Divorced woman with child travels through time

The next day, the eunuch bestowed by the emperor brought the imperial decree and the house deed. Only then did Chen Wenfang realize that they now had a house in the capital. She hurriedly asked Wang Erniu to take her to the mansion so she could make proper arrangements, as living in the military camp for a long time was too inconvenient.

A dozen or so carriages entered the city in a grand procession. The mansions were all in the southwest, not far from the military officers' residences. When the carriages passed the commander's mansion, Wang Erniu thoughtfully pointed them out to Chen Wenfang one by one, staring intently at her. Chen Wenfang was puzzled, so she followed his hand and asked him earnestly.

Wang Erniu sighed and didn't say anything.

When they arrived at the General's Mansion, Chen Wenfang belatedly realized that the place not far from there was the Prince De's Mansion. That was where her ex-boyfriend lived. No wonder her husband was watching her.

Chen Wenfang chuckled to herself for a while. Her husband was jealous. She casually arranged for people to move and pack. It was so good to have Sister-in-law Nie around. She had helpers, not to mention the capable Lulu, who could fight and manage the household.

Chen Wenfang would slack off whenever possible. Along the way, she noticed that there were many people in the capital, making it a perfect place to open a shop. As for what kind of shop to open, she needed to think about it carefully. Thinking about this, she realized that she hadn't seen anyone for several days.

It was late at night. In Qinglongfang on Nanmen Street, an oil shop was lit by a dim candlelight. The shop owner, Gao Jin, was checking the accounts and calculating carefully.

"Knock knock knock!"

There was a knock at the door. Gao Jin was slightly startled, and immediately put down the account book and opened the door. "Master, you've arrived."

"Hmm!" The boy nodded slightly and led the two inside. The flickering candlelight revealed that it was indeed the first day of the lunar month.

"What's the latest news on the Liaoning people? Have we set up our net yet?"

"The Liao people fatten their horses in spring and have no worries about border incursions. They have already made most of their arrangements. Trade routes are still being opened. Shunfeng Escort Agency has opened 34 branches, there are 128 rice and grain shops, 256 snack shops, and other shops vary. A total of 289 shops are profitable, and the others are doing much better, neither profitable nor losing money. The list is here."

Gao Jin was of average appearance, the kind of person you'd easily lose in a crowd. He was in charge of the intelligence network in the north. There were many young men like him, around twenty years old. This was the method Chu Yi came up with: give these people money to open shops and do business in various places. After making a profit, they would hand over the initial investment. Once the initial investment was paid off, they would only take 10% of the profits, and the rest would be theirs to keep. They could marry and have children, or they could switch to other industries, all according to their own wishes. There was only one condition: they could not be exposed and had to provide intelligence to the Song Dynasty, especially to the Liao Dynasty.

If there is any exposure, it must be reported immediately and the person relocated.

"Has the guy surnamed He made any moves?" Chu Yi took the intelligence report handed to him by Gao Jin and carefully looked through it.

"No, he's been very quiet lately, busy winning people over. Almost all of Prince Gong's men now follow his lead."

"Wouldn't that mean Zhao Guangjun has been sidelined by him?"

“You could say that, but this prince isn’t just all show and no substance. I’ve noticed he’s also developing his own faction, though they’re mostly women from brothels. I wonder what he’s up to,” Gao Jin said suspiciously.

“Keep an eye on what the people at Prince De’s residence have been up to lately.” Chu Yi touched the oil stains on the table and looked around.

"General Zhao Lue has had a son and is currently in a happy mood. We haven't seen him make any moves yet, but we have received news from the teahouse in the city that we cooperate with him on. He has withdrawn a large sum of money."

Gao Jin stroked his beardless chin. "However, his brother's Jade Treasure Pavilion received a large batch of mirrors from the Ming family, and business is booming. Some people are envious, and a new Treasure Pavilion has opened next door to steal their business. I wonder who's behind it all."

"Interesting." Chu Yi took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands. "You did a great job. If you need anything, just let me know. The General's Mansion has just opened and needs oil and rice delivered. Please arrange it later."

"Yes." Gao Jin bowed slightly and added, "There's one more thing. A batch of small thunderclap bombs has been sent from Quanzhou and is already on its way. They were made by the Manufacturing Bureau themselves. If they are sent to the capital, they might be easily investigated. Should we send them to the camp?"

"No need to escort them to the camp. Just enter the city and present gifts to the General's Mansion. I'll arrange for someone to pick them up. When will they arrive in the capital?" Chu Yi raised an eyebrow; this was the only good news of the day.

About half a month later.

"Alright, I'll have someone let you know the time. By the way, these two are Qi Liusan and Qi Liusi. They'll be in charge of contacting you from now on. They're often at the residence, so you can contact them directly if you need anything."

"Yes." Gao Jin bowed respectfully.

On the first day of the lunar month, he covered himself with a cloak and led his men away into the night.

At the General's Mansion, Chen Wenfang looked at the plaque they carried in and asked Wang Erniu, who was standing to the side.

"Husband, why is our household titled 'Great General'? It doesn't sound impressive at all."

Wang Erniu laughed and said, "Perhaps the officials feel it's prestigious."

He didn't even mention that the official had said he had thought about this name for a long time.

"Is it crooked? General, take a look?" Li Gu's personal guards were hanging up the plaque. They had arrived in a hurry, and Chen Wenfang and the others didn't even have any servants with them.

"A little higher to the right." Wang Erniu thought this was a good idea. He bought a few cooks to help with the journey. Apart from the two maids that Chen Wenfang brought, there was no one else at Sister-in-law Nie's side. The family didn't actually eat much, so they could manage.

Just then, a few people approached from a distance, accompanied by a group of maids and servants.

"General Wang, I've heard so much about you!" Zhao Qi, dressed in a moon-white brocade robe painted with bamboo, already exuded a smile even before his face was seen.

Wang Erniu looked closely and saw that it was indeed Zhao Lue next to him. Why did the younger brother speak first when the older brother hadn't?

Wang Erniu glanced at his wife, who looked ahead blankly, then turned back to look at him anxiously, clearly not recognizing him.

Wang Erniu didn't reply. Zhao Lue smiled slightly and cupped his hands in greeting from afar, saying, "Greetings, General Wang. I am Zhao Lue from the Prince De's Mansion, and this is my younger brother, Zhao Qi!"

Wang Erniu smiled and returned the greeting, "Both princes are exceptionally handsome. What brings you here? Please come in."

Zhao Qi's expression turned somewhat unpleasant, but he quickly regained his composure and turned to Chen Wenfang, flashing his signature smile.

Chen Wenfang was momentarily distracted by the introduction, then smiled with relief. Suddenly, a handsome face caught her eye, and she couldn't help but be stunned for a moment.

Wang Erniu and Zhao Lue both frowned. What kind of person is attracting attention here?

"Both of you, please!"

He darted forward and blocked Chen Wenfang.

One of them reached out and forcefully pulled the arm of his lustful younger brother, almost causing Zhao Qi to bump into the servant next to him.

Chen Wenfang snapped out of her daze behind Wang Erniu, smiled silently, and reached out to draw on his back.

Wang Erniu's tense hostility softened considerably. He grabbed her mischievous little hand and followed her into the house.