Chapter 69: Clinging to the Same Heart
Early in the morning on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the servants in Prince Qi's mansion were led by the steward in batches to the main courtyard to kowtow to their master and receive rewards. After receiving the rewards, the whole morning passed like this.
In the afternoon, Prince Qi received many officials in the front yard. Gu Youan was also busy meeting the women of various families in the back yard, and he sat there for the entire afternoon.
In the evening, the couple chatted, and Gu Youan, pounding his waist, said, "This time, I see that the women of the Meng and Yuan families have lowered their heads and are being polite to a junior like me."
"You are the princess, and they are just ordinary people. They should be polite to you."
Prince Qi paid no attention to the Meng and Yuan families. He smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work today, Princess. Tomorrow we'll go to my father-in-law's house. No one will be around, so you can take a break."
Gu Youan took his hand and said with a smile, "I am naturally very comfortable returning to my parents' home. But are you, Your Highness Prince Qi, comfortable?"
"Why are you uncomfortable? My father-in-law is also my father. It is only natural for me to accompany him for tea and chat."
Prince Qi said gently, "Don't worry about me. I want you to be happy when you return to your parents' home."
Gu Youan raised his eyebrows slightly. He didn't expect that this man, who seemed to be quiet, was actually such a sweet talker.
"You care about me, and naturally I care about you too. I, the princess, will be kind and understand the difficulties you face as a son-in-law. After lunch tomorrow, please stop chatting with my father. Go to my room and take a nap. I'll call you when it's time to leave."
Prince Qi lowered his head, and the two of them whispered in each other's ears: "Will you accompany me?"
"That's my mother's home, how dare you do that?" Gu Youan's old face turned red and he pushed him away.
Prince Qi laughed, took two steps back and stopped teasing her.
Gu Youan was different from most young ladies who married out in this era. She was very close to her natal family. When she went back to her natal family, it was like going back to her own home, not just to visit her parents.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Qi Wang Mansion's carriage left from the East Corner Gate and headed out of the city along East Street, attracting many people's attention on the way.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, all the restaurants and teahouses in Songjiang City are open, and those who don't have to visit relatives or friends gather in these places to drink tea, listen to operas and chat.
The master of Prince Qi's Mansion is escorted by so many guards before and after his travels, which is unique in Songjiang City. No other family can afford such a scene except the prince's mansion.
An official's family member who knew about Prince Qi's residence whispered, "I heard that the entire Gu family is celebrating the New Year in the neighboring village. On the second day of the New Year, married women return to their parents' home. Princess Qi must be going to the neighboring village today."
"It's not just Princess Qi returning to her parents' home."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you see? Guarding both sides of the carriage were Prince Qi's long-servant Xu Zhi and Princess Qi's chief eunuch Liu Zhong. Anyone with a discerning eye would have known Prince Qi was definitely in the carriage."
"Oh, Prince Qi is accompanying the princess back to her parents' home?"
"What's so surprising about this? Princess Qi has already taken power before she even married into the family, which shows that they have a good relationship. It's normal for Prince Qi to accompany the princess back to her parents' home."
"Hey, the Gu family really raised a good daughter."
"Hahaha, I'm so envious, so envious!"
After chatting and laughing for a while, they started talking about their own gossip. The gossips about neighbors were very interesting and were enough to kill the time.
At the door of a dim sum shop on East Street, Su Xiang and her newly married husband Zhang Ping stood inside the door. After seeing the convoy from Prince Qi's Mansion go away, they went out with the dim sum in their hands.
Zhang Ping looked enviously at the Prince Qi's convoy that had already left the city. He lowered his head and said to Su Xiang, "Since my father-in-law was Prince Qi's teacher back then, he should have come with Prince Qi when he came to Songjiang City. Who knows, my father-in-law might have already been one of the five first-class officials."
Su Xiang nodded softly and refused to say anything more.
After Gu Youan got married, Mrs. Lu made up her mind to marry her daughter off before the New Year. She no longer looked up when marrying her daughter off. She chose Zhang Ping, a fifth-level official who was over 25 years old and still unmarried, from among the young men under Su Guang.
Zhang Ping's family originally moved from the interior to Songjiang City seven or eight years ago. Before coming to Songjiang City, Zhang Ping was just a scholar who failed the imperial examination. He heard that it was easy to be an official in Songjiang City, so he came to Songjiang City.
