Zhou Chennian stood at the door of the two sitting rooms rented by Ni Rushi and her son, with his hands behind his back and looking around leisurely.
Ni Rushi walked in quickly carrying a load of firewood. When he saw Zhou Chennian, he was stunned, and then smiled and said: "Sir, are you lost, or is there something wrong?"
"Are you Ni Rushi?" Zhou Chennian looked up and down, looking at Ni Rushi carefully.
"Yes, sir, are you here to see me?" Ni Rushi hurriedly put down the load of firewood and looked at Zhou Chennian with slight concern.
"My surname is Zhou. I'm doing some errands with the prince." Zhou Chennian said with a smile.
Ni Rushi's eyes widened and he looked at Zhou Chennian who was looking at him. He pursed his lips slightly nervously and waited for Zhou Chennian to continue.
Zhou Chennian laughed, this Ni Rushi was quite able to keep his composure.
"However, the reason why I came here this time is not on errands for our prince, but on the entrustment of the fourth lady of the Li family, to come and say a few words to you."
Zhou Chennian paused before speaking and looked at Ni Rushi, who was obviously nervous, with a smile.
"Is it the Li family of Yueyang Company?" Ni Rushi asked.
"Do you know other Li family members?" Zhou Chennian asked back.
Ni Rushi shook his head.
"Four Niangzi saw your ink scroll and felt that your character is a bit lacking." Zhou Chennian paused again. After looking at Ni Rushi for a moment, his whole body tensed up and his face turned slightly pale, he then smiled and said: "Four Niangzi, please
Let me tell you:
"There is a Gaojia School in Gaojiaji, Kunshan County. Mr. Shao is giving a guest lecture there. Although Mr. Shao is not very proficient in Gezhi, he can teach you enough. You might as well go to the Gaojia School to stay for a few days.
Please ask Mr. Shao to give you some advice. Mr. Shao traveled to many places when he was young, and also worked as a counselor in small county government affairs for several years. He can also give you some advice on policy."
As Zhou Chennian spoke, he took out a small silver coin from his sleeve pocket and handed it to Ni Rushi, "This five taels of silver was also asked by the Fourth Lady to be brought to you."
"Thank you, sir." Ni Rushi didn't give in. He reached out to take the silver lock and bowed to Zhou Chenchang to thank him.
"No need to thank me, just take the exam well." Zhou Chennian patted Ni Rushi on the shoulder and walked out.
Ni Rushi followed behind, watching Zhou Chennian turn around the entrance of the alley, out of sight, and returned to the yard in a few steps. He looked at the silver needle for a moment, took a deep breath, and put the silver needle into his sleeve pocket.
He tied it carefully, took out the pole, and ran out.
While it was still early, he quickly bought two more loads of firewood and some rice, preparing enough firewood and rice for his mother-in-law, and then picked up a full tank of water when he came back. After dinner, he planned to sleep for two hours before getting up and setting off for the high school.
Home Collection.
………………………………
Pingjiang City.
Mrs. Wu, the daughter-in-law of Huang Zhubo of the Pingjiang Weaving Department, hesitated and struggled for a few days, but still felt that she should talk to her husband and let Huang Zhubo think of a solution.
After dinner, Mrs. Wu watched her son go into the wing to study. She made a bowl of tea and brought it to Mr. Huang. She smiled and said, "Do you have some free time? I have to discuss the marriage with you."
"This is a big deal, you say." Huang Zhubo hurriedly put down the book in his hand.
"Didn't you say that the little girl of the Li family is favored by the prince?" Mrs. Wu sat next to her husband.
Huang Zhu straightened his upper body.
"It seems like it's not the Li family, or it's not just the Li family." Mrs. Wu lowered her voice subconsciously.
Huang Zhubo raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"That teahouse on Academy Street has been suppressed by the palace since the prince arrived in Pingjiang City. This is what you told me."
"This is the truth, everyone knows it." Huang Zhubo nodded hurriedly.
"There is Qiaodong Alley next to the Mansion School, which is very close to the teahouse. The Wu family in Qiaodong Alley has a little girl who is also about fourteen or fifteen years old. She is also thin and timid. She goes to that teahouse every now and then.
