Chapter 369: Plotting the North and South

Jin Ling, Xin Chun Hao Jiangnan Headquarters.

In the inner room on the second floor, two beautiful and graceful women, spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each specializing in their own beauty, reflected each other.

Qin Keqing wore a small shirt of snow satin and soft silk, a light green background with pink and blue scattered flower vest, and a plum branch horse-face skirt on the lower body. Her slender willow waist was graspable, and she was tied with an indigo waist seal sweat towel.

The afternoon sun shone into the room through the smoke-colored gauze window, making the light in the room more bright and soft, illuminating the graceful person, her beautiful face, bright as a rose, and her charm moving.

Qu Hongxiu was not like Keqing, who was born in an official family, immersed in the boudoir, and whose daily life was delicate and exquisite. Although she was also a beautiful and stunning woman, she was simple and casual in her dress.

She wore a pine green single-color cross-collar on her upper body, a milky white crepe stand-collar small shirt inside, a white unembroidered horse-face skirt, and her hair was coiled into a neat bun, inserted with a simple silver hairpin, with no other headwear.

Even in a soft and quiet woman's dress, her actions and deeds still carried a handsome and eye-catching heroic spirit.

For Keqing, now was the most stable day of her life.

In the past, when she was unmarried, she followed her father and mother, married into the Ningguo Prefecture, and was in a place of filth, cautious in every step, careful in everything. If it weren't for Jia Cong's secret help, she didn't know what kind of end she would have met.

An imperial decree from the Imperial Household Department was sent to the headquarters by the Imperial Household Department's government office runners by fast horse.

Until Jia Cong sent her out of the Love Shenjing and made her the second shopkeeper of Xin Chun Hao in Jin Ling, she never thought she could live such a life.

And she secretly tried a few times with Baoyu....

Whenever a war occurs, the Imperial Household Department will distribute materials such as grain, grass, clothing, armor, and iron materials to the subordinate imperial merchants according to the industry they operate, for purchasing and transportation.

Moreover, there was a dashing and capable woman like Qu Hongxiu as a companion, which made Keqing feel that there was no better situation than the present.

Now seeing Lady Wang suddenly call her over to talk, because she had already done those shameful things several times, she couldn't help but feel a bit empty in her heart.

And the imperial decrees sent by the Imperial Household Department to imperial merchants mostly issued these kinds of public errands.

Her family was strange when she was young, and she lived a dangerous and bumpy life, not knowing if she could survive the morning. It wasn't until she met Jia Cong by chance that she could leave the past and live a stable and peaceful life.

The silver money consumed would be allocated by the Imperial Household Department in advance, or advanced by the imperial merchant in charge.

In the past half year, through the boys and girls sent by the Love Shenjing private school, and selected and picked in Jiangnan, Xin Chun Hao had cultivated many capable hands in Jiangnan, which was much easier than when it was first founded.

This Sister Xi Ren saw that Baoyu was not smooth in front of the sisters, but privately felt that it was a good thing. Not to mention others, especially that Miss Lin, Sister Xi Ren wished they would go far away.

But this imperial decree sent by the Imperial Household Department had something strange. Outside, it actually added a secret box with fire lacquer, just to prevent disassembly and leakage during the transmission process.

Under normal circumstances, as long as imperial merchants with foresight undertake these errands of the Imperial Household Department, they will only earn some hard-earned money, and use this to have a good relationship with the royal family and the Imperial Household Department, so as to facilitate future development.

Relying on one's own efforts, doing everything from the heart, one can live according to one's own wishes, without worrying about the filth of the house, and without bearing the calculations of family affection.

In the past few days, Wang Dequan, who was responsible for the Xin Chun Hao branches in Su Zhou and Yangzhou, happened to return to Jin Ling from Gusu to handle affairs. Qu Hongxiu immediately sent him to rent or buy a farm with a larger venue in the suburbs east of the city.

Even if they couldn't be together for the time being, it was only temporary. She could wait.

