Liu Yi set off and went to Jiangnan.
Princess Huyang was still imprisoned in the palace copying the Book of Filial Piety.
Gu Mei sent someone to deliver a letter to express her special thanks to Gu Jiu.
Gu Mei said in the letter that if it weren't for Gu Jiu's suggestion, the Dai Hou Mansion would never have thought of bribing the emperor with money.
At the beginning, as Gu Jiu suggested, the Dai Hou Mansion planned to bribe Princess Huyang with a sum of money to ask her to cancel the marriage.
Who would have thought that Princess Huyang was detained in the palace before the money was even delivered.
At this time, it was impossible to send money to Princess Huyang.
Dai Hou thought about it and decided to go all out. He gave the money directly to the emperor and asked him to order the severance of the relationship between Princess Huyang and Han Wulang.
Originally, the whole family was very nervous, but unexpectedly, the emperor actually accepted the 100,000 taels of silver offered by the Dai Hou Mansion, and ordered that no one was allowed to mention the matter between Princess Huyang and Han Wulang again.
It was a pleasant surprise to get this result.
The old lady of Dai Hou Mansion was so happy that she ate half a bowl of rice more in the evening, which resulted in a bloated stomach. She asked the imperial physician to prescribe two doses of medicine to recuperate.
As for Han Wulang, he finally saw the moon and was reborn. For the time being, he still didn't dare go out and wander around, firstly because he was afraid of being harassed by someone again, and secondly because he was afraid his father would punish him.
Gu Mei said in the letter that Han Wulang has been particularly honest these days and has been taking the initiative to read a book every day.
However, Gu Mei was also worried that Han Wulang was only being obedient temporarily. Once the storm subsided, he would probably revert to his old ways and continue his wandering.
Gu Jiu picked up his pen and wrote a letter back to Gu Mei, telling her not to worry about such things.
Her due date is approaching, so she should read more books and do some prenatal education for her child.
…
Qingmei and her maids spent several days making ten sets of woolen clothes.
According to Gu Jiu's requirements, it is divided into small, medium, large, extra large, and extra extra large.
Several maids handed the finished product to Gu Jiu for review.
Gu Jiu called Rong Xin and others over and asked them to try them on to see if there was anything that needed improvement.
Several eunuchs tried it on one by one.
"It's nice and warm. But it's too hot to wear right now."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "These clothes are naturally prepared for winter. Is there anything that needs to be improved?"
"No, it's very easy to put on and take off. It's perfect for people in the military camp."
Gu Jiu felt relieved.
Let them change their clothes and wait for instructions.
Gu Jiu looked at the three eunuchs and said, "I have an opportunity. I need to go to the northwest to discuss a military supply deal with the Northwest Army. It's the woolen clothes you just tried on. Who of you is willing to go?"
The three eunuchs looked at each other.
Bai Zhong said, "Madam, I have never done business before. Is it okay for us to go?"
Gu Jiu said, "Da Zhuang will be in charge of the details of the business negotiation, and I will also arrange for a shopkeeper to accompany you. Your main task in going to the northwest is to review and supervise this deal for me, and to make decisions for the shopkeeper and Da Zhuang if they can't make up their minds. Who of you dares to go?"
No one responded.
Gu Jiu said, "Life in the Northwest is tough, but as long as this deal is done, I will hand over the Northwest trade line to him. From now on, he will be the general manager of the Northwest trade line. His annual salary will be ten, a hundred, or even a thousand times what it is now."
I know you're afraid of the Northwest Army and the Marquis of Lu. But I can tell you one thing: this business is a collaboration with the Marquis of Lu's daughter, the wife of the Crown Prince of the Zhuguo Mansion. This time, when we go to the northwest, the Crown Prince's wife will send two stewards who have a say in the Marquis of Lu to accompany us."
“I’ll go!”
Deng Cunli walked in from outside.
He bowed slightly and said, "Madam, please give this opportunity to me. I will definitely live up to your trust and complete the task."
