Every autumn rain brings a chill.
It rained for two days in a row, the autumn heat retreated, and the cool autumn finally arrived.
Everyone took off their summer clothes and put on slightly thicker autumn clothes.
Early in the morning, Xiao Qin'er came to Chunhe Hall to pay her respects.
She was more than five months pregnant and her belly was slightly bulging.
People don't get fat, they just get whiter.
Pei looked her over for a moment, then asked with concern, "Have you been eating well lately? Is the child making a fuss?"
Xiao Qin'er gently stroked her abdomen and smiled shyly, "The appetite is fine. The baby isn't making much noise. The imperial physician said that the baby won't become particularly noisy until the last two months."
Pei nodded and reminded him, "Take care of yourself."
"My daughter-in-law will listen to my mother and take good care of herself and give her a grandson."
Pei smiled and said that she would be happy to have a grandson.
But there are more important things than Jin Sun right now.
"Fourth Brother's wife, please return all the money that Fourth Brother gave you."
Xiao Qin'er was confused at first, then felt dizzy, her eyes rolling left and right, "What money? My daughter-in-law doesn't understand. My cousin didn't give me any money."
Xiao Qin'er and Liu Yi were cousins, and even after becoming husband and wife, they often still addressed each other as cousins.
Pei's face darkened, "The fourth son was ordered to go to Jiangnan on a mission, but he only brought back less than 40,000 taels of silver, which is less than half of what he received in previous years.
The prince was furious about this matter and has sent people to Jiangnan to investigate. It is estimated that there has been a result.
Did you keep the money that the fourth brother embezzled? Before the prince notices you, you should quickly hand it over. This princess will cover up for you and prevent the prince from punishing you.
Xiao Qin'er's face changed slightly and she tried to smile, but her smile was unnatural.
"I really don't understand what mother said. What silver? My cousin has never given me any silver. Ever since I married my cousin, I have been using the silver from my dowry to supplement his expenses."
Pei snorted coldly, "I've tried to persuade you no matter what, but you won't listen. Do you really want me to take drastic measures and send someone to search your room?"
Xiao Qin'er looked around, not making eye contact with Pei. "Mother, what you said is too scary. I'm still pregnant, and every shock would be very unbearable for me."
Bang!
Pei slammed the table, "Stop putting on a show in front of me. I've given birth to three children. How can you hide it from me? You've added several thousand taels of jewelry recently. Where did all this money come from? I'll have someone investigate and everything will be clear."
After a pause, she continued earnestly, "Old Fourth is confused, are you also confused? Will the prince's anger subside so easily? When Old Fourth returns to the capital, he will definitely punish her. To save Old Fourth from physical pain, you should quickly hand over the remaining silver and take care of this matter for him."
Xiao Qin'er suddenly burst into tears, "My cousin really didn't give me any money."
"He didn't give you the money himself, but he sent someone to deliver it. And even now, you still refuse to acknowledge it. Are you determined to prioritize money over people?"
Pei spoke harshly and forced Xiao Qin'er to spit out all the remaining money.
Xiao Qin'er fought back stubbornly, "Mother, are you trying to force your daughter-in-law to death? I really don't have any money."
Pei was not polite to her. "Since you refuse to accept it, I will send someone to search your room. If a large amount of silver and money is found, don't blame me for not considering your pregnancy. Come, go to the fourth lady's room and search it thoroughly."
Xiao Qin'er was anxious, "Mother, my daughter-in-law admits it."
Pei waved her hand to stop the maid from searching the room.
She glared at Xiao Qin'er, "You won't cry until you see the coffin. You insist on forcing me to send someone to search your room."
Xiao Qin'er cried, "Mother, please understand. Your daughter-in-law is really afraid of poverty."
Pei frowned, "Has the palace ever lacked clothes or food for you? This princess doesn't know how you could be so poor?"
Xiao Qin'er cried and complained, "My cousin's monthly expenses range from one or two thousand taels to four or five thousand taels. The money allocated by the government is not enough, and we have to rely entirely on the dowry from my daughter-in-law to supplement it.
