Guanshan Muyu

chapter 25

Seven years ago, on Qi Yan’s birthday.

Xia Xun was still adding the final touches for the wooden rabbit, knowing nothing about what was about to happen.

In the late afternoon of that day, Xia Hongxi returned to his house from the court, his face extremely ugly.

Seeing his distorted expression, Lady Xia asked what happened. Xia Hongxi said that today the emperor suddenly arranged a deputy for him.

It was called assistance. In fact, he felt that the emperor became suspicious of him and placed this person by his side to investigate.

Xia Hongxi was the official in charge of the transportation of goods on official ships. According to the current law, official ships were allowed to carry official goods and were not allowed to carry any private goods.

Those who used official ships for personal profit would be severely punished.

Ten years ago, Xia Hongxi began to use the convenience of his position to secretly use official ships to carry private cargo in exchange for money.

In ten years, he made a lot of money and became rich.

He acted cautiously and had not missed a step for many years. He had always been a good, diligent subject in front of the emperor.

This time, however, his activities seemed to be exposed; the emperor suddenly asked him about matters related to water transportation, and his words were full of vague suspicions.

Today, he had given him a deputy, requiring him to consult with this deputy on all official duties, large and small.

Xia Hongxi said angrily: “Isn’t this obviously surveillance?!”

Lady Xia didn’t feel good either:

“Why don’t you… stop a while? Those ships with cargo, don’t let them come to the capital for the time being and wait until the storm is over—”

Xia Hongxi waved his hand:

“No way! They need those goods in a hurry, and since they pay a lot, it is not possible to delay! Anyway, it’s just a little deputy, can’t I handle him?! I don’t believe he can notice anything!”

When Lady Xia returned to the inner courtyard, she specially found Xia Xing and asked him to comfort his father.

Xia Xing had recently become obsessed with dancing girls in the wine shop, spending his whole days there. When he was drunk, he danced with the girls. People said that the second son of the Xia family could do nothing else, but he could dance better than the dancing girls.

The night before, he drank in the wine shop as usual and didn’t come back until the middle of the night.

When Lady Xia came looking for him, he had just woken up, his hangover still raging.

His mother was not happy:

“You look like this, what will your father say when he sees you!”

Lady Xia forced him to drink a large bowl of hangover soup and said in his ear:

“Your father loves you so much! What’s wrong with saying a few words to him? You’re the son who knows that your own father is in trouble. If you don’t go and calm him down, others will see it and say you’re not filial!”

At her request, Xia Xing reluctantly went to Xia Hongxi’s study.

When he came to the door, he rubbed his face and his impatient expression disappeared in an instant, changing to concern.