This matter was in Sister Xi Ren's heart, not for a day or two. In fact, most of it was her own guilty conscience, but she didn't know that women from noble families didn't necessarily treat their husband's concubines like floods and beasts.

Whenever there is construction of temples, palaces, river embankments, etc. by the Ministry of Works, the Imperial Household Department will also distribute chores such as construction, materials, and labor according to the technical expertise of the subordinate imperial merchants.

After the location is implemented, let him transport a batch of Xin Chun Hao's goods to be stored there temporarily during the day.

While imperial merchants of the Imperial Household Department use official channels and reputation to facilitate business profits, they also need to bear corresponding imperial errands.

The two years of living together in the small courtyard in the north of the Love Shenjing, the complex and bizarre relationship between her and Jia Cong, had already been entangled to the point of being unbreakable.

Only when the Imperial Household Department issues military errands will such a secret box fire lacquer specification appear.

Relying on Jia Cong's identity background and the connections made in Jin Ling, Xin Chun Hao's business in Jiangnan expanded steadily, and it would definitely get better and better in the future.

Since Xin Chun Hao was listed as an imperial merchant of the Imperial Household Department, Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing, who managed the firm, naturally understood the handling specifications of the Imperial Household Department.

Perhaps it was because she had seen too many storms and turmoil, she cherished the life in front of her incomparably, and all this was brought by Jia Cong. What she cared about most in her heart was to help Jia Cong maintain it well.

Until Lady Wang suddenly called her over to talk, Sister Xi Ren felt a little relieved.

At the same time, send someone to purchase a batch of grain and grass materials from Changzhou and other places....

Baoyu had been depressed for the past few days, very unhappy, and couldn't find anyone to complain to, so he could only tell Sister Xi Ren. Sister Xi Ren comforted him with soft words, and couldn't help but be intimate with Baoyu again.

Since the second master was always obedient to Miss Lin, he would sooner or later let it slip, making Miss Lin have a grudge. How could she have the face to stay in the room?

It wasn't until not long after that Bao Zhu brought the feather-transmitted message from Jia Cong from the Love Shenjing that they truly understood the intention of this edict.

Love Shenjing, Rongguo Prefecture, Rongxi Hall, Lady Wang's bedroom.

This Miss Lin was the apple of the old lady's eye, and the young lady the old lady loved most was him. In the future, if the old lady really made a marriage between Miss Lin and Bao Er Ye,

These days, because Jia Cong was going down to Jin Ling on official business, Yingchun let Daiyu and Seeing Tan Chun move into the East Prefecture to accompany her. Later, even Xiangyun, who came to the Jia Prefecture to stay, moved into Yingchun's courtyard.

If there was only one thing that was not perfect, it was that Jia Cong was not by her side all the time, but he was still so young, and there would be a long time to come......

Compared to Keqing's delicate and thoughtful thinking, Hongxiu's temperament was more open-minded and calm.

In this one day, Hongxiu and Qin Keqing received two letters sent from the Love Shenjing, and the contents were close.

And Jia Mu didn't stop it at all. Baoyu had no sisters to accompany him to talk and laugh in the West Prefecture, and he was depressed all day. Lady Wang saw that she was a bit worried, so she called Sister Xi Ren over to ask.

It was just that Sister Xi Ren knew that her background was humble, not even a family-born servant, but bought from the Jia Prefecture for a few taels of silver, so she couldn't help but feel inferior.

Although she was honest on the surface, her heart to climb the high branch was more intense than other maids. Otherwise, she wouldn't have secretly induced Baoyu to try that kind of thing before he reached the age of dancing.

You know, in a noble family, compared to a small family, they pay more attention to nourishing the body. Men who have not reached the age of dancing, that is, fifteen years old, are not encouraged to break their bodies too early, so as not to damage the foundation.

Sister Xi Ren secretly did that kind of thing with Baoyu without name or status, which was also a risk. If it was discovered, not to mention being a concubine, she would mostly be driven out of the prefecture.