In less than a year, my dowry had been spent. When my cousin left Beijing, he promised to bring money back.
When I received the silver, I thought he had found some connections in Jiangnan and that was why he had the silver. I never thought that the silver might have been embezzled from the public treasury.
Mother, you know my cousin's character well. Although he's a bit lazy, he certainly wouldn't embezzle public funds. There must be some misunderstanding here."
Pei's face was stern. "Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, the prince will investigate it clearly. First, tell me how much silver the fourth brother gave you."
Xiao Qin'er wiped her tears with a handkerchief and said, "I gave a total of 20,000 taels. My daughter-in-law spent about 5,000 taels, so there are still 15,000 taels left."
Pei's heart was filled with anger. Xiao Qin'er really knows how to spend money. She spent five thousand taels at once.
She asked, "Did you give the right amount? Why is it only 20,000 taels? Are you playing tricks again?"
Xiao Qin'er shook her head repeatedly, "My daughter-in-law doesn't dare to play tricks. It really is only 20,000 taels. The maids can testify to this."
Pei stared at Xiao Qin'er suspiciously, "I will believe you for now. Hand over the entire 15,000 taels."
"Where is my father?" Xiao Qin'er looked at Pei eagerly.
Pei said, "As for the prince, I will take care of it for you."
Xiao Qin'er had no choice but to reluctantly hand over 15,000 taels.
The maid went back to her room to get the banknotes, but Pei was worried and sent the eunuch Wen Zhong to follow her.
Only when Wen Zhong returned to Chunhe Hall with 15,000 taels did Pei smile with satisfaction.
She accepted the banknote and said, "Go back to your room and have a good rest. Be quiet and don't cause any more trouble."
Xiao Qin'er bowed and accepted the order.
She walked through the garden, destroying the flowers and plants as she went.
She kept complaining, "Mother is really too much. This is the money my cousin gave me. Why should it be confiscated? If I had known this would happen, I should have spent it all when I first got it, leaving her with nothing."
"Ma'am, calm down first. Be careful of the baby in your belly."
Xiao Qin'er snorted, "Even after having a child, I still get scolded by my mother, and she even forces me to pay money."
She was truly aggrieved, complaining and crying all the way back to her room. Many people witnessed this, and the news about her quickly spread throughout the palace.
…
Ouyang Fu served Concubine Shen.
When Concubine Shen learned that Xiao Qin'er was forced to take the money, she laughed out loud three times, "Serves her right! She was told to show off, but in the end, it was the princess who got the advantage."
Ouyang Fu said, "I never thought the Fourth Young Master would dare to embezzle the Prince's money. Isn't he afraid of being punished by the Prince?"
Concubine Shen leaned against the soft couch and smiled, "He is fearless. He is the prince's legitimate son, the most favored prince in the palace. Even if he embezzled the prince's money, so what? The prince can't let him die, right? The most he can do is beat him up. By then, when the money is all gone, the beating will be worth it."
Ouyang Fu said, "But if that's the case, how can the prince dare to assign him an errand? Wouldn't that be more trouble than gain?"
Concubine Shen chuckled, "Perhaps he's lost his mind and embezzled the money. Perhaps he's been bewildered by the lewd music of Jiangnan and can't distinguish between the important and the unimportant. In short, the Fourth Master has made a fool of himself this time, and he will definitely be punished when he returns to the capital. I'll whisper in the prince's ear and ask him to arrange more tasks for the Second Master."
Ouyang Fu was delighted when she heard this. "Over the years, my husband has always been doing menial tasks and has rarely done any serious work. The prince is really a bit partial. I should take advantage of the opportunity when the Fourth Young Master makes a mistake and fight for my husband."
Concubine Shen smiled and said, "We'll try to get the Second Young Master to go to Jiangnan next year. On his next trip to Jiangnan, even without embezzling the public treasury's money, he can still get 10,000 or 20,000 silver coins."
Ouyang Fu was surprised. "Is it so easy to make money in Jiangnan?"