As soon as Zhang Ping arrived in Songjiang City, he was selected as a civil servant. Since he was familiar with the laws and regulations, he went to the government office in charge of criminal law. It took him five or six years to be promoted from a sixth-level official to a fifth-level official.
It stands to reason that it shouldn't be difficult for a young official like Zhang Ping, who holds an official position and has a good appearance, to marry. The fact that he hasn't married until this age simply means that he wants to marry and take advantage of his wife's family's influence.
It would be fine in Luoyang, as there are many officials and families around him, so he might get what he wants.
But in Songjiang City, there are only five first-level officials and only a few second-level officials. These families marry each other, and it is usually not the turn of a low-level official like Zhang Ping who has no foundation.
Zhang Ping had wanted to give up at this age, but who would have thought that Lord Su, the former teacher of Prince Qi and now in charge of the prison, his superior's superior, would send someone to ask about marriage. He agreed without hesitation.
Zhang Ping married Su Xiang as he wished. In order to make his father-in-law look good and be willing to support him as a son-in-law, Zhang Ping went to Su's house four or five times in the month since his marriage. Mrs. Lu secretly disliked that he went too frequently.
Zhang Ping was not stupid either. After realizing something, he took advantage of the fact that today was the second day of the first lunar month, a good day to visit her parents' home, and he took his newlywed wife to buy snacks and go to her husband's house early in the morning.
Zhang Ping spent money to buy New Year gifts and brought Su Xiang with him. This time when he came, Zhang Ping was full of confidence and greeted his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Mrs. Lu looked her daughter over carefully from head to toe, guessing that she was doing well. She now had a slightly better face towards Zhang Ping and was in the mood to say a few polite words to him.
"Ping'er is here, are your parents home?"
"Thank you, mother-in-law, for your concern. My parents are in good health. They asked me to give their regards to you and father-in-law."
Su Guang smiled and said, "We are all family, why are we being so polite? Just bring Ah Xiang back to visit more often in the future."
Zhang Ping said hurriedly, "My father-in-law is right. My parents also said so. Besides... today I saw His Royal Highness Prince Qi also accompanied the Princess to the Gu family. Naturally, we should do the same as His Royal Highness Prince Qi."
"Oh, did you run into His Royal Highness Prince Qi on the way here?"
Zhang Ping smiled and said, "I didn't see any. I just saw many guards escorting the carriage of Prince Qi's mansion out of the East City Gate. Someone in the teahouse next to the pastry shop said that the person following the carriage was Prince Qi's attendant, and they guessed that Prince Qi must be in the carriage."
Su Guang smiled and nodded: "Prince Qi was very filial when he was young, and he was often praised by the late emperor and the late queen."
Zhang Ping immediately became interested: "What was Prince Qi like when he was young?"
"Prince Qi when he was young..." Su Guang's face was filled with reminiscence, and then he smiled and said, "They say you can tell a person's future by looking at him when he's three years old. This is especially true for Prince Qi. Prince Qi was pretty much the same when he was young as he is now."
Zhang Ping smiled and walked two steps towards Su Guang, poured tea for his father-in-law, and said with a smile: "Prince Qi is a filial son, so he should remember the old times. You should visit Prince Qi's mansion more often."
Zhang Ping had asked someone to inquire about it. Although his father-in-law was once the teacher of Prince Qi, he seldom visited Prince Qi's mansion. After all, their relationship as master and disciple seemed a bit too distant.
Before Su Guang could speak, Madam Lu frowned and said in a cold voice, "Master, I want to talk to Ah Xiang. If you and Brother Ping have something to discuss, please go to the study in the front yard."
Zhang Ping's heart trembled. Oh no! He didn't know how he had offended his mother-in-law again.
Su Guang didn't want to talk about Prince Qi anymore, so he stood up and said, "Brother Ping, come with me to the study and sit for a while. I recently got a copy of the Four Books with Annotations, you can take a look at it."
"Yes, I will listen to my father-in-law."
Zhang Ping agreed, but inwardly he groaned. He was only a scholar of average learning, and after arriving in Songjiang City and being selected for an official position, he had put aside his studies in order to strive for a career in the officialdom. How could he be worthy of being instructed by a father-in-law like the Emperor's tutor? This was simply putting him in a difficult position.
As soon as Zhang Ping left, Madam Lu sneered, "You're such a shallow-minded person!"
