Chapter 92: Little Mermaid was punished for drinking
Before going to bed at night, Rong Yin and Zong Zhengxiao took a bath together. Zong Zhengxiao massaged Rong Yin's shoulders and back, "Thank you for your hard work, A Yin."
"No big deal. There is nothing in this world that I can't do." Rong Yin was obviously extremely tired, but he still wanted to pretend to be cool.
Zong Zhengxiao said with a smile: "Well, our A Yin is the best."
In fact, Zong Zhengxiao originally assigned the matter of recruiting female workers to the Ministry of Industry, but perhaps they were a little averse to this matter, so they made much noise but did little, and did not do the job with all their heart.
During the morning court session two days ago, Li Chu was pushed forward by the aristocratic families to oppose Zong Zhengxiao's approach, saying that papermaking was originally a job for male workers, and he insisted on recruiting female workers, which was detrimental to his reputation.
Then he was severely retorted by Zong Zhengxiao, who punished Li Chu again.
At that time, Li Chu looked extremely aggrieved, and he had to bear the anger from both sides.
But Zong Zhengxiao's identity was there, and he really didn't have time to deal with this matter, so Rong Yin volunteered to take on this job.
Fortunately, although it was a bit troublesome, we were able to recruit the required number of female workers.
"You have to send someone to do the background investigation and training." Rong Yin said to Zong Zhengxiao, yawning.
"Well, Ayin, you can put this matter aside for now."
Zong Zhengxiao's technique was very skilled, and Rong Yin felt so comfortable that her eyelids were drooping. In the end, Zong Zhengxiao carried her to the bed.
Even though he was half-conscious, Rong Yin still touched Zong Zheng Xiao's chin and teased him, "My dear, I don't have the energy tonight, so I'll let you go for now and enjoy you tomorrow."
Zong Zhengxiao held the man in his arms and said, "Okay, my Lord, go to sleep if you are tired. Don't force yourself."
"If you dare to question me, be careful of me..." Before she could finish her words, Rong Yin was dragged into a dream by Zhou Gong.
Looking at the sleeping Rong Yin, Zong Zhengxiao's expression became extremely gentle.
"Good night, my Ayin."
Half a month later, Tian Xiaocui came to the bakery alone. She originally came to buy something. Rong Yin happened to be there, so she shared the good news with Rong Yin.
"I have completed the training and was not eliminated. I can officially start working tomorrow." Tian Xiaocui's face was rosy and her eyes were full of excitement and longing for a new life.
"Congratulations!" Rong Yin said, "Everything you buy today will be 50% off. Consider it your joining gift."
Tian Xiaocui waved her hands quickly: "I just want to share the good news with you, boss. I don't mean to ask for gifts."
"Oh, I know. This is my sincere gift. You can't refuse it. At worst, you can just come to my store more often and spend money there. Then I can make it back."
"Okay then, thank you, Boss Rong."
Tian Xiaocui was not the only female worker who returned home with the good news that day.
A stable job and a stable income are great things for any family.
Most of these female workers came from ordinary or even poor families. Now that they had jobs in the paper mill, their families spoke to them much more politely, and when they returned home that day, most of the meat on the table went into their bowls.
They had never received such respect and preferential treatment before. At that moment, they vaguely understood the true meaning of getting this job.
Some of the female workers who had registered previously have been officially employed, while others were unfortunately eliminated.
Some of those who were eliminated were unwilling to accept the result and were led by their families to find the manager of the workshop, demanding an explanation and wanting compensation from the workshop.
The person in charge didn't bother to be polite with them and directly threw the evidence of rejecting those people in their faces.
Either they have a problematic background and are connected to some aristocratic families; or they cheated during training, did not study seriously, and ultimately failed the exam.
There is another type, where despite trying hard, you are not suited to this line of work, and there is nothing you can do about it.
These eliminated people and their families did not receive any benefits from the manager, so they began to spread rumors, saying that they had to bribe the manager with a large sum of money before they could officially take up the job, which was totally unfair to children from poor families.
They also said that the male supervisors inside would physically assault the female workers. This happened just a few days into the training, and no one knows what they will do in the future. I'm afraid some female workers may have lost their innocence and their families don't even know about it.
As soon as these rumors came out, there was a lot of discussion in the capital. Some female workers who had already passed the examination were not allowed to work by their families. Some even said that they would let the men in the family replace the female workers to work in the paper mills.
This made Rong Yin very angry, because he was the one who did this, so he couldn't let anyone mess it up.
He found the people who spread the rumors through various channels and asked them to produce evidence to prove that what they said was true, otherwise he would send them to the government.
Fortunately, these people had not seen much of the world, and after being frightened by Rong Yin, they quickly stood up to clarify the matter.
Those people dared to spread rumors, and some of them were the work of the aristocratic families. However, seeing that Rong Yin was very tough, the aristocratic families were afraid that he would find out something, and then Zong Zheng Xiao would come to deal with them, so they gave up their little plans.
At the same time, under Rong Yin's encouragement, the female workers who had already joined the paper mill also stood up to clarify for the paper mill, saying that the treatment there was exactly the same as what they had been told before joining, or even better.
They were paid as usual during the training days. Although the managers were strict, they were very kind. They never asked the female workers for benefits, nor did they do anything to damage the reputation of the female workers.
