Chapter 194

West of the Love Shenjing, near Chunhua Tower, a small courtyard.

Everything here was still the same; chopped wood was piled at the edge of the courtyard, a sharp axe was still stuck in a tree stump, and the scabbard of a curved sword was still hidden under the eaves.

A young girl with a beautiful and heroic bearing sat on the stone steps in front of the house, her eyes bright and calm, one hand supporting her chin, looking absent-mindedly at the figure in the silver blade light in the courtyard.

In the past two years, although the two of them hadn't been together day and night, they practiced martial arts in this courtyard every few days and discussed the business of the shop.

Those mysterious and dangerous careers had gradually moved away from her.

She had long been accustomed to his existence and this kind of life before her eyes.

It wasn't until he went to Jinling for half a year that they had never been separated for so long since they met, and the emptiness and loneliness in her heart were something she had never felt before.

"Since your mother was granted an imperial title by imperial decree, not letting her enter the ancestral hall is resisting the decree. Why not go to the yamen to file a complaint? Why is it so troublesome? Do you need me to help you spread the news?"

Jia Cong stopped the sword momentum in his hand, the cold blade flashing with a cold light in the morning wind.

This small courtyard was simple and plain, completely different from the magnificent Lady Rongguo Mansion, including every vessel and object here, all revealing a rustic taste.

He pondered and said, "Patriarchal clans emphasize shielding one's own kin. If I were to sue my own grandmother, it would leave behind endless troubles that would be difficult to resolve, so I cannot take that step.

In this era, beyond the family, there is the country; beyond clan rituals, there is the world and the Emperor's heart. Imperial power is manifested, and interests follow. So I will gamble on this and see if I can win one more time.

The tea in the coarse pottery bowl was not as fragrant and elegant as the tea brewed by Wu'er, but Qu Qu Hongxiu prepared it for Jia Cong to quench his thirst after practicing martial arts.

But he would never shrink from what he had to do, otherwise, how could his will be clear?

Jia Cong said, "This is just a small sales trick for the customer base. These women who can afford Dongying jade perfume all come from wealthy merchant families, and the last thing they lack is money and time."

I asked Jiang Jiang Liuer to teach her to pretend to be a female guest in the shop and spread the news for us. I gave her a sum of money yesterday, enough for her to seek refuge and make a living. She won't come to the Love Shenjing again."

Qu Qu Hongxiu's mouth curled slightly, feeling it interesting. Jia Cong often said some strange words in the past few years, although she didn't quite understand them, they were all very good ideas for making money.

"Don't worry, the person I found is a woman from a poor family in the Love Shenjing. Her husband died half a year ago, and her mother-in-law wanted to sell her to others as a concubine. She was already at the end of her rope.

Qu Qu Hongxiu added, "Last time you wrote from Jinling asking me to buy the tea house opposite and came up with the idea of a women's lodge, I asked someone to do it, and the business was really good.

Hmph, the Jia family ancestral hall is not that precious, but disrespecting the deceased and insulting one's biological mother cannot be let go just like that!"

Jia Cong's eyes narrowed slightly, and he said, "The streets are not just for ordinary people. The Emperor rules the world; not only does he open the way for advice, but he also spreads his eyes and ears. There will naturally be people who hear these rumors."

……

Under national law and filial piety, Grandmother Jia had a high status in the Jia family, and no one dared to disobey her behavior. In the three-foot inner chamber, one leaf blocked the view, that was all.

Qu Qu Hongxiu took the coarse pottery tea bowl from the windowsill and handed it to him. Inside was light tea brewed early, steaming with heat.

In fact, what he did might not necessarily have the effect he expected, but it was just doing his best and listening to fate.

Jia Cong drank it very happily; it seemed that the resentment accumulated because his mother's spirit tablet was being made difficult by others had dissipated a little.

Qu Qu Hongxiu said, "But your family is a wealthy and powerful clan. Can listening to rumors from ordinary people change their original intention? I've heard you talk a lot, and your grandmother is not easy to deal with."

"You are amazing at reading books, but I don't know where you learned this belly full of merchant ways."

Jia Cong asked, "Where is the person who helped you spread the news now?"

Jia Cong asked again, "I heard from Jiang Jiang Liuer that someone has been coming to the door to find trouble in the last half year?"

