Her words were somewhat shocking. If Xun Wang was really her biological father, wouldn't that mean she was going to commit patricide?
If this gets out, will she lose her reputation?
Why are you all looking at me like that? Did I say something wrong?
Seeing that they were all staring at her in a daze, He Jiuniang asked innocently.
"Cough cough..."
The old emperor coughed twice and said, "I think you're right!"
The Crown Princess also said, "Then you have done a great service by sacrificing your own family for the greater good, and this will be praised for all time!"
The Crown Prince and Consort Liu: ...
Lu Baichuan was the only one who remained calm throughout the entire event; he had already experienced this once before at home.
Seeing that everyone already knew the details, the Crown Prince thought for a moment and said, "In that case, we must send someone to investigate the Prince of Xun's side, but we should not alert him yet. We should not act unless the enemy does not move. For now, we should deal with the matter of the Eastern Court. The envoy from the Eastern Court should arrive in a while. We should get the benefits from the Eastern Court first, and then deal with the matter of the Prince of Xun."
Everyone nodded, feeling that this was the only way to do things now, as the search for the king was still no match for the Eastern Court.
The old emperor suddenly asked, "What should we do if the Prince of Xun joins forces with the Eastern Court to take action?"
Lu Baichuan had already thought of this problem and said, "We can cover up the Yan family's confession and make Xun Wang think that Zhuo Wei and his wife have not confessed. He is unsure of the specific situation and dares not act rashly. In addition, it seems that we are in the dark and Xun Wang is in the light. We can cause him some trouble without his knowledge to divert his attention. In this way, he will not be able to contact Dongting."
The old emperor suddenly realized: "Oh right, right, we can still keep him in check like this."
Everyone: ...
Lu Baichuan continued, "Your Highness, Prince Jing happens to be at the border. We can have him investigate the matter of finding the Prince, and while we're at it, create some trouble to see how the Prince reacts."
"Alright, I'll write a letter to the sixth prince right away and tell him what to do."
The crown prince nodded, not seeing anything amiss, but his expression remained grave. The country was beset by internal and external troubles, and he was genuinely anxious.
He Jiuniang said, "I'll contact Prince Jing myself. I can use the excuse of delivering a spice packet to him, so no one will suspect anything."
No one had any objections, so He Jiuniang and her husband left the palace and also picked up their son and the young prince from school.
He Jiuniang instructed Gou'er, "Son, in a couple of days your mother will be going to Jingzhou to pick up your grandparents and older siblings to come to the capital for a while. You and your brother, the young master, must take good care of Susu. Listen to your father, bring a few people with you, and don't go to places with few people by yourself."
"I know, Mommy, I'll be good. I also want Grandpa and Grandma to come!"
He had previously said that he could go back to visit his family often after coming to the capital, but he has been gone for so long that it is almost late autumn. He misses his family.
"That's fine then."
He Jiuniang rubbed his head and didn't say anything more. It wasn't good to say too much in front of the child.
The young prince said, "Aunt Jiu, why don't we let Gou'er come to the palace with me? Susu can come too. My sister can take her to play, so Uncle Lu won't have to run back and forth."
The young prince was older and guessed that if He Jiuniang left, Uncle Lu would definitely come back from the military camp. It would be troublesome to run back and forth between the two places, so it would be better to go back to the palace with him.
After thinking it over, He Jiuniang felt it made a lot of sense. She looked at Lu Baichuan, who also had no objections. Gou'er had lived in the palace for a while before and they were quite familiar with each other, so there was no reason for him to disagree. Now they just had to wait to go back and ask Susu what she thought.
When they got home and asked, Susu agreed, so they made a plan to go to the palace together for a few days, going wherever it was safest.
Lu Baichuan went to the military camp again, and Steward Huang returned from a long day of running around. Upon seeing her, he reported, "Madam, this old servant went to the street to look at shops today. I found a few locations that I liked, but I don't know..."
Butler Huang wanted to ask her what kind of seat she preferred so that he could arrange it directly.
Before she could finish speaking, He Jiuniang said, "Since they're all good, let's buy them all, so I won't have to worry about this kind of thing again."
Butler Huang was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly said, "But the places I've found aren't very far apart. Opening the same kind of shop there might not be ideal."
"It's okay. You said it yourself, it's the same store that's not ideal. It's just that they sell different things, so it's fine."
He Jiuniang counted on her fingers and realized that she had quite a lot of things to sell, which she could easily manage. Besides, it was even better that it was not far away, making it easier to manage.
"Yes, madam, this old servant will confirm it in a moment."
Butler Huang agreed. He knew He Jiu Niang's abilities and didn't need to worry about her. Besides, he was just a servant and only needed to follow orders.
"I'm going back to Jingzhou for a while. Before that, I'll tell you the decoration requirements for each shop. You can find someone to do the decoration. Also, you can hire a group of young girls at a high price. Those who are good-looking and bold will be given priority. Those who are average-looking are fine too, but they must be enthusiastic and good at speaking. Gather them up and train them well. Once the shops are decorated, they can start working directly. I will also give you the training details in advance."
"Yes, madam."
Butler Huang continued to respond, and seeing that He Jiuniang probably still had things to say, he didn't rush to leave.
Sure enough, He Jiuniang looked at Yao Shi, who had been standing to the side like an invisible person, and said, "Man'er, during the time I'm away, you need to learn more about management from Steward Huang. After the shop opens, you will be helping me with the work. You can't lack these skills. If there's anything you don't understand, ask more questions and learn more."
"Huh? Me, can I?"
Ms. Yao was a little nervous. She had never been involved in such matters before and was afraid that she would not do well.
"Why not? If you don't know how, you can learn. If you still don't know how after learning, then we'll talk about it again."
Butler Huang also said, "Madam, rest assured, this old servant will do his best to help you."
"With Butler Huang's words, I can rest assured."
Even though Yao was nervous, she didn't say much. She knew that He Jiuniang was right. Everything she ate and used belonged to He Jiuniang, and she couldn't keep taking advantage of her like this. She had to grow up.
"Okay, Sister Jiu Niang, don't worry, I will definitely study hard and live up to your good intentions."
Yao clenched her fists. No matter how tired or bitter she was, it was better than before when she was with the Hu family. She was determined to support her daughter on her own.
He Jiuniang nodded. She had already helped enough. The rest was up to Yao Shi herself. If Yao Shi couldn't make a name for herself, she could just be an embroiderer, which was a decent job. It all depended on Yao Shi's own growth.
However, she had another matter to instruct Yao, so she asked Steward Huang to go ahead and attend to it.
After Steward Huang left, He Jiuniang asked, "Do you have any wishes for me when I return to Jingzhou this time?"
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