Chapter 929 Cough Up What Is Owed to Me
Feng Yu Heng casually brought up another incident, causing Xuan Tian Mo to quickly kneel and begin kowtowing to the Emperor while saying in a panic: “Son is innocent. Would Father Emperor please not listen to that absurdity!”
Young girls all held grudges, and Feng Yu Heng added: “Could it be that what A-Heng said was wrong? Back then, it was eighth brother that brought a group of people to have me close Hundred Herb Hall. Now, it’s eighth brother telling Father Emperor to have me reopen Hundred Herb Hall. Throughout all of this, isn’t it you that has the most say?”
“Today, it was the citizens in the capital that are asking for it! It’s the citizens that are kneeling at the palace’s gates! Younger sister, do not mix up reality!” Xuan Tian Mo hated her so much that his teeth itched.
Yet it was at this time that the Emperor said: “The citizens pleading for it is just the citizens pleading for it. What are you proposing it for?”
Alright! He wanted to be a good person, but the result was that he simply was not viewed as a person. Knowing that there was no point in saying anything else, he just shut his mouth and lowered his head to accept his wrongdoing. However, he still shot a glare at Feng Yu Heng from the corner of his eyes, and this look was filled with hatred. Feng Yu Heng looked at it and felt that it made him look like a young wife who had suffered some grievances. How did this resemble a dignified prince?
The Emperor coldly looked at him for a while but did not say anything else. With a wave of his hand, he had him stand up then said to Feng Yu Heng: “A-Heng, just reopen Hundred Herb Hall! The capital no longer has a proper medical clinic, and it’s indeed not a good thing. Your Hundred Herb Hall was very good, and the citizens enjoyed it. Using medicine is also a form of kindness…” He spoke until this point then glanced at old eighth, saying: “We will just say this today. Regardless of who it is in the future, nobody has the right to say anything about or do anything to Hundred Herb Hall. This is not limited to the one in the capital. This applies to all of the Hundred Herb Halls in the entirety of Da Shun. There is also no right to blindly enter one. We recall that for the sake of allowing Hundred Herb Hall to be opened all over Da Shun, We also gave quite a large sum of money, right?”
He spoke to this point then turned to look at Zhang Yuan, thus Zhang Yuan quickly said: “Your Majesty is right. Money was provided, and it did not come from the national treasury. It was Your Majesty’s own money, thus it would be considered as being opened by Your Majesty and Imperial Daughter.”
“Un.” The Emperor nodded and said: “That’s it. To try and cause trouble for Hundred Herb Hall would be the same as trying to stir up trouble with Us! Old eighth, do you understand?”
Xuan Tian Mo felt his head begin to ache. It turned out that it was said for him? However, he did not dare argue with the Emperor and could only grit his teeth and say: “Father Emperor is right!”
“Then little Yuan! Just write up a decree! Send one to all of the zhou and prefectures. Tell the officials from those areas about the situation with Hundred Herb Hall. Just say that it was Us and Imperial Daughter Ji An… Oh, she’s now called Princess Yu. Just say that it was Us and Princess Yu that opened it together. Have them open their eyes!”
Feng Yu Heng was also a smart one, quickly saying: “Hundred Herb Hall’s finances are reported to the capital each month. A-Heng will bring the journals over later for Father Emperor to take a look. Although Hundred Herb Hall is mostly just a public service and does not hope to make too much profit, there is still some profit.”
The Emperor happily looked at her. No matter how he looked at this daughter-in-law, she looked great. She also had the ability to make money. It was a pity that the Feng family misplaced its hopes! Thinking about it, the best thing that the old thing Feng Jin Yuan had ever done was give birth to such a daughter.
