novelhk Chapter 248: Money Can't Move People's Hearts
Chapter 248: Money Can't Move People's Hearts
Liu Mianxin attended the palace banquet today, wearing a ginger-colored dress with wide sleeves and standing among a group of ladies, looking steady and old-fashioned.
Young wives like Zhao Fangyu also came over, and she took them one by one with a smile and praised them. If you didn't know, you would think that the one she was holding was her married daughter.
Zhao Fangyu looked for a few seconds and then looked away, staring at the tea leaves floating in the cup. There was no longer the vigilance in his eyes as when he came.
Standing at a high position with a panoramic view, Zhao Fangyu seemed to suddenly understand why some people would do anything to climb up.
"It's a pity that my uncle came and left so quickly. I wanted to go back after the New Year, but I received an urgent letter from home, so my uncle went back earlier."
The Queen's fingertips moved slightly: "It's good to go back. Longxi is an important place, so naturally we can't leave the Li family all the time."
Zhao Fangyu pursed his lips and smiled modestly, but his eyes were looking at the people below him.
"It's not that we can't leave the Li family, it's the thousands of soldiers guarding the border that we can't leave."
"The Li family is just a military family that has lived for generations. They are lucky and have lived a long life."
The Li family that Zhao Fangyu described seemed to be just an ordinary military household on the frontier, but was it really as simple as she said?
The aristocratic family that could make the emperor jealous and had gone through several dynasties seemed not worth mentioning in her mouth.
He was just saying it to the spies to please the emperor.
Zhao Fangyu saw Pei Yan flash by in the crowd. Now Pei Yan was dressed in red.
But what she couldn't understand was, at such a critical moment, why was he not guarding the Emperor, but instead staying with the Queen?
Zhao Fangyu's heart tightened involuntarily, and then Concubine Dan's hand fell on the back of her hand: "My pregnancy is not going well, did Ni'er just tell you? Don't worry, Your Majesty has found the best imperial physician for me, and now I am much better after being treated."
"Even the emperor sent many people to me."
The fingertips covering the back of the hand were a little cold, and Zhao Fangyu couldn't help but worry. People are always pitiful of the weak. Dan Fei was pregnant, and Zhao Fangyu couldn't help but want to take care of her more.
"Did you wear a hand warmer when you came out?"
"The Queen was still talking about Ni'er, Ni'er even knew to run with a hand warmer."
Meng Yanzhen took his hand back, glanced at Ni'er running around, and smiled unconsciously: "I know he has good intentions. He usually manages me like a little teacher."
The queen looked at Ni'er with some envy, thinking that if such a good child was born in her belly, how could the throne belong to those idiots?
Soon Zhao Fangyu found an opportunity to go out and get some fresh air.
The princes came to the palace banquet today, and the princes' wives were no exception. However, the only one who was summoned by the Queen and Concubine Dan was Zhao Fangyu.
After Zhao Fangyu came down, he stood in the snow and looked for two breaths. Just then, more snowflakes the size of osmanthus flowers fell. Zhao Fangyu then pushed them into the warm room with the ladies.
Princess Hua Luan was dressed in a resplendent outfit, with a swaggering golden flower crown. With every step she moved, the two of them got together, attracting countless people's attention.
Hua Luan held Zhao Fangyu's hand and introduced his wives present to him one by one.
The Cui family, the Qian family, the Sun family...
Zhao Fangyu is half Li family, and not many people outside know about it, but nowadays, I’m afraid everyone in this circle knows it.
However, the Li family treated her very well, so no one dared to give her a hard time in public.
Zhao Fangyu was led by Hua Luan to sit in the armchair. Hua Luan's eyes flickered: "The fragrant dew business is indeed promising. When can you finish that big plate?"
The business that Zhao Fangyu had planned in the autumn to gather the power of the noble families for her benefit was not making any significant progress as the New Year approached.
The Princess' perfume business is making money, I didn't expect it to be so profitable!
Zhao Fangyu said with a smile: "It's not that fast, there aren't that many shops, we have to send people to knock on each one, we can't just blindly take the money and get by."
The Cui family had already boarded the pirate ship. The most difficult one to deal with was the Wang family of Taiyuan.
There were not many officials from the Wang family of Taiyuan in the court, and the most important one was undoubtedly Wang Ge Lao of the cabinet.
Lord Wang has long planned to retire in recent years and rarely socializes nowadays, so Zhao Fangyu would not dare to visit him rashly.
The Wang family is not short of money, and the perfume business is just an optional thing for them, just the icing on the cake.
The post was sent but there was no response, which showed that the Wang family had no intention of getting involved in this business.
Without the Wang family, Zhao Fangyu's plan would be missing a link.
Without the Wang family, the plan can still be implemented, but it will become more difficult.
Hua Luan followed Zhao Fangyu's gaze and saw Lord Wang's wife. Her eyes couldn't help but flash.
Everyone knew that Zhao Fangyu had the ability to make money. She sent invitations to all the aristocratic families, but only a few responded.
The Lu family of Fanyang, the Zheng family of Yingyang, and the Wang family of Taiyuan, the first two gave some small money as gifts, and the latter did not even bother to do anything for the sake of face.
Obviously, they had no intention of getting involved in party affairs, but they were also afraid that Zhou Qinghe would take the throne in the future and settle accounts one by one, so they gave a sum of money as a protection.
It's a bit like sending away a beggar.
Others didn't know Zhao Fangyu's benefits, but Hua Luan knew them all, and immediately asked, "How much money do you need for your business?"
Hua Luan's original intention was that she would fill in the gaps in the amount of silver that Zhao Fangyu was short of. The more she filled in, the more she would earn.
Zhao Fangyu shook his head: "It's not about the money."
The post station she wanted to run had to unite with the Five Surnames and Seven Families.
There must be in-depth cooperation in the early stages. Otherwise, even if the logistics network is established but the goods cannot arrive smoothly, there is no need to establish the network.
The reason why she wanted to use the names of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families was nothing more than the power of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families in the local area.
There are mountain bandits and river bandits, how can there be complete peace?
What Zhao Fangyu wanted was the alliance of the Five Surnames and Seven Families. With these five surnames and seven families protecting her logistics network, even if bandits wanted to touch her things, they would have to think twice.
Now that the effect of bringing people into the game was not good, Zhao Fangyu's eyes showed a hint of annoyance.
Slowly putting down the cup, a plan slowly took shape in Zhao Fangyu's mind.
Among the noble families, the least valuable thing in terms of money.
Zhao Fangyu closed his eyes and his thoughts raced.
Even the royal family has to weigh the power of the five major families. They have no shortage of money or power.
As long as you can live in a corner, you will be the local emperor.
But what if, one day, the fire burns them?
Zhao Fangyu looked at Madam Wang who was sitting quietly, lowered his head and picked up the cup he had just put down.
"I'm so bored at home lately. Does Aunt have any close friends who can take me out to play?"
Hua Luan: ...
"Heh..." Hua Luan had been paying attention to Zhao Fangyu's eyes. How could she not understand what he meant?
This is like giving her a close friend out of nowhere!