Gu Jiu came to the Marquis' Mansion to attend the birthday banquet.
She got off the carriage at the second gate and went to Songhe Hall to pay her respects to the old lady Wei.
The old lady was extremely happy to see her.
Holding her hand, he kept asking.
"The capital has been in turmoil recently. Have you been wronged? Young Master Zhao was imprisoned in the Zongzheng Temple. Did anyone in the palace take advantage of this opportunity to embarrass you?"
Gu Jiu smiled and shook his head, "It's tiring for the old lady to worry. I'm fine, I haven't been wronged."
Madam Wei said cheerfully, "I know you can't stand being wronged. But you have to be soft when you need to be. If you're more roundabout, you can do things better."
"My granddaughter will remember the old lady's teachings."
The eldest wife, Mrs. Zhang, arrived with her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Xiao Zhang, and daughter Gu Jun.
Xie also arrived with Gu Shan and the others.
Today, the Marquis' Mansion only invited relatives and the Wei family from the Zhuguo Duke's Mansion.
Gu Jiu paid his respects to his aunt Zhang and aunt Xie.
Today, everyone only talks about the seniority of relatives, not their status in the court.
Therefore, Gu Jiu greeted him as a junior.
When Aunt Zhang saw Gu Jiu, she became concerned again, fearing that Gu Jiu would suffer in the palace.
Xie never spoke much in the Marquis' Mansion.
She wanted to ridicule Gu Jiu, but then she thought about all the ups and downs, one after another, and how the palace remained standing. She thought the palace would not fall anytime soon.
Thinking of this, Xie gave up and decided not to provoke Gu Jiu, lest others say that she couldn't tolerate her stepdaughter.
snort!
If she really couldn't tolerate her stepdaughter, would Gu Jiu be alive today?
There are very few stepmothers in the world who are as generous and tolerant as her.
Those who gossip are all talking without any pain in their backs.
Gu Shan had grown taller, shedding her childish innocence and beginning to show the grace of a young girl. From this perspective, Gu Shan's appearance was not much worse than Gu Yue's.
In the past, Gu Shan was mature beyond her years. She acted maturely despite being young and lacked childishness, so much so that people subconsciously ignored her appearance and always thought she looked old and ugly.
Gu Shan, who has now begun to show her youthful charm, has dressed up specially today, and she is really eye-catching.
Old Madam Wei called her over and said, "You've grown up, and you're different. A good girl like you, I must find a good marriage for you."
Gu Shan lowered her head shyly, her cheeks flushed.
Everyone laughed good-naturedly.
Mrs. Xie struck while the iron was hot, "What I'm most worried about now is Shan'er's marriage. It seems like she's getting older year by year, but there's still no suitable one. Old Madam, please be so kind, could you help me find someone for Shan'er?"
There was no reason for Old Madam Wei to refuse. "A girl's marriage should be carefully considered and not rushed. When I was a girl, it was said that men should marry at 30 and women at 20. Marriage is a big deal, so you should carefully choose the one who is most suitable for you."
Nowadays, men can continue to wait until they are thirty to discuss marriage, but women are marrying off early. The trend has changed.
But I still hope that the girls of our Gu family will marry off later. Look around more and you’ll find someone better.”
However, Xie disagreed with this.
A girl's youth is limited, how can she procrastinate like a man?
After being dragged on and on until she grew up, where could she find her ideal husband?
But because of her status, she couldn't refute it.
She smiled and said, "The old lady is right. Shan'er is still young, there's no need to rush. Take your time and you'll find a suitable family."
Old Madam Wei laughed, "Xie, don't worry. I will not waste Shan'er's youth and will definitely find her a happy marriage."
Mrs. Xie was overjoyed, "Thank you so much for your kindness, old lady."
Gu Shan knelt and saluted, "Granddaughter thanks the old lady for her kindness."
Madam Wei advised Gu Shan, "When you study with Master Luo, pay close attention. You will benefit greatly from his teachings in the future."
Gu Shan nodded heavily.
From then on, rain or shine, Gu Shan never missed Mr. Luo's class again.
Gu Mei also came back.
