Chapter 90: Apologizing for New and Old Grudges
The young officials in the government office on North Second Street who had never seen the prince and princess stretched their necks and waited. At noon, they saw a group of people coming out of North First Street. Some people said that they were businessmen from Songjiang City who came to Dongshan Port to do business.
I waited and waited, until it was almost time to get off work, but no new faces appeared.
Finally, when it was time to leave their shift, they were disappointed to see their Governor slowly emerge from North First Street.
Tian Jiaxuan was being stared at by a group of young men. He knew what they were thinking, but he didn't say much. He just smiled and said, "It's time to get off duty. Why don't you hurry up and get home? Why are you staring at me?"
"Governor, are the prince and princess really here?"
Tian Jiaxuan raised his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Stop asking questions and pack up and leave."
Tian Jiaxuan was about to go home. Before leaving, he glanced at the clerk, who hurriedly said, "I don't have anything important to talk to you about this afternoon."
Tian Jiaxuan nodded to everyone and said, "In that case, everyone, see you tomorrow."
Tian Jiaxuan didn't even go into the government office, but turned around and went home.
"Ah, our Governor has always been diligent and motivated. In the past, even if it wasn't something important, he would stay a little longer before leaving. But today, he left quickly."
"That's right."
The clerk smiled and said, "Our superior is here today. Even if something serious happens, he will take care of it. The Governor doesn't have to rely on himself. It's normal for him to want to go back early."
After the clerk left, everyone looked at each other with puzzled expressions. Is that so? The prince and princess have arrived. Shouldn't we show off in front of our master?
An old official was on his way home, and as he walked, he laughed at the young, inexperienced people and said, "Foolish boys, with our Governor's connections with the masters and his abilities, does he need to seize every opportunity to curry favor with them like you do?"
The old man smiled and said, "Hurry back and don't waste your time standing here. Instead of hoping to be noticed by a noble and soar to the sky, it's better to rely on your own feet and move forward steadily. Stop dreaming and do your job well. Many things require long-term accumulation and cannot be achieved overnight."
A group of young guys sighed and groaned, and the old man hit the nail on the head. They said, "No need to wait, go back."
In the evening, the sun gradually sets, and the warm yellow sunset falls on the sea. The leisurely sea breeze blows through the small town, and people walking on the beach feel relaxed both physically and mentally.
The little boy with bare feet was chased by the waves. When the waves went back, he chased the waves again. When the waves came back again, he was chased by the waves and couldn't run away quickly. He opened his arms and ran to his parents behind him, and was picked up by them.
Zhou Qi hugged his son and said disdainfully, "Don't rub my clothes with your dirty feet."
He insists on doing it!
Yuan rubbed his father's clothes until all the sand on his feet was gone. He smiled at his father and said, "My feet are clean now."
Zhou Qi gritted his teeth secretly. This brat insisted on going against him.
Gu Youan burst into laughter. Zhou Qi looked at her and said, "We can't raise this child anymore. Let's have another good one."
A Yuan suddenly took over and said, "Give birth to a sister. A Yuan wants a sister."
Zhou Qi and Gu Youan were both stunned for a moment. Gu Youan took his son and held him in his arms: "Who taught you to say such things?"
After giving birth to Yuan, the couple reached a consensus and never mentioned having a second child in the past few years. Naturally, they would not talk about younger brothers and sisters in front of their son.
"I heard cousin Ningning say that a younger sister is good. She wants a younger sister, and A Yuan wants one too." A Yuan hugged his mother, and the little boy's voice was still soft.
Oh, so that’s how it is.
Gu Youan patted his son's back and asked as they walked: "You are the only one at home, do you feel bad?"
Yuan thought about it and it seemed like a good idea.
Zhou Qi was afraid that she would be tired, so he brought his son back and said to him, "If your mother and I have another child, we won't be able to keep you with us all day. Your mother and I will have to take care of your younger brothers and sisters."
"don't want."
Zhou Qi's lips curled up slightly. He knew his own son well, and he knew that this boy had a unique personality.
"Do you still want a sister?"
Yuan shook his head.
Great, the family of three reached a consensus.
Gu Youan pointed to a restaurant not far away and said, "The Sichuan restaurant is right in front of the pier. Let's walk faster."
Zhou Qi enjoyed the sea breeze, holding his son and walking slowly, saying lazily, "It's neither too early nor too late. There will definitely be no seats. It's better to go later."
Gu Youan was just about to say that they were too late and the food was sold out, but Zhou Qi instructed a guard to go to the restaurant to reserve a table first, and they would go to have dinner half an hour later.
