Chapter 157: Cao Chong Weighing the Elephant

Chapter 157

Afterwards, the Fifth Assistant Minister personally came to apologize with a lavish gift. Although Jiang Wenyuan and his son were angry, they didn't continue to hold a grudge. Besides, they were both officials of the same court, so it was better to leave some room for reconciliation.

Regarding the distribution of newspapers, it was unanimously approved during the court meeting. As Jiang Wenyuan had anticipated, the matter was directly assigned to the Hanlin Academy, just as he expected.

The Hanlin Academy would be in charge, with the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Household Affairs assisting. A sample issue would be released first to ensure there were no problems, and then the official publication of the newspaper would begin on the fifth day of the third month, with subsequent issues released every fifth day.

Amidst the busy preparations, the caravan from Wo Country arrived in the capital. Perhaps due to the beating they received in Fuzhou last time, they were noticeably more low-key this time.

Upon their arrival in the capital, they were still accommodated at the State Guesthouse, with the strict protection of the Imperial Guards of Da Xia ensuring their personal safety.

Two days later, the naval escort responsible for transporting the prisoners of war from Fuzhou also arrived.

The leaders of the escort were all acquaintances of Jiang Yuqing, such as General Shi Jing from Jian Mountain Camp, General Feng Zhan from Yashan Camp, and even her younger brother Jiang Yuhe had come this time.

As for the leader of Zhong Mountain Camp, he remained in Fuzhou to guard against any surprise attacks by the Wo pirates during the negotiations.

Jiang Yuqing personally went to greet them at the Ten Li Pavilion outside the city as a friend.

After exchanging greetings with everyone, Jiang Yuqing caught sight of the prisoners in the prison wagon, and his beautiful grape-like eyes widened like copper bells.

Goodness gracious, is this even a human being? Even pigs aren't this fat, right?

His face was so swollen that his features were barely recognizable. His arms and legs were as thick as barrels, and layers upon layers of flesh piled up on his belly.

Because he was too bloated, he couldn't wear clothes and could only be covered with a blanket, even the prison wagon had to be modified to an extra-large size.

If it weren't for the distinctive little mustache under his mouth, Jiang Yuqing almost wouldn't dare to recognize him. This was Bampen Turtle Saburo, the muscular leader of the Wo pirates from six months ago.

She pulled Shi Jing to the side and whispered, pointing to the barely recognizable figure in the prison wagon, "General Shi, what's going on? How did he end up like this?" Fịndd new updates at novelhall.com

Shi Jing looked puzzled and said, "Wasn't it you who said to sell him by weight, one pound of flesh for a treasure ship?"

Jiang Yuqing: "..." She covered her face with both hands and rubbed it hard, trying to wake herself up and calm down.

"Wasn't it because I was afraid that you would kill him and make it difficult for me to explain? It's only been half a year, how on earth did you manage to turn him into a mountain of flesh?"

Shi Jing slapped his thigh and laughed, "Oh my, let me tell you. Just for this guy, I specially hired two people to attend to his eating and drinking, feeding him five times a day.

We fed him sweet potatoes, potatoes, and vegetable leaves, anything that could make him gain weight."

He gestured with his hands to indicate the size, saying, "We feed him a basin this big for each meal, and we take great care in serving him."

Jiang Yuqing twitched at the corner of her mouth and said, "Why does that sound like feeding a pig?"

Shi Jing happily replied, "Well, you guessed it right. The two attendants I found used to raise pigs before they joined the military, and they were really good at it!"

Jiang Yuqing: "...Five meals a day, each with a basin. How can he eat all of that without vomiting?"

Shi Jing replied, "No worries. In order to fatten him up, I even went to your master and got a prescription for weight gain. I mixed in some medicine and added a handful to his bowl during each meal."

He chuckled and gave her a thumbs up. "Your master's medicine works wonders. The more he eats, the hungrier he gets, and the more he eats, the fatter he becomes. Look at him now, he's grown so much in just six months."

With a mischievous grin, he continued, "We entered the capital through an underground passage. Before coming ashore, we lifted this guy onto a special small boat. We measured the water depth and used stones to weigh him. He weighed over three hundred and thirty pounds."

He gestured, asking, "So tell me, how many treasure ships can we exchange for him?"

As a result, the little tricks that the Bampen fellows had planned came to naught. How could they proceed?

Bampen Qiuxin was so angry that he smashed a cup. "Bampen fellows! The people of Da Xia are sly.

They have imprisoned Turtle Saburo, making it difficult for us to get in! It seems that we can only send ninjas to fight!

I hope they can bring us good news!"

That night, Emperor Xia Jing held a small feast in the palace to welcome Shi Jing, Feng Zhan, and allow them to relax.

Also in attendance were Jiang Wenyuan and his daughter, as well as several trusted ministers from the court, such as the Secretaries of the Six Ministries, General Qin, and the father and son of the Duke of Laozhen.

After the meal, the plans against Wo Country were finalized.

On the way home, Jiang Wenyuan felt as if he were floating on air. Good news seemed to be coming one after another recently.

The sample newspaper had already been printed, and the first issue would be released in two days, promising a profitable venture.

Apart from the wealth that would soon fill the national treasury, there was now news of the Wo pirates' treasure.

Perhaps they could make an additional profit by outsmarting the Wo pirates. Tonight, he felt like he could wake up from a dream with a smile on his face.

Jiang Yuqing couldn't help but laugh at her father's foolish behavior. There's a saying that comes to mind, something like "sudden wealth for the poor." It seems to fit her father's mindset perfectly!

Well, her father's position as a high-ranking official is not easy, and it's not good to hurt someone who has experienced poverty. So she'll just let him be happy. As his daughter, she'll have to pamper him a bit more!

Meanwhile, Emperor Xia Jing was humming a tune as he leaned on his son's support and arrived at the Pepper Chamber.

Empress Qin, seeing him so happy, asked, "What good fortune has befallen you this time?"

Emperor Xia Jing plopped down on Empress Qin's soft couch and slouched against the backrest, saying, "It's great news! After some manipulation, I'm about to make a huge fortune again.

You have no idea how clever our daughter, Qingbao, is. She's truly cunning and shrewd.

It was truly wise of Daoist Huayangzi to send our son to Qingzhou back then.

When I meet him someday, I must express my gratitude to him properly." After finishing his words, he burst into hearty laughter.

The way he was showing off made Empress Qin roll her eyes.

Although she complained, she still had a maid bring hot water and personally wiped her husband's face clean with a towel.

But Emperor Xia Jing grabbed her delicate hand and said, "Darling, you're so beautiful."

Empress Qin blushed and replied, "Old man, what are you saying? Our son is still here!"

Turning around, she realized there was no trace of Jing Yan in the hall. Not only that, even the palace attendants had vanished!

True marital love requires a keen eye.

Jiang Wenyuan and his daughter returned home and went to their respective rooms to wash up and sleep.

In the middle of the night, Jiang Yuqing suddenly woke up from a dream, sat up in bed like a startled fish, and grabbed the clothes on the bedside. With a tap of the invisibility talisman, she summoned her spiritual sword and threw it into the air like a lightning bolt, heading straight for the palace dungeon.

Someone had triggered the enchantment she set up!