"It took us more than half an hour to enter the shop. Once, I changed my clothes when I came out." Mrs. Wu approached Mr. Huang and her voice was very low.
Huang Zhubo's eyes widened, "How did you know?"
"I saw it with my own eyes!" Mrs. Wu curled her lips, "I asked Ma Wang to see it first. After hearing what Ma Wang said, I went to see it twice in person. It's true that there were four of them between me and Ma Wang.
You can see clearly!"
"Then have you seen the prince?" Master Huang frowned.
"As the master said, there are several doors at the back and side of the tea house. Can we see the prince's entrance and exit?" Mrs. Wu laughed.
Master Huang frowned even more tightly, thought for a moment, and said in a low voice: "We have to find out more about this matter, if it is really..."
Huang Zhubo did not dare to say the next words. If the prince really likes a thin and timid young girl, this would be a huge scandal! You can only pretend not to know, and getting married is absolutely not allowed!
"It's so scary." Mrs. Wu said in a low voice.
"Well, please tell Wang Ma more and don't let her talk nonsense about this matter," Huang Zhubo frowned and rubbed his face vigorously, "I'll try to find a way to find out. Don't move around. Oh, what's the matter?
It will be like this!"
"I don't think the prince is like this kind of person." Mrs. Wu muttered in a low voice.
"Oh, who knows!" Huang Zhubo let out a long sigh.
………………………………
Gu Yan returned to Pingjiang. Not long after, the shopkeeper of the Academy Tea House came to see him.
Gu Yan hurriedly called the shopkeeper in.
The shopkeeper saw the gift and lowered his hand to report: "Your Majesty, on the 19th of last month, the fifth lady of the Wu family who lives in Qiaodong Lane went to the tea house for the first time, ordered a cup of the cheapest tea, and sat in the back garden.
An hour passed. On the 21st, the fifth lady of the Wu family came again. She also ordered the cheapest cup of tea and sat there for an hour.
"This time," the shopkeeper raised his head and glanced at Gu Yan, "before the fifth lady of the Wu family arrived at the teahouse, there was a woman hiding at the entrance of the lotus alley, staring at the teahouse. An hour later, the fifth lady of the Wu family
When the lady came out, the old lady at the entrance of Cailian Lane followed the fifth lady of the Wu family and followed her all the way to the Wu family.
"The next day, the woman stood at the entrance of Cai Lian Lane looking at the teahouse. Not long after, the fifth lady of the Wu family entered the teahouse again.
"The young one thought something was strange, so he had the old lady secretly taken away. After a little scare, the old lady said everything.
"The mother-in-law said that her surname was Wang, and she was the dowry of the Wu family, the wife of Bo Huangqing, the head of the Pingjiang weaving department. She said that Huang Qing and his wife heard that the prince had a special eye for the fourth wife of the Li family, and also heard that the fourth wife's sister, the second wife, was discussing marriage.
, I just wanted to get married with the Li family, so I asked the official matchmaker Miao Matchmaker from the government area to propose marriage to the Li family.
"The Miao matchmaker told Mr. Wu."
The shopkeeper paused as he spoke, glanced at Gu Yan, swallowed and said, "The young lady reported the old woman's original words, saying that it was Matchmaker Miao who said: The prince has his sights on someone else, let Mrs. Wu see it for herself."
Go see it and say yes,"
The shopkeeper swallowed again and said, "I said I come to the tea house every now and then to wait on you."
Gu Yan's eyes narrowed when he heard this. After a moment, he relaxed his eyebrows and said calmly: "You are very cautious and careful, which is good. You don't need to pay attention to that. If the lady from the Wu family wants to go, just let her go."
"Yes!" The shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief.
Watching the shopkeeper go out, Gu Yan told Shi Gun, "Find someone to give Huang Qing a message. The second wife of the Li family already has someone she likes. Tell him not to pick someone."
"Yes." Shi Gun agreed, then bowed out and picked someone to talk to.
Gu Yan sat down and drank half a cup of tea, then ordered Wan Qing to come in.
