62 Chapter 062
◎Shuidong Song Family◎
The autumn wind blew up the half-yellow leaves, which swirled and hit the glass of the flower hall, then slid to the ground.
"Rong'an, how about my flower hall?" Xie Kui walked in with Xie Mingzhuo, the pearl hairpins on her temples shining with golden luster.
The flower hall is built in the garden, and large glass panels are embedded on all four walls. No matter where you are in the flower hall, you can enjoy the colorful flowers outside the hall at a glance.
You can also enjoy tea leisurely in the living room without having to suffer from the biting cold wind or the scorching sun.
Xie Mingzhuo was used to seeing floor-to-ceiling windows and didn't find it strange, but Princess Jiashan's advanced ideas were indeed worthy of praise.
She gave a thumbs up sincerely, "Grandma's idea is very clever. As soon as I came in, I felt like I was in a sea of flowers."
In addition, the auspicious beasts in the hall burn incense, and the fragrance is comparable to the sea of flowers outside the hall, giving you a real sense of being there.
"This is not something I came up with." Xie Kui led her to sit down.
"oh?"
"After the Porcelain Competition, the Porcelain King, according to the rules, had to be exhibited in the store for a month for customers to admire. Every time this time came, I felt uneasy, worried that someone would accidentally bump into it."
Porcelain will inevitably gather dust after being placed for a month. The dust must be cleaned promptly. If an accident occurs during cleaning, no one can take the responsibility.
People who come to watch often come in groups, crowded together, and even though there are waiters guarding them, there are still some people who are greedy.
Xie Kui smiled and said, "Fortunately, I met the King of Jin. He helped me solve my problem and came up with a solution."
"With a glass cover?"
"As expected of brother and sister, they think alike."
Xie Mingzhuo: "So my great-aunt drew inferences from this and thought of building a flower hall?"
"Yes, I even held a banquet to invite the ladies of each family to appreciate the flowers. After they went back, the glass factory received a lot of additional orders."
It turns out that appreciating the flowers is secondary, and making money from the rich and powerful is the real purpose.
Xie Mingzhuo struck while the iron was hot: "Grandma, I have a worry that I want you to help me solve."
"Princess Sanyi is so majestic in the court that no one dares to interfere. What worries does she have that needs to be solved by an old woman like me?" Xie Kui teased.
Xie Mingzhuo was shocked. She was only in her early forties and she called herself an old woman?
"Grandma, you're still in your prime, why underestimate yourself?" She didn't beat around the bush and said bluntly, "The position of clan leader is vacant, and I'd like to ask you to take on this responsibility."
Xie Kui was surprised: "Rong An, are you serious?"
"No adulteration whatsoever."
"But there has never been a precedent for a princess to serve as the clan leader. I'm afraid some people will not accept it." Xie Kui was not afraid of taking responsibility. Instead, he was eager to try. However, he hesitated for a moment because of the clan rules.
Xie Mingzhuo asked with a smile, "What are you afraid of? How did I get the nickname 'Princess Sanyi'?"
There was no precedent for a princess to enter the court and participate in politics.
"Okay, since you dare to enter the court, why should I be afraid of a clan leader?" Xie Kui was also a decisive person and agreed immediately.
Xie Mingzhuo didn't want to throw cold water on her, but he still reminded her sternly, "Grandma, although my last name is Xie, I have to admit that the royal family's annual salaries are almost overwhelming the national treasury. They have seized countless fields and houses, yet they still cry and beg for money from my father. It really gives my father a headache."
Xie Kui understood.
She also owned a lot of land and properties, and did not need to pay taxes to the court. These alone were enough to support the entire princess's mansion every year.
With money, one could buy more land, so more and more land no longer had to pay taxes to the court. The treasury became increasingly empty, and the court could not get a penny from the nobles and could only continue to put pressure on the poor people.
"Rong An, what do you want to do?"
"I don't know either. I just feel that we can't go on like this." Xie Mingzhuo couldn't think of a good solution for the time being.
The "single whip law" in history was quite effective in solving the problem of royal family and powerful families annexing land and evading taxes.
Although this method can alleviate the financial crisis, it cannot fundamentally solve the chaos of land annexation.
"Rong'an, this matter cannot be rushed." Xie Kui patted her hand. "I know you are worried about the country, but you are still young, so take your time."
Xie Mingzhuo nodded: "My great-aunt is right."
The two talked for a long time, and it was three quarters past three in the afternoon before Xie Mingzhuo left the princess's mansion.
