Transmigrated as a Cannon Fodder Wife A in Ancient Times - Chapter 83

Chapter 83

After Wei Lan sold the bookshops, she took the banknotes and returned home. Lu Zijin had not yet come back, so Wei Lan placed the banknotes on the table and then called someone to prepare water for a bath. When she finished bathing and came out, Lu Zijin had returned.

“Madam, how did things go on your side?” Wei Lan asked while wiping her wet hair.

“I sold all three dessert shops for a total of twenty-four thousand taels,” Lu Zijin replied. The Lu family’s dessert shops were about ninety square meters each, so the selling price was not as high as the bookshops.

“I sold the bookshops too. Four bookshops fetched fifty-two thousand taels,” Wei Lan said, winking at Lu Zijin with a smile.

“I heard you sold the bookshops to Chen Zhou?” Lu Zijin asked.

“Hmm, my initial asking price was forty thousand taels, but since it was Chen Zhou, I naturally wanted to earn a bit more,” Wei Lan said with bright, smiling eyes. She continued, “Before we leave, I’ll give Chen Zhou a big gift. When we go to the Northern Desert, if the court wants to arrest someone, they’ll naturally go after Chen Zhou’s family first, since he’s our cousin.”

Lu Zijin laughed, amused by Wei Lan’s words. She thought to herself that her Qianyuan, who disliked Chen Zhou so much, would never show him kindness. So, this was Wei Lan’s plan all along.

“You’re full of clever tricks,” Lu Zijin said. “In a few days, we can sell the other miscellaneous shops. We still have several estates and fields in the suburbs. The estates are easier to deal with, but selling all the fields might raise suspicion.”

“Indeed, we should sell the fields after we leave. For now, we can focus on selling the estates. We’ll say we received a large order for cloth, and since we can’t collect the money quickly, we decided to sell the useless suburban estates,” Wei Lan said while switching to a new towel to dry her hair.

“Hmm, that’s the only way,” Lu Zijin agreed, nodding.

After drying her hair, Wei Lan wanted to snuggle up to Lu Zijin and act coy. Lu Zijin saw Wei Lan’s intentions, stood up, and hugged her little dog.

“Madam, I just bathed. Do I smell nice?” Wei Lan asked, rubbing against Lu Zijin with bright eyes.

Lu Zijin leaned in, bit Wei Lan’s lip lightly, and smiled. “You smell wonderful, my little dog smells the best.”

Praised by her wife, Wei Lan felt delighted. She quickly handed the banknotes from the bookshop sale to Lu Zijin. “Madam, these are the banknotes from selling the bookshops. Keep them safe.”

“Good,” Lu Zijin said, taking the banknotes and kissing Wei Lan’s lips. Wei Lan was overjoyed, like a puppy praised by its owner.

Lu Zijin placed the banknotes in a locked small box, which contained a thick stack of banknotes.

Wei Lan stood behind Lu Zijin, wrapping her arms around Lu Zijin’s waist and looking at the box with a shocked expression. Her wife was truly a wealthy woman with so many banknotes.

After dinner, Lu Zijin went to bathe. Wei Lan rolled around on the bed, anxiously waiting for her wife.

When Lu Zijin came out, she saw Wei Lan staring at her with bright eyes.

Lu Zijin raised an eyebrow and teased, “What naughty plan are you thinking of now?”

“Nothing, I just miss Madam,” Wei Lan said, hugging the blanket and taking a sniff. These past few days had been too busy, and she hadn’t had a chance to bond deeply with her wife.

Lu Zijin knew her little Qianyuan too well. Wei Lan’s eyes were practically glued to her, and Lu Zijin could tell her little dog was up to mischief again.

But Lu Zijin didn’t call her out. She quickly dried her hair, got into bed, and was promptly pounced on by her little dog.

Lu Zijin laughed. “Slow down. It’s not like I won’t let you touch me. Why are you so eager?”

Her little Qianyuan was always like this—eager when not allowed to touch, but overwhelmed when permitted.

“I love Madam,” Wei Lan said coyly, kissing Lu Zijin.

While Wei Lan kissed her, Lu Zijin reached out to tease Wei Lan’s nape. As expected, Wei Lan soon melted into Lu Zijin’s arms.

Wei Lan rubbed against Lu Zijin, whining, “Madam, don’t use up all my pheromones. I have no strength left.”

Lu Zijin shook her head, chuckling. “Alright, I won’t touch it anymore. You continue.”

“No, I’m tired. I’ll rest a bit before continuing,” Wei Lan said, leaning into Lu Zijin’s arms to rest. After a while, she sat up slightly and kissed Lu Zijin again.

