Mo Yi pressed his lips together. “But if even families with a little heritage refuse to go to Fengzhou, and we rely solely on the impoverished commoners, it will be very difficult for the region to truly develop.”
He was referring to more than just money. Every trade had its own unique skills and techniques, and only when all kinds of talent flourished could the region develop properly.
Mo Qi nodded. “That’s true. However, if Princess Jinyang can continue to govern with political integrity and enforce the law strictly, she’ll still attract a great many families.”
He was referring to the small and medium-sized families.
In Sizhou, taxes were levied under all sorts of pretexts, especially on families that had no powerful connections but possessed some wealth or unique skills.
Some families were even exterminated after being framed on some pretext, their property confiscated and their entire clans wiped out.
Mo Yi shook his head with a sigh. “But who can say whether Fengzhou will turn out the same? It’s only natural to assume that Fengzhou isn’t wealthy at present.”
“Once these families arrive in Fengzhou, they may face the same fate of having their homes confiscated and their clans exterminated.”
Mo Qi sighed. “That will depend on what policies Princess Jinyang implements going forward. From what we’ve seen so far, they seem quite good. At least, there haven’t been any rumors of merchants being slaughtered or the like.”
Mo Yi lowered his head to look at the letter in his hands. His lips trembled, and only after a long while did he speak.
“Susu wrote that she rented a hundred mu of barren land to plant tea trees and asked whether we wanted to invest. What do you think?”
Indeed, apart from reporting that she was safe and briefly describing the situation in Fengzhou, the main purpose of Mo Susu’s letter was to ask whether they wanted to move to Fengzhou—and, more importantly, whether they wanted to invest in her business.
The letter said that Fengzhou was in an excellent state. She was preparing to expand the tea plantation and make a great venture of it, but she was a little short of funds.
At the mention of this, Mo Qi gnashed his teeth. “Where did she get the money to rent the land and plant tea?”
It was a hundred mu, and she had rented it for ten years!
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Hong Qilang and Zhang Sanlang, who had been robbed before. He could vaguely guess the answer, and the veins on his forehead began to throb.
So it really was her. That rebellious girl!
Mo Yi shook his head. “I don’t know. When she left, she only brought her personal belongings and her own private savings.”
As her father, he knew exactly how much allowance each of his children received every month. Naturally, he also knew that his daughter’s private savings amounted to very little.
Mo Qi glanced at him, feeling that this son of his was honest to the point of being wooden. If only he could combine a little of Susu’s nature with his own.
Feeling helpless, he waved his hand. “All right, you may go.”
“As for Susu’s matter, you… handle it as you see fit,” he added.
Mo Yi returned to his courtyard absentmindedly.
His wife, Ming Wushuang, was settling the accounts. When she saw him come in, she asked softly, “What did Father summon you for?”
Mo Yi sat down beside his wife in silence. After a long while, he finally said, “It was about Susu. Susu sent a letter.”
Clack.
Ming Wushuang accidentally knocked the counting beads out of place.
But she had no mind to fix them now. She grabbed Mo Yi’s arm excitedly. “Susu? Where is Susu? Is she safe?”
Mo Yi quickly reassured her. “She’s in Fengzhou, and she’s doing very well. She even rented a hundred mu of barren land to plant tea trees. She sent the letter some time ago, but Father intercepted it.”
Ming Wushuang tightened her grip on Mo Yi’s arm. It took her a long while to calm down, and she murmured, “As long as she’s safe. As long as she’s safe.”
Then she released him. Her eyes were slightly red as she said, “Father… why did he hide Susu’s letter? At the very least, he should have let us know that she was safe.”
Mo Yi opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn’t know what to say. His father had always been an absolute authority in his eyes. Although he had his own doubts about this matter, he would never question it too deeply.
Ming Wushuang looked up at him. “What else did Susu say?”
Mo Yi answered honestly, “She asked whether we wanted to go to Fengzhou and whether we wanted to invest in her tea plantation.”