When Xu Zhi was there, these small matters were arranged by Xu Zhi. Xu Zhi married Xiaoju two years ago, and their first child was about to be born, so Xu Zhi was not asked to come with them to Dongshan Port this time.
Zhou Qi placed his son on his shoulders and told him to hold him steady. He freed his hands to hold hers, saying, "If we were in the palace, a child of Yuan's age would have been given a permanent servant. Yuan doesn't need to be with us every day for now, but it's time to get ready."
"Do you have any ideas?"
"Don't you donate money to the Guo family every year to support them in adopting orphans? Choose a few smart ones and raise them in your mansion. When they grow up, Yuan will have useful people around him."
Gu Youan nodded: "That's not bad."
Yuan wiggled his hips. Zhou Qi reached behind him, patted his son's back, and told him to stay still. He added, "Besides choosing a permanent attendant, it's time to start choosing a tutor. He'll be seven after the New Year. Yuan is intelligent and needs the careful guidance of a good teacher. He can't just let it go."
"Choose a few children of similar age to live in the mansion. Children from the Gu, Tian, and Zhang families are very suitable. Their children are of the same age as Yuan, and they often play together. They are also trustworthy families."
"I think it's good. Let's decide on it as soon as we get back."
If we talk about children of the same age as Yuan and who are relatively familiar to him, the Duan family is actually in this category, but the couple tacitly ignored the Duan family and did not mention it.
The family of three walked slowly to the restaurant. They were hungry along the way, so they had a meal of authentic Sichuan cuisine that suited their appetite and then went home.
When Yuan was at home, he liked to stay with his parents, and even more so when he was away from home. Zhou Qi saved himself the trouble of arguing with his son, and just took him to wash and clean up after returning home.
Gu Youan ignored the father and son, tidied herself up and lay down to sleep. When Zhou Qi came back with a blanket wrapped around her naked son, she was already fast asleep.
A Yuan didn't make a fuss with his father. He lay down obediently beside his mother and slept close to her.
Zhou Qi's eyes were filled with smiles. In a blink of an eye, the smile moved from his eyes to the corners of his mouth. He lowered his head and kissed his treasures. They were everything to him.
After one night, the next morning the family of three went to the naval base. Without saying a word, they immediately took a boat out to sea to watch the naval exercises.
Gu Youan and his son watched with him for over an hour. The sun was so hot that they couldn't open their eyes. Gu Youan picked up his son and said, "Tell your father to bask in the sun himself. You and mother go to the cabin."
Gu Youan took his son away. He was considerate of Zhou Qi and was afraid that he would get sunburned, so he personally took a piece of clothing to cover his head and face, leaving only his eyes exposed, and did not allow him to take it off.
They had lunch on the boat. Gu Youan took a nap in the cabin with her son in her arms. In the afternoon, when it was time to return to the port, she took her son to the deck to find Zhou Qi.
At this time, the naval commanders on several other ships had already come over. When they saw her coming, they hurried forward to greet her.
"Generals, you are welcome. Please stand up."
Gu Youan's eyes swept across the generals and finally fell on Zhang Minghui and Gao Jin.
"How is it?" Gu Youan asked about today's naval exercises.
Zhou Qi's face turned unhappy: "All show and no substance."
These four words caused the navy general's expression to change instantly. Gao Jin immediately knelt down and apologized: "It is my fault for arranging the troops improperly and disappointing His Majesty!"
Zhang Minghui's face was red from the sun and looked very ugly. He said, "General Gao mostly listened to me when it came to deploying the navy's troops. I am also guilty."
Seeing Zhou Qi remained silent, Gu Youan smiled and said, "As for me, the assessment of being superficial is accurate, but it's not about deploying troops and forming battle formations."
"What do you mean, Princess?"
Gu Youan said, "Although I didn't watch your entire drill today, I got a rough idea of it. Your deployment drills were nothing more than the first round of archery, quickly approaching the enemy with your ships, then boarding and engaging in close combat with them, or perhaps ramming or setting fire to the ships."
"What's wrong with that?"
Gu Youan looked at Zhou Qi, and Zhou Qi said in a deep voice: "It's not wrong to say so, but this kind of head-on confrontation, even to the point of mutual destruction, will only cause too much loss."
Since the navy was established, it has only dealt with the Japanese and Koreans who intercepted merchant ships. It won easily by using the strong to suppress the weak. However, if it encounters a regular army in the future, there will be no such good luck.
No matter how well the couple governed Songjiang City or how prosperous Dongshan Port was, their territory was so small and their population was so limited, so no matter how much taxes and grain they could collect, there was a limit to how much they could increase.
