Tongyu was startled and immediately tried to pull himself back, but his head hit the ground with a loud thud, making him wince in pain.
Gu Qingqing was speechless. If she had known her younger sister was so "lively," she would never have brought her out.
Why make a fool of yourself!
Jiayin actually really liked Tongyu's lively personality. After all, she had seen too many well-behaved young ladies in Tianwu, and there were very few people with such genuine personalities.
But she couldn't say that; she could only try to persuade Gu Qingqing.
"Sister Gu, don't be angry. Sister Tongyu probably knows that we get along well and don't stand on ceremony, so she's more relaxed."
Gu Qingqing felt a little better. "Luckily it was here with you, otherwise, if Meng Lang's reputation spread, how would she ever get married!"
Tongyu shrank his neck, not daring to speak, but his eyes couldn't help but look out the window.
Jiayin was curious and took the opportunity to peek at it while pouring tea.
It turned out that a few refugees were causing trouble, and Jia'an was dealing with it with his soldiers.
It was rare to see Jia An with a stern face and an official air, so the refugees were still unconvinced. They only calmed down after he glared at them fiercely a few times.
Jiayin frowned, thinking that she should remind her second uncle and brother a few more things.
In times of chaos, harsh measures are necessary!
Even with the heart of a Bodhisattva, one must also have the methods of a Vajra!
If we simply try to appease and appease more than 10,000 refugees, things will inevitably descend into chaos.
This combination of carrot and stick approach is the best management method...
After sitting for a while, the Gu family's grain cart arrived.
Just then, Li Lao Er arrived with the Crown Prince.
I heard that the Gu family donated 500 dan of grain, and the Crown Prince made a special visit to the Gu Qingqing and Tongyu sisters.
Tongyu was very excited. After returning home for a few days, he kept hearing how handsome the Crown Prince was and how talented he was in both literature and martial arts.
Now we've finally seen one alive!
Gu Qingqing was more worried than excited, naturally fearing that her younger sister would be disrespectful in front of the Crown Prince and cause trouble for the family.
What I fear even more is... what I fear even more is that my younger sister has caught the Crown Prince's eye!
It's not that my family looks down on the Crown Prince, it's just that if my younger sister were to enter the palace, our family would be implicated and wiped out within three months!
Fortunately, the Crown Prince only praised the Gu family for their benevolence and righteousness, and instructed the two sisters to convey his regards to Old Master Gu.
Gu Qingqing was delighted and quickly took her younger sister and said goodbye to go home to report the news.
Having obtained the crown prince would be a compliment to the next emperor, ensuring the Gu family's peace of mind for twenty years.
As a result, the Gu family's carriage had just left when the Jia family's carriage arrived.
Madam Jia the Second brought Baozhu with her, and also came to donate grain and goods.
However, unlike the others, they had heard that Jiayin was outside the city and specifically wanted to meet her.
Baozhu jumped out of the car like a little cannonball and hugged Jiayin's arm.
"Sister Jiayin, I've missed you so much, it's been so many days!"
Before Jiayin could speak, she noticed the Crown Prince standing to the side and casually added, "Oh, Steward Gu is here too!"
Madam Jia, who was a few steps behind her daughter, was so frightened by these words that she almost fainted.
That's the Crown Prince, the second most honorable person in the land. How could he possibly want to hear about his past as a steward?
To everyone's surprise, the Crown Prince didn't seem to mind at all. Instead, he smiled and said, "Miss Baozhu, it's been a long time, and you're still as straightforward as ever."
Baozhu realized that she had spoken too quickly.
At this moment, she blushed slightly, sidled up behind Jiayin, and apologized softly, "Your Highness, please don't be offended, I didn't think too much for a moment..."
Madam Jia the Second also rushed over and quickly bowed and apologized.
Jiayin could tell that the Crown Prince wasn't truly angry, so she changed the subject and asked, "Why did the Second Madam bring Baozhu with her?"
