Chapter 204

Chapter 204

The Jiang household now answered to Jiang Liu, and as long as he was willing, his parents' opinions wouldn't carry any weight.

After Han Zhang left, the couple listened to Jiang Liu recount the Han family's stance, and they felt a mix of joy and worry.

What thrilled them was that their boy had been so lucky as to catch the eye of an official family like the Lord Prefect's!

What worried them, of course, was the huge gap between the two families, and they feared their son might be mistreated down the road.

However, after much deliberation, in the end, joy won out.

Jiang's mother clutched her chest, her eyes gleaming with barely contained excitement as she rattled on: "Since Lord Han came in person to ask about this and said all that he did, that's proof enough the Han family genuinely wants our Liu Geer."

"No matter what happens later, at least for the first few years of marriage, with this much regard, Liu Geer won't have a rough time in the Han house. And if he pops out a chubby boy soon, he'll be set for life."

After saying all that in a rush, she then turned worried: "But what about the dowry? Even if we drained every last cent of the family savings, we couldn't scrape together a few decent pieces..."

Forget hundreds or thousands of taels—they couldn't even come up with a dozen taels of silver!

When their two older daughters got married, they'd busted their backs and still only managed a few cotton quilts, wooden basins, and trunks.

Just thinking about the day the Han family came to pick up the bride—if Liu Geer's procession behind him was that shabby, wouldn't the whole town laugh at him?

Jiang's father puffed on his pipe in silence, brow furrowed in the smoke. After a long spell, he made up his mind and said in a raspy voice:

"If we have to... we'll sell the fields."

Though the silver they'd get would still be a drop in the bucket, every extra piece they could put together was one more, so at least Liu Geer wouldn't get as many snide comments when he left the house.

Seeing his parents willing to go this far for him, Jiang Liu's heart ached and his eyes welled up again. He quickly grabbed his parents' hands and urged:

"Father, Mother, don't. Everyone in the village knows our situation. No need to drain the family dry just to save face. Let things be as they are—what matters is that we live well ourselves. Let outsiders say whatever they like."

"There'll only be more of these occasions in the future. We can't sell off everything we own every time just to put on a show. Better to just be upfront about it."

Jiang's father and mother listened, gripping Jiang Liu's hands, their voices choked: "Liu Geer, it's because we're useless that you have to put up with this..."

"Father, Mother, I've never once felt wronged being your child. All these years you've worked so hard to raise us, and I've kept it all in my heart."

"The past was hard, but from now on, let's look ahead—now that I've got this marriage, I'll hold onto it tight and never let our family be looked down on again."

Jiang Liu took his parents' hands and comforted them with a deliberately cheerful smile: "Oh, Father, Mother, you won't believe it—today Lord Han said I'm a real whiz at farming."

"I don't get how being good at farming counts as being a great talent, but Lord Han is the Prefect, a man of great learning. If he says I'll go far, then I definitely will. Father, Mother, just wait—I'll make you proud!"

"Really? Lord Han is an official who's read the sage's classics and seen the wider world. If he said it, it must be true..."

The old couple knew in their hearts their son was just trying to comfort them, but they smiled along anyway.

Their Liu Geer was already doing well for himself. They didn't ask for anything more—just that he be okay.

The family was warm and happy together.

...

The Jiang family was stressing over the dowry.

Han Zhang was always thorough, so he naturally couldn't overlook something like this. As the saying goes, "help a person all the way"—since he'd taken charge of this marriage, he'd see it through to the end.

So after getting back to the residence and hashing out the betrothal arrangements with Grandfather and Grandmother Han, Second Aunt Han, and Uncle, Han Zhang privately found Han Qinfeng and handed him two thousand taels in banknotes.

"Third Brother, everyone knows the Jiang family's situation and that Liu Geer's dowry won't be fancy, but if we stick to the old village customs on the day we pick up the bride, Liu Geer will end up facing gossip and snide remarks whenever he goes out to social events or banquets later."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Back when our family was struggling, I did your sister-in-law wrong, and I still feel guilty about it to this day. Now it's your turn, and we absolutely can't let Liu Geer go through the same thing."

"This is a little something from your sister-in-law and me. Take it—think of it as me making up for past regrets."

Han Zhang spoke with genuine sincerity.