This time, Lu Zijin avoided teasing Wei Lan’s nape, lest her little Qianyuan tire out and blame her.

While kissing her wife, Wei Lan untied Lu Zijin’s waistband, searching for her little phoenix.

Lu Zijin held back a laugh to spare her little Qianyuan’s pride.

An hour later, Wei Lan, fully satisfied, hugged Lu Zijin to sleep. Then she noticed Lu Zijin biting her nape.

Soon, Wei Lan’s eyes welled with tears as she looked at Lu Zijin pitifully. “Madam, you’re biting me again~”

“Be good. There’s just a bit of pheromone left. I’ll help you get it all out,” Lu Zijin coaxed, biting down again.

Wei Lan clung to her wife, enduring the bites, wondering how her wife had so much energy. She was exhausted, but was Lu Zijin not tired?

In the end, Wei Lan’s nape was completely drained of pheromones, not a drop left. Exhausted, she fell asleep.

Lu Zijin looked at her soft little Qianyuan, shook her head with a smile, and thought her little Qianyuan was all bark and no bite. Always teasing, but unable to handle it herself.

Lu Zijin kissed Wei Lan, closed her eyes, nestled into Wei Lan’s arms, and prepared to sleep.

Over the next few days, Lu Zijin busied herself selling shops and estates, while Wei Lan acted as if the Lu family was expanding their restaurant business. She spent her days at the restaurant, occasionally chatting with the bosses who dined there, creating the illusion that they were shifting their business focus.

Meanwhile, because the Lu family exited the book trade, Chen Zhou’s shops gradually prospered, even showing signs of overshadowing smaller bookshops.

Chen Zhou looked at the account books from his shops, smiling broadly. Wei Lan, that fool, had handed him such a lucrative opportunity. Truly a useless person, unfit for greater things.

“What has Wei Lan been doing these days?” Chen Zhou asked Su Er, who stood nearby.

“Young Master, Wei Lan has been at the restaurant these days. It seems the Lu family is focusing on their restaurant, cloth trade, and grain shops. I heard they sold some suburban estates to free up funds,” Su Er replied quickly.

“Hmph, that useless woman. No threat at all. And Lu Zijin, just a Kunze with limited vision, even sold their estates. I bet they’ll lose everything,” Chen Zhou said, delighted at the thought.

“Exactly, Young Master. They can’t compare to your foresight,” Su Er flattered.

Five or six days later, Wei Lan and Lu Zijin had their valuable items packed, and their guards had already escorted a large batch of goods away. They planned to leave tomorrow, claiming they were going to the capital for business.

Before leaving, Wei Lan sent a letter to Xiao Nanyan, informing her she’d be away for a while and asking her not to spread the word, to act as if they weren’t close.

Wei Lan couldn’t meet Xiao Nanyan now, to avoid implicating her. Fortunately, Wei Lan didn’t frequent Yuya Pavilion often, and her Qing Lan identity remained secret, so Xiao Nanyan should be safe.

After this, Wei Lan bought four boxes of cheap pancakes and had servants carry them ostentatiously to the Chen residence.

When Chen Zhou heard the servant’s report, he thought he misheard. Wei Lan brought gifts to see him? It was like a weasel paying respects to a chicken—clearly up to no good.

“Why is she here?” Chen Zhou asked, frowning.

“Young Master, should we let her in?” the servant asked cautiously.

Chen Zhou thought for a moment and decided to let her in. Wei Lan wasn’t causing trouble for once, and the bookshops were on track. He feared that refusing her might provoke her to disrupt the bookshops. “Invite her to the front hall,” he said.

“Yes, Young Master,” the servant replied, hurrying to fetch her.

Soon, the servant returned to the gate, spoke to the guards, and the lead guard gestured, “Boss Wei, please come in. Our Young Master invites you.”

“Good, bring the gifts,” Wei Lan said with a bright smile, instructing the servants to carry the boxes. The gifts weren’t valuable, costing less than one tael including the boxes. Wei Lan’s goal was to cement the idea that Chen Zhou was their relative, so if the court investigated, Chen Zhou would be the first to suffer.

Thinking of this, Wei Lan couldn’t hide her grin. She soon arrived at the front hall with her guards, where Chen Zhou sat drinking tea. Though reluctant, he stood to greet her. “Why do you have time to visit today?”

“Cousin, I hope you’re well. These are small gifts, nothing grand. My wife and I leave for the capital tomorrow. We secured a big cloth order and plan to open branches there. We might settle in the capital long-term, so I came to see you before leaving. After all, we’re family,” Wei Lan said, grinning smugly.

