My uncle is Zhu Di

Chapter 141 Where is the retreat?
Xu Qin had no intention of inviting Xia Yuanji in. There was indeed nothing to talk about with Xia Yuanji. Although Xia Yuanji was a good official, he was a natural rival of his. There was nothing he could do. Although he was also the son of a military general and although he was a commoner now, everyone knew that it was only a matter of time before he returned to the army.

Xia Yuanji really didn't expect that Xu Qin really didn't invite him in.

"Or, how about I invite you out for dinner?" Xia Yuanji felt that it was not appropriate to talk about it standing here. After all, this matter would not be resolved in the short term, and he needed to find a place to sit down and talk it out.

"No need, just tell me what the good news is. I want to hear whether it is true or not." Xu Qin waved his hand and said.

Xia Yuanji thought for a moment and could only sigh and say, "We all agree that you are the best at studying arithmetic. So, in order not to waste this talent and in the hope that you can teach more students, we hope that you can go to the Imperial College to work. What do you think?"

"What the hell?" Xu Qin was stunned when he heard Xia Yuanji's words. He was going to work in the Imperial College? What a joke? He was basically expelled from the Imperial College. If he worked in the Imperial College, Hu Yan, the Imperial College's chief priest, would probably be pissed to death. Moreover, they didn't know what he was like in the Imperial College, but now they wanted him to work in the Imperial College.

"I hope you will consider this carefully. After all, there are probably not many people in my Ming Dynasty who are better than you in arithmetic." Xia Yuanji said to Xu Qin.

Xu Qin looked at Xia Yuanji seriously, then sighed and said, "It was right not to invite you in. Look at your mind, how evil! Is this a good thing? I, Xu Qin, earn several hundred taels every quarter of an hour, and you want me to work in the Imperial College? The Imperial College only makes a few hundred taels a year. As we are talking here, I have earned back the salary for teaching in the Imperial College. How dare you say it is a good thing?

I think you want to delay my earning money, go back? You should also give up this idea. I, Xu Qin, will never go to the Imperial College. Not to mention you, even if my aunt persuades me, I will not go. "

"Well, how can a scholar just talk about money?" Xia Yuanji said to Xu Qin anxiously.

Xu Qin sneered at Xia Yuanji, then looked him up and down and said, "Are you hypocritical? Aren't those corrupt officials scholars? Also, this time you joined forces with those workshops and stopped supplying goods to the weaving bureau. Wasn't it for money? You said, it's okay for you to be hypocritical, but you have to flaunt yourself as a gentleman? Besides, I'm Xu Qin, a commoner. What's wrong with me talking about money? Is it embarrassing? Okay, I won't talk nonsense with you. I'm going in first. Bye."

After Xu Qin finished speaking, he bowed to Xia Yuanji, then walked towards the gate with his hands behind his back.

Xia Yuanji stood there helplessly. He thought that Xu Qin would use other reasons to refuse this matter, such as his young age, or that he was expelled from the Imperial College, or that his father was confined at home and he did not want to take the position. He even thought that Xu Qin disliked the position of Doctor of Arithmetic in the Imperial College as too low. But he never expected that the reason Xu Qin refused to go was that the money was too little.

This is a difficult situation. You can argue with Xu Qin for other reasons to see if you can convince him, but the money is too little and you cannot supply Xu Qin. The key is that what Xu Qin just said is true. Xu Qin really spends several hundred taels every quarter of an hour.

Xu Qin returned to the living room. Li was happy to see him, but she also sighed and said, "Alas, now the family has more money, but we are also busy. Look at you, kid. You go out as soon as you get up and come back after dark. It's hard to find you to sit with me."

Xu Qin looked up at Li and asked, "Mom, what happened again?"

"Well, we're just waiting for you to be free. We still need to go to Duke Cheng's mansion to get engaged. You are so busy every day, kid." Li stared at Xu Qin and said unhappily.

"Mom, you just set a date and I'll go with you. I'll go even if I'm busy. Don't worry, mom. I won't embarrass you." Upon hearing this, Xu Qin immediately said to Li in a flattering manner.

"Hmph, I don't think you dare. The day after tomorrow, we will go to Duke Cheng's mansion to get engaged. The two of us will go, and your fourth aunt will also go then." Li said proudly to Xu Qin.

"Okay, got it. The day after tomorrow, call me then." Xu Qin nodded immediately, not daring to disobey. If he dared to disobey his mother in this matter, even his father would not be able to save him. By then, it would not be as simple as kneeling in front of his grandfather and the ancestral tablets. His mother would really pick up a stick, and he did not want to be beaten.

Anyway, I can't escape this matter. Free love is impossible. There are no conditions for it these days.