What's more, the resources of Prince Qi's Mansion must be invested in the Northeast Army and the Yanzhou Army first to prevent the Tatars on the grassland from counterattacking and to guard against the imperial court and the Shen family suddenly taking action against them. This means that the already limited resources of Songjiang City will be even less when they are distributed to the navy.
To put it bluntly, Songjiang City cannot currently afford to maintain too many navies, so the navy of Songjiang City can only take a small and elite route.
"The navy only has so many people. If we ever face the imperial navy, the imperial navy will be completely wiped out by a two-for-one or even three-for-one exchange. Then what is the point of our navy existing?"
"The navy's problem is not how to deploy troops, but how to win every future war where the weak defeats the strong."
Zhang Minghui angrily retorted, "You're forcing me! Throughout history, aside from those naval battles recorded in history where victory was achieved through strategy, when two armies engaged in actual combat on the water, which victory wasn't won at the cost of lives?"
"It's always been this way, right? What are you angry about? Wouldn't it be better to find a way to increase combat effectiveness and reduce casualties?"
"Oh, if there really is a way, it won't be our turn!"
Zhang Minghui was filled with indignation. Gao Jin knew that he was familiar with the temperament of the prince and princess. Now that the princess had spoken like this, she must have some ideas, right?
Gu Youan does have an idea. For long-range attacks, increasing firepower is the most effective!
The use of gunpowder in the Zhou Dynasty was still very rudimentary. There were only firecrackers for the people and explosives for the court, but there was no other development.
Back on shore, the couple took a carriage back to the palace. After a brief discussion, Zhou Qi, though puzzled by her profound knowledge of gunpowder, said, "It would be ideal if the navy could remotely destroy targets on shore from their ships. But as far as I know, even the most skilled artisans in the imperial court's artillery workshops can't produce the kind of ammunition you're describing."
"Let's try it. If we succeed, even if we have to fight the imperial court against our own people, wouldn't it be great to fight foreign enemies in the future?"
She is thinking about the future!
"Developing anything takes time. It takes time, effort, money, and talent. Who knows, one day we might develop something beyond our imagination."
"In ancient times, tribes fought with sticks and stones. Later, they used bronze swords and iron tools. In the future, there will be weapons even more powerful than iron tools. As long as we are one step ahead of the enemy, we can suppress them and be invincible."
"The common people are like ants, seemingly the lowest of the low, but they are precisely the most important. Without a sufficient population and manpower, everything else is meaningless."
"Our lives have been getting better and better over the years, isn't it because more and more people are coming from the interior to open up wasteland and cultivate land outside the Great Wall, and reproduce and thrive?"
"Human resources are very important and must be cherished. Don't waste people on war unless absolutely necessary!"
He supported all the ideas she proposed, but he wanted to know: "Who told you this?"
"Couldn't it be that my father taught me? Couldn't it be that I thought of it myself?"
Zhou Qi smiled and stopped asking questions. He said, "If it was my father-in-law who taught me, then a man of my father-in-law's talent should be invited to be A Yuan's teacher."
He didn't answer her and said that she had her own thoughts. Gu Youan didn't mention it either. He just smiled and said, "Whatever you say, we'll do it."
They have been married for many years, and she understands him as well as he understands her.
The foresight and vision she has demonstrated and the things she has accomplished since she came to power in recent years are beyond the reach of an ordinary girl in the boudoir without the guidance of a famous teacher or scholar, and even the princes and grandchildren taught by famous scholars in the court cannot do it.
He was such a clever man, seeing through things but not saying anything. Now that the conversation had reached this point, he said, "Songjiang City is where it is today, you deserve half the credit. If you ever rule the world, you'll also have half of it."
Gu Youan rolled his eyes at him and said, "Didn't we agree on this before we got married?"
Zhou Qiren lowered her head and laughed. Yes, they had agreed on this before they got married. She didn't want to be just a princess in the harem. She wanted to go out and take power. It was because he agreed to her conditions that they got married.
However, to him, she is not only his partner who goes through thick and thin with him, she is also his spiritual refuge, his wife, and the mother of his children.
He was unwilling to give up and couldn't help but want to ask her, if one day, she had to choose between power and him, who would she choose?
He had to be so proud that he couldn't bring himself to ask such a sour question. Finally, he held his son on his lap and asked her, "A Yuan is your sweetheart, right?"
"I suffered so much to give birth to you, what do you think?" Gu Youan just wanted to roll his eyes.
Zhou Qi smiled and didn't ask any more questions.
No matter what she was hiding from him, in the end, their family of three would never be separated.
