Chapter 568: Limestone Slab
Editor: Atlas Studios
No matter how deep a relationship was, there would always be a time when the sentiments would be depleted. Knowing sentiments depended on one’s heart and was too ethereal, Mu Yangling preferred to clarify the boundaries and establish a proper system.
Both sides had to know what could and could not be done. Only then would they not have to test each other, let alone squander their affection towards each other blindly.
Qi Xiuyuan and Qi Haoran were close, so she didn’t want there to be a day when there would be an estrangement between them.
Qi Xiuyuan suddenly felt a little uncomfortable. He was still placing himself in the position of a father and older brother to Qi Haoran and had yet to identify as his new identity. Mu Yangling suddenly lowered her voice and said, “Big Brother, Haoran isn’t the only relative of the royal family.” Mu Yangling looked at the East Manor. “Just treat it as Haoran setting an example as a younger brother first.”
Qi Xiuyuan’s eyebrows twitched and he felt a little better. However, he heeded Mu Yangling’s suggestion and planned to create a better system later.
“In that case, go to Minister Qin’s residence when you have time and see which area is better. Tell the Ministry of Works later and let them work on it.” Qi Xiuyuan was a little embarrassed at this point. “Minister Qin’s residence is full of potholes now and has to undergo a major repair anyway. When you go to take a look and see if there’s anything you need to modify, note it down and let the Ministry of Works know later.”
Qi Xiuyuan said that he would dig up those things even if he had to dig three feet into the ground. Although he hadn’t successfully dug out those things, he had indeed dug three feet into the ground.
Even the floor in the room had been pried up. Standing at the door and looking in, Mu Yangling said with a sigh, “How much money will it cost to repair this?”
Mu Yangling felt her heart ache at the thought of that figure.
The entire Minister Qin’s residence was like this. The empty space in the courtyard, the flowers in the flower bed, and even the limestone slabs on the ground had been pried up.
Carrying Little Bear, who was unwilling to leave her side, Mu Yangling walked towards the back and said to the Ministry of Works, “I remember that there’s a huge empty space in the northwest corner. Bring me there to take a look. If it’s suitable, let’s separate that space.”
The Ministry of Works quickly led Mu Yangling over respectfully.
It took her a full 45 minutes to walk from the main house to the northwest corner. Mu Yangling felt that even if she moved in, she wouldn’t have the time to walk around the residence every day. Furthermore, this was only half of the diagonal.
There was a garden in the northwest corner. More accurately speaking, there was a garden along the flow of the stream. Because there was a courtyard in the middle, the Qin Residence had a large garden and three small gardens.
The one in the northwest corner was the largest one.
In the past, this was the garden of the Qin Residence that everyone envied. The precious flowers and plants inside were second only to the imperial garden of the palace. But now, the entire garden had been upturned, and more than half of the limestone slabs deep in the garden had been pried up.
Mu Yangling placed Little Bear on the ground and pinched the soil on the ground with her hand. She said very pertinently, “This land is very fertile. If we farm here, even if the weather isn’t good, with this small stream, I’m certain we can reap a bountiful harvest.”
The clerk from the Ministry of Works was dumbfounded.
However, Spring said with a smile, “If Madam can’t bear to part with it, we won’t carve out this plot of land. Isn’t there still two corners? At most, we’ll split out the courtyards in the west. There aren’t many people in our residence, so we can’t accommodate so many people. Since the northwest corner is so big and there’s a river, Madam can practice here.”
Seeing that Mu Yangling was tempted, Spring continued, “Otherwise, should any idea come to mind, you’d have to run to the farmstead again. What a waste of time that is. In that case, why don’t you just set up the experimental plot at home…”
Mu Yangling touched her chin and said, “If that’s the case, the Prince’s Residence will become a farm. Won’t your master scold me to death when he comes back? I’ll discuss it with him later.”
Mu Yangling saw that Little Bear had already started to climb up the overturned limestone slab without any restraint, and the nanny could only barely hold him back. She went forward and picked him up. “It’s dirty up there. Why are you climbing up there?”
Little Bear didn’t say anything. He just opened his hand and pulled with all his might. Seeing that he was stubborn, Mu Yangling could only use her hand to lift the limestone slab away and let him walk over.
After taking a few steps, Little Bear was blocked by a limestone slab again. This time, having learned his lesson, he turned his head to look at his mother.
The corners of Mu Yangling’s mouth twitched. She also wanted to see how far he could go, so she went forward and shifted the limestone slab to the side.
The clerk from the Ministry of Works held a small brush and looked at the limestone slab in Mu Yangling’s hand in shock. After the people in front walked a certain distance, he secretly reached out to try moving it. The limestone slab did not move at all.
The clerk from the Ministry of Works wiped off the mud and silently followed behind everyone.
Little Bear seemed to like this game. After taking a few steps, he looked back at his mother, indicating for her to move the limestone slab away.
Mu Yangling was very cooperative. Anyway, she had a lot of time and did not mind playing with her son for a while longer. However, after picking up one particular limestone slab, Mu Yangling’s expression changed slightly.
She picked up the limestone slab that she had just put down and shook it. Then, she turned around and picked up another slab to weigh it.
After some thought, Mu Yangling went forward and tried this on a few more pieces. Then, she stared at the limestone slab on the ground in a daze.
On the way forward, Little Bear encountered another limestone slab. Seeing that his mother did not come over to move it away for a long time, he stumbled back angrily and grabbed the corner of her clothes. Then, he pointed at the slab and made noises. “Ah, ah, ah.”
Mu Yangling said with a smile, “Son, Mother will bring you to hunt for treasures, okay?”
Little Bear tilted his head and looked at her in confusion.
Mu Yangling pinched a limestone slab and exerted a little force with her hand. The slab cracked with a few cracking sounds. Under everyone’s wide-open mouths, Mu Yangling removed the shattered stone slab. The stone slab, which was only about two centimeters thick, was removed, revealing a bright yellow color inside.
Spring’s eyes widened, and the notepad in the hands of the clerk from the Ministry of Works fell to the ground with a thud.
Mu Yangling cleared away the rubble on the surface, and a golden plate appeared in front of everyone.
Mu Yangling handed it to Little Bear and said with a smile, “How is it? Is this a treasure?”
After taking a look at the golden plate, Little Bear pursed his lips in disdain. Turning around, he went to look for the dusty stone slab. He cried out to get someone to move it away.
When Minister of Revenue Zhang Cheng brought his men over, Mu Yangling had already knocked open two stone slabs which were filled with gold.
Mu Yangling could not help but sigh at Minister Qin’s wisdom. This was truly a safe hiding place. Qi Xiuyuan ordered someone to pry open the limestone slabs. When the house was repaired, these would definitely be transported out to be replaced with new ones.
At that time, Minister Qin only needed to get someone to buy the old stone slabs. He did not even need to transport the gold out of Lin’an City.
After handing the matter over to Zhang Cheng, Mu Yangling picked up Little Bear and was about to go back. She would leave the task of smashing the stone slabs to her subordinates.
The next day, everyone in Lin’an City knew that Mu Yangling, who had gone to look at the new house in advance, had discovered the gold left behind by Minister Qin. Everyone was not only envious and jealous, but they also hated her for being this lucky.