The reason why those people spread rumors is because they failed the exam and could not enter the workshop, so they did this out of jealousy.
After the rumors died down, Rong Yin also made a solemn statement: "The work that the female worker has worked hard for must be done by herself. The family members of the female worker, regardless of gender, are no longer allowed to make requests to replace her. Once this rule is violated, the female worker will be fired, and the workshop will not hire her and her family members in the future."
After his warning, those who had evil intentions no longer dared to act, and the female workers who passed the exam also gradually began to officially start working.
Workers in the paper mill, both men and women, are assigned a palm-sized wooden sign with a red rope hanging on it, on which are written their names and the name of the workshop.
This makes it easier for the doorman to check their identities when they enter and leave the workshop.
Workers in the workshop like to wear the badges around their necks, so that anyone who sees them will know that they are workers in the workshop and will look envious at them, which makes them very happy.
Juan'er had worn Tian Xiaocui's brand to show off to the children in the village, but she knew the seriousness of the matter and only showed it to her friends, not allowing them to even touch it.
In such a lively atmosphere, the hot pot restaurant that Rong Yin had been preparing for half a year is finally about to open.
The early promotion was in teahouses, bakeries and milk tea shops. Any customer who came here to consume would get a coupon for the hot pot restaurant, which could be used within one month of the hot pot restaurant opening.
After recruiting female workers last time, Rong Yin established contact with the group of beggars led by Little Monkey, and would often ask them to do errands for him.
They were not actually needed for the hot pot restaurant promotion this time, but Rong Yin took their situation into consideration and gave them some money to ask them to help shout a few times in the streets.
"Don't worry, boss. After receiving your money, we promise to complete the task." The little monkey was cheerful and smiled at Rong Yin.
"Well, go ahead." Rong Yin smiled.
After they left, Rong Yin said to Lu'e beside him, "There seem to be many little beggars like this in the capital."
Lu'e said, "Many children lost their loved ones in the war and lost their ability to survive. They had no choice but to become beggars. This is not only the case in the capital, but also in other prefectures."
Looking at them, Rong Yin couldn't help but think of his childhood.
Although he is an orphan, he is adopted by an orphanage. Even if his life is not good, at least he will not end up on the streets.
He was born in a good era, but these kids...
Lu'e saw the reluctance on Rong Yin's face and advised: "Master, there are too many poor people in this world. You can't save them all. Don't worry about it."
"I know." Rong Yin lowered his eyes.
Although I understand the truth, my mood cannot get over it in time.
After returning to the palace, Zong Zhengxiao saw that Rong Yin was in a bad mood, so he asked him if he had encountered anything unhappy. Rong Yin told him everything he had seen and felt.
Zong Zhengxiao's face changed when he heard this. After thinking for a while, he told Rong Yin: "In fact, when Dasheng was first established, I also set up several shelters to adopt children who lost their relatives in the war."
When the war had just ended, many refugees gathered in the capital, including many children.
Zong Zhengxiao was not a heartless person, so he would not tolerate it. The adults could become tenants to support themselves, but no one was willing to take in an orphan without a father or a mother, so he had to do it.
"What happened next?" Rong Yin asked.
"Later..." Zong Zhengxiao's eyes were blank, as if he was lost in memory. "At the beginning, it was smooth, and the orphans were properly settled. But at that time, I was busy with government affairs and didn't have much time to pay attention to them. The people under me didn't fulfill their duties, and the management was lax, which led to various conflicts in the shelters. The children gradually escaped until an unexpected fire burned down those shelters."
Rong Yin was surprised: "How could this happen?"
Zong Zhengxiao came back to his senses and said, "On the one hand, I was really poor at the time and couldn't give the children a good life, so it was normal for them to want to run away. On the other hand, I took them in but didn't fulfill my management responsibilities, which led to the intensification of conflicts within the shelter. The fire was set by one of the children who was often bullied. Fortunately, no one was injured or killed."
Zong Zhengxiao sighed, "This incident was a huge blow to me and those children. Later, I tried to rebuild the shelter, but the children would rather wander around than go in. There were also rumors that I just didn't want to take care of those children, so I put them together to kill each other and let them fend for themselves. The rumors spread more and more and could not be stopped, and the shelter could no longer operate."
You don't have to guess who spread these rumors. Zong Zhengxiao's reputation as a tyrant at that time was partly due to this incident.
Seeing Zong Zhengxiao's lost look, Rong Yin reached out and hugged him in his arms, patting his back: "Your Majesty, you have done your best, don't be sad."
Zong Zheng Xiao hugged Rong Yin and said with a smile: "Originally I was the one who comforted you, how come it's the other way around now?"
Rong Yin also smiled: "Then you can comfort me too."
Zong Zhengxiao coaxed her like a child, "Ayin, be good, don't be sad, don't cry, be happy every day."
Rong Yin couldn't help laughing out loud.
After talking with Zong Zhengxiao, Rong Yin went to understand the thoughts of the beggars like Little Monkey and asked them if they wanted to go to the shelter.
The fire that year was still vivid in their minds. The pain of being bullied was deep in their bones. The little monkey and the others all shook their heads and said they would rather eat dirt than go back there.
Rong Yin asked again: "What if the papermaking workshop expands and recruits more people in the future, and you are also of recruitment age, are you willing to work in the workshop?"
