Free Web NovelChapter 443: Anything Money Can Solve Is a Small Matter
"We lost three thousand taels on the deposit," Luo Wen said, his face etched with pain.
"It’s fine." Ye Qianning put down her brush and stood up. She walked behind the screen and reemerged with a large, red box in her hands. "Take this money. From now on, if it’s a problem money can solve, you don’t need to report it to me."
’It was my oversight to lose so many promising candidates over money.’
Luo Xuan took it, and when he opened it, his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Y-Young Miss, this is..."
’So much money...’
’Each silver note is for ten thousand taels... How much money is in this entire box?’
Seeing this, Ye Qianning couldn’t help but laugh. "Anyone who didn’t know better would think our General’s estate was poor."
"Th-This much? You’re giving it all to me, Young Miss?" Luo Xuan had always thought the General’s estate wasn’t particularly wealthy. Now the Young Miss was casually tossing him hundreds of thousands of taels. ’Was its supposed poverty just my imagination?’
"Mhm."
The incident with the black market had made Ye Qianning realize the importance of money.
Luo Xuan’s heart was pounding, and his hands trembled as he held the box. "Young Miss, we can’t use this much. You should keep it for yourself."
"If I tell you to take it, you take it. This doesn’t just apply to you. Luo Wen, Ying Yuan, and the others will operate the same way from now on. Anything that can be done with money is a small matter. Understand?" Ye Qianning decided it was time to change their values.
"Yes," Luo Xuan replied.
"Alright. Now, tell me what’s going on with the children at the black market."
"A region in the north has suffered from natural disasters for three years. There’s no food, so many families have chosen to sell their children for rations. Human traffickers have seized this opportunity, buying up many children from that area. The prices on the black market are several times higher than on the regular market."
"What kind of people are buying these children?"
"Many are bought for amusement. If they’re lucky, they might become an Attendant or a study partner. If they’re unlucky, they could end up as living targets for the archery practice of rich young masters," Luo Xuan said.
"Such a wanton disregard for human life. Doesn’t the government do anything?"
Ye Qianning had heard of people being used as living targets in barbarian lands, but she hadn’t expected the nobility of Beili to have such a vile custom.
"The people purchased from the black market are all on death contracts. The government can’t intervene."
Ye Qianning’s brow furrowed slightly. ’I thought I was ruthless enough, but compared to the people here, I’m not nearly twisted enough.’
"Do we know who bought that group of children?"
"It was a famous wealthy merchant from the Zhang City area. His family controls two gold mines. Most of the boys he buys are likely sent to the mines. The girls—" Luo Xuan hesitated.
"What about them?"
"In any case, they’ll learn some ’talents’ and the like." Luo Xuan didn’t dare say what he shouldn’t in front of the Young Miss. After all, she was still too young to know about such sordid things.
"Have someone investigate. While they’re at it, give him a little ’reminder’ about the gravity of the sin of trafficking children. He should have children in his own family." Ye Qianning could guess the rest from Luo Xuan’s expression.
There were no prohibitions against child trafficking in any of the four nations, so many traffickers operated in the shadows.
It was especially chaotic in places hit by natural disasters, as one could imagine.
"Yes."
"As for those one hundred-plus children, find a way to buy them from him. If any of them don’t want to come with you, give them some money to make their own way. If they do want to come, have Du Ying teach them martial arts and other skills."
"Yes, I will see to it at once."
Luo Xuan departed.
Ye Qianning thought about the child trafficking. If the state could issue a decree banning it, perhaps the situation would improve.
But in this pedantic ancient era, it wouldn’t be easy to accomplish.
A Monarch wouldn’t bother himself with such matters. Getting an imperial edict to ban it would be difficult.
’If someone could take them in and educate them, they could become a considerable force in the future.’
"What are you thinking about?"
Qian Fanji walked in.
Ye Qianning pressed a small hand to her head, ignoring him. ’They had saved over a hundred and thirty children, but there were still so many more in places they didn’t know about.’
’The human heart can be more terrifying than a demon sometimes. Its sinful, ugly, greedy desires are impossible to look at directly.’
’The one thing in this world one can’t look at directly is the human heart.’
"I just saw Luo Xuan return. Is there some kind of trouble?" Seeing her brow tightly furrowed, Qian Fanji couldn’t help but raise a hand, wanting to smooth it out.
Ye Qianning sensed his intention and leaned her head back, her frown deepening. "I don’t like to be touched."
Qian Fanji’s hand froze. He retracted it, his gaze falling on the rice paper in front of her.
He immediately saw the signature on the letter: *Your adorable daughter, Ye Qianning.*
’It’s not that she doesn’t know how to be affectionate; she just reserves it all for Xiang Minghou.’ A sour feeling rushed straight to his head.
"By my calculations, Xiang Minghou should be reaching the south soon." There was a hint of sourness in his composed voice.
Ye Qianning grunted in acknowledgment, folding the rice paper and placing it in an envelope.
"Luo Wen, have someone deliver this letter."
Luo Wen entered the room, took the letter, bowed, and withdrew.
Only after she finished tidying up did Ye Qianning look at Qian Fanji. "Is there something you need, Minister Qian?"
"..."
"Minister Qian, you’ve moved quite a few things into the General’s estate these past few days. What’s this? Are you planning to live here from now on?"
"They’re all for you."
"I wouldn’t dare accept gifts for no reason. Minister Qian, you’d best have your people move them all back." ’What’s the meaning of giving me things? Is this compensation?’
"Once things are delivered, they won’t be taken back. Think what you will. If you don’t want them, just throw them away." Qian Fanji knew that even if he explained, she likely wouldn’t listen.
"Then I’ll throw them away."
"You..."
Even the composed Qian Fanji was thoroughly exasperated by her now.
"What are you so angry about?" Ye Qianning gave him a cool look.
"Do you really want nothing to do with my things?" ’She can take everything from the General’s estate without batting an eye, yet she’s unwilling to accept even the smallest thing from me.’
’Is the difference between us really that vast?’
"It’s not that I won’t accept them, it’s that there’s no reason to. Taking things from others puts you in their debt, and I’m quite afraid of that."
"Afraid of what?" Qian Fanji asked, puzzled.
"Afraid of you getting attached to me."
"..."
Qian Fanji felt a tightness in his chest, as if his very blood had stopped flowing.
He used to be afraid of her getting attached to him, and now she was afraid of him getting attached to her.
’The tables have truly turned.’
’Our ways of doing things really are similar.’
"You can rest assured. As long as you’re unwilling, I will not force you to return to the Qian family." ’She is my own daughter. Whether she returns or not, she still has the blood of the Qian family.’
"That’s the first sensible thing you’ve said." ’Of everything he’s said since he walked in, only that sentence was to my liking.’
’Saying things like "just throw it away if you don’t want it" has no effect on me. If you don’t care about your own things, why would I?’
Qian Fanji sighed softly and collected his thoughts.
Whenever it came to her, he was always at a loss. For the past ten days, though he had seen her daily, they had barely exchanged a few words.
He really couldn’t figure out what she did all day, cooped up in her room, or what she was thinking. As a result, he could never find any common ground for a casual chat with her.
"You were frowning so deeply just now. What was it about? Can you tell me?" Seeing her lost in thought again, he couldn’t help but ask.