Madam Jia quickly said, "I heard that the Earl has taken on the job of taking care of the refugees, and since we happen to have some surplus grain at home, I thought I'd send it over. Even if it can't be of much help, it's still my way of doing my part."
"What a wonderful example of doing one's utmost!" The Crown Prince nodded and replied, "If everyone in the new capital were like Madam Jia, what need would there be for the refugees to be restless, or for Tianwu to be unsettled?"
"Your Highness is too kind. This humble woman is ignorant of world affairs and simply cannot bear to see the people suffer." Madam Jia was moved by what she heard, but she still kept a very humble attitude.
The Crown Prince didn't say anything more, but instructed Jiayin, "Princess, please keep an eye out for me. When Miss Baozhu gets married, I will also send a dowry gift."
Madam Jia was overjoyed, and all her composure vanished.
She immediately knelt down and kowtowed to express her gratitude.
Her daughter is the apple of her eye; by the time they get married, the crown prince will probably have already ascended the throne.
That was a dowry gift bestowed by the Emperor!
Even if my daughter marries into the family of the Minister of Revenue, she won't be afraid of being bullied.
His back must be ramrod straight, and no one would dare to underestimate him!
Baozhu was confused, but she knew that the Crown Prince would support her, so she followed suit and bowed.
The crown prince nodded and followed Li Lao Er to wander around.
Madam Jia Er stood up, took Jia Yin's hand, and remained silent for a long time.
Jiayin understood her pains and joys as a mother all too well.
Baozhu, however, grumbled from the side, "Your Highness would be better off bestowing some good things upon me right away. My engagement is still far from being finalized, so who knows when we'll be able to get married!"
Enraged, Madam Jia raised her hand and gave her daughter a light tap on the head, though she didn't hit her hard because she felt sorry for her.
"You silly girl, you're going to drive me crazy! Do you think the dowry gifts the Crown Prince gave you at your wedding are the same as the rewards he's giving you now?"
Baozhu covered her head and shrank back, once again using Jiayin as a shield.
Jiayin was helpless. She used to think that she was a troublemaker, but now she suddenly felt very proud!
Compared to Tongyu and Baozhu from the Gu family, she was incredibly sensible and well-behaved...
There are over ten thousand refugees here, and although there are soldiers protecting them, it is still not considered safe.
Some of the refugees, perhaps having eaten their fill, finally had some free time and began staring intently at the women.
His eyes seemed to have hooks, as if he wanted to strip the woman naked.
So when Madam Jia and Baozhu returned to the city, Jia'an also sent his younger sister back with them.
Jiayin obediently listened, since she couldn't be of much help here anyway.
Of course, she didn't know that after she and the Jia family's carriage left, those few unfriendly-looking refugees were sent to fetch water.
This is a good job, because there are very few wells outside the city with a good water supply.
To fetch water, one had to follow a horse-drawn cart into the city, carry buckets of water from a shared deep well, fill them into large water tanks, and then haul them back to the refugee camp.
There are many noble people in the city. If you happen to meet one of them and he takes a good deed, he might throw you a few pieces of silver, which would be enough for a refugee to eat well for several days.
As a result, people were fighting tooth and nail almost every day for those few dozen spots.
Unfortunately, there are always exceptions.
Several refugees followed the carriage happily, but somehow they were kept a few steps behind by the veteran soldiers accompanying the carriage.
They were so engrossed in admiring the bustling city that by the time they came to their senses, the carriage had already driven far away.
The group was terrified and frantically searched everywhere.
At this moment, a noble young man appeared out of nowhere, dressed in silk robes and waving a gilded fan in his hand.
As fate would have it, a refugee bumped into a wealthy young man and stepped on the gilded fan.
"Oh dear, my fan! This is a fan for which I commissioned a famous calligrapher to inscribe it!" the wealthy young man cried out, heartbroken as if he had lost a family heirloom.
His servants and guards immediately surrounded the refugees.
"Where do you think you're going! You've caused a huge disaster, and you still think you can run away!"
"Yes, come with us to the yamen (government office) and they must be punished!"
Today's update is here!
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