Without naming anyone, Su Xiang and the old servant serving in the room knew who she was talking about.
Madam Lu stared at her daughter and said, "Let me ask you, have the old woman from the Zhang family and your two sisters-in-law ever bullied you?"
Su Xiang shook her head: "My mother-in-law doesn't like to set rules. She is very kind to me and my two sisters-in-law and has never bullied me."
"Did your two sisters-in-law bully you?"
Su Xiang shook her head again: "With a large family living together, it's inevitable that there will be occasional disputes. My two sisters-in-law are not as well-born as me, and perhaps because they are afraid of this, they dare not openly cause trouble."
Mrs. Lu felt a little relieved and sighed, "That's fine. It's hard for a woman to find a perfect husband. Although Zhang Ping is just an ordinary man, the Zhang family is not bad. As long as we can make a living, that's fine."
Mrs. Lu had inquired about everything inside and outside the Zhang family. She firmly believed that Zhang Ping would not have a great future. As long as their Su family did not fall, Zhang Ping would rely on the Su family for support and would not treat Ah Xiang too badly. Now the situation was just as she expected.
But, alas, this son-in-law is not what she wants.
Look at the family that Mrs. Du’s daughter married into. She is... Alas.
Mrs. Lu has become more and more convinced of fate in recent years. From the time she was born to the time she married into the Su family and gave birth to two sons and a daughter, she has never had a unhappy life.
She has sighed more times in the past few years than in the first few decades of her life combined, and she seems to have gotten used to it.
Mrs. Du, who was being remembered by Mrs. Lu, was happily welcoming her daughter and son-in-law into the house. She praised Prince Qi several times. In her mind, a son-in-law who could personally accompany An An back to her parents' home was a good son-in-law.
Gu Youan didn't know that her mother was so good at praising people. She kept praising one word after another without repeating any words. She couldn't help but smile when she heard them.
Mrs. Du glared at her daughter quietly, then turned and smiled at Prince Qi, "If I had known you were coming, An'an's father would have asked someone to prepare some refreshments. You two men can go and talk about your business. I'll ask An'an to help me with something."
Prince Qi said politely, "I will listen to my mother-in-law."
Mrs. Du's smile widened. "Go ahead. I'll send someone to invite you for lunch later."
Mrs. Du dragged her daughter inside. Ah Xuan wanted to follow, but her sister-in-law, Mrs. Duan, stopped her: "Ah Xuan, be good. I'll take you to your kitchen to see what delicious food you have."
Ah Xuan was helplessly dragged away by her sister-in-law: "I'm not a child anymore, why are you still trying to coax me with delicious food?"
Duan laughed and said, "Do you think I believe you when you say this? The night before yesterday you were cheating on me..."
"It's so embarrassing, sister-in-law, please don't say it anymore." A Xuan was so anxious that she jumped up and covered Duan's mouth.
Duan chuckled and said, "Okay, if you listen to my sister-in-law, I won't tell anyone."
Ah Xuan snorted: "Okay, I'll listen to my sister-in-law."
"Our Ah Xuan is such a good kid. Tomorrow my sister-in-law will go back to her parents' home and take you out for a day. Are you willing?"
The sister-in-law was coming back on the second day of the New Year, so Gu Wenqing and Duan decided to go back to her parents' home on the third day, stay overnight, and then return to their home in Minren Lane, Songjiang City on the morning of the fourth day to make arrangements for the dinner party on the fifth day, which was just right.
Ah Xuan was close to Duan, so she was naturally willing to go: "What delicious food is there at my sister-in-law's house?"
"It's delicious. My sister-in-law's family cooks pig's trotters very well. Do you like it?"
"I love it. Who doesn't like soft and sticky stewed pig's trotters?" A Xuan jumped two steps happily.
The two sisters-in-law chatted and laughed as they walked to the backyard. Over there, Madam Du was pulling her daughter towards the main courtyard. Before they even entered, she started talking as they walked, "In the month before the New Year, the palace sent vegetables seven or eight times. Go back and tell them to stop sending them, lest outsiders find out and start gossiping, as if our family is attached to the palace just because we married off our daughter, like that or something. Oh, yes, the Meng family! We don't want to be disliked like the Meng family."
Gu Youan let her mother pull her along, deliberately smiling and saying, "Madam Du, you are really amazing now. It's only been a few months, and you already despise the Meng family? That's not what you said."
