Gu Yaoniang and Lu Zhaoan exchanged a glance. Gu Yaoniang then stood up and recounted to Prince Qing all the effort they had put into the paper, ink, brushes, and seals.
Upon hearing such a meticulous plan, Zhang Wushan couldn't help but murmur in admiration, "Brilliant! Brilliant!"
But he was glared at by the warehouse manager, and only then did he realize his lapse in composure. Zhang Wushan quickly shrank back to his seat, keeping his eyes down and remaining as docile as a quail.
Gu Yaoniang noticed this series of actions out of the corner of her eye and couldn't help but chuckle to herself.
"So, you're saying that no other family can produce the same pearl brocade as your Gu family?"
Prince Qing asked.
Gu Yaoniang replied loudly, "Pearl Xuan is the Gu family's secret technique, and no one else can make it."
She raised her eyebrows, revealing an unusual smugness.
Prince Qing clapped his hands, and without asking Gu Yaoniang, said directly to the officials of the Ministry of Revenue: "The Gu family should submit the papermaking method to the Ministry of Revenue. The official commercial notes should still be made of pearl Xuan paper. Wouldn't that be better?"
The moment those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall became subtly tense.
Gu Yaoniang's smile instantly froze, as if it were stuck on her face. The officials from the Ministry of Revenue exchanged strange glances. Every business had its own secret techniques, which they considered confidential and never shared with outsiders. These were the foundation of their survival in the prosperous business world.
Gu Yaoniang had previously made it clear that this was a top-secret method of the Gu family, and that the Pearl Scroll was exclusively used by the Gu family.
If the Gu family were to easily hand over such a closely guarded secret, wouldn't they be cutting off their own source of income and making unreasonable demands? I wonder if His Highness Prince Qing truly doesn't know the value of the secret recipe, or if he's deliberately making things difficult for the Gu family?
In a short while, the crowd exchanged glances back and forth several times.
Seeing that no one dared to answer, and seemingly unaware of the situation, Prince Qing smiled amiably at Gu Yaoniang: "What does Lady Gu think?"
Gu Yaoniang was momentarily flustered, still somewhat bewildered by Prince Qing's almost outright demand. However, Prince Qing now represented the imperial court, and since he had spoken, the Gu family, though unwilling, dared not refuse outright.
Most of the people around him were watching with amusement. Zhang Wushan, who had spoken earlier, hesitated and tried to step forward again, but was glared at by his superior and forced to shut up.
Lu Zhaoan felt sorry for Gu Yaoniang and was about to help her out of the predicament when Gu Yaoniang spoke up on her own.
She maintained a perfectly measured smile and calmly replied, "If needed, the Gu family's pearl paper will certainly be provided. Just let me know how much the yamen needs, and after discussing it with my second uncle at home, I will expedite the process and produce all the required pearl paper."
Lu Zhaoan secretly admired Gu Yaoniang's quick wit. In her words, she transformed Prince Qing's request for the pearl-making technique into the offering of pearl-making paper. And her words were so respectful. She certainly lived up to her usual haggling manner with him.
Prince Qing looked at Gu Yaoniang with a half-smile. Gu Yaoniang cursed him inwardly for being disrespectful before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
Seeing that Gu Yaoniang's expression was genuinely sincere, Prince Qing did not press the matter further. However, some minor officials near the Ministry of Revenue, in an attempt to curry favor with Prince Qing and gain his favor, made some rather sarcastic remarks.
-
Gu Xingzhi pondered to himself, remaining silent for a moment.
By this time, Gu Yaoniang had passed her initial indignation and was no longer impatient. She had already explained what had happened that day, and seeing that Gu Xingzhi was already thinking things through, she picked up the oil paper package, sat down in the rocking chair beside the table, and appeared quite leisurely.
The rocking chair was spacious and covered with a thick bearskin. Although it was soft, it felt somewhat stuffy in this late spring and early summer.
Gu Yaoniang shifted her legs, changed direction, and continued to lean back lazily, trying her best to cool herself down, but she was reluctant to get up from the rocking chair.
Gu Xingzhi then asked a question that had little to do with today's events: "What is your current relationship with Princess Ruining?"
Gu Yaoniang swallowed the plum-scented cake with difficulty, thinking to herself, "The plum-scented cake is still as fragrant and dry as ever."
Unfortunately, there was no teacup at hand, so she paused to let her mouth moisten before casually replying, "It's fine."
Gu Xingzhi stared at her intently, making her feel somewhat guilty.
“You should know that our family is different from the Lu family; we are just an ordinary merchant family. We should not get involved in things we shouldn’t be involved in. There are some things we should just pretend we don’t know. The Gu family doesn’t need to get involved, nor does it have the capital to do so.”
Gu Yaoniang pursed her lips and remained silent. Her gaze remained fixed on a certain point in the void, unmoving.
She didn't know what her second uncle knew, but she vaguely guessed that what he was talking about must be the widely discussed struggle for the throne.
It's not really a contest for the throne, since the sage is currently in his prime.
However, the Emperor clearly favored Princess Ruining, but since female emperors have been few and far between throughout history, the court officials naturally preferred Prince Qing, Zhao Yang.
Zhao Yang knew that as a man, he had innate advantages that his sister, Princess Ruining, could never have.
He was also trying to win over the Sacred Heart, wanting his father to see his reliability and talent as the heir.
Gu Xingzhi received no response from her, so he raised his voice: "Do you understand?"
Gu Yaoniang, however, straightened her posture and tried to maintain her composure in the rocking chair. Her eyes were still not on Gu Xingzhi, but on a certain point in the void, as if she were lost in thought or staring intently.
She asked, "Second Uncle, do you remember how Aunt died?"
Gu Xingzhi's heart skipped a beat! A look of panic flashed in his eyes.
He stared intently at the girl before him, his heart pounding with anxiety, waiting for her to continue her story.
Gu Yaoniang said softly, "My aunt took care of me the most since I was little. But I don't know when it started, she stopped recognizing me. I heard my mother say that she was betrayed by the person she loved and went insane."
But I was only three years old when my aunt was my first teacher. My father, who handled many matters at the government office, would sometimes consult my aunt. My aunt was clearly very talented, but because of her marriage, she was confined to the inner quarters of the household. There were also rumors circulating that my aunt, being of advanced age and still unmarried, must have some hidden illness.
"Is your aunt unable to get married? No, she doesn't want to get married!"
Gu Xingzhi's eyes were red, his breathing was rapid, and he spoke angrily.
“I know. Aunt doesn’t want to get married, but the rumors outside are nasty, so Father won’t let her go out. But not wanting to get married and not wanting to get married are different. If it’s a man, he has great ambitions if he doesn’t want to get married because he has not yet had the chance to use his talents, but a woman seems to only want one person in her life. Second Uncle, this is not fair.”
If my aunt had been born after the new policies were implemented, she would have had a vast and promising future. If she didn't wish to marry, she could have registered her own household. She wouldn't have died so tragically!
Gu Yaoniang's voice sounded calm, but it clearly carried a hint of ruthlessness and urgency.
She still remembered the resentful look in her aunt's eyes before she died.
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