Concubine Shen said, "Jiangnan is a land of wealth and luxury. A small salt merchant can have a fortune of hundreds of thousands. The big salt merchants probably have fortunes of millions or even tens of millions. Tell me, is it easy to make money there?"
When Ouyang Fu heard this, she felt worried.
Why would the salt merchant give people silver for free? He must have something in mind!
Either they seek connections or they ask for women.
How many connections can the Second Young Master have? If he goes to Jiangnan, there is a nine-tenths chance that he will be stuffed with women.
Ouyang Fu felt uncomfortable when she thought that there would be one more woman in her backyard when she went to Jiangnan next time.
She really didn't have the confidence to forbid the second young master from taking a concubine.
She had been married for more than two years, almost three, but she had no children, not even a daughter.
Over the past year, she has been taking medicine to take care of her body, but she has not been able to get pregnant.
Sometimes she would secretly wonder if there was something wrong with the Second Young Master's health.
But she didn't dare say it out loud.
After all, she had been pregnant before, but she just couldn't keep the baby.
Ouyang Fu could only echo Concubine Shen's words and smiled appropriately.
Concubine Shen seemed to have guessed what she was thinking and warned her, "As for you, don't be so worried. Be a good housekeeper and take care of the internal affairs for the Second Young Master. As for children, you will have them sooner or later. If it really doesn't work out, just think more positively and let the one who can have children live."
The implication is that she wants to decide on getting the second young master a concubine.
Ouyang Fu lowered her head and whispered, "My daughter-in-law's health has improved a lot. The imperial physician said that she should be able to get pregnant smoothly by next year."
Concubine Shen looked at her with a half-smile, "Really? Did the imperial physician really say you can get pregnant next year?"
Ouyang Fu nodded heavily, "I will definitely get pregnant next year."
Concubine Shen's expression was indifferent. "It would be best if she could get pregnant. If she really can't, then let someone else have the chance. The Second Young Master is not young anymore, he should have had a child long ago."
Ouyang Fu said weakly, "My daughter-in-law has always followed the doctor's instructions and has not dared to slack off even a little."
Concubine Shen hummed, "Remember, you are the Second Madam, you have to have children for the palace. If you are unable to have children, then don't be jealous and prevent the Second Young Master from taking a concubine."
"My daughter-in-law knows." Ouyang Fu felt aggrieved, but she didn't dare to show it.
Concubine Shen sighed again, "I wonder if there's really something wrong with the palace's feng shui. You and the Third Madam have been married for so long, but neither of you has conceived. Only the Fourth Madam finally got pregnant. And there's no news from Gu Jiu either."
Ouyang Fu defended Gu Jiu, "Sister-in-law hasn't made any move, so you can't blame her. The eldest son has been away from the palace since the beginning of the new year and only came back a while ago."
Concubine Shen said, "Then let's wait until next year. If Gu Jiu still doesn't make any move next year, I'll really ask the prince to find a yin and yang master to come to the palace to take a look. Is there any evil spirit that is too strong and not conducive to offspring?"
…
Gu Jiu didn't know that someone was already concerned about her pregnancy.
She is busy designing jewelry.
Liu Zhao was a man of his word and always kept his promise of three days.
Not a day more, not a day less, fifteen thousand taels plus three skilled jewelry craftsmen were all delivered to her.
With money and people, Gu Jiu was ready to do something big.
The original teahouse closed down and was renovated.
The craftsmen were settled in the backyard of the teahouse, which would also serve as a jewelry workshop in the future.
Gu Jiu ordered Song Zheng to select reliable personnel to guard the workshop and ensure the safety of the property.
Since this morning, Gu Jiu has drawn five jewelry designs.
The sketching skills I learned in my previous life came in handy again.
The five design drawings had long been hidden in my mind. When I started writing, it was as if I was inspired by God.
Each one is colored and looks lifelike.
“It’s so beautiful!”
Several maids surrounded Gu Jiu, looking at the colored design drawings.
"Jewelry like this must be very expensive."