Gu Jiu was a little hesitant.
The reason why Deng Cunli was excluded from the beginning was that he was too old and she needed to train young people. Secondly, she still needed Deng Cunli to run around and get information.
She also had another concern: she was worried that Deng Cunli and the Duke of Lu had a grudge against each other.
Deng Cunli had served in the palace for many years and had held power. He might have come into contact with the Marquis of Lu.
She said to Deng Cunli, "I can't live without you. It's better for you to stay in the capital."
Deng Cunli said, "Madam, the tasks I'm doing now can also be performed by Bai Zhong and the others. However, they may not be able to take on the important task of this trip to the northwest.
What if they ruin Madam's plans? Madam, please give me a chance. I will take one of them to the northwest and train a talent for you."
Gu Jiu pondered, "Eunuch Deng, could you please tell me why you want to go to the Northwest? The Northwest is bitterly cold, and you have a heavy responsibility to shoulder. This journey will not be easy."
Deng Cunli bowed and said, "To be honest, Madam, I'm feeling rather bored staying in the capital. I want to venture out and try my luck, to try a different way of life. I want to become the general manager of the Northwest trade route, to get the salary that Madam has spoken of, tenfold, a hundredfold, or even a thousandfold. I want to save some money while I can still work, so that I can plan for my retirement."
Gu Jiu said solemnly: "I will take care of you in your old age."
Deng Cunli shook his head. "It's not that I don't know what's good for me, but if I can support myself in my old age, I still want to give it a try. Please, Madam, give me this opportunity."
Gu Jiu hesitated for a moment. She could see that Deng Cunli really wanted this opportunity.
She asked, "Does Eunuch Deng know how to negotiate business?"
Deng Cunli smiled confidently, "Buy low, sell high. Ask for a high price, pay it back. In business, it all comes down to who has the more confidence."
There is some truth to that.
Gu Jiu asked again, "It's okay if you want to go, but you have to answer me honestly. Do you know the Duke of Lu? Do you have any grudges against each other?"
Deng Cunli hesitated for a moment before saying, "To be honest, Madam, I had several encounters with the Duke of Lu when I was young. I still remember him, but I wonder if he still remembers me. As for any grudges, there certainly weren't any.
This old servant is here to discuss business for Madam. My goal is to make good friends and build wealth through harmony. I dare not offend anyone, let alone bring disaster upon the palace or Madam."
Gu Jiu said, "You are a sensible person and know what to do and what not to do. I can give you this mission and you will be fully responsible. If you do a good job, I will not hesitate to hand over the entire northwest trade route to you and let you coordinate it. But I still want to remind you that you represent my face when you go out. Therefore, when you speak and act outside, you must not lose my face. Do you understand?"
"Don't worry, Madam. This old servant will only win honor for you and will not dare to lose it."
"That's great."
Gu Jiu looked at the three eunuchs again and said, "Who among you is willing to go to the northwest? If none of you are willing, I will let Eunuch Deng pick people from the shop. I think there should be quite a few people from Erzhuang who are willing to go to the northwest for some training."
"I'm willing to go." Huang Zhuo was the first to stand up.
Gu Jiu nodded with satisfaction. "Very good. You will follow Eunuch Deng to the northwest to manage this military supply business. I have written down all the things you need to pay attention to during this trip to the northwest."
She took out a thick stack of manuscript paper from the desk drawer, on which were written various precautions.
She handed the manuscript to Deng Cunli and said, "I hope your trip goes smoothly."
Deng Cunli and Huang Zhuo bowed and accepted the order.
Deng Cunli flipped through the precautions with a serious expression.
There was a lot they needed to do regarding this military supply order. This trip to the northwest was indeed not easy.
Gu Jiu pointed to the neatly folded garment samples and said, "Take these samples with you. If this deal is successful, we'll make them according to these five sizes. You'll need to figure out the quantity for each size. Qingmei, take the samples with them."
Qingmei took out a bundle containing cutting samples of five sizes.
