Inside the main courtyard, the sun was shining brightly, and servants were moving about, some carrying boxes, others tidying up clothes and miscellaneous items.
The entire courtyard was busy yet well-organized.
After getting a good night's sleep, Wang Xiuxiu entered the main courtyard and immediately saw the bustling scene before her.
"Granny Li, are we moving? Why are we packing so much stuff all of a sudden?"
Upon hearing the voice, Granny Li quickly put down her work and walked briskly to Wang Xiuxiu's side, whispering in her ear, "It's not a relocation. There's been a major flood in Peizhou recently. The floodwaters have breached the dikes, leaving the victims homeless and the national treasury empty. It's difficult to sustain the disaster relief efforts, so the imperial court is now calling on the families of officials in the capital to donate money for disaster relief."
"Oh, I see," Wang Xiuxiu said, suddenly understanding, but then quickly became puzzled and asked, "If it's for donating money, what are these things for?"
“Since the Prince established his own household, our household has accumulated quite a few treasured items, many of which have not been used for many years. The Princess Consort is thinking that rather than letting them sit idle and collect dust, it would be better to take them out and sell them for cash, so that we can do more to help the refugees in Peizhou.”
Wang Xiuxiu listened and nodded as if she understood but not quite.
---
Inside the room, Su Yingxue sat upright at the table, her eyebrows furrowed, her delicate hands moving swiftly across the abacus beads, producing a crisp, clattering sound.
Wang Xiuxiu tiptoed closer to the table and craned her neck to look at the ledger for a while.
Just as Su Yingxue was about to close the ledger and recalculate, Wang Xiuxiu quickly pointed.
"This, this is wrong."
Upon hearing this, Su Yingxue frowned slightly, a look of doubt on her face. She then checked the place that Wang Xiuxiu had pointed out again.
Sure enough, after some investigation, the problem was indeed found.
Now Su Yingxue wasn't in a hurry to do the accounting. Instead, she put down the ledger and smiled at Wang Xiuxiu.
But that smile, in Wang Xiuxiu's eyes, had a chilling quality.
Originally, he only meant well and wanted to remind Su Yingxue, but who would have thought that she would grab him and force him to spend the whole afternoon doing accounts with him.
When I was little, my seamstress mother also hoped that I would become a phoenix.
During that time, she was forced to learn all sorts of skills, but unfortunately, she gave up on most of them halfway through. Only mental arithmetic was something she persisted with until the end.
Even so, looking at these piles of account books, an indescribable sense of boredom still inevitably welled up deep in my heart.
Su Yingxue, just as Wang Xiuxiu was about to lose her temper, gently beckoned to Li Mama, who was standing nearby, and instructed, "Quickly prepare a table full of delicious food for our Xiuxiu."
Wang Xiuxiu was easy to coax. Upon hearing this, the brain cells that had died from calculating accounts all afternoon seemed to instantly regain their vitality.
"Sister, how much is our Prince's Mansion planning to donate this time?"
Su Yingxue took a sip of tea and said slowly, "Originally, I planned to donate 20,000 taels of silver, but when I was cleaning out the storeroom a few days ago, I found a lot of items. After selling them, I will use my own money to make up the difference. I should be able to raise 30,000 taels."
Wang Xiuxiu looked puzzled upon hearing this, "Are all the items piled up in the courtyard really hard to sell for even ten thousand taels of silver?"
Su Yingxue smiled and shook her head: "Those things seem numerous, but they are all old items. If they were not gifts from the royal family, they probably wouldn't even fetch this much money."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xiuxiu looked very anxious and excitedly said, "Sister, since that's the case, have you considered using these limited supplies to exchange for more money to help Peizhou?"
Su Yingxue raised her eyebrows with interest and asked, "Hmm? Then, in your opinion, what should be done?"
“Items used by the royal family have always been treasures that ordinary people dream of but can hardly obtain. If that’s the case, you might as well think about who holds the most circulating money among the common people?”
Su Yingxue thought for a moment and replied, "Merchants?"
“That’s right!” Wang Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly.
"Merchant families value reputation even more than profit. Who wouldn't want a family heirloom that can bring glory to their family for generations and be passed down through the ages? It just so happens that we have nowhere to dispose of these things. If we could get them into their hands, they would gain fame and we would gain profit. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"
"It would also benefit the people of Peizhou; it would be a win-win-win situation!"
Su Yingxue was already moved by the suggestion when she said this, but at the same time, she still had some concerns that she couldn't get rid of.
"It's a good idea, but imperial gifts are strictly prohibited from being sold to the common people. Originally, I thought of getting rid of them by exchanging them with the families of high-ranking officials in the capital for some easily circulated items, and then selling them. If it were as you said, although we could make more money, we would still be powerless to do so."
"No, no! Whether or not it is allowed to circulate among the people is ultimately just a matter of what the higher-ups say. We are not doing this for personal gain, but to raise more money for the people of Peizhou. At the same time, we can also take this opportunity to demonstrate the benevolence of the imperial court. I believe the court can understand this, right?"
"Are you seeking support from the palace?"
"Is it feasible?" Wang Xiuxiu asked.
Su Yingxue frowned slightly.
Time ticked by, and finally, she looked up, a determined glint in her eyes. "I think this method is feasible. Do you have any other ideas? Tell me more."
As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Xiuxiu on the other end of the line immediately became excited, "Great! Great!"
Wang Xiuxiu spoke eloquently about how to organize an auction exclusively for wealthy businessmen, meticulously considering every aspect from the collection of exhibits to the invitation of guests.
Hearing this, Su Yingxue couldn't help but feel her heart surge with emotion.
Before she knew it, it was getting late, and Wang Xiuxiu reluctantly got up to say goodbye and leave.
However, Su Yingxue showed no signs of fatigue and remained immersed in her ideas for the auction, continuing to refine the details.
After a long while, Su Yingxue felt tired, put down her brush, and stretched out a big yawn.
Upon seeing this, Granny Li, who had been silently watching from the side, quickly stepped forward and handed over a cup of steaming hot tea.
"Your Majesty, it has been a long time since you have been so engrossed in something that you have neglected to eat and sleep."
Su Yingxue took the teacup, took a small sip, and nodded slightly. "Xiuxiu's idea is really good. Even I'm tempted by it."
Li Mama chimed in, "Yes, speaking of this Consort Wang, she is truly a sincere person. She told you everything without reservation, which shows that she genuinely trusts us!"
Upon hearing this, Su Yingxue nodded in agreement. "That's right, she is indeed an extremely sincere person!"
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