After leaving the palace, the King of Chu went straight back to the palace.
When he saw Concubine Sun, he said worriedly, "Grandfather was extremely serious today. He looked at me several times and I felt like running away."
Concubine Sun asked, "What's going on? Is His Majesty dissatisfied with you?"
The King of Chu shook his head. "I can't really explain what's going on. It's just that the way my royal grandfather looks at me makes me feel terrified. It's as if nothing can be hidden, as if everything is seen through."
The worry that Concubine Sun had suppressed deep in her heart surfaced, "You haven't done anything out of line in this period of time, right?"
The King of Chu hurriedly said, "My son has always followed my mother's teachings and worked diligently."
Concubine Sun waved her hand and said, "If that's the case, there's nothing to worry about. Go down first and don't let your imagination run wild."
The King of Chu opened his mouth and boldly asked, "Is my mother hiding something from me?"
"How dare you!" Concubine Sun shouted harshly.
The King of Chu looked embarrassed. "Grandfather Royal suddenly changed his attitude towards me. Mother must know the reason."
"I've already told you there's nothing to worry about. Why can't you listen? Also, His Majesty hasn't changed his attitude towards you. This is all just your illusion."
Concubine Sun spoke in a stern tone and did not tolerate any rebuttal.
The King of Chu frowned. Was it really his illusion?
The urge to escape under the emperor's gaze cannot be faked.
It was obvious that Concubine Sun did not intend to tell him the truth.
The King of Chu gritted his teeth and said, "My son, I'll take my leave."
He turned and left, but he was more suspicious.
Concubine Sun sat dejectedly on the Luohan couch, feeling exhausted all over.
She ordered the maid, "Call Young Supervisor Fang."
The maid took the order and left.
Not long after, Fang Shaojian came to the study.
"What's wrong, Madam?"
He walked forward and served tea himself.
Concubine Sun came back to her senses from her deep thoughts and said, "Now that you are here, please sit down and talk."
She perked up and asked, "Why hasn't there been any movement from Prince Ning's Mansion? Didn't you say you were 60% to 70% sure?"
Fang Shaojian said calmly, "Your Majesty, there's no rush. Prince Ning and his men have only been away from the capital for a short time. Even if Prince Ning's Mansion pulls out all the stops, it's impossible for them to return immediately."
However, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao did not move at all.
The couple had agreed that Prince Ning would return to the capital, which was inevitable, but there was no rush to do so now.
King Ning should be allowed to go out and suffer a little.
These days, when you travel abroad, there are no five-star hotels or highways.
The road was so bumpy that it could break a person's body. I missed my place to stay and had to spend the night in a dilapidated temple.
Living in a dilapidated temple and eating dry food in the middle of winter is definitely not a pleasant experience.
Traveling long distances these days is a test of life, a test of hardship. Even if you are a prince, you still have to endure this hardship.
Liu Zhao had made up his mind to teach Prince Ning a lesson, so he was not in a hurry, not at all.
It won’t be too late to find a way to bring Prince Ning back to the capital after the new year.
Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao mean the same thing.
Fang Shaojian's plan was in vain.
He never imagined that Liu Zhao and Gu Jiu were a couple that could not be judged by common sense at all.
Other sons are eager for their fathers to return to Beijing as soon as possible. They feel guilty when the pillar of the family is gone!
When Liu Zhao came to him, he wished that King Ning would suffer more.
Is Fang Shaojian anxious?
Of course it’s urgent.
Just watching Gu Jiu dividing the money and making a fortune, not worrying about Prince Ning's situation at all, and not seeming to care about the future of Prince Ning's Mansion, Fang Shaojian felt a toothache.
Could it be that he had misjudged Gu Jiu? Was his prediction wrong?
Even if he really made a wrong judgment, he would not admit it in front of Concubine Sun.
Concubine Sun said with a stern face, "His Majesty has become suspicious of the prince. The prince returned from the palace today and said himself that there was something wrong with the way His Majesty looked at him. I am very worried. If anyone finds any clues, you and I will both be cut into pieces."