She said to Deng Cunli and the others, "You must hold on to these size samples. Don't drop them. With these samples, even a novice can quickly master them. An experienced tailor can just look at the samples, pick up a pair of scissors, and use them to cut the cloth."
Gu Jiu suggested, "While we still have a few days before leaving Beijing, the two of you should go find Er Zhuang and learn from him what assembly line work is. You will benefit greatly from it when you arrive in the northwest."
"As you command, I will also decide the price."
Gu Jiu nodded. "That's right. You'll need to decide the price as well. When you get to the northwest, spend more time with Da Zhuang and Nanny Gui to accurately calculate the costs. Preliminary calculations show that the gross profit on this business must be at least 40% to be profitable. You'll have to decide the specific price based on the actual situation."
Deng Cunli looked solemn and felt a huge pressure.
He bowed and accepted the order, then left the East Courtyard with the size samples and garment samples.
Over the next few days, he and Erzhuang learned assembly line operations during the day, and at night they studied wool weaving and even sought advice from an old tailor.
Busy times pass quickly.
In the blink of an eye, the day of their departure arrived.
Accompanied by the cloth shop owner and clerk, Erzhuang's apprentice, and two managers sent by Pei Yun.
A group of seven or eight people set out for the northwest to discuss military supplies business with the Duke of Lu.
…
Princess Huyang finally finished copying the Book of Filial Piety and left the palace and returned to the prince's mansion.
As soon as she returned, she asked the princess's steward, "Has the young master taken over the house? Have my belongings been moved out?"
The princess's household official bowed and said, "Reporting to the princess, as soon as the order is given, the Shaofu will send people to reclaim the princess's mansion. I will move all the property out of the mansion and transport it to the new princess's mansion for storage."
Princess Huyang asked, "Where is the new Princess Mansion?"
"This is also in Baiyi Lane, across the street from the original Princess Mansion. But..."
"But it's half the size of the original Princess Mansion. It only has three courtyards and seven or eight smaller courtyards."
"How can people live in such a small yard?"
Princess Huyang was furious and very annoyed.
The princess's household official was also in a dilemma. "This is His Majesty's will. There is nothing I can do."
Princess Huyang suppressed her inner anger and asked, "How much is the discount for the original Princess Mansion?"
The princess's household official said cautiously, "The young master will give you a discount of 60,000 taels."
"What? Only sixty thousand taels! I spent much more than sixty thousand taels decorating my house. This young master is going too far. Such a nice house is only discounted by sixty thousand taels. Do you really think that I am a phoenix with feathers removed, so you can bully me at will? This is too much. I will never let this matter go."
Princess Huyang was furious and went to Prince Ning to ask for help.
"Brother Wang, the Shaofu is too bullying. This time you must help me."
Prince Ning was busy, frowning at her, "You just came out of the palace and you're already causing trouble? Should I report this to my father so he can punish you again?"
Princess Huyang immediately burst into tears, "My prince, you have a cruel heart. The young master bullied me when I was away. The princess's mansion, which was so large, was only discounted by 60,000 taels. Isn't this bullying? And I haven't seen a penny of this 60,000 taels. I returned it all to the Ministry of Revenue. I'm so miserable, and my prince won't have any mercy on me?"
Prince Ning looked at Princess Huyang with dissatisfaction, "Everything that happened today is your own fault."
Princess Huyang was unwilling to accept this. "Even if I brought this upon myself, it's not the Grand Chamberlain's turn to bully me. Brother Wang, are you really unwilling to stand up for me?"
Prince Ning's face was stern. "The Grand Housekeeper has already taken back the Princess's Mansion, and all the money has been converted to the Ministry of Revenue. How can I help you?"
Do you want me to force the Shaofu to pay? Do you think the Shaofu Neicheng is your servant?
Don't mention this matter again. Just live your life in peace. In half a year or a year, when the emperor's anger has subsided, I'll speak a few good words for you.
By then, when the emperor's mood improves, he might grant you another mansion."
