Shen Jiao kept kowtowing uncontrollably, just like someone dozing off in math class.
Ji Yan was styling the hair of a frizzy hamster when he saw this. He narrowed his eyes, put down the comb, and seemed to be deep in thought.
He pushed open the door and went out.
Shen Jiao had no idea what the tyrant was going to do; she was struggling with sleep and felt her eyelids getting very heavy.
A short while later, Ji Yan returned.
He asked Madam Gu for a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva and placed it on the dressing table in front of Shen Jiao.
Watching the hamster with its ruffled fur nodding rhythmically, Ji Yan was quite satisfied and continued to slowly comb Shen Jiao's hair.
He kills casually, but he is overly meticulous about small things like combing his hair, carefully considering how to match his hair bun and accessories.
After inserting the last gold hairpin, Ji Yan picked up an eyebrow pencil, lifted Shen Jiao's chin with two fingers, and carefully drew her eyebrows stroke by stroke.
"When did a Bodhisattva appear here?" Shen Jiao finally came to her senses, the blurriness in her eyes dissipating, and she gradually became clear-headed.
Ji Yan said without changing her expression, "It has always been there."
Really? Then how come I have no recollection of it at all... Shen Jiao was very puzzled.
Suddenly, she heard a maid's voice outside the door inviting her to come out.
It's just a Bodhisattva, nothing special.
Without further thought, Shen Jiao led the tyrant into the carriage and headed straight for Zui Shan Xuan.
...
The Third Prince's Residence.
"Miss Yu'er, are you really sure this will work?"
"Of course, didn't the Third Prince say that the Gu family didn't offer any substantial suggestions regarding the cursed insects a few days ago?"
Shen Yu nodded calmly, her tone very certain to make her words more convincing.
The Third Prince was indeed very fond of this; a talented young lady from a prominent family is always exceptionally captivating.
He said, "That's how it is."
He said in a low voice, "If that's the case, then it means that the solution the Gu family came up with for the Youlan River might have been proposed by my sister."
The Third Prince frowned slightly.
Shen Yu is well-read and intelligent; he worries that Shen Jiao might also be able to offer the Gu family some feasible ideas.
“Third Prince, there is no need to worry.” Shen Yu understood the Third Prince’s meaning from his expression.
Since Shen Qingye wasn't present, she spoke even more bluntly, saying slowly, "My older sister has never liked reading and doesn't know much. If you ask her which brand of rouge is good, she can talk endlessly about it, but if you ask her about things like cursed insects, she probably won't be able to say a word."
The Third Prince asked with a skeptical look, "Really?"
Shen Yu pursed her lips: "We grew up under the same roof, no one knows her better than me."
No matter how much gossip about the wealthy families of the Great Yan Dynasty spreads, it would never reach the distant southern border.
The Third Prince was unaware that Shen Yu was the adopted daughter of Marquis Anbo.
However, it was quite normal for a large family to have three wives and four concubines. He assumed that Shen Jiao was the daughter of one of the Marquis Anbo's favored concubines.
No matter how favored a concubine's daughter is, she can never be as outstanding as the daughter of the principal wife.
The Third Prince was already tempted, but he still pretended to hesitate for a moment. "Miss Yu'er, do you know that this kerosene is for the army, and it is extremely rare and precious. If we cannot solve this problem, the consequences will be quite serious."
Shen Yu calmly replied, "Of course I know. My elder brother is the mighty General of the Southern Yan. I know all this common knowledge. Third Prince, fortune and honor are found in danger. Sometimes, it is because you are too timid that you miss many opportunities to show yourself."
Seeing the Third Prince's fingers clench tightly, Shen Yu knew he had taken his words to heart.
She continued, "An emperor may have a dozen or twenty princes in his lifetime, but the opportunities to demonstrate their abilities are few and far between. These are opportunities that the third prince must seize on his own."
“Miss Yu’er is right.” The Third Prince beckoned, signaling his steward, Uncle Zhou, to quickly prepare the kerosene.
Uncle Zhou glanced at Shen Yu thoughtfully, then immediately agreed and left.
Chen Yu said, “There are a few more sentences in the book: ‘Many hands make light work, and many people can make a big fire.’ The Third Prince only needs to distribute the oil to each household and get everyone involved in burning the cursed insects. This will be twice as effective as using the power of the court alone.”
The main reason was that the Southern Frontier Emperor had explicitly ordered the Third Prince to assist the Gu family, and had not assigned any other personnel that could be freely deployed.
"Oil burns for a long time and is immiscible with water, making it simpler and more convenient to burn." Shen Yu took a sip of tea, his brow furrowing slightly.
Upon seeing this, the Third Prince had another pot of hot tea brewed to serve the guests.
The servants in the Third Prince's residence immediately gained a new understanding of Shen Yu's current status in the Third Prince's heart.
“But Miss Yu’er, kerosene is expensive, and the amount of kerosene used in the Southern Frontier has been very limited in recent years.”
This is something that the Third Prince is quite worried about.
He frequented restaurants and indulged in beautiful women, spending lavishly. The wealth of the Third Prince's mansion could guarantee him a comfortable life, but if he were to buy kerosene, that would be just the tip of the iceberg.
Upon hearing this, Shen Yu suddenly smiled, "Isn't this even easier to handle? Let the people raise the funds."
Asking the people to raise funds?
The Third Prince had only heard of noble families raising funds, since they were wealthy. "What money could a bunch of commoners in coarse linen clothes possibly have?"
Shen Yu shook his head: "The book says that little by little, a drop of water can wear away a stone. One commoner may not have much money, but Shengcheng has such a large population. If everyone contributes their share, wouldn't it be a huge sum of money?"
Upon hearing this, the Third Prince's eyes suddenly lit up, and he quickly implemented all of Shen Yu's suggestions.
...
Zui Shan Xuan is the largest restaurant in Shengcheng. It is not only decorated in a luxurious and high-end style, but also has excellent food quality and very attentive service.
The people who come here to eat are all rich and powerful. I heard that sometimes the tips that customers give to the waiters are equivalent to the food expenses of an ordinary family for a whole year.
Therefore, the waiters at Zui Shan Xuan are all particularly proactive and conscientious in their work.
"Master Guan is here, is it the usual place, room number five in the Heaven section?"
The waiter smiled humbly and led the way upstairs. This Guan Yu was a good friend of the owner.
"No need, please sit in the main hall today," Guan Sanye called to the waiter.
The waiter was surprised, but still led Guan Yu and his family to an empty table by the window.
The Guan family's daughter was still very young, only five or six years old.
It was Little Radish Head's first time eating in the lobby, and he didn't feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, he felt very curious and looked around with his clear big eyes.
Suddenly, she pointed out the window and shouted in a clear voice, "There's a fairy! Mother, look!"
"Where are the fairies?" Madam Guan looked around, but only saw hurried pedestrians.
She was both amused and exasperated, and patted the little boy's head. "Did your nanny tell you another myth?"
The Guan couple also have a son who is already married.
The daughter was born late in life and was greatly loved. Her wet nurse and nanny would tell her mythological stories to lull her to sleep.
"Wow, there really was a fairy just now! She was wearing a beautiful red dress, and she even smiled at me. She was so beautiful, so very beautiful."
The little radish head was dissatisfied with her mother's perfunctory attitude. She propped her chubby little face up with her hands and spoke in a serious and earnest manner.
She ignored her mother, clasped her hands together, and quietly prayed to see the fairy one more time.
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