Lu Zhaoan was also shocked, his face filled with disbelief: "You didn't ask for money?"
At this moment, the two were like two scholars who, after finishing the imperial examination, couldn't wait to exchange their approaches to solving the problem as soon as they left the examination hall. However, despite being highly regarded talents by their teachers, they discovered that their approaches to solving the problem were completely opposite.
The complexity of my feelings at this moment is self-evident.
The dishes have been served, and the room is filled with their delicious aroma.
Looking at the delicious food that usually makes one's mouth water, Gu Yaoniang couldn't muster the slightest desire to eat it.
“His Highness Prince Qing asked us to provide the prescription. He didn’t mention money at all. I went home and told my second uncle. He said that since Prince Qing has asked, we can’t hold onto the money. We might as well just give it to him and get something else we want in return.”
"So, the Gu family doesn't want money?"
At this moment, Gu Yaoniang felt that Lu Zhaoan deserved a beating.
She glared at Lu Zhaoan and snorted, "Of course I want to! But you know perfectly well that honest people like us don't think about those things."
Lu Zhaoan remained silent for a moment.
The second master of the Gu family seems to have nothing to do with honesty and integrity. Building a family fortune from scratch is not something that a truly honest person could achieve solely through skill.
Gu Yaoniang seemed oblivious to Lu Zhaoan's silence and continued, "The Gu family is short-sighted and only cares about empty titles, so they asked His Highness Prince Qing for the title of 'Imperial Merchant'."
Lu Zhaoan paused.
Imperial Merchants... More than a century has passed since the founding of the dynasty. There are countless merchants throughout the land, but in the past, only the Xu family in the south of the previous dynasty had ever held this title.
The Xu family produced a stunning beauty who became famous in the capital and caught the eye of the emperor. In order to win her favor and to take care of the Xu family members, but also to uphold ancestral precepts and promote them to the court, the emperor devised the idea of creating a royal merchant.
The Xu family was initially somewhat dissatisfied. They had sent a daughter into the palace, but hadn't received any real benefits in return. No matter how they thought about it, they felt they had lost out.
But the common people didn't care about any of that. As soon as the plaque designating the Xu family as imperial merchants was bestowed, the people all felt that the Xu family had gained the approval of the imperial family. The Xu family was a family that had produced empresses, so anything sold by the Xu family was considered good, something that even the imperial family would use.
If I buy it myself, then I'll be using the same things as the masters in the palace. Even if I can't be a noble person, can't I at least eat the same food and use the same things as them?
The Xu family immediately made a fortune.
The merchants then realized the benefits of the title "Imperial Merchant." Although it wasn't a reward in gold or silver, it could bring them real money.
The merchants all envied the Xu family's good fortune.
It's not that no one wants to obtain the title of Imperial Merchant again. But unfortunately, fifty or sixty years have passed, and since the Xu family, there has been no Imperial Merchant.
Unfortunately, the empress in the palace could not maintain her favor, and the Xu family neglected the education of their younger generation, leading to the gradual decline of their business. People gradually forgot about the incident.
Now, when Lu Zhaoan talks about it, he is filled with mixed feelings.
"The title of Imperial Merchant is much more valuable than the money received each time."
Lu Zhaoan's comments were very insightful.
Gu Yaoniang suppressed the faint pain on her face and revealed a hint of smugness: "Of course."
Lu Zhaoan suddenly found the scene before him quite amusing and couldn't help but tease her, "Even so, not getting the silver is indeed a loss."
Gu Yaoniang's smile vanished, and she ignored him.
A faint smile appeared on Gu Xingzhi's face.
"By the way, how about we go boating on the lake during summer vacation?"
Gu Yaoniang suddenly realized that in just a few days, it would be summer vacation again.
Time really flies.
"Why are we going boating on the lake again? Didn't you say we were going to your village?"
Gu Yaoniang felt that she must have remembered correctly. She was not so incomprehensible as to have forgotten these things.
Lu Zhaoan seemed to be secretly smiling: "Yes. There is a lake behind the manor, which is perfect for boating on the lake in the summer, so I thought I'd go and take a look at the lake."
Gu Yaoniang was indifferent: "Since we're going to your estate, I'll do as you please."
At this moment, she remembered that she had promised Lu Zhao'an that she would go with Princess Ruining.
"Will the princess be going that day?"
Lu Zhaoan tilted his head to the side, so Gu Yaoniang couldn't see his face clearly. Before Lu Zhaoan could answer, Gu Yaoniang sighed softly again: "She's been quite busy lately, hasn't she? I originally wanted to ask her what she thought, and I asked someone to look for her several times, but she wasn't in the manor."
Lu Zhaoan didn't hear what she said clearly, only vaguely hearing her say that Princess Ruining had been busy lately. Gu Yaoniang didn't see his expression, only hearing him say, "She is somewhat busy. If she doesn't go, will you still go?"
Gu Yaoniang looked up at him. Lu Zhaoan was very tall; even sitting, Gu Yaoniang had to look up slightly to see his face.
If Princess Ruining doesn't go, then it will just be the two of them.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks.
Lu Zhaoan hurriedly said, "I was just asking casually. It's inconvenient for me to send a message to the Qin family, so you'll have to go and invite Madam Xie."
-
Gu Pingsheng felt that his sister had been acting very strangely lately.
I usually only go home for a day or two during the week, and I finally get to go home for a few more days during the summer break, but my sister isn't home.
I heard they went boating on the lake?
Aren't you going to take him with you?
Something's not right.
Something's not right.
Gu Pingsheng gritted his teeth in anger and wrote several more articles, which earned him a few lukewarm compliments from Gu Xingzhi.
On the other side, Lu Zhaoan came to the Gu family to pick up Gu Yaoniang. After the two arrived at the Lu family's villa in the suburbs of Beijing, Gu Yaoniang was dumbfounded.
She knew Xie Danqiu hadn't come.
When Xie Danqiu sent the invitation, she had already politely replied that she had family matters to attend to and could not come.
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