Qu Qu Hongxiu replied, "The business in the shop is getting better and better, so naturally some people will have bad intentions and come to stir up trouble, but they are all local ruffians, easy to deal with, and not worth mentioning.

It's just that a person came a few days ago, received by Sister-in-law Feng. That person said he wanted to invest in the incense shop and distribute it. His tone and words didn't sound like an ordinary person. Sister-in-law Feng had already received my instructions and refused flatly.

According to Sister-in-law Feng, judging by that person's tone, he didn't seem to have given up. It didn't sound like an ordinary merchant, nor was he from the Jianghu. If he comes again, there might be some trouble."

Jia Cong felt vigilant. As the Xiuniang Incense Shop's business got better and better and it made a name for itself in the Love Shenjing, it was expected to be coveted.

But Qu Qu Hongxiu was not an ordinary woman. The five orphans she adopted had also been practicing martial arts since childhood, so self-protection was not a problem, and dealing with ordinary ruffians was even more of a piece of cake.

However, the Xiuniang Incense Shop had been over-exposed recently due to the hot sale of Dongying jade perfume. Although the secret of perfume configuration was a secret, outsiders had no way of knowing.

But those who were proficient in merchant management could still roughly calculate the profit of the incense shop, which was a sum of money that made people's hearts move.

If it attracted the covetousness of the powerful, it wouldn't be as simple as dealing with a few ruffians.

……

Great Zhou Palace, Ganyang Palace.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao was reviewing the secret record just presented by the Zhongche Office, his face gradually becoming gloomy, and he threw the secret record in his hand onto the imperial desk.

Guo Lin, who was serving below, was startled and stole a glance at the Emperor's face, roughly guessing some reasons in his heart.

Because this secret record was just sent by the most capable head of the Zhongche Office, and its content recorded recent secret matters and street criticism.

Guo Lin had looked at it carefully, especially the last item in the secret record, which was indeed a bit eye-catching.

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao sneered, "The imperial title I granted by imperial decree cannot even enter the Jia family ancestral hall; it's truly a joke. This Jia Shi is also too arrogant after being wealthy for too long, and her brain is only in the three-foot inner chamber.

Jia Jia Daishan was also a hero of his generation, yet he married such a short-sighted mediocre woman. No wonder the Jia family has declined to this point!"

Guo Lin, standing below, felt terrified in his heart. The Emperor was always introverted and rarely spoke so directly. It seemed that he was extremely disgusted with the behavior of the Old Lady of Lady Rongguo, otherwise he wouldn't have spoken like this.

He hurriedly said, "Emperor, Jia Shi intentionally delayed the time for the imperial title to enter the ancestral hall. This is an act of resisting the Emperor's decree. Does Your Majesty want to issue a decree to demote her?"

Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao snorted coldly, "Issue a decree to demote her? An ignorant old woman, what kind of face does she need?"

The imperial title he personally granted by imperial decree was excluded from the spring sacrifice by the Jia family, and he still had to issue a decree to demote her to correct it? Wouldn't his imperial majesty be swept to the ground?

Even the struggle over the rituals of his biological mother, the Empress Dowager, he could turn the tide, so how could he be blocked by an old woman of the Jia family?

"The imperial title entering the ancestral hall to receive incense during the spring and autumn sacrifices is a matter of national law and ritual.

I remember that Jia Cong served as a consultant in the Prince of Ning's temporary residence in Jinling, and the Prince of Ning and Jia Cong have a friendship as colleagues. You go and handle this matter; don't let me down."

When Guo Lin heard the Emperor's words, the front and back were jumping, and at first glance, it was a bit vague and unclear, so he couldn't help but be stunned.

However, he had served by Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's side for many years after all, and he had a very deep understanding of the Emperor's thoughts. After a little thought, he understood Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's intentions.

The majesty of the Holy Emperor; some things can be done, but it is not convenient to speak them out.

He couldn't help but be shocked in his heart that the Emperor actually gave Jia Cong such a big face, and he couldn't help but feel a little jealous and envious.

Although he was quite deep in the city and knew how to speculate on the Emperor's heart, his vision and pattern were limited after all.

He didn't see clearly that whether it was Emperor Emperor Jia Zhao's grace in posthumously granting a title to Jia Cong's biological mother or the important matter he ordered him to handle today, it was not just for Jia Cong alone.

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(End of chapter)