Han Qinfeng clutched the thin envelope, felt the stiff banknotes inside with his fingertips, and his eyes welled up.

Though his elder brother now held power in Yunyang, he hadn't been there long—between greasing palms to build connections and keeping over a dozen family members in luxury, he definitely didn't have money to spare.

These two thousand taels—who knew how his elder brother had scraped them together...

"Elder Brother..." Han Qinfeng's voice choked slightly as he gripped the envelope tightly in his palm. "I'll take this. If you ever need anything from me, I won't hesitate!"

His elder brother really cared for him with everything he had.

For the rest of his life, he would follow his elder brother through thick and thin!

Watching his third cousin, who was moved to tears by his words, Han Zhang felt satisfied and exchanged a few more pleasantries.

Only after sending him off did he pick up a wooden box and go to find Shen Qinglan.

At that moment, Shen Qinglan's small storeroom was brightly lit.

He had rolled up his sleeves and was personally holding a brush to reconcile accounts, while several maidservants, page boys, and his dowry matron bustled about, counting and packing sets of gold and silver headdresses, jade ornaments, and fine silks into trunks. These were all to be added to Han Qinfeng's betrothal gifts.

That's right—he was using his own dowry to subsidize the Han family!

After all, though Han Zhang now held great power in Yunyang, it had been barely over a year.

Official entertaining, greasing subordinates' palms, household expenses—everything required silver... not to mention the rebellion, which consumed money like flowing water, leaving only a limited amount to bring home.

The Han family's public coffers could only cover daily expenses, so the costs of Han Qinnian's and Han Qinfeng's weddings required Shen Qinglan's subsidies...

To say he harbored no resentment about this would be a lie—after all, a sister-in-law spending her dowry on a brother-in-law's wedding was hardly reasonable!

But... he couldn't resist the "poison" of Han Zhang's influence. As long as Han Zhang sighed a couple of times, Shen Qinglan would give not just his dowry but even his life for him.

Qiao Dong, Qiao Xi, and the dowry matron often silently lamented his lack of backbone.

However, given practical needs.

Though Han Zhang couldn't refuse this "soft rice," he also couldn't in good conscience spend his husband's dowry without a second thought—unless he didn't care about him.

So, watching the goods flow out of Shen Qinglan's storeroom, he felt quite pained.

That's why, as soon as he received the dividend banknotes from the private salt trade, he hurried over...

"Husband, isn't it still before the end of your shift at the yamen? Why are you back so early today?"

Shen Qinglan, who was checking the ledgers, looked up and saw Han Zhang enter. A delighted smile instantly bloomed on his face. He set the account book aside and ran over joyfully like a fledgling returning to its nest.

Though they saw each other every day, he was always overjoyed to see his husband, never growing tired of it.

And Han Zhang adored Shen Qinglan's wholehearted devotion just the same.

His heart melted, and he obligingly opened his arms to pull the person into his embrace, smiling tenderly. "I got something good today and was eager to show it to you, so I came back early."

"What good thing? Is it new clothes you made for me again? Or some novel ornament?"

Shen Qinglan was pleasantly surprised at the words, his gaze immediately falling on the box in his hand, eagerly trying to guess what was inside based on its size.

"Neither. Open it and see for yourself..."

Han Zhang gestured for the maidservants and page boys around them to withdraw, while pulling the person inside to sit down.

Once no outsiders remained, Shen Qinglan curiously opened the box, then let out a muffled gasp: "Banknotes? This many?!"

Indeed, the box was filled with large-denomination banknotes and gold notes.

At least a hundred thousand taels by estimate!

Han Zhang didn't let him wonder or worry, and explained: "These are profits from my partnership with several local gentry in Yunyang, selling contraband salt. My earlier iron-fisted purge of Yunyang's factions was precisely to pave this path."

"What? The illegal salt trade?"

Shen Qinglan covered his mouth at the words, shocked and anxious—this was a crime that could get the whole family executed or exiled! How could his husband be so reckless?

Honestly, if he had a choice, Han Zhang wouldn't want his husband to know of these shady dealings. But as cooperation with the various families deepened, the social calls and secret messages between the wives and husbands of the inner quarters would inevitably require Shen Qinglan to help smooth things over and cover for them—there was no way to keep this from him.

