Chapter 97 I've Become the Control Group? (Two Chapters Combined): The Shen family's response came quickly. I initially thought it would be a reply, but Shen Hongji received a letter from Shen Hongshi...

The Shen family responded quickly. They had expected a reply, but Shen Hongji couldn't sit still after receiving Shen Hongshi's letter.

After handing over his duties and submitting the memorial to the General of Shengjing regarding the succession of the Zuo Ling (military command), he took his wife and youngest daughter to the capital on the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month under the pretext of visiting relatives.

It was quite surprising that the eldest branch of the Shen family hadn't been to the capital for a long time, arriving just before the Lunar New Year. However, after hearing more or less about the complicated business dealings between Shen Wanqing, Zhenxuan, Daijia, and the eldest branch of the Shen family, which were more tangled than a ball of yarn, it didn't seem so strange to anyone.

Before the Lunar New Year, the various activities that Shen's shop put on were quite a spectacle. Some people thought it was just nonsense, while others wanted to save time and were willing to do everything themselves.

Given Shen Wanqing's current status with the Crown Princess, even the Shi family sent people to Shen Wanqing's shop to buy a complete set of the highest-grade leather goods, seafood, smoked fish, and cured meat.

Following the example set by those above, the Shi family's willingness to support Shen Wanqing naturally attracted more officials and their families to join in the fun.

In fact, which Manchu noble family is short of New Year's goods? Even if they were, they wouldn't need to come to Shen Wanqing's shop to buy them. The steward of the household would have already decided where to purchase them from at least around the Mid-Autumn Festival. Coming to join in the fun is simply to give Shen Wanqing and Yulang face.

Leather and seafood are available from various vendors, the only difference being the quality. The only rare and precious items are those from the preserved meat shop.

Meat supplies were already more plentiful in the north and the capital than in the south. In addition, the cold winter meant that meat didn't need to be smoked or cured most of the time; it could just be frozen.

Because it's not widely known, the audience isn't very large. However, the business of the preserved meat shop only circulated within a small circle this year, but everyone agrees that the business is doing well.

Most of the people who went to the preserved meat shop were families from Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and other southern regions who served as officials in the capital. These people often brought their families and servants with them from their hometowns, and their tastes and habits could not be changed no matter how many years they lived in the capital.

Many customers who went to the preserved meat shop became regulars. After each purchase, they would stay in the shop to chat with the owner, or if they happened to run into other people from the same hometown who were also buying things, they would chat even more. As they talked, their conversations turned into their local dialect, a string of gibberish that outsiders couldn't understand a word of.

The manager that Shen Wanqing arranged for the preserved meat shop was similar to Fang Liang. He had also traveled all over the country in his early years and could understand some of the local dialects even if he couldn't speak them. Sometimes, when he heard them chatting happily, he would take out a little of his privately collected good stuff and sell it to them.

Because of these limited-edition, unavailable items that sell out quickly, many people are willing to linger at the preserved meat shop. Coupled with the year-end promotions, the shop seems to be bustling with customers, and business is booming.

In such a small city as the capital, a simple inquiry reveals who the boss behind this is. With Shen Wanqing's shops doing so well, it's perfectly reasonable for her to want to set up her own caravan.

A few people were gossiping behind her back, saying that Shen was not satisfied with the Crown Princess's favor and wanted to pocket all the money in the world.

Not only could her own uncle not earn any money from her, but he also had to compromise with her and help her with the caravan. She was too shrewd and capable.

However, rumors aside, no matter how skilled Shen Wanqing was, she couldn't compete with the truly excellent taste of the preserved meats from the Laweizhuang shop. The various preserved meats, with their textures infused with pine and tea wood and the aroma of fruitwood smokiness, quickly spread among the wealthy and powerful families.

The cured pork, with its predominantly fat and lean meat, is initially salty before developing a fragrant aroma. After a few chews, you can savor the rich yet not greasy flavor of the golden-brown smoked fat. No complicated cooking is needed; simply slice the cured pork thinly and stir-fry it with chili peppers, garlic, and garlic leaves over high heat. The pungent and assertive spiciness makes it the perfect accompaniment to drinks.

During the Lunar New Year, it's all about who hosts the dinner party and who wants to bring out something new and exciting. As word got more and more out of the house, even the Imperial Household Department went to a preserved meat shop and selected the best batch to send to the palace for the Emperor to try.

