One step too late

Seeing that the adults were standing still, the child took the opportunity to slip through the gaps in the crowd.

A clear, loud child's voice rang out again in the market, "The Jinjin Textile Factory in the north of the city is hiring textile workers. Four hours of work per day, breakfast and lunch provided..."

Another group of people surrounded the child. The stunned people suddenly realized that since they had nothing else to do, why not go to that textile factory to find out if it was true or not? Those who had figured it out hurriedly ran towards the north of the city.

North of the city, Jinjin Textile Factory.

Bai Guo stared nervously at the door. "Xiao Xiao, will anyone really sign up?"

Jin Xiaoxiao walked around the bright factory building, sat down next to Bai Guo, and said happily, "Sister Bai Guo, how about we make a bet?"

"What bet does Xiaoxiao want to make?"

"I bet more than a hundred people will sign up."

Bai Guo hesitated, wondering if they would really believe that such a large textile factory had never been built in the countryside before, and that Xiao Xiao had set a daily wage for female workers that was twice that of adult men.

"Jinjin Textile Factory, yes, this is it. Is anyone inside?"

Bai Guo looked out the door and suddenly saw a large group of people gathered at the entrance, all peering inside.

Bai Guo tilted her head in disbelief, meeting Jin Xiaoxiao's confident smile.

"Sister Baiguo, I won."

The people outside saw the figures inside and called out anxiously.

Are they hiring here?

"Can we go in?"

Without saying much, Bai Guo hurried off to handle the recruitment matters.

Jin Xiaoxiao waited a while before going out. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Bai Guo directing the women to line up and register.

"Auntie, don't cut in line. We have plenty of openings, and we guarantee you'll all be accepted."

The men standing to the side, who couldn't weave, could only watch enviously as the women lined up.

Suddenly, a kind-looking middle-aged man walked in, rubbing his hands awkwardly, and asked, "Miss, I can also weave cloth. Can I wait in line?"

Bai Guo decisively refused, "Sorry, our textile factory only hires female workers."

The middle-aged man lowered his head in disappointment.

Among a group of men dressed in coarse linen, a man in cotton clothes spoke up and questioned, "He can weave cloth, yet you won't let him line up to register. Could it be that your textile factory is just a front, and you're actually doing illegal and disorderly business?"

His words caused the women in line to want to back out, and even those who had already registered wanted to change their minds.

Bai Guo quickly reassured them, "Ladies and sisters, this will be your workplace from now on. If you're worried, you can have your family members come to pick you up and drop you off every day."

"You're paying such high wages, don't you consider profits? Are you doing charity work? Don't believe them, there's definitely something fishy going on."

Half of the women in line left instantly, and the remaining people hesitated.

Jin Xiaoxiao walked up to him unhurriedly and asked, "Can you read?"

The man in cotton clothes was taken aback, then tilted his head back slightly and said proudly, "I can read."

"Okay, read the contents of the paper aloud."

He glanced at Jin Xiaoxiao suspiciously, then held up the paper in his hand and read aloud: "Jin Jin Textile Factory Public Recruitment Announcement: Jin Jin Textile Factory is a welfare textile factory specifically established for women and children. Orphans, widows, and those who have lost their parents will be given priority. Employee benefits: Each employee will receive two sets of clothing free of charge, and breakfast and lunch will be provided. This includes children under the age of fifteen and elderly people over the age of fifty-five in the employee's household. Recruitment requirements: 1. Law-abiding and of good character. 2. Obeying commands and orders. 3. Only female workers will be recruited."

After he finished reading, he covered his flushed face with his sleeve.

The courtyard was completely silent. The women and children's eyes were red. The women who had left the line wanted to go back, but their legs felt heavy, and they suddenly dared not take the few steps back.

Jin Xiaoxiao gave Bai Guo a wink, and Bai Guo understood, clapping her hands to draw everyone's attention to herself.

"Fellow villagers, my master opened this textile factory out of compassion for the people's difficult lives, in order to improve their livelihoods. Please do not question my master's intentions. Alright, those who wish to register, please line up; those who do not wish to register, please leave."

Bai Guo offered a way out, and the woman followed the steps down, queuing up quietly and orderly to register.

Aside from this minor incident, the textile factory's recruitment process was successfully completed.

After the staff was fully recruited, Jin Xiaoxiao instructed Bai Guo to work on the employees' mindset and tell them to keep a low profile.

Jin Xiaoxiao then instructed Bai Guo to send perfumes and soaps to the families of all the officials in the capital.

Therefore, the newly established Jinjin Textile Factory only caused a stir among the local people, and almost no officials paid any attention to it.

After the textile factory was running smoothly, Jin Xiaoxiao began looking for partners. She didn't plan to open another fabric shop, because that would be too conspicuous.

Bai Guo was busy managing the textile factory and perfume shop, and Jin Minzhi was studying, so Jin Xiaoxiao could only take Ji Yun to discuss things with Yue Jia.

The gatekeeper of Prince Yi's mansion had changed. Upon seeing Jin Xiaoxiao, he immediately came out to greet her, "Miss Xiaoxiao, you've arrived. The young master didn't go out today. This servant will show you the way."

Jin Xiaoxiao nodded to him, "Thank you for your trouble."

The doorman was flattered. As expected, the rumors were unreliable. Miss Jin was actually quite amiable and not at all like the arrogant and domineering person in the rumors.

Exiting the ceremonial gate, heading east, one arrives at Yuejia's courtyard.

Unfortunately, before Jin Xiaoxiao could turn around, Yue Xiao came out of the west gate, and the two instantly locked eyes.

Yue Xiao snorted coldly, "Kid, you do have some tricks up your sleeve, managing to get close to that guy in the East Courtyard."

