Han Xuri reported the income situation to the emperor with great satisfaction.

The Emperor glanced through the account books briefly.

"That's good, that's good. As long as there's money to be made, that's fine. Since sewing machines aren't profitable, we shouldn't make them anymore."

Giving those embroiderers a way to make a living is a good deed in itself.

As for the clocks, we can still continue making them. You, a former educated youth, said you saw a sample that could be worn on the wrist, is that right?

The Emperor was very interested in wristwatches.

Han Xuri nodded.

"Indeed, if it weren't for my shamelessness, nephew..."

Even if they managed to barge into Zhao Qingyang's studio, they certainly wouldn't find this magical object.

There's no way there's a timer that can lay golden eggs.

Han Xuri spoke with smug satisfaction.

The Emperor nodded. "Yes, you are indeed quite shameless."

They never stop trying to take advantage of others.

Given the Zhao family's temperament, if you weren't a minor prince, do you think they would have beaten you to death?

Han Xuri looked resentful. "Am I still your cutest nephew?"

The emperor laughed heartily.

After laughing enough, the emperor started plotting something wicked again.

"That Zhao Minggeng is skilled in martial arts. Based on your understanding of him, how about I transfer him to the southwest to guard the border?"

Han Xuri shuddered. "Uncle, you don't mean you want him to resign, do you?"

The emperor choked for a moment.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I have a heart full of love for talent."

Seeing that he was skilled in both literature and martial arts, I wanted to place him in the most suitable position.

Han Xuri stared straight at the Emperor, as if to say, "Keep making things up, keep making things up."

Even a monarch has a sense of shame.

"You brat, mind your own business and get back to making money for me."

After saying that, he was about to chase them away.

Han Xuri stood up and twisted his waist.

"Uncle, I advise you not to mess with Zhao Minggeng anymore. Regardless of whether he is good or bad, he is Dongsheng's father-in-law."

If he's transferred to the Northwest, should Dongsheng go with him?

He can't possibly separate from his wife.

After saying that, he took his leave.

The emperor fell into deep thought, and after a long while, he sighed, "Alas, this is so difficult."

As the New Year approaches, Dawar is becoming increasingly lively.

In order to ensure harmony and peace on the border, and more importantly, to stabilize the hearts of the people in Mengzhou,

Starting with Dawar, the post stations and markets that were established sold an increasingly comprehensive range of goods.

Not only were there grains, but also dried vegetables and kelp transported from the south, and even salt.

As for cloth, it's available in various kinds, both fine cotton and coarse cloth. These are all things that the people of the grasslands like.

Fine flour is used for the inner garment, while coarse cloth is used for the outer garment to make it more durable.

On the grasslands, trade wasn't done with silver, but rather through genuine barter; beef and mutton were the hard currency.

The inner quarters of Dawar's residence were now quite large this year, with the addition of Prince Rui and his wife, along with a group of guards, cooks, and others brought by Prince Rui.

Preparing the New Year's Eve dinner takes a lot of time.

Fortunately, Prince Rui brought Wang Liansheng along; otherwise, preparing this New Year's Eve dinner would have been quite difficult.

When you arrive in the North, thanks to its unique conditions, you can eat your fill of beef, which is hard to find elsewhere.

Therefore, the Zhao family's New Year's Eve dinner should simply be called an all-meat feast.

Various braised beef, stewed beef, braised beef brisket with radish, grilled meat skewers, and sizzling beef.

I only made a small plate of cumin lamb, a dish that requires a bit of skill.

No wonder he was the head chef in the Prince's mansion. When the New Year's Eve dinner was served, I counted the ingredients and wow, it was the equivalent of a whole cow!

Every part was covered.

Staying up all night on New Year's Eve is actually quite difficult, since there aren't many forms of entertainment.

If it were just her own family, Zhao Qingyan would definitely dare to take out a deck of cards, but now that Prince Rui is also there...

None of the Zhao family members made any arrangements.

Zhao Qinglin went back to her room to rest early, and Prince Rui followed closely behind his wife.

Then Zhao Qingyan and her brother Zhao Qingyang went back to rest.

The remaining three are Zhao Minggeng, Huang Shi, and Zhao Qianci.

"Alright, let's not stare at each other anymore. I'm sleepy, I'm going home first."

As she spoke, Huang got up.

Seeing that the old woman had left, Zhao Qianci followed closely behind, calling out, "Old woman, wait for me."

Zhao Minggeng looked around the now empty room, leaving only his older brother.

"They all left; they're all heartless."

So Zhao Minggeng did something that left everyone speechless.

He figured everyone was asleep, so he went into the yard and lit a string of firecrackers.

The crackling sound of firecrackers woke everyone up instantly.

After setting off the firecrackers, the culprit felt that the New Year was over and his mission was accomplished.

Just as I was about to go back to sleep, the gatekeeper announced that the son-in-law had arrived.

"Son-in-law? Which son-in-law? Didn't you go back to your room to rest?" Zhao Minggeng was still a little confused.

Then it dawned on her: she did have a son-in-law.

He quickly invited the person in, and he himself went out to greet them.

They were quite surprised to see Xu Dongsheng driving the carriage alone.

"Dongsheng, what brings you here at this hour?"

I thought you'd arrive before today's New Year's Eve dinner, but it seems you're planning to have your first meal tomorrow morning.

Xu Dongsheng smiled and said, "Your son-in-law wishes you a Happy New Year. I hope you are in good health and will continue to rise in rank."

Zhao Minggeng laughed heartily, led Xu Dongsheng into the living room, and then told Zhao Qingyan to get up.

They quickly ordered the kitchen to prepare a few dishes for Xu Dongsheng.

Although their roots are in the North, after living in Lingnan for so many years, they still can't shake their lifestyle habits.

We also eat tangyuan (sweet rice balls) on New Year's Eve, symbolizing family reunion.

Xu Dongsheng first ate a bowl of glutinous rice balls, which warmed him up and filled his stomach halfway.

When the dishes were served, he ate a few bites and then asked someone to remove them.

Zhao Qingyan was half-asleep when she was woken up by someone saying that Xu Dongsheng had arrived, which surprised her quite a bit.

I thought it was someone's prank.

When she arrived at the living room dressed and saw Xu Dongsheng, Zhao Qingyan thought she was hallucinating.

He stepped forward and pinched Xu Dongsheng several times.

"You little rascal, didn't I tell you a long time ago that you should spend the New Year here? Why are you only coming now? You've missed the New Year's Eve dinner."

Ah, the beef and mutton are so delicious.

This is something you can't even get your hands on in mainland China, it's absolutely delicious!

As Zhao Qingyan spoke, she was slurping her saliva. If Xu Dongsheng hadn't known her well enough, he might have actually been fooled by her.

"Oh my god, it sounds delicious! Is there any left?"

How about Yan'er makes another dish? Not too much, just braised beef brisket with radish will do.

My mouth is watering just looking at it!

Zhao Qingyan laughed heartily. Although she was suspected of having designs on Xu Dongsheng, she did indeed care about him.

I went to the kitchen and took out a few bowls of food that were stored in the storage space.

I also picked some lettuce from the greenhouse, washed it, and brought it up.