Fang Shaojian said calmly, "The rumors in the palace were suppressed before they even caused any waves."
Concubine Sun sneered, "Are you trying to tell me not to worry about the rumors in the palace? At this moment, the only person who can suppress the rumors without alerting anyone else is Your Majesty. Your Majesty suppressing the rumors does not mean that Your Majesty will not pursue them. Once Your Majesty knows the cause of Crown Prince Renxuan's death..."
"My queen, be careful with your words! Be careful, there are ears."
Fang Shaojian simply interrupted Concubine Sun's words.
Concubine Sun felt momentarily embarrassed. She took a deep breath, suppressed her panic, and said, "The prince asked me today if I was hiding something from him, and I naturally denied it. However, this is not a long-term solution. Prince Ning and the others must return to the capital as soon as possible."
Fang Shaojian chuckled softly, "Is the Queen panicking?"
Concubine Sun felt embarrassed to have the truth exposed. She shouted angrily, "I don't believe you won't panic."
"I am alone and it doesn't matter to me."
Concubine Sun gnashed her teeth and said, "Don't force me."
Fang Shaojian smiled, "Your Majesty, calm down! You can choose to tell the prince the truth!"
"Are you crazy, or am I? Have you thought about the consequences of telling the prince the truth?"
Concubine Sun had thought about killing Fang Shaojian countless times.
But every time, she would convince herself not to kill him, as he could still be useful.
But, Fang Shaojian really deserves to die.
At this moment, she wanted to kill the young supervisor again.
Fang Shaojian pretended not to notice Sun's murderous intentions and said calmly, "Your Majesty cannot keep this secret from the prince forever. Sooner or later, the prince will know the truth."
Concubine Sun sneered, "As long as you can find a way to resolve this crisis, then the prince will never need to know the truth. Don't tell me that you have no other solution except to let Prince Ning and his men return to the capital."
Fang Shaojian said: "If you want to cover up a truth, the fastest way is to create another truth."
"What do you want to do?"
Fang Shaojian smiled and said, "The kidnapping case has just ended, and the aftereffects are still there. We can take advantage of it."
Concubine Sun's eyebrows moved slightly, "Are you sure?"
"I wouldn't say I'm completely sure, but I'm about 70% to 80% sure."
"I believe in you! I hope you won't let me down again this time."
Fang Shaojian smiled and said, "If all goes well, Prince Ning and his men won't have to return to the capital to perfectly explain the assassination of Crown Prince Renxuan. If His Majesty wants to know the truth, we will deliver it to him."
"I hope you're not exaggerating."
"Please wait and see, Your Majesty."
Fang Shaojian looked as if he had everything under control.
…
"I pay my respects to the prince!"
Gu Yue waited on the road that King Chu had to pass by and bowed.
Her belly was noticeably bulging, and she was several months pregnant, with obvious signs of pregnancy.
She was originally thin, but because of pregnancy, she gained a lot of weight and looked even more beautiful than before pregnancy.
Now that she is pregnant, she naturally cannot sleep with him.
However, she could not just sit there and wait, and she could not silently wait for the King of Chu to forget her.
So she would show up from time to time, waiting on the road that the King of Chu must pass by, to make her presence felt and ensure that the King of Chu would not forget her.
In this way, when the child is born, the King of Chu will remember her with just a little reminder and will summon her to sleep with him.
She had a charming smile and seductive eyes. If it weren't for her big belly, her figure would have been graceful and charming, which would have attracted people's imagination.
"No need to be polite!"
The King of Chu originally had no impression of Gu Yue and had long forgotten the previous shot, but he could not resist Gu Yue appearing in front of him from time to time.
After meeting her several times, the King of Chu finally remembered her as the person in his backyard.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Gu Yue stood up straight, her body still flexible.
The King of Chu coughed lightly and said, "It's so cold, and you're pregnant, why are you out here?"