Because she knew the severity of this, she thought extremely heavily about this matter, and naturally felt that there was a risk, so she thought about how to extinguish it.

She knew that Lady Wang didn't like Miss Lin, which was exactly what she wanted, but she never had the convenience to say anything about it.

Now that Lady Wang asked the topic, it happened to let her say it by the way, which solved her hidden danger, and also followed Lady Wang's meaning, so that she would be more stable in Baoyu's room in the future.

So she said: "Bao Er Ye Baoyu has been unhappy recently because Third Girl and Miss Lin moved to the East Prefecture to live these few days. Bao Er Ye can't find the young ladies to talk to every day, so he is unhappy."

Lady Wang frowned when she heard this. She naturally knew about this, and didn't take it to heart, but it made her Baoyu unhappy, and she was naturally a bit unhappy in her heart.

Sister Xi Ren said: "Actually, it's not a bad thing for the young ladies to move to the East Prefecture. Now the young ladies in the family are all grown up, and Miss Bao and Miss Lin are cousins.

Bao Er Ye's daily actions towards the girls, the lady also knows. If there is a little mistake here, Bao Er Ye's reputation for a lifetime will be ruined.

I have been hanging this matter in my heart for two years, and I don't know who to tell. It's also a place for the young ladies to move to the East Prefecture...."

Lady Wang felt a chill in her heart when she heard this. In fact, how could she not know that her Baoyu was born close to girls? This is very easy to cause trouble in a wealthy house.

Lady Wang's first-class major event in her eyes was the eldest daughter who had always had a virtuous and gentle reputation and was now waiting for selection in the palace to seek the blue clouds.

And Baoyu was Yuanchun's own brother. If Baoyu made some lewd things between men and women in the inner chambers, then her eldest daughter's reputation would be ruined.

The royal family could not choose a woman whose maternal family reputation was ruined to be a concubine. Even if Yuanchun spent another eight years in the palace, it would be absolutely impossible.

Therefore, that time Baoyu teased Jin Chuan, Lady Wang's reaction was so intense.

It was because she was afraid that Baoyu would hook up with Jin Chuan to do ugly things, and there was also Jin Chuan letting Baoyu take the affair between Jia Huan and Cai Yun, which also touched Lady Wang's taboo.

Whether it was Baoyu or Jia Huan, they were Yuanchun's half-brothers. If any of them had an accident, it would be a family scandal for Yuanchun.

Lady Wang naturally would not let this kind of thing appear. This was the deep reason why she must drive Jin Chuan out of the prefecture.

Now that Sister Xi Ren said such worries, it happened to hit Lady Wang's heart, so how could she not treat it cautiously.

Originally, she was not convinced that all the girls in the family went to the East Prefecture, leaving her Baoyu alone, and that boy's territory was so fragrant.

Now that she heard Sister Xi Ren's words, this was actually a good thing.

Lady Wang didn't know the calculation in Sister Xi Ren's heart, just thinking that she was gentle and honest, wholeheartedly for Baoyu, and appreciated and felt close to her more and more.

Turning to think, Daiyu was Baoyu's cousin, wasn't she also Jia Cong's cousin? If they made trouble, it wouldn't count on the second room.

It would be best if that Miss Lin lived in the East Prefecture and didn't come back, saving her from coaxing her Baoyu to be silly.

Moreover, Lady Wang heard that Yingchun invited Baochai to move to the East Prefecture to accompany the sisters when Jia Cong went down to Jin Ling, but Baochai declined.

This matter also satisfied Lady Wang. After all, she was the daughter-in-law candidate she had chosen, and she would not join the fun of the East Prefecture and let that boy get face.

To say that Baochai stayed in the West Prefecture, would she be entangled by her son and cause the things Sister Xi Ren worried about? Lady Wang was not afraid.

At worst, when the time comes, one marriage and one marriage will cover up everything, and there is no need to worry about any bad consequences. Instead, it fulfills her own wishes and makes the old lady have nothing to say.