The little monkey nodded hurriedly: "I am willing to do that. People in the workshop often wear wooden plaques, which makes them look very impressive. My friends and I are very jealous."
Hearing them say this, Rong Yin felt relieved.
The little beggars are all willing to earn money to support themselves, which shows that they have normal ideas, which is a blessing in disguise.
In the future, Zong Zhengxiao and he will surely build more and more workshops. When the little beggars grow up, they will not only be able to work in the workshops, but also find other jobs to do.
The number of displaced people will definitely decrease.
The day the hot pot restaurant officially opened was even busier than the bakery's opening. Not only did people from the Gongchen Group come to support the event, but many regular customers from the bakery and milk tea shop also came. Almost everyone had coupons in their hands.
Even though the store Rong Yin picked was big enough, it still couldn't accommodate all the customers at once, so they could only enter in batches like a bakery.
However, Rong Yin would not let the remaining guests wait. He set up a waiting area next door for everyone to take a number to eat. After getting the number card, they can choose to wait in the waiting area while drinking tea, or go for a stroll outside and come back to eat when the time comes.
The overbearing aroma of the hot pot almost swept half of the street, and even passers-by passing by the store couldn't help but ask: "What kind of food does this new store sell?"
Customers came in an endless stream, and the chefs who were preparing soup and dishes in the back kitchen had almost no time to rest. Rong Yin wanted to go in to help, but was pushed out.
"Boss, please go outside to entertain the guests. Just chat with the distinguished guests. Be busy in the kitchen. Be careful not to bump into you."
Rong Yin looked at the man who pushed her and couldn't help laughing: "You little monkey, you dare to boss me around on your first day at work."
The man in front of me, wearing waiter's clothes, is the beggar monkey from before.
But he was clean and tidy now, no longer looking as gloomy as before. If you didn't know his identity, you would never guess that he used to be a beggar on the street.
After knowing that the children were willing to work, Rong Yin, based on the little monkey's opinion, recruited some of the older and more honest beggars in the group to work as waiters in the store.
The little monkey was about fourteen or fifteen years old, but he couldn't remember his exact age. He was quite tall and quite strong.
After all, children have to remember the names of dishes and customers' requests, and they have to carry things around. No matter how young they are, they can't do that, so Rong Yin only picked a few of them.
Before starting work, Rong Yin asked a few experienced waiters to teach them for a while. Although it has been very busy since the opening today, no mistakes have been made.
The little monkey laughed and said, "How dare I? I am not giving orders, I am giving suggestions."
Rong Yin smiled and said, "I won't tease you anymore. Go and do your work. I'll go to the front and take a look."
"Okay, boss, watch your step and be careful not to slip."
"knew!"
The way to eat hot pot is similar to that of Ba Xia Gong, so after the waiter demonstrated it a few times, the customers all understood it. At this time, most of the customers were eating without even raising their heads.
The hot pot soup bases in Rongyin restaurant have various flavors, much richer than those in Baxiagong. They even have a special way of eating it, such as the nightshade hot pot, which tastes good and novel.
Those guests who originally came just to show their support for Rong Yin and had no expectation that the food would be delicious, all felt that they were short-sighted after tasting the hot pot.
Rong Yin can make such delicious bread and milk tea, so how could his hot pot be bad?
Rong Yin went to the lobby first. Most of the customers there were regular customers from his first two stores. When they saw him coming, they all greeted him with a smile: "Boss Rong, please sit down and have a meal with us."
Rong Yin smiled brightly: "No, thank you, everyone eat and drink well, you can give any opinions, as long as you adopt them, you will get a free plate of mutton rolls!"
Eating mutton hotpot in cold weather is delicious and warming. Although it is not winter yet, it is already late autumn. There are still many customers ordering mutton today.
"Okay, this is what you said, Boss Rong, so you are not allowed to deny it when the time comes!"
"No, no, once something is said, it cannot be taken back!"
"Good!" Everyone applauded and cheered.
Looking at the smiling faces of the guests, Rong Yin felt even happier.
In fact, he was a bit timid and socially anxious at first, but as he was able to enter and leave the palace freely, started a business, and met more and more customers of all kinds, he gradually liberated his social bull attributes and stepped out from behind the scenes to the front.
He began to enjoy the feeling of being noticed.
After greeting the guests in the lobby, Rong Yin took a look around the waiting room next door. Seeing that everyone was drinking tea and chatting, he quietly went back and went upstairs.
The second floor is a private room, and most of the people inside are from the Hero Group who came to support Rong Yin today, including the Ji family.
Rong Yin greeted everyone in each private room, and when he arrived at the place where Prince Ji and his friends were, Prince Ji grabbed him and insisted on having a drink with him.
"Your Majesty is not here, so just have a sip. Today is the day your new store opens, and drinking will keep your business going for a long time."
This is the art of speaking of Ji Shizi.
Rong Yin thought about it and felt that what he said made sense, so she clinked glasses with him and the Ji family.
After they finished drinking and were about to go to the next private room, Rong Yin came over and whispered to Prince Ji, "The emperor will come to pick me up and take me back to the palace later. If he asks me why I drank, I will tell him what you just said."
Prince Ji widened his eyes and said in horror: "Boss Rong, I have brought my whole family to support you, you can't hurt me."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Rong Yin could respond, Ji's father stood up and punched him.