Seeing that the Emperor was starting to warm up more and more to Feng Yu Heng, Xuan Tian Mo stayed to the side like someone that had been forgotten. The hatred that he felt caused his teeth to itch. Yet it was at this time that Feng Yu Heng remembered him and said something that made him even more annoyed: “Oh right! There is something that I need to say to eighth brother. When we were attacking Gu Shu in the South, eighth brother’s concubine was taken away by Gu Shu’s head general. When attacking Yue Ping City, that general pushed eighth brother’s concubine off of the wall. At that time, A-Heng thought that although that girl was just a concubine, she had been with eighth brother. Eighth brother had originally left her in Lan Zhou; however, who knew that she would fall into Bi Xiu’s hands. Thinking about it, it was quite pitiful. As your younger sister, A-Heng had the duty of helping eighth brother get revenge. That’s why A-Heng immediately moved to have that General Bi Xiu shot to death. It can be considered as helping eighth brother vent, which helped me accomplish my duty as a younger sister.”
“Hm?” Xuan Tian Mo was stunned by what she had said, “What concubine? Where did this prince get a concubine?”
“Eh? Eighth brother’s concubine was in Lan Zhou. This was something that everyone knew! It was the one that Noble Lady Yuan chose for you, and she was sent over from the capital. Coincidentally, A-Heng knew that concubine. She was Miss Fu Ya, who had been brought back from the North. Noble Lady Yuan took an interest in that girl and specifically sent her to Lan Zhou to be eighth brother’s concubine. Eighth brother even asked the previous prefect of Lan Zhou to buy them a residence! This was something that everyone in the South knew. There’s no need for eighth brother to be embarrassed. How about… how about having Father Emperor call Noble Lady Yuan to ask about it?”
“No need!” Xuan Tian Mo rushed to shout, “No need, no need! This prince has remembered. There was this sort of thing. It’s just that when that girl reached the South, this prince had already set out for the capital and never met her.”
“Regardless of whether or not you have ever met, it was Noble Lady Yuan’s intention. I had heard that eighth brother is very respectful of your birth mother and would not do anything to embarrass Noble Lady Yuan.” As she spoke, she faintly sighed: “That Miss Fu Ya really was pitiful. With just an empty title as eighth brother’s concubine, she did not even get to see eighth brother’s face before passing away. But eighth brother, don’t worry. A-Heng really did shoot Bi Xiu to death and helped eighth brother vent this frustration!”
Xuan Tian Mo angrily gnashed his teeth. This Feng Yu Heng kept repeatedly saying that she had vented some anger for him. What did this mean? Did she want him to feel appreciative?
Just as this thought popped into his mind, he heard the Emperor say: “Old eighth, since she was your woman, regardless of whether or not she was your official princess, secondary princess or just a concubine, she was still one of your people. With her meeting such a tragic end, and your younger sister helping you get this revenge, you should be appreciative.”
Xuan Tian Mo felt a sudden urge. He wanted to ask his own father whether or not he really was his son, or if Feng Yu Heng was his daughter? Why was it that whenever there was something related to Feng Yu Heng, he was treated like an outsider?
But just as these complaints were filling his mind, the Emperor very naturally spoke up: “There’s no need for you to compare yourself with A-Heng, nor should you feel that We are always favoring her. In truth, We are not always favoring her. There are times when you are favored; otherwise, how could she have closed the capital’s Hundred Herb Hall and left for Ji An Prefecture?”
With just these words, Xuan Tian Mo had been left with nothing to say. It just so happened that the old emperor added: “We will say it once more. Our Xuan family’s children are not ungrateful people. Since your younger sister has helped you vent, you must show your appreciation.”
What else could he say? Even if he was extremely unwilling, the Emperor had already spoken. He needed to obey and do as he was told. Thus he respectfully saluted to Feng Yu Heng and very earnestly said: “Many thanks younger sister for the grace of your assistance. Though this prince did not have any feelings for that girl, Father Emperor is right. Regardless of her status, she was a girl that Mother sent to me. It’s just that this prince is unable to repay younger sister’s grace and inevitably feels apologetic…”
“It’s not as though you are unable to repay.” Feng Yu Heng suddenly spoke up, “Originally, A-Heng did not hope to get any repayment, but since eighth brother has said it like this, A-Heng can’t let eighth brother carry around this apologetic feeling around forever. After all, it’s not worth it for a measly concubine.”
