The eunuch who announced the decree congratulated Liu Yulian on becoming a princess and had people bring up all the gifts given by the emperor. The emperor gave her a lot of silver, but it was inconvenient to carry silver, so he gave her silver notes.

Liu Yulian was deeply touched. The emperor had given her a generous sum of money this time. As expected, crying poor had its benefits. Although she didn't know whether her father's memorial had reached the capital, she was very satisfied with the banknotes.

"Thank you." Liu Yulian also knew to take out a purse to reward her father-in-law, and the purse contained some change.

"I heard that the princess opened a shop to sell woolen sweaters and other items. I wonder if I can buy a few pieces." The eunuch who announced the imperial edict took the purse, but he also knew that Princess Rongning was short of money. It would be hot to accept such money, so it would be better for him to buy some things directly and take them back.

"Yes." Liu Yulian nodded.

Liu Yulian didn't say she wanted to give it as a gift, but the eunuch said he wanted to buy it, and he said it with such sincerity, so she didn't stop him.

"I have to buy a few more pieces. I heard that these clothes are warm. Some people asked me to bring one or two pieces for them." The eunuch certainly did not come here to buy things. This was a disguised way of giving money to Liu Yulian.

The eunuch knew that the emperor valued Princess Rongning, and that Princess Rongning's future was definitely bright. If he could establish a good relationship with Princess Rongning, it would also benefit him in the future.

"Princess, could you please have someone take us there?" asked the eunuch.

Then, Liu Yulian asked her maid to take the eunuch over. When the maid came back, she said that those people had bought a lot of sweaters. In addition to the eunuch, other people also bought some, and some even bought down jackets.

"Very good." Liu Yulian had a smile on her face. She no longer felt sorry for the reward money she had just given out.

Both Liu Yulian's father and mother were delighted for their daughter. Liu Yulian had a premonition that the emperor would reward his daughter again. Yes, the emperor had restored Liu Yulian's title, which was a great reward in itself. But Liu Yulian had also done something else. The establishment of the wool mill had reduced border warfare, so the emperor naturally commended her as well.

It just so happened that the grain crops were harvested, and the emperor rewarded Liu Yulian as well.

"From now on, you will be a princess." Mother Liu looked at her daughter and thought that there were quite a few county princesses in the capital.

The emperor was generous in his rewards, which led to the existence of several county princesses in the capital. However, there were far fewer princesses. A princess was the daughter of a prince, and the emperor did not confer the title of princess on women of other surnames. The Liu family was quite surprised that Liu Yulian could be named a princess.

"The same goes for the princess," Liu Yulian said. "With that money, we can give some to the people at the cement factory so they can go home for the New Year."

Although cement hadn't been developed yet, Liu Yulian still valued those talented people. Others who worked on other things also received bonuses at the end of the year, which originally brought in income. The cement factory didn't make any money, but continued to spend money, so Liu Yulian had to divert money from other places.

"Okay, give them some money." Liu's mother naturally couldn't stop it.

In the capital, at Duke Cheng's Mansion, the old lady learned that the emperor had sent someone to the northwest to announce the decree, to confer the title of Princess Rongning on Liu Yulian.

The old lady also went to the small Buddhist temple to pay her respects, and fortunately she did not let He Xiyuan and Liu Yulian really cancel their engagement.

"This is a good marriage." The old lady also said to the wife of Duke Chengguo who came to pay her respects.

Mrs. Mo was standing aside. She heard the old lady praising Princess Rongning, saying that Princess Rongning had made culture medium and a wool mill, and that Princess Rongning was definitely not inferior to those men.

"Time flies, and the New Year is almost here. It'll take quite a while for us to get there from the capital," the old lady said. "You should prepare the New Year gifts and send them over early. Don't wait until after the New Year. And remember to send anything to Yuan-ge'er if he needs anything."

"What could Yuan'er lack? People from the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion have given him gifts." Lady Chengguo said with a smile. She thought that since her son had given the money to his fiancée, he enjoyed almost the same life as Liu Yanjing, and it was also thanks to the Marquis' Mansion that they didn't mind.

If it were someone else, who would be so nice to her fiancé?

Lady Chengguo believes that Princess Rongning is a really good person, and that Princess Rongning was able to become a princess because of her own strength.