Father Ji said with a fierce face: "You have no manners, what do you mean by harm or not? When did Mr. Rong harm you?"
After scolding his son, Ji's father turned around and clasped his fists towards Rong Yin, "Boss Rong, my son is just a fool, don't bother with him."
Although Ji's father is older than Rong Yin, he is also a great contributor to the conquest of the world with the Zong Zheng family. However, he respects Rong Yin so much not only because he is Zong Zheng Xiao's man, but also because of Rong Yin, they can live a good life now.
Of course, you have to be polite to the God of Wealth.
Rong Yin said, "Mr. Ji, you are too serious. I was joking with the prince. Don't you agree, Prince Ji?"
Rong Yin looked at Ji Xie with a smile.
Ji Xie showed a smile that was uglier than crying: "Yes, I was joking."
After teasing Ji Xie, Rong Yin went to the next private room. He didn’t go to his own lounge to rest for a while until he had visited all the private rooms.
In fact, he could have just stayed behind the scenes like he did the last time he opened the bakery, and let the manager and others entertain the customers.
But there were so many distinguished guests coming this time that it would be impolite for Rong Yin not to show up. Besides, since he had already been exposed to everyone, it didn't matter if he showed up this time.
The noble family must have noticed that something was wrong with him, otherwise they would not have designed to sow discord between him and Zong Zhengxiao last time.
As the saying goes, it is easier to dodge a spear than to guard against an arrow from the dark. Since you can't escape it anyway, you might as well do what you want.
Rong Yin has been improving the hot pot base these days, so he has been eating hot pot all the time. Today, after smelling the smell all day, he really has no interest in hot pot for the time being, so he asked the waiter to go next door and bring back some side dishes for him.
After eating, Rong Yin felt sleepy and accidentally fell asleep on the table.
When he woke up, the sunset had already begun to appear. The store was still very busy and Rong Yin could hear voices coming from outside.
He drank a sip of tea to clear his head, and soon the guard knocked on the door and said, "Young master, it's time to return to the palace."
Rong Yin knew that it was Zong Zhengxiao who came to pick her up, so she went to find the manager and asked him to continue operating according to the original arrangement and to check the accounts herself another day.
The steward agreed, and Rong Yin was afraid that if he walked to the front, he would be pulled aside by the guests to talk, so he left through the back door.
The carriage was parked not far away, and as soon as Rong Yin opened the curtain, he was pulled in by a hand.
He fell into a warm embrace, and a familiar breath came over him. Rong Yin stretched out her hand to block Zong Zheng Xiao and was about to kiss him on the lips, saying, "I've been busy all day, and I smell all over. Wait until I go back and wash myself clean before kissing you."
Zong Zhengxiao said in a deep voice: "I don't mind. Didn't Ah Yin miss me after not seeing you for a day?"
He was about to kiss her again, but Rong Yin pushed him back and said, "You don't mind, but I do. If you dare to force a kiss on me, I will kick you off the carriage and let you walk back to the palace by yourself."
Before Rong Yin finished speaking, Zong Zheng Xiao's brows suddenly furrowed, not because Rong Yin said she wanted to kick him off the carriage, but because...
"Have you been drinking?" Zong Zhengxiao sniffed again and smelled the obvious smell of alcohol.
Rong Yin said, "It's other people's drink. I'm entertaining guests, so it's inevitable that the smell will be on me."
Zong Zheng Xiao pinched his face and said, "Ayin, do you think I'm a fool? Did you drink it or did you just get the taste? How can I not tell the difference?"
Seeing that he couldn't fool him, Rong Yin had to admit, "Okay, I drank, but only a little. Really just a little. Look how sober I am now. I definitely didn't drink too much."
After hearing his explanation, Zong Zhengxiao's expression did not ease: "Who asked you to drink? You were so busy today, you knew you couldn't drink much, and you had to entertain guests, so you definitely wouldn't take the initiative to drink. Someone must have persuaded you to drink."
Rong Yin was shocked: "You guessed this, how scary."
"So tell me the truth. Who advised you to do this?"
When he was not around, Zong Zhengxiao was really worried about letting Rong Yin drink, especially outside the palace.
So who was so bold as to persuade his son Ayin to drink?
"Well, I'm just an ordinary guest. Anyway, I'm not drunk, so don't bother about it." Rong Yin was joking with Ji Xie before. How could he complain to Zong Zheng Xiao over such a small matter.
Zong Zhengxiao stared into Rong Yin's eyes and thought: Everyone in the capital knows that Boss Rong has a relationship with the emperor. Ordinary guests will definitely not persuade him to drink. That leaves only the people from the Meritorious Officials Group. And the only one who is familiar with both him and Rong Yin and is so tactless is...
"It must be Ji Xie," Zong Zhengxiao said affirmatively.
Rong Yin was shocked and thought subconsciously: How could you guess so accurately?
It was only after he finished thinking that he realized that Zong Zheng Xiao could hear what he was thinking.
Rong Yin: “…”
I'm sorry Ji Xie, Your Majesty guessed it yourself and there's nothing I can do about it.
"Haha, Prince Ji was just excited when he saw that my new store was doing good business, so he pulled me to drink a few sips. Don't blame him." Rong Yin smiled dryly and pleaded for Ji Xie.