“Baocheng, this is the fish and meat from the shop run by Shen, the wife of your guard Yulang. It’s not often seen in the capital before. It’s said to be a specialty of the area west of Hunan.”

Emperor Kangxi had his own methods for maintaining his health through diet. When food was sent to the palace, he would taste it and think it was good, but he would only eat it for the novelty. It wasn't until the eighth day of the first lunar month, when the palace held a banquet for the imperial relatives, that he served a dish of steamed preserved meats and stir-fried shredded duck legs according to the recipe from the preserved meat shop.

"Replying to Father Emperor, Shen's mother and her family were stationed there. This way of eating was brought to the Shen family by Shen's mother. After Shen got married, she brought it to the Hesheli family."

Before the New Year, Yulang selected a batch of the best fish and sent it to my palace. The people from the Imperial Household Department arrived late, so today's fish and meat were sent to the Imperial Kitchen by my own people. This fish is even bigger than the ones sent by the Imperial Household Department; it's large, meaty, and tastes very good. Father Emperor, you should try some.”

Before the New Year, Yu Lang, who had been a guard at Yuqing Palace for more than a year, was finally no longer so cautious.

They specially brought the preserved pork ribs, preserved duck legs, smoked rabbit, and dozens of preserved male fish weighing at least thirty catties that Shen Wanqing had prepared for the New Year to Yuqing Palace.

For this reason, Yinreng circled around Yulang several times, clicking his tongue in amazement. He thought that this kid must have some particularly difficult request of him, otherwise how could he have gotten so many things from him?

Having served in Yuqing Palace for almost two years, everyone knows that Lord Yulang is generous to everyone except the Crown Prince.

It's been two years, and they haven't offered the Crown Prince any rare gifts. Last month, they finally agreed to bring a deer to Yuqing Palace, but the Crown Prince managed to intercept it by chance. Now, suddenly so many fish and meat are being sent to the palace. It's like the sun is rising in the west.

Yu Lang was quite helpless. He really didn't want anything right now. If he had to come up with something, it would be to send the preserved meat products from the preserved meat shop into Yuqing Palace to boost his grandmother's business.

There were indeed other reasons for the caravan being formed, but Shen Wanqing had also told Yulang that since it was a business, it should naturally be aimed at making money. The money had already been invested, and they couldn't just throw all their capital into it just to do errands for the Crown Prince.

Sometimes, no amount of cover-up or excuses can be as convincing as concrete actions. The more diligently you work to make money with your caravan, the less likely others will suspect you.

Shen Wanqing explained this in great detail, and when Yu Lang relayed it to Yinreng, the Crown Prince was stunned.

It's not that there's no reason behind it, but it's hard to tell whether Shen is genuinely doing this wholeheartedly to get things done, or just using this as an excuse to make money.

But then I thought, even someone like me who knows the inside story thinks that the Shen family is single-mindedly focused on making money, so outsiders probably wouldn't even think about the inside story.

Thinking of this, Yinreng felt more at ease. He could fool himself, and he could fool his father, the Emperor. Yinreng was growing up; he really couldn't listen to his father, Kangxi, in everything anymore.

"It tastes better than the last time; it's the difference in the fish. Yulang always thinks of you. What, do you really like using him that much?"

"Your subject does feel that he is destined to meet Yulang. He is intelligent, decisive and does not shirk responsibility. He has his own ambitions but he can control them. Most importantly, your subject feels that he is young and, like your subject, he is not always thorough in his thoughts and actions."

"If it's not comprehensive enough, why use it?"

“There are advantages to his shortcomings. Looking at him is like looking at myself. If there is anything he did not do well, I will think about it in private afterward to see if I also have such shortcomings.”

Soetu and Lingpu are both old and cunning. Even Eshan, due to his background, has served as a palace guard for many years. His smooth speech and actions make him rather boring.

"You're quite honest."

"There is nothing I cannot say to Father Emperor."

In the past, when Yinreng spoke to Kangxi, he would only say two out of five sentences in his mind. Now, his willingness to answer every question was seen by Kangxi as a rare and genuine honesty that he had always longed for.

"I heard that Yulang's wife, Shen, caused quite a stir with her caravan operation. You know about that too."

"Your subject knows that Yulang insisted on sending this thing into the palace before the New Year, isn't it all to create momentum for the Shen family?"