Madam Du said frankly, "Who knew you would marry Prince Qi? Since you are Prince Qi's consort, you are naturally a little different."
Gu Youan didn't want to talk to her mother about the baskets of vegetables. As soon as she sat down at the door, she asked, "I was busy before the New Year. I only sent gifts to the Tian and Zhang families. I wonder how they are doing recently?"
Mrs. Du sat down and said, "Your Aunt Bai's two sons are both married. She has put down the burden in her heart and feels refreshed and at ease. Naturally, she is living a very good life. And as for Doctor Zhang's family, Zhang Yinshan's wife is pregnant."
Gu Youan was surprised: "Pregnant already?"
Zhang Yinshan got married a few days later than her. Counting the dates, even if she got pregnant on the wedding night, it would have been just over a month. How could she have known so early?
Mrs. Du whispered, "I heard from your Aunt Liu that the child has been studying medicine since she was a child. She has taken good care of herself and her periods are very regular. Last month, she didn't have her period, but Doctor Zhang felt her pulse and said she was pregnant."
Mrs. Du slapped her thigh excitedly and said, "Doctor Zhang is indeed a former imperial physician. His pulse diagnosis is so accurate. He can even tell the difference in such a short time. An ordinary doctor wouldn't be able to do that."
Mrs. Du turned to look at her daughter. Gu Youan immediately understood what her mother meant and said quickly, "I'm in good health. Don't ask Uncle Zhang to take my pulse during the New Year. It's a bad omen."
"That's right, you and Prince Qi...you are so young, it's impossible not to have a relationship with someone."
The couple separated after only three days of marriage. Where can they take care of their child?
Mrs. Du said, "Oh, right. On the twenty-ninth day of the lunar year, the Hu family from the mountain and the shopkeeper Han from Songjiang City sent gifts to our family. They wanted to ask us to pass on a message to you. They wanted to see you."
"See you."
"I guess you would like to meet them. I'll ask them to come to our house for the New Year's banquet on the fifth day of the first lunar month. You can meet them then."
"That's fine."
In the front yard, Prince Qi kept his word and chatted with his father-in-law and brother-in-law for the whole morning. Of course, it was mostly the father and son of the Gu family who were talking while he was listening.
That is, at home. If they were in the government office, the three of them would not sound like casual chatting, but rather like the father and son of the Gu family reporting on official business.
After all, it was the New Year, and people should rest during the New Year. Gu Youan also understood the difficulties her father and elder brother faced, so she took Zhou Qi to her yard for a nap in the afternoon, and returned to Prince Qi's Mansion after dinner in the evening.
Mrs. Du originally wanted to keep her daughter and son-in-law overnight, but Gu Youan waved his hand and said, "We have something to do, so we'll go back first. I'll come home on the fifth day of the new year."
Prince Qi was very polite. After paying his respects, he smiled and said, "Since that's the case, father-in-law, mother-in-law, brother and sister-in-law, we will return home first."
"Okay, let's go back."
"Goodbye, brother-in-law!" A Xuan waved obediently.
Prince Qi smiled at A Xuan and said, "It's a rare occasion that you don't have to study during the New Year holidays. Come stay at the mansion for a few days and spend some time with your sister."
"Okay, okay, brother-in-law, I will go to see my sister in a few days." A Xuan's eyes sparkled. Great, I will go to my sister-in-law's house first, and then to my sister's house. There will be fun again.
After sending her daughter and son-in-law away, Mrs. Du looked at her little daughter helplessly. Gu Wen smiled and said, "Don't worry. In a few years, the child will grow up and become more mature."
Alas, that’s all I can think of.
The carriage of Prince Qi's Mansion returned to the city and entered the city from the East Gate as usual. When passing by East Street, they were spotted by Zhang Ping and his wife again. The couple waited on the street for a while, and only went home after the convoy of Prince Qi's Mansion left.
"I heard that your family and the Gu family were exiled to Songjiang City together. Do you know Princess Qi?"
Su Xiang shook her head: "Not familiar."
Zhang Ping was disappointed: "Not at all?"
“Not familiar.”
Su Xiang didn't wait for Zhang Ping and walked forward.
Zhang Ping was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly chased after him: "Why don't you wait for me?"
Su Xiang glanced at him and said something angry, "Wealth and honor are so fascinating. I thought my husband needed to be dazzled before he could wake up. I won't wait for you anymore."