Zong Zhengxiao touched his head and smiled softly, "Of course, how could I blame him?"
A smile hides a dagger, the worst of all bad things.
Not to mention Ji Xie, even Rong Yin, who was persuaded to drink, suffered a lot after returning home.
Zong Zhengxiao moved roughly, charging forward as if he wanted to break Rong Yin's waist.
"Will you ever dare to drink the wine someone else gives you when I'm not around again, huh?"
Rong Yin stared at me with a pair of red eyes, sobbing and begging for mercy, "Never again, I was wrong, Your Majesty, please, let me go."
"Baby, be obedient. Baby, you are so good." Zong Zhengxiao kissed Rong Yin's lips and attacked more fiercely.
The palace guards standing guard at the door had no chance to doze off, as the noise in the house lasted almost the entire night.
When Rong Yin woke up the next day, her voice was hoarse and she ignored Zong Zhengxiao for a long time, but was finally coaxed into silence by a few soft words from him.
Rong Yin gritted her teeth and scolded herself: "You are such a useless thing. You can stop being angry just by a few words of comfort. It's useless!"
Until he heard that Ji Xie was sent away from the capital to look for new seeds, and Zong Zhengxiao also said that he would not come back if he could not find new seeds.
Rong Yin was surprised and thought that being a useless waste was actually quite good.
In fact, Zong Zhengxiao did not punish Ji Xie severely. He was originally responsible for finding new seeds. Now that corn has become popular, he needs to continue his work.
As for what Zong Zhengxiao said about finding new seeds before returning to the capital, there is no restriction on sweet potatoes and potatoes. As long as it is a new seed, whether it is a grain or a condiment, it can be included.
Besides, he went there with a mission, and if he found nothing, he would be too embarrassed to come back.
Therefore, Zong Zhengxiao's punishment was actually to make him set out a few days earlier.
As winter approaches and the weather gets colder, the hot pot restaurant business is booming.
Eating spicy food must be accompanied by an iced drink, so the business of the hot pot restaurants has boosted the business of milk tea shops which are in their peak season. If you order milk tea at a hot pot restaurant, the waiter will run errands to buy it for you, and you only need to pay a small fee.
Those who are willing to come to the hot pot restaurant to eat don’t care about the errand fee, so many customers use this service.
So, apart from the older children like Little Monkey, the younger ones among the group of beggars also found a temporary job.
Although they don’t earn as much as the little monkeys, it is still an income.
Now the little monkey and his group of kids have rented a small yard and live in it together, and they no longer have to be homeless.
They ate in the hot pot restaurant's back kitchen, but the few children who were not employees of the hot pot restaurant would voluntarily pay for the meal. Even if Rong Yin refused, they would still cry and make a fuss to pay for it.
The originally dirty children, after being hired by Rong Yin, basically took a bath once a day and washed and changed their clothes frequently, for fear that the customers would think they were unclean and bring a bad reputation to Rong Yin.
Rong Yin spent money to buy them a kang, and also gave them charcoal, quilts and cotton-padded clothes. The children asked that the money be deducted from their future wages, half of which would be deducted every month until the money was paid off.
According to the little monkey, "We accepted charity before because we didn't have the ability to make money. Now that we can rely on ourselves, we can no longer rely on others' kindness to get something for nothing."
Although they have been struggling in society for many years, these children have always maintained a kind heart, which is why Rong Yin is willing to help them.
That day, Rong Yin was sitting behind the counter, drinking hot milk tea and checking the bills. A beggar who usually ran errands came up to him and whispered, "Boss, someone asked me to give this to you."
He opened his hand and inside was a piece of paper.
"Who gave it to you?" Rong Yin asked.
The little beggar said, "She is a beautiful sister."
Rong Yin didn't guess who it was for a moment. He touched the child's face and found that his skin was cold, so he asked him to go to the kitchen to warm up by the fire and wait until his body was warm before running errands.
After the child left, Rong Yin unfolded the note, which read: Boss Rong, I am Ning Yue, he wants to see you again, and he said it’s up to you whether to come or not. I suggest you not to come.
The only person who could ask to see Ning Yue could be Li Chu. Ning Yue was probably forced to convey this message for him. It can be seen that Ning Yue was very reluctant.
Rong Yin frowned because he didn't want to see Li Chu. Later, it was Zong Zheng Xiao or other people who contacted Li Chu. Li Chu should know the reason very well. Why did they suddenly ask him to meet again?
To go or not to go...
Rong Yin flipped through the account book in confusion, and finally decided to go. He was afraid that Li Chu would not be able to see him and would continue to bother Ning Yue.
The hot pot restaurant was not far from Qingqiu Pavilion, and it was troublesome to pull a carriage out, so Rong Yin walked there by herself.
There was a light snowfall in the sky. Rong Yin went there alone, holding an umbrella, and the guards followed him in secret.
When he arrived at Qingqiu Pavilion, the boss was a little surprised to see him come so suddenly.
Rong Yin smiled and said, "I have nothing to do, so I just want to chat with Ning Yue."
The boss, of course, welcomed him. He waved his handkerchief and said with a smile, "There are no customers at Ningyue right now. Boss Rong, please go up directly."
Rong Yin noticed that her boss's expression didn't seem to be acting, and it seemed that she didn't know that Li Chu was in Ning Yue's room.