“I know what Yulang and Shen have been doing under his command. Shen is good at making money and doesn’t seem greedy right now. But people’s hearts are fickle. You are their master and you have to keep an eye on them at all times. A good servant today may turn bad tomorrow. You have to remember this.”

"Your Majesty's teachings are etched in my mind."

"Alright, I'm not going to lecture you during the New Year. You've done a good job using Yulang, and the Shen family has put a lot of effort into finding jobs for the widows and orphans under their command."

The next campaign is coming soon, and war inevitably results in death. The death of one person can cripple an entire family. This world belongs to all people. As the crown prince, you cannot only think about how to win the war. The most important thing is how to restore the devastated people's livelihood after the war.

"Once spring arrives, I grant you permission to leave the palace twice a month, with a sufficient number of people, to observe the lives of the people outside the capital and see how they make a living. Only then will you know how to rule this empire in the future."

The cured fish looks dark on the outside, but when you pick it apart with chopsticks, the flesh inside is still white. It's indeed rich and savory in the mouth, and paired with a sip of wine, the taste is truly delightful.

Perhaps, as Yinreng said, Yulang was like a reference point for him, and he gradually figured out what Kangxi wanted to hear from him, or what kind of son he wanted rather than what kind of crown prince.

At least in the eyes of the imperial relatives and other princes, the emperor and the crown prince sitting at the head of the table were chatting so well, as if they were the only father and son in the room, and the other princes were like adopted children. It made people feel sour.

Whether it was sour or not, after the New Year, the caravan jointly run by the Hesheli family, the Shen family, and the Daijia family was officially launched in a lively manner.

The first caravan route was decided by Shen Hongji, Shen Hongshi, and Yu Lang. They set off along the Hexi Corridor towards Hami, which was the farthest they could go at the moment. Further ahead was Galdan's territory, and unless they sneaked in, they definitely couldn't get there by taking the main road.

Our caravan wasn't originally heading west to earn exorbitant sums of money, so the goods we carried on this trip were mostly tea and medicinal herbs, along with some high-quality silks.

These things become increasingly rare the further west you go. However, apart from tea, medicinal herbs and silk are not cheap and cannot be sold in large quantities, making them very suitable for someone like Shen Hongji who is leading a caravan for the first time.

As long as they have goods on hand, they can travel to more places, stopping for an extra day or two in each prefecture and county. This is partly to deal with the local government and local strongmen. Even if they don't become familiar with each other after just one or two visits, at least they will let people know that there is such a caravan on this road in the west.

Secondly, it's also to ensure that the caravan leaves enough traces along the way. If anything unexpected happens in the future, every legitimate business the caravan has done will be the strongest evidence that Shen Wanqing's caravan is here to make money.

As for other matters, what do they have to do with me? When my caravan set off, your imperial court hadn't even mentioned procuring provisions yet.

Shen Hongji set off with his caravan after the first month of the lunar calendar. The imperial court only put the matter of raising grain and fodder to prepare for another battle against Galdan after the Qingming Festival.

Sure enough, after the New Year, Songgotu recovered from his illness. Although he was greatly weakened by Kangxi's actions, even though he held banquets for several days to show that he, the Grand Secretary, was still alive and well, his officials and subordinates were still filled with anxiety.

But when it came to discussing the preparation of provisions, Suo'etu still stubbornly stepped forward to confront Mingzhu and the First Prince head-on. Suo'etu went all out, and not only Yinreng, but also Shi Wenbing and the military officers and officials in his camp were all amazed.

This Suo Zhongtang really has a fiery temper, fearing no one and disregarding everyone. Anyone else would have been terrified after being suppressed by the Emperor for so long, but Suo'etu can hold on and do whatever he wants. He is indeed a strong-willed person.

Everyone thought that since Songgotu had come out and was still so arrogant, His Majesty would definitely not tolerate him again. But to everyone's surprise, this time Kangxi not only did not reprimand Songgotu, but also made a special trip to the palace where Empress Hesheli's portrait was displayed.

The next day, he sent a large-scale reward to the First-Class Duke's mansion. Wasn't this a blatant way of telling the civil and military officials that Suo'etu's arrogance was justified and that His Majesty wanted this kind of arrogance right now?

Indeed, that is the case. Shi Wenbing has only been back in the capital for a short time. Although he has gradually gained a foothold in the capital and his second son, Qingde, has entered the Imperial Guard as a minister of the Imperial Household Department, it is still difficult for him to rival Mingzhu.

