Xiao Zili, seeing that his identity had been discovered, no longer concealed it, but was somewhat puzzled, "What kind of partner do you two aunts need? I am just a person with the title of the Second Prince, but in reality, I am a person without any power. How can I become your partner?"
Xia Hua said, "Let me tell you what I need you to do first, and then you can decide whether you're willing." Seeing that he didn't speak, she continued, "You've been in Peach Blossom Village for so many days, you should know what our workshop sells."
"Although Shushu and I have the status of ladies, the profits from the Xuan paper and other products in the workshop are too great, and our status is not enough to protect us. So we want to find a partner. Do you want to sit on the throne?"
Xiao Zili stood up in surprise. "Auntie, you can't say things like that." Did they know about what he had been planning all along? But apart from his confidants, his maternal grandfather, and his uncle, no one else knew about it.
Xia Hua smiled and said, "Don't be so surprised. If a prince doesn't want to be the emperor, is he still a prince? As long as you want, we can put you on the throne. Money is not difficult for us, and we even have high-yield grains. The yellow corn and potatoes you ate for dinner were high-yield grains."
“One mu of corn can yield a thousand jin, and one mu of potatoes can yield three thousand jin. We also have sweet potatoes and rice. The yield of these crops is twice that of others. As long as you report this to the Emperor, you will be a meritorious official.” Of course, she and Shushu will also be conferred titles.
These are the things he needs to do in the early stages. Later, he should think about how to enhance his reputation and help him ascend the throne.
After hearing what she said, Xiao Zili couldn't help but be surprised. "Aunt Xia, it's still uncertain whether the grain harvest will really be that much. Besides, I don't have any intention of sitting on the throne. It's fine as it is now."
"Hehe," Xia Hua sneered, mocking, "I've been so blunt, and you still want to test me? It's fine now, after all, the Emperor is still your father, but can you be sure that he'll let you go after the Crown Prince ascends the throne?"
“Your mother and maternal grandparents are still alive. Your maternal grandfather is the current Duke of Protector of the Nation, and your uncle is also the General of Protector of the Nation. But they will grow old one day and become unable to fight anymore. When that day comes, who will protect you?”
Although these things weren't in the original owner's memories, they weren't exactly secrets. It wouldn't be difficult to find out, especially since An's father used to be the father of a high-ranking official and knew a bit about these matters.
Seeing that he didn't speak and instead kept his head down, presumably thinking about something, the two didn't disturb him. After a while, Xiao Zili finally looked up and said, "Aunties, since you're helping me, what do you want?"
He hadn't expected that in just a few days, his two aunts would have thought so much. It seemed that they had already planned all this when they learned his identity, just waiting for him to take the bait. However, his two aunts were not wrong; he did want to sit on the throne, and he had been plotting for it for many years.
Xia Hua said, "You'll gain both fame and fortune. After you report to the Emperor, you'll get to show your face in front of the Emperor and those ministers, and let the people know that you are more suitable to be the Emperor than the Crown Prince. Of course, we will also benefit, because high-yield grain may lead to being granted titles, and we won't mind how many titles are granted."
"That way, no one will try to take advantage of our workshop, and more people will come to buy. Of course, these things alone won't put you on the throne; there's still a lot to do. But if you want, we can help you."
Xiao Zili did not agree immediately. "Auntie, as long as you can grow high-yield grain, I can agree to your request. Even if Father Emperor is unwilling, I can still have him confer titles upon you. If you need anything in the future, you can write to me."
"An Ye, come out and let the two aunties meet you. From now on, you can stay in the village. If the two aunties need anything, just come to me." Although the two aunties didn't seem to be lying, this was a matter of great importance, so they decided to wait until the grain was grown before making any further plans.
Seeing that he neither agreed nor refused, Xia Hua assumed he was waiting for the crops to be grown. She continued, "In two months, the corn and potatoes will be harvested, but they will only be grown in the village. After the guard inspects them, he will report back to you."
"As long as the grain yield is high, then we can plant it on a large scale next year. You can then report this to the Emperor."
Xiao Zili nodded, "Then I'll wait. I hope it's as you two aunts say: An Ye will stay here and I'll leave tomorrow morning. Take care, aunts."
An Shuyi smiled and said, "We'll take care of ourselves, but you still need to be careful not to let anyone see that your leg is injured, otherwise it will be hard to explain."
"Don't worry, Auntie, I'll be careful. I'll go back now. You should all get some rest." After saying that, Xiao Zili turned around and left the hall, returning to the side courtyard.
As soon as they entered, a voice came from the air, "Young master, these two women are just good at making money, and what they say is not true. Should we leave Dark Night here?"
An Ye is one of the more skilled guards. If we leave him here, we'll lose one of the guards protecting the Second Prince. Two of them have already died, leaving only forty-seven.
Xiao Zili sat in the chair and said slowly, "What do you know? Don't think that just because these two aunties are good at making money, they are good at saving me when I was being chased. Two guards and six bodyguards couldn't handle the person, but two women did."
“When I called Dark Night out just now, they weren’t surprised. It was as if they already knew you were there. These past few days, I’ve been staying in the village. Although I don’t know if the grain yield is really high, they have no reason to lie to me.”
Moreover, the two aunts only wanted fame and fortune; they didn't say they would grant him official titles and ranks after he ascended the throne. They must have other plans, otherwise they wouldn't have only asked for this much.
"Young master, you should still be cautious. When we arrived, the Duke of Protectorate was very worried and asked us to remind you not to be careless," the voice said again.
"Don't worry, I know all of this. Just tell An Ye what to do, and we'll leave at dawn." After saying that, Xiao Zili went back to his room to rest.
Seeing him leave, and with the guard gone as well, Xia Hua said, "Shushu, do you really think Xiao Zili can handle this? What if we don't have anyone in the court? Then we won't get our rewards either."
An Shuyi smiled and explained, "Don't worry, he's not as useless as he seems. If he really doesn't work out, we can just find someone else."
Actually, if she could, she would have been quite optimistic about Xiao Zili. He was the right age, his maternal grandfather's family was the Duke of Protectorate, and his uncle was the Grand General of Protectorate. Based on these points alone, no other prince could compare.
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