Li Chu was indeed meticulous. In order not to expose the news that he had defected to the enemy camp, he was able to do this.
Rong Yin went upstairs and saw those familiar faces still lingering at the door, protecting the people inside and not allowing outsiders to approach.
Ning Yue's maid was sent away, and Rong Yin pushed the door open. Ning Yue stepped forward and said with some guilt, "It's so cold, and I still have to trouble you to make this trip."
Ning Yue also understood that Rong Yin was willing to come because she was most likely considering her difficult situation and was afraid that Li Chu would make things difficult for her.
"Thank you." Ning Yue said in a low voice.
Rong Yin shook her head. "I ate too much. It's just right for me to take a walk to help digest the food."
Ning Yue smiled and said, "Whatever song you want to hear, I'll play it for you."
They haven't told Li Chu yet about Ning Yue approaching the He sisters to get evidence, so now they have to pretend that Ning Yue is an outsider.
"Play whatever you want, I like them all."
"Okay, then let's go with 'Huanxisha'."
This song brought the two people together, and was also the opportunity for Rong Yin and Li Chu to "meet". Playing this song is appropriate for the occasion.
Amid the light fragrance, the sound of a piano slowly rose. Rong Yin walked behind the screen and saw Li Chu inside.
"Long time no see, Boss Rong." Li Chu stood up and greeted him with a smile.
"Don't try that!" Rong Yin stretched out her hand to stop him from getting closer. "If you have something to ask, you can go to His Majesty or someone else. Why do you have to see me?"
Li Chu smiled gently: "I recently heard some good news that is very gratifying to everyone. I have no one to share it with, so I can only come to you, Boss Rong."
"Ah?" Rong Yin looked at him as if he was a fool. "Are we familiar with each other? You had to share the good news with me."
Li Chu was not angry at all. The smile on his face remained unchanged, as steady as a mask. "It's news about the Cui family. Boss Rong, are you sure you don't want to hear it?"
"Cui family?" Rong Yin's curiosity was aroused.
"Please sit down first. It will take a while to finish talking." Li Chu made a gesture of invitation.
Wanting to know the truth, Rong Yin sat down opposite Li Chu. Li Chu poured him a cup of tea and asked, "I have told your majesty that the second young master of the Cui family is dissatisfied with his father's partiality and intends to take revenge and destroy the Cui family. Has your majesty told you about this?"
Rong Yin took a sip of tea and said, "I did. What's the matter?"
After hearing this answer, Li Chu stopped talking and said directly: "What I want to talk about today is the good things that the Second Young Master Cui did in the Cui family. Do you still remember my aunt, who is Li Ao's mother?"
"Remember, she was captured by the Cui family and used to threaten you to do things for them."
Li Chu looked at Rong Yin with an ambiguous look in his eyes: "It seems that His Majesty really loves you, Boss Rong, and is willing to tell you everything."
Rong Yin thought that Zong Zheng Xiao had not told him everything, but he certainly could not say that in front of outsiders.
"Yeah, we were sleeping in the same bed, if he didn't tell me, who else could he tell?"
Li Chu took a sip of tea and said, "It is indeed this road."
Rong Yin frowned, "Why do you keep changing the subject? If you have something to say, just say it quickly and don't breathe so hard."
"Okay, I won't waste my words from now on." Li Chu sat upright and continued the topic just now. "After my aunt was taken back to Beijing by the Cui family, they were afraid that I would kill someone to silence her and escape from their control, so they kept my aunt in the Cui family. At first, everything was peaceful, except that they had to raise an extra person. But since the second young master Cui planned to take revenge on the Cui family, things gradually became interesting."
As a concubine of the Li family, Li Ao's mother had a good life because she was favored by the head of the Li family. She even ate supplements as if they were meals. Therefore, even though she had given birth to a son, Li Ao, and was old, she still had charm.
It was precisely because of this that after Li Ao's death, the head of the Li family was willing to stay in her bed every night. In addition to the effect of the aphrodisiac, the most important reason was that his aunt was beautiful.
The current legal wife of the head of the Cui family is Xuxian. His first wife died of illness after giving birth to the eldest son of the Cui family.
Xuxian later had her own biological child with Mr. Cui, so she naturally didn't care too much about the child left by her ex-wife. However, the head of the Cui family had strict requirements for children. Mr. Cui was not like his other brothers, who still had his mother's care even when he was scolded.
His father was strict and his mother died early, which led to him lacking care. When he grew up, he began to like women older than himself. The older and more beautiful they were, the more he liked them. Even his wife was six years older than him.
In modern terms, this is called Oedipus.
But he just likes older women, which is not a big problem for the Cui family. At least there is no trouble with the sadistic Second Young Master Cui, and it will not endanger the reputation of the Cui family.
However, Young Master Cui is not an honest man. Although he already has a wife and a concubine, he still often hangs out in places where fireworks are displayed. Overall, he is still a lustful person.
Ever since his aunt moved into Cui's house, Young Master Cui had actually noticed this beautiful woman, but due to their respective identities, he did not dare to do anything out of the ordinary.
He was the one who once caused the Second Young Master Cui to fall off his horse, so the Second Young Master Cui naturally kept an eye on him all the time, and his coveting of his aunt was also seen by the Second Young Master Cui.