Surprise flashed in Gu Yue's eyes. The prince actually cared about her. It was worth it that she waited for the prince in the cold wind for half an hour.
Gu Yue said softly, "The room was stuffy, so I came out for a walk. I'm so lucky! I didn't expect to meet the prince."
The King of Chu hummed, "Hurry back to your room and rest. Be careful not to catch a cold."
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will return to my room right away. Ah!"
"What happened again?"
"My elder sister, the wife of the Crown Prince of Daihou Mansion, is planning to hold a flower viewing banquet. I would like to go and see it. Please allow me, Your Highness."
"The wife of the Crown Prince of Daihou Mansion is your elder sister?"
"Exactly!"
The King of Chu considered this matter for a while and said, "Report this matter to the Princess and ask her to prepare a gift for you to take to the Daihou Mansion."
Gu Yue said timidly, "I'm worried that the princess won't agree, so..."
The King of Chu interrupted her, "I will inform the princess myself. Don't worry."
Gu Yue was overjoyed. "Thank you, Your Highness. Your Highness, you are busy. I will take my leave."
Having achieved his goal, Gu Yue left tactfully.
She knew that the King of Chu was looking at her from behind, so she deliberately slowed down her steps and left in the most elegant manner.
The King of Chu laughed. This woman was quite interesting.
After thinking about it, he changed his mind and decided not to go to the study first, but to go to the princess instead.
…
It's already the twelfth lunar month.
The weather was very cold, with the northwest wind blowing all day long. Every time I went out, it felt like it was raining knives from the sky, making me feel like I was dying.
No one wants to go out unless it is necessary.
Hiding in the house, turning on the floor heating and charcoal basin, it feels like a warm spring.
This is the right way to start winter.
Pei also became lazy, unwilling to move, and even more unwilling to get up early. Getting up early was a pain in the ass. Even though the house was as warm as spring, she knew it was winter and her body instinctively resisted getting up early.
Pei rarely put herself in a difficult position, so she decisively exempted everyone from paying their respects in the morning and only required them to pay their respects in the evening.
Everyone was happy with this move.
Pei Shi didn't have to get up early, and so did her daughters-in-law, such as Gu Jiu and others, and her concubines, such as Concubine Chen.
With the princess taking the lead, everyone slept in openly.
Gu Jiu began his hibernation life.
The scope of activities is limited to three main rooms and bedrooms.
He only goes out in the evening to pay his respects.
I won't go to the meeting hall.
When the kitchen maids need to play cards or have something to ask for advice, they all go to the East Courtyard.
Gu Jiu was in the East Courtyard handling internal affairs.
Ouyang Fu and Xiao Qin'er followed suit and also took care of the housework in the room.
Gu Jiu is the eldest daughter-in-law, and she took the lead in doing this. As younger sisters-in-law, they naturally follow her.
At this time, they were led by Gu Jiu, but on ordinary days, they did not necessarily lead by Gu Jiu.
Pei Shi didn't bother to care; she was also hibernating. As long as nothing went wrong, she didn't mind everyone being a little lazy during the cold twelfth lunar month.
Anyway, Prince Ning was not in the palace. The Pei family had the final say in the entire palace.
Gu Jiu is staying at home during the winter, but his subordinates can’t stay at home either.
Bai Zhong braved the wind and snow and came to the East Courtyard.
As soon as he entered the door, the stimulation of cold and heat made him shiver, and then his whole body felt very comfortable.
Getting rid of the cold and entering the warm house makes people want to never go out again.
Qingzhu brought a bowl of ginger soup and said, "Drink it quickly, be careful not to catch a cold."
Bai Zhong said cheerfully, "Thank you, Sister Qingzhu."
"Who is your sister? If you keep talking nonsense, I won't bother with you next time."
Bai Zhong smiled and drank the bowl of ginger soup. After he felt warm inside and out, he went to the small study to meet Gu Jiu.
"Madam, part of the Wei River is frozen and has stopped flowing. The amount of goods flowing to and from the capital has decreased significantly recently."