It had to be someone like Songgotu who charged ahead, regardless of right or wrong, he was determined to keep attacking you. You wanted to procure grain, so there couldn't be the slightest mistake. Otherwise, if Songgotu caught you doing something wrong, he would do everything in his power to remove the official from his post.

Shi Wenbing, on the contrary, became the mediator, speaking with Songgotu one day and standing on Mingzhu's side the next, showing consideration for Mingzhu's difficulties.

Everyone says that the Crown Princess's father, Shi Wenbing, is a fence-sitter, but those with clear minds know that Shi Wenbing is merely relaying the Emperor's wishes. The former rivalry between the Suo'etu faction and the Mingzhu faction has now become a three-way standoff, with no single faction able to gain absolute dominance.

People privately say that the Crown Princess and her family are not the Crown Prince's supporters at all; they are clearly the Emperor's staunch allies. In the end, the Emperor is still one step ahead.

Time flies like a white horse galloping past a crack in the wall. The court is filled with daily turmoil and quarrels, and so are the people in the marketplace who are busy making a living.

Zhenxuan's family spent the New Year at Hesheli's house, and then returned to Shengjing on the first day of the second lunar month, accompanied by Shen Wenbo's family. Shen Hongji, still vigorous in his old age, led the Shen family's cavalry out of Shengjing, and the responsibility of being the captain and guarding the home naturally fell to Shen Wenbo.

During the Spring Festival, both families had already transferred half of the business from the Shen family's main branch to Zhenxuan. In the future, all goods from Zhenxuan's family going out of Shengjing would be re-signed using the Shen family's caravan contract. When they set off from the capital back to Shengjing, both families would travel together.

The court was arguing about procuring grain every three to five days. Yu Lang had been going to the firearms camp since summer, and the number of merchants in the capital was also gradually increasing. Many people had already felt the changes. The court was accumulating strength in all aspects, and the time to fight Galdan was really not far away.

Another Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived, and Shen Wanqing is not as busy as she was last year. Fang Liang and his two apprentices are managing the shops outside the city, while Zhuang Ming and Song Zhuangtou are handling the affairs of the estate outside the city.

The head of the estate fell ill this spring and his health has been poor ever since. He has actually taken a step back and is now only in charge of coordinating affairs between the manor and the public schools under the jurisdiction of the Zuo Ling.

When there's nothing to do, stay at the manor. If something happens, just go back to the manor to deliver a message. Once Shen Wanqing has settled things, if there's anything else to say, bring it all back to the city.

Fangyi was already managing the daily affairs of the manor quite well, only consulting Shen Wanqing on important matters. Shen Wanqing was finally able to find some time to spend in the small courtyard every day, either reading or playing with stones, displaying a rather leisurely and refined taste.

However, some people are born to be restless. Yu Lang, who accompanied the Crown Prince to Tongzhou to inspect the river embankment and dredging, had originally agreed that when Yu Lang returned this time, the two of them would take advantage of the clear autumn weather to stay outside the city for a few days.

No sooner had Yulang left than the Crown Princess showed up at their door with her waist token. For the past six months, following Shen Wanqing's advice, Shi Qionghua had taken over Yuqing Palace from Emperor Kangxi. After managing it for more than half a year, the Crown Princess could now make decisions about everything in Yuqing Palace except for important court matters.

At first, Shi Qionghua only used the waist token given to her by the Crown Prince to summon members of the Shi family and Shen Wanqing. However, as she became more and more adept at managing Yuqing Palace, she also began to summon other noblewomen to the palace in the past two months.

However, Shi Qionghua was cautious. These noblewomen were either from the Hesheli family, the wives of the Crown Prince's tutors, or the wives of officials from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

In short, Shi Qionghua never touched anything related to important court affairs. Like the wives of ordinary officials and common people, she followed in the footsteps of the Crown Prince, gradually making her roots deeper and more solid.

"The Crown Princess said she didn't say what it was about."

"They didn't say, and this servant didn't dare to ask. Madam Shen, please hurry up today, and you'll know everything when we get there."

The words were so vague that Shen Wanqing didn't press further. She could only order someone to quickly set up a carriage and rush to the palace. When they arrived at Yuqing Palace, she learned that seven days earlier, a concubine named Li in the Crown Prince's harem had given birth to a princess, but unfortunately, the baby was stillborn.

