Ever since the emperor punished them to study the Book of Rites at the Imperial Academy, the two of them felt sympathy for each other, grew closer and closer, and finally formed an alliance.
The Prince of Jin helped the Fifth Prince ascend the throne, and the Fifth Prince allowed him to smoothly take the position of Prince of Jin, and awarded him an iron hat that would be hereditary, so that all his descendants could be kings.
After the two men reached an agreement, the Prince of Jin gave advice to the Fifth Prince, which not only eliminated the troubles brought about by the Emperor's severe punishment, but also carefully won over a group of court officials, forming a considerable force.
The next step is to find a way to get the Fifth Prince back to the court, to take up a position in one of the six ministries, and to infiltrate the government little by little.
The two discussed for a long time before the Prince of Jin left quietly.
After exiting the back door, an inconspicuous carriage stopped in the alley. The Prince of Jin got on it, and his personal guard quickly served him hot tea and snacks. "Prince, you have worked so hard."
A hint of coldness flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Jin. "Tolerating anger for a moment will earn you a chance to rule the world for the rest of your life. It's worth it."
That’s right, rule the world.
He was a king in his previous life, and in this life he will definitely be able to sit on the throne, rule the world, and make all his subjects kneel at his feet.
In this life, he was not in a hurry to stand out. He built high walls, stored up food, and slowly became king.
He secretly accumulated strength and grew stronger. He had already taken down a group of secret guards under his father's command. The power of Prince Jin's Mansion had fallen into his hands.
However, he did not rush out, but hid behind the Fifth Prince and helped him.
On the surface, those people were recruited by the Fifth Prince, but in fact, he had already used some means to recruit them to his own camp.
It is much more useful to use the name of the Fifth Prince.
He thought he had done it perfectly, but he didn't know that in the distance there was a pair of eyes watching his every move, following him all the way back to Prince Jin's Mansion.
The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.
The back door of the Prince Jin's mansion opened and closed, and several figures flashed out from the darkness. "Keep an eye on it, and let me know if there's any movement."
"Yes, Lord Wei."
Wei Shaohui nodded slightly, turned and left. Before leaving, he looked back.
The Fifth Prince and his gang targeted Mu Wanqing in the court, so he sent people to keep an eye on them secretly. Who could have thought that the Fifth Prince and the Prince of Jin would join forces?
A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Anyone who dared to hurt his savior would be his enemy!
Although, he is just a sharp knife in the emperor's hand and cannot have his own thoughts and feelings.
But...how many people can truly be ruthless and desireless?
The Prince of Jin did not alarm anyone in the mansion and quietly entered the outer study. This was his forbidden area and not even the Prince's wife could enter without his permission.
In the study, a slender and beautiful figure came out to greet him, "Prince, you are back."
It was Mu Jinyao. She had an awkward status and was ostracized in the backyard, so she asked to serve in the outer study.
Here, she can live in peace.
She stepped forward to help the Prince of Jin change out of his going clothes and put on light home clothes. She served him tea and water, and was extremely gentle and considerate.
Looking at the busy woman, a hint of tenderness flashed in the eyes of Prince Jin. This was his queen, the woman who had been with him through thick and thin, never left him, and who had gathered the strength of the entire family to help him ascend to the throne.
However, a figure flashed through his mind, "Today in the hall, Mu Wanqing was named the county lady."
Mu Jinyao was stunned for a moment, a trace of confusion appeared on his face, "What did she do again?"
The Prince of Jin stared at her closely and said, "You have done a great service by presenting cotton cloth. Do you know what cotton cloth is?"
"Cotton? Is it new fabric? What's so special about it?" Mu Jinyao's mind raced. What was the prince suspecting? Could it be a recipe passed down from the Mu family?
The Prince of Jin smiled bitterly. He knew that Mu Jinyao was devoted to him and would rather give up the official status and follow him, but sometimes he couldn't help comparing.
"You are very smart, but unfortunately..." There is another Mu Wanqing who is smarter than her.
Mu Jinyao looked hurt, but he had to put on a smile, "I'm too stupid to help you. If I had sister Wanqing's ability, the credit would go to you."
"People who are too smart don't have a good ending. You are just right." The Prince of Jin hugged her lovingly, "The ideas you usually give me are good and help me a lot."
Although Mu Jinyao looks delicate and weak, she has a sharp mind and helps him take down old-timers in officialdom one by one.
He had the memories of his previous life, so he naturally knew the shameful privacy of those officials. He used them to blackmail them and gathered a group of forces in just half a year.
"I don't have any ability. The prince gave me face and praised me a few words. I know myself well." Mu Jinyao blushed and hugged him shyly. "The wise and heroic prince is the smartest person in the world. I will always follow you and accompany you. We will never be separated in this life."
The affectionate words touched the Prince of Jin very much, "Okay, we will never be separated."
"Have you figured out a way to deal with Mu Wanqing?"