"Recently, the shops in the city have released several new round fans with very beautiful embroidery patterns. Let's buy some and send them over." Mrs. Mo said.

"Buy a few." The old lady nodded. "Although you are a few years older than Princess Rongning, you are still young people. See what you young people like and prepare them."

"Yes." Mrs. Mo responded.

Since the old lady asked her to prepare, she would of course prepare some extra things. Money is only a thing outside of the body. Mrs. Mo believed that Princess Rongning would definitely not have a bad life in the future. If Princess Rongning did well, then she would be better than those princesses.

Princess Rongning had once saved He Xichen, so they could give her more things without worrying about others saying they were trying to curry favor with her.

Mrs. Mo had already thought about it. When Princess Rongning got married, she would definitely live with them. Even if she lived with them, Princess Rongning would not come to seize power. She was a person with a big vision, so how could she care about such trivial matters in the harem?

After returning to the yard, Mrs. Mo met He Xichen and told him that she wanted to send something to the northwest.

"You don't have to buy too many things. If you really want to give her a gift, put some banknotes in the box." He Xichen had been to the northwest and knew how good at spending money Liu Yulian was.

Liu Yulian is good at making money and spending money.

He Xichen thought again that the things they sent might not be used by others, so it would be better to send something more practical.

"Cloth, jewelry, and some banknotes are enough." He Xichen also thought of the letter his brother wrote to him, in which he was crying poor.

He Xichen had never seen his brother complain about being poor before, but now he saw him complaining about being poor. He knew that his brother was not asking for too much money, but was just showing off his affection.

You are all married, but I am not. But since I am not married yet, I have to worry about my little family with Sister Lian.

He Xichen thought it was quite funny, his brother had never acted like this before. He suspected that his brother was doing it on purpose, because he was jealous of him getting married.

"For Brother Yuan, give him more banknotes." He Xichen said.

"Silver note?" Mrs. Mo was quite surprised to hear He Xichen say this.

"Do you know where that armor in the room came from?" He Xichen asked, "We took Rongning's book and made it. She also made those silk threads in the northwest, and it cost a lot of money."

He Xichen returned home and had it made, just in case it came in handy in the future. A few thousand taels of silver wasn't a lot for the Duke's Mansion, so if he could afford it, he'd make two. Armor like this could be passed down, so it would always have some use. If he didn't make it, it wouldn't be there when he needed it.

"That's going to cost a lot of money." Mrs. Mo hadn't had much contact with Princess Rongning. There was an age difference between them, and their social status was also different. They had met less often before. "Then put in some banknotes."

Mo thought that since He Xichen had said that, there shouldn't be anything wrong. It was just some banknotes, not a big deal, and they could earn it back.

"They're having a hard time now, but it will be fine after a while," He Xichen said, lest Mrs. Mo think that Princess Rongning and He Xiyuan were asking for too much money. "It's hard to help someone in need, but it's easy to add icing on the cake."

"Yes." Madam Mo nodded. "That's right. I will prepare it."

After Mo married into the family, everyone in the Chengguo Mansion treated her well. Even if they seemed to treat Princess Rongning better, it was because she had helped He Xichen recover his leg, and also because of her own abilities.

"Some of the maids and old women in the mansion are gossipy, so I decided to sell them out." Mrs. Mo said.

"Mother asked you to manage the household, so just do it." He Xichen had no objection. "Don't worry about us being dissatisfied. If you're worried about doing something wrong, ask Mother."

He Xichen treated Madam Mo well. He and Madam Mo had only been married for a short time, so he hadn't considered taking a concubine. Even when his legs were crippled, he hadn't used a maid, and he had no such desire now. He didn't feel the need to make up for what he hadn't done in the past.

"Okay." Mrs. Mo responded.

"Don't be nervous." He Xichen said, "My mother went through this before."

The corners of Mo's mouth curled up slightly, and she was in a good mood. He Xichen treated her very well. He Xichen might not love her so deeply, but he respected her enough.

In Northwest County, Su Qiuya was stunned when she learned that Liu Yulian was named Princess. She had not expected Liu Yulian to be named Princess so soon. Liu Yulian had just been named County Princess, and then the Liu family restored the title.

It had only been a short time, not even a year, and Liu Yulian had been promoted from Rongning County Master to Rongning County Master. Was this a promotion too fast? Su Qiuya felt a little sour.