Zhang Ping was immediately filled with anger, but he didn't dare to express it. He just snorted coldly and strode away.
Su Xiang stared at his back, her clenched hands loosened slightly, and her palms were sweaty.
Mother is right. A man like Zhang Ping with a pair of rich eyes is the easiest to deal with. As long as her family is helpful, she doesn't have to be afraid of him.
After leaving her mother, she no longer has to worry about being scolded every day. With the help of her mother's family, she can even control the Zhang family.
Su Xiang's breasts, which had been slightly held back for years, suddenly straightened up a little, and she suddenly felt a sense of pleasure in her heart.
Su Xiang's expression changed again and again. Her personal maid was puzzled: "Madam, what's wrong with you?"
Su Xiang glanced at the girl coldly. The girl became alert and lowered her head quickly.
Su Xiang walked slowly back home, and the maid hurriedly followed, not daring to say another word.
Su Xiang saw the benefits of this marriage. Since she wanted to get the benefits, she had to give the Zhang family some sweet treats.
On the fifth day of the first lunar month, the Gu family held their annual banquet. Su Xiang took Zhang Ping back to her parents' home early in the morning and went to the Gu family with her parents.
After entering the Gu family's house, Zhang Ping was particularly attentive to Mrs. Lu and Su Xiang: "Mother-in-law, Madam, you can go and do your work. I will accompany my father-in-law."
Those who came to the Gu family today were all wealthy and powerful people in Songjiang City. Su Guang was socializing with people, and Zhang Ping, the son-in-law, was more considerate than Su Guang's son. He was always by his side to serve him, so that everyone knew how much Su Guang valued him as a son-in-law.
On the way to the flower hall where the Gu family received the female members of the family, Mrs. Lu looked at her daughter with a look of satisfaction: "Silly girl, you finally got it."
Su Xiang lowered her head slightly: "My daughter made me worried."
Mrs. Lu sighed, "Children are all debts. When you become a mother one day, you will understand."
The Gu family is very popular nowadays. It was just an ordinary annual banquet to entertain guests, but at noon, the front and back yards were full of guests.
Thinking that there were many officials coming today, Gu Youan did not let Zhou Qi come, and she went back to her parents' home alone.
Because there were only male guests in the front yard, the coachman drove the carriage all the way to the second gate. Gu Youan helped Xiaoju get off the carriage. Mrs. Zhang, who was beside Mrs. Du, was waiting at the second gate to pick her up.
"Mrs. Zhang, are my mother and sister-in-law busy?"
Mrs. Zhang smiled happily: "They are busy. The old lady and the others are inside entertaining the guests."
Seeing Mrs. Zhang smiling so happily, Xiaoju asked curiously, "Is there something big and happy happening today?"
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "It is a great joyous event, but I cannot tell you. Miss, please ask the old lady."
Gu Youan walked in and said with a smile: "That's strange. If it's a happy event, why didn't you tell me?"
Mrs. Zhang lowered her voice and laughed, "It's not the day yet, so I can't tell you."
Not the due date yet? Gu Youan immediately thought of his sister-in-law. Was it his sister-in-law...?
Mrs. Zhang nodded affirmatively: "It's just as the young lady guessed."
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, the young lady returned to her parents' home. She was fine during the day, but suddenly started retching after having a bowl of fish porridge for dinner. Yesterday morning, she hurriedly asked a doctor to come to her house. The doctor said after feeling her pulse that she was almost two months pregnant.
Both the Gu and Duan families were extremely happy, but they couldn't tell anyone about it before three months had passed, so they were just happy among themselves.
When Gu Youan entered the flower hall, she saw her sister-in-law, who was hidden in the middle by her mother and the women of the Duan family. They were all in high spirits. If she didn't know the reason, she would probably think that they were so happy because of the happy event of the Gu family's banquet.
"The princess is here."
"Princess, please take a seat."
"The princess looks so well. Did His Royal Highness Prince Qi come with you?"
Surrounded by a group of wives of officials, Gu Youan nodded with a reserved smile and said, "It's rare for our house to be lively. His presence would spoil the fun, so I won't invite him over."
A lady laughed and said, "It's you. If it were someone else, Prince Qi would be a distinguished guest that we can't even invite. How could we dare to say anything bad about the prince?"
"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I said. I'm not afraid to tell you all, I've been married and have two children in Songjiang City, but in all these years I've never seen the prince's face."