Gu Jiu nodded, "Based on the positioning of Zhenbaozhai, the cheapest jewelry is worth one hundred taels. The most expensive jewelry is worth ten thousand taels."
"Wow! But where does Madam get the raw gemstones? Without them, these pieces of jewelry can't be made."
Gu Jiu smiled softly, "Currently, Zhenbaozhai mainly sells red gold jewelry, and will launch various jewelry in the future."
Eat your food one bite at a time, and do business slowly.
It is not realistic to expect to become rich overnight.
Gu Jiu designed two routes for Zhenbaozhai.
The first path, in the first six months, focused on pure gold jewelry, supplemented by fine jewelry. The raw jewelry was purchased from jewelers in the capital. Although the prices were high, which squeezed their profits, it helped Zhenbaozhai quickly expand into the market.
At the same time, they sent people south of the Yangtze River to look for sea merchants, establish long-term cooperative relationships with them, purchase goods from them, reduce costs and increase profits.
When she has enough capital, the next step will be to organize cargo personnel to go out to sea, and she will also engage in maritime trade.
As a result, the people she has are not enough, and she needs to train more talents.
If she had the chance, she would also get involved in the salt and iron business, and transform herself from a small rich woman into a very rich woman.
Gu Jiu worked from morning to evening and drew ten design drawings in one breath.
Continue tomorrow.
Gather twenty design drawings and then let the craftsmen build and finish them according to the designs.
Once Zhenbaozhai is renovated, we can open for business.
Xiao Cui said to her, "I heard that the Fourth Madam cried all afternoon."
Gu Jiu laughed, "She lost fifteen thousand taels, it would be strange if she didn't cry."
"The fourth lady is pregnant. Aren't you afraid that if she keeps crying, she might hurt the baby in her belly?" Qingmei was a little worried.
Gu Jiu said, "Don't worry about it. If the Fourth Madam continues to cry like this, the Princess will not sit idly by. She will definitely send for the imperial physician and visit her in person."
Gu Jiu was right. When the imperial physician came in, Pei went with him to visit Xiao Qin'er.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law closed the door and talked a lot.
When Mrs. Pei left, Xiao Qin'er burst into laughter. It was obvious that Mrs. Pei had coaxed her.
Early in the morning, Gu Jiucai had just drawn two design drawings when the doorman came to report that the wife of the Crown Prince of Daihou Mansion had sent a letter.
"Sister Mei's letter, bring it in quickly."
Xiao Cui put the letter in Gu Jiu's hand.
Gu Jiu hurriedly opened the letter and started reading.
She frowned.
Mei's daughter has a persistent high fever and cough, and the imperial physician is helpless. Desperate, she seeks help from Gu Jiu, who asks her to come to her house and treat the child.
Gu Jiu didn't dare to delay.
He immediately ordered people to pack their luggage and go with her to Dai Hou Mansion.
He took a carriage to Dai Hou Mansion and got off at the second gate.
The people in Dai Hou Mansion only thought that she came to visit Gu Mei and had no idea that she knew medicine.
Gu Jiu was too lazy to talk to the people in Daihou Mansion. "Lead the way, take me to see Sister Mei."
The old woman did not dare to delay and led Gu Jiu to the backyard.
"Sister Xiaojiu, you are finally here."
"Sister Mei, how long have you not rested? Is the child okay?"
"The child is not well, please take a look at him."
When the two met, they didn't bother to exchange pleasantries. Gu Jiu followed Gu Mei directly into the bedroom.
The little child lay on the bed, his cheeks flushed and his forehead burning.
She immediately ordered, "Open the windows for some fresh air, prepare boiling water and strong liquor. Everyone who is not involved should leave."
Gu Mei was anxious and at a loss, "Sister Xiaojiu, can the child be saved?"
"Sister Mei, please don't be anxious. Tell me first, how long has the child had a fever?"
"She had a fever yesterday morning, and it hasn't gone away yet. She started coughing again last night. The imperial physicians have tried everything to reduce her fever, but to no avail. I'm so worried! What if something happens to the child? What will I do?"
Gu Mei started crying as she spoke.
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