"That's more like it. But, Bao'er, I heard that there may not be enough silk after summer. Bao'er, do you think these civil officials were responsible for this?" Li continued to ask Xu Qin.

"It's not them, don't worry, it's not a big deal, let those civil officials be arrogant for a while, if they can guarantee our silk, then we don't care, if they dare to cut off our silk, then I won't be polite, let's not do it first, otherwise, others will say we are too arrogant, but if others come to our head, then we won't be polite." Xu Qin smiled and looked at Li and said. Li sighed and said, "What do you think they are doing? I heard that many workshop owners are complaining constantly, worried that it will affect this year's harvest. Although those workshop owners are worried that the officials behind them will not give them protection, they also have opinions about cheating them like this. The key is those weavers, think about it, without silk, they can't make money to support their families, right?

That's not how it works. If they have the ability, they can argue with Your Majesty in the court, and whoever wins will be the one to listen. Of course, I know that things won't be that simple, but sea trade is obviously beneficial to our Ming Dynasty. It's a bit hard to understand why those ministers still do this."

After hearing this, Xu Huizu smiled and said, "I wish things were that simple. Don't worry about it. Leave it to Baoer. Just take care of the workshops. Baoer probably has a lot of things to do as well."

Li nodded. How could he not know? He was just sighing at home. After all, the Xu family had started doing business, and Li could get in touch with many workshop owners and hear a lot of news.

After dinner, Xu Qin and Xu Huizu went to the study together. Xu Huizu knew that Xu Qin came here for something.

"Dad, Yao Guangxiao came to me today and said he was here to lobby. I also heard that His Majesty went to Jiming Temple to rest, so when he said he was a lobbyist, I could still believe it." Xu Qin said as he made tea for Xu Huizu.

"Yao Guangxiao is looking for you?" Xu Huizu frowned after hearing this.

"Well, so, let me ask you what you think, Dad. I guess this matter can't be postponed. It's just a question of what price His Majesty is willing to pay. We need to think about this condition carefully. Anyway, my idea is that the Duke of Wei needs to return to our family. In addition, the price is too low, I won't go. My current image to the outside world is very mercenary.

If His Majesty had only given me the title, and I had agreed, he would probably have doubted that all this was arranged by us, Dad, what do you think? "Xu Qin said to Xu Huizu while making tea.

Xu Huizu sat there in deep thought.

"Dad, anyway, if there are benefits, we will go, and if there are no benefits, I will not go. If the Duke of Wei returns to our family, it is only a matter of time before we fight those civil officials. We might as well take the opportunity to deal with some of the civil officials first. However, it seems that the purpose of just wanting the Duke of Wei is too obvious." Xu Qin made tea, brought it over, and placed it in front of Xu Huizu.

"Bao'er, you have to think carefully about how to break the situation. It's easy to take the position of the Weaving Bureau, but it's difficult to break the situation. Also, the reputation of going to the Weaving Bureau is not good, you also need to consider this.

If the title of Duke of Wei returns to our family, you have to think about this matter carefully. The title of Duke of Wei was won by your grandfather, and you cannot discredit this title. Baoer, Dad knows it is difficult for you, but you also need to consider whether Zhu Di really trusts you. If he just wants to use you, you also need to think about your retreat.

Zhu Di can give us the title of Duke of Wei, but he can also take it back, so we have to consider the way out. "Xu Huizu sat there and said to Xu Qin.

After hearing this, Xu Qin smiled, sat down next to Xu Huizu, and whispered, "Dad, don't worry. Managing overseas trade was always my plan."

"Huh?" Xu Huizu looked at Xu Qin in confusion. Xu Huizu really couldn't understand this.

"Dad, overseas is so big. If I feel something is wrong, our family will immediately take a boat and flee outside. With money, we can enjoy the life of the upper class wherever we go. However, I also need to make arrangements in advance. We need to go to the Weaving Bureau and choose a place first. Then we will arrange people to help us manage things there. If there is any situation, we can just run away.

If we only focus on the country, Dad, we can't escape, but overseas, Zhu Di wants to catch us, but it's not that easy, hehe." Xu Qin sat there and said in a very low voice.

After hearing this, Xu Huizu stroked his beard, thought for a while, nodded and said, "Bao'er, you are right. Go ahead and do this. Your aunt is still here, so nothing serious will happen to our family. If your aunt dies before Your Majesty, there will be risks. So, it is right to plan ahead. Bao'er, Dad agrees with this. Besides, no one else can tell this except the two of us."

Xu Qin nodded and said, "I know, but now we have to find a way to restore our title and lift our father's house arrest. If Zhu Di doesn't touch us, everything will be fine. If he wants to touch us, we should run away without hesitation."

(End of this chapter)