So the private salt business had to be revealed to his husband now.

Han Zhang sighed, holding the person's hand to comfort him: "I know this is perilous. But the Han family's foundation is too thin. If I don't take this risky path, am I supposed to just live off your dowry for the rest of our lives?"

"Moreover, before leaving the capital, I already discussed with your father and thrown in our lot with another prince for protection."

"Our influence in Yunyang doesn't help the prince right now. Other than sending money, we've got no other path forward—the private salt business is a necessity."

"But rest assured, husband. Since I dare to do it, I have confidence. Yunyang is now locked down tight as a drum, and in the capital your father covers for us—there's no way word can leak out."

"Husband, we offended too many people when we left the capital. To live a peaceful life... we have no choice but to take risks."

Han Zhang laid out the whole situation for him in detail.

Shen Qinglan listened in a daze, tears rolling down his cheeks before he even realized it.

He wasn't completely clueless about politics, and Han Zhang's words were clear enough—how could he not understand the logic behind it all?

"So that's it... So that's why the trip to Yunyang went so smoothly. Given how close the Crown Prince and Chang Gongjun Jiayou are, how could they really have just let us go like that?"

"So that's how it is... We merely jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire... Husband, I'm sorry. It's all my fault. I should have just backed down back then."

"If you'd just married Chang Gongjun, we wouldn't be living in constant fear like this. You'd be making a name for yourself in the capital by now—how could things have come to this? Boo-hoo... I'm sorry, husband. It's all my fault..."

Shen Qinglan sobbed so hard he could barely breathe, drowning in grief and self-blame all over again.

It was all because of him that his husband had thrown away his own future and taken such a dangerous path!

Seeing his husband cry so hard, Han Zhang's heart ached with pity, but he had to reveal these things—he couldn't keep him locked up like a bird in a cage.

"It's not your fault, husband. Even if I could go back a thousand times, I'd still choose you."

Han Zhang pulled the person into his arms to comfort him: "In truth, even without Chang Gongjun Jiayou, the fight for the throne is getting more and more dangerous. Your father and I would have been drawn into it sooner or later regardless. Don't blame yourself."

"Once you're in the court, you can't control your own fate. Nobody can guarantee they'll walk away unscathed. Instead of worrying about the future, we should focus on the here and now."

"Didn't you mention the other day that the edible bird's nest your mother sent was all used up? From now on, we'll be bringing in tens of thousands of taels every month. Whatever you want to eat, wear, or use, you won't have to dip into your own dowry anymore—I can provide for you now."

"And as for the betrothal gifts and dowries for the younger siblings... If I let you keep worrying about that, I'd be too ashamed to show my face."

"Husband, you haven't seen the looks Qiao Dong and Qiao Xi give me—they might as well be calling me a freeloading husband..."

Han Zhang shifted to playing pitiful by the end.

Shen Qinglan couldn't withstand that, immediately feeling heartbroken. He hastily wiped his tears with his sleeve and said between sobs:

"Nonsense... Who would think that of you... I, I'll listen to you, alright? It's just the private salt business, isn't it? I support you!"

His husband wanted to earn silver, after all, for the family, to give him and their child a better life—he truly shouldn't blame his husband.

Fine, sell private salt then. After all, which path to wealth wasn't written into the law?

And besides, which official in the entire court hadn't dabbled in such crooked dealings? All crows are equally black—his husband's joining wouldn't make a difference!

In any case, marry a rooster, follow a rooster; marry a dog, follow a dog. He was bound to his husband for life. Even if death came, so be it—as long as he could be with his husband, he'd gladly be a pair of ghost lovers.

Shen Qinglan silently comforted himself. In any choice between Han Zhang and everything else, his decision was always unwavering, even if the road ahead was wrong.

"Husband, meeting you is the greatest fortune of my three lifetimes."

Han Zhang held the person tightly, boundless love surging in his heart.

Outsiders all said that Qinglan was lucky to have married him—that Han Zhang took no concubines and was deeply devoted, making Qinglan fortunate.

But only he knew that Qinglan was the true treasure.

To possess someone who loved him with such wholehearted devotion—he must have accumulated blessings over several lifetimes. Qinglan was his light.