After thinking about it again, she still felt unwilling to give up. Only one day would she take the initiative to tell him her secret.
Thinking about something, he unconsciously put more pressure on his hands. Yuan felt hurt by his hug and crawled into his mother's arms using his hands and feet. He raised his wrist to show her with grievance, "It hurts."
Gu Youan glared at Zhou Qi, who smiled and touched his son's wrist: "Blame father, why don't you pinch it back?"
Yuan looked at his father's strong arms, then at his own, and suddenly he bit down.
"ah!"
Zhou Qi was caught off guard and bitten by his son. He cried out in pain, and the guards outside the carriage immediately surrounded it.
"Zhou Yannian, you dare to bite me at such a young age? I'll beat you up!"
When the guards heard the prince scolding his son in the carriage, they quietly retreated.
After inspecting the navy, the couple stayed in Dongshan Port for a few more days, met some people separately, and made some other arrangements before returning to Songjiang City.
Just as not many people knew when they came, not many people knew when they left.
One of Tian Jiaxuan's clerks was checking in at the yamen that morning when he looked up and saw the Governor-General coming out of a street in the north of the city. The Governor-General said to him, "Send a message to the various chambers of commerce later. I'll treat them to tea this afternoon."
The clerk hurriedly asked, "Is that all you are talking about? Does your Excellency have any plans for them?"
"That's all I have to say. When they arrive, I'll explain everything to them."
"yes."
The clerk watched the governor go into the yamen. He went to the gatehouse next to the yamen to call people and arranged for them to convey the governor's words.
Going out to deliver messages for the Governor was the boys' favorite job. Several boys who arrived early rushed out and asked with a smile, "Just saying you're invited for tea? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What should we say if they ask?"
The clerk snorted, "Just go and deliver the message when I tell you to. Why are you asking so many questions? Don't think I don't know that every time you go out to deliver a message, you're accepting bribes."
The boys laughed and said, "We only charge a small amount for tea and water when we run errands. We dare not charge more than that. Please, just pretend you don't know because you feel sorry for us."
The government office has strict supervision, and it is not limited to clerks who have official jobs. Even the cleaners and errand boys in the government office will be in trouble if they are accused of accepting bribes.
Of course, the people in the chambers of commerce in various industries in Dongshan Port are all businessmen. They value the good of everyone and do things decently. They give a little tip to the errand runners, but they will not sue them afterwards.
The clerk ignored them and only scolded them, "Do your job well and don't try to be clever and take advantage of loopholes. A few bonuses that come today and disappear tomorrow versus your long-term job, decide for yourself which is more important."
"Thank you for your guidance. We will remember your kindness."
The clerk didn't need these guys to remember his kindness, as long as they didn't cause him trouble.
Several young men rushed to the Chamber of Commerce to pass on the message. One of them went to the Pharmacy Chamber of Commerce. Shopkeeper He, the Chamber of Commerce's Vice President, happened to be there. He tossed the messenger a handful of money and turned to the other young shopkeepers, saying, "Since you're all here, let's go this afternoon and hear what the Governor has to say. Shopkeeper Han went to Jiangnan a few days ago. Without him, we need to do something."
A small shopkeeper said with a smile, "I heard that you went with Shopkeeper Han to pay a visit to the prince and princess a few days ago. Did you know the inside story a long time ago?"
Shopkeeper He smiled and waved his hand: "We just went to have a meal. When the princess summoned Shopkeeper Han, we were not qualified to go in."
"Everyone, go and do your own thing. Come to the Chamber of Commerce early this afternoon. Let's go to the government office early this afternoon so as not to keep the Governor waiting."
Zhou Qi and his wife came to Dongshan Port. They found that many industries such as pharmacies, shipping companies, and cloth companies had undergone some small changes. The expansion or contraction of business were all adjustments made for the overall development of Songjiang City. Tian Jiaxuan, the governor of Dongshan Port, had to coordinate all parties.
Let’s put the matter of Dongshan Port aside for now. Outside Dongliao City where the Liaodong Army was located, Axuan was about to return to the city after inspecting her land, but was stopped by a group of playboys.
"Hey, that girl over there, I heard you can shoot arrows and hunt?"
"Haha, Mr. Si, she's from Songjiang City. Her last name is Gu. The land we're standing on is hers. It turns out this whole piece of land is ours."
"Miss Gu, you've taken so much of our land and gained so much benefit, but you won't even bother to accompany us hunting and having fun?"
"That's right. All the land under the jurisdiction of our Liaodong Army belongs to us. Even if it's abandoned, there's no reason for outsiders to occupy it."
"Hehe, Miss Gu, you are an outsider, but you don't give us locals face. It's not appropriate."