A group of ladies laughed and echoed: "Who says it's not? We haven't seen it."
Gu Youan sat down next to her mother and said with a smile, "It's not difficult. When the weather warms up, we can find an auspicious day and invite His Highness Prince Qi to parade around Songjiang City for everyone to see."
The female relatives burst into laughter and said that this was a good idea.
Since Gu Youan became the Princess of Qi, she personally attended two or three wedding banquets. The officials and their wives present probably knew her personality and had nothing to say. They greeted her, exchanged pleasantries for a while, and then left to talk to people they knew.
Madam Duan glanced at her daughter with satisfaction, then at Princess Qi, but then she felt that it was not appropriate. Fearing that Princess Qi would think too much, she pulled Madam Du aside and hinted, "Children are all fate. They will come naturally when the time is right."
Mrs. Duan's words were addressed to Mrs. Du, and were meant for Gu Youan to hear. Gu Youan smiled indifferently.
Gu Youan sat with her for a while, and then Mrs. Du said, "Don't just sit here. Your sister-in-law has something to do. Now that you're back, go help her."
Gu Youan knew what her mother meant, so she gently helped her sister-in-law up and went to the house to rest.
After leaving the flower hall and reaching a deserted place, Duan smiled and said, "I'm in good health. I have a maid to accompany me back. You can go and do your thing."
"Well, sister-in-law, please take your time."
Duan smiled and nodded.
Gu Youan showed up today, not only to show support for his mother's family, but also to meet Hu Changpu and Manager Han.
After a while, Hu Changpu and Manager Han were brought to her yard by Liu Zhong.
"Greetings to the princess."
"Greetings to the princess."
Hu Changpu and Han the shopkeeper bowed, and Gu Youan asked them to sit down. "I heard you have something to ask me?"
Hu Changpu and Shopkeeper Han exchanged a glance, and Hu Changpu said, "My business is simple. I'll go first."
Shopkeeper Han nodded: "You go first."
Hu Changpu came to Gu Youan mainly to discuss the future medicinal materials. On the one hand, he wanted to know whether the future medicinal materials would be allocated according to last year's quota, with most of them reserved for Prince Qi's Mansion?
In addition, Boss Han closed the Han family's medicine store and will no longer do this business. The Hu family is not very willing to sell it in small quantities, so he wants to ask her if she is willing to sign a cooperation contract with the Hu family and give all the Hu family's medicinal materials to her in the future.
Gu Youan stopped him: "Wait, what's going on with the Han Family Pharmacy?"
Hu Changpu glanced at Shopkeeper Han and said, "You tell me yourself."
Shopkeeper Han sighed, "You were once the head of the trade in Songjiang City, and now you are the Princess of Qi. My eldest brother feels that he cannot compete with you, and he is not good at business management. It would be better to close the shop as soon as possible and use the space to engage in other businesses."
"You didn't say you wanted to buy the Han family pharmacy?"
Shopkeeper Han naturally talked to his eldest brother about it, but his eldest brother looked down on the small amount of money he offered and was unwilling to sell it to her.
"I think it's not just about the money. The main reason is that he doesn't want the plaque of the Han Family Pharmacy to fall into your hands."
Thinking about Han Dalang's character, Gu Youan guessed that he would definitely not give any benefits to Han Zhanggui's half-brother. He would rather give benefits to outsiders than to Han Zhanggui.
Shopkeeper Han smiled bitterly, "My eldest nephew is now working as a clerk in the government office, a sixth-rank official. Just like my stepmother said, my eldest brother's family is already an official, which has nothing to do with a businessman like me. It's best not to have any contact with them in the future."
Hu Changpu couldn't believe her ears: "After all, you've called her mother for so many years, and she actually said that?"
Shopkeeper Han just wanted to sigh.
Gu Youan said, "Let's talk about the calamus first. The list of medicinal herbs restricted for sale outside the border will be reduced this year. The Han family's medicine shop will be closed, but my caravan will continue to operate in the future. Sell all the medicinal herbs to me."
Hu Chang Lu said he understood.
"Speaking of Shopkeeper Han's matter, what do you want from me?"
Shopkeeper Han made up his mind and said, "The relationship between Songjiang City and the imperial court will be unpredictable in the future. I, a small person with no foundation, cannot afford the loss. I think I will not form a caravan on my own in the future. If you are willing to take me in, I would like to work under you."
