Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 721 Was the lack of action due to disdain? [Thank you! Thank you again! 34k words owed]

"Sister, what sense does Xiaodie have in what she's saying?!"

"Drink tea! Everyone drink tea!"

Aunt Wei looked a little embarrassed and reached out to pick up her teacup.

They were both women, and Xiaodie knew why Aunt Wei hadn't had children all these years.

After exchanging a knowing glance with Wei Xiaoniang, Xiaodie covered her mouth and laughed.

Wei Shuyi smiled and shook his head, signaling Xiaodie to stop 'teasing' her younger sister.

Xiaodie nodded and said, "Second sister, you should also pay attention to our family's salt business."

Upon hearing this, Wei Xiaoniang looked at her younger sister.

If the Sheng family gets a share of the business, the Xu family's relatives, the Zhu family, will naturally not be left out.

Xiaodie was also the sister-in-law of the eldest daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, so the Ni family naturally had this business as well.

"Yes! Do you even need to tell me?!" Aunt Wei nodded.

in the afternoon,

Bianjing inner city,

Prince Yong's Mansion

Despite the crisp autumn air, the Prince Yong's Mansion was filled with a desolate and sorrowful atmosphere.

The funeral of the Crown Prince of Yong, who had been delayed for several days, has begun.

The mourning hall inside the courtyard,

Dressed in plain clothes, Princess Yong knelt on a prayer mat, adding paper money to the brazier in front of her with a sorrowful expression.

The flames from the burning paper money were reflected in Princess Yong's eyes.

At this time,

Footsteps approached.

A moment later, the Princess of Jiacheng, also dressed in plain clothes, knelt down to the side and said, "Mother, the eminent monks from Daxiangguo Temple have arrived."

"Hmm!" Princess Yong blinked.

I wanted to get up, but my legs were numb and I couldn't get up for a while.

The maid and the county princess of Jiacheng quickly stepped in to help.

After standing up, Princess Consort of Yong took a while to catch her breath before walking outside.

quickly,

A group of monks followed the Prince and Princess of Yong into the room.

When the Buddhist and Taoist elegiac chants echoed in the mourning hall...

Princess Consort of Yong extended her hand and said, "Master, please come over here and personally pray for my son."

The middle-aged monk's hands clasped together should be correct.

Afterwards, the Princess Consort of Yong led her entourage to a side room.

After dismissing everyone else, the Princess Consort of Yong looked at the high monk of Xiangguo Temple without saying a word.

The room fell silent as the monks outside chanted their dirges.

During the quiet few dozen breaths, the monk showed no unusual behavior, simply clasping his hands together and silently reciting Buddhist scriptures, seemingly genuinely praying for blessings.

Princess Consort of Yong closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and said softly, "What other conditions do you require for you to cooperate with my family?"

The middle-aged monk slowly opened his eyes, exchanged a glance with the Princess Consort of Yong, smiled slightly, and said, "Your Highness, the word 'still want' is very apt."

Princess Consort of Yong narrowed her eyes, took a breath, and turned her head to look elsewhere: "Stop beating around the bush, just say it!"

The middle-aged monk laughed and said, "Senior brother's conditions are very simple. As long as the princess takes action to deal with that scoundrel Xu Zaijing, the cooperation will naturally be achieved!"

"Simple? Ha!" Princess Consort of Yong scoffed, "If it's so simple, why doesn't your side make a move? Is it because you disdain it?"

Hearing this,

The middle-aged monk's expression froze for a moment. He looked away from the Princess Consort of Yong, closed his eyes, clasped his hands together for a moment, and then said, "A monk should not commit acts of killing."

"Tch!" The Princess Consort of Yong, somewhat angered, chuckled again.

Silence fell over the room once again.

Listening to the dirges outside, Princess Consort of Yong was lost in thought. After a moment, she said, "I can take care of the Xu family's child."

The middle-aged monk opened his eyes and was about to speak.

Princess Consort of Yong waved her hand: "Let me finish."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

Princess Consort of Yong said coldly, "The other families who went to the elephant stables with my son that day also have to go down to see my son! Especially the Marquis of Dongchang's family and the Duke of Han's family!"

