Song He'er didn't want to reveal Jiang Huaifu's name so abruptly, but now she had no other choice but to persuade them quickly so that things could proceed more smoothly in the future.
"Before I say anything, I must make one serious point: don't get any wild ideas. We are just friends, and right now we are in a relationship of mutual exploitation."
Qin Xiaoniang was slightly taken aback, but replied with an air of knowing, "I know who you're talking about. It's that prince from Xizhou. He's come looking for you again."
Zhang Xiue exclaimed in surprise, "It's him! What's this man doing in Nanzhao? Why isn't he enjoying his wealth and luxury in the palace in Xizhou? What is he doing here?"
"So, that's why I'm here to explain this to you today."
Zhang Xiue could no longer contain her impatience. "Tell me quickly, I'm listening!"
Song He'er coughed lightly and continued, "It's a long story. Although he is a prince of Xizhou, he has many difficulties. The current queen does not truly care for him, so... he left and made a living in Nanzhao."
"That's strange. Isn't he the Queen's biological son? Wouldn't she love her own son?" Qin Xiaoniang asked.
"He has an older brother, and after his death, she only saw this youngest son as her sole hope. Who wouldn't be heartbroken? He never felt any maternal love growing up, and now he's being used as a tool by others. He's a living, breathing person with his own thoughts, and naturally, he doesn't want to live a life of subservience..."
Song He'er was surprised that she suddenly had so many words to help Jiang Huaifu out of his predicament. In the past, she would never have been able to empathize with him and would have just thought that he was making trouble for no reason.
Qin Xiaoniang sighed, "There are many concubines and illegitimate sons in the palace. If the Queen does not hold onto her only son, then the throne may very well fall into the hands of someone else in the future."
"He didn't care about any of that; he just felt that living that kind of unrestrained life in Nanzhao was much more pleasant."
Zhang Xiu'e smiled and replied, "I think our He'er also wants to live that kind of carefree life, right? Well then, since he is willing to help us, and we happen to need help, let's go with it. But we can't take advantage of him for nothing. We should give him every penny of the money he earns, and as a reward, we can repay him more in the future when we have saved up some money."
Song Xiaoyu waved his hand, "When have we ever shortchanged him? We always exchanged money for goods on the spot. When his goods are delivered to Nanzhao, they can naturally fetch a high price."
Song Xiaoyu did not understand Jiang Huaifu's character; he was merely judging him based on a businessman's mindset.
Song He'er wasn't stupid. When she was browsing the market in Nanzhao, she had already inquired about the prices of those items. She knew that everyday handicrafts like folding fans and paper umbrellas could be distinguished by color and quality, and even the worst of them could sell for more than ten coins.
Furthermore, the currencies of Nanzhao and the Central Plains were interchangeable because the two countries had frequent contact and merchants often traveled between the north and south, resulting in some flexibility in the exchange of money.
They could use the currency of the Central Plains in Nanzhao, and they could also use the currency of Nanzhao in the Central Plains. This was undoubtedly a huge temptation for them.
Compared to the Western Continent, where currency is not widely accepted, this is a much better place to settle down.
Thinking about it this way, Jiang Huaifu used cheap labor to earn a profit of no less than ten coins per umbrella from them, after deducting the cost of the raw materials.
"Third Uncle is right. We didn't take his money for nothing before. He did very meticulous work. He'll definitely fetch a good price when he gets to Nanzhao."
Although Zhang Xiue was happy to hear this, she couldn't help but feel sorry for Jiang Huaifu.
"He's just giving up all that wealth. He needs money to make a living in Nanzhao, doesn't he?"
Song He'er nodded. "Of course, he is a very ambitious person. Although he took some money with him when he left, he was not as respectable as when he was a prince. He had to start all over again, so he is now studying business matters diligently."
Song Xiaoyu nodded with an admiring expression, "Nanzhao is famous for its business, otherwise how could it be so wealthy? The prince that He'er knows is a person with vision and knowledge."
The people standing by didn't say much, only responding intermittently. After all, as servants, Li Qiang and Tian Niangzi had no right to interfere with their master's decisions.
Ruizhen arrived halfway through her journey and was unaware of what had happened before, so she could only listen passively.
"So, does He'er mean we should escape to Nanzhao?" Qin Xiaoniang asked in a low voice.
Song He'er made a shushing gesture. "There are still many things that need to be done. We need someone to keep us informed of the situation with the officers and soldiers. We have to wait patiently. Also, I have to cross the river from time to time to check things out for us."
Song Xiaoyu was a prudent and cautious person. When he heard Song He'er say this, he immediately nodded in agreement.
“She’s right. Things are not settled yet, so we must not be impatient. We need to bribe not only the soldiers guarding the city, but also the government officials above us. However, we will owe them a lot of money again.”
Song He'er knew, of course, that these things required money, but she had already given Jiang Huaifu a priceless hairpin, so it wasn't wrong for her to ask him for a favor now.
"Uncle, don't worry. We'll pay him back when we make money in the future."
"Also, you absolutely mustn't let Song Xiaoqi find out. That old fox is very shrewd. He already knew you had dealings with this prince from the Western Continent. He brought it up that day to warn you. I'm really afraid he'll ruin things," Song Xiaoyu reminded her.
"Don't worry, when we leave, we'll pull a fast one and escape!"
"Shedding its skin like a cicada?"
"We're just pretending to be dead, spreading the word that we all burned to death because we didn't start the fire properly. Anyway, nobody really cares about our lives."
Zhang Xiue laughed loudly, "You little rascal, you really have a lot of ideas. I never saw you have this kind of courage back in the General's Mansion. Xiao He'er, who do you take after?"
"I naturally follow my mother's example!"
Song He'er changed her address, replacing "little lady" with "mother." Ever since she obtained Song Xiaoqi's discarded book, she was no longer someone's concubine, but a respectable woman with a straight haircut.
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