Splendid Twins

The study was filled with the aroma of sandalwood. The Duke of Zhenguo sat in front of the desk, looking directly at Zhou Yu with a dignified face, and said in a deep voice:

"You went to see her."

His tone was full of affirmation, his eyes were sharp, and his aura of authority without even being angry made the air seem solemn.

They both knew who this 'she' was.

"Ah."

"What a fool! You went there during the day and a fire broke out at night. This means they are keeping an eye on you!"

Zhou Yu's face looked extremely ugly. No matter what, Zhou Wan was also his sister. The current emperor was not much more cunning than the late emperor!

The Duke of Zhenguo's eyes darkened, knowing that this brat was angry and impatient, he had to persuade him a little more, and said in a low voice:

"Those who accomplish great things must take the hearts of the people into consideration. Zhou Wan is both stupid and vicious. If I keep her, I will be at the mercy of a knife sooner or later. If she is just a little bit stupid, I will treat her well, educate her for a few years, find her a good family to marry into, and prepare a generous dowry. With the support of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, her life will be enough!

But she is not someone who can be treated kindly. She has evil intentions and is conceited. She is ambitious and easily deceived. Before you came back, she had been deceived several times. If I hadn't been on guard against her, Changqing, the Duke's Mansion would probably no longer exist.

The current prince is of low birth, and is a patient and suspicious person. Zhou Wan was once the concubine of that prince. He is killing the chicken to scare the monkeys. He is doing this for the other princes to see, and also to give us a wake-up call!"

Zhou Yu had never thought of this, but it was just difficult for him to accept it. Fighting for power and profit is a contest between men, and using an ignorant woman as a raft is a bit clumsy...

The Duke of Zhenguo was also somewhat dissatisfied. Although his rebellious daughter was useless, one should look at the owner when beating a dog. How could a crazy woman like her offend anyone?

Why must they kill them all?

After a long while, Zhou Yu said softly, "Father, I know I was wrong."

He was not thoughtful enough. The late emperor had played a big game for the current emperor, using Prince Li and his mother as whetstones and the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion as chess pieces. It was just a palace coup, and the winner would be the winner. He could not blame others.

The Duke of Zhenguo sighed imperceptibly:

"It's good that you understand. A woman's softness will only ruin things. You are responsible for the prosperity and decline of your family. Every decision you make will affect the lives and property of countless people. If a catastrophe occurs because of your wrong thoughts, the consequences will be disastrous!"

Zhou Yu was already very clever, and after hearing the Duke Zhenguo's advice, he immediately understood what he meant, and saluted with a serious expression, saying:

"The son remembers his father's teachings."

Seeing Zhou Yu's sincere attitude, a trace of relief flashed in the eyes of the Duke of Zhenguo. He leaned back and asked casually:

"How is Yaoyao doing in the countryside?"

As soon as these words came out, Zhou Yu's body stiffened, and he lowered his eyelids slightly, and said calmly:

"she's fine."

The Duke of Zhen Guo nodded:

"Find a date to bring her back and let her stay in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion as his adopted daughter. Let the Crown Prince's Consort take care of the arrangements..."

Hearing this, Zhou Yu sighed inwardly, his father was really bold to say that.

He also wanted Yaoyao to come back, but the key was that with her personality, they couldn't make the decision for her!

"Father, I'm afraid this is inappropriate..."

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Zhenguo looked at him, his eyes narrowed slightly:

"What's wrong?"

"She doesn't want to."

The Duke of Zhenguo seemed to be in high spirits. His eyes suddenly sparkled with light. He reached out and knocked on the table, saying casually:

"Everyone has something to ask for in life. As long as she comes back, the entire Duke's Mansion will be her help."

Zhou Yu looked at his calculating father. There were some things he couldn't say. Not everyone valued power, fame and wealth. The girl had clear and bright eyes and possessed extraordinary abilities. If he pushed her too hard, it would only backfire!

"Father, please forgive me for acting on my own. Yaoyao told me that if I insist on taking her back, there will be no peace in the Duke's Mansion!"

Zhou Yu looked uneasy. He didn't dare to say Si Yao's exact words, for fear of angering his father.

The Duke of Zhenguo was indeed furious. He had never seen such a rampant woman!

"How outrageous! What future does she have for an unmarried girl staying in the countryside?"

Zhou Yu lowered his eyes and dared not speak. What his father said made sense. Such a dazzling and confident girl was indeed not something that ordinary people could match.

"She is a very clear-minded girl who knows what she wants. If we interfere, we will lose face. Besides, your son almost died in the soul-trapping formation when he returned to Beijing. For this reason, father, why don't you let Yaoyao choose for herself?"

The Duke of Zhenguo looked unhappy, glared at his son who was not firm in his stance, and said in feigned anger:

"I don't need your teaching!"

Zhou Yu touched his nose and smiled awkwardly.

Seeing this, the Duke of Zhenguo was angry and said:

"Forget it. Let the Crown Princess take care of Zhou Ying more often in the future. You should also keep an eye on Yaoyao. If someone is planning to take advantage of Zhou Wan, there is no guarantee that someone will not notice her."

Zhou Yu nodded. What his father said made sense. In order to win over the Duke's Mansion, didn't Prince Li do all he could to provoke Zhou Wan? The situation was uncertain now, and who knows if someone was really paying attention to Si Yao.

Ordinarily, during a period of national mourning, the palace and the outside world must be solemn, singing and dancing are prohibited, and the sound of stringed instruments must not be heard; weddings and celebrations are prohibited, and red makeup and colorful ribbons are not allowed to be seen; banquets and revelries are prohibited, and delicacies and fine wines must be restrained.

But because the new emperor ascended the throne, some rules could be turned a blind eye. The previous emperor passed away, and his coffin was hurriedly placed in the imperial mausoleum. A new page was opened in the history of North Vietnam.

Two yamen runners came to Sijia Village and informed the village chief of the newly issued laws, who then passed them on to the villagers. Si Yao looked at the village chief who was talking incessantly with an indifferent expression. No matter who became the emperor, it would not make any difference to her.

Sijia Village now has a large population, with hundreds of households living there. The relocated villagers are still managed by the village chiefs, who are all respected and responsible elders. When they heard that the new emperor had issued a general amnesty, they led everyone to kneel on the ground and worship. Si Yao took advantage of the crowd's cover and squatted down casually, but her knees were only to the ancestors!

After the village chief finished speaking, he asked the villagers to disperse. The aunts had already mastered the process of making canned food, and they went back to work in groups of three or four without stopping.

Si Yao also personally recruited some diligent girls and wives to form an assembly line. Those who picked the fruits, those who washed them, and those who peeled and cored them were all aunts with excellent knife skills.

As for sales, Si Yao gave Xiao Huzi an idea: among all the restaurants, red houses and teahouses in the town, which one has high consumption?

Canned food and jam are unique crafts here, and with the promotion on the streets, anyone with a little money would want to give them a try.

What's more, she also added some spiritual energy into the canned food and jam, which has the effect of nourishing the body, prolonging life, and strengthening the foundation. After taking a bite, everyone would feel like they were eating something delicious.

Lan Ying followed beside him, Si Yao turned his head and asked softly:

"Is there a letter from Lu Yuan?"

Lan Ying was stunned, and immediately replied:

"It will probably take a few days."

Si Yao nodded. A few days ago, she had a sudden inspiration and wrote a letter to Lu Yuan, telling him that an oil factory had been built in the village and his yard had been requisitioned by the village chief. It seemed like a bunch of family stuff, but in fact, she missed him a little...