And Lady Wang also made up her mind that next time she talked to Jia Mu about Daiyu moving to the East Prefecture, she would say more pleasant words to loosen the old lady's heart and let that girl linger in the East Prefecture more.

Saving her from coming back early, Baoyu becoming silly again, and disturbing the good things between Baoyu and Baochai.

Love Shenjing, northern suburbs, Firearm Department workshop.

For the past two days, Jia Cong went to the workshop as usual during the day, and at the same time started the preparation affairs before going south to Jin Ling.

His actions inside and outside, in the eyes of outsiders, were all as usual, but regarding going south to Jin Ling to handle business, he was still unhurried, and there was no urge from the palace, as if everyone had forgotten about this matter.

Jia Cong naturally didn't know that Lady Wang and Sister Xi Ren, because of their own selfishness, actually helped him in a ghostly way, calculating to let Daiyu live in the East Prefecture for a long time. If he knew, he didn't know how to thank them.

Two days ago, Jia Cong sent the last feather-transmitted message to Jin Ling. He had done everything he could do.

The debugging of the improved Red-Clothed cannons in the firearm workshop was immediately pushed forward rapidly.

The gunpowder that was claimed to be damp on a large scale suddenly found a proper way out, and could no longer hinder the progress of construction.

The ammunition and medicine to meet the fifty rounds of continuous firing per cannon were quickly built and stored.

Yesterday, everyone in the workshop worked together to complete the artillery transportation and loading, as well as the sealing of the ammunition boxes.

At the hour of the dragon today, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding had dispatched three hundred elites from the Five Armies Camp to escort the improved artillery to Jin Ling.

In fact, according to the itinerary, taking the sea route might be more convenient, and even able to reach Songjiang directly.

But according to the Ministry of War's recent reports, Japanese pirates often appeared in the coastal areas of Songjiang and Gusu this year, and taking the sea route had not small risks.

And according to Jia Cong's idea, the artillery first arrived in Jin Ling, and then transported by land. Although it would take some time, not giving people an opportunity was the safest way.

Accompanying the new artillery south this time was also the Frankish artillery instructor Ma Delun.

When he was in Liaodong, he had cooperated tacitly with Jia Cong in the great victory of Yafu Pass, allowing eight Frankish cannons to exert their greatest power.

Ma Delun's profound understanding of artillery made Jia Cong very admirable. After the great victory in Liaodong, he sincerely invited him to join the Great Zhou Firearm Department, responsible for artillery research and debugging.

Ma Delun had always been impatient with the cold in the north and had always longed to move to the mild place of Jiangnan. This time escorting the artillery south could be considered as getting what he wanted.

Later, Ma Delun would stay in Jin Ling to assist Jia Cong in opening the Jin Ling branch of the Firearm Department.

Jia Cong and Liu Shizhen, the deputy supervisor of the Firearm Department, sent Ma Delun to the official road south of the northern suburbs, and then said goodbye to each other.

Just as the Five Armies Camp team transporting the artillery went away on the official road.

Another dusty merchant team came from the north of the official road. The men in the team were all strong and sturdy, and several carriage roofs in the team were also tied with a few thick sheepskin jackets.

Merchants who often traveled south and north and had some knowledge would definitely see that the men in the merchant team had the demeanor of men from the Northwest, and this merchant team must have come from the Nine Borders to sell goods.

At this time, Jia Cong and Liu Shizhen had left the official road and returned to the firearm workshop in the northern suburbs. Naturally, they noticed this inconspicuous merchant team going south.

If Jia Cong could stay on the official road for a while longer, he would notice a familiar face in this merchant team.

This person was tall and sturdy, with a straight nose and a wide mouth, prominent cheekbones, and eyes that were bright and piercing, revealing a bit of shrewdness and capability.

It was Sun Shaozu, who was forced to break off the engagement by Jia Cong's scheme that day.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 370 =====

It is none other than Sun Shaozu, who was forced by Jia Cong's scheme to break off the engagement that very day.

(End of chapter)