She was pregnant with a big belly and met the Wei family from the Zhuguo Mansion at the second gate.
The wife of the Duke of Zhuguo brought with her the Crown Prince's wife Pei Yun, her own daughter, and a new girl.
When Gu Mei walked in, she couldn't help but look at the unfamiliar girl a few more times.
She whispered to Pei Yun, "Cousin, who is that girl? I've never seen her before."
Pei Yun whispered, "I'm not very clear either. I just know she's the daughter of a family friend."
oh?
Gu Mei had something on her mind, so she followed everyone to Songhe Hall.
Madam Wei was worried about her. "You're running around with a big belly. I really can't do anything with you."
Gu Mei smiled and said, "It's tiring for mother to worry about me. The baby is still more than a month away, it's okay."
"Who said it's okay? You're just too careless. Sit down quickly and be careful. Are your legs and feet badly swollen?"
Gu Mei shook her head. "Not really. The imperial physicians all said that I've taken very good care of this baby and will definitely be born safely at full term."
The worries of the eldest lady, Xiao Wei, finally came to an end.
However, she still warned, "Don't be reckless in the future. The due date is very close. Come here today, and don't go out again, just in case."
Gu Mei agreed, feeling warm in her heart.
It’s nice to have family members who care about you.
She said, "When I give birth, my mother must be there. I feel anxious when you are not around."
Madam Wei rolled her eyes at her. "You don't even need to tell me. When you have an attack, send someone back to let me know. I'll rush over immediately and stay by your side."
Gu Mei was satisfied, "Thank you, mother."
The eldest lady, Xiao Wei, sighed, "Children are born as debts."
Gu Mei smiled and said, "I will also give birth to a little debt collector soon."
"Not a proper person."
Old Madam Wei smiled and said, "You two, mother and daughter, stop talking in private. Mei girl, come meet your little sister Xiaojiu."
Gu Jiu stood up quickly, "Sister Mei, if you are not feeling well, please don't get up."
"How long has Sister Jiu been here?"
"I just got here a while ago too. Is Sister Mei okay?"
"I can eat and drink, and I've gained two pounds."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "That's good. I feel relieved."
Gu Mei pulled Gu Jiu and sat beside her.
They were both very curious and followed the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo to meet the unfamiliar girl.
Gu Mei said: "I have never seen her before, and I don't know where she came from."
She asked the eldest wife, Xiao Wei, "Mother, who is the unfamiliar girl sitting next to my aunt?"
Madam Wei looked at him carefully, her expression changing slightly. "I'll tell you later."
It seems that the eldest lady, Mrs. Wei, clearly recognized the unfamiliar girl.
The old lady, Madam Wei, and the wife of the Duke of Zhuguo clearly had something to discuss, so they sent the younger generation to the side rooms to talk. Even the eldest wives, Madam Zhang and Madam Xie, were escorted out of Songhe Hall and settled in the Flower Hall. Only the unfamiliar girl remained.
Everyone arrived at the wing room.
Gu Jiu had no choice but to pull Pei Yun aside to talk.
"Sister Pei, it's been a long time since we last met. You've lost a lot of weight."
Pei Yun stroked her cheek gently. "I never knew being a housekeeper was so tiring. Ever since I started working with my mother-in-law as a housekeeper, I haven't had a good night's sleep. No wonder I've lost weight."
Gu Mei stared at Pei Yun's belly. No movement yet?
Pei Yun smiled and gently stroked her abdomen, "I have a cold, I'm recovering."
When Gu Jiu heard this, he said, "I have two health-preserving prescriptions on hand. If Sister Pei doesn't mind, I'll give them to you."
"Thank you, Sister Xiaojiu. I am taking the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician."
Gu Mei said from the side: "Cousin, you should still take Xiaojiu's health-preserving prescription, the effect is really good. I'm not lying to you."
Pei Yun looked suspicious.
Gu Jiu smiled mysteriously, leaned close to Pei Yun's ear and whispered, "This is a secret recipe, never to be passed on to anyone else."
Pei Yun laughed, "Thank you so much, Sister Xiaojiu. I'll take your prescription back and if it works, I have to thank you."
"You're welcome, Sister Pei."
