Fu Qiyuan took Jiang Shan and his mother to the palace to express their gratitude.
The emperor was having a lively conversation with Minister Qin of the Ministry of Revenue in the imperial study when he heard that Fu Qiyuan had brought the mother and son to express their gratitude. The emperor's beard twitched and he chuckled.
"My dear minister, come with me to see that Princess Guyang!"
Jiang Shan and Jiang Huai sat together properly, mother and son holding hands and whispering to each other.
Upon seeing the Emperor, Jiang Shan hurriedly pulled Jiang Huai and Fu Qiyuan to kneel down and kowtow in greeting.
The emperor excused himself from the formalities, and Jiang Huai said with a smile, "Uncle Emperor, my father and mother brought me here to express our gratitude to you. I am so happy, let me kowtow to you a couple more times!"
After saying that, he kowtowed twice more.
The emperor laughed and asked, "What are you so happy about? Tell me!"
Jiang Huai counted on his fingers and said, "Father and Mother are getting married, so we'll be a family from now on! Also, Mother has become an official, so no one will be able to bully her anymore! And also, Huai'er really likes that beautiful garden; it's a gift from Uncle Emperor, so of course Huai'er wants to thank Uncle Emperor!"
At such a young age, he speaks eloquently and logically. It must be said that this Lady of Guyang County has taught her son exceptionally well!
The emperor nodded and waved to the Jianghuai region.
Jiang Huai ran over without even glancing at Minister Qin.
Upon closer inspection, I couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh, are you Aunt Yao Yao's father? Hello, Grandpa Qin!"
Minister Qin chuckled and asked, "How did you know I'm Yao'er's father?"
Jiang Huai grinned and said, "Aunt Yao Yao said you love her cakes and pastries, you eat them every morning, and you smell like cake on you!"
"Haha, hahaha!" Minister Qin laughed heartily.
The emperor gave Minister Qin a long, cold look and said, "My dear minister, I've been listening to your rambling all morning on an empty stomach. How can you bear to do this to me!"
Qin Shangshu froze, about to say something, when he saw Jiang Huai open his small bag and take out a pastry.
It is a crystal shortcrust mooncake shaped like a five-pointed star.
Jiang Huai carefully opened the outer oil paper packaging and handed it to the emperor, saying, "Uncle Emperor, please have a piece of mooncake to tide you over, don't go hungry!"
The emperor's heart stirred slightly. He took the mooncake offered by Jiang Huai and took a small bite.
Before his attendants could stop him, the emperor stuffed the rest of the mooncakes into his mouth in one bite.
"Great! It tastes really good! Not too sweet or greasy, with a refreshing aroma, it melts in your mouth, very nice!"
The eldest servant hurriedly waved to the young eunuch to bring tea.
Jiang Huai sat back down in his chair, swinging his short legs, and said with no small amount of pride, "My mom's pastries are so delicious! And her cooking is the absolute best!"
The emperor praised her enthusiastically, saying, "Yes, yes, your mother is the best, incredibly capable, one of a kind in the world!"
Jiang Huai smiled and looked at Fu Qiyuan, "My father is also very capable. He is now the head manager of the second store!"
The subtext is: My dad is amazing too, you should praise him too!
The emperor could no longer laugh. His most valued young minister had resigned from his fourth-rank official position to go into business with his fiancée. If word got out, it would be a disgrace to the emperor!
Jiang Huai was still grinning foolishly at the emperor, but the emperor couldn't bring himself to praise him, so he said against his will, "Yes, your father is quite good too. Meeting your mother is a life-changing experience!"
Jiang Huai nodded vigorously, not needing to understand the deeper meaning behind the emperor's words.
Jiang Shan was ashamed and said helplessly, "Your Majesty, this really wasn't my idea. I've earned enough money to support him for several lifetimes. It was his own doing..."
"Are you complaining that the salary I give him is too low? If I really have to support him, where will I put my face?" the emperor said, glaring at the land with a fierce expression.
"No, Your Majesty, please don't hold it against me. The more money I earn, the more face you will have! Only when your pockets are full can you better command the country!"
These words are quite profound. Doesn't pointing out the flaws in the world include pointing out her money-making machine?
The emperor couldn't help but raise the corners of his lips and said, "I just heard Minister Qin say that your city-state's logistics department is seeking investors?"
Jiang Shan felt a chill and involuntarily sat up straight.
Don't even think about messing with Chengbang Logistics!
The emperor, seeing the state of his empire, couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
This girl is very wary!
Minister Qin hurriedly and cautiously said, "Princess, His Majesty means that since the Imperial Treasury has always been managed by members of the Imperial Family, could we allow members of the Imperial Family to participate in the city-state's logistics? This would not only increase the Imperial Treasury's revenue, but also ensure the smooth operation of the city-state's logistics."
Jiang Shan silently rolled his eyes, which caught the emperor's attention.
"Your Majesty, didn't Li Minghe tell you that he has a share in City Logistics?"
The emperor's expression changed slightly as he looked at Minister Qin.
Minister Qin's heart skipped a beat, thinking, "This is bad!"
His Majesty dislikes Prince Qingyang and his son. Even though he has already granted his half-brother a title, a thorn still lingers in his heart. If Prince Qingyang's wealth becomes too great, he will surely be wary and may even try to suppress him!
Jiang Shan was unaware of these intricacies, but Fu Qiyuan was fully aware of them.
He glanced at the landscape, stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, “Your Majesty, although the Prince of Qingyang is wealthy, he is backed by the Crown Prince. Given the Crown Prince’s kindness to the Prince of Qingyang’s mansion, do you think he would have any ulterior motives? The Prince of Qingyang has been out of the public eye for many years and is at most a leisurely prince who will not affect anyone!”
Jiang Shan finally realized something was wrong. She shifted her position and weakly raised one hand, saying, "Rong Yue also has shares! The entire logistics line in Beijing is managed by Rong Yue. I gave him 20% of the shares, so he can make a lot of money!"
Rong Yue was a relative of the imperial family, and given Li Yang's relationship with the emperor, he had no worries that the Rongguo Duke's Mansion would not side with him, the emperor.
Moreover, the capital is the center of power and the largest economic development center, so Rongyue's prospects are immeasurable!
The emperor's expression finally softened, and his gaze towards the empire carried a hint of appreciation.
He never intended to blame her, but it was hard not to like the girl's behavior.
Giving away 20% of the shares so casually—that's an extraordinary gesture!
The emperor waved his hand meaningfully and said, "Alright, sit down. I don't blame you! It's not a waste of my efforts. I didn't give Jiang girl this title unfairly, hahaha!"
Jiang Shan looked at Fu Qiyuan with a bitter expression, thinking to herself, "The ancients were right, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger!"
Jiang Huai, standing to the side, quietly asked, "Mother, what is a title of nobility?"
Jiang Shan blinked and looked at Fu Qiyuan.
Fu Qiyuan thought for a moment and said, "A title is the same as an official rank. You are currently a first-rank official, your mother is a second-rank official, and your father... your father doesn't have a rank yet. Hmm, you and your mother are both more powerful than your father!"
Jiang Huai covered his mouth and giggled, "Daddy, Huai'er can protect you!"
Fu Qiyuan smiled sincerely, "Thank you, Huai'er! Huai'er is so filial!"
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