The family returned to the Minister's Residence as evening settled.
Su Li headed back to her own courtyard, preparing to wash up and rest.
Mo Yun suddenly appeared, handing her a stack of papers.
"Miss, these are the reports from Liangzhou."
Su Li took the papers, meticulously reading them one by one.
After finishing, she remained silent for a long while.
She hadn't expected to stumble upon such an unexpected gain just by helping Mo Hua!
The reports stated that the current head of the Xu Family in Liangzhou was Xu Mubai's second uncle. This man wasn't adept at business but was a bold and shrewd ruthless character.
More than half of Jun Hui's assets had been destroyed, and his iron mines had been taken over by the imperial court. Only the private salt trade remained, with no critical evidence found yet.
She never imagined the Liangzhou Xu Family was working for Jun Hui!
It was truly a case of searching far and wide for something, only to find it effortlessly!
Su Li handed the stack of papers back to Mo Yun, instructing, "Take these to His Highness."
"Yes!"
Su Li curved her lips into a smile. Once Jun Hui's income from private salt was cut off, his financial sources would be almost completely severed.
Sixth Prince's Estate
The atmosphere in the study was so oppressive that no one dared to breathe too loudly.
Jun Hui massaged his temples. Lately, his temper had been flaring up with increasing frequency.
He had initially hoped to turn things around with the hotpot business, but no matter how much he lowered prices, sales plummeted.
What exactly had gone wrong?
He had tasted the hotpot himself; it was identical to the flavor of Today's Drunk. Logically, with such low prices, this situation shouldn't have occurred.
Other Yu's shops, aside from employee wages, had almost no incoming revenue.
If this continued, let alone making money, they would surely operate at a loss.
Yu Banxia also had no idea where the problem lay. The hotpot tasted perfectly fine.
She had sent people to ask some diners, who reported stomach pains after eating her hotpot, and she was at a loss as to how to handle it.
Why was it that with the same ingredients and the same taste, eating hotpot from Today's Drunk didn't cause stomach aches?
She observed Jun Hui's expression, not daring to speak rashly.
She had previously claimed the hotpot business would compensate for the losses from the down jacket venture, but now even the hotpot was losing money.
After a long pause, Jun Hui finally said, "Close the hotpot restaurant."
Yu Banxia looked up in surprise, "Your Highness!"
Jun Hui didn't even spare her a glance, continuing, "As for the other Yu's shops, we'll observe them. If there's still no improvement within two months, close them all."
Yu Banxia's face instantly turned pale.
Those were her life's work! How could he just close the shops without even asking her opinion?
Qing Ning waited outside. Seeing her young mistress emerge, she cheerfully went to greet her.
Noticing her mistress's distressed expression, she asked worriedly, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Yu Banxia silently boarded the carriage, lost in thought.
Suddenly, she called out, "Qing Ning."
"Miss."
"The Sixth Prince wants to close the hotpot restaurant, and he said if the other shops don't improve within two months, they'll all be closed too."
Qing Ning gasped in surprise, then after a moment, said, "Miss, actually, this servant thinks it might be a good thing if the shops close. Our residence isn't lacking in food or drink, and Miss won't have to work so hard every day."
Yu Banxia shook her head, "No, I can't let my efforts go to waste. We still have two months, don't we? I must take a gamble, or I'll never be at peace."
Qing Ning asked in surprise, "Miss, what do you plan to do?"
Yu Banxia thought for a moment, then lifted the carriage curtain and told the coachman, "To Yu's Cosmetics Shop."
"Yes, Miss."
For several consecutive days, Yu Banxia left early and returned late.
Father Yu, seeing her like this, went from sighing constantly to eventually just ignoring her completely, preferring not to see.
When Yu Banxia returned to the residence and entered the house, Father Yu immediately got up, intending to go to his study.
Yu Banxia reluctantly called out, "Father~"
Father Yu's figure paused, but he didn't turn his head, saying, "One day, you will bring trouble upon yourself."
With that, he went to his study.
Yu Banxia pouted. How rigid! No matter what she said, he wouldn't listen. It was just opening shops, how could it bring trouble?
Little did she know, Father Yu's words would prove prophetic, and the trouble would come so quickly.
That day, Yu Banxia took her carriage to her shop as usual. From outside the carriage, the coachman's voice came through: "Miss, there are many soldiers at our shop."
