563 I’m afraid they don’t have good intentions
While Xiao Yuanshi was gnashing his teeth in hatred, Shi Qingluo and the other two were eating happily in the teahouse.
After drinking tea and eating snacks, the three of them sat for a while and left with Prince Yi.
Just as they walked downstairs to the door of the teahouse, they saw Ge Chunying walking over with a servant girl.
Kong Yuelan and Liang Yulin were talking side by side, so they didn’t notice Ge Chunying.
Xiao Baili and Shi Qingluo did see it, but they chose to ignore it.
After the four of them left, Ge Chunying looked at their backs in shock.
How could Prince Yi be with Mdm Kong and the other two?
How was it possible for him to have such an easy-going attitude?
Ge Chunying had once followed the second prince to the palace to attend a banquet, so she had met Prince Yi.
Because of Prince Yi’s noble status, coupled with his handsome appearance and outstanding temperament, it was difficult not to notice him.
At that time, she took a few more glances and wondered which woman would be so lucky to marry Prince Yi in the future.
Prince Yi was famous for not being close to women.
He didn’t even have a concubine in his backyard and only had servant boys to serve him.
Whoever married such a man would be happy.
After all, she didn’t have to face the complicated harem and didn’t have to share her husband with other women.
Because of this, there were so many women from aristocratic families in the capital who wanted to marry Prince Yi.
Prince Yi gave Ge Chunying the feeling that he was a fairy from heaven, a flower that could only be seen from afar.
That day at the banquet, Prince Yi didn’t say anything to any woman.
She had always thought that Prince Yi had a cold temperament, but she didn’t expect him to have such a pleasant side.
If he were interacting with a woman from an aristocratic family, she could still accept it.
But the person was Kong Yuelan, how could she not be shocked?
She had indeed heard that Prince Yi has a good relationship with the Xiao family, but it should be with Xiao Hanzheng, right?
At this moment, she felt an unspeakable jealousy in her heart, and her whole body was sore.
How could a lowly woman like Mdm Kong deserve such treatment from Prince Yi?
Because of this, she completely lost interest in entering the teahouse to drink tea and enjoy refreshments.
She turned around and returned to her courtyard with Ge Chunru’s maidservant.
She had to find a way to find out the relationship between Prince Yi and Mdm Kong.
Because of the gentleness in Prince Yi’s eyes, she had a guess, but she didn’t dare to believe it and couldn’t accept it.
Shi Qingluo and the others did not know that Ge Chunying had already turned into a lemon spirit, but they did not care.
On the contrary, they should be living a better life so that those whom they hated would feel more bitter and uncomfortable.
Next, Prince Yi moved in and stayed in the next room.
Shi Qingluo had recently bought two shops and a courtyard in Northern City. The location seemed to be rather remote.
However, she had written letters to Liang Youxiao and Xi Rui to discuss opening a woolen mill on the street where they had bought the yard and shop.
When the time was right, people would come and go, and once the popularity rose, the house prices would naturally go up.
The wool workshop in Heyang County didn’t belong to the county government, it was opened by Liang Youxiao and Xi Rui together, so she was given some profits.
The family members of the officials in Daliang were naturally allowed to open a shop, they just could not directly be engaged in these businesses, or they would be fighting for profits with the people.
The shops and courtyard’s expenses came from her monthly profits.
She didn’t take a single needle or thread from the commoners, so others wouldn’t be able to comment about it.
In the imperial court, from the first to the fifth rank, which family did not have a few shops?
It was impossible for the great clans to support the expenses of a large family just by relying on the stipends of the court.
Shops, courtyards, fields, and manors were all sources of income.
Shi Qingluo had even paid for the courtyards at the end of the street, which occupied about a third of the street.
She hired craftsmen to connect it and rebuild it according to her drawing.
She wanted to build a large workshop, the kind that would separate the work area from her daily life.
This time, they were going to hire at least a hundred workers, with food and accommodations provided.
After Xiao Hanzheng came to Northern City to sort out his official duties, he did not go against Prince Jin and put his focus on the people’s livelihood.
He had formulated many plans, but there was only one goal, which was to let those in Northern City and the county towns under his jurisdiction live a good life.
Not only did he not avoid it, but he also sent his plan for Prince Jin to look through.
Prince Jin had wanted to win over Xiao Hanzheng and his wife.
He was naturally happy to see that Xiao Hanzheng respected him instead of opposing him after he came to Northern City.
As for what Xiao Hanzheng was going to do, he also asked his men to cooperate with him.
To him, the northern border was his.
Xiao Hanzheng wanted to develop it better, and he would not be stupid enough to destroy it.
As a result, Prince Jin and the new magistrate got along better, and there was no hostility between them, contrary to popular belief.
Those who had looked down on Xiao Hanzheng had changed their minds.
Not only was he not suppressed by Prince Jin, but he also received his support. This was not something an ordinary person could do.
Of course, there were still many big families in Northern City who looked down on Xiao Hanzheng’s family.
Even Shi Qingluo, the wife of the magistrate, Princess Fubao, was looked down upon behind her back.
They felt that she was just a farmer’s daughter who had been bestowed the title because of her good luck in improving the crops’ yield.
Ever since she had arrived in Northern City, Shi Qingluo had received many banquet invitations from the ladies of the aristocratic families in Northern City.
They invited her to be a guest with the intention of welcoming her.
Some time ago, because she had been busy with the workshop and with several families sending out invitations with ill intentions so that she, the wife of the magistrate, would come out and make a fool of herself, she declined politely, as she didn’t have time to waste with them.
On the second day of Prince Yi’s arrival, Shi Qingluo received an invitation from a madam from an influential family in Northern City.
It just so happened that the workshop was on track and she was free these few days, so she agreed.
Whether it was a real welcome party for her or a grand banquet for show, she would accompany her.
It was a flower banquet that would be held three days later.
Not only did this aristocratic lady invite Shi Qingluo, the magistrate’s wife, but she also invited all the madams and young ladies in Northern City who had some reputation.
She was the wife of the number-one aristocratic family in the Northern City, the Tu family.
Her maternal family was also the Wu family, a big family in the Northern City. Therefore, those who received the invitation all supported her and agreed to attend.
That night, when Xiao Hanzheng returned from the taxi, Shi Qingluo told him about this.
Xiao Hanzheng had only been in the Northern City for a short time, but he had already established a solid network of the city’s major families.
He frowned slightly. “I’m afraid this lady has come with ill intentions!”
Shi Qingluo didn’t understand this Mdm Tu, so she asked, “Does the Tu family follow Prince Jin? Is she trying to intimidate me?
“But ever since we came to Northern City, we didn’t have any conflicts with Prince Jin. On the surface, our relationship is quite good.”
Prince Jin had always wanted to win the couple over, so he was showing his goodwill.
If the Tu family was working for Prince Jin, they shouldn’t have come looking for trouble.
“That’s not the reason,” Xiao Hanzheng said.
“When my men looked into the Tu family, they discovered that Lady Tu and the former Prince Jin’s princess consort were close friends.
After Ruan Songling was divorced from Prince Jin, her days at her maternal home became harder and harder. Lady Tu even secretly helped her.
“That’s why I feel that she didn’t have good intentions when she sent you the invitation.”