The heat of the day is hard to get rid of, but the cool breeze at night can soothe people's hearts.
Xu Zhihuai sat on the recliner, looking up at the round moon of Ming and Qing Dynasties, and his thoughts gradually drifted away.
Recently, Zhu Xuxing often came home late, and when he came back he looked worried. He was very unhappy.
She couldn't sit still anymore, so she simply called the maids from the second and third palaces, put up the glazed lamps, and prepared to go to the imperial study to welcome him.
The study was brightly lit, illuminating the courtyard.
Xu Zhihuai slowed down, but for a long time the internal prison officer came to greet him and send a message.
It didn’t matter that there was no one on duty in the yard, but Yue Yichuan wasn’t even there.
Xu Zhihuai raised her hand to signal the palace maid not to follow. She walked to the door alone. She could not hear any sounds inside. There were no foreign ministers discussing matters, no books being turned over and tea...
Xu Zhihuai was puzzled. When he entered the room, he saw Zhu Xuxing sitting in front of the big fruit red sandalwood bookcase, with his back completely to the door. He was leaning completely on the back of the chair, without his usual straight and straight back, and his hands were hanging on both sides of his body. Side, seems very tired and tired.
Xu Zhihuai bit his lower lip and hesitated whether to walk over.
She didn't want to disturb his peace and solitude, but she couldn't bear to see him worrying alone.
She opened her mouth, but before she could make a sound, she heard the sound of porcelain falling and clattering. It was very crisp and sudden.
Xu Zhihuai looked for the sound and found a sapphire wine pot poured on the ground, with the lid missing somewhere.
Is he drinking alone?
"Your Highness..."
Xu Zhihuai couldn't bear it and called him softly.
Zhu Xuxing froze when he heard the sound.
He grabbed the chair tightly with both hands, trying to prop up his weak body. Before he could stand still, Xu Zhihuai hugged him tightly.
Her arms are thin and long, soft and tough.
Xu Zhihuai's eyes were filled with water: "Why is Your Highness drinking alone?"
Zhu Xuxing wanted to cover up a few words easily, but the moment he heard her voice, his heart completely softened and he was tired. He simply took advantage of the drunkenness in his head, lowered his head and rested his head on her thin shoulder, hugging himself All the weight of his body fell on her.
The night is dark and no one knows.
She is his warmest support.
Xu Zhihuai silently endured his fragility and fatigue. From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the piles of official documents and memoranda on the table, spread out all over the table without any structure. He suddenly felt dazzling and distressed.
He worked hard every day, from early morning to late at night...but what he got was that the table was still messy and messy, and he couldn't sort it out, like a debt that could never be repaid.
A cup of tea can quench thirst and relieve hangover.
Zhu Suxing's phoenix eyes drooped slightly, with a hint of drunken red at the end of his eyes.
Xu Zhihuai caressed his cheek, comforting him.
She obviously has such a beautiful face, and she is obviously at the age where she should be high-spirited...
Zhu Xuxing turned his face slightly and rested his head in her palm: "I'm so rude."
He wanted to go back after the alcohol had dissipated, but she discovered that he was using alcohol to drown his sorrows.
"I don't think His Highness is rude, I just feel sad."
Zhu Xuxing was puzzled: "Why are you sad?"
"His Highness silently carries everything on his own, and when he comes back to my concubine every day, he still pretends to have nothing to worry about. His Highness is so miserable on his own, and I am so heartbroken that I will die."
Her voice was slightly choked and her eyes were filled with tears.
Zhu Xuxing sighed, pulled her into his arms, let her sit on his lap, and said solemnly: "It's my fault."
Xu Zhihuai coaxed him and persuaded him to go back and have a good rest.
After a good sleep, Zhu Xuxing returned to his refreshing and bright appearance. Xu Zhihuai did not mention what happened last night, and sent him out of the palace with a smile.
However, when he walked away, the smile on her face slowly disappeared.
The internal and external troubles in the imperial court were so overwhelming that Zhu Xiuxing could hardly breathe. How could she be in the mood to enjoy the illusion of peace and tranquility in these years.
Xu Zhihuai couldn't leave the palace. If he wanted to reach out, he needed someone reliable.
Unfortunately, the people she trusted were all in the palace.
After the hottest time of noon, Mu Xiuwan came over to say hello. Before she could say anything, she saw Xu Zhihuai looking at her, his eyes suddenly brightening.
"elder sister?"
Mu Xiuwan raised her eyebrows slightly, looking puzzled: "Why do you keep looking at me, sister?"
Xu Zhihuai had an idea in his mind: "Wan'er, let me ask you a favor."
Mu Xiuwan said hurriedly: "If you don't want to be invited, sister, just tell me if you have something to do."
Xu Zhihuai whispered softly: "I want to spend money to open a grain store in the city, and I need a few reliable people."
"Grain shop?"
Mu Xiuwan couldn't figure it out, just puzzled: "Sister wants to do business outside?"
She thought she was short of silver, so she hurriedly said: "I still have more than a hundred taels of cash in there. I'll go back and give it to my sister right now."
Xu Zhihuai hurriedly held her hand: "No, I don't want money."
"Um?"
Xu Zhihuai explained from the beginning: "To be precise, the amount I want is not something that we sisters can put together."
Mu Xiuwan opened her mouth in surprise.
"There will be a severe drought in various states this year, and there will definitely be a shortage of food and rice after autumn. If someone sits on the ground and raises the price, causing people to panic, the price of food in the city will definitely be in chaos. I want to know what is going on outside, but it is too late to wait for the reports from those minions. .”
Without food, people will starve to death.
"Sister wants to collect information to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the chaos to cause trouble."
"Information is of course important, but the key is to understand the market and know the ways of the market and the black market. Also, since it is a grain store, we can also stock up on grain. When someone raises the price, we can sell it cheaper. , at least I can feed a few more people.”
Mu Xiuwan nodded in understanding: "Sister, are you planning to leave this matter to me?"
"It's easier for you to get in and out of the palace than it is for me."
"I understand, sister. I'll find a way to arrange it right now."
Mu Xiuwan pondered slightly: "Since I returned to the palace, many people have changed around me one after another. Among them, there are two nuns who are the most loyal and reliable in handling affairs."
Xu Zhihuai smiled happily when he heard what she said: "Wan'er, you have really grown up. Now you can take care of things and share my worries and solve my problems."
Mu Xiuwan smiled: "My sister used to protect me, now it's my turn to help her."
As long as you have money, anything can be done.
Pick a prosperous shop in the city, decorate it, hire a bookkeeper and three or five other workers, and start the business within half a month.
Dahong rice shop, good quality and low price.
Mu Xiuwan leaves the palace once every half month. Taking advantage of the opportunity to buy things, she happens to go to the grain store to collect information.
Xu Zhihuai spent most of his savings on this matter, hoping for a good outcome.
Ten days later, 10,000 taels of silver were returned to the capital intact.
Wei Li was very smart and did not let Huang Jiwei wear official uniforms and walk on official roads. Instead, he invited a group of escorts to pretend to be ordinary caravans to escort the boxes.
Zhu Xuxing felt inexplicably heavy as he looked at the dozen sealed silver boxes.
He opened the box on the spot in front of everyone.
The white money made the officials marvel at it, as if they had never seen it before.
Zhu Xuxing curled his lips and smiled lowly, and said quietly to them: "I really hope that the exclamations of my dear friends are all sincere."
