Chapter 5 The Crown Prince
Zhu Yuhuan saw that Shen Guangci had a secret smile on his face, which was obviously the smug joy of getting rich. He raised his hand to signal him to sit down, and then asked: "Which of your three sons, regardless of age, is the most reliable?"
Shen Guangci was still immersed in the joy of making a fortune, and did not expect Zhu Yuhuan to ask this. He calmed down and thought for a moment, then said: "The third son Yanli has some talent for studying, but it's a pity that he failed the provincial examination last year. Although he studies, he doesn't stick to his principles."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded slightly and said, "Very good. Let him stay in the north. I want to let him manage the business in the north and continue to expand the Chengping Cloth Shop. As long as he does well, I will find a way to hire a famous teacher for him."
Shen Guangci almost fainted with joy. He never thought that they, father and son, would have such a blessing.
After finally suppressing the surprise in her heart, Shen Guangci said: "Your Highness..."
"Your Majesty said: 'Appoint people with sincerity. Once you employ them, don't doubt them. If you doubt them, your subordinates will be worried about protecting themselves and avoiding disaster. Who will be willing to give their all?'" Zhu Yuhuan smiled and said, "Don't worry. I've read some books by sages."
Shen Guangci heard the hint of teasing in her tone and hurriedly said that he didn't dare.
"One last thing. This time, in addition to the goods, tools, and methods, you must also bring some food south with you and donate it to Chaotian Palace for me."
As a businessman, Shen Guangci was naturally well-informed and had heard a little about Princess Shunde's devotion to Taoism.
He immediately responded, "I will certainly express my gratitude to Your Highness."
Seeing that he responded so quickly, Zhu Yuhuan raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Don't give me more than I tell you to. Just take as much as I tell you to, understand?"
"I understand."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and asked, "Do you understand what I mean?"
Shen Guangci nodded cautiously and said, "Your Highness retreated to the Taoist temple simply to avoid the limelight."
Although His Highness is surrounded by the palace, he always has the people of Jiangnan in his heart. It can be seen that the way in His Highness's heart is not Taoism, but the way of the world!
But even someone like His Highness who has Taoism in his heart uses Taoism as a cover, which shows that the situation in the palace must have changed. I think the only person who can make the brilliant princess retreat is probably His Highness the Crown Prince.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled, her hand supporting her chin as she tilted her head slightly. "That makes sense. If I want to avoid the spotlight, I naturally can't always be in front of others and be an eyesore. But I don't want to be forgotten..."
Shen Guangci didn't understand her unspoken meaning, nor did she dare to think about it further, but just praised: "The princess's brilliance is unforgettable."
He could vaguely sense that the Princess Shunde in front of him had a big appetite. She was not satisfied with just being a "rich princess". But for merchants like them, business was a kind of gamble. What could not be won?
Zhu Yuhuan sat up straight and said half-jokingly, "Oh, that's too blunt. Next time, be more tactful when praising me."
Shen Guangci smiled and responded, then suddenly thought of something and asked, "The name of the factory... can Your Highness consider it?"
Zhu Yuhuan pondered for a moment and said, "Let's call it 'Shengping'."
Zhu Zhanji had always enjoyed recreation, and his passion for it had only grown stronger since his border patrols. Every spring and autumn, he would go on outings and hunt, not only by himself but also with his mother, concubines, and children. If he couldn't leave the palace, he would often participate in activities like archery, pitching pots, and polo. Zhu Zhanji also played, but these days, it was mostly performed by eunuchs, with the imperial family watching from the sidelines.
Zhu Yuhuan sat aside with his brothers and sisters and his uncle, watching the excitement. He couldn't help but yawn and muttered to Zhu Zhanzhen, "It was quite lively in previous years when Fifth Uncle was here. This year, Fifth Uncle is not here, and only Third Uncle and Little Uncle are left. It's so boring."
Zhu Zhanzhen was now much calmer. Hearing this, he felt a little helpless and said, "You are so ungrateful. I gave you a lot of money from my fifth brother's shop."
Zhu Yuhuan said with a grin, "I contributed to this to begin with, and this is what I deserve."