"Have you thought it through?"
When asking this question, Gu Youan couldn't suppress the smile on her face. Who knew that Gao Jin and Guo Su, who were in charge of the caravan for her, would go to select military officers after the spring. They would work beside her no matter what the result was. Once they left, she was worried that there would be no one to take care of the caravan.
Before she found a suitable candidate, Manager Han brought himself to her.
Shopkeeper Han had been thinking about this decision for a long time. He said firmly, "I've made up my mind."
Gu Youan smiled and said to Hu Changpu, "That's perfect. We're old acquaintances. From now on, Shopkeeper Han will help me take care of the caravan. You can discuss the purchase of medicinal herbs with Shopkeeper Han."
Manager Han was surprised. Was he being asked to manage the caravan? Did the princess trust him so much?
Hu Changpu smiled and said, "That's a good thing, Shopkeeper Han. Let's visit each other often in the future!"
Shopkeeper Han breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the smiling faces of Gu Youan and Hu Changpu, and agreed with a smile.
His nephew was the most insignificant minor official. Although he had no official status, he was trusted by the princess and was about to be in charge of the princess's caravan. He didn't know what his stepmother, elder brother and sister-in-law, who had driven him out, would think.
No one knew what Han Dalang's family felt, but after the news that Manager Han was helping Princess Qi spread, the managers of the various caravans in Songjiang City, including Manager He and Mr. Cao, were all very upset.
If they had known that Princess Qi needed help, they would have recommended themselves.
When Shopkeeper Han met these old acquaintances on the street, he laughed and said that they were late and he was the one who acted faster.
Shopkeeper Han's smile was too hateful, and he was afraid of being beaten up, so he paid for the other shopkeepers to have a drink, and from then on, they would still be colleagues helping each other on the business road.
It was not the Lantern Festival yet, but the New Year's Festival. All the shopkeepers were idle, so they all came when they were called. Shopkeeper Han set up several tables in the restaurant next to the Yunlai Inn. They were toasting each other and making a lot of noise. Han Dalang could hear it all clearly in his own Yunlai Inn.
After the banquet, Shopkeeper Han went out with his face red from drinking, and happened to bump into his elder brother. Shopkeeper Han smiled, waved his sleeves and left.
Han Dalang gnashed his teeth in anger: "How dare you, bastard!"
Several shopkeepers who had dealt with Mr. Han before were dissatisfied with the fact that Han Dalang had ruined the medicine store left by the old man in just one or two years and was also squeezing out his capable younger brother. They glanced at him, snorted, and left.
When Manager Han returned home, his wife hurriedly asked someone to bring him tea. Manager Han drank two cups and felt warm and comfortable all over.
"Hey, Madam, you didn't see it just now. The way my eldest brother looked at me was full of envy and jealousy. He, a legitimate son, has achieved what he has today."
His wife laughed and said, "Don't bother with him. When the princess first became successful, he and his wife looked down on her. Now that they want to marry into a better position, there's no chance anymore. They'll probably regret it."
Shopkeeper Han laughed out loud. Fortunately, he knew how to behave at that time and did not look down on Shopkeeper Gu just because she was a young lady.
"I'll work hard under the princess in the future. Who knows, one day, a common merchant like me might be appreciated by the prince and princess and even become an official."
"Then do your best, sir. My concubine and children are looking forward to seeing you."
Their family was not rich, but they had enough money for daily food and drink, and they had servants to serve them. The only problem was that since their father-in-law passed away and the family was divided, there was no one to take care of their family. They had to be cautious in doing business, for fear that they would lose all their wealth and their lives if they were not careful.
Now it’s all good. I’m hooking up with the princess, and I’ll be able to stand up straighter from now on.
Shopkeeper Han and his wife were naturally very happy. Shopkeeper Han thought that after the Lantern Festival on the 15th day of the first lunar month, he would go to visit the princess and ask about the affairs of the caravan.
Over there, Ah Xuan went to Prince Qi's mansion to play today. She came to bring a message to her parents: "Dad and Mom said that most of the family property was earned by you. As for the family house, just think of it as the family's full support for your business and your share of the profits. It's considered taking care of the family. The caravan is different from the farm, it should be under your name. Dad said that after the spring, you should arrange for someone to talk to Zhang Gui about next year's farming. He will not be involved anymore."
