Remarrying Chun Yuan

“We’re not leaving. We’ll talk right here at the door.” Yuan Cuo gestured with his chin toward the outside.

Huajiao glanced instinctively at the door and was suddenly startled.

When did Hou Lai appear? He walks without making a sound!

She hurriedly ran to the inner room to keep the young master company, giving him a fierce glare as she entered.

Yuan Cuo helplessly summoned Hou Lai to speak at the courtyard gate, "Next time, be a little more disciplined and have the maids announce your arrival, so as not to frighten the women."

"I got carried away and forgot. I'll be more careful next time." Hou Lai habitually strolled around the rooftop, which he definitely needed to change. He didn't waste any more words and told them about how Wei Gongming had been scolded by the Third Prince. "...He was scolded, but he escaped unscathed. The Fang family acted too quickly and even sent Yu Jingyao." How could a county magistrate compare to the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard? That was His Majesty's favorite, someone even the Third Prince wouldn't dare to easily provoke.

"Have they found out about Yue Niang yet?" This was what Yuan Cuo was most concerned about.

"An investigation will definitely be conducted, after all, Master Yue showed up, but outsiders don't know what she said. They probably think that Master Yue asked Miss Huang to act as an intermediary to beg the Fang family to show leniency and let Liu Musheng go."

Yuan Cuo nodded slowly, Wei Gongming's failure was also due to his failure to investigate thoroughly.

He only knew that Liu Musheng had harassed Fang Yunqing and was beaten up, but he was unaware of the sibling relationship between Fang's cousin and Fang Yunqing.

If we had known this detail earlier, we wouldn't have had to rush to hold the trial for four days; we could have simply exposed the matter and accomplished our goal.

Yuan Cuo recalled the last question Wei Gongming asked him at the county government office today, "...What was I like in the eyes of outsiders before?" He was still curious about the "path before".

Hou Lai pondered for a moment, "Just lazing around and waiting to die?"

Yuan Cuo: "???"

"Alright, then I'm not only following the same path as before, but I'm also a bit richer, at least I'm living off a woman now."

……

The next morning, Yuan Cuo arrived at Liu Yuechu's room early. "I thought about the matter of the imperial merchants carefully last night. Silk seems to be more suitable for you to manage. In the invitation and selection in a few days, why not try to work in that direction?" He had studied in his study all night yesterday. If Liu Yuechu nodded, he would go to see Boss Zhu.

Liu Yuechu shook her head. "I want to try fur coats and military supplies."

"Why?" Yuan Cuo was genuinely surprised.

Fur needs to be sourced from various places, which is time-consuming, laborious, and may involve shipping. Military supplies are even more so, which are thankless tasks that don't earn much money and may even be picked over.

Liu Yuechu paused for a moment, "Because it's hard work, the royal relatives are unwilling to compete for it, so it's easier for me to get it."

If she were in charge of military supplies, she could naturally be linked to the Ministry of War's carts and baggage. When Yuan Cuo travels throughout the Great Qi to map its territory, he will have people supporting him in various places if he encounters trouble, so he won't lose his life so tragically again, and he won't have to spend so many years on it.

But Liu Yuechu wouldn't say those words out loud.

Yuan Cuo found the reason rather far-fetched, but still gave it a "good" answer.

After the two had breakfast, Liu Yuechu thought of Liu Musheng.

He's been in jail for several days now; I wonder if he's been scared...

"Young Master, there's something I need to discuss with you." Wang Fu suddenly came over, and seeing Yuan Cuo there, he winked and made faces, hoping that Liu Yuechu would send the man away so he could talk to him alone.

Liu Yuechu disliked their wariness of Yuan Cuo, saying, "Just say what you need to say."

Wang Fu had no choice but to speak up, "How should we settle the courtesans and girls we bought from Yixiang Pavilion?"

The indentures are all in the hands of the Liu family; they can't possibly let them go to brothels to sell themselves, can they?

But these women were not ordinary female relatives; they wouldn't fit anywhere.

Liu Yuechu hissed in surprise. She had really forgotten about these people. "What should we do?" she asked, looking at Yuan Cuo.

Yuan Cuo felt a chill run down his spine. "What does my wife plan to do?" He dared not offer any suggestions!

Liu Yuechu pondered for a long time but couldn't come up with a solution. "How about we let them all go back to their own homes and find their own way to survive?"

Wang Fu rolled his eyes. "Six thousand taels of silver for it!" He just sent them home so easily? His liver started hurting again!

"The money should be deducted from the eldest brother's account. After all, this money is for him to spend. Doesn't he like courtesans? Doesn't he like competing with others? Send these girls and their indentures to him. Ask him what to do with them!"

She was, after all, a woman, and didn't want to get involved in anything at all.

Wang Fu stamped his foot in exasperation, "If we let a woman like that go over there, how will the young master find a wife? Aren't you just being ridiculous!"

“If he hadn’t gone to the brothel on my wedding night, none of this would have happened. I haven’t even settled accounts with him yet, and you’re accusing me of making a scene?” Liu Yuechu was no longer going to be coerced.

Wang Fu couldn't reply. Ever since Liu Yuechu took back the Liu family business, he could no longer stand up straight and treated this person like an ancestor.

"Forget it, I'll do it." Yuan Cuo couldn't bear to see the two of them start arguing.

Liu Yuechu's almond-shaped eyes widened. "How do you plan to handle this?"

"Send it to Boss Zhu."

Yuan Cuo was straightforward: "He travels around the country all year round and can bring some talented young women with him to perform. Moreover, his business in the capital also needs someone to manage it."

"Just like that, you're giving it away?" Wang Fu was more concerned about the six thousand taels.

Yuan Cuo coughed twice. "Have him help put in a good word with the Imperial Household Department. Didn't Madam want to take on the job of supplying the military? If he accepts the man, the matter will most likely be resolved." He has to get it done, or else he'll cause a scene in the palace.

Liu Yuechu's eyes lit up. "Then I'll have to trouble you, my husband. Please also thank Boss Zhu for me."

Yuan Cuo nodded and led Wang Fu out.

Huajiao watched Yuan Cuo leave and asked, "Don't you think the son-in-law is acting strangely?"

"What's strange?" Liu Yuechu asked.

Huajiao recounted how Hou came looking for someone in the middle of the night, "...walking without a sound, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, what kind of servant would do that?"

Liu Yuechu thought about it and realized that Hou Lai was indeed extraordinary. "His father-in-law was once a principal officer in the Ministry of Works, and his mother-in-law was the youngest daughter of a prefect in another province. Neither of them came from ordinary backgrounds. It's normal for them to have a young page who knows a little martial arts by their side, right?"

“But Young Master Lin’s family background is even better, and his pageboy is not like that,” Huajiao countered, citing Lin Mengjun as an example.

Liu Yuechu scoffed, "Such a pedantic family, hiding a few tattered books so secretly, how could they possibly raise a clever person? Aren't they afraid of gossip and losing things?"

Sichuan pepper couldn't help but laugh, "You really have a sharp tongue!"

Liu Yuechu sighed. It wasn't that she didn't hold grudges, but rather that it depended on whose grudge she held. She would never forget the Lin family's ingratitude towards Yuan Cuo.

……

At this moment, Wei Gongming heard from his subordinates that Yuan Cuo had given the most beautiful courtesan and young ladies from Yixianglou to Boss Zhu.

Who is this Boss Zhu? How come he has no recollection of this person in his past life?

"What kind of business does Mr. Zhu run?" Wei Gongming asked.