More than ten sugar shops in five counties, including Hexian, are about to open, but Zhao Min is still in Guangcheng and cannot return in time.
Xie Yuan was not short of manpower. Zheng Yurong, Zhao Jinse, and her maids Ruyi and Jinzhi, after being trained, were all capable of handling things independently.
However, Xie Yuan had a suspicion in his heart, feeling that Helian Jue was plotting something.
After thinking it over for a while, she decided to go find Helian Jue.
"A sugar shop is opening in Yuezhou? But they don't have enough staff?"
On Helian Jue's table were bottles of wine, which had been brought in by maritime merchants.
Since embarking on his journey into exile, Helian Jue has never let go of his cup.
These expenses for wine and liquor alone accounted for the majority of the Prince's Palace's expenditures.
As news spread that the Prince's mansion was always going out to buy wine, even though Helian Jue never left the house, everyone knew that he was addicted to alcohol because of his dethronement.
Not only in Lingnan, but also in the capital, everyone who needed to know knew that Helian Jue had become a complete "alcohol addict."
The emperor said nothing, Empress Ashina sighed, while the princes gloated and rejoiced—Helian Jue had given up on himself and finally become a useless person.
He's beyond redemption!
Xie Yuan didn't know the situation in the capital, but she could imagine it and vaguely guessed what it was.
Therefore, seeing Helian Jue carrying a wine glass every day, and sometimes even getting drunk, she didn't try to persuade him too much.
Helian Jue must have some ulterior motive!
Pretending to be weak to fool others?
Is it a deliberate attempt to tarnish one's image while biding one's time?
"Yes! Steward Zhao is tied up in Guangcheng. Please, Your Highness, find me another reliable person."
Xie Yuan didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
Helian Jue gave Xie Yuan a deep look, then picked up the glass cup and sipped it slowly.
"...I have no one else of use. How about this, Xiao Zixiu, the military commander of the Prince's mansion, is currently idle; let him go and help out at the sugar shop." (Reading from the book)
Xie Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. "Xiao Dianjun?"
Isn't he Helian Jue's maternal uncle?
etc!
What did Duoshou say when he introduced Xiao Zixiu?
"General Xiao is Consort Xiao's younger brother, born of the same mother, and is His Highness's maternal uncle."
"However, because His Highness was raised by the Empress since childhood, His Highness is not close to his birth mother, Consort Xiao."
If you're not even close to your own mother, what chance do you have with your relatives?
"General Xiao is closer to the Third Prince and keeps a respectful distance from His Highness!"
When Duoshou got to this point, he added, "Oh, Your Majesty should know that both the Third Prince and His Highness are children of Consort Xiao."
Helian Jue was the eldest son, and with an empress as his adoptive mother, he enjoyed the honor of being "half a legitimate son".
That's why he was made crown prince.
The third prince was not so "lucky".
Consort Xiao was a noblewoman from the Southern Dynasty, but she was abducted by the emperor to the Northern Dynasty, essentially a "trophy of war".
Before the emperor unified the north and south, Consort Xiao's status was hardly better than that of a palace slave!
In the inner palace, Consort Xiao was cautious and never dared to argue with anyone.
Even though she gave birth to Helian Jue, she had no right to raise him and could only watch helplessly as the Empress took the child away.
She then gave birth to two more princes, but dared not make a fuss about it. She and her children lived quietly in the inner palace.
As a result, the third and sixth princes also became invisible figures in the palace.
The princes vied for the throne, all turning against Crown Prince Helian Jue, and even the fifth prince, who was ranked lower, jumped out.
The third prince, however, remained "unnoticed" throughout.
Two years ago, the sage finally conquered the Southern Dynasty and unified the North and South.
Consort Xiao also had a family to rely on, but the powerful families of the Southern Dynasty still lacked the confidence of the established families of the Northern Dynasty.
Moreover, the Xiao family had suffered from war and its population had dwindled. Apart from Xiao Zixiu, there were no other capable individuals.
In terms of family background, Consort Xiao could not compare to the several high-ranking concubines in the palace.
With Helian Jue deposed, the second and fifth princes became the frontrunners in the struggle for the throne.
The third prince, whose maternal family remained weak, continued to be a nobody in the harem and the court.
The third prince was engrossed in his studies, much like a scholar from the Wei and Jin dynasties who was free from desires and ambitions, and he did not get involved in the struggles among the other princes at all.
but--
Is the Third Prince truly without desires or wants?
Did the emperor really ignore his son, the third prince?
Helian Jue sneered, "How could that be?"
The third son was the "eldest son" born to the emperor's beloved woman, and he had long ago designated him as the heir to the throne.
Helian Jue, the deposed crown prince, the second prince, and the fifth prince... are nothing more than targets and whetstones prepared by the emperor for his beloved third prince!
Even though Helian Jue has been deposed, they still won't let the Second Prince and the Fifth Prince go, which shows how successful the Emperor's plan was!
Unfortunately, Helian Jue saw through all this and not only did he not want to continue "cooperating," he also wanted to pull the third son out of the sage's wing.
By deliberately bringing Xiao Zixiu along, outsiders would only assume that the deposed crown prince was settling a personal score and venting his anger.
In reality, Helian Jue had already dug a huge pit, just waiting to trap his own good third brother in it!
...Xie Yuan looked at Helian Jue's cold and stern expression, his eyes flashing with a fanatical madness.
She couldn't help but feel a little alarmed.
However, Xie Yuan quickly realized that Helian Jue was not targeting him, but rather had other motives.
What she had to do was not to question Helian Jue, nor to oppose him, but to obediently listen to him.
"Yes! I will go find Xiao Dianjun right away!"
Xie Yuan agreed without uttering a single unnecessary word.
Xiao Zixiu was completely dumbfounded after hearing Xie Yuan's words.
"I?"
In his haste, Xiao Zixiu even forgot to refer to himself as "your subject," saying, "Your Majesty, you...you want me to go and look after the sugar shop?"
"yes!"
Xie Yuan had already composed herself, and she remained incredibly calm when facing Xiao Zixiu.
She seemed afraid that Xiao Zixiu would refuse, so she tried to find reasons to persuade him, "Xiao Dianjun, don't worry. The sugar shop has a manager and employees, so you don't need to worry about anything."
"It's just that the candy shop is doing very well, and I'm worried that someone might cause trouble, so I wanted to ask Xiao Dianjun to go and oversee things."
"You only need to take a few guards and visit the candy shop every few days!"
Xie Yuan was extremely sincere and had already gone to such lengths; if Xiao Zixiu were to refuse again, it would seem rather unreasonable.
Xiao Zixiu knew that this matter was not simple and might even be a conspiracy, but as the military commander of the Prince's mansion, he had no choice but to obey the orders of the Prince and Princess.
Alas, when you're under someone's roof, you have no choice but to bow your head.
"It's alright! I'll just be careful!"
Xiao Zixiu tried to comfort himself, and the next day, following Xie Yuan's orders, he led the troops he had brought from the capital to the location of the sugar shop.
The sugar shop is located right in the center of the largest and most bustling commercial street in He County.
The three shops, spanning two floors, are quite impressive.
Xiao Zixiu nodded. He knew that Princess Xie's dowry was generous, and this must have been paid for by Princess Xie herself.
However, the signboard should be registered under the name of the Prince of Yue's Palace, after all—
etc!
Xiao Zixiu looked up and carefully examined the candy shop's signboard, only to see the mark of "Prince Yan"!
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