Perhaps this kind of trivial matter among commoners was too far away from Fulu and Qin Miaomiao, so they didn’t know how to comfort her.

  Qin Miaomiao said to Qiao Jinniang, “The rule is the rule. If you don’t handle this matter properly, there will be many people impeaching you. Then I am afraid even Your Majesty will have to compromise.”


  Qiao Jinniang clenched her hands and said, “I’d rather die than surrender. If you force me to give Myriad Taste to them, I’d rather die with Myriad Taste.”


  Fulu hurriedly said, “Don’t. It’s okay if you die, but if Myriad Taste and Tasty Pavilion are gone, where can I go to eat delicious food!”


  Qiao Jinniang: “…”


  Was their sisterhood so fragile?

  Qin Miaomiao said, “Fulu, what are you talking about? Jinniang’s cooking skills are better than those of those cooks. If she dies, we can’t eat a lot of delicious food.”


  Fulu felt that her words made sense. “Yes, yes, then don’t die, Jinniang. There is always a way. You can ask my imperial cousin to marry into the Qiao family, or ask Qiao Ruoyun to divorce her husband and find another man to marry into the Qiao family!”


  Qin Miaomiao glared at Fulu, “Stop talking nonsense!”


  “Anyway, your family always looks down on Qiao Ruoyun. Wouldn’t this have it both ways?” Fulu said to Qiao Jinniang, “If Qiao Ruoyun finds a man to marry into the Qiao family, the Qiao clansmen will have nothing to say.”


  Qin Miaomiao was very annoyed, “Don’t you try to instigate my sister-in-law to divorce my brother. My sister-in-law and my brother love each other very much. Why do you do this?”


  Fulu said, “I knew it. You just want to persuade Qiao Jinniang to give up on my imperial cousin so that you can marry into the East Palace.”


  Qin Miaomiao said, “Don’t talk nonsense. It was you who were desperate to marry His Royal Highness!”


  Seeing they were starting to quarrel again, Qiao Jinniang said, “Alright, alright, stop arguing…”


  Neither of these two would surrender to the other.

  Qiao Jinniang simply followed her maids out of the Jewelry Pavilion and told Nuomi, “Tell the shop assistant to keep an eye on Fulu and Qin Miaomiao. If they smash any jewelry in their quarrel, ask them to compensate.”


  After all, correct accountability kept good friendships.

  After Qiao Jinniang went out, she went to Duke Qin Mansion. Due to what happened last time, although Qiao Jinniang didn’t send a visiting card in advance, Duchess Qin still opened the front door to greet Qiao Jinniang.

  Qiao Jinniang was uncomfortable with her enthusiasm and went straight to Qiao Ruoyun. In Qiao Ruoyun’s room, there happened to be an imperial doctor who was diagnosing her pulse, and Qin Shu was at the side.

  The imperial doctor stroked his goatee beard and said, “She doesn’t seem to be pregnant. Don’t worry. Take it easy. Besides, she has just had a miscarriage, so she should recuperate well first.”


  Qiao Ruoyun lowered her head with a hint of shame on her face. “It’s all my fault.”


  Qin Shu went to see the imperial doctor out, and Qiao Jinniang walked up to Qiao Ruoyun and said, “Why do you say that, Sister?”


  Qiao Ruoyun said, “Alas, if only I had kept that child! I have been married for three years but still haven’t got a child. My husband needs a child…”


  Qiao Jinniang wanted to persuade Qiao Ruoyun to make one of her children inherit the Qiao family, which could be counted as Qiao Yu’s grandson, but now she held it back.

  In Lin’an, she had also seen many women who didn’t have a son. She had Tuan’er soon after she was married, so she had never experienced such difficulties, but she could understand their feelings.

  “Sister, relax, you and Brother-in-law are in love. I’m sure there will be good news soon.” Qiao Jinniang said.

