After several days of continuous visits to the palace, Qingyan's actions were too conspicuous. The concubines all sent their servants to the palace gate to inquire about the situation. Qingyan had packed all the imported goods in mahogany boxes, so the servants couldn't see what was happening outside. This made many servants very anxious, as it would be troublesome if their masters found out.
The concubines waited early at Chenggan Palace for the Qingyan banquet, but Consort Rong was the most conflicted.
"Fourth Princess Consort, what are you doing..." The concubines were dressed in very beautiful palace attire, vying for attention. These past few days, Kangxi had been staying at Consort Tong's place. They were jealous but helpless, since Consort Tong was always Kangxi's darling. Anyone who dared to provoke her would be dealt with severely.
"Mother Rong, this is something the master gave you. It's not intended as a New Year's gift, but rather a son's way of showing his filial piety." Qingyan's eyes seemed to ask, "Didn't the Third Prince give you anything?"
Such a look clearly embarrassed Consort Tong. After Yinzhi got married, he rarely sent things to the palace. Usually, if Consort Rong didn't send things to the residence, Dong Eshi would not be as polite as Qingyan. On holidays, she would prepare many things that suited Consort Tong's tastes.
"Aunt Shu, have someone take these things off the stage. They will be given to all the ladies during the festival!" Qingyan felt a sense of superiority. When she faced Consort Rong's jealous gaze, Consort Tong and her mother-in-law felt very happy.
Consort Rong twisted her handkerchief, feeling utterly heartbroken.
She didn't leave the palace until almost noon, feeling quite relaxed, as most of the imported goods had already been sent over.
"Your Majesty, His Majesty has ordered you to go to the Hall of Mental Cultivation!" Su Peisheng came out of the palace and happened to see Qingyan in front of his carriage. He quickly told her about Kangxi's order. In fact, Kangxi was concerned about the origin of those imported goods. According to the prices in the Qing Dynasty, these imported goods were indeed too expensive. The censors all said that the things that Yin sent to the palace must have been paid for with silver sent by people from the south of Jiangnan.
At this time, both Hesheli and Dong'e clans were targeting Yin. Kangxi decided to investigate Yixi himself. Overseas trade had brought considerable benefits to Linglong Pavilion. If the Imperial Household Department could also develop this business, wouldn't the volume of private funds increase in the future?
Upon arriving at the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Qingyan felt somewhat apprehensive. Overseas trade was a lucrative opportunity; could Emperor Kangxi really just stand by and watch?
"Daughter-in-law greets Father Emperor!" Qingyan quickly bowed and paid her respects. Kangxi sat on the dragon throne with a stern face, and Qingyan's heart was filled with anxiety.
Yin stood to the side with his head down, not even glancing at Qingyan.
Before she arrived, Kangxi repeatedly warned Yin that he must not interrupt his conversation with Qingyan.
"Little darling, how expensive are those imported goods?!" Emperor Kangxi liked Western learning and hoped that the national treasury would become richer so that he could do more things.
"There are many, basically a hundredfold profit. Of course, only two or three trips a year can actually go on, and the rest will perish at sea!" Qingyan was not lying; those missing ships were probably in grave danger.
What!?
After hearing what Qingyan said, Kangxi pondered how many servants he should use for the experiment.
"Hmm, who's in charge of this area?" Qingyan definitely wouldn't be in charge. The division of labor within the Ulanara clan was very clear: Qingyan usually just offered advice, while Fei Yanggu and his two sons were responsible for the actual implementation.
"The people below will take charge!"
Kangxi and Qingyan engaged in a question-and-answer session, while Yin watched anxiously from the sidelines. Qingyan had already said everything, so this business deal could no longer be touched.
"Little Darling, from now on, I will be in charge of this business. You will get 30% of the final profits, and you will still get to choose the imported goods first. How about that?" Kangxi was planning to take 70% of the profits, but Little Darling's staff would be out of a job.
Qingyan was taken aback. Was Kangxi planning to take over this business?
"Father...Alright!" Qingyan agreed. The crew members no longer needed to take risks. Qingyan had already decided on their future direction. Faced with the vast ocean, humans were still very small. It was hard to bear spending the money earned with their lives.
Qingyan readily agreed, and Kangxi breathed a sigh of relief. He then waved his hand and bestowed many gifts upon Qingyan, which she then took with her.
Once in the carriage, Yincai asked, "Little darling, why did you hand this directly to Father Emperor?"
She had several lucrative businesses, which many people envied, but now she was simply giving them away.
"Fourth Prince, I'm not greedy. The money we've earned these past few years is more than enough for the two of us to live on. As for the extra silver, we'll just consider it as doing good deeds. The reason why the court officials repeatedly harbored ill intentions towards Linglong Pavilion was largely because the Ulanara clan's strength was not something these people could be afraid of." Qingyan thought for a long time, and when Kangxi mentioned that he was going to buy off the maritime trade, she readily agreed.
With Kangxi's authority, the censors would no longer refer to him as "Father" or "Ah Hun," and Yin would be safe.
"Little darling, thank you!" Yin understood that the most crucial reason was him. During this period, the struggle between the Crown Prince and Yin Zhi had also frightened the little girl.
With both families on the verge of collapse, Yin had to consider his future.
"What?!" Qingyan was confused. She hadn't done anything, so Yin said thank you.
Pfft!
Yin laughed. Xiao Guai probably hadn't thought of him yet; she just wanted to throw away this heavy burden. But he knew that if the little girl didn't have a bright mind, she would probably fall right into the pit.
"Fourth Prince, actually, I'm doing this for you too!" Qingyan followed up on Yin's words. Yin was a very proud person. "If we give up this benefit, Father Emperor will definitely reward us with other things next time."
At this moment, Qingyan smiled like a little fox, constantly calculating what Kangxi would do.
Yin shook his head helplessly. This girl was cunning enough. Just now, Father Emperor was satisfied with the concessions Xiao Guai made. There would be no extra rewards for the two of them, just the gold and silver jewelry they received today. However, for Fei Yanggu and his two sons, such a reward would be quite a lot.
On the way back to the manor, Qingyan's lips were slightly upturned, as the greatest burden in her heart was finally lifted.
Yin put his arm around Xiao Guai's waist and asked in a low voice about the situation at Qingyan Chenggan Palace. Yin was worried that the concubines would directly cause trouble for his mother. In everyone's eyes, an imported item is a hot potato.
"Mother said that we are not allowed to send such expensive things anymore!" Qingyan knew Consort Tong's personality and was probably implying something.
Yin's face darkened; those people were indeed after the imported goods. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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