Gu Jiu perked up and asked, "Is the inner city river frozen?"
“It’s not frozen yet.”
Gu Jiu breathed a sigh of relief.
Sihai Freight's business will be affected by the weather in winter.
Especially in snowy weather.
Once the inner city river freezes, it is impossible to transport goods into the city by ship.
As a result, the Neicheng River did not freeze, but the Wei River froze and stopped flowing.
No matter where the ice occurs, the business at Yuhuaxiang Wharf will definitely be severely affected in the last month of the year, and the revenue will drop sharply.
Gu Jiu instructed Bai Zhong, "Send someone to inform all shareholders about the freezing of the Wei River and the impact on freight."
This is to avoid that when the dividends are distributed, some people who don’t understand the situation will complain and suspect that she has embezzled the dock’s profits.
Bai Zhong accepted the order.
Gu Jiu said, "Since the dock is not busy, you can take this opportunity to rest for a few days."
"Thank you for your concern, Madam." He hesitated for a moment, "Madam, I'm afraid to ask you something, but I'm not sure if it's appropriate or not."
"Ask!"
Bai Zhong struggled for a moment, "I want to ask if Eunuch Deng will stay."
Gu Jiu was surprised. "Are you worried that Eunuch Deng will stay and take away your credit?"
Bai Zhong shook his head repeatedly. "I don't have that idea. If Eunuch Deng stays, I will step down and let someone else take over."
Gu Jiu laughed, "You're quite thoughtful. Don't worry, even if Eunuch Deng stays in the capital, you don't have to give up your position. You'll still be in charge of the Yuhuaxiang Wharf. You'll also be in charge of the real estate projects within the city."
However, construction will begin outside the South City Gate in the spring of next year, and I need someone to fully commit to it. Do you think you're suitable? If you want to pursue the project outside the South City Gate, then you must give up the Yuhuaxiang Wharf and the real estate projects within the city.
Bai Zhong felt reassured after hearing this. "I am willing to continue managing the Yuhuaxiang Wharf and the real estate projects in the city. I will definitely not let my wife down."
Gu Jiu asked, "Are you sure?"
"Small sure."
"Then I'll have to hand over the project outside the South City Gate to someone else. What do you think of Eunuch Deng?"
"Eunuch Deng is a steady and prudent man. It's very appropriate to entrust him with the project outside the South City Gate."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I understand. You can go down and have a rest."
"As you command."
Bai Zhong bowed and took his leave, and Gu Jiu raised his eyebrows and smiled.
Without her knowing, the people below had already started competing.
This is great!
Just as the emperor doesn't want his subjects to stick together, Gu Jiu doesn't want all his subordinates to stick together harmoniously.
Competition is good, it is like supervising each other.
The four eunuchs she initially asked for from the Shaofu were now able to stand on their own after two years of training.
Rong Xin went to the south to take charge of maritime trade.
Huang Zhuo went to the northwest to replace Deng Cunli and take charge of the business in the northwest.
Deng Cunli and Bai Zhongdu stayed in the capital, each responsible for a part.
Dazhuang is in charge of the horse farm.
The second strong man is in the capital, in charge of the overall situation.
Gu Jiu was very happy that each of the people under his control had achieved success.
She is determined to become a rich woman, so naturally she wants to help everyone get rich together.
If one person becomes rich while everyone around him suffers, this is not a long-term solution.
Gu Jiu ordered Qingmei, "Call Eunuch Deng here, I have something to ask him."
"As you command."
Deng Cunli stayed in the capital for a long time.
He was not very willing to stay in the capital.
There are too many old acquaintances in Beijing, all of whom are unpleasant memories.
However, Gu Jiu had made it clear that he had a great use for him, and as a servant, he couldn't afford to offend his master.
Therefore, when Qingmei came to call him, he had already made up his mind.
He followed Qingmei to the small study and bowed, "This old servant greets the Madam."
"No need to be polite. Have you thought it through? Do you want to stay in the capital and help me?" Gu Jiu asked directly.
