Chapter 60: The Sadness of Visiting
It was harvest time these days, and every household in the village was busy. After lunch, they said goodbye to their hosts and left. The Guo and Duan families had to rush back to the city, so they also said goodbye and left home at the end of the afternoon.
After the guests left, the servants of the Gu family got busy. Some helped to clean up the dishes in the kitchen, while others brought basins of water and wiped the tables, chairs and benches in the house.
Mrs. Du arranged for the servants, then took a breath. She looked around and saw no one else in the house, so she asked Mrs. Zhang who was with her, "Where are Dalang and An'an?"
"The master and his young mistress are all in the front yard, having tea with Master Tian and Doctor Zhang's family."
Mrs. Du then remembered the Zhang family and headed for the front yard, saying, "We have so many guests today, and I've been troubling them both with entertaining them. They've been really hard at work. I'll definitely invite them over for dinner tonight. Mrs. Zhang, go to the kitchen later and tell Mrs. Yang that dinner doesn't need to be elaborate, but it needs to taste good."
"Okay, I got it. I'll be there soon after the kitchen is cleaned up."
Mrs. Du arrived at the front door and heard a burst of laughter coming from inside. She walked in and asked, "Who told a joke?"
"My lady is here."
"mother."
"Hey, I'm sure you're tired today. Come and sit down."
Everyone in the room greeted Mrs. Du, but she didn't go to Gu Wen. Instead, she smiled and sat down next to Mrs. Bai and Mrs. Liu. Gu Wenqing hurriedly got up and went over to pour tea for his mother.
Bai jokingly said, "Wenqing has been sensible today. Your mother has taken great pains to arrange your marriage, so you should pour tea for her."
"That's not true, Aunt Bai. Serving my mother is what I, as a son, should do."
Mrs. Bai smiled at her two sons. Tian Erlang jumped up and said in an exaggerated tone, "Hey, mother, your son is here to pour you some tea."
Everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Mrs. Du smiled and asked, "What were you talking about just now?"
Gu Wenqing poured the tea and sat back, saying, "Let's talk about what to do with An An's caravan in the future."
Mrs. Du: "What else can we do? If An An doesn't go, will Gao Jin and the others be unable to do anything?"
"That's right. I will stay in Songjiang City and let Gao Jin lead the caravan." This is a business that makes her money, and she will not let it go.
Gao Jin had not been with her for long, and Gu Youan might not be able to fully trust his character, but she knew that he was a smart man.
Gao Jin is a government slave and has no future in the interior. It would be better for him to work under Princess Qi, who knows, there might be a chance for him to turn his life around in the future.
Gu Wen said, "It's true that you shouldn't doubt your people, but it's not appropriate to have only Gao Jin. Wait until next year, and you should have someone else work with him. At best, you can have someone to discuss things with outside, and at worst, you can supervise each other."
"Dad, I understand."
Zhang Shinan said with a smile: "An An is already the head of the Songjiang City pharmacy, and she will be the Princess of Qi in the future. From now on, the Songjiang City pharmacy business will be in An An's hands, and business will only get better and better."
Zhang Yinshan asked Gu Youan curiously, "You will be the Princess of Qi in the future. Do you still care about this little business?"
"What do you know? Prince Qi's wealth is different from her own wealth."
After Tian Erlang said something disdainful of Zhang Yinshan, he said to Gu Youan, "I'm just a small-time errand boy in the guard army and I don't have much ability. I think it's the same whether I work in the army or with you. If you need help in the future, you can call me."
Gu Youan felt bad: "You'd better do your job well in the Guards, work hard and step by step. Who knows, one day you will become a general. Then I will still need you."
Tian Erlang laughed. Gu Youan always had the upper hand over him. When would it be Gu Youan's turn to beg him in the future?
Tian Qingde and Tian Dalang, father and son, looked at each other, and both had the answer in their hearts.
Tian Qingde felt emotional. He had thought that after exile, their family would be like this, but he didn't expect that there would be a chance to start over and reach new heights.
Gu Youan smiled at Zhang Shinan and said, "Uncle Zhang, you are the best doctor in Songjiang City, and you specialize in treating children, women, and children's illnesses. I will have to trouble you again in the future."
Zhang Shinan didn't refuse and said with a smile, "If you need anything, just send someone to the pharmacy to call me."
The Tian family and the Gu family are the closest to the Gu family. Gu Youan will be getting married soon, so while everyone is here today, we should make everything clear.
To put it bluntly, these are all her own people. She supports the Tian family and the Zhang family, and the Tian family and the Zhang family also have to put her interests first.
Liu Zhong did not go in. He stood guard at the gate of the yard and could vaguely hear laughter from inside through the courtyard.
The servants in the palace privately said that the lady was of humble origin, but he saw that the lady was a person who never revealed her true self.
Liu Zhong was resting with his eyelids drooping when he suddenly heard a familiar voice calling him. He opened his eyes and saw that it was the prince and Xu Zhi coming in. He hurried forward to pay his respects.
Xu Zhi smiled and asked, "Is Lord Gu here?"
"Master Gu, Master Tian, and Doctor Zhang's family are all here."
Prince Qi asked, "Go in and pass on the message?"
"yes."
Liu Zhong went in to report, and after a while, Gu Wen led three families to greet them.
"I didn't know the prince was coming, and I'm sorry for not coming to greet him."
"Master Gu, you are welcome. I came here today to congratulate you on your new home."
"Your Highness is so polite. Please come in."
After a round of greetings, Gu Wen invited Prince Qi to come in and sit down. Tian Qingde, Zhang Shinan and others were waiting on the side. It was not appropriate for the female members of the family to go in, so they were about to leave.
As they passed by, King Qi glanced at Gu Youan, who smiled and blinked, saying goodbye later.