Seeing the middle-aged monk's troubled expression and furrowed brows, the princess continued, "The Marquis of Dongchang has a grandson, and Han Wulang is not the legitimate son of the Duke's mansion. You cannot agree to these conditions?"

The middle-aged monk looked at the Princess Consort of Yong and said, "Your Highness, you have more than one son, the deceased Crown Prince. Why do this?"

Before the monk could finish speaking, the Princess Consort of Yong, like a mother beast, suddenly turned her head to look at him.

Looking at the monk who had closed his eyes again, but whose eyeballs were moving around under his eyelids, the Princess Consort of Yong said, "I have more than one son, but the master has more than one finger. How about cutting one off for me?"

"I understand. Whether we work together or not, we will give the Queen an explanation in due time," the monk said, opening his eyes.

"Yes!" Princess Consort of Yong nodded.

"Then this humble monk will go and chant sutras to pray for the young master."

"it is good."

Princess Consort of Yong stood up and said.

Watching the monk leave the side room, Princess Consort of Yong curled her lip, her eyes full of disdain.

The next day,

It was still dark.

It was still a bit chilly on the early autumn morning.

Xu Zaijing looked up at the sky and saw only darkness, without a single star.

It looks like it's a cloudy day today.

Feeling the cold wind, Xu Zaijing, riding on his horse, tightened his cloak.

Upon arriving at the Sheng family,

Xu Zaijing led Yun Xiang into the schoolyard.

At this moment, there were many fallen leaves on the ground in the yard last night, and stepping on them made a cracking sound.

As soon as I entered the school,
Looking at Changbai sitting by the candle reading, Xu Zaijing loosened his cloak and asked, "Oh? Seventh Brother didn't come today?"

Changbai turned his head and said, "Yes! He's still young. It's not too late for him to get up earlier in a couple of years."

Xu Zaijing nodded: "The sky looks a bit gloomy today."

"Yes," Changbai replied.

Suddenly, Yun Xiang, who was walking behind Xu Zaijing, made a questioning sound.

Xu Zaijing turned around and glanced at Yun Xiang, then followed Yun Xiang's gaze and saw that two screens had been erected in the school today.

"Changbai, what's this?"

Xu Zaijing pointed to the screen and asked.

Changbai turned his head and glanced at them: "Oh! These two screens? Father had them brought over yesterday."

Looking at the position of the screen, it was precisely to separate the three Lans from the others.

Xu Zaijing said, "Looks like my three younger sisters are coming back to study?"

Changbai nodded: "Yes!"

Xu Zaijing raised an eyebrow, walked around Changbai to the right, and headed towards his seat.

Later,
Qi Heng, Gu Tingye, and Zai Zhang arrived at the school one after another.

Xu Zaijing couldn't see Qi Heng's expression when he arrived through the screen, but judging from his tone of voice, Qi Heng seemed very happy.

The sky was still dark.

Before Zhuang Xuejiu arrived,

The three members of the Sheng family, Lan and Nagamaki, walked in together.

Minglan led Xiaotao to her desk.
Yesterday after school, the desks and chairs were wiped clean by the Sheng family's maid.

Sitting in the chair behind the table,

Minglan turned her head to look to the side.
Through the semi-transparent screen, Minglan could vaguely see the candles lit on the other side.

The candle closest to us belongs to the third brother, Changfeng, while the candle to Changfeng's right belongs to the fifth brother, Xu.
Minglan stared at the candle to Changfeng's right for a long time, and could vaguely see his face illuminated by the candle.

After smiling with satisfaction, Minglan suddenly felt something and looked towards Changfeng's front.

Although there was a screen between them, Minglan could still feel someone looking at her, and she knew without a doubt that it was Qi Heng.

"cough!"

Zhuang Xuejiu's cough could be heard outside.

Minglan turned her head to look at the door, and the feeling of that gaze disappeared.

"Oh? All three young ladies of the Sheng family have arrived," Zhuang Xuejiu said with a smile. The three young ladies of the Sheng family quickly stood up, curtsied, and said in unison, "Greetings, Scholar."

"Ok!"

Zhuang Xuejiu nodded approvingly and waved his hand: "Sit down, everyone!"