After his marriage in the second year of the Xuande reign, Zhu Zhanji had been considering leaving the capital to serve as a vassal. Initially, Zhu Zhanji wanted to keep him in the capital, along with his younger brother, to be at the beck and call of Empress Dowager Zhang. However, Zhu Zhanji's repeated requests were unsatisfactory, and Empress Dowager Zhang also felt that her youngest son had no interest in government affairs and was restless, so a vassalage was not a bad idea.
As soon as his eldest son was born last year, Zhu Zhanji took the princess and the child to Changsha Prefecture without staying there for a moment. All the properties under his name were divided among his brothers and sisters and his niece Zhu Yuhuan.
Apart from wanting to go out and free himself, one of the main reasons why Zhu Zhanji ran away was that he vaguely sensed that the palace environment had become delicate after the crown prince was enthroned. If he continued to stay in the capital, he would inevitably be involved in it.
Zhu Zhanji didn't want to get into trouble, so the sooner he ran away, the better.
Zhu Zhanzhen leaned over to look at the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, who were being cared for by their nanny not far away, as well as the sisters Zhu Youtong and Zhu Hanjia, who were chatting quietly. Then he whispered to Zhu Yuhuan, "I heard that you had someone take the grain that was left over from the imperial farm in previous years and transport it to Yingtian, and donated it all to the Chaotian Palace. Is that true?"
Zhu Yuhuan nodded and said, "Of course it's true. Why would I deny such a good thing?"
Zhu Zhanzhen looked Zhu Yuhuan up and down again, and said thoughtfully: "The Queen's sister-in-law is quite knowledgeable about Taoism. Could it be that you have been influenced by her?"
Zhu Yuhuan leaned back in his chair, feeling particularly relaxed, and said, "Since my uncle also knows about this, I feel relieved."
Zhu Zhanzhen was startled when he heard her words and asked in a low voice, "What do you mean? Did you deliberately let someone leak the news?"
"If I don't let them go, everyone will find out sooner or later." Zhu Yuhuan held his chin with one hand and said, "The influence of the charity is limited in the north, and it is impossible to help ordinary people in the south. I can only have people transport food over and hand it over to the Chaotian Palace to distribute porridge."
Zhu Zhanzhen finally understood that Zhu Yuhuan was using the Chaotian Palace to enhance his reputation. "You're not afraid that they will pretend to obey you but actually disobey you."
"This is a win-win situation. Why would Chaotian Palace pretend to obey but secretly disobey?" Zhu Yuhuan rested his hand on his chin, watching the movement of the polo ball on the field. "Even if they did embezzle it, that's their problem. What does it have to do with me?"
Zhu Zhanji must have known all about this, but he did not stop it or say anything. The people in Chaotian Palace were not so desperate.
Zhu Zhanzhen understood her implication and sighed, "That's right..."
Just when she was bored, Zhu Qizhen, who had been leaning against the railing to watch the game, ran over and pointed at the polo ball on the field and said, "Sister, I want to play. Take me with you."
Zhu Yuhuan smiled and touched his bald head, saying, "Zhen'er, you are still young and can't play this. When you grow up a little, sister will teach you."
Zhu Qizhen was rejected by her, curled his lips unhappily, and immediately shouted loudly: "I want to play! I want to play!"
When Zhu Qiyu heard Zhu Qizhen's request, he was naturally tempted, but he turned around and looked for a long time. Seeing that Zhu Yuhuan did not agree, Zhu Qiyu turned back and watched the game obediently.
His mother told him that his sister had her own reasons for doing things and that he would not go wrong by listening to her.
Zhu Youtong couldn't help but snort softly when he saw this. Then he thought of Zhu Hanjia who was right next to him, and subconsciously looked over. He saw that she looked worried and a little embarrassed.
Although Zhu Zhanzhen was young, he was older than him. Seeing this, he advised, "Zhen'er, listen to your uncle. You have to wait a few more years before you can start riding a horse. Otherwise, what if you fall? Your sister didn't start riding until she was older."
Zhu Qizhen didn't want to give in, but Zhu Zhan'an was his elder, so he could only stand there stubbornly, staring at Zhu Yuhuan, the meaning of which was self-evident.
The princes and princesses were seated not far from the emperor, so Zhu Zhanji naturally heard everything clearly. After the young eunuch relayed the story clearly, Zhu Zhanji smiled and said, "Bring the princess's mount here, have everyone else step aside, and the princess will take the prince for a ride on the field."
"yes."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