Prince Qi raised the corners of his mouth and smiled silently.
No one noticed the brief eye contact between the two, but no one present was stupid. They all knew that Prince Qi had made a special trip just for Gu Youan.
Prince Qi drank two cups of tea with Gu Wen. The Tian family father and son and the Zhang family father and son found an excuse to leave first, leaving only Gu Wen and his son and Prince Qi in the room.
Gu Wen: "Your Highness is very busy with affairs. My family is moving to a new house today. This is not a small matter that is worth Prince Qi making a special trip."
"Master Gu, that's not right. The Gu family's affairs are my own. If I hadn't been worried that my presence would affect Master Gu's hospitality, I would have come this morning."
"My family has two weddings to hold next month, and the family affairs are complicated, so it is really inconvenient to entertain you." King Qi pretended not to understand, so Gu Wen might as well make his words clearer.
Prince Qi smiled and said, "I'm sorry to trouble Lord Gu. I'm only here this time. I'll come again next time..." Then it was time to welcome the bride.
Prince Qi bowed and said sincerely, "I have something to discuss with An An, and I hope Lord Gu will be so kind as to allow us to meet."
Gu Wenqing raised his head slightly and glanced at Prince Qi. He never expected that Prince Qi would be so shameless.
Gu Wen had no way to deal with King Qi, so after thinking it over, he had to agree to meet him.
"Wenqing, take Prince Qi to An'an Courtyard, and then escort Prince Qi out after meeting him."
Suddenly receiving the task, Gu Wenqing could only agree: "Yes."
Gu Wenqing took Prince Qi to his sister's courtyard. Just as they reached the door, Xu Zhi suddenly called him, "Master Gu."
Gu Wenqing: "What's the matter?"
In just that split second of distraction, Prince Qi had already passed him into the yard, and Liu Zhong followed him in.
"Your Highness Prince Qi!"
Gu Wenqing wanted to call out to Prince Qi, but Prince Qi seemed not to hear him at all and walked into the house without looking back. Gu Wenqing wanted to catch up with him, but was stopped by Xu Zhi.
Xu Zhi said with a playful smile, "Master Gu, my prince is very thirsty. Could you please help me get a pot of tea? Is that convenient?"
"Can……"
Gu Wenqing pointed in the direction of Prince Qi. Xu Zhi pulled Gu Wenqing around and turned his back to Prince Qi, saying, "Out of sight, out of mind."
Gu Wenqing: “…”
The Prince Qi's attendant speaks in a rather impertinent manner!
Gu Wenqing turned around and wanted to go over, but Xu Zhi pulled him out of the yard. "Mr. Gu, what kind of good tea do you have? We sent some top-quality scented tea a few days ago. Do you like it? If you like it, I'll have someone send you a pound."
"No, I..."
"Hey, Mr. Gu likes scented tea. I'll have someone bring you two pounds. Please keep them and enjoy them slowly."
Xu Zhiqiang took Gu Wenqing away, but Liu Zhong did not leave at all. He followed his master into the house to serve him.
Gu Youan had known that he was coming to see her, so she asked with a smile, "Is lunch ready?"
"Yes, I came here on horseback."
Gu Youan saw him in a moon-white robe, light and flowing. She wondered if he was sweating or feeling comfortable. But she hadn't asked him to come, he had asked for it. A little heat was nothing, he should bear it.
Prince Qi had something to say to her, so he asked the servant in the room to leave.
Xiaoju hesitated, secretly looking at the young lady and then at Liu Zhong. Seeing that the young lady didn't say anything and Liu Zhong didn't leave, she didn't move either, standing there like a nail.
Prince Qi said to Gu Youan, "Liu Zhong has only been with you for a few days, and he's already disobeying me."
Gu Youan laughed heartily and waved his hand to ask Xiaoju and Liu Zhong to go down. Then the two of them left.
The servants in the room had left, but the doors and windows were still open. Prince Qi simply moved slightly closer to her and asked, "How have you been these days?"
"Well, I haven't done much besides being busy."
What could she be busy with? She was busy trying on wedding dresses, busy memorizing the family tree of the royal family and other big families, busy getting in touch with various affairs in Prince Qi's mansion in advance, etc.
Her wedding dress had to conform to the etiquette of Princess Qi, and she needed it urgently. She was not good at needlework, so she could only ask an embroiderer to do it. The embroiderer from the Gu family did not understand the key points, so the embroiderers who made her wedding dress were all from Prince Qi's mansion. Many of the things she had to touch were also sent by Liu Zhong and his godfather Liu Ling. Prince Qi must know all this.
Gu Youan pretended to complain: "Being your princess hasn't brought me any benefits, but I've been in a lot of trouble."
"Blame me, tell me first, what benefit do you want?"
Gu Youan smiled sweetly again and said, "Just marrying you will satisfy me. I don't need any other benefits."
Prince Qi laughed. She was the one who complained, and she was the one who said she didn't want it. Was she making fun of him? Prince Qi knew her temper and didn't argue with her.
The two chatted for a while, and Prince Qi talked about the Northeast Army. He said that there might be a war on the border after the winter and before the heavy snow. After the wedding was over, he would go to the Northeast Army base.
Gu Youan frowned: "Can it be a big fight?"
"Don't worry, it's under control."
Gu Youan immediately thought of suppressing bandits and asked, "For food and money?"
Prince Qi smiled and said, "Smart."
Gu Youan sneered: "The soldiers who defended the border for the country have fallen to such a state. I don't know whose sorrow it is."
The smile on Prince Qi's face gradually cooled. Yes, he didn't know whose sorrow it was.
What will happen to the Zhou Dynasty if it continues like this?
Zhou Xuan is a kid who only knows how to play with people's hearts. Sooner or later, he will lose all their support.
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