More than an hour later,

When the morning break came, the sky was still overcast.

Looking out of the school, without the sunshine of a clear day, the courtyard had a rather desolate autumn feel.

Seeing the three Lans on the other side of the screen getting up to go for a walk, Qi Heng also stood up and walked outside.

When they went out, they also invited Changfeng along.

Watching the two leave, Xu Zaijing asked in a low voice, "Second Brother, I heard from my family that the Sheng family had some business problems a couple of days ago?"

Gu Tingye immediately turned around, glanced at Changbai in front of him, and whispered to Xu Zaijing, "That's right! It is said that after Madam Wang took over the business, she gave some to Changbai's aunt who married into the Kang family."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Gu Tingye continued, "Jing-ge'er, you know that before we recovered Baigao, the price of Qingyan salt was cheaper than that of sea salt."

"As a result, Aunt Changbai actually lowered the price quite a bit in order to sell more salt."

"Even if the profit is lowered, it's still quite considerable. However, the imperial court's regulations strictly prohibit doing so."

Xu Zaijing shook his head and said, "This Aunt Kang is truly more trouble than she's worth!"

Gu Tingye nodded repeatedly: "Fortunately, it was my mother's steward who discovered it in advance, otherwise, if other families had found out, I don't know how they would have reported it to the authorities."

"Is the matter resolved?" Xu Zaijing asked.

"Yes!" Gu Tingye nodded: "After the price difference was made up, the Kang family will no longer be able to do this business."

Xu Zaijing smiled and nodded: "That's good!"

Gu Tingye looked at Xu Zaijing and said with emotion, "Jing-ge'er, actually, my family's ability to do this business is thanks to you. If it weren't for you..."

Xu Zaijing shook his head and said, "Second Brother, if it were someone else, firstly, I might not be able to jump that high, and secondly, I might stomp on them and injure them."

"This reward is the result of your years of diligent practice."

Gu Tingye rubbed his shoulder, smiled and nodded, "Jing-ge'er is right."

suddenly,

Gu Tingye's eyes lit up, and he said, "By the way, Jing-ge'er, I have something to tell you."

Xu Zaijing nodded, giving him a "you say it" look.

Gu Tingye said, "Yesterday, my wife, mother, and sister-in-law went to Yuqing Temple. On their way back, they ran into Madam Zheng, who was there to have her fortune told!"

"A divination? Is it for Zheng Xiao?" Xu Zaijing asked, puzzled.

“Yes!” Gu Tingye nodded and said, “They said it was set for the fifth day of next month, when we would go to the Zhang family to present the betrothal gifts.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Zaijing smiled and said, "Oh! Zheng Xiao's wedding shouldn't be too far off."

"Whenever we have a day off, he happens to be in the capital. He should treat us to a good meal!"

Gu Tingye nodded with a smile: "As soon as he returned to the capital, he joined the palace guards. He seems to be even busier than us!"

The Great Zhou Imperial Palace

The rear court,

A palace guard captain in armor followed Yu Huguang, accompanying him toward the Crown Prince's bedroom.

Seeing the captain rubbing his nose incessantly, Yu Huguang, carrying a medicine box, looked over with concern.

After sensing the gaze, Zheng Xiao smiled at Yu Huguang and waved his hand to indicate that everything was alright.

"Captain, please wait a moment," said the eunuch Qingyun softly.

“Yes!” Zheng Xiao replied, bowing.

After Yu Huguang and the eunuch had walked away, Zheng Xiao, who was turning to leave, sneezed.

Only then did he finally manage to sneeze freely.

Looking at the somewhat gloomy sky, Zheng Xiao muttered to himself, "Looks like I'll have to wear an extra layer sooner or later."

In the prince's bedroom,
Qingyun stopped at the entrance of the palace and gestured for people to come in, saying, "Please come in."

Yu Huguang bowed slightly and stepped into the hall.

Looking at the somewhat deserted hall with few female officials, Yu Huguang felt a little puzzled.

suddenly,

Yu Huguang's gaze sharpened as he saw Zhao Fang walking over in casual clothes.

"Your subject, Yu Huguang, greets Your Highness."

"No need for formalities! Come here."

Zhao Fang laughed.