Pei Yun continued, "There's something I should have told you in writing. But after thinking it over, I think I should talk to you in person."
Gu Jiu understood, "If it's convenient for Sister Pei, let's go to the next room to talk."
"OK!"
The two of them came to the next room. After the servant served tea, Pei Yun sent all the maids out.
Only Gu Jiu and Pei Yun were left in the room.
Pei Yun lowered her voice and said, "At the end of last year, I received the woolen cloth that Sister Xiaojiu sent. It was very warm.
I specially ordered someone to make a few clothes with woolen cloth and send them to my father who was far away in the northwest.
Some time ago, my father wrote back to me. He said that clothes made of woolen cloth are extremely warm and are excellent warm clothes in winter. They are warmer than cotton clothes and are not bulky, and do not affect movement. They should be promoted in the army as soon as possible.
Therefore, my father wanted to order a large number of woolen clothes for use in the army.
Because this is military supplies, and the quantity is huge, and it needs to be reported to the Ministry of War, I dare not make a decision alone, so I want to discuss it with Sister Xiaojiu. Should we accept this order?"
Gu Jiu was so surprised.
It turned out to be the right decision to choose Pei Yun to cooperate in wool weaving.
She didn't expect that the Duke of Lu would take a fancy to woolen cloth and want to purchase it as military supplies.
marvelous!
She said hurriedly: "Of course we have to take this order."
Pei Yun's expression was serious. "Little Jiu, you have to think carefully. These are military supplies, and there can be no fraud. My father is very strict in his military discipline. If anyone passes off inferior military supplies as good ones, not only will the quartermaster be beheaded, but the merchant will also be beheaded. Even if it's your property and mine, my father won't show any mercy."
Gu Jiu said solemnly, "Thank you, Sister Pei, for reminding me. I always do things with integrity and never resort to empty talk. Sister Pei, you can rest assured that if you accept this order, I will never pass off inferior goods as good ones, let alone engage in fraud."
Pei Yun continued, "This batch of orders is extremely large, and we need to deliver on time. Sister Jiu, I'm not familiar with the workshop, and the order is for ready-made garments. Can they deliver on time?"
Gu Jiu asked, "Let me ask you a question, Sister Pei, what is the quantity of this order?"
Pei Yun stated the order quantity, "One hundred thousand sets of garments. If this cooperation goes well, next year's order will be no less than three hundred thousand sets."
Gu Jiu asked, "How much is one set?"
"We need to go to the northwest to negotiate the price in person. I can make a deal with Sister Xiaojiu. A set of ready-made clothes should cost no more than three taels of silver. I think we can negotiate it."
Gu Jiu frowned.
Pei Yun was a little worried, "Is there a problem?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "I have a question. When the Duke of Lu ordered ready-made clothes, did he mean just the tops or the pants as well?"
Pei Yun was stunned for a moment. "I don't know. Can it be made into pants?"
"Of course. And quite warm."
Gu Jiu sighed, "It seems that if we want to get this order, we must send someone to the northwest. Sister Pei, please give me ten days to prepare.
Ten days later, I will send someone with samples to the Northwest Army to discuss this business.
In addition, please send a letter to Sister Pei and two people who can speak with the Duke of Lu to accompany you to the northwest."
Pei Yun nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, I will do my best to assist you in this matter. It's just 100,000 sets of ready-made clothes. Can our workshop produce such a large amount? If we can't deliver on time, the manager will be beheaded."
Gu Jiu said after careful consideration: "Regarding delivery, I plan to pay in installments. Of course, the specific delivery method will need to be discussed in person.
I can only give you an accurate number of how many orders our workshop can take after my people arrive in the northwest and conduct on-site inspections.
If this order is accepted, please ask Sister Pei to make it clear to the Duke of Lu that a 30% deposit must be paid to the workshop first. Otherwise, the workshop will have no money to start production.
In addition, Sister Pei and I will also need to prepare another sum of money. You and I will each contribute at least 5,000 taels, adding up to 10,000 taels, so that the workshop can purchase wool in advance."
Pei Yun nodded in agreement, "Money is not a problem. I'll send someone to give you five thousand taels tomorrow."
