Chapter 497: Watching

Chapter 497: Chapter 497: Watching

According to common sense, when a family’s daughter is thrown into the dungeons by the Xuanqing Guard for several days and then released, regardless of whether her body has been defiled, it’s certainly no good for her reputation. This makes sense in both noble households or among ordinary families.

If that girl also has a good marriage arranged, then her reputation should be protected even more closely. If any scandals are to be revealed, at the very least, it should be after the wedding, right?

But now, someone in the Imperial City is deliberately spreading word of this incident, and deftly embellishing the facts to make them simpler and easier to circulate. At the same time, they’ve blatantly dragged out the name of the Fifth Prince—Prince Shou.

What is this about? This is absolutely fanning the flames.

Something that ought not to be sensationalized is now being spread everywhere, and is being intentionally obscured—that’s playing straight into "gossip is to be feared."

As for whose fire is being stoked, if they’ve openly dragged out Prince Shou’s thick thigh, who else could it be?

"Who’s plotting behind all this?" What Shen Hao needs to find out now is the hidden hand behind the scenes.

"There is no conclusive information yet. But according to the analysis of the Four Divisions, there’s a sixty percent chance the matter originated from the Qin Family themselves."

"They leaked it themselves? Out of revenge?"

"Yes. According to the Four Divisions’ analysis, the Qin Family suffered a loss at your hands this time; they sought out many connections to fish the girl out. That’s not something that can stay hidden. They’ll probably even have to explain themselves to the Empress; otherwise, not only would the marriage between the Qin Family and the Fifth Prince be called off, they might even draw animosity from the Royal Family.

But if they expose everything, and Qin Xiangyu’s body really is clean, then it’s quite likely to shift the blame from themselves to the Fifth Prince. What’s more, it would force the Fifth Prince to consider continuing the marriage. Because if he breaks off an engagement with the daughter of a court minister simply due to rumors, it would be a disgrace both to his reputation and virtues. If the Empress is fanned up further, everything could change and the advantage turns to the Qin Family, while for you..."

For Shen Hao, it’s very disadvantageous. Because, ultimately, this whole affair could turn into an issue of "saving face," and that’s the dignity of a Prince. In other words, it could become a deadly feud.

But is this all they’re capable of?

"Is there anything else?" Shen Hao furrowed his brow but kept his tone relaxed. He’d seen countless storms, had escaped peril by a hair more than once; besides, he wasn’t some rootless noble anymore—his foundations were solid now. The Fifth Prince wouldn’t find it so easy to deal with him, and what’s more, the Xuanqing Guard were the Emperor’s personal troops—the princes carried little weight here.

So, Shen Hao didn’t think the Qin Family’s revenge would be limited to these petty tricks. After all, his feud with the Qin Family was not just about recent incidents. Qin Yurou was the Qin Family’s eldest miss—her son, her husband, both died at Shen Hao’s hands. Calling this a blood feud wouldn’t be an exaggeration, would it?

Moreover, Qin Yurou left Shen Hao with a deep impression. To come all alone to plead for someone’s release and offer generous rewards when even her husband’s family didn’t dare show their faces—such decisiveness warranted Shen Hao’s caution. He’d always suspected that Qin Yurou had a hand in the night raid on the Li City Black Banner Battalion; only, he had no proof, and she’d slipped away to the Imperial City, making her hard to catch, so he let it go for now.

Wang Jian shook his head. "No other news at the moment."

"Keep a close eye on this matter. Whether it’s the streets or the target figures involved, not a single scrap of information is to be missed, understood?"

"Understood, sir. I’ll make arrangements as soon as I return. Also, do you think we should give the Xu Family Sisters something to do?"

Wang Jian didn’t take the Qin Family’s means too seriously. It all seemed a bit amateurish to him. He also knew his lord wasn’t afraid of the Fifth Prince. In fact, none of this might come to anything: neither the Fifth Prince nor Shen Hao would be able to do anything to each other.

Yet when it came to the Xu Family Sisters, Wang Jian was more attentive. They were now the two most crucial pieces in the Black Water Plan; after settling in, they’d have to show their worth in return.

"Not necessary. Let them first get used to life in the Bai Mansion; don’t give them any assignments yet. Hah, life as a Third Grade Madame is hardly enjoyable in itself, not to mention the Bai Family’s hearts are full of resentment, who knows how much trouble they’ll stir up. For now, let’s not disturb them."

Wang Jian made no objection to Shen Hao’s instructions. The two then conversed briefly about the situation with Hengshun Carriage and Horse Company in the South.

According to Wang Jian, the current transportation routes managed by Liu Hengyi included some water routes, but that remained their weakness. The main reason was the exorbitant cost of boats and their maintenance. In the past, Hengshun Carriage and Horse Company had focused on land routes; it was only in the past two years that they dabbled in river shipping.

However, once Hengshun Carriage and Horse Company takes over the "Jinghong Carriage and Horse Company" in the South, they plan to expand their water route business aggressively. This is because shipping cargo south via the Baijiang Waterway is the most convenient and time-saving option.

As for Jingdong, the question of which carriage companies control shipping along the Weak Water and Gorge River Basin is still unclear to Liu Hengyi. He hadn’t looked into it until now. But going by Wang Jian, Liu Hengyi’s response was: "On hearing there’s a mission, he was extremely enthusiastic, repeatedly asking if he could earn merit." Clearly, Liu Hengyi had adapted well to his new identity and found its perks.

Who wouldn’t want to escape generations of merchant life? Attaining a Noble title is every merchant’s dream. Now, with Xuanqing Guard as his background, Liu Hengyi is ready to take his shot.

But in Jingdong—finding out through the carriage companies will take a little time. Wang Jian relayed that Liu Hengyi would try to clarify the situation on Weak Water and the Gorge River by mid-month.

"Have Liu Hengyi expedite the investigation around Weak Water and Gorge River. Also, the drivers you trained before—are they ready for use yet?"

"Rest assured, sir, they’re nearly ready. As soon as Jinghong Carriage and Horse Company is annexed, they’ll be dispatched south immediately." Without waiting for Shen Hao to finish, Wang Jian had already guessed his lord’s intent. They’d be sent south, to infiltrate key posts of the Southern Border Army as deeply as possible.

Sure enough, Shen Hao nodded and turned the conversation to the south. "We should have results in the south soon. Whether there’s a fight or a peace, you need to take the chance to extend Black Water’s reach there. If hostilities break out, we can make up for the Xuanqing Guard’s pitiful lack of intelligence sources within the military. If there’s no battle, we keep laying our groundwork; the south is unlikely to remain peaceful in the days to come."

Wang Jian was surprised: "No battle? Sir, is that really possible? Didn’t Zuo Yuliang’s two Vanguard Battalions already clash with the Barbarian Race’s Wolf Riders? The standoff persists—how can you say there might not be a fight?"

"Why so anxious? I’m only considering a possibility. The military wants to fight, but do you really think the civil servants do?"