The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 59: Wanting to be a Matchmaker for Shang Mingshu

Mu Xiaoniang was given to her by someone else.

It is said that someone wanted to give Shang Jinliang a beauty. Yu was afraid that the person was of unknown origin, so she personally helped Shang Jinliang to refuse the offer. Only then did she turn around and marry Shang Wenshu and Shang Zishu's mother into the family.

Shang Jinliang had just passed the age of forty. If he had not gone to the Taoist temple to ask for divination and been told that he was destined to be childless, if he had insisted on having another child at this age, he might have been able to have one. Wouldn't there be no shortage of beautiful women who would have given him a gift in the future?

"Who in Huizhou doesn't know that there's a Mu family member in my family who wants to kill all nine of my clan members?" Shang Jinliang said with gritted teeth, "No one will give me beautiful gifts anymore."

Shang Jinliang is a perfectly normal man. It would be difficult for him to remain calm when a beautiful woman throws herself into his arms. He is not a lustful person who actively seeks out women, but he is just too proud to refuse such a kind offer.

After suffering such a bitter fruit today and living half of my life, some of my thoughts have really become indifferent.

"Dad, let my master find some more guards." Shang Mingshu no longer embarrassed Shang Jinliang, "The fact that we were able to escape so smoothly this time is largely due to the people my master recommended."

Speaking of which, if it weren't for the incident with Shi Houqiong in She County, Shang Jinliang would have agreed to hire a lot of people who knew martial arts. These people were recommended by her master and hired by Xiao Yu. They followed Shang Mingshu's instructions conscientiously, so Shang Mingshu had people to use. She would have had to inform Shang Jinliang in advance.

She still had too few people available. It wasn't that she hadn't considered keeping a group of people on the side, but she didn't have much to do for them on a daily basis. Those who felt comfortable sitting idle were not of good character, while those with good character wouldn't take money for nothing.

Tomorrow she will need people to negotiate with Zhao Wan'er about the Zhulanhua tea, and even the tea garden that Shang Jinliang agreed to help her get for trial planting.

Upon hearing they were hiring, Shang Jinliang glanced outside, making sure the servants had been sent far away and there were no outsiders. Then he whispered, "Mingshu, Daddy wants to ask you, is the Shi family really colluding with the Japanese pirates?"

Shang Jinliang had never doubted it before, but when Shang Mingshu mentioned it last time, he still couldn't understand why Shi Houqiong was so unwise to collude with the Japanese pirates.

But the Fang family and the Shi family are closely related. This time, Shi Houqiong cleared herself of all charges, which made Shang Jinliang re-examine her. No matter how much he deceived himself, he could not help but suspect Shi Houqiong.

"Yes." Shang Mingshu had to make everyone in the family pay attention and try to avoid the people from the Shi family.

Shang Jinliang and others were all in a panic. The imperial court had suffered greatly from the Japanese pirates in recent decades, and merchants like them had heard stories of people dying at the hands of the pirates. Even their grandfathers had died in the same way.

Shang Mingshu hadn't warned Shang Wenshu and the others before because she was afraid they wouldn't be able to hide it, which would arouse Shi Houqiong's suspicion and bring about their own death. Now that many people suspected Shi Houqiong, it wouldn't hurt for them to reveal their tracks.

"It's getting late. You should go back to your room and rest. I'll go to the study." Shang Jinliang was a little anxious. After giving the instructions, he walked away.

"Dad, are you going to remind the prefect?" Shang Zishu looked at Shang Jinliang's receding back worriedly.

"The prefect suspects Shi Houqiong. Dad doesn't need to remind me, I know it." Shang Mingshu shook her head slightly.

It is because Shi Houqiong's fox tail is exposed that Shang Mingshu did not stop Shang Jinliang. Otherwise, with Shang Jinliang's personality, he would do two things. One is to ignore it and not care what He Zhifu thinks of him, but he would also remind He Zhifu.