The fire of revenge of the second young master Cui was ignited by the first young master Cui.
The second young master Cui first bribed the servant who took care of his aunt and advised her to find a home for herself as soon as possible. After all, she had been abandoned by the head of the Li family. When she lost her usefulness, the head of the Cui family would definitely return her to the Li family.
She betrayed Li Chu, how could Li Chu let her go? He might even take her life.
The only solution now is to find someone with a higher status than Li Chu to rely on. Then even if Li Chu hates her, he will be unable to do anything to her.
In fact, the aunt had long been thinking about finding someone else, and the servant's persuasion only fueled her thoughts.
Now that my aunt is in Cui's house, it is most convenient for her to hook up with the Cui family.
But the head of the Cui family is old, and his mind is more on power. He is no longer interested in love between men and women. The aunt had secretly tested him before, but found that the head of the Cui family was indifferent, so she gave up on him.
The servant told the aunt that there was a man in the Cui Mansion who met her requirements.
That is Mr. Cui, who likes older and beautiful women.
The aunt had been enjoying the exclusive favor of the head of the Li family over the years, so naturally she was very good at pleasing men. She didn't even need the help of the second young master Cui. She and the servants looked for opportunities on her own and created an encounter with the eldest young master Cui.
She was dressed in plain clothes and light makeup, looking weak and pitiful. Just a glance at her while holding the handkerchief in her hand completely captured Master Cui's heart.
The aunt had specifically inquired about it before, and found out that Master Cui's mother liked to dress simply back then, so this was exactly what Master Cui wanted.
The man was in love and the woman was willing, so it was natural for the two to get together.
Young Master Cui often sneaked into his aunt's courtyard and made love with her.
The eldest young master Cui kept it a secret himself, and the second young master Cui also helped to cover it up, so for a long time, no one else in the Cui family noticed anything.
However, although having an affair with his uncle's woman was very exciting, Mr. Cui was still a little scared. He always took contraceptive measures and did not intend to let his aunt get pregnant with his child.
But the aunt was not stupid. She knew very well that if there was no child, then she would have slept with him in vain and Master Cui would not give her a legitimate status.
So she and her servants plotted against Mr. Cui again, using some tricks to make him leave his seeds many times to create opportunities for her to get pregnant.
Unexpectedly, their plan was successful.
She had been having sex with Master Li for a long time but never got pregnant, and now she is not having sex with Young Master Cui very often, but luckily she has a child.
After knowing that she was pregnant, the aunt was unwilling to follow Mr. Cui without any status, and she planned to expose her relationship with Mr. Cui to the entire Cui family.
Three days ago, the head of the Cui family celebrated his birthday. The Cui Mansion held a grand banquet, and there were many guests, making it very lively.
The aunt pestered Mr. Cui, took him to the garden, and proposed to have an exciting outdoor interaction with him.
In fact, the eldest son Cui plotted against the second son Cui. Although the head of the Cui family did not allow the second son Cui to retaliate against his eldest brother, he still had some grudges against the eldest son Cui in his heart. In addition, his biological mother died early, so the head of the Cui family paid much less attention to him than to his other sons.
Young Master Cui had a grudge against Master Cui, so when his aunt said that she wanted to do such a ridiculous thing with him on Master Cui's birthday, he agreed without much hesitation.
The two were having a passionate affair when the servant brought a group of guests here according to the aunt's instructions, or to be more precise, the second young master Cui's instructions.
Young Master Cui was also among the group of people. He was the first to "discover" the two people. He shouted loudly, which attracted other people to watch.
The second young master Cui did not give the first young master Cui a chance to cover up, and immediately pointed out that the aunt was not the first young master Cui's concubine, but an outsider who was temporarily staying in the Cui family.
The aunt was also very sensible. When Mr. Cui panicked and wanted to cut off ties with her, she told everyone in front of them that she was pregnant.
The eldest son of the Cui family, on his biological father's birthday, made love in the back garden with a woman who was old enough to be his mother, and this woman was pregnant with his child.
The explosive news soon spread to the banquet.
Although the head of the Cui family took control of the situation in time and threatened everyone with his status not to tell anyone about this matter, the guests at the Cui family that day almost covered most of the powerful circles in Beijing, so even if everyone promised to help keep it a secret, it was actually meaningless.
Anyway, the Cui family has already lost face among their circle of acquaintances. As for whether this news will spread throughout the capital, it is only a matter of time.
After hearing this bloody gossip, Rong Yin couldn't help but sigh: "Your aunt is such a powerful woman."
Li Chu sneered and said, "No matter how powerful you are, your life and death are still in the hands of others."
Rong Yin was curious: "How did the Cui family deal with your aunt?"
"I don't know yet." Li Chu said he was thirsty and took a sip of tea. "These were all told to me by the Second Young Master Cui yesterday. He said that the First Young Master Cui had been kneeling in the ancestral hall for several days, and the aunt was locked in the yard. She was pregnant with the Cui family's child, and so many outsiders knew about her existence. The Cui family was not sure how to deal with her."
If he were to silence them directly, it would definitely lead to gossip. Patriarch Cui cares most about his reputation, so he naturally would not take this measure.
Rong Yin said, "So it was Second Young Master Cui who told you this in person. I was wondering how you knew it so clearly."
