The next day, things turned out exactly as Chief Secretary Xie and Manager Wen had predicted.

After a tug-of-war, Shen Yu'an remained unmoved. He was treated to good food and drink for another day. Before he was about to leave, several shopkeepers in Dingzhou couldn't resist any longer and rushed to sign contracts with Shen Yu'an.

Upon reading the contents of the contract, the shopkeepers in Dingzhou were overjoyed. The advantage was the salt permit they had previously discussed; the disadvantage…

No downsides have been observed yet.

Based on their trust in the prefect, these shopkeepers never imagined that the Wen family would do anything illegal or disorderly, putting their businesses in an unjust and immoral situation.

Sign it, sign it! If you don't sign it now, the Wen family will be coming to Beijing tomorrow.

They had already inquired and learned that the Wen family was already making preparations. They heard that the Wen family's escort agency had recalled all its escorts for this salt purchase and had no plans to take on any escort missions for the next two months.

This shows that even if they disagreed, the Wen family would still go to the capital to seize salt permits!

The shopkeepers from Dingzhou worked together to trap the shopkeeper from Qizhou, and at the last moment they gave in, looking at him with immense pride.

In Wen's eyes, being proactive and being passive are completely different.

As expected, once the Dingzhou managers signed the contract, the two Qizhou managers no longer hesitated; otherwise, they wouldn't even get a sip of soup, let alone meat.

It was at this time that they learned that the manager of Changzhou Wine Shop had already signed a contract with the Wen family!

The group looked at the wine shop owner with indignation!

Since you're already in cahoots with the Wen family, why are you putting on an act in front of them?

Now that the contract had been signed and the group had agreed on their travel time, they set off early the next morning as soon as the city gates opened, each shopkeeper's face filled with hopeful anticipation for the future.

This trip to the capital could very well be the beginning of a change in their fate!

As for whether the Wen family might ultimately be unable to purchase salt permits?

These shopkeepers said that since they learned about the salt fields in Huizhou, they no longer had such concerns.

Wearing a thick white fox fur cloak, Gu Yuzhi stood on tiptoe on the city wall to watch them go. He watched as Shen Yu'an and the others' convoy gradually disappeared into the distance on the long official road before stamping his little feet.

Gu Yuzhi couldn't help but sneeze, and then cautiously boarded the carriage.

Silver charcoal burned in the small red clay stove, and a thick blanket was laid out in the carriage. Gu Yuzhi took off his cloak as soon as he entered, and sat down cross-legged after a while.

He rested his chin on his hands and said, "It's so cold, so cold."

It snowed heavily again in Changzhou today. Two days ago, Prefect Qi led a group to inspect the suburbs again, urging the residents to clear the snow and repair their roofs.

Since the beginning of winter several years ago, there have been several snowfalls. Perhaps it is because the houses that could not withstand the pressure last year have all collapsed, or perhaps it is because Prefect Qi has been going to the suburbs tirelessly this year. So far, the houses where the poor people live in the suburbs are still very strong, and not a single one has collapsed.

After he calmed down a bit, he shook his head and said cheerfully, "Once the snow stops tomorrow, we can go to Xinliang!"

The young prince's trip to Xinliang was postponed time and time again. Chen Dianyi waited and waited, and Qi Chenglang and the others were about to set off for the capital, but there was still no sign of the young prince coming. Fearing that it would delay Shen Yu'an and the others from going to the capital, Chen Dianyi had no choice but to send someone to deliver the cloth first.

Not only that, Granny Xu has made the dried meat several times already...

Chief Secretary Xie frowned slightly: "Your Highness, why don't we wait a little longer? It's the dead of winter, and with such a heavy snowfall today, the snow on the official road hasn't been cleared. The carriages could easily slip. Why don't you wait until the official road is cleared before making any decisions?"

Most importantly, neither Qi Chenglang nor Zhang Yuankai were in the mansion this time...

When Shen Yu'an and his group went to buy salt permits, Chief Secretary Xie not only dispatched all the bodyguards from the escort agency, but also secretly transferred many guards from his mansion to protect them, making sure that Chief Secretary Xie was somewhat at ease.

Gu Yuzhi puffed out his cheeks, looking very unhappy, and said, "But the New Year is almost here, and I need to go to my fiefdom to see my people. Didn't Chen Dianyi say that he would distribute some grain and meat to the people before the New Year?"

This reward mechanism was proposed by Teacher Shu. He claimed that it would not only ensure that these people would not regret migrating to Xinliang, but also encourage them to continue their efforts in land reclamation next year.

This news had already been leaked. Chen Dianyi had relayed the message that although the supplies hadn't been distributed yet, the people were very happy, and the guards often heard them praising Prince Wen for loving his people like his own children...

Gu Yuzhi smiled so broadly that his eyes crinkled, and he maintained his good mood for several days.

Although when Xie Changshi and Chen Dianyi made the proposal, they both said that Xinliang had a large population and even if each household only had one jin of grain and one jin of meat, the expenses would still be considerable.

Xinliang's granary hasn't been filled with much grain yet. If they want to distribute these things, they'll probably have to buy them from Jinzhou.

But Xiao Wenwang patted his purse and said that he was now "rich and powerful" and was not worried that he would have nothing to eat after distributing this small amount of food!

Chief Secretary Xie lowered his eyes and remained silent, clearly trying to find a way to help the young prince fulfill his wish while ensuring his safety.

Seeing that he was starting to soften, Gu Yuzhi poked him with his index finger and pressed on: "And another thing, Xueye hasn't gone out to play in a long time, he must miss his mother too!"

Thinking of this, he turned his head to one side and snorted, "Don't think I don't know, no one in the manor wants to play with Xueye anymore!"

During this time, Xueye stayed in the Wen family mansion, where Xu Mama served her good food and drink. Qi Chenglang would often go out to escort goods. Xueye was not convinced by the training of others. Few of the guards in the mansion could play with Xueye for an hour or two at a time. Its exercise level decreased sharply, and the whole wolf became fat.

Gu Yuzhi felt that if things continued like this, Xueye's mother would definitely not want to acknowledge it anymore!

Hearing this, and recalling the resentful looks from the guards and servants in the mansion, Chief Secretary Xie finally nodded: "Let's wait a couple more days."

Gu Yuzhi pouted in dissatisfaction: "Why do we have to wait two more days! Waiting until tomorrow is just one more day than another."

Every time we have to wait, and then it'll really be Chinese New Year!

Chief Secretary Xie patiently explained, “Your Highness, the snow is so heavy today, it might not stop tomorrow. Moreover, there is definite news from Qizhou that Imperial Physician Qin and Guard Zhang will be returning in the next couple of days. We will have them accompany you to Xinliang.”

The roads are cold and slippery in winter, and with such heavy snow today, the official road is probably covered in snow to an unknown extent. A slight mishap could easily lead to an accident, so Judge Qin must accompany him.

Gu Yuzhi dared not act recklessly, so he had to go back and count the days. One day, two days, how come two days have passed and Guard Zhang and Imperial Physician Qin still haven't returned!