Chapter 383: Chapter 23: Blood and Tears (First Update)
Susu has always had an excellent memory. Under Hong Sheng’s command, there are more than two thousand people. Though Susu didn’t claim to understand each one perfectly, she at least knew them generally.
Especially when it came to the members of the Vanguard Camp, Hong Sheng specifically gave her a small book detailing the family situations of each vanguard soldier.
"Wei Xian, age twenty-six, both parents alive, has three siblings, married, wife Mrs. Wei Zhang, and one daughter, three years old."
"Qian Sanduo, age eighteen, parents deceased early, raised by brother and sister-in-law, unmarried."
"Ji Buhui, age thirty, widowed mother..."
...
As Susu finally put down the pen, she felt as if each stroke was shedding tears, each word crying blood. While writing, Susu felt herself unable to breathe until she realized she was holding her breath.
Susu loosened her grip on the Purple Hair Brush as if she were shocked by electricity, gasping for air. She thought she was strong, yet when faced with life and death, she was still fragile like a pitiful creature.
After a while, Shuimo came over holding an account book. "Madam, the counting is done. The gold and silver in the boxes have been roughly cast into silver ingots and gold coins, probably for convenience of transport.
There are three hundred silver ingots, each weighing five liang; one hundred small gold coins, fifty large gold coins.
There are also various other gemstones, which the servants have appraised one by one, using the highest estimated value, roughly worth ten thousand liang of silver."
Susu calculated that the total of gold and silver was seven thousand five hundred liang, and with the gemstones, it reached seventeen thousand five hundred liang.
Hong Sheng sent back a list of thirty-six martyrs, whose families summed up to about two hundred people, one-third of whom were under six or over fifty years old.
"Keep those gemstones. Take twelve thousand five hundred liang from my private savings to make an even number.
Now isn’t the time to announce the list of the fallen; one wrong move could cause panic. First, have your father use this silver to buy land and property. Once the camp announces the list of the fallen, distribute the principal along with the profits.
Those who want land, give them land; those who want silver, give them silver. Make sure the wives and children at home are well settled. We can’t let the fallen brothers rest uneasily in their graves."
Shuimo agreed and was about to take the silver note to her father when Susu called her back.
"Have your father allocate another sum from the account. Deliver five liang of silver to each family of the soldiers who went on the expedition with your uncle. Add ten jin of wheat flour and ten jin of polished rice if there are old people or children."
Upon hearing this, Shuimo sighed inwardly. Thanks to their madam’s business dealings with the Song Family and Mrs. Qin over the past few years, they had earned a lot. Otherwise, giving away several thousand liang of silver at a time, even their uncle’s money-making ability wouldn’t withstand such a kind-hearted wife.
"Madam, forgive me for speaking out of turn. Not long ago, each family received rice, flour, oil, and tea. It hasn’t been long, has it? I know you are kind-hearted, but people often say, ’A rice gift breeds gratitude; a bushel gift breeds resentment.’ We owe them nothing."
Upon hearing this, Susu was startled, realizing she was being overly generous, and then asked with a frown, "Did you hear something?"
Shuimo admired her madam’s sensitivity, able to detect even this.
"Uncle and Madam are known throughout the Nine Guards of the Northwest for treating their subordinates well. But this fame sometimes makes things difficult for others.
If it were private, it would be fine, but one fears someone with ill intentions boasting foolishly. My father heard from traveling merchants from outside areas.
Ever since we hosted a three-day feast, and Madam sent goods to the families of the soldiers who went on the expedition with Uncle after he left, some rumors have been circulating."
Susu didn’t expect that her good intention, repaying the families of soldiers who entrusted their lives to Hong Sheng, could lead to such disputes.
But then, "What do you mean by ill-intentioned?"
Shuimo sneered, "Some people are just jealous of Madam!"
Hearing this, Susu felt relieved and laughed, "I am not silver; I can’t please everyone. Let them say what they want.
This matter was indeed not well thought out by me. Since that’s the case, let’s set aside this silver for now.
But also have your father stay alert. If a family truly in hardship comes, offer some assistance as appropriate."
Shuimo felt at ease, but while her madam was broad-minded, their tolerance was not large. The long-tongued women who didn’t know when to stop eating from others and talking nonsense needed a lesson in gratitude.
Susu and Shuimo exited the study, and Linglong and Fen Dai came over. "Madam, look at this half box of Lapis Lazuli. We wonder where Uncle got it from?"
Susu looked over and saw a half box, with large and small stones spread out, though still in raw form, showing that they were indeed top-grade Lapis Lazuli.
"I was worrying about what gifts to send Old Madam for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and now it’s as if the perfect pillow is delivered to a sleepyhead."
"I was just telling Linglong that when Madam sees this Lapis Lazuli, she’s sure to think of Old Madam, and it turns out I was right."
Fen Dai laughed while picking up a palm-sized Lapis Lazuli, "Madam, you haven’t made any jewelry for a long time. I still remember when I first saw you, you wore a Lapis Lazuli bracelet. Thinking back, it felt like you were glowing."
Hearing this, Susu laughed and said, "Stop flattering me. If the jewelry is made, I’ll first reward you with a bracelet."
With laughter between the mistress and her servants, much of the gloom in Susu’s heart dissipated.
But when it came to the Old Madam, Susu thought of the White Tiger Seal still in her possession, which was supposed to be returned to Uncle Wei. However, the Old Madam wrote saying that Susu should keep it until the major issues were settled, and only when the Song Family wouldn’t end up being ’loyal and then abandoned’ should it be returned.
Upon hearing this, Susu knew that the Fourth Miss must have told the Old Madam about the ’Empress Dowager’ plan, and the Old Madam’s support made Susu realize she had been too conservative.
Thinking of the fragrance she gave to Sister Ten, Susu looked at her own hand and decided not to wash it to avoid wasting any, assuming they wouldn’t get clean anyway.
Susu actually wanted to eliminate the current mad Emperor but reconsidered.
Firstly, according to the narrative, that madman doesn’t have much longer to live anyway,
using the fragrance on him would be a waste.
It had taken her five years to gather the materials needed for this fragrance. Perhaps, back then, she already had a vague plan in mind.
’King Yan’s Call!’ It’s a poisonous fragrance, its name implying, ’King Yan wants you dead by midnight, who dares to keep you until dawn!’
This fragrance is colorless and odorless, even having no effect in daily use, but as soon as the slightest illness occurs, its effect appears, worsening the patient’s condition.
Secondly, although her fragrance could act without a trace, there is a saying, ’The net of heaven is vast but lets nothing through,’ and ’heaven knowing, earth knowing, you knowing, and I knowing.’ If any sign arose that led to suspicion, using such a fragrance on Prince Ke would inherently increase the unknown risks.
She hates the current Emperor but would prefer to see Sister Ten become the Empress Dowager. It might be better for the current Emperor to live a couple more years, allowing them to gather strength.
After all, in the future, their opponent is Prince Ke.
