Traveling through the emperor, overthrowing the empress dowager at the beginning

In the private room.

Qin Mantan opened her mouth slightly and narrated slowly and calmly.

"Uncle Zhou is a horse merchant. He used to trade horses with the Tubo and Qiang peoples. He has always had connections with our Jing'an Marquisate and secretly provided war horses to the border troops."

"Uncle Zhou used to buy a lot of horses every year. But since the people from the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion are no longer in the army, although Uncle Zhou has tried hard to maintain channels for buying and selling horses, he can't buy a large number of horses. Moreover, these horses are no longer sold at the border, but are all shipped to the capital."

"However, Uncle Zhou has been less proactive in handling business in the capital lately, and has instead entrusted our Jing'an Marquisate to handle it. However, the money for buying the horses is also paid for by our Jing'an Marquisate."

After hearing Qin Man's words, Ye Chen couldn't help but feel curious.

"Miss Qin, what on earth happened? How could a businessman not even make money?"

"I don't know either, but Uncle Zhou usually stays in the lakeside cottage on Ximen Street in the capital. If you really want to discuss business with him, you can go there and talk to him in person. I can introduce you to someone."

Qin Man spoke in a gentle voice and slowly, appearing quite sincere and easily convinced.

"Well, I'll trouble you, Miss Qin."

Ye Chen smiled slightly, then changed the subject and asked, "There's one more thing, young lady. Since you are from the Jing'an Marquisate, I heard that the Jing'an Marquisate originally had thousands of fiefs. Why do you want to lower your status and deal with these horse merchants now?"

Ye Chen did not directly point out the predicament of the decline of the Jing'an Marquis Mansion in order to take Qin Man's feelings into consideration.

After hearing Ye Chen's words, Qin Man sighed softly and said with a sad expression, "Young Master Ye, you don't know that my Jing'an Marquis Mansion did originally have a fief of over a thousand. But back then, the Jing'an Marquis was stationed at the border of Dayu for generations, and when fighting against foreign tribes, many of his comrades died in battle. The Jing'an Marquis Mansion has always provided relief to the families of these people."

"The income from those fiefs is simply not enough."

"Now that no one from the Jing'an Marquisate can serve in the army, and without military pay, I'm the only weak woman left. All I have left is a horse trade. I've even sold the horses that my mansion has raised at the border for the past few years."

Qin Man looked quite helpless when she finished speaking.

The Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion is becoming increasingly dilapidated. She sees it with her own eyes and is anxious in her heart, but there is nothing she can do.

"Does your Jing'an Marquisate provide relief to the orphans of soldiers who died in battle?"

Ye Chen suddenly understood, and then said: "That lame driver, and that Chen Yi before, could it be that they are both retired from the army?"

"Yes, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Chen used to be my father's personal soldiers, but now they are both injured. Naturally, I should provide for them in their old age, but the two uncles insisted on working for me, so I can only find them a job in the Marquis' Mansion."

Qin Man sighed again: "Now that I think about it, I've made my two uncles suffer over the years."

She always felt guilty. After all, these were her father's personal soldiers who had fought through thick and thin together. After they retired, she was unable to provide them with good food and drink in their old age. She could only make them her slaves, even though it was all their own will.

Upon hearing this, Ye Chen's eyes flashed.

"Hey, it's almost noon, Qiu'er. I want to have lunch here. Go get some food."

Ye Chen suddenly said to Shen Qiu who was standing beside him.

Shen Qiu frowned slightly, looked at Ye Chen, then looked at Qin Man, and narrowed his eyes slightly.

She just felt that Ye Chen might have bad intentions by sending her away at this time.

However, Shen Qiu still had to listen to Ye Chen and finally turned around and walked out.

After Shen Qiu left, Ye Chen immediately said to Qin Man, "Miss Qin, your Jing'an Marquis's Mansion actually raises so many soldiers' orphans, and even raises military horses. Are there any good warriors among these soldiers' orphans now? I mean, are there any brave generals or soldiers in the army?"

"Young Master, you may not know that many of these warrior orphans that my Jing'an Marquisate provides support to have been trained since childhood. They were originally prepared to serve the imperial court at the border and avenge their loved ones. However, now, this is just empty talk."

Qin Man suddenly smiled bitterly, and Ye Chen understood what she meant.

Marquis Jing'an's forces have already left the army, so it is naturally not easy for the orphans of these soldiers to join the army. Even if they join the army, no one will take care of them. With the powerful families of Dayu now controlling the government, these people will only become cannon fodder on the battlefield.

These people have no way out and can only rely on the Jing'an Marquis Mansion for support. This is also the fundamental reason why the Jing'an Marquis Mansion is becoming increasingly embarrassed.

"Oh, Miss Qin, what if I say I have some connections, and the Imperial Guards are currently short of men, and I want to select the best from the people receiving pensions from Jing'an Prefecture to join the Imperial Guards, what do you think?"

Ye Chen asked anxiously.

His original purpose of coming here was to recruit people for himself.

And these people in the Jing'an Marquis Mansion are really suitable for recruitment.

But contrary to Ye Chen's expectations, after hearing his words, Qin Man was not happy at all. Instead, the expression on her face turned completely cold.

"Young Master is very acquainted with people, but I appreciate your kindness. No one from the Marquis of Jing'an will ever enter the palace!"

Qin Man's tone was still gentle, yet firm and decisive, making her seem very opinionated.

Ye Chen immediately narrowed his eyes, clearly feeling that something was wrong.

The people in the Jing'an Marquis Mansion could not join the army and had no way out. Some were so poor that they could only sell the horses they raised.

Why would he be unwilling to let his people join the Imperial Guard?

"Young Master Ye, you don't know that the Jing'an Marquisate has been guarding the borders for generations for Dayu, but they will never serve the royal family!"

Qin Man's tone was full of persistence and no longer gentle. Ye Chen even heard a hint of anger in it.

"Miss Qin, do you have some prejudice against the royal family?"

Ye Chen asked immediately.

"Mr. Ye, you don't know that the reason why our Jing'an Marquisate has ended up like this is because of the battle with Tubo three years ago."

"And do you know why we lost that battle?"

Qin Man said angrily.

"Miss Qin, I heard that the old Marquis of Jing'an fell into the Tubo trap because of a miscalculation in command?"

Ye Chen replied.

This is what he asked Shen Qiu to investigate.

But he didn't expect that Qin Man suddenly shook her head.

"Sir, the world has it that my father fell into a Tibetan trap due to a misguided command. But few people know that he wrote me a letter back then, explaining that it wasn't that he didn't see through the Tibetans' plan, but that he had no choice but to follow it."

Qin Man's eyes suddenly sparkled with tears, and she spoke in a sobbing voice, "The reason why my Jing'an Marquisate has come to this end, and why my father and brothers died in battle, is all because of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor!"