After Brother Shun was carried away, Gu Yunqiu practiced alone for a while, not only shooting arrows, but also making a few gestures with a small wooden sword.
The result of all this hard work is——
For dinner, Gu Yunqiu was carried on his back.
The muscles in his legs were sore and they spasmed at the slightest movement, making him unable to walk at all.
The princess had heard about the incident where he shot the boy. It was probably because Gu Yunqiu had caused too many troubles in the past, so she didn't take it seriously. It wasn't until Gu Yunqiu was carried in that she stood up in surprise:
"What's wrong? Are you hurt?"
The person carrying Gu Yunqiu was one of Ning Xintang's guards. He smiled, told the story of the future, and gently placed Gu Yunqiu on the cushioned stool.
After hearing this, the princess looked at Gu Yunqiu with a complicated expression. Just as she was about to speak, someone came from outside to say that the prince had returned to the house.
King Ning is busy with work, and today the court meeting is still discussing the repair of Shangyuan Palace:
Shangyuan Hall was originally a Taoist temple in the palace. Later, in addition to enshrining Taoist heavenly masters, it also enshrined many gods from the past kings. Several old concubines who were monks from the previous dynasty also lived in it.
At the beginning of this spring, the Taoist priest in charge of Shangyuan Hall reported the rotten beams and leaking roof tiles. However, at that time, there was an earthquake in Jiaozhou, and all the money and supplies of the imperial court were allocated, leaving no surplus. This delay lasted until April. .
What's even more unfortunate is that there was a strong wind in the capital in March, and the glazed tiles not only in the palace, but also in the entire capital were tight. Several kilns that burned tiles in the suburbs of Beijing accidentally leaked water, causing a huge tile shortage.
The Ministry of Industry finally dispatched a batch from the south of the Yangtze River, but unfortunately the ship carrying the goods ran aground and capsized in Qingzhou Bay.
Of course, the imperial court could still buy and transport them from other states and counties, but the rainy season was approaching, and even if those tiles arrived, they would not be able to meet the construction deadline. The matter of Shangyuan Palace has been put on hold.
There are still many vacant halls in the palace, and the old concubines in Shangyuan Hall can be moved out first. However, it is not easy to move the many former kings and gods in Shangyuan Hall, and any movement will involve sacrifices.
The emperor's sacrifice is not a trivial matter. It needs to be discussed between the Ministry of Rites and the Falling Star Platform, and the timing and preparation of sacrifices need to be calculated. It also consumes a lot of time, manpower and material resources.
It was such a small matter like repairing the roof, but it turned out to be like this due to various coincidences.
The emperor got angry and lost his temper at today's court meeting. He even left several of Prince Ning's close ministers to discuss it for half a day.
Prince Ning handed the coat to the boy and sat on Gu Yunqiu's left hand. He did not pay attention to the princess, but secretly observed his son: the child had a ruddy complexion and big eyes. When he caught his sight, he called out "Father".
——This is no longer angry.
Prince Ning was secretly relieved, but when he raised his head, he met his wife's angry eyes.
"Look at the good work you did!"
Prince Ning was stunned by the violence, "I...what did I do?"
The princess narrowed her eyes and told him everything Gu Yunqiu had done today, then moved her chopsticks and inserted a cabbage dumpling into Gu Yunqiu's plate, "Look how scared you are of the child?!"
Prince Ning curled his lips and took a chopstick of the braised pork he brought back to Gu Yunqiu, "Isn't it... a good thing to study and practice martial arts?"
"No matter how good you are, you have to do it step by step! His injury is not healed yet! The boy in the courtyard said that he had been pregnant since Yinshi. What? Are you planning to ask your child to come back with a top score for you?!"
"How can I?" Prince Ning shouted his injustice.
They were noisy and noisy, but Gu Yunqiu's dishes were not idle. Even though his father and mother were arguing with each other, they had a tacit understanding and piled the most delicious and delicious food on the table in front of him.
Gu Yunqiu looked at them, bent his eyes and hugged the small bowl, and just smiled and picked up the rice——
The meal was full of excitement, but also enjoyable.