“This spring, there was another woman named Lin in my side hall who also got pregnant. She was pregnant for five months but lost the pregnancy. I heard that the fetus was already taking shape and it was going to be a prince.”

"After this happened, I immediately summoned the imperial physicians to take their pulses one by one and to help them recover if there was anything wrong. I arranged for people to take special care of Li Shi from the time she became pregnant until she gave birth, so why is she still like this?"

As the Crown Princess, Shi Qionghua's job was to manage the women of Yuqing Palace so that they could produce offspring for the Crown Prince as soon as possible. However, in less than a year, both children in Yuqing Palace had been lost, a fact that Shi Qionghua truly couldn't understand.

“The child couldn’t be saved, and everyone advised me that there are many children who couldn’t be raised in the Forbidden City, and there will definitely be more in the future. Yesterday, my mother came in and kept advising me not to take this to heart. What’s important right now is whether I, as the Crown Princess, can give the Crown Prince a legitimate son as soon as possible.”

"It's not that it's unimportant. Every woman goes through a difficult time getting pregnant and giving birth. Just because it hasn't happened to us yet doesn't mean it's not a big deal. Sooner or later, it will happen to us."

Shen Wanqing truly hadn't expected that Shi Qionghua had summoned her to the palace for this matter; it was definitely beyond Shen Wanqing's capabilities.

Before, she had never been married and had never had children. Now, she has been married to Yulang for three years and still hasn't had any children. This makes her feel very indifferent to what she says, as if she is just talking without understanding the situation.

"Yes, you're right. That's exactly what I was thinking too, but since you didn't say it out loud, I didn't know how to express how upset I felt."

“I am the Crown Princess, and I have a responsibility to manage the women in the Crown Prince’s harem. I have been in Yuqing Palace for almost a year now, and not a single child has been born there. I can’t be happy even if the Crown Prince is unhappy.”

“I’ve never had this experience, so no matter how I try to persuade you, it won’t work. All I can say is that Your Majesty needs to relax. The more anxious you are about this, the less likely it is to happen, and the less likely it is to happen, the more anxious you will become. This back-and-forth will only do you harm.”

"To be frank, I'm only talking to you because you've never given birth to me. How can you possibly understand how I feel? Those who have given birth always say 'right away, right away,' as if their mouths are blessed and they can make me pregnant instantly."

"I'm not angry, why would I be angry? You probably don't know what people outside the palace are saying about me. I've been married to Yulang for three years and we still don't have a child. I'm clinging to him and not letting him take a concubine. They're practically calling me a monster."

"How dare you bring this up? I've never heard of it. Even my mother mentioned it when she went to the palace. She was too embarrassed to tell you, so she asked me if I wanted to invite a famous doctor to take your pulse and treat you. Maybe this treatment would help you have a baby."

It's true that human nature is complex. Shi Qionghua really likes Shen Wanqing, but the fact that she hasn't gotten pregnant in the past six months has put a lot of pressure on her.

She felt uncomfortable listening to anything those married women who had given birth, or even her own mother, said to her. Only when Shen Wanqing, who had married earlier than her but had no children, spoke to her did Shi Qionghua seem to feel at ease.

There was even a hint of relief in her voice, after all, she hadn't given birth in three years of marriage, while he hadn't even had a child in less than a year, so why was he in such a hurry?

"No, no, no, I won't drink that bitter medicine. As for having children, let's leave it to fate. It's normal that Yulang and I didn't have children in the past few years because we were so busy."

"Then you'd better hurry up. I heard that the Emperor will personally lead an expedition against Galdan next year, and Yulang will have to go with him."

Everything else can be put aside for now. If you two have a child, in case something happens to Yulang, you'll still be in charge of the Hesheli family. If you don't, a widow might not be able to gain a foothold in their household.”

Originally, Shen Wanqing came to the palace to comfort Shi Qionghua, but inexplicably, Shen Wanqing ended up leaving the palace with a lot of things to say.

Sitting in the carriage, Shen Wanqing couldn't help but shake her head with a wry smile. Being a confidante of the Crown Princess wasn't easy. Not only did she have to provide ample emotional support, but she also had to act as a control group. Today, she had no other purpose in entering the palace, but seeing Shi Qionghua's tense and anxious state of mind should make her feel a little better.

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[Crying][Crying][Crying] How come it's Monday again?

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