Chen Zhou gritted his teeth but replied, “The capital? It’s full of nobles. Can merchants like you, without connections, establish yourselves there?”

“No need to worry. We’ve already made arrangements. My friend, the second son of a Ministry of Rites official, has influence in the capital. He’s secured a location and paid the deposit. With his help, our Lu family cloth business will surely thrive,” Wei Lan said, as if she were about to strike it rich.

Chen Zhou glared at Wei Lan, furious that she was showing off. He silently wished she’d lose everything.

Wei Lan sat and boasted to Chen Zhou for a while before leaving, fully satisfied.

Chen Zhou was livid, smashing a teacup on the floor. The porcelain shattered with a bang, and the maids in the hall lowered their heads in fear. Su Er pretended to be invisible.

Chen Zhou’s chest heaved as he took several deep breaths before saying, “Open those four boxes. Let me see what’s inside.”

“Yes, Young Master,” Su Er said, sweating. He hoped Wei Lan wouldn’t provoke their Young Master further, or the hall’s porcelain would be doomed.

Su Er’s hands sweated as he opened a box. One glance nearly sent Chen Zhou into a rage.

Wei Lan had neatly packed pancakes in the box. Did he need pancakes? They cost two wen each, and four boxes were worth little. Wei Lan was trying to infuriate him.

“Wei Lan, you useless fool! I’ll kill you one day!” Chen Zhou lost control, smashing the hall’s porcelain.

He only stopped after shattering the last vase.

Su Er’s heart bled. Chen Zhou’s study and rooms had cheaper porcelain due to his habit of smashing things, but the front hall, used for guests, had vases worth hundreds of taels, some antiques. Chen Zhou’s tantrum cost about ten thousand taels.

Calming down, Chen Zhou seemed to realize this, his face flushed red. “Wei Lan, you’ll pay for this!” he vowed.

Su Er, watching Chen Zhou’s expression, cautiously asked, “Young Master, what about these four boxes of pancakes?”

“Throw them out! I never want to hear the word ‘pancakes’ again!” Chen Zhou shouted, storming out of the hall.

Su Er, thinking the pancakes looked fine, didn’t discard them. He had the servants take them for the household staff’s afternoon snack.

Meanwhile, Wei Lan returned to the Lu Mansion happily, ready to flee with her wife tomorrow.

To ensure a comfortable journey, Wei Lan checked their carriage, pulled by four horses. The spacious compartment allowed her and Lu Zijin to rest inside. For safety, Wei Lan had iron plates installed around and on top of the carriage, covered with an old canopy. The carriage looked ordinary outside but was luxurious inside.

Inside, a soft couch big enough for two sat at the back, with a table in front flanked by fixed benches padded with soft cushions, looking very comfortable.

Satisfied with the carriage and horses, Wei Lan returned to Jingchen Courtyard.

In Jingchen Courtyard, Lu Zijin was discussing matters with Huang Ming, Qing Zhi, and other trusted aides. She and Wei Lan were leaving, but the remaining tasks were critical and needed capable people to handle.

After much thought, Lu Zijin decided to leave Qianxue behind. They would dismiss the servants and maids who could be let go, and the rest would join Qianxue in the Northern Desert after finishing the tasks.

Of course, Wei Lan and Lu Zijin had many hidden guards for protection, including Meng Bai, Xi Ye, and fifty guards sent by Fan Chuan from the Northern Desert. With them, their safety was assured.

Wei Lan approached and asked, “How’s everything? All arranged?”

Lu Zijin nodded. “Hmm, everything’s set. You’re back from the Chen residence?”

“Hmm, I sent him a big gift, costing me nearly one tael,” Wei Lan said, grinning.

Lu Zijin gave a few more instructions to Huang Ming and Qianxue before they left.

Once alone, Lu Zijin asked, “What did you give him?”

“Four boxes of fresh pancakes. Cheap and filling, perfect for him,” Wei Lan said, laughing.

Lu Zijin shook her head, chuckling. Her little dog was obedient at home but openly mischievous outside.

“Madam, I’m going to see Wei Qing. It’s her first time leaving home, and she’s probably nervous. I’ll check on her,” Wei Lan said.

“Good idea,” Lu Zijin agreed.

Too tired to walk, Wei Lan used Lu Zijin’s soft sedan, carried by servants, to reach Fuqu Pavilion.

At Wei Qing’s door, which was open, Wei Lan saw her packing. Wei Qing had lived here for a while and was reluctant to leave.

Hearing movement, Wei Qing looked up. “Sister? Why are you here?”

“I came to check on you. Don’t be scared. Think of it as a family trip. Have you packed everything?” Wei Lan asked, smiling.

