Retired Villainess Transmigrates into a Cannon Fodder

The Strongest Fox-Demon (65)

The Third Prince was taken aback. “I-I didn’t go anywhere. I went to a restaurant for dinner, and then I asked two of your disciples, two Daoist masters, for a tea drink in a teahouse. I asked them to figure out if that person died, but they couldn’t. After that, I went to Antique Street for a stroll before coming back.”

The Daoist master looked thoughtfully at the evil aura surrounding him. “Could it be that there is something fishy about some of those antiques?”

Prince Qi asked in a deep voice, “Why did you ask the Daoist master’s apprentices? He couldn’t even find that person. Do you think his apprentices can?”

The Third Prince was again taken aback. “That’s right. Why did I ask them?”

Prince Qi glanced at the Daoist master, who nodded and said, “Your memory must have been tampered with by a demon. Your Highness, this demon is no ordinary little demon. Let me check it out carefully for the Third Prince.”

“Okay, then come to my manor today, Third Prince. I’ll talk to Imperial Father.”

“Okay, okay. Daoist master, you must find out. If anyone dares to play tricks on me, I will let him die without a whole body and crush his soul to smithereens!”

The Daoist master didn’t refute. He acquiesced to his words and left the palace with him while asking details of his trip outside. Prince Qi also ordered people to find the man in blue for investigation, including where the Third Prince had been all day.

Chu Xiang was in the dark that someone was going to investigate her. She opened many shops and it took her a long time to check the accounts. Then, she made some new expansion plans and called the shopkeepers of each shop to a meeting to arrange their affairs. This occupied her until dusk.

Chu Xiang got up and was stretching when Bai Yi came running up the stairs.

“Sister, are you done?”

“I just finished working. What’s the matter? Why are you in such a rush?” Chu Xiang motioned for her to sit down and asked someone to make a pot of tea.

Bai Yi anxiously said, “Sister, have you heard? There was a flood in the south but some corrupt officials embezzled the relief funds. Now the people there are suffering and many have died!”

Chu Xiang indeed hasn’t paid attention to the news. “Who did you hear this from?”

“I, cough, I passed by the Jiang Manor after treating someone today, so I went in and strolled around. I overheard Magistrate Jiang talking about it in the study with the patriarch of the Jiang family in the capital. They mentioned something about Prince Qi ordering them to suppress the news and not report it, saying that Prince Qi might be the next emperor, and that the old emperor is sick.”

“Did you accidentally hear about the seizure of the throne?” Chu Xiang smiled. “Don’t get involved in such things. The water is deep inside. Don’t tell me…Do you want to go to the south?”

Bai Yi nodded and said, “The first thing I thought of when I heard it was to save people, and Bai You thought so too. He was more anxious than me. He used to like to practice medicine and save people. He said that the commoners over there are the most anxious now. Doctors and medicines are needed. I want to send all the medicines from my pharmacy, and I want to go and oversee it myself. Bai You said that they are not only short of medicines, doctors, but also food. These corrupt officials really deserve death. Their hearts are much more ruthless than demons’!”

Chu Xiang held her chin and responded, “Of course, not all people are good people. There are those who are vicious. To use a human curse, they are worse than pigs and dogs. Then, have you considered how to tell Zhuang Liu? If you want to go, I can get you a sum from the shop for you to purchase medicine and grains. Remember, money cannot be raked out of thin air. If someone traces it, they will know that your money comes from unknown sources. It’s not the same when you’re running a store. You must act with some caution at all times.”

“I understand, Sister. As for Zhuang Liu and Brother Zhuang… Just say I am going back to my hometown to pay respect to my ancestors? I’ll come up with some excuses. I can’t leave right away because there are still a few seriously ill patients I have here. Bai You said that we can hire an escort party to deliver the supplies first, and then we can catch up after we get things done.”

“Hmm, since the royal family wants to keep this matter under wraps, it must involve a wide range of people. Before you do anything, ask Bai You. Don’t be rash or too high profile. Otherwise, your supplies may not reach the disaster area.”

Chu Xiang did a lot of things like disaster relief in her life as an abandoned concubine, and she was also very familiar with it. She told Bai Yi a long list she must pay close attention to, she noted them down. Now Bai Yi has no doubt why Chu Xiang was knowledgeable. She was very busy every day and Li Yufeng was even the All-knowing Scholar. She only thought that maybe when she was suffering for Zhuang Yulang and worrying about gains and losses, Chu Xiang learned everything in the mortal realm by heart.

This makes her feel all the more that she spent those months in vain. She would rather be like Chu Xiang. Her admiration for Chu Xiang rose another notch, and she had a clearer view of her future as well. If she had the time to worry about gains and losses, she might as well learn more from Chu Xiang and carry out more things that would make herself happy.

After Chu Xiang finished advising her, she rushed all the shopkeepers of various shops overnight and told them about donating money for disaster relief. Almost all of the people employed in the stores were people she met in the process of sponsoring scholars, all of whom she promoted and were loyal to her and greatly admired her good deeds. Hearing that she was going to donate disaster relief funds again, nobody objected. They all put their heart into brainstorming and actively cooperated with Chu Xiang’s decision to draw up the latest business plan.

The wind gradually rose above the capital, and the sky changed unknowingly. In the royal temple outside the city, an eminent monk with white eyebrows and white beard sighed at the celestial phenomena. “Amitabha! The purple star has moved and a group of stars has gathered… In the end, the sky of the great Xia Dynasty still has changed. Two stars are shining together, bizarre phenomenons abound. I don’t know if this is a good or a bad thing…”