Bring your aunt to eat big meat, the scumbag father's family is furious

Chapter 831 Suspicion and Rift Between the Two Sides

Qiao Lian'er applied the ointment quickly and patted it twice to make sure it adhered well. The boy's eyes were dark and deep, which made her feel a little embarrassed, and her cheeks flushed slightly.

She shoved the face cream into his hand, avoiding his lingering gaze.

"Apply it every day, otherwise it won't look good."

"Okay, I'll listen to Lian'er. It's my fault for being so busy day and night and not taking good care of myself." He replied earnestly.

She has everything and can do everything; to be worthy of her, he must be perfect in every way.

Subconsciously, I touched my cheek; the warmth of her fingers still lingered there.

Qiao Lian'er had meant it as a joke, but upon hearing his reply, she burst out laughing.

Then she straightened her face slightly and explained the situation and progress of her trip to Dongfu Kingdom.

"There'll be a good show soon," Pei Shijiu said expectantly.

He entrusted the distribution of supplies to several capable subordinates, instructed them to be on high alert, and then went with her to the Kingdom of Da Nu.

At this moment, Mu Tai received a message by carrier pigeon. He sat at his desk, his face looking very unpleasant.

"Lord Mutai, what's wrong?" asked his trusted aide.

Mu Tai, with a cold face, showed him the letter.

After reading the contents, the confidant's expression turned serious: "That's unlikely. In my opinion, Crown Prince Takuhai's performance was quite sincere. Lord Mutai even obtained a life-saving Buddhist amulet for him, preventing the Princess of Daze Kingdom from harming him. How could he be two-faced and act like such an ungrateful villain?"

"This was written by someone I trust, so its authenticity is almost certain. More than a dozen cargo ships carrying gunpowder exploded, and the other ships have not had any problems for the time being, but the gunpowder on them is from the same batch. How can you expect me to believe that this gunpowder is safe?"

Mu Tai sneered.

"Once the gunpowder arrives, I'll have to inspect it carefully. Then I'll be able to tell whether he's a human or a ghost."

At this time, the gunpowder depot was being expanded because Prince Takumi promised to provide Mutai with enough gunpowder to fill three of the original depots.

Mutai made a promise to Emperor Shinyu that the other two gunpowder depots would be built with government funding, just waiting for the gunpowder from Dongfu Kingdom to be replenished.

If the gunpowder delivered is substandard, Mutai will be unable to explain himself to Emperor Shinyu, thus further eroding the emperor's trust.

Mutai could not bear such an outcome.

"I need to see Prince Takumi."

Takumi had just returned to Da Nu Kingdom from the border and arrived quickly.

Neither of them looked well, so the atmosphere became somewhat tense as soon as they met.

"Lord Mutai, things are not going as smoothly as we expected," Crown Prince Tuohai said as he sat down.

"Yes, it didn't go smoothly, and I'm afraid it won't meet my expectations," Mu Tai said sarcastically.

Prince Takumi gave him a strange look: "Lord Mutai already knows?"

"In this world, nothing can truly be hidden from people's eyes."

Prince Takumi felt that Mu Tai seemed a bit off today, and that the other man's anger seemed to be directed at him, and that his gaze towards him was more wary and scrutinizing.

His gaze darkened.

The task of spreading rumors about Qiao Lian'er and ruining her reputation was mainly handled by Mu Tai, since Mu Tai was originally from the Central Plains and had a better understanding of the situation there.

As a result, the task was not completed at all, and Mu Tai instead took advantage of him.

What's the point?

Prince Takumi pursed his lips, suppressing his anger.

"Indeed, Qiao Lian'er's reputation has turned around against all odds. In recent days, the second son of the Pei Prince's Mansion has been spreading the policies and laws for her everywhere, exempting her from three years of taxes and corvée labor, and distributing supplies such as cotton clothes, charcoal, and seeds. This has immediately boosted her reputation."

"I saw it with my own eyes."

Prince Takumi stared at Mutai: "What does Lord Mutai say?"

Mu Tai's face hardened.

Logically speaking, his plan should have hit Qiao Lian'er where it hurt.

If Qiao Lian'er, as the lord of Jinglang Prefecture, were to implement exorbitant taxes and mistreatment of the people, it would certainly provoke widespread backlash, as this would concern the people's vital interests and livelihoods.

Moreover, once the news spread among the people, it would be like a raging river bursting its banks, unstoppable, and it would be very difficult for Qiao Lian'er to clean up the mess.

He thought Qiao Lian'er's reputation was almost ruined, so he didn't pay much attention to the matter and just waited for the gunpowder to arrive in Da Nu Kingdom.

This was the foundation upon which he established himself in the court of the Da Nu Kingdom.

Who would have thought that Qiao Lian'er would reverse her reputation so quickly.

She adopted the most difficult, yet most direct and effective, approach: distributing supplies using financial resources.

The reason it is considered the most difficult is that even for the emperor's treasury, preparing supplies for the distribution of a large province would be a huge expense, so no ruler was willing to do it.

The most direct and effective approach is because it concerns the survival of the people; it is truly their lifeline. As long as they are well-fed and clothed, the people will only feel gratitude, and any rumors or gossip will be easily shattered.

Mu Tai couldn't imagine how rich Qiao Lian'er was.

However, many of the things she did suggest that she possessed enormous wealth.

For example, training and developing armored troops and elite cavalry.

For example, purchasing so many fine horses from the country of Da Nu.

Mu Tai clenched his fists, feeling a sense of helplessness as if he could do nothing against Qiao Lian'er.

"If Qiao Lian'er were easy to deal with, I wouldn't have had to wait until now; she would be dead long ago," he said sinisterly.

"My situation in the Kingdom of Danu is not good right now. Only when I regain Emperor Zhenyou's trust will I have the strength to deal with Qiao Lian'er."

"Our cooperation will be much smoother then."

"So you'd better make sure there are no problems with that shipment. Once the gunpowder is in the gunpowder depot, if the emperor is pleased, it will only benefit you and not harm you."

Prince Takumi could tell that Mutai's words carried a threatening tone.

He frowned: "Of course it's the best goods. I'll personally write back to Dongfu Kingdom and ask a trustworthy person to arrange it."

"You'll find out when the time comes. When Prince Takumi comes to me for cooperation, I won't tolerate any falsehood when it comes to sincerity."

Prince Takumi was constantly being questioned, and his expression had become quite unpleasant.

He wanted to lash out, but the thought of his two younger sisters' tragic deaths made him hold back.

"The gunpowder will arrive in a few days, but we can't let our guard down with Qiao Lian'er either. Otherwise, she will gain the unwavering trust of everyone in Jinglang Prefecture, and it will be difficult to deal with her."

Mutai closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to say another word.

He said slowly, "I will send a team of top-notch experts to your command, according to the second plan."

If Qiao Lian'er hadn't been his enemy, he wouldn't have made arrangements for Takumi.

To avoid attracting attention, Prince Takumi only brought a small number of people, so he had to rely on Mutai's help for many things.

He led this team of experts to the border.