The body buried in his arms froze, and Mu Jinyao pursed her lips. This bastard. "She doesn't seem to have any weaknesses, and it's hard to control her because she's thousands of miles away. How about I try to write to her and recruit her secretly?"
"This girl is unruly and will easily backfire." The Prince of Jin always felt that Mu Wanqing, who was thousands of miles away, was a stumbling block on his path to becoming the emperor. This feeling made him feel like a thorn in his throat. "If you can't get her, destroy her and find someone to assassinate her."
Mu Jinyao's eyes flashed with surprise, "Assassination is not the style of a king, right? Moreover, she is just a woman, she can't affect the overall situation, why do you keep thinking about her?"
"What are you thinking about? Nonsense." The voice of the Prince of Jin rose inexplicably and he pushed the woman in his arms away.
But he soon realized his mistake, "I just hate her so much that I want to kill her when I hear her name. People who achieve great things don't care about small details, so I'll do it."
Mu Jinyao stared at him blankly. Was he particularly annoying?! He really should look in the mirror to see his expression at this moment!
"I'm tired, take a rest." Prince Jin fell asleep on the bed impatiently, his mind a little confused.
He tried hard to think about serious matters, such as, when did the prince die suddenly from the poison?
If I remember correctly, it was on New Year’s Eve this year!
After that, the kings fought for the throne, and a great war broke out.
He has to make all preparations in advance, fish in troubled waters, and survive to the end.
The ever-changing and complicated situation in the capital city has no impact on Mu Wanqing in Liangcheng.
Mu Wanqing is very busy every day and starts recruiting people as soon as she comes back.
The military grain shop asked Mu Ji to take over. It was his first time to take charge of the business alone and he felt a lot of pressure. However, everything was on the right track and Mu Wanqing was by his side. He could ask her if he didn't understand anything.
Soon, he got the hang of it and managed the job properly.
Mu Wanqing brought up a retired soldier named Liu Darong, who worked very hard and had a good brain, but had a disability in his feet.
With a chief and a deputy in charge, Mu Wanqing no longer has to worry about the military grain shop.
As for the account books, there is no need to worry about them. They are managed by professionals. Mu Wanqing is an expert at these and nothing can be hidden from her eyes.
Mu Zhong finally breathed a sigh of relief and only had to take care of the farm affairs.
As for the wool workshop, they need to recruit a group of clever and skillful women, both married and unmarried.
As the news spread, Shuimu Farm was crowded with people.
Mu Wanqing was recruiting personally, and it was quite difficult to find people. How should I put it? Knitting is a delicate job, but many women's hands are extremely rough and will damage the yarn.
But these days, this is what the hands of poor people look like.
She simply made some hand ointment and gave a spoonful of it to each applicant for the job to rub on their hands. Everyone was amazed, and when they heard that those who had not been hired had also received the ointment, they became even more excited.
The Lord of Qingping Township is a good person.
The content of Mu Wanqing's assessment was very simple. She asked everyone to try weaving on the spot, hand in the finished products, and keep the good ones.
Those who are strong and honest can stay and do other work, such as carrying and logistics.
“Is there anyone who can read?”
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads. The literary culture in Xiliang was not strong, and not many boys went to school, let alone girls.
Mu Wanqing knew this would happen, and she was not disappointed. "I need someone who can manage things, do statistics and reports, and understand the announcements from above. All of these require people who can read. Of course, the salary is twice that of ordinary workers."
Ordinary workers would receive twenty coins a day for completing fixed tasks. If they completed more than that, they would be paid by piecework. If they worked hard, they could receive one or two ounces of silver a month.
This is a sky-high price.
The salary for grassroots management is one tael of silver, for middle-level management it is two taels of silver, and for senior management it is five taels of silver.
When everyone heard this, they were extremely envious, but what could they do since they couldn't read?
Seeing this, Mu Wanqing threw out a bait, "I will organize a literacy class. Anyone who is interested can come and listen. Those who pass my assessment within a month will be directly promoted to grassroots management."
She is willing to give them a chance to learn to be self-reliant and survive in the world on their own.
Sure enough, who can resist the temptation of money?
Everyone joined the literacy class with great enthusiasm while working. It was difficult at the beginning, but what could be more difficult than going hungry?
A month later, several women successfully passed Mu Wanqing's assessment, became team leaders, and were scattered to various departments.
Mu Wanqing deliberately built a high wall between the workshop area and the farm, so that they were independent and did not affect each other.
Each workshop is also separated and strictly controlled. After all, secrets are everywhere.
A set of samples of sweaters, trousers, gloves, socks and scarves were sent to Du Shuai's residence as holiday gifts, and Du Shuai and his wife, Du Shaoxuan and the two young ladies all received some.
After trying them on, Commander Du made the decision on the spot and placed an order for 50,000 sets for his soldiers to wear. These clothes are closer fitting and warmer than reed fluff.
As soon as Mrs. Du and Miss Du appeared in social occasions wearing sweaters, they immediately attracted the attention of the upper class and were scrambled to buy them.