Yu Huguang should have walked over quickly.

Following Zhao Fang to the back hall, Zhao Fang smiled and asked, "Have you seen Jing-ge these past two days?"

Yu Huguang said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, Fifth Brother has been busy with his studies and I haven't seen him for the past two days! We only had a drink together on the day Second Brother of the Zheng family returned to the capital."

Zhao Fang smiled and nodded, then glanced back at Yu Huguang and asked, "Is the old physician still in good health?"

"Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. Thanks to His Majesty and Your Highness, my grandfather is in good health," Yu Huguang said with a smile.

"Yes! With a great-grandson, the old physician must be in a good mood."

"Your Highness is absolutely right." After saying this with a smile, Yu Huguang glanced thoughtfully at Zhao Fang.

Arriving at the door,

Zhao Fang smiled and called out, "Mother, your son and Physician Yu have arrived."

Yu Huguang was taken aback; he hadn't expected the Empress to be there as well.

Entering the room,
Yu Huguang bowed and clasped his hands in greeting: "Your subject greets Her Majesty the Empress and Her Highness the Crown Princess."

"Physician, please don't stand on ceremony, come here." The Empress smiled and beckoned.

After Yu Huguang acknowledged this, he stepped into the room.

"Please take a seat," the Empress said again.

The female official standing nearby quickly brought over an embroidered stool.

Yu Huguang bowed respectfully, his gaze shifting between the Empress and the Crown Princess.

Seeing the Empress's somewhat nervous and uneasy appearance, Yu Huguang was very puzzled.

The Empress smiled and pointed at Gao Taotao.

The female official who had put down the embroidered stool brought over a basin of clean water. Yu Huguang quickly put down his medicine box and went to the side to wash his hands.

Zhao Fang sat down to the side and said with a smile, "Mother, Lady, Physician Yu has known Jing-ge for several years! I've heard that after much training, Physician Yu's medical skills are no less than his grandfather's!"

The Empress nodded with a smile: "I know that. Back then, when Jing-ge got into a fight, it was Xiao Yu who treated a few of the people."

"I heard the recovery is going very well?" The Empress said, looking at Yu Huguang.

Yu Huguang quickly bowed and agreed.

Then, Yu Huguang took the handkerchief and wiped his hands clean.

He opened the medicine box on the table and took out a brand new wrist rest.

After placing the wrist rest, Yu Huguang gestured, "Your Highness, Crown Princess, please."

The Empress stood to the side and said, "Physician Xiao Yu, please sit down! It will make it easier for you to take my pulse carefully."

After a moment's thought, Yu Huguang looked at Zhao Fang, who was nodding with a smile, and nodded, saying, "Yes."

After Yu Huguang sat on the embroidered stool, he placed his fingers on the Crown Princess's wrist.

After taking her pulse for a moment, Yu Huguang looked up at the Crown Princess and said, "Your Highness, please relax a little."

Upon hearing this, Crown Princess Gao Taotao glanced apologetically at the Empress and Zhao Fang, then took a few deep breaths.

When Yu Huguang took her pulse, the Empress's hands, clasped together in front of her abdomen, nervously gripped the handkerchief in her hands.

Zhao Fang didn't seem particularly excited. He simply sat down to the side and picked up his teacup to drink.

In half a cup of tea,

Yu Huguang released his fingers from taking the pulse, stood up, and bowed to Zhao Fang and the Empress: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, and Your Highness, the Crown Princess is pregnant."

"Good! Good! Good!" the Empress said three times.

"Reward him!" the Empress said, looking at Yu Huguang.

Then, seeing Gao Taotao somewhat stunned, the Empress walked over and happily touched her cheek: "Good child!"

the other side,
Zhao Fang stood up and walked towards the door.

As soon as he reached the door, Zhao Fang stopped abruptly and exclaimed in surprise, "Father, what brings you here?"

outside the door,

With his hands behind his back and his body bent over as if he were peering in to listen, the emperor quickly straightened up, cleared his throat, and said, "Ahem! I, I've come to see you."

The chief eunuch behind the emperor nodded repeatedly in testimony.

With that, the emperor stepped into the hall with a smile on his face.

(End of this chapter)