On the streets, the small vendors who go out to do business are not husband-and-wife teams like in other places; most of them are men. Even the noodle stalls are run by fathers and sons.
A slight smile played on her lips. This was good; the women didn't have to suffer outside.
"Sisi, there are really very few women here." The women who go shopping are basically like her, always surrounded by others, none of them are out alone.
“Yes, in most families, the women only go out shopping when their husbands are off work,” Saito quickly told Xiaoguai.
They didn't stay idle while they were here; they all went out to gather information for her. What they heard was even more chilling than what Tu Lichen knew.
Those bandits had the support of the government officials, and many officials sided with them. As long as they didn't cause any major trouble, the officials didn't take their problems seriously.
"Really?" Qingyan, wearing a cap, looked at the bustling business scene on both sides of the street through the thin veil.
The way those wealthy young ladies went out was similar to hers; they mostly used hats to cover their faces so that outsiders couldn't see them.
"Ah!" Qingyan exclaimed in surprise. She saw a familiar figure appear in front of a shop on the street. "Fourth Brother, when we came over, Father said that one of Second Brother's concubines was also coming?"
Qingyan moved closer to him and muttered softly. He gave her a confused look. Who was the little girl thinking of?
"She's a concubine sent from over there. Judging by her appearance, she was probably born to a woman sent from the south." She was curious about the skinny horses, but disliked them.
Therefore, when the Mongol tribes sent lean horses to the Crown Princess, she and Lady Yingen Gioro were almost buried alive by the Crown Princess. Fortunately, Yin and Yin were quite capable and told the Crown Prince in advance that they did not like this type of woman.
The Crown Prince was very disgusted by the Crown Princess's actions. He needed the support of his brothers, and her actions directly offended the two primary wives whom his brothers doted on.
Two days later, she heard rumors in the camp that the Crown Prince had taken in the offspring of those lean horses sent by the Mongols.
"Is it one of those women?" Yin asked, noticing her expression.
She nodded; the figures and faces of those skinny horses remained vivid in her memory.
The previous scheming made her feel uneasy, and hatred rose in her heart.
"I'd recognize them even if they were ashes," she scoffed.
Saito and Eshuo listened from the side, and couldn't help but find it amusing.
During those days, she looked very unwell and ignored Yin, which made the Fourth Prince, who was busy with Qiu Mi, seek help from the two brothers.
She repeatedly begged them to ask her what she had done wrong, a gesture that reassured the two brothers.
Within the camp, a rumor circulated that the Crown Prince had prepared two "skinny horses" specifically for the First Prince and the Fourth Prince, intending to give them to them at the opportune moment.
After the rumors spread, Fei Yanggu and his two sons were very nervous, fearing that Xiao Guai would quarrel with Yin. The three of them paid close attention to Qing Yan's emotional changes.
"Ah Hun, those women are so annoying!" She pouted. Those women had crossed her line, making her very unhappy.
"Hmm." Seto nodded, then gave a look to the guard who had followed him, signaling him to go and follow the woman.
It would take at least ten days for the movie star to get here. This woman must have been sent by the Crown Prince to get here.
"Little darling, does that woman remember what you look like?" In Saito's eyes, even if Qingyan disguised herself as an ordinary person, she had a kind of feeling that made people want to get close to her.
Everyone in the upper class knew that when a prince's primary consort accompanied him out, she would definitely disguise herself. Although her appearance might change, her demeanor would remain the same.
"We've only met three times!" Qingyan shrugged, unsure if the other person remembered her.
Yin frowned. What was the Crown Prince trying to do?
"Let's go to the teahouse next door first. The private rooms there are right in front of the shop that woman went into. Let's observe for a while before making a decision." After thinking for a moment, Saito still felt that he should stay in Qingyan to avoid her.
Yin didn't say much. After all, this woman was the Crown Prince's woman, and his position was in an awkward position in this situation.
"Little Darling, let's go first!" Yin was also worried; if the other party discovered Little Darling, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Those Mongolian brutes were probably planning to target Xiao Guai; any woman who resembled Xiao Guai in temperament would fall into their hands.
They kept a close eye on them, noting that the other party was steady, accurate, and ruthless in their actions, and would always take a second look at young couples who were close in age.
After the group entered the private room, Yin and the Ulanara brothers checked it first to make sure there were no ambushes. Su Peisheng even went down to prepare tea.
She sat in a grand chair by the window, looking out through her hat. The shop the woman entered was a clothing store, and if she hadn't been paying attention, she certainly wouldn't have noticed anything suspicious about it.
"Fourth Brother, look at that shop, doesn't it have one in the capital too?" Qingyan pointed to the clothing store, feeling a little strange.
These kinds of high-end bespoke clothing stores would be profitable in Beijing, but here...
"Hmm, it should be run by a servant of the Hesheli clan." Yin didn't care; such a clothing store had little to do with Xiaoguai.
Xiao Guai had been paying attention to those shops, many of which had connections with people in officialdom.
"The businessmen under Suo Xiang's patronage are all very capable. These clothing stores are no worse than those run by imperial merchants," Qingyan remarked with some emotion.
They recruited many capable people, and the Crown Prince's palace was very extravagant, even more so than the Emperor's palace.
"Little Darling, you've been there?" Saito was a little surprised, as Qingyan wasn't one to praise people easily.
The businessmen who catch her eye are all capable, and the shopkeepers they find in Jiangnan are basically those whom Qingyan has good judgment about.
"No, it's just that I often hear the noble ladies at Linglong Pavilion say that the clothes here are exquisitely made, but the prices are very high, and ordinary people simply cannot afford them," Qingyan said.
"Comparable to the prices of the imperial merchants?" After listening to Qingyan's ramblings about the shady dealings of the imperial merchants, Yin couldn't help but think that Prime Minister Suo recruited so many businessmen, probably because he wanted to replace the imperial merchants in the Imperial Household Department after Yin ascended the throne, since they only trusted their own people.
Those imperial merchants who were loyal to Emperor Kangxi were basically to be replaced.
"Yes, I heard from several noblewomen in the capital that the price is even higher than the ready-made clothes made in the Imperial Stores." Her clothes are mostly made in her own shop, which also has good craftsmen.
"The Crown Prince's lifestyle is far too extravagant. Relying solely on the palace allowance is definitely insufficient. It seems Suo'etu has embezzled a considerable amount of silver from him," Yin said from the side. (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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