The Mu family members will not treat themselves badly after making money, and everyone has two sets of gold.
With everyone wearing this at the snack street, it became a beautiful sight, and diners naturally wanted to ask about it.
This has triggered another wave of buying frenzy.
There is no worry about sales, the only worry is lack of manpower, and this is even before opening a store.
When Mr. Mu came back from Ganzhou, he found that his daughter's business was booming and the sweaters were in short supply.
“Qing’er, we still have to recruit people. It would be nice if we could weave it into pieces casually.”
He just said it casually, but it made Mu Wanqing suddenly enlightened.
Ah, how could she have forgotten the knitting machine and the twisting machine? She had seen them in the cashmere shop.
She tried hard to recall, drew a few drawings, and asked the blacksmith to make them according to them.
While he was busy, the servant came to report, "The young general is here."
Mu Wanqing was stunned for a moment, and almost forgot there was such a person. She was too lazy to change clothes, so she just washed her face and went out.
In the living room, the young man stood straight, looking out the window with a serious expression.
Hearing the noise, he turned back suddenly, his eyes sparkling and surprisingly bright. "Wanqing, I'm back."
Mu Wanqing looked at him for a few times. He looked exhausted. Hasn't he gone home yet? "Why are you here?"
Du Shaoxuan's smile fell, "Are you not welcome? I'll come to see you as soon as I get back."
"How could that be? I'm so happy." Mu Wanqing smiled and asked him to sit down. The servants brought him tea and snacks and were busy.
Mu Wanqing gave the order, "Come here, ask the kitchen to make spicy hot pot and roujiamo, add more braised meat, and cut a few more plates of braised food."
"yes."
These were all Du Shaoxuan's favorite foods. A smile appeared on his face. "I also want to eat the bone noodle soup you made yourself."
Mu Wanqing hadn't cooked in person for a long time. "Why are you so picky?"
"No?" Du Shaoxuan looked at her steadily, seeming a little aggrieved.
"Sure, why not?" Mu Wanqing stood up, "I'll cook right away..."
Du Shaoxuan smiled and stopped her, "Sit down first, let's chat for a while, there's no rush to eat noodles."
Mu Wanqing was a little speechless. What was going on? One moment he wanted to eat, and the next moment he said he was in no hurry.
The two of them chatted about all sorts of things, without any sense of strangeness, and remained cordial and friendly.
Du Shaoxuan's heart gradually calmed down. She had a special calm temperament that made people want to get closer to her involuntarily.
"Why don't you ask me where I've been these past few months?"
Mu Wanqing was silent for a moment. "I'm not interested in catching spies. This is a secret of the court. Don't tell me."
"I've traveled to all the border checkpoints and run myself to pieces. It's so tiring," Du Shaoxuan was sent out to gain some experience. As the successor of the Du family army, Commander Du hoped that his son would be able to do more than just fighting.
"But I didn't forget to bring you a gift. Do you like it?"
With a wave of his hand, he casually brought in large boxes and lined them up in a row. It was quite a spectacular sight.
Mu Wanqing took a few glances and saw that they were local specialties and clothing materials, but the quantity was a bit too much. Did he collect them in every place he went to?
"I like it. I like anything you give me." She likes it as long as it's a gift from someone else.
She did not refuse, but accepted it generously. After all, she had enough money to return the gift.
Du Shaoxuan was very happy to see her so frank. This meant she was not being shy with him.
Mu Wanqing suddenly remembered something, "You haven't returned home yet, so you must not have seen the sweaters and trousers I sent to your house? They are so warm to wear next to your skin..."
Du Shaoxuan glanced at her and pretended to be nonchalant, "I won't wear underwear knitted by other women."
Mu Wanqing rolled her eyes. When she first read Dream of the Red Chamber, she wondered what was wrong with these noblemen because Jia Baoyu refused to wear other people’s needlework.
Aren’t they all the same?
Du Shaoxuan pursed his lips slightly, "What do you mean? Are you cursing me in your heart?"
Mu Wanqing was a little perfunctory, "How could that be? We are friends."
Friendship is a relationship of mutual tolerance and interdependence.
Du Shaoxuan looked at her steadily, his eyes as dark as ink, "Then knit me a set. I want a sweater, trousers, scarf, hat, socks, and gloves."
Mu Wanqing: ...What medicine did he take wrongly?
"Do you know how long it takes to knit a set of sweaters and pants? A fast worker would take a few days, a slow worker would take ten days or half a month, and that's if I don't do other work. I'm so busy, how can I have the time? The two sets of sweaters and pants I gave to my parents were not knitted by me."
"But I still want it!" Du Shaoxuan was extremely persistent, his pair of black pupils looking at her intently.
Mu Wanqing felt that there was something strange about his return this time, as if he had changed a little, but she couldn't tell what had changed.
“You’re a little bit taciturn…” She started to speak, but she was stunned when she saw her own reflection in his focused pupils.
He...he wouldn't do that?
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