Scumbag Chapter 176 The Reformed White-Eyed Wolf General (42)

Fengtian tracked Jin Yuping and reported her movements to Mingting in real time. She had entered the Prince of Chen’s Mansion as a cook. She

Fengtian tracked Jin Yuping and reported her movements to Mingting in real time.

She had entered the Prince of Chen’s Mansion as a cook. She was so tired every day that she couldn't straighten her waist, and her child, who is born prematurely, was sickly and weak.

Just like in the original timeline, Prince of Chen’s consort was out of favor. Everyone avoided her, unwilling to serve her… except Jin Yuping, who voluntarily worked in the consort’s small kitchen.

Thanks to her knowledge of the consort’s preferences from her past life, Jin Yuping quickly gained her trust and was put in charge of the young heir’s meals.

Mingting had to admire the Female Lead’s tenacity, and he didn’t bother interfering with her struggles.

Meanwhile, the navy gradually took to the seas. Warships carrying Zheng State’s flag patrolled daily, occasionally encountering scattered pirates. But with cannons on board, the sailors had nothing to fear.

This time, it was the turn of these pirates to tremble.

When the first fully armed warship was finally completed, its two decks lined with cannons, it looked absolutely majestic and imposing.

On the day of its launch, the Crown Prince arrived in Yaozhou by imperial decree to witness the occasion.

Seeing the spirited sailors and the warships belonging to Zheng State, the Crown Prince was filled with pride and excitement. He couldn’t sleep all night, and pulled Mingting aside to talk for hours.

Another half a year later, following the original plan, the Red-Headed Ghost, who was rampant in the waters of Zheng State, ‘died’ in the hands of Count of Dingyuan.

The wreckage of the pirate ship was towed back, its hull riddled with cannon fire and bloodstains. Crowds gathered to gawk at the spectacle.

When word spread that the Red-Headed Ghost’s body had been blown to pieces and his Red Turban Pirates completely annihilated, the people cheered.

With the seas safe again, they could finally return to the waters!

As the Red-Headed Ghost himself, Mingting just smiled and said nothing when he saw everyone singing and dancing to celebrate the restoration of peace on the sea.

Because Count of Dingyuan made great contributions, Emperor Chang named Mingting as Marquis of Dingyuan.

Emperor Chang even felt a little regretful that Mingting's true achievements couldn’t be publicly acknowledged, and the title of Marquis was actually not enough for him.

In this regard, Mingting had no complaints. He fulfilled the original owner's wish. From now on, he only needed to guard these waters, ensuring no foreign invaders could threaten them.

When Maomao was five years old, Huiniang gave birth to a daughter.

Seeing the child’s face, Mingting knew she was the miserable girl in the original timeline.

Emperor Chang originally bestowed the girl a name, Wei Xinran.

Mingting gave her a pet name as well, Mingzhu. (T/N: Mingzhu means bright pearl.)

From now on, she would be the pearl of his heart.

Since there were no Eastern Sea pirates on the sea, maritime trade resumed. Liu Cheng, as one of the first merchants to venture to the Southern Sea, returned safely a year later.

The once-chubby young man had lost weight but was full of energy.

He had even found himself a wife, and the other party is a girl from a family of maritime merchants. Liu Cheng was drawn to her straightforward and lively personality, and as soon as he disembarked, he had Liu Yongshan propose the marriage on his behalf.

With the Marquis of Dingyuan as Liu Cheng’s backer, the girl’s family was naturally overjoyed.

Soon after, Liu Cheng married the love of his heart.

This voyage had earned him a fortune. With experience under his belt, Liu Cheng began coaxing his parents to join him on his next journey to broaden their horizons.

Liu Yongshan had initially opposed Liu Cheng’s seafaring ventures, but after Mingting spoke up for him, he reluctantly agreed.

For the past year, Liu Yongshan and Liu Huangshi had been on edge, constantly worrying about their son’s safety. Now that he wanted to set sail again, the elderly couple couldn’t bear the thought of parting with him.

When Liu Cheng suggested they come along, Liu Yongshan was firmly against it, but Liu Huangshi was swayed.

Her entire life had been spent obeying her father at home and her husband after marriage, revolving solely around her spouse and children.

Now that she was older, Liu Huangshi found herself yearning to see the world beyond.

With his wife insisting, Liu Yongshan had no choice but to agree.

For his second voyage, Liu Cheng brought along Liu Yongshan, Liu Huangshi, and his newlywed wife.

Before leaving, Liu Cheng told Mingting that he planned to stay longer in the Southern Sea this time.

"Brother-in-law, once I’ve established some assets there, I’ll set aside a portion for you too. If the Emperor ever turns against you, you can bring my sister, Maomao, and Mingzhu to the Southern Sea."

Liu Cheng, who is now a married man, had matured considerably.

Seeing that he still remembered the strategy of ‘cunning rabbit has three burrows’, Mingting patted his brother-in-law’s shoulder.

"Sounds good! I’ll be counting on you!"

Encouraged by Mingting’s approval, Liu Cheng became even more motivated. This time, he loaded his ship with a large quantity of Zheng State’s specialties like porcelain, tea, and silk.

To Liu Cheng’s surprise, Liu Yongshan and Liu Huangshi, who had never rode a ship, didn’t suffer from seasickness or nausea at all.

In truth, this was because Mingting had secretly used Spiritual Spring Water and medicinal herbs to strengthen their constitutions during their downtime at home.

With their current physical and mental resilience, the elderly couple could easily live well into their nineties.

Accompanying Liu Cheng were also a dozen or so former pirates who had once sailed with Mingting.

These people were originally mountain bandits. After following Mingting and gaining experience, they were unwilling to settle for government salaries. Instead, they chose the path of maritime trade, seeking riches on the high seas.

Although Mingting also wanted to go to Southern Sea, and even the distant lands, he couldn’t leave. His children were still young, and his current status also made it impossible for him to go far.

Ever since he ‘killed’ the Red-Headed Ghost, the people of Yaozhou saw Mingting as an unshakable pillar of stability.

With the Marquis of Dingyuan present, they felt safe.

And so, time passed. On the day the original timeline’s Crown Prince was assassinated, Mingting returned to the capital and ‘coincidentally’ saved the Crown Prince, capturing the assassin alive.

Emperor Chang was furious. With a live prisoner, he quickly found out the real murderer behind the scenes, the Prince of Han.

The Prince of Han had previously been banished by Emperor Chang to a barren fiefdom, where his life was far less comfortable than before.

This time, the number of assassins he sent to kill the Crown Prince had doubled.

Not only that, the meals of his grandson at the Eastern Palace were also poisoned. Fortunately, the Crown Princess had always been vigilant and caught the eunuch responsible red-handed.

Leaving aside the Crown Prince’s gratitude toward Mingting, Emperor Chang was truly enraged. Prince of Han was stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner.

Further investigations traced the poisoning plot to two other princes, whom Emperor Chang, in a fit of anger, also demoted to commoners.

If they weren’t content with their comfortable lives, then they didn’t deserve to be princes at all.