The whole teahouse was in uproar.
Wei Yunlan pushed open the small window of the private room and looked down. Most of the people had the same shocked look on their faces as she did.
That is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, who was personally raised by the extremely wise late Emperor!
Someone asked, "Then... has His Majesty agreed?"
"Your Majesty did not agree at first, but His Royal Highness the Crown Prince claimed that his virtue was unworthy of his position, and that disaster would surely come. As the Crown Prince of Dayong, this disaster would not only affect himself, but the entire Dayong. He voluntarily deposed as the Crown Prince and went to the disaster-stricken area to do his part, so that he could make up for his sins and appease the wrath of God."
"The emperor tried to dissuade him again and again but to no avail, so he agreed to the prince's request. He issued an edict to depose the prince and make him King You, and to designate the three states of Tan, Qian, and Yi as his fiefdoms."
The storyteller standing on the stage, who was talking nonstop, paused for a moment and asked in a slightly exaggerated tone, "It's a coincidence, do you know what the coincidence is?"
"What?"
"As soon as His Majesty issued the decree to depose the Crown Prince, the wrath of the earth dragons in our three states of Sui, Han, and Qi was completely quelled!"
“…”
Wei Yunlan found these words ridiculous.
In the past, we have only heard of the emperor issuing a self-blame edict after a natural disaster or strange phenomenon occurred. This is the first time in history that the crown prince has blamed himself and asked to be deposed.
The so-called "once the decree is issued, the anger of the earth dragon will be calmed" is more like a fig leaf that Emperor Xiaoming pulled for himself.
Wei Yunlan looked down from the private room on the second floor and saw that the people below had different expressions on their faces, but no one spoke a word.
Most of the people who could sit in the teahouse and drink tea after the disaster were wealthy people or businessmen in the city who had extra money. Which of these people was not a smart person?
Since the news from the capital could be spread to the states so quickly, and was allowed to be widely publicized in teahouses and busy streets, there must be something behind it. How dare the people make rash comments? Naturally, they believed whatever the court told them to believe.
Today's fig leaf will become a tacit fact in five or ten years, and no one will remember today's doubts...
It is obvious that the emperor is letting the prince take the blame in order to cover up his own stupidity and incompetence!
After cursing "shameless" inwardly, Wei Yunlan thought to himself that this had never happened in his previous life.
In his previous life, the crown prince was still the crown prince until his death, and he never left the capital. The disaster that affected Han, Sui, Qi and other states was not widely spread in the capital, probably because the court deliberately suppressed the news at that time.
It is hard to say whether this change is a good thing or a bad thing, but at least the prince is far away from the capital, which can avoid an unexpected tragic death in the palace three years later. It also means that things in the previous life are not immutable.
Since the prince's fate has changed.
Then Mingxuan can definitely change.
She wants to find Mingxuan, and also bring her family to Beiguan safely and live a stable life!
The news from the capital was like a reassurance, which made Wei Yunlan's uneasy heart firm again.
At this time, Shopkeeper Feng, dressed in a sky-blue gown, came over with a happy face, led by a servant.
When he saw Wei Yunlan, he clasped his hands and bowed, "Master Yue, thanks to you, the kiln of our Yuantao Residence has finally started construction."
"Not only that, we can also build a new kiln this year. If Master Yue comes to Suijiang again next year, he must come to our Yuantaoju to have a look. The porcelain fired by then may be more exquisite than this year!"
Wei Yunlan made half of his body aside and bowed to him, "Congratulations, Shopkeeper Feng."
The two of them sat opposite each other, with a maid and a servant guarding outside the private room.
Shopkeeper Feng asked, "I wonder what Master Yue wants from me today?"
"There is indeed something I would like to ask Shopkeeper Feng about."
Wei Yunlan refilled the two cups of tea in front of him, made a gesture of invitation, and then said: "I have heard these days that the Liu family in Suizhou has a lot of connections and can do business in the capital. As long as we can get in touch with them, we can make a lot of money. I wonder if Manager Feng knows anything about the Liu family?"
Shopkeeper Feng paused as he raised his teacup. "Mr. Yue, are you talking about the Liu family whose daughter married into Lord Hong's mansion?"
Wei Yunlan nodded, "To be honest with you, Shopkeeper Feng, I have a batch of other goods besides porcelain. If I can get in touch with the Liu family, I won't have to worry about anything. Shopkeeper Feng is from Suijiang, do you know if there is any way?"
Shopkeeper Feng frowned slightly, with a look of embarrassment on his face.
"If it's inconvenient, I would rather not have mentioned this matter today." Wei Yunlan said with a polite smile.
After he finished speaking, Shopkeeper Feng gritted his teeth and said, "Master Yue, it's not that I don't want to help you connect with the Liu family, it's just that this Liu family... is not so easy to get along with."
When he said the second half of the sentence, his voice was particularly low, and then he explained in a low voice: "Mr. Yue is not from our Suizhou. He doesn't know the reputation of the Liu family here. It's really a bit... not good to talk about it."
Shopkeeper Feng looked at Wei Yunlan's upright and somewhat frail appearance, and thought about the more than 10,000 taels of silver notes he had just received yesterday, so he decided to say a few more words: "Master Yue, let me tell you this, the Liu family is indeed a merchant, but their methods are not comparable to those of ordinary merchants like us."
"His family is connected to many powerful families in Sui, Lian, and Qi states. With the blessing of the nobles, they have always acted in a domineering manner. If they were local merchants who have been rooted for a long time, it would be fine. But if they were merchants from other states, they would lose all their money and have no place to complain."
"From what Shopkeeper Feng said, the Liu family is arrogant, so they might have some shady dealings behind the scenes, right?"
"I don't know about that." Shopkeeper Feng shook his head. "Someone once advised me to get in touch with the Liu family. I met the Liu family's manager in Suijiang once or twice. He asked for half of our Yuantaoju family business."
"If Master Yue really wants to contact the Liu family, it's not difficult. The Liu family's residence in Suijiang is right next to Xuanliang Street. Money can pave the way. You can meet the manager with a few dozen taels of silver. But I still advise Master Yue to think twice."
At this point, Shopkeeper Feng thought he had persuaded everyone he needed to. If Mr. Yue was really cheated by the Liu family, he couldn't be blamed. It was a pity that Yuan Tao Ju would lose a good customer in the future.
"Thank you for your heartfelt words, Manager Feng. Don't worry, what you said here today has reached my ears, and no third person will know it."
Wei Yunlan sincerely thanked Manager Feng for his advice, but was destined to let his kindness down.
She must go to the Liu Mansion on the next street today.
The Wei family has stayed in Suijiang long enough and will leave tomorrow, so they are not afraid of being targeted by someone with ulterior motives.
More than half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the luxurious Liu Mansion.
Wei Yunlan got off the carriage. She was wearing the same maid's clothes as Suihe. She followed Steward Wang and handed him a piece of silver. "Please help pass the message. My master wants to see your steward."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