Ming Wushuang’s eyes lit up. “Did she include a detailed address?”
Mo Yi nodded. “Yes, she did.”
Ming Wushuang hurriedly brought him paper and a brush. “Quick, write down the address. Don’t forget it later.”
Mo Yi smiled and shook his head, gentle and refined. “How could I forget?”
Though he said that, under his wife’s expectant gaze, he still wrote down the address.
Ming Wushuang treasured it as if it were a priceless possession.
Then she immediately turned around and began sorting their belongings.
Mo Yi asked in confusion, “What… what are you doing?”
Ming Wushuang shot him a look. “What do you think I’m doing? Didn’t Susu say she wanted us to invest in her tea plantation?”
“We don’t have much money, so we can’t invest recklessly. I need to go there and investigate thoroughly before making a decision.”
Mo Yi was speechless.
Her reasoning was sound, but her actions made no sense at all.
He hurriedly caught hold of her. “The floods have stopped all the boats. We can’t go for the time being. Besides, Father has to approve this.”
Ming Wushuang looked at him. “I know. I’m only getting things ready for now. Once the rain stops, I’ll leave.”
Mo Yi was startled. “What about me?”
“You?” Ming Wushuang glanced at him. “You stay home and look after the household. I’ll go by myself. I’ll take Wuniang with me.”
The couple had two sons and three daughters. Mo Susu was the second child, while the youngest, Wuniang, was only six years old.
As she continued sorting their belongings, Ming Wushuang said, “You can speak to Father about it. He’ll certainly understand that I’m only being cautious for the sake of the family.”
Mo Yi’s heart sank. He was about to argue further, but Ming Wushuang ignored him and muttered to herself, “Later, I’ll also visit the Yan and Su families. The three of them must have been in contact. Since Susu sent a letter, those two girls probably did as well. Perhaps we can travel there together with their families.”
When Mo Qi learned that Ming Wushuang had begun packing, his expression relaxed somewhat.
He sighed inwardly. Sometimes, the household really did have to rely on the eldest daughter-in-law.
This was also why he had never shown Mo Yi and the others the letter. It was simply the helplessness of parents everywhere. Once a mother learned that her child was safe, how could she possibly sit still?
He had once held some hopes for Sizhou. But with disaster striking again, and the emperor once again doing nothing, his heart had grown cold.
The Yan and Su families shared his sentiments.
At that moment, the old master of the Su family, Su Danchen, was visiting the Yan residence.
The Yan family’s old master, Yan Xuanzhi, received him personally. “Why have you come in such heavy rain?”
Su Danchen gave a helpless sigh. “You must have received the letter from Fengzhou as well.”
Yan Xuanzhi’s smile faded. “I received it some time ago. Are you planning to go?”
Su Danchen sighed. “I want to visit Fengzhou once the rain stops, but I still have some concerns.”
A flicker passed through Yan Xuanzhi’s eyes. He understood what the other man meant. “You’re worried that Fengzhou will be just like Sizhou, imposing all sorts of excessive taxes and squeezing us dry?”
Su Danchen did not hide the truth. “Yes. I’ve heard that Fengzhou has no aristocratic clans and that land cannot be bought or sold. It’s clear that Princess Jinyang deeply despises the great families.”
This was not a concern unique to him.
With Fengzhou reclaimed by Princess Jinyang’s army, many people wanted to settle there and build new lives. However, once they learned of Fengzhou’s policies, most of them stopped in their tracks.
The truly powerful aristocratic clans had abandoned the idea altogether. Land was their foundation, and to them, Fengzhou was a place where they would have no roots.
As for the smaller noble families and merchant households, they were equally worried that all sorts of traps awaited them in Fengzhou.
Yan Xuanzhi shook his head. “There’s no need to worry about that. Once you arrive in Fengzhou, simply keep to yourselves and follow their laws. Princess Jinyang is a ruler known for clear governance and fair laws.”