Li Chu said: "I happened to have something to do on Patriarch Cui's birthday, so I left early after giving him the gift. Otherwise, I would have been able to see the excitement."
"I didn't expect you to be such a gossipy person." Rong Yin's eyes were teasing, "You went to so much trouble to find me just to tell me the stories of the Cui family's inner house."
"It's not just gossip." Li Chu said, "Before, the Cui family used my Li family's spies to alienate you and His Majesty, and put me in an unjust situation, causing me to be severely punished by His Majesty. Fortunately, I finally found evidence to prove my innocence to His Majesty. Not only did I get revenge, but I also successfully helped the Second Young Master Cui to take revenge on his family."
He smiled and said, "The Cui family is in great turmoil because of this incident. This is a good thing for me, His Majesty, and you, so I am here to tell you the good news. When you return to the palace, you can tell His Majesty about this and make him happy."
Hearing this, Rong Yin felt that what he said made sense, so he said, "Then I will forgive you this time, but in the future, don't force Ning Yue to contact me to meet you. Whether it's important or gossip, you should go to His Majesty to tell him. I haven't forgotten your revenge on me. I don't care about you, but it doesn't mean that I have a good impression of you. Do you understand?"
"I understand. I promise I won't do it again." Li Chu agreed readily without any hesitation.
Seeing this, Rong Yin also relaxed.
At this time, Li Chu suddenly said, "By the way, since I shared the good news with Boss Rong, can Boss Rong say a few good words for me in front of His Majesty after he returns to the palace? I found that His Majesty has been targeting me recently. Does he still care about the fact that the Li family once planted spies in the palace?"
Li Chu's face was filled with sorrow. He raised his right hand and swore, "I guarantee with my life that I have told your majesty the full list of Li's spies. If you don't believe me, you can go check. Since you have found out that the palace maid is from the Li family, and you can also find out that the eunuchs who were silenced are from the Cui family, then it shouldn't be difficult to find out that there are no spies from my family in the palace."
Rong Yin glared at him: "I knew that you asked me to come here for no good reason...Okay, I will tell His Majesty."
Just as he finished speaking, Rong Yin suddenly remembered something and said, "You were wrong just now. Wasn't it you who found out that those people who were silenced were members of the Cui family? You also gave this to His Majesty as evidence to prove your innocence. His Majesty told me everything, and I remember it clearly."
Li Chu was stunned at first, then suddenly realized something, and said embarrassingly: "It's my fault for being impatient and making a slip of the tongue. Boss Rong, please don't complain to His Majesty, otherwise I will be punished again."
Rong Yin rolled her eyes at him, "Tsk, I'm not a snitch. I won't tell your majesty everything."
Li Chu flattered, "Yes, yes, I was just judging others by my own standards. Boss Rong is not that kind of person."
Rong Yin sighed: "You don't have anything to say, right? I'm leaving now. I'm annoyed just seeing you."
"I have said everything I wanted to say. Please do as you please, Boss Rong." Li Chu put on that fake smile again.
Rong Yin ignored him, stood up and walked out from behind the screen, and said to Ning Yue: "Miss Ning Yue, I have already warned him. If he dares to force you to help him contact me again in the future, you can use the broom to chase him out. With me here, he won't dare to do anything to you."
Ning Yue nodded with a smile, "Okay."
After leaving the room, Rong Yin had a relaxed expression on his face and even said hello to the boss before leaving.
It was not until he stood outside the Qingqiu Pavilion and looked up at the snowy sky that his smiling expression slowly turned cold.
Holding the umbrella, Rong Yin walked back to the hot pot restaurant as if nothing had happened. However, because he was worried, he didn't pay attention to his feet and almost tripped over the stairs when he raised his foot. Fortunately, he reacted quickly and steadied his body in time, so he didn't fall flat on his face.
The little monkey happened to be at the door. When he saw this scene, he quickly ran over to help him.
"Boss, are you scared? You look terrible. Come in and sit down and have a rest."
After Rong Yin sat at the counter, the little monkey brought him a cup of hot tea. Rong Yin took a sip and did not move again. His eyes were deep and no one knew what he was thinking.
The little monkey thought that he had not yet recovered from his excitement, so he did not disturb him and went on with his own business.
After a long while, Rong Yin's face regained its color. He did not continue to look at the account book, but took a carriage back to the palace.
Zong Zhengxiao was not in Yinjiao Garden. Rong Yin had been playing in the snow with Xiao Ai for a long time before he came back. The guards had already told Zong Zhengxiao about what Rong Yin had experienced outside today.
Seeing Rong Yin looking at him stupidly, Zong Zhengxiao walked over and touched his face: "What's wrong? You don't look happy."
Rong Yin rushed into Zong Zheng Xiao's arms, hugged his waist and rubbed his chest, saying sullenly: "You smart people are really scary."
Zong Zhengxiao heard what Rong Yin meant, so he asked the palace maid to take Xiao Ai to play somewhere else, and then carried Rong Yin back to the room.
"I heard that Li Chu invited you to meet again. Did he say anything to you?" Zong Zhengxiao wiped the snowflakes off Rong Yin's head and body, his tone and movements were extremely gentle.
Rong Yin looked at Zong Zhengxiao and complained angrily, "He deliberately set a trap for me!"
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