The carriage she rode in was low-key, and no one noticed her as she passed through the streets, which made it convenient for her to lift the curtain and stroll around to watch the fun.
I just returned to Beijing the day before yesterday and didn't have time to take a closer look. Now, at a glance, I can see people wearing ethnic costumes going in and out of various shops.
When the envoys arrived in the capital, they would not remain in the Huitong Hall. As vassal states, most of them yearned for the culture of the Central Plains, and even their official writing system was designed to emulate that of the suzerain state.
It is a rare opportunity to come to Beijing, so I will naturally not miss the opportunity to study.
Buying "souvenirs" to take back is also one of their goals.
In order to make more money from foreigners, vendors in shops across Beijing tried every trick in the book, and new and unusual products and methods emerged one after another.
A circus troupe not far away was performing fire-breathing, which attracted exclamations from the surrounding spectators and the onlookers of other ethnic groups were also staring intently.
After the fire-breathing show, the lion dance came on stage.
The lion-tamer, holding a hydrangea, tumbles flexibly between the square table and the benches. The lions, big and small, wag their tails and jump around following him, looking very adorable.
"Stop for a moment." Xie Mingzhuo said.
Jiang Qing immediately stopped the carriage and sat in the front with Feng Caiyu, watching the acrobatics with her eyes while keeping an eye on the sounds from all directions.
Although they are protected by guards in the dark, they cannot let their guard down.
"Don't run!" One man grabbed another, squeezed out of the crowd, and shouted angrily, "You stole my purse! Come back!"
He was dressed in Central Plains clothing, spoke standard Mandarin, and looked no different from a Central Plains person, but the silver jewelry around his neck had a very ethnic minority style.
"Who stole your purse? Don't spit blood at me. I'm from the capital, how could I be interested in a purse from a barbarian like you? What a joke!"
The onlookers nodded in agreement. This man, dressed in splendid attire, must have come from a wealthy family in the capital. There was really no need for him to steal anyone's purse.
The young man wearing silver jewelry blushed and couldn't help but let go of the other person's collar.
The man glared at him, said "Pooh" in annoyance, and straightened his collar.
"Young Master, have you been bullied?" Another servant-like figure rushed over and glared at the young man in silver jewelry. "Is it this southern barbarian?"
The silver-clad young man was furious. He clenched his fists but held back and argued, "I saw him steal my purse with my own eyes. It must still be on him!"
"What? You still want to search me?" The young man opened his arms and took a few steps forward. "Go ahead and search me if you can. If you don't find anything, kneel down and call me Grandpa three times!"
Some people secretly shook their heads, thinking that this young man with silver jewelry might suffer a loss.
Unexpectedly, the young man did not make a move. He suppressed his anger and said righteously, "I will not search you. I will take you to see the officials and ask them to search you. There were so many people just now. Who knows if you have any accomplices hiding among them? If you don't have any on you, then your accomplices must be with you."
"Hahahahaha, you're here to see me, officer?" The young man spread his arms and pointed around. "There are so many people here, who is my accomplice? Do you think everyone needs to be searched?"
The crowd immediately stopped.
They just wanted to watch the fun and didn't want to be searched by the government. These southern barbarians were really troublesome.
The young man with silver jewelry looked around at everyone and said confidently, "I know who my accomplice is."
Everyone: “…”
You're kidding me.
"I saw you." The young man wearing silver jewelry fixed his gaze on someone, picked up a clay figurine from the grocery stall and threw it at him, not forgetting to apologize to the owner, "I'll buy it, I'll pay later."
The boss swallowed back the curse that he was about to utter.
You know what, this barbarian throws really accurately!
The clay figurine struck the man right between the eyebrows, and he blacked out and fell to the ground. The young man in silver jewelry quickly approached and pulled out a purse from his arms. It was brightly colored and embroidered with strange symbols, clearly belonging to an alien race.
The young man with silver jewelry tossed his money bag, his eyebrows flying and he asked, "Do you still recognize it?"
"I don't even know him, why would I recognize him?" The young man sneered. "Neighbors, don't you think this is ridiculous? The money was stolen by someone else, and he falsely blamed it on me. I really can't swallow this!"
The young man with silver jewelry frowned: "I just saw you gesture to him."
"Oh, there's a limit to what you can do. You said you saw it, so you saw it? Neighbors, did you see it?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"First, you falsely accuse me of stealing money, and then you use a lame excuse to say he's my accomplice. Do you think you have a keen eye? If I were you, you and he are the accomplices, deliberately accusing me of stealing money!"
The young man with silver jewelry: "..."