“Everything’s packed. I’m not worried about much, just Mother. If she wants to find us, she might not be able to,” Wei Qing said, her tone low.

Wei Lan comforted her gently. “If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again. Don’t overthink it. Stay happy.”

“Hmm,” Wei Qing said, her eyes slightly red. Without her sister, she might have been sold by their father. Her current life.was thanks to Wei Lan, so she would follow her sister.

That evening, Wei Lan and Lu Zijin bathed early and went to bed.

Thinking about the future, Wei Lan felt excited and couldn’t sleep. If her cousin succeeded, she might witness a female emperor’s rise.

Lu Zijin, nestled in Wei Lan’s arms, felt her restlessness. She leaned in, bit Wei Lan’s lip, and smiled. “What are you doing? Not sleeping?”

Wei Lan hugged Lu Zijin tightly, rubbing against her coyly. “I’m thinking if Cousin becomes the female emperor, it’ll be so grand.”

“You really have faith in Cousin,” Lu Zijin said. Even now, she felt scared. Rebellion was uncertain, yet her little dog could still smile.

“Of course! Cousin is amazing, with a hundred thousand troops. The odds are good. Plus, you have me,” Wei Lan said proudly.

Her confidence amused Lu Zijin. “You’re certainly sure of yourself.”

“Naturally,” Wei Lan said, humming and holding Lu Zijin tightly. She feared no one except her wife.

Wei Lan slept comfortably in Lu Zijin’s arms, but the maids woke them early. At dawn, the mansion’s servants began loading carriages, one after another, filling many.

Lu Zijin hid the banknote box in a compartment under the carriage floor, crafted specifically for it. After placing the box, she covered it with a wooden panel and a fluffy blanket, making it undetectable.

After this, Wei Lan supervised the servants loading the carriages. By daylight, the Lu family caravan set out from the Lu Mansion, drawing much attention. But they had no choice—leaving valuable items behind risked confiscation by the court, so they took everything.

As Wei Lan’s group left Panyang City, the citizens buzzed with talk.

“What’s going on? Is the Lu Mansion moving?”

“No way. Their restaurant and cloth shops are still open. Maybe they’re off to do business.”

“Business needs that many servants and maids?”

“You don’t get it. They’re rich. Bringing lots of people is normal.”

“True.”

Lu Feng received this news and frowned. “What are Lu Zijin and Wei Lan up to, leaving the city like this?”

“I heard they’re going to the capital for business. But with this spectacle, they might settle there and not return,” a servant said.

Lu Feng’s face darkened. His career depended on taxes from merchants like the Lu family. If they left, it would affect his prospects. But stopping them without cause was tricky.

Seeing Lu Feng’s expression, the servant realized his mistake and reassured, “I spoke out of turn. The Lu family has been in Panyang for years. They’re likely just doing business, not moving.”

Lu Feng relaxed slightly at this.

Meanwhile, Chen Zhou, who had sent people to watch the Lu Mansion, got a report.

“Young Master, the Lu family left. The caravan was huge, like they emptied the entire mansion,” a servant reported, bowing.

Chen Zhou knew they were leaving, especially after the pancake incident, but hadn’t expected such a grand exit.

“What about the Lu Mansion? Anyone still there?” he asked.

“Yes, and their grain shops and restaurant are still open. It doesn’t look like they’re moving,” the servant replied.

Chen Zhou nodded. “Keep an eye on the Lu family’s affairs and report back with any news.”

“Yes, Young Master,” the servants agreed.

Many in Panyang City shared Chen Zhou’s thoughts, keeping a close watch on the Lu family, fearing they’d miss some crucial information.

Five days later, Wei Lan’s group traveled north, far from Panyang City. Wei Lan lay on Lu Zijin’s lap, comfortably waiting for her wife to feed her fruit.

Yesterday, they camped in the wild near a village. Wei Lan sent people to buy meat and vegetables for a group meal, along with many apples.

Lu Zijin peeled an apple, cut it into small pieces, placed them on a plate, and used a bamboo skewer to feed Wei Lan.

Lying on her wife’s lap, Wei Lan felt blissful, eating fruit fed by her wife. Even immortals couldn’t live better.

“Open your mouth,” Lu Zijin said, offering another piece.

Wei Lan bit the fruit, her eyes shining as she looked at Lu Zijin. “Madam, you treat me so well.”

Seeing her little Qianyuan act coy, Lu Zijin’s eyes curved with a smile. She gently pinched Wei Lan’s cheek. “Who made you my little dog? Of course I treat you well.”

Wei Lan rubbed against Lu Zijin’s lap, overjoyed. Her wife spoiled her rotten.