Xuan Tian Mo heard this, and it turned out that this was taking the initiative to seek revenge? Forget it, either way, the Emperor had already spoken. It would not be good for him to not express anything, thus he magnanimously resolved this matter and asked: “I wonder what younger sister is implying…”
“A while ago, an incident occurred at the jade mine in Yu Zhou, and some people were accusing eighth brother of being behind it. After A-Heng returned to the capital, I heard that the case was still being tried, and eighth brother was denying it. The Board of Punishments was also having a hard time.” Feng Yu Heng slowly began to speak about the matter with the mine, leaving Xuan Tian Mo feeling confused.
Were they not talking about Fu Ya? How did things suddenly become about the mine? He was confused, “What does younger sister mean by this? There are always vile people that will make false accusations. This prince has done things righteously and honestly. Even when going to the Board of Punishments, I have only spoken the truth. I have not incited anyone to harm the people of the mine. I trust that the Board of Punishments will eventually find that this prince is innocent.”
“Oh, that’s something between the Board of Punishments and eighth brother. A-Heng is a female and does not participate in such things.” She said: “I brought this up today because eighth brother wanted to express his thanks for the matter with the concubine. A-Heng has been worried about the families that were harmed in the mine incident and cannot get over it. After all, all of the people injured were normal citizens. They are Father Emperor’s citizens. I trust that Father Emperor is the same as A-Heng and has been worried this entire time!”
After saying this, she looked toward the Emperor. The Emperor played out his part fully, immediately putting on a very pained expression. He even said: “They’re all Our Da Shun’s citizens. They’re like Our sons.”
Xuan Tian Mo gritted his teeth and asked: “Then younger sister’s meaning is…”
Feng Yu Heng said: “After that incident, I already provided the families of those affected by the incident with reparations, but just relying on my efforts alone is not sufficient. How about eighth brother also helps out with the mineworkers! That can also be considered as helping carry Father Emperor’s burden.”
It turned out that she wanted money! Xuan Tian Mo coldly snorted to himself; however, his expression was very calm: “That’s only natural. To be able to share Father Emperor’s burden is something that should be done as his son. Then precisely how much should these kind intentions be, I will ask younger sister to provide an amount!”
Feng Yu Heng, however, shook her head and said: “It won’t be me to make that decision. A-Heng does not dare act like eighth brother and decide anything. At the root of this matter, it’s like the reopening of Hundred Herb Hall. It’s for the sake of benefiting the people. That’s why A-Heng does not dare make that decision. I will need to go back and discuss it with the families of the mineworkers to see what they are missing. After figuring it out, I will tell eighth brother!”
Xuan Tian Mo nodded, “Then we’ll do as younger sister said. This prince will just wait for it at home.”
Feng Yu Heng curled her lips into a smile. Ruining her mine and killing her miners, and she had to pay money to deal with the disaster? How could that be allowed! Not only would she reclaim all of the money that she had spent in reparations to the families from old eighth, but she would also have this guy pay even more on top of it. It would give her Ji An Prefecture some benefits. “Father Emperor.” She bowed to the Emperor, “Today, the citizens have begged for it, and eighth brother is willing to relent, so daughter-in-law is at ease with reopening Hundred Herb Hall. It also happens that the Yao family has three cousins that want to become doctors. A-Heng was thinking of opening a medical school specifically for the sake of passing down medical knowledge. This is for the sake of producing even more medical talents!”
The Emperor repeatedly nodded upon hearing this, “A-Heng is someone who has many considerations. Don’t worry and boldly do it! If you need anything, just tell Father Emperor. Father Emperor will support you!”
“Many thanks, Father Emperor.”
Just like this, Hundred Herb Hall had been reopened. When Feng Yu Heng and Xuan Tian Mo came out of the palace, Xuan Tian Mo was no longer able to keep his expression stoic. Glaring at the girl in front of him, he viciously said: “You’re just a woman. Don’t be so arrogant. Going onto the battlefield with a man, you aren’t worried about your man being denounced behind his back and saying that he needs to rely on a woman to win his battles? Hmph! Relying on his imperial concubine in the capital and relying on his wife when outside the capital. This prince’s ninth brother really has a bright future!”
Just after this was said, he did not hear Feng Yu Heng retort. He just saw the girl look directly behind him with a look of horror on her face…