  Qiao Ruoyun pursed her lips. “I hope so. I heard that those people of the Qiao family in Lin’an came to Chang’an, and because of them, you were impeached? I haven’t been in good health for the past two days, so I didn’t go to see you, but I’ve already got my maid to take some money from my dowry to give it to them.”


  “Don’t!” Qiao Jinniang hurriedly said, “Once you give them silver taels, they will be as hard to get rid of as gangrene attached to the bones. They will become blood sucking worms that cling to you!” Qiao Ruoyun said, “Sister, I know, but after all, they are my relatives. If I don’t help them, I’m afraid that it will affect my husband’s reputation…”


  “Anyway, we are not short of silver taels. We just spend silver to buy peace. I think they will return to Lin’an as long as they get money.”


  Qiao Jinniang sighed.

  When Qin Shu returned, he said to Qiao Ruoyun, “Since County Mistress is here, you can have a good talk with her and stop thinking about the matter of children. We are still young, so don’t worry.” But Qiao Ruoyun still looked anxious. After Qin Shu left, she asked Qiao Jinniang, “Sister, you’re from the South. Have you heard of ‘Yangzhou Thin Horses’ (note: pretty girls for sale)?” Qiao Jinniang nodded. “Those ‘Thin Horses’ are poor women, most of them are poor people.”


  Qiao Ruoyun asked in a low voice, “Do you know where I can buy some ‘Yangzhou Thin Horses’?

  “I haven’t been able to give birth to a child for my husband, and I have to prepare early.”


  “Sister, have you forgotten about Yuzhui, that concubine maid?!” Qiao Jinniang said angrily, “And now you want to buy ‘Yangzhou Thin Horses’ for your husband as concubines?”


  “Jinniang, I know you hate men taking concubines.

  “But there are very few men in this world who don’t take concubines.

  “My husband will take concubines in the future anyway. Rather than someone like Yuzhui, I might as well find a few that I can handle.

  “Originally, I wanted to select concubines for my husband from his maids and my maids.

  “But he refused. I think maybe he wants prettier women. “I heard that ‘Yangzhou Thin Horses’ are well-educated and very beautiful… Maybe he’ll like them.”


  Qiao Jinniang sighed heavily. “I don’t know any thin or fat horses. If you want to buy thin horses, you can ask slave traders.” Seeing Qiao Jinniang’s expression, Qiao Ruoyun knew that she was asking the wrong person and stopped asking.

  The Qiao clansmen temporarily stayed in a deserted temple.

  Qiao Ergou counted the silver notes and said, “There are actually one thousand taels of silver. Wow, Qiao Ruoyun is really generous!” “Then Second Brother, are we going back to Lin’an?”


  Other clansmen were a bit afraid of Qiao Jinniang. After all, she was a noble now, and they were only commoners.

  If they shared the thousand taels equally, they would be able to live a good life in Lin’an.

  Qiao Yuner sneered and said, “She thinks she can send us away with just a thousand taels of silver? Impossible! Qiao Jinniang spent ten thousand taels of silver to buy a golden tuinga. It shows how much money Myriad Taste can earn!”


  “That Censor Tong I found is an imperial censor and the elder brother of the Queen’s sister-in-law. Since he has promised to help us, we can surely take back Myriad Taste.”


  Qiao Ergou patted his thigh and said, “Yes! Myriad Taste must be taken back, and the Tasty Pavilion in Chang’an was opened by Qiao Jinniang with the money she earned from Myriad Taste. It should also belong to us.”


  Qiao Yun’er smiled and said, “I heard that the customers of Tasty Pavilion are all high-ranking officials and nobles. If Dad owns Tasty Pavilion, you can definitely select good husbands for my sisters and me from them!”


  The other Qiao clansmen who had planned to return to Lin’an with the money all changed their minds when they heard this.

  If their daughters married officials, they might help their sons!

  Qiao Yun’er looked at the silver note. “The fact that Qiao Ruoyun is willing to give us money shows that she cares about her reputation. I’d like to see how long Qiao Jinniang can hold on!”