He truly respected Magistrate He and could not allow himself to fail to warn him, allowing him to be harmed by Shi Houqiong. If he did so, he would bear the guilt for the rest of his life. Secondly, he would exhaust all his efforts to track Shi Houqiong, obtain evidence, and pass it to Magistrate He. His father was a shrewd businessman and understood the ways of the world, but he was still too soft-hearted. Facing a ruthless character like Shi Houqiong, he was a fish on the chopping block.

The sisters mentioned Magistrate He, but they didn't know that Magistrate He and his wife were also chatting with Shang Mingshu at night.

"Master, what do you think about me acting as a matchmaker for Madam Shang San?" It was rare that Magistrate He had finished his work, so Mrs. He discussed with her husband the things she had thought of in the past two days.

"Matchmaker?" Magistrate He immediately thought of the rumors outside. He had a illegitimate son who was of marriageable age. "You want to marry Miss San as your daughter-in-law?"

Magistrate He thought about it seriously and was very happy to have Shang Mingshu as his daughter-in-law.

"Master, what nonsense are you talking about? Our eldest son, Erlang, is already married..." Then she remembered that she still had a bastard son. She didn't pretend to be virtuous. "Sanlang is not worthy of him."

Although Magistrate He found the words harsh, since he was his own son after all, he thought about Shang Mingshu and then thought about himself as a bastard who was neither good at literature nor martial arts, he couldn't say that they were a good match against his will and miss out on such a good wife.

"If it's not Sanlang, then who is it?" Magistrate He met his wife's meaningful gaze, and the tacit understanding between them over the years immediately made him realize, "Are you going to tell her to Tianxing?"

Mrs. He's surname was Xu. She came from a family of generals. Her father was a general and her eldest brother was also a hero, but he died young and left behind only one son.

A good father will have a good son. He inherited his father's position at the age of fifteen and started as a commander. Now he is twenty-six years old and serves as the lieutenant general of Zhejiang Province, guarding the three prefectures of Ningbo, Shaoxing and Taizhou.

Young and promising, holding real power!
He was engaged to a woman in his early years, but she died of illness before the wedding. After that, Xu Tianxing tied himself to the military camp, training soldiers all day long, and focusing on marching and fighting. Several marriages arranged by his elders all ended in failure.

"Tianxing wants to marry a woman who is not delicate." Mrs. He thought of the martial arts displayed by the famous Japanese business woman, and she was the nephew's wife tailor-made for her.

Even if Xu Tianxing wanted a wife who wasn't delicate, he couldn't possibly be attracted to a woman who was too big and strong. Shang Mingshu was gentle on the outside but strong on the inside, and she was quite skilled in martial arts. The two of them would definitely be a harmonious couple.

Tianxing is the only child in her family. She will not be able to rest in peace if she cannot see him get married, start a family and have successors.

"Tianxing is ten years older than the Third Lady..." Magistrate He was a little worried. "And I've seen that Cheng Sanlang is deeply in love with the Third Lady. The Cheng and Shang families might be interested in an alliance."

"I haven't heard the news that one girl is sought after by hundreds of families." Madam He was not blind. Cheng Mian ran all the way from the direction of the male guests to Shang Mingshu and blocked the knife for Shang Mingshu. She saw it more clearly than Shang Mingshu, "I just gave San Niang one more choice. Even if San Niang and Cheng Sanlang really get married in the future, I will also give you a generous gift to congratulate you.

Moreover, Cheng Sanlang is injured at this critical moment, and he may miss the imperial examination tomorrow. Can Sanniang really wait for another three years? Tianxing is older and more stable. An old man and a young wife know how to care for others.

"You should talk to Madam Shang first." Magistrate He felt that what Madam said made sense. They both could see that Cheng Mian was passionate about Shang Mingshu, but Shang Mingshu didn't seem to have any feelings for Cheng Mian.

Cheng Mian was indeed immature, while his nephew was already a third-rank official.

(End of this chapter)