When she was having tea and fruits after the meal, the princess remembered to care about her husband, "Your Majesty, are you still bothered by the affairs of Shangyuan Palace?"
Prince Ning nodded and sighed helplessly.
Gu Yunqiu was listening and came up with an idea in his mind——
The repair of Shangyuan Hall caused a big disturbance in the past life and later.
The tiles were finally shipped from Jing County, Taizhou, but it rained not long after the craftsmen put up the scaffolding, and the original rotten main beam collapsed before they could be replaced, injuring people.
After more than half a month of restless repairs, there was a heavy rain in summer, and floods broke out in the Shangyuan Hall. Not only did the statue of the Heavenly Master enshrined in the hall be destroyed, but also several divine tablets were damaged.
The emperor sent someone to conduct a thorough investigation, only to discover that the construction period was too tight and the craftsmen made mistakes while busy. They actually left two bags of mortar and plaster at the drainage outlet of Shangyuan Hall.
In the end, the Marquis of Xiangping, who was far away in the southwest, funded the matter and personally sent people to purchase the tiles and transport them to the capital. Only then in the autumn, the Shangyuan Hall was finally repaired.
Gu Yunqiu thought for a moment and realized that the court's current dilemma was a lack of construction materials and a tight construction schedule.
There are funds in the Ministry of Household Affairs and craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, but there are no tiles in the kilns in the middle of the capital, and there are tiles in various places, but water from far away cannot put out the fire nearby.
Thinking that the Marquis of Xiangping had been able to buy them in his previous life, Gu Yunqiu looked at Prince Ning and suddenly said: "Dad, since there are no tiles in the kiln or the palace, why not try to borrow them from the common people?"
"borrow?"
"Last month there was a strong wind in the city, and every household was repairing their houses," Gu Yunqiu said seriously. "To repair a house, you need to buy roof tiles. Taking into account losses, the number of tiles you buy is not fixed. There will always be a few extra tiles. .”
"We can send soldiers to take the money and go to various houses and shops in the city, asking them to borrow tiles for use first, and then return them in full after the glazed tiles from the court arrive a month later."
Prince Ning was stunned. After thinking for a moment, he smiled and shook his head, "Although this method is good, but... there are not so many officers and soldiers in the court. Even if there are, if officers and soldiers are mobilized to come to the door, they may be impeached by the censor."
"Furthermore, repairing the Shangyuan Palace is an internal matter of the royal family. If officers and soldiers are used, it will inevitably be discussed by the people, saying that we are competing with the people for profit, and that the royal family is borrowing on the surface, but in fact it is robbing."
"Then there is no need for officers and soldiers," Gu Yunqiu had another idea, "ask someone to put up a sign in the market and write on it, 'Anyone who borrows twenty tiles will be given a hundred dollars, and those who wish can bring the tiles to the craftsman's place within two days.'" .”
The Craftsmanship Department is a small yamen of the Ministry of Industry that specializes in royal manufacturing. The yamen entrance is at the West City Gate.
This time, Prince Ning's expression changed, and even the princess sitting beside him looked at Gu Yunqiu in surprise.
“This doesn’t count as competing with the people for profit, right?”
After Gu Yunqiu finished speaking, he lowered his head and counted on his fingers:
After March, tiles in Beijing become more expensive, and a piece of tile can be sold for two or three yuan. The price he gave was five cents per tile. Although it was more expensive than the market price, it was far lower than the cost of transporting it from various places.
Prince Ning was originally leaning on the armchair. Thinking about Gu Yunqiu's words, he gradually sat upright. After a while, he put his hands on his hands and laughed, then he patted his thigh and stood up——
He didn't look at Gu Yunqiu, only looked at the princess, "I'm going to the palace!"
The princess chuckled, "Be careful on the road."
When Prince Ning walked away, the princess scratched the tip of Gu Yunqiu's nose and said, "My Qiuqiu is smart."
After such a night, the next morning, imperial lists were hung high in several markets in Beijing.
