My Lord, my wife said she doesn't have time to talk to you.

The next day, after Huaying finished learning etiquette, she told her mother that she wanted to go out to the street. Mother Shen thought that her daughter had been at home all these days and was probably bored.

It would be nice to go out for a walk, so she planned to let Yuexing, Yuelang and Yueying follow her.

Huaying couldn't help laughing when she saw her mother calling so many guards. She must be worried about this because of her disappearance last time. It was understandable, but following so many people in broad daylight wasn't just showing off.

Then he said, "Mother, I know you are worried about your daughter's safety, but sometimes more people means more safety, right? Just let Yuexing and Qinghe follow."

Seeing that Huaying was determined not to bring so many people, Mrs. Shen had to compromise.

After Huaying went out, he asked Yuelang to follow her from a distance, for fear that Huaying would disappear again.

An ancient horse-drawn carriage was traveling along the bustling Chang'an Avenue, and the enthusiastic shouts of vendors could be heard.

At this moment, a slender finger on the carriage slightly lifted a corner of the curtain. Through the gap in the curtain, Huaying saw the crowded streets. Laughter and joyful chatter were right next to her ears. Young men and women passed by each other, and everyone was dressed brightly and appropriately.

There are shops on both sides of the street. The brilliant sunlight shines between the green tiles and red walls. The protruding eaves, the flying shop signs and flags, and the passing carriages and horses all highlight the wealth and prosperity of this capital city.

Huaying wanted to get off the car, but Qinghe stopped her, handed her a veil and said, "Miss, how could you forget it?" Then she put it on Huaying neatly. Huaying could still be seen clearly through the white gauze.

In some wealthy families, unmarried young ladies have to wear a veil and a hat when they go out. Today, the sun was shining outside, so Qinghe prepared a veil for the young lady.

With Qinghe's help, Huaying slowly got off the carriage and walked on the street. What caught her eyes were the hawkers' cries, the waiters carrying wine and food running quickly through the shops in the tavern, the beautiful dresses in the clothing shop, and the laughter of the ladies in the jewelry store who were wearing veils like her and chatting with each other.

Huaying was keeping an eye on these shops as she walked. Qinghe saw that the young lady had missed the jewelry store and reminded her, "Young lady, we've passed Mingyuexuan, your favorite shop. Aren't you going to buy anything today?

Huaying smiled and said, "No hurry, let's take our time."

Huaying walked around and found that the most lively and prosperous area was the south of the city near the imperial city. There were singing and dancing in every restaurant, and the sounds of drinking. There was also the largest brothel on Chang'an Street farther in. Before she got close, she could hear the laughter of women and men. The sounds of stringed instruments, bamboo flutes, and shengs were intertwined together, which was particularly moving to listen to.

At the north entrance of Chang'an City, there is a towering city gate with three large characters "Anding Gate" inscribed on a plaque. On the serrated battlements, rows of soldiers are like rows of bright red flags of the Wu State inserted on the battlements, mighty and domineering, extending into the distance and fluttering in the wind.

Huaying ordered Yuexing to drive to the east of the city. A few hundred kilometers to the east of the city was Yanheng Pass, and a few hundred kilometers to the southeast on both sides of Yan State was Fang State. To the northeast was Ji State.

Although Wu State opened trade routes with neighboring countries, the city gates here were closed. There were soldiers guarding the city walls just like in the south of the city. The terrain in the east of the city was higher than other places, as if it was on a hillside. If this was used as a battlefield, it would be a good place as it was easy to defend but difficult to attack.

However, it is not a good choice as the only way to open up trade with neighboring countries.

As the sun sets, Qinghe, who has been strolling with Huaying all day, growls with hunger. Huaying hears this and then realizes that they have been strolling all day. She smiles helplessly and says to Qinghe, "Silly girl, why didn't you remind me to eat?"

Qinghe had been blaming himself for losing the young lady last time because of eating candied haws. When he went out with the young lady again, he paid no attention to her every move. He smiled sheepishly and said to Huaying, "I thought the young lady wasn't hungry."

Huaying was amused by her words and asked Yuexing to drive the carriage back to eat. Suddenly, she remembered that she could go home and have food to eat, so she said, "Let's go home."

Night gradually falls. The lights on Chang'an Avenue are just coming on. The streets are full of lights, the windows of wine shops reflect the shadows of people toasting, and smoke rises from the various snack stands on the roadside, exuding a strong sense of fireworks.

Seeing these street scenes through the curtain, Huaying thought of the leisurely time in Taohua Town, the gold hairpin and jade pendant of the big brother in black that she had hidden in the cracks in the wall, the jade hairpin given by Fu Shiyan, and the small change and banknotes used to buy cold noodles. She thought about going back to get them when she had time.

The carriage stopped at the gate of the Shen Mansion. Huaying, wearing a veiled hat, got off the carriage with the help of Qinghe. She happened to meet her father who was coming home from court. She went to greet her father, bowed, and went to the front hall to have dinner with her father.

When the mother, the eldest brother and the second brother saw them coming back together, they smiled and said, "We can finally have dinner."

Seeing that Huaying had nothing in her hands, her mother asked, "Ning'er, you don't have enough money to spend. Why didn't you buy anything?"

Huaying smiled and said to her mother, who was washing her hands, "My daughter doesn't need anything. I'm just going to take a look today."

After washing his hands and taking off his official hat, his father sat at the table and asked with a smile, "Oh? What did you see?" Huaying sat down and told him what she had seen and thought today. However, when she mentioned the fortress in the east of the city, her father stopped her from saying anything with his eyes, and Huaying immediately understood.

After the dishes were served and the servants left, my father said, "Remember this, you three, no matter where you are, as long as you discuss matters related to the court, the fewer people who hear it, the better, unless it is you who is behind it. Now Nan Ting is in the Hanlin Academy, Nan Xing will also be incorporated into the Imperial Guards, and my father is in a high position. I don't know how many eyes are watching us in the mansion. So, you must think twice before doing anything, remember?"

The three of them nodded in unison, thanking their father for his teachings.

Prime Minister Shen was somewhat shocked by Huaying's insightful view on the terrain of the east city. Few women would pay attention to this, so she asked, "You have been looking at the streets all day and didn't buy anything. Why is that?

Huaying looked at her father, then at her mother, and then at her father again to ask the question in her mind, "Father, is there a law in the court that forbids the children of high-ranking officials from doing business?"

Hearing Huaying's words, Lord Shen and his wife looked at each other, and her two brothers also looked at her curiously.

"There are no laws in the court that forbid officials' families from doing business. It's just that business is ranked last among scholars, farmers, workers, and merchants, and most officials disdain to do business."

Huaying recalled a sentence from a book she read in college, "History and Geography. Seventy Biographies. Biographies of Merchants" written by Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty. She looked at her father seriously and said, "To seek wealth from poverty, farming is not as good as working, working is not as good as business, and embroidery is not as good as relying on the market. This is the capital of the poor who have not yet started a business."

If a country wants to move from poverty to rich, and from rich to even richer, farming