Look, comparing yourself to others can really make you angry.

They had originally thought that the former daughter of the Marquisate would fall on hard times, that the Duke of Cheng might break off their engagement with Liu Yulian, and that Liu Yulian might marry a peasant. Instead, He Xiyuan fled to the northwest, abandoning his literary career for a military career, and Liu Yulian herself was so capable that no amount of jealousy would matter.

"How come she is so capable?" After Aunt Qing learned about Liu Yulian's situation, her mood was even worse than Su Qiuya's.

When Concubine Qing was in the Marquis's Mansion, she couldn't compare to Mother Liu. She thought that after the Marquis's Mansion was confiscated and they were exiled to the northwest, the Second House would be able to compare to the First House. But the Second House still couldn't compare to the First House, and her own daughter didn't marry better than Liu Yulian, who became a princess.

"Mother." Su Qiuya looked at Aunt Qing, "She is the princess."

Even if they were not very happy, they could not show it openly, so as not to let others think that they did not like Princess Rongning.

Su Qiuya only thought that the gap between the second and first wives would become larger and larger, and this gap could not be made up after Liu Yanbo's scientific examination.

"There should be quite a few customers in the evening." Su Qiuya said. They should knead more dough so that they can make noodles and sell them later.

If they don't knead the dough, do the work, and make money, they won't be able to survive.

Su Qiuya couldn't help but wonder why she hadn't read those books before, and instead thought about studying food. Food can make money, but these delicacies can't earn her the status of a princess. Liu Yulian's status is so high that it makes people jealous.

At night, when Su Qiuya and Liu Yanbo were in the room, the two were talking.

"Are you going to the eldest house?" Su Qiuya asked, "It's a happy event for my younger sister to become a princess."

"They're not having a wedding banquet, so why should we go over there?" Liu Yanbo didn't plan to go. "They didn't invite us, and if we go over to congratulate them, people will think we're trying to curry favor with them, which is not good."

"You're right." Su Qiuya nodded. Their second branch has always relied on their own hard work to make money, not on the first branch.

If they went to the eldest wife's house at this time, they would inevitably be looked down upon, and all their previous efforts would be in vain.

Su Qiuya didn't want to lose face. If Liu Yanbo said he would not go, then she would not go. If Liu Yanbo said he would go, then she would go shamelessly.

"If my second sister had this ability, we wouldn't have to worry so much." Su Qiuya sighed.

"My second sister doesn't like studying." Liu Yanbo said, "Back then, my second sister was..."

Liu Yanbo didn't say it, but his second sister had always said that marrying into a good family would give her everything. His second sister was not satisfied with the marriage arranged by her stepmother, so she talked to Concubine Qing, and finally she married the second son of the Mei Hanlin family.

The second son, the main wife... But what's so good about that? Mei Hanlin's family actually married a concubine.

Liu Yanbo really didn't know whether to say that his biological mother and second sister had poor vision, or that his stepmother didn't insist.

"Actually, there's nothing wrong with the letter my father wrote." Su Qiuya thought of the letter written by Liu's father. "Divorce is the best. The Mei family dared to take a concubine. What future can such a family have? I'm just worried that they will treat my second sister even worse in the future. My second sister doesn't have any children yet. If that concubine gives birth to children for the Mei family, what will happen to my second sister in the future?"

"This..." Liu Yanbo had never considered this question.

"It's true that Second Sister is a concubine of the Marquis's family, but if Second Sister can't bring benefits to the Mei family, how can the Mei family continue to treat her well?" Su Qiuya said, "The concubine brought real money, so they definitely won't give her up. If Second Sister writes again, the concubine must still be there, but she's not a concubine, she's a concubine."

Su Qiuya didn't think the Mei family would give up this concubine. The Mei Hanlin family originally came from poor scholars and didn't have that much money. The capital was a place with high prices. If the Mei family wanted to live a better life, even if they didn't pretend to be rich, they would need a lot of money.

Mrs. Mei, a concubine's daughter, wouldn't have brought much dowry, not as much as the merchant's daughter. Plus, Mrs. Mei had previously used up her dowry, so she probably didn't have that much stuff now.

Su Qiuya believed that the Second Young Master's wife's greatest influence on the Mei family was that she was a concubine of the Marquis's mansion, allowing the Mei family to connect with the Marquis's mansion. If the Second Young Master's wife could not bring benefits to the Mei family, then the Mei family would definitely not be so kind to the Second Young Master's wife.