Half a day later, the entrance to the craftsmanship office was filled with a mountain-like pile of tiles. Although the color of the tiles is a little uneven, it is enough for emergency use.
When the rainy season in central Beijing passes, the three kilns on the outskirts of Beijing can also be repaired. At that time, there will be no need for Xiangping Marquis to transport them from the southwest, and the government-made tiles will be taken directly from there and reorganized.
The construction materials were all available, and the craftsmen started work immediately, and the construction period was just right.
The Emperor's Sacred Heart was overjoyed and praised the people who handled the matter. Finally, he sent his father-in-law to Prince Ning's Mansion, bringing along with him an exquisite small box in addition to the imperial edict.
It was a pity that the chief eunuch of Mingguang Palace was not able to see Prince Ning. It was Princess Ning who came out to receive the order and express gratitude on his behalf.
The princess took her father-in-law to drink tea and eat snacks, and said apologetically that Gu Yunqiu was still ill.
The father-in-law was an old man in the palace and knew to some extent about Gu Yunqiu's beating.
He shook his head and smiled, "The prince is still young, and so is the prince, so it's not a big deal."
"No!" The princess snorted, not treating her father-in-law as an outsider at all. After complaining to Prince Ning for a few words, she did not explain that Gu Yunqiu didn't get up because he was beaten.
——This is embarrassing to say.
While the princess and her father-in-law were chatting, Gu Yunqiu was wearing pajamas and lying on the bed while the old doctor massaged him.
He has great ambitions and good ideas, but he neglects his own qualifications:
Reading, practicing calligraphy, practicing martial arts and archery only last for one day——
His wrists were so sore that he couldn't lift them up, and he couldn't even hold chopsticks steady. He had been eating with a spoon these days. Not to mention that my waist and legs were sore, swollen and cramped, and I couldn't even take a step after getting out of bed.
He had been practicing diligently for a day and a half. He was dizzy, his waist was weak, his hands were shaking, and he couldn't get out of bed. The servant next to him was also stabbed in the butt by him.
…
Gu Yunqiu whined and buried his head in the pillow:
Just outrageous.
Could it be that he was born to be a playboy and couldn't be more diligent?
He was huddled in bed feeling sorry for himself, but the princess had already sent her father-in-law off and brought over the royal gifts.
Inside the small wooden box is an exquisite little wooden bird. There is a mechanical box at the bottom of the bird. There is a handle connected to the outside of the box. When turned in a circle, the bird above can spread its wings and make a chirping sound.
"It's a treasure from Western Xinjiang," the princess explained. "Your Majesty said that the princes in the palace are old, so it's just right for you to play with."
Gu Yunqiu had seen this exquisite little wooden bird in his previous life.
Your Majesty's words were of course an excuse. The eighth prince born by the queen was only one year older than him, and this bird had given the prince a birthday gift in the first place.
Gu Yunqiu held the little wooden bird while Princess Ning read the imperial edict to him again.
Gu Yunqiu didn't listen carefully to the good words beside it, but he heard the key sentence:
There is a lot of ingenuity in buying and selling.
He was stunned for a moment, and he was so enlightened that he almost became erect on the bed.
——Your Majesty the Holy Ming!
Why didn't he think of that?
Although he is a good gentleman and a good person, he is not the material for studying and practicing martial arts.
In his previous life, King Ning told him about the political situation in the court. He listened for a long time and didn't understand it, but he could tell at a glance that the ancient paintings sent to him by the old accountant at home were fake and copied.
It is true that he knows nothing about the Six Arts of the Gentleman, but he has been hanging out in the streets since he was a child, and he often hangs out in restaurants and card games when he grows up. He comes into contact with all kinds of people, and he also hears a lot about business.
Gu Yunqiu's eyes lit up:
Whoever loves this Li Congzhou...ah, whoever loves this true prince will be treated as such!
In this life, he wants to do business, make a lot of money, and live happily.
——How to live happily.
but……
Gu Yunqiu was excited for a while and then lay back down again:
To do business, you must have capital.
Where will he get his first money?
