Generally speaking, visitors should leave after saying this. However, after Zhou Xuan said this, he remained motionless and just looked at Su Shi silently.
Su Shi smiled bitterly and said, "Did you encounter problems with the negotiations with Dongyuan Zhiku?"
Zhou Xuan shook his head and said calmly: "With Young Master's methods, Dongyuan Zhiku is definitely no match for Young Master. I have clearly told them this, and Dongyuan Zhiku has accepted my suggestion. I believe there will be results tomorrow. "
"In that case, I have thanked you, Mr. Zhou. I will send you off to Mr. Zhou."
Su Shi's words were very clear, but Zhou Xuan seemed not to hear them. Not only did he not move, he didn't even blink.
Seeing that he couldn't escape, Su Shi had no choice but to say, "Is there anything else, Mr. Zhou?"
Zhou Xuan finally sighed: "I know you have concerns, but I promise you that you helped me and I will never involve you."
Su Shi was silent for a while and then said slowly: "What identity are you using when you say this? The shopkeeper of Hechang Tower, the owner of the flower shop, the owner of the painting boat, or the princess of Daqian?"
Seeing that Su Shi had figured out her identity, Zhou Xuan was neither surprised nor surprised, as if it was normal for Su Shi to figure out her identity.
"Then in what capacity do you want me to speak?"
Su Shi sighed: "Actually, no matter who you are, I would rather sit in the same boat with you and talk about romantic matters."
Zhou Xuan looked at him quietly and said, "If Mr. Su is interested in something elegant, I will accompany him."
"Is this invitation conditional?"
Zhou Xuan smiled and said: "Jinghu Lake has a unique flavor at noon. I wonder if Mr. Su is interested?"
"No." Su Shi flatly refused: "I just want to stay at the house today and don't want to go anywhere."
"The scenery of Jinghu Lake is different every day. I have plenty of time to wait for you."
Su Shi smiled bitterly and said, "Actually, I don't like traveling around mountains and rivers that much."
"I need your help." Zhou Xuan stopped beating around the bush, stared at Su Shi, and said directly.
"I've been to the Red Plum Pavilion, but still haven't gained anything." Su Shi sighed, "Maybe you've found the wrong person."
"I would never go to the wrong person."
Su Shi was a little strange, because Zhou Xuan seemed to have a blind trust in him.
"Why?"
Zhou Xuan did not answer him, but said, "Do you find it strange why I am so interested in doing business?"
Su Shi nodded.
If she didn't know Zhou Xuan's identity, Su Shi wouldn't be so strange, but after knowing her true identity, Su Shi felt extremely strange.
Throughout history, a princess might be interested in wealth, but absolutely no princess was interested in doing business.
“The only reason I became interested in doing business was because of one person.”
"who?"
"Brother Prince."
Hearing this, Su Shi waved his hand gently, signaling Zhou Xuan not to continue talking.
Although Zhou Xuan had not been in contact with Su Shi for a long time, she knew that he was a very independent person and would not be easily influenced by others. If he was too impatient, haste would lead to waste, so he kept silent.
"Can you give me some time to think about it?"
Su Shi didn't completely reject Zhou Xuan, but he wasn't trying to deal with her either. He just wanted to think about some things clearly before he could choose to help or not.
"No problem." Zhou Xuan replied simply.
Su Shi tapped his fingers on the table, making a crisp sound. After a long time, he suddenly asked: "Who put Hui Niang under house arrest?"
"Father."
This answer did not surprise Su Shi. He continued to ask, "Why should she be placed under house arrest?"
Zhou Xuan lowered his head and said softly: "The prince's brother died suddenly. Hui Niang was heartbroken and broke into the East Palace to worship the prince's brother, but was captured by the imperial army. Huiniang was an embroiderer in the palace and had a relationship with the prince's brother. Private affairs are not tolerated by the law. But the father thought about her infatuation and did not punish her much. He just put her under house arrest in the Hongmei Pavilion. "
Su Shi suddenly frowned: "Do you know that the prince and Huiniang have an affair?"
Zhou Xuan thought for a long time, then shook her head: "I don't know, but if Hui Niang had no affair with the prince's brother, how could she go to the East Palace alone to worship the prince's brother?"
"Does Huiniang admit that she has an affair with the prince?"
Zhou Xuan recalled the scene that day and couldn't help but sigh: "Hui Niang was captured by the imperial army and brought to the East Palace. As soon as she saw her brother, she burst into tears, heartbroken, and her expression became demented. Dumb. Even though I was only nine years old at the time, I could see that Huiniang had a very close relationship with the prince’s brother, so there was no need for her to tell her about it.”
Su Shi was unmoved and continued: "Why should Huiniang be placed under house arrest in the Hongmei Pavilion instead of the palace?"
Zhou Xuan said quietly: "Since Huiniang has an affair with the prince's brother, it is no longer appropriate to put her under house arrest in the palace. The Red Plum Pavilion was originally the prince's brother's property, so the father put Huiniang under house arrest there."
Speaking of this, she couldn't help but sigh: "Who would have thought that three months later, Hui Niang would still go with the prince's brother."
"How did Hui Niang die?"
"It is said that he committed suicide by taking poison and died."
"It is said?"
Su Shi seemed very dissatisfied with this uncertain answer.
Zhou Xuan thought for a while and continued: "After Huiniang was placed under house arrest in Hongmei Pavilion, she just stayed in the study embroidering on a handkerchief all day. At three o'clock that day, a father-in-law invited Huiniang out for dinner. Come on. When I got to the study, I found that the room was locked from the inside. No matter how much the father-in-law shouted, there was no response inside. The father-in-law was so anxious that he broke the door of the study and found Hui lying on the desk, already dead. The freshly embroidered handkerchief fell beside the chair."
"Later, after examination by the imperial doctor, it was confirmed that Huiniang committed suicide by taking poison."
Su Shi finally asked the last question: "Why do you think that handkerchief hides a secret?"
Zhou Xuan asked, "Do you know how long it takes to embroider that pattern on a handkerchief?"
Su Shi shook his head.
"I asked, the average embroidery process only takes seven days."
Su Shi pondered: "Hui Niang is not an ordinary embroiderer."
"So for Hui Niang, it only takes three days at most to embroider that handkerchief."
Su Shi couldn't help but touch his nose and said slowly: "But the embroiderer has been embroidering for three months."
"What's even more strange is that Hui Niang also embroidered four patterns on the handkerchief that no one understands."
"No one really knows what those patterns mean?"
"I asked everyone who knew Hui Niang, but they didn't know."
"This alone is not enough to prove that there is a secret hidden in that handkerchief."
Zhou Xuan said slowly: "But soon after Huiniang died, the Hongmei Pavilion started to be haunted."