But his eyesight is really good!
Jiang Qing and Feng Caiyu were also a little confused. What they said made sense. Who was the culprit?
"You people from the Central Plains are so unreasonable!" The young man with silver jewelry muttered softly, holding his money bag. "Where's the country of etiquette you promised us? You're lying!"
The young man snorted coldly: "It's obviously you, a southern barbarian, who's making trouble."
The followers behind him also sneered and lowered their heads to whisper in their ears. Others could not hear what they said, but they knew that they were definitely cursing the southern barbarians.
Thanks to his keen hearing, Xie Mingzhuo vaguely heard a few notes and couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
"Ayu, come closer and listen."
Feng Caiyu immediately entered the carriage. After listening to it, she looked surprised and nodded repeatedly.
The two sides were deadlocked and others didn't know what to do.
This southern barbarian is dressed elegantly and is obviously one of the people who came to the capital to present gifts. We can't really cause trouble to the government.
Suddenly, a young girl approached with graceful manners. Everyone did not dare to look down on her, so they all shut their mouths and waited to see what this beautiful young lady would do.
Feng Caiyu walked up to the young man in brocade clothes, smiled friendly, and suddenly said something.
Everyone: ???
What did you say? I don't understand!
The young man in brocade clothes responded subconsciously, using the same tone.
What is going on?
Feng Caiyu smiled knowingly, took a few steps back, and bowed to the crowd, saying, "Everyone, this young man is not from my country Qi, but from the Goryeo Li family."
There was an uproar all around.
"Why did Master Li pretend to be a native of Qi, deliberately arguing with this young master in the street, and slandering the people of Qi openly and covertly? Is he trying to stir up trouble?"
Her voice was bright and her words were powerful. Everyone suddenly realized that they were being made a fool of.
The young man wearing silver jewelry suddenly realized what was going on. He glared at Master Li angrily, then bowed deeply to Feng Caiyu: "Thank you, young lady, for helping me out."
"Can't the people of Qi speak Korean?" The young man in brocade clothes was unconvinced. "You can speak Korean, so are you also Korean?"
Feng Caiyu remained calm and composed. "What I just asked was, 'Fourth Prince, has your leg injury healed?' And you answered, 'It has.' Who are you, and why haven't I seen you in the diplomatic mission?' Prince Li Si, was I clear enough?"
Being called out in public, Li Si was embarrassed, but he still tried to argue: "You are lying! I didn't say that at all!"
Feng Caiyu didn't care about his shouting. She didn't need to prove the truth to the people around her. As long as his identity was exposed, the people would have their own yardstick.
Mission accomplished, she turned and returned to the carriage.
"Hahaha, this Li Si has embarrassed himself so much," Jiang Qing said in a low voice, overjoyed. "Maybe we can print this in the newspaper so more people can see it."
Xie Mingzhuo also smiled when he heard this: "That's a good idea."
"Your Highness, how did you know that he had a leg injury?" Feng Caiyu asked admiringly.
Xie Mingzhuo: "It's in the intelligence. Go back and memorize it for me, so that you don't miss me when you meet me."
With the combined efforts of Huitongguan, Jinyiwei and the newspaper, it was easy to get this little bit of intelligence.
She had nothing to do, so she flipped through it and memorized everything.
Jiang Qing and Feng Caiyu obeyed the order, then looked at each other, their scalps tingling.
Endorsement really shortens your life.
Li Si was too embarrassed to stay any longer, so he left in disgrace with his "accomplices", and the crowd of onlookers also dispersed.
"Young lady, please stay." The young man in silver jewelry approached the carriage and bowed. "My name is Song Qianqi from Guizhou. Thank you for your help today. May I ask your name?"
"The Song family from Shuidong, Guizhou?" Xie Mingzhuo lifted the carriage curtain.
Song Qianqi looked over when he heard the voice, his face startled, his eyes filled with astonishment, and he immediately replied, "That's right."
"Our Great Qi is indeed a country of etiquette. Now your Shuidong Song family is also a part of our Great Qi. Even if Li Si is truly a Qi national, don't think that everything you see is dark just because of a few floating clouds blocking the sun."
Song Qianqi said shyly, "Miss, you are right. I was so angry and said something wrong just now. I am really sorry."
He had already realized that the person who had really rescued him was the girl in the carriage.
"Mr. Song, goodbye." Xie Mingzhuo lowered the curtain. "Aqing, go back."
Song Qianqi: "Girl..."
He watched the carriage go away.
What a pity, I haven’t asked the girl’s name yet.
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