for another path, which happens to be the Jiuli Clan."

It seemed Xu Jia understood something. "Earlier, I asked my brother in the woodshed. He said he saw Mrs. Feng being bullied. Could it be that those people were arranged by the Eldest Princess?"

"That’s the only way to make sense," Yun Huai nodded. "Mrs. Feng comes from a good family; after the scandal, her in-laws’ first reaction wasn’t to suppress the rumors but to detain Heir Xu, which only made things worse. Regardless of who sullied Mrs. Feng, her reputation will be hard to clear. I guess they want to take this opportunity to divorce Mrs. Feng."

"And then marry a Jiuli woman to apply for the seventy-percent tax reduction?"

From what Xu Jia knew, the business under Prince Consort Feng’s control still had quite some profits annually. If it weren’t for Feng Chuan’s constant gambling and squandering, the father and son wouldn’t be impoverished to the point where they had to reach out to the Princess of Qing Shui for money.

Given their current situation, a seventy-percent tax reduction would mean a significant income each year, filling the gap left by the palace funds.

"To reduce seventy percent in taxes, arranging for someone to ruin his wife’s reputation, Feng Chuan and his stepmother are truly malicious! Mrs. Feng, a helpless woman, will have nowhere to return to if she’s divorced like this. Her life ahead will surely be tough," Xu Jia said, gritting her teeth.

Having experienced it herself, she couldn’t stand such abominable men and felt nauseated whenever the topic came up.

Yun Huai noticed Xu Jia’s excessive agitation regarding Feng Chuan and said, "As the policy was just implemented, flaws and oversights are inevitable. This particular one was proposed by Yuanbao. Perhaps no one imagined someone would be willing to abandon a devoted wife for a seventy-percent tax reduction to marry a Jiuli woman."

"This should be just an example," Xu Jia thought of merchants nationwide rushing to divorce their wives before the year’s end for that tax break and felt troubled.

"Master Yun holds a position in the Ministry of War; this matter should be reportable, right?" Xu Jia truly didn’t wish to see so many innocent women being cast aside.

Though she and Tang Yuan had a mutual divorce, which sounded better than being ’abandoned’, she was too empathetic with the damage to reputation. If her reputation wasn’t tarnished, why else would her mother and sister-in-law have searched so hard yet failed to find a suitable husband for her?

If not for the conditions being too low for the Western Marquis Mansion and those that were reasonably acceptable looking down on her for being previously married.

Thinking of this, Xu Jia couldn’t help but sigh about her predicament.

Yun Shisan suddenly asked, "What does Miss Xu plan to do about Heir Xu?"

"The matter has already spread," Xu Jia said helplessly. "Even if I were to get my brother out now, his reputation for having dishonored Mrs. Feng wouldn’t be easily cleared. Untying the bell requires the person who tied it; to completely clear his name, we’d need Mrs. Feng to step forward."

"That, I’m afraid, would be difficult," Yun Shisan said worriedly. "After all, it was Mrs. Feng who personally admitted it at the time. To have her clarify now would mean she’d be contradicting herself."

"Precisely because of this that she must come forward," Xu Jia said resolutely.

The entire family was no good; the stepmother conspired with the stepson to harm the daughter-in-law, who then, ungrateful for being saved, turned around and bit the rescuer.

With her brother detained at the Princess Mansion, Xu Jia’s mood was indescribably bad.

...

At the archway, everyone parted ways—Yun Huai and his disciple returned home, while Xu Jia went back to the Western Marquis Mansion.

As soon as she entered, Xu Jia quickly went behind a screen to change clothes. Wrapped up for so long, she felt suffocated.

Mo Xiang came in and asked, "Miss, how was it? Did you see the Young Master?"

"I did," Xu Jia replied as she adjusted her dress and stepped out from behind the screen.

"How is he?" Mo Xiang was anxious. "What on earth is going on?"

Xu Jia couldn’t explain it all at once, so she asked, "Is my sister-in-law back?"

"The Heir’s wife is back. She came by earlier, wanting to see you. I told her you weren’t back yet."

"Invite her over," Xu Jia said, sitting down on a chair and pouring herself a cup of tea.

Mo Xiang turned and went out and soon brought Song Fang in.

Xu Jia handed her a cup of tea and asked, "Sister-in-law, how are things?"

Song Fang looked pale. "I went at a bad time. Third Brother wasn’t there, nor was the Princess Guardian. It was just my third sister-in-law and mother-in-law at the Song Mansion. I didn’t intend to mention it initially, but the rumors spread quickly. Soon, third sister-in-law knew and told me to find Mrs. Feng. By the way, Jiajia, how did things go for you?"

Xu Jia took a sip of tea. "There’s been some progress, but my next step, like yours, is to find Mrs. Feng."

Song Fang sighed, "We don’t even know how this all began. What can I do by rashly finding Mrs. Feng?"

"My brother had nothing to do with this," Xu Jia said concisely. "He was just patrolling and happened to witness Mrs. Feng being assaulted and he saved her."

"What!" Song Fang’s face turned ashen. "He saved her, and she bit back?"

"Now isn’t the time for that," Xu Jia said, having calmed down. "Mrs. Feng’s reputation was ruined, and she’s hiding at home and won’t come out. Even if we want to find her, with the Princess of Qing Shui and Mr. Feng blocking us, it won’t be easy."

Song Fang was furious. Having mellowed her temper over the years she had been married, she prided herself on treating people kindly and often urged Xu Shu not to cause trouble outside to amass blessings for their children. She never imagined that by not causing trouble for others, others would bring it to them. What a shameless woman, saved and yet ungrateful, biting back!

Seeing Song Fang’s intense anger, Xu Jia decided to swallow the words she planned to say, thinking carefully before seeking Yun Huai’s help the next day.

This time, she planned to sneak into the Princess of Qing Shui Mansion rather than visiting openly. She intended to meet Mrs. Li!

With Yun Huai’s martial prowess, he could keep a lookout and make things go smoothly.

Hearing that Miss Xu intended to use his master as an attendant, Yun Shisan’s mouth twitched slightly, "How about I accompany you instead? I have good qinggong skills and decent martial arts, more than enough to deal with the few guards of the Princess Mansion."

Xu Jia suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Yes, Yun Shisan was indeed a skilled person, so why hadn’t she thought of him first instead of directly inviting Yun Huai?

Realizing she had made a mistake, Xu Jia quickly changed tact, "I suppose Master Yun might not have the time, so can I borrow your little disciple for a night?"

Yun Shisan sprayed out a mouthful of cold tea.

Why did it feel like something was wrong with that request?

Seated in the window-side rattan chair, Yun Huai spoke leisurely, "Clarify, do you mean to borrow him or me?"