Deng Cunli raised his head and said, "I have never been in charge of house construction before, and I am afraid I will disappoint Madam."
"That's alright. I have confidence in you. A mere overseer won't be a problem for you."
Deng Cunli said, "Since Madam thinks highly of me, I shall respectfully obey your command and will certainly live up to your trust."
Gu Jiu smiled with satisfaction.
The project outside Nanchengmen is too large and cannot be compared with the dozens of houses in Yuhua Lane.
According to the preliminary plan, the project outside the South City Gate is divided into four phases, and at least several thousand houses will be built, involving the transaction of millions of taels of silver.
Bai Zhong is too young to take on such a big project.
Er Zhuang is not suitable either, the reason is still that he is too young and cannot control the situation.
Only Deng Cunli, an old man who has experienced ups and downs in the palace and seen the world, can control the situation.
She instructed Deng Cunli, "I've had Erzhuang invite the master craftsmen who will oversee the project to live in the other courtyards in the city. From now on, you will live with them. Try to understand the South City Gate project as thoroughly as possible before the spring, so that you can be fully aware of all the details."
"I obey your command."
"If you have any needs or any questions, you can come to me."
"I understand. I will move to the other courtyard today."
Not only did he want to move to the other courtyard, he also wanted to conduct an on-site inspection. Before the project even started, he wanted to find out the situation outside the South City Gate.
Gu Jiu took out a small booklet from the drawer.
Inside the booklet were her various ideas about the situation outside the South City Gate, including an analysis of the feasibility of installment payments.
"Please take a close look at this booklet. If you have any questions or differing opinions, I welcome your discussion. We'll strive to reach a consensus before we begin the project. If you have a better idea, feel free to bring it up. You don't need to be too restrained with me."
Deng Cunli took the booklet, opened it, and was attracted by the contents.
He bowed and said, "I will read it carefully after I go down. If you have any questions or other ideas, please do not hide them."
Gu Jiu laughed, "That's great."
After a pause, she brought up another matter, "Did Bai Zhong tell you that the Li family's unfinished real estate project was bought by us and we are currently replanning it."
"I have heard about this."
Gu Jiu seemed to remember something and laughed, "The Li family may not be good at other things, but they are really good at grabbing locations. This real estate project is in an excellent location, quiet in a bustling city, and very suitable for buying and settling down."
When the houses are finished, do you want to buy one? If you want one, I'll tell Bai Zhong to reserve the best house in the area for you. You're mine, so I'll give you a 20% discount on the price."
In the previous Yuhua Lane project, Deng Cunli made a big investment, investing three thousand taels in one go.
The tripled profit brought him an income of nine thousand taels, which, together with the principal, amounted to twelve thousand taels.
This amount of money is not a small amount. It is enough to buy a nice house in the capital.
Deng Cunli was a little moved when he heard this, "Can I buy it, old slave?"
Gu Jiu laughed, "Of course. What are you afraid of?"
Deng Cunli shook his head.
"If you are afraid of your status, I can send someone to the Ministry of Rites to remove your slave status."
With Gu Jiu's reputation with the Shaofu Household Officer, it was a piece of cake to help Deng Cunli regain his freedom.
Unexpectedly, Deng Cunli refused.
"Thank you for your kindness, madam. I am doing well now. There is no need to remove my slave status."
"Are you sure?" Gu Jiu asked.
Deng Cunli said with certainty, "This old servant is sure."
"Okay, I respect your idea. You can take your time to think about the house. It's winter now, and the construction is progressing slowly. It won't be too late to make a decision after the house is built next spring."
"No need to wait until next spring. I want to buy a house to use as my retirement home."
Gu Jiu nodded. "Since you have made up your mind, I will tell Bai Zhong about this matter. If you have time, go over there and learn from their experience."
"I obey your command."
Ma Xiaoliu came in from outside and said, "Madam, someone has sent a gift to you, saying it's from the south."
"South? Who's sending gifts?"
"The last name on the post is Zhou."
week?
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