After saying a long string of words, Axuan felt dry in the mouth and asked Xiaoju to peel an orange for her.
Gu Youan: "Did Mom and Dad ask my eldest brother and sister-in-law?"
Ah Xuan nodded obediently: "Big brother and sister-in-law both said that if it's yours, it should be yours. They don't want it."
Gu Youan laughed and said, "How much land has Zhang Gui opened up in the past two years? It's not worth much."
Ah Xuan didn't understand this, but said: "More land is a good thing, right?"
"It's a good thing. There's a lot of land, a lot of people, and a lot of food. Food can be exchanged for silver. Once you have money and people who have food, all these things will become power in your hands."
"Sister, I want one too." Ah Xuan always liked to follow his sister's example. He pulled his sister's sleeve and said, "I want a very wide piece of land, money, people and food."
Gu Youan tapped her nose lightly and said, "Songjiang City is no longer viable. From now on, the largest landowner in Songjiang City will only be your sister and me. If you want a larger piece of land, you should go southwest to buy it."
"Which way is southwest?"
"I heard there are several good plots of land east of Shanhaiguan. I wonder if anyone there hasn't sold any."
Gu Youan estimated in his mind that that location was where the Liaodong Army was stationed. If he had land there and went there frequently, he might be able to establish contact with them when the opportunity arose.
"Sister, is it expensive to buy land?"
“It’s not cheap anyway.”
A Xuan thought about it and realized that she only had a box of copper coins in her pocket, and she didn't know how many pieces of land she could buy.
Gu Youan sent Ah Xuan away and asked Xiaoyue, "Where is the prince?"
"The prince is in the study."
Gu Youan stood up and said, "I think the white fungus and lotus seed soup that the kitchen just cooked is good. Fill a bowl and bring it up. Let's go find the prince."
"I will go right away."
Gu Youan arrived at the study. Before she could speak, the servant at the door hurriedly opened the door: "Your Majesty, the princess is here."
Prince Qi came to greet her at the door. Gu Youan asked with a smile, "What are you busy with?"
"I'm not busy, just taking a look."
Gu Youan glanced at his desk and looked at it casually. Was he looking at a map? Tsk tsk, this map is really rough.
"By the way, I came here to ask, do you know anything about the land in Liaodong? Are there a lot of wastelands there, just like in Songjiang City?"
The couple sat down, and Prince Qi said, "There's quite a bit of uncultivated land over there. Some military families are living there to cultivate the land, but the Liaodong general doesn't care."
"That's strange. People fleeing famine from the interior are willing to come to Songjiang City. Why don't they go to Liaodong? The climate there is better than here, right?"
Prince Qi smiled and shook his head: "Although the Liaodong generals don't care, they also don't allow anyone other than military families to enter their defense zone."
"That's actually the case."
Prince Qi saw through her thoughts and said with a smile, "How many men do you have? The wasteland outside Songjiang City is not enough for your men to cultivate. Why are you still planning to attack Liaodong?"
"It just occurred to me, so I'm just asking." Gu Youan pointed at the map and said, "Tell me the truth, are you also planning to attack the Liaodong Army?"
Prince Qi embraced her and smiled, "We are a couple who have a tacit understanding."
He leaned over her shoulder and told her his plan in a voice that only the two of them could hear. After listening to it, Gu Youan thought, "I'm afraid there will be some trouble."
"Then let's grind. Even though Zhou Xuan hates me, he's not ready to kill me without caring about anything."
"Pah, pah, pah, it's New Year's Day, why are you saying such unlucky things?"
Prince Qi laughed and kissed him suddenly: "Don't be afraid, there are no taboos."
Gu Youan pulled his collar, and the two of them could hear each other's breaths: "Zhou Qi, since we're talking about this today, let me first tell you what I mean."
"What's the meaning?"
"The Emperor is very powerful. If bloodshed does come to the fore, we should flee if we can. As long as we have a chance, we will not be afraid of running out of firewood."
"Do you care about me?"
"You're not talking nonsense? You're my husband, I don't care who you care about?"
Zhou Qi felt warm inside and smiled and blinked: "An An, if we have children, what would you like to name them?"
As for a name, she hasn't thought about it yet.
He clung to her, pressed her down, and rubbed her affectionately: "You can think about it now."
Gu Youan held his head and smiled. This man looked like a cold-faced devil, but unexpectedly he was easy to coax.
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