The dandies blocking the road are all descendants of military generals of the Liaodong Army. These military generals were born and raised here. They can neither hold a sword nor read many books. They have no special skills, but they are good at using their power to suppress others.
The boy in the red robe spoke, and the group of people around him praised him. A Xuan had been to the Liaodong Army many times and had participated in some banquets, but she was not familiar with this person.
It doesn’t matter if you don’t know her. Ah Xuan waved her hand and all the guards followed her around to protect her.
The one called Master Si Er suddenly laughed out loud: "Why, you're trying to scare me with the guards? Do you think I'm frightened by you?"
He excitedly rolled up his sleeves and rushed over, looking like a playboy visiting a brothel and having fun with prostitutes. A Xuan stopped the guard beside her and kicked him away with a kick.
Ah Xuan looked down at the idiot who had fallen unconscious on the ground with a cold gaze: "Tell me your name, surname, and where are you from?"
"Second Master Si, where did you fall? Does it hurt? I'll call a doctor for you!"
The idiot being called Second Master immediately stood up and pointed at Ah Xuan's nose, saying, "Let me tell you, my uncle is the commander-in-chief of the Liaodong Army. Just wait for me. If you offend me, I'll make sure you're in big trouble."
"Oh, I thought you were Bai Shijie's biological son, you're so arrogant!"
Ah Xuan pretended to be confused again: "That's not right, he is Bai Shijie's biological son. The last time they saw me, they had to greet me respectfully. Who do you think you are?"
Ah Xuan clicked her tongue and pointed at the group of people surrounding him, saying, "You're new here, right? You don't know you can't offend me, but don't these people who flatter you know the same thing?"
Si Erlang was furious: "What do you mean, you little bastard?"
A Xuan snorted softly. She would not argue with a fool. She just asked the guards to clear the way and she wanted to go home.
The guards around Axuan were all raised in Prince Qi's Mansion. They were loyal and capable. How could this group of lazy and ignorant playboys be their opponents? Naturally, at the master's command, this group of people were pushed away.
"Just wait for me! I want you to kneel down and kowtow to me and confess your guilt!"
Hearing the incompetent rage of the person behind her, A Xuan rolled her eyes. Who on earth let this idiot out?
A Xuan ignored the man surnamed Si. She felt very aggrieved and just wanted to find someone to support her and seek justice.
You ask how a little girl like her can get justice for herself on someone else's territory?
Hehehe, of course I wrote a letter to complain!
She knew that her sister and brother-in-law were worried about having no excuse to deal with the Bai guy, and this was a good opportunity.
Last year, the Bai family gave her brother-in-law a concubine. A Xuan still remembers this. With new and old grudges added together, she will not give up unless she bites off a piece of meat from the Bai family this time.
She wrote one letter herself, sending it back to Songjiang City and the other to the Yanzhou Army, which was the closest to here.
Zhang Minghui retired from the position of commander-in-chief of the Yanzhou Army, and the former deputy general Liu Baoshu became the commander-in-chief of the Yanzhou Army. Tian Erlang was transferred from the City Defense Army to the Yanzhou Army and parachuted into the vacant position of deputy general.
As soon as she sent a letter to the Yanzhou Army, General Liu would probably know what to do without Tian Erlang's persuasion!
After sending the letter, A Xuan did not go out. She asked the servants to guard the door and wait for the person who supported her to arrive.
Well, she closed the door tightly, but that idiot named Si actually dared to come here.
Ah Xuan sneered, "I was thinking of giving it a couple of days before dealing with him, but he actually dared to come to my door."
"Miss, can I take some people to get him out?"
"No need, just tell him to make a scene. The bigger the better. I'm just worried that I'm not aggrieved enough."
There are many times when the playboys acted up. It was quite novel for them to act so arrogantly and block other girls' doors. As more people came to watch, the news spread.
Others may not know who lives there, but how could the Bai family not know?
Si Er and his men made trouble for less than half an hour before they were taken away by the Bai family.
"Miss, General Bai's grandson Bai Jie has come to apologize on behalf of his cousin."
"not see!"
It's too late to settle things peacefully now!
While eating barbecue, Ah Xuan asked the steward beside her, "I seem to have heard my sister say that she wants to build an official road from Liaodong to Songjiang City?"
The steward lowered his head and smiled, "The princess mentioned this matter last year, but General Bai did not agree."
Ah Xuan smiled and said, "They didn't agree last year, but they might agree this year. We can discuss it slowly."
If the Bai guy doesn't know what's best for him, don't blame them for using force when your sister and brother-in-law are free.
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