"Don't worry about the money for now. Let's wait until our people arrive in the northwest and have accurate information before we talk about the money."
"I don't know much about business operations, so I'll do as you say. If we can take this order, can we make money?"
Gu Jiu laughed out loud, "Sister Pei, I never do business at a loss. This order will naturally make money. When the delivery is successful by the end of the year and I get the money, I will give you a dividend."
Pei Yun laughed, "Then I'll wait for Sister Xiaojiu's dividend."
"I will not let Sister Pei down."
After the two finished talking, they left the room happily.
Gu Mei had been waiting for Gu Jiu. "Little Jiu, are you guys done talking? I have something to tell you."
Pei Yun smiled and said, "You guys talk, I'll go have some tea."
"Sister Mei, let's go to the side room and talk."
Gu Jiu personally helped Gu Mei into the side room.
"Sister Mei is looking for me, is there something wrong?"
Gu Mei was the first to sigh, "I really don't have the face to mention this to Sister Xiaojiu, but my mother-in-law and the old lady in the mansion have told me to, so I can only shamelessly ask Sister Xiaojiu for help."
Gu Jiu's expression changed slightly. "Is the matter Sister Mei wants to discuss related to Princess Huyang?"
"Sure enough, nothing can be hidden from Sister Xiaojiu. It's the matter between Princess Huyang and Wulang. From the old lady to my husband, no one in the family wants Wulang to marry Princess Huyang. They asked me to ask Sister Xiaojiu if there's any room for compromise with the prince. Any money or gifts would be fine, as long as this marriage can be cancelled."
Gu Jiu was silent for a long time, and Gu Mei became very anxious.
"No way? I think so too. With Princess Huyang's personality, she won't let Wu Lang go easily."
Gu Jiu looked at Gu Mei, "Sister Mei, has the Marquis Dai come to the palace to apologize?"
"He did! The next morning after the incident, the Marquis went to the palace to plead guilty, saying he had failed to educate his son properly. Over the past few days, the censors first impeached Princess Huyang and Prince Ning, and then immediately started impeaching the Marquis. The Marquis is completely overwhelmed."
Gu Jiu asked curiously, "Since the Marquis has come to the palace to apologize, what does His Majesty mean?"
Gu Mei lowered her voice and said, "This is where the difficulty lies. His Majesty hasn't expressed his opinion, but he hasn't opposed Huyang and Wulang's marriage either. The Marquis is also unsure of His Majesty's intentions."
Gu Jiu went through the whole matter from beginning to end and said, "It will be difficult for your Wulang to escape."
Gu Mei's expression changed slightly, "What do you mean?"
"The men who had contact with Princess Huyang at the time, including your Wulang, totaled eight people. Four of them were civilians.
As far as I know, the whereabouts of these four people are unknown. I don't know whether they are in the imperial prison or the palace.
The other three were all from aristocratic families, but were all illegitimate children. Because Princess Huyang had not mentioned them by name, these three families paid money to avert the disaster, which was equivalent to redeeming the three people's freedom.
As for your Wulang, if His Majesty had not been alarmed, considering Princess Huyang's greed for money, spending some money might really be able to avoid the disaster.
But Han Wulang has already made his name in front of His Majesty, so this matter is not easy to handle. A mere sum of money can impress the Princess of Huyang, but it cannot impress the prince and His Majesty."
Gu Mei asked, "What could impress the prince and His Majesty?"
Gu Jiu said solemnly: "The only thing that can move the prince is the loyalty of your Dai Hou Mansion. The only thing that can move His Majesty is the title of your Dai Hou Mansion."
Gu Mei's expression kept changing.
The Daihou Mansion could not give either loyalty or title.
"So, Wulang can only marry Princess Huyang? The old lady will probably be mad to death." Gu Mei smiled bitterly.
Gu Jiu added, "There's another way. Let's bet on whether Princess Huyang dares to ask for money over her life. Give her an irresistible sum of money, have her go to the palace and cause a scene, and have Concubine Shu arrange another marriage for her."
Gu Mei frowned, "We can scrape together the money. But in such a short time, where can we find a suitable man to give to Princess Huyang?"
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