coobybook Chapter 350 Preparations
Chapter 350 Preparations
It is unknown what the negotiation between the Fourth Prince and the Empress was like, but the Fourth Prince got what he wanted, but the Empress was reprimanded by His Majesty shortly afterwards. Not only was she demoted from a concubine to a noble lady, but she was also moved to the most remote Qingshuang Palace in the palace.
The Fourth Prince was in a bad mood for quite some time, and gradually his expression showed no emotion at all. He was almost a completely different person from the noisy one he used to be.
When the Maritime Customs was about to take possession of Xianglu, many people heard the news and wanted to get a hand in this lucrative job.
The Cui and Li families also symbolically squeezed in some people.
Zhao Fangyu now mainly deals in high-end perfumes, and the low-end market is not within her consideration for the time being.
She didn't send out much goods, but she collected a lot of taxes.
As soon as the Maritime Customs ship sailed out, the Embroidered Uniform Guards delivered the news.
This winter, life in Daliang is not easy, and life for the ethnic groups along the border is not much better either.
The soldiers at the border had already made preparations, but they never expected that the foreign races would secretly unite in order to break through Daliang's border defenses faster and more frequently and to plunder more of Daliang's food and grass.
The spies of the Embroidered Uniform Guard who were lying in ambush among the Chaha tribe met the nobles of the Sheli tribe around the king's tent of the Chaha tribe.
It has been nearly a month since the news reached the Central Plains.
Zhao Fangyu and Zhou Qinghe learned the news at about the same time as the emperor.
That night, the emperor summoned all the ministers to the imperial study, but did not summon Zhou Qinghe.
The courtyard was brightly lit, the night was as dark as ink, and the thick darkness concealed countless darkness.
Zhou Qinghe stared at the direction of the imperial palace for a whole night, and finally became convinced of a well-known secret.
He has become the emperor's abandoned son.
He, the Crane King, is just a mascot displayed by the emperor. It makes no difference whether he is there or not.
Zhao Fangyu woke Zhou Qinghe, who had been in a daze all night, and told him to go to rest.
"The situation is unstable now, there are countless scorpions in the court, and the overall situation is uncertain. Why panic?"
Zhou Qinghe was worried all night. In fact, he didn't know what he was expecting. In the past, he could still hope that the emperor would show mercy, but now what he expected was that the emperor would still let him contribute to Daliang because he was the King of Cranes.
The result is nothing.
"I'm not panicking. I just don't understand how his stupid brain can lead Daliang to such a dead end."
Zhao Fangyu couldn't help but sneer when he heard this: "If he didn't achieve anything in his youth, what great things can he accomplish in his old age?"
Zhou Qinghe felt somewhat relieved and dined with Zhao Fangyu, acting calm and composed, as if he knew nothing about the news.
Zhao Fangyu sent someone to deliver a message to the Zhao family, asking them to guard the door well. Another thing he wanted was for his mother to take Zhao Fangmo with her and prepare to flee to Jiangnan for refuge as the family was in turmoil.
"The weather is perfect now. There aren't many people at home, but we have both the old and the young. It's time to make plans early."
Zhou Qinghe also agreed.
"There are countless disputes in the capital. It would be better for my mother-in-law and her family to leave early to avoid future repercussions."
"Fortunately, my father passed away early, otherwise it would be really difficult to move now." Zhao Fangyu sighed half-seriously, and even Zhou Qinghe laughed.
"Sister's house, do you want to give me a heads up?"
Zhao Fangyu shook his head.
"My eldest brother-in-law and his family hold important positions and are trusted confidants of His Majesty. They must stay away from others."
"As for the border war... let's wait for your majesty's arrangements."
Zhou Qinghe is now unemployed at home, and with the support of the Cui family and other aristocratic families, he can't be too ridiculous.
In prosperous times, aristocratic families are the biggest cancer; in troubled times, aristocratic families are a shield more reliable than the royal family.
Although the emperor was incompetent, he was restrained by the aristocratic families and was not so absurd as to be beyond redemption.
Zhou Qinghe continued to bide his time.
People were not idle, and they found ways to harvest a lot of cotton through unconventional means.
"Whether it's new cotton or old cotton, if you re-stretch it and mix it together, you can at least make tens of thousands of cotton-padded jackets."
During wartime, it is very difficult to get silver from the Ministry of Revenue. Even if there is silver, it is impossible to store cotton clothes and trousers in the national treasury.
Zhou Qinghe now withdrew money from Zhao Fangyu and prepared cotton clothes for the soldiers for the winter in advance.
"If last winter was like this, I'm afraid this year will be no different."
The outcomes of natural disasters and man-made disasters are all human tragedies.