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?"
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?"
Jiang Yuqing's worldview was about to explode. Wow, Cao Chong used a boat to weigh an elephant, and now you're using a boat to weigh a captive.
After a long pause, she stammered, "Well, it's hard to say. You can forget about getting a hundred or ten treasure ships. The shogun in Wo Country has more than one son. If they really valued him, they wouldn't have let him be suppressed by his other two brothers."
Just as Jiang Yuqing was about to speak, Feng Zhan approached them, saying, "What are you two whispering about for so long?"
Shi Jing replied, "We were talking about exchanging Guisan for treasure ships!"
Feng Zhan said, "Alright, Shi Crazy, forget about exchanging a pound of meat for a treasure ship. Didn't I tell you about this before? Those little fellas aren't idiots. This guy isn't worth that much."
Jiang Yuqing rubbed her chin and said, "According to reason, Bantian has been detained by us for half a year. If Wo Country wanted him back, they would have taken action long ago. They wouldn't wait until now to make a big fuss about it. I don't believe there's nothing fishy going on behind this."
Shi and Feng exchanged glances and said, "We've also discussed this topic before, but we couldn't figure anything out."
Jiang Yuqing said, "Don't worry. They say three heads are better than one. Let's carefully analyze the situation! First, let's talk about Bantian's identity. He is a pirate, right?"
"Yes!"
"Pirates commit acts of killing and looting. Bantian has been independent from the mainland for at least ten years. With such a large fleet, they must have plundered countless treasures from Fuzhou alone! And there are also the robberies from other places or the spoils from pirate infighting."
"With all these treasures combined, it must be an astronomical fortune. If it were you, what would you do?"
After being reminded, both Shi and Feng widened their eyes. "If it were me, I would definitely hide it on some unknown island!"
Jiang Yuqing clapped her hands. "Exactly! Think about it. Who came from Wo Country this time? It's Bampen Qiuxin and Bampen Bushoufu. These two are his half-brothers, born to the same father but different mothers. They are his mortal enemies."
In theory, they would prefer Bampen Turtle Saburo to die quickly. But now he had personally come to demand someone, most likely related to the hidden treasure.
Those who could become generals were not fools, and after Jiang Yuqing's explanation, the two immediately understood the key points.
Shi Jing said, "I understand. In the great battle off the coast of Fuzhou last year, almost all of Turtle Saburo's trusted subordinates died. It's highly possible that he is now the only one who knows about this treasure.
These two fellows probably realized that Turtle Saburo wouldn't be able to return, so they took over his old lair, hoping to find the treasure. However, they came up empty-handed.
Feeling helpless, they decided to redeem him and extract information about the treasure from Turtle Saburo himself."
Jiang Yuqing gave them a thumbs up and said, "Very clever! Since that's the case, why don't we take the initiative and figure out a way to obtain Turtle Saburo's treasure first, and then deceive the Bampen family? What do you think?"
The three of them exchanged glances and simultaneously revealed wicked smiles, saying, "Great idea!"
They reached out and shook hands in agreement.
Jiang Yuqing continued, "We need to discuss this matter thoroughly. After returning to the city, I will first inform His Majesty about it.
Later, we can discuss the specific operational methods together. We must keep a close eye on Turtle Saburo. Until we receive the compensation, we must not let those Bampen fellows get close to him."
"Okay!"
After their discussion, the convoy resumed its journey toward the capital. Jiang Yuqing, riding on a deer, entered the palace ahead of them and immediately informed the emperor about their speculations.
The emperor's eyes lit up. "If what you all have speculated is true, then the actions of Wo Country can be explained."
He issued orders to send General Qin to receive Shi Jing, Feng Zhan, and the others. After taking custody of Bampen Turtle Saburo, they would lock him up in the prison and assign heavy guards. No one would be allowed to visit him without the emperor's permission.
To be on the safe side, after Bampen was locked up, Jiang Yuqing secretly added an extra layer of enchantment.
After all, this person was now equivalent to the treasure. No amount of caution was excessive.
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!
