Quickly Wear - FOD Extra 3

QWTFOTD - Extra 3 - Chapter 17

Killing Fang WeiTong wasn't able to help OuYang MingYue relax much.

In order to not let the OuYang family detect anything, she had used the dowry that had been left to her by the original's mother and put it in the name of a series of confidants. After meeting Fang WeiTong she had successfully relied on the Fang family and turned it into a successful business. Now that the Fang family's enterprises had been sealed shut, her money was also gone and so overnight she became penniless.

If it was in the past she could just let it go. After all the OuYang family would give her ten liang every month and it was still enough to survive. However in order to increase her power and influence, she had pulled a lot of talented people to her side, and she had also adopted over a hundred orphans and was training them at a separate manor. All of these needed enormous funding to maintain. If the funding dried up, then all of the painstaking efforts she had made up until this point would be for nought.

What could she do now? She felt head-splittingly panicked and in a matter of days became frail and exhausted looking. Luckily other than Fang WeiTong, she still had a couple of backup men. If she added them together and squeezed them a bit, then it was enough to last a little bit of time. However it wasn't a long-term plan.

"My lady, this month's coal has all been used up and we need to buy some more. Just then the housekeeper brought over a message that the money in the manor has all been used up. Every day the children can only eat a little bit of porridge and are wailing because they are so hungry. He said that you need to think of a solution quickly." A maid knelt down in the hall and reported.

OuYang MingYue leaned against the couch and rubbed her temple. Her other hand tapped incessantly on the table and she said with an impatient expression, "So hungry they are wailing? Hn, back then they were all orphans begging on the street. Don't even talk about a bowl of porridge a day, they would go for three to five days without even being able to eat a cold mantou. Now they all think they can be rich and picky." After thinking for a while, she waved her hand. "Tell him, I will quickly send a few silver taels over and tell him to maintain for a few more days. Don't allow the underlings to become rebellious. I have fifty taels here, you can use it to buy coal. Don't worry I will think of a way to get out of this predicament. Go quickly and come back quickly."

The maid obeyed and went out in the heavy snow. A elderly matron came in and said happily, "My lady, Young Master Bai has sent another 500 silver taels cheque to you and told you not to panic. He said he will think of a way to take you back to the Imperial City quickly."

Bai Lian had no clue about OuYang MingYue and Fang WeiTong's relationship. He only thought that she was being bullied by her stepmother and was unable to remain in the OuYang family. His pity  was roused and he sent over all of the private funds that he had. Although the Bai family was very esteemed however they were not extremely wealthy, 500 taels was the limit of what he had.

OuYang MingYue snorted and threw the cheque into her draw. She laughed coldly and said, "What is 500 taels. It's not enough for one days expense for me! Such a famous and esteemed family, who would have thought they were so poor. Aren't they scared of being laughed at by outsiders!" After speaking she ground her teeth and made up her mind that no matter what she would rise again from the ashes.

So the Imperial Court wanted to know her formula for gunpowder? Fine, she would give it to them. But of course she wouldn't let them know about her existence. Until she was really able to cement her power, she wouldn't put herself in harm's way.

Not only did she have the formula for gunpowder but also the blueprints for hand grenades and guns etc. If she sold it it would be worth a lot of money and she would be able to climb up easily. Even if the people she revealed it to developed ulterior motives then what of it? She could slowly trap and control them, use their resources to hide and cover herself. And then once her footing was stable, who knew who would be the one to destroy the other person first? After thinking this far, she changed to male clothing and went to Yong Wu Manor despite the heavy snow.