Yu Banxia was startled, and she lifted the curtain to look.
The cosmetics shop was surrounded, packed with both commoners and soldiers.
Yu Banxia quickly dropped the curtain and ordered, "To the Sixth Prince's Estate!"
Upon arriving at the Sixth Prince's Estate, the carriage hadn't even fully stopped before Yu Banxia leaped out.
The steward saw her coming and greeted her, "Miss Yu."
Yu Banxia waved her hand, "Steward, where is His Highness? I need to see him urgently."
"In the study..."
Without waiting for the steward to finish, Yu Banxia hurried towards the study.
Just as she reached the study door, about to push it open, she heard voices from inside. Someone seemed to mention 'Salt Commissioner'. As if possessed, she stopped her movements.
"Your Highness, a few days ago, someone investigated the Liangzhou Xu Family. Our private salt trade is likely to be exposed."
Jun Hui was startled. He had been so careful, and never contacted Liangzhou, so why had he still been investigated?
"Your Highness, Chen Xiao urges you to make a decision quickly."
Jun Hui stroked his chin, lost in thought.
After a while, he said, "Chen Xiao cannot be implicated. If he is, this chain will be completely broken. Tell him to find a way to shift the blame to the previous Salt Commissioner, Yun Tong."
His subordinate was shocked, saying, "Your Highness, the previous Salt Commissioner, Yun Tong, is Miss Yu's father. Your Highness and Miss Yu..."
"It's fine. Do as I say."
"Yes!"
Yu Banxia felt as if she had been struck by a bolt from the blue, walking away in a daze.
The steward looked at her puzzled, wondering, "Did Miss Yu finish speaking with His Highness so quickly?"
Seeing Yu Banxia didn't reply, he muttered a few words but didn't pay it much mind.
Qing Ning, seeing her mistress's pale face, worriedly helped her into the carriage.
"Miss, what's wrong? Don't scare me!"
"Is it because His Highness won't help? Miss, it's alright, let's go home and ask Master for help."
Yu Banxia couldn't hear the outside world; her mind was filled only with Jun Hui's cold, heartless voice from just now.
How could he do this?
Private salt trading was a serious crime punishable by confiscation of property and extermination of the family!
How could he!
Yu Banxia suddenly came to her senses, panicking, "Quick, back to the residence! Hurry!"
The carriage sped towards the Yu Residence.
As soon as it stopped, she dashed into the house.
"Mother! Where's Father?"
Mother Yu, seeing her daughter's panicked expression, replied, "He's in the study. What's wrong with you? What happened?"
Yu Banxia didn't have time to reply to her mother and turned to run towards the study.
With a loud bang, she pushed open the study door.
"Father!"
Father Yu looked up, about to scold her, but saw his daughter already in tears.
Father Yu stood up in surprise, asking, "What's wrong with you?"
Yu Banxia ran over and hugged her father tightly.
"Father, I'm sorry! Your daughter shouldn't have disobeyed you! Your daughter was wrong!"
Father Yu tenderly patted her back, looking at Qing Ning and asking, "What happened to Miss?"
Qing Ning replied, "Miss has been like this ever since she came out of the Sixth Prince's Estate."
Father Yu's face darkened, "Did the Sixth Prince bully you?"
Yu Banxia pulled out of her father's embrace and quickly asked, "Father, do you know Chen Xiao?"
Father Yu replied, "Minister Chen? Why do you ask about him?"
Chen Xiao was his former superior. Why would his daughter suddenly ask about this person?
"Father, the Sixth Prince conspired with Chen Xiao to deal in private salt, and now someone is investigating it. They're planning to push you out to take the blame!"
Father Yu's eyes widened, his heart filled with shock.
Regaining his composure, he quickly looked around and told Qing Ning, "You may leave first."
"Yes!"
Father Yu pressed on, "Where did you hear this? This is no laughing matter!"
Yu Banxia cried, "Father, your daughter heard it with her own ears! You must find a way quickly!"
Father Yu paced back and forth.
Suddenly, he stopped.
"There's no need to panic. Your father is not so easily framed. Tomorrow at the morning court, I will personally petition His Majesty to thoroughly investigate the private salt case!"
Seeing her father's calm expression, Yu Banxia felt a little relieved.
It was only then that she realized some matters were truly beyond her ability to change.
Her strength was too insignificant, and the cleverness she relied on was of little use in this era.
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