Princess Huyang was furious. "What do you mean by a year or two? Brother Wang, please don't try to fool me with that kind of talk. I don't believe it."
Prince Ning stared at her, "Then what do you want me to do?"
"Brother Wang, please go to the Shaofu for me and ask for at least 40,000 taels."
Prince Ning scoffed, "I'm busy here, please get out."
"Brother Wang, you have made up your mind not to help me, right?"
Prince Ning said coldly, "I am powerless. If you insist on making trouble, go find my mother to speak up for you. I will not stop you."
Princess Huyang left angrily.
The eunuch Chang En was a little worried, "Your Highness, will the Princess go to the Shaofu to cause trouble?"
Prince Ning was furious. "Let her go. Even if she has never suffered any loss, it would be good for her to learn a lesson."
Princess Huyang left Bixi Pavilion and did not rush to the Shaofu to ask for money.
She went to visit Chen Min first.
Chen Min's health has improved, but she has lost weight.
Princess Huyang was dissatisfied, "Did you not eat well, or did the servants not serve you attentively?"
Chen Min lowered her head and whispered, "My daughter has no appetite."
"Why do you have no appetite? Is it because the food prepared in the kitchen is not to your liking? Come, follow me to see your aunt and ask her to clean up those villains in the kitchen."
"No, the food cooked in the kitchen is very appetizing. It's just that I don't want to eat it."
Chen Min was very resistant, she was afraid of following Hu Yang and causing trouble.
Hu Yang was born with a skin as thick as a city wall, but her two children were both thin-skinned. They had not inherited her or Prince Consort Chen's personalities at all.
Princess Huyang was very dissatisfied, and she was particularly disgusted by Chen Min's fearful look. "What are you afraid of? I have your back. There is nothing to be afraid of."
Chen Min was a little irritated. "I'm really fine. Mother, don't you want to ask about my brother's condition?"
"That kid Chen Lu hasn't come back yet?"
"My brother has made up his mind to support the Chen family alone, and he will not come back." Chen Min raised her voice slightly.
"snort!"
Princess Huyang was extremely disgusted. "He's dreaming of relying on a half-grown boy like him to support the family. He's grown so independent, he even dares to disobey me. I don't have time today, I'll deal with him another day. And you, eat well, you look how thin you are. If you lose any more weight, you'll become an ugly monster."
Chen Min was a little embarrassed and whispered, "I'm not ugly."
Princess Huyang was too lazy to pay attention. "Remember to eat more for three meals a day to keep your body healthy. Don't be like your dead father, who had so many problems just eating."
After Hu Yang finished scolding Chen Lu, he took his men out.
King Ning sent people to keep an eye on Huyang and report any situation in a timely manner.
Huyang did not go to the Shaofu, but rushed to the Daihou Mansion in one breath, waved his whip and knocked the doorman of the Daihou Mansion to the ground, and rushed directly into the Daihou Mansion to settle the score with Han Wulang.
The old lady of the Daihou Mansion was startled when she heard the noise. "Quick, quick, send someone to stop that bitch. Where is Wulang? Tell him to go out and hide."
Gu Mei was pregnant and didn't dare to step forward.
The wife of the Marquis Dai ordered the servants to stop Princess Huyang.
However, no matter how many servants and maids there were, they were no match for Princess Huyang.
Princess Huyang was whipping people with her horsewhip, but because of her status, no one dared to step forward.
If you accidentally offend Hu Yang, your death will be in vain.
In this way, Huyang Jun rushed into Han Wulang's yard as if he was in an empty space, and caught Han Wulang who was about to hide.
"Wu Lang, you made it so hard for me to find you. Why, as soon as I came, you wanted to leave? You just don't like me at all."
"My Lady Princess, His Majesty has ordered that no one is allowed to mention the matter between you and me again."
"That doesn't include me. I'm in a bad mood today. Come here and serve me well. If you serve me well, I'll forgive you."
"Grandma, grandma, please save me." Han Wulang cried for help.
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