"Wait and see." Liu Yanbo said.

"Yeah." Su Qiuya folded the clothes that had been hung out to dry. "It would be best if we could go to Beijing as soon as possible. It would be difficult for the eldest wife to help Second Sister deal with those things. If you become stronger, Second Sister will have an easier time whether she wants to divorce or stay in the Mei family."

"It's also my fault for not studying hard enough before." Liu Yanbo said, "My mother said before that I should study hard, but I can't be too nice to my stepmother, for fear of causing trouble."

Liu Yanbo hated his mother so much because of this. Aunt Qing always whispered a lot in his ear. Aunt Qing's words made him know that he couldn't show too much power, otherwise his stepmother would persecute him.

In fact, Liu Yanbo himself was not that powerful, and Liu's mother had no intention of persecuting Liu Yanbo.

Mother Liu thought that if those illegitimate sons were stronger, it would be of some benefit to her son. Her son was the legitimate son, so the title would definitely belong to her son.

How could Liu's mother have imagined that there were so many real dramas, each of which was adding to their own drama.

"It's okay. We don't live under the same roof, and they can't control us." Su Qiuya hugged Liu Yanbo, "We can be fine."

After hearing Liu Yanbo's words, Su Qiuya disliked the people of the first house even more. She thought about her own situation in her mother's family: her father had remarried, her biological mother had no sons, and the heir was born to her stepmother. The servants all flattered her stepmother. If her grandfather hadn't been more careful with her, her life would have been even more difficult.

She was the original wife's daughter and she lived like that, while Liu Yanbo was just a bastard's son. It was conceivable that Liu Yanbo's life in the Marquis' Mansion must have been difficult.

"When you pass the exam and become a scholar, we will go to the provincial capital." Su Qiuya said.

"The teacher said that becoming a scholar shouldn't be a problem." Liu Yanbo had studied for so many years, how could he not have any ability at all? "Becoming a juren... might be a bit difficult. The teachers here aren't that good. After passing the exam, I really have to go to the provincial capital."

Liu Yanbo thought those teachers were incompetent. When he was in the Marquis' Mansion, they were taught by Jinshi scholars. And there were very few Jinshi scholars among the teachers in the county. He believed that his success in passing the Tongsheng exam, and later the Xiucai exam, was due to his previous accumulation.

At this time, Liu Yanbo would think that it was the Jinshi who taught him well. He could not think that his stepmother allowed him to study there, nor did he think that his stepmother did not bother him in this regard. He just felt that his stepmother was oppressing him. For example, if the teacher said a few more words to him, it might be because of his stepmother's intention.

"Yes, the teacher in the city is good." Su Qiuya also thought so.

But Liu's mother had no idea what Liu Yanbo was thinking, so she coaxed her granddaughter to sleep.

There was still a smile on Liu's mother's face. Who would have thought that they would be able to rise again one day after being exiled to the northwest.

"The Emperor is magnanimous." Mother Liu said to Father Liu, "Hello, Princess."

Not every county lady or princess has a title, and one's own daughter also has a title.

Then my daughter's status will be higher than those princesses with titles, and after they return to Beijing, my daughter will definitely have a better life.

Liu's mother was a little worried because her daughter didn't know how to dress up. Other girls studied hand creams and rouge to dress themselves up, but her daughter did it to make money. Then, she would use the money to support other things.

Can she blame her daughter? No, if her daughter hadn't studied these things, the family wouldn't be so good.

"We still need to make her some nice clothes." Mother Liu said, "The maids need to be good and their hairdressing skills must be good."

It doesn’t matter if your daughter doesn’t like to dress up. You can just find maids who know how to dress up and let them take good care of your daughter.

"It's good to know some martial arts, but also be loyal." Father Liu said, one can't just look at the skills, some people also want to climb into the son-in-law's bed. Father Liu felt that his daughter was so good, his daughter deserved the best, or better not to have a maid who was disloyal, nor the kind of maid who wanted to step on the master to get the upper hand.

At this moment, Liu Yulian was hugging a soft quilt. The cotton quilt was warm, but too heavy. A down quilt was better. She wanted a down quilt, but she would rather sleep on the cotton quilt first. Down jackets could be sold for a lot of money.