Jin Xiaoxiao pretended not to hear his sarcasm, and shifted her gaze to the woman wearing a veil behind him. She frowned, feeling as if she had forgotten something.

This brat is strange; we can't let her get to know Xi Yan. Yue Xiao trusted his intuition. He stepped aside to block Jin Xiaoxiao's view and sternly reprimanded her, "Little brat, looking around in the Prince's mansion like this, don't you want your eyes anymore?"

A person as arrogant as Yue Xiao wouldn't consider others. Through Yue Xiao's unusual behavior, Jin Xiaoxiao keenly sensed that the woman wearing the veil was suspicious.

Jin Xiaoxiao was no longer in a hurry to leave. "You want to gouge out my eyes?"

Yue Xiao didn't have time to chat with Jin Xiaoxiao. He raised his chin and ordered her, "Get out of the way!"

Jin Xiaoxiao glanced at the fierce-looking guards behind Yue Xiao, then pulled Ji Jun back two steps.

Yue Xiao led his men away in large strides.

As Jin Xiaoxiao listened to the fading sound of the silver bells, she felt as if she had missed something important.

She racked her brains the whole way, but even after meeting Yuejia, she couldn't remember what she had forgotten.

Seeing that she seemed preoccupied, Yue Jia asked, "Xiaoxiao, is something on your mind?"

Jin Xiaoxiao suddenly looked up at Yue Jia, "Just now I saw a woman wearing a veil following Yue Xiao, does Your Highness know who she is?"

Yue Jia said seriously, "That woman's origins are unknown. She is skilled at raising Gu poisons. The love Gu poison on your aunt was made by her."

It turns out she forgot about her aunt being afflicted by a love curse! No wonder Chuanbei said her aunt had been holed up in her room reading medical books.

Can the love potion be cured?

Yue Jia shook his head. "My staff searched through all the medical books and classics, but they could only deduce from the slightest clues that your aunt was afflicted by a love curse. As for the cure, there is no record of it in the books."

Jin Xiaoxiao's mind raced. Where in the original book was there any mention of Gu?

She repeatedly recalled the women of the opposite sex who had appeared around Yue Xiao, and after a long time, a sudden flash of inspiration struck her, and she remembered.

Xi Yan, the holy maiden of the Bei Rong Miao village, is a master of Gu poison. The book also mentions that Yue Xiao coveted the military power of General Han, and had Xi Yan use Gu worms to control him, forging a letter accusing him of treason. The emperor then ordered General Han's execution, and Yue Xiao seized the opportunity to take control of General Han's army, gaining full military power!

Jin Xiaoxiao's mind flashed back to the image of Yue Xiao rushing out with Xi Yan, and her hair stood on end. Could this be the day Yue Xiao framed the General Han? And this General Han was probably Han Qing! No wonder she had no recollection of Han Qing's name.

Seeing Jin Xiaoxiao's serious expression, Yue Jia asked, "Xiaoxiao, what are you thinking about?"

Jin Xiaoxiao took a deep breath and said seriously, "Young Master, if you trust me, send someone to General Han Qing's residence right now. I just met Yue Xiao at the ceremonial gate. He was hurriedly leaving with a woman wearing a veil. I'm afraid Yue Xiao is going to harm General Han Qing."

Upon realizing the gravity of the situation involving Han Qing, Yue Jia ordered in a deep voice, "Wei Jiang, take men to General Han's residence immediately and protect him at all costs."

"Yes." Wei Jiang accepted the order and left.

Jin Xiaoxiao was in a bad mood, so Yue Jia pushed a fruit plate containing lychees in front of her. "Xiaoxiao, the lychees taste good, you should try some."

Ji Jun stretched out his arm, pulled the fruit plate in front of him, picked up a lychee, roughly twisted open the lychee shell with one hand, and put the flesh into his mouth to taste it.

"Sweet."

After saying that, he quickly peeled a whole plate of lychees with both hands and handed it to Jin Xiaoxiao.

Jin Xiaoxiao understood their good intentions and suppressed her panic as she ate the lychees.

Half an hour later, Wei Jiang returned.

Upon seeing Wei Jiang, Jin Xiaoxiao felt an extremely bad premonition.

Sure enough, Wei Jiang reported, "Your Highness, I learned on the way that General Han has committed a serious crime and has been imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice."

Upon hearing the worst possible outcome, Jin Xiaoxiao calmed down.

Han Qinggang has just been imprisoned, and things are not yet settled. As long as Yue Xiao is held back, military power may not fall into Yue Xiao's hands.

She wiped her hands and turned to look at Yue Jia. "Please, Your Highness, recommend some reliable fabric shops to me. Jin Jin Textile Factory already has so much fabric that it's almost overflowing."

Xiaoxiao remained calm under pressure despite her young age; he hadn't misjudged her.

Yue Jia smiled and said, "My sworn sister has a favor to ask, and I, as her brother, should naturally help her. Someone, please summon Steward Yu."

Jin Xiaoxiao will have dinner at Yue Jia's place before going home.

The following day, all the cloth shops in the capital, except for the largest Qin family cloth shop, posted notices announcing price reductions on their fabrics.

The people gathered around the notice with curiosity.

Those who cannot read guess, "The price of cloth has gone up?"

The literate person pointed to two numbers and told them, "The price of cloth has dropped. It's written here in black and white: each bolt of silk brocade has been reduced by one tael, and each bolt of cotton cloth has been reduced by two mace."

"Wouldn't that mean the price of all the cloth would be reduced by half?"

Upon hearing this, everyone scattered in panic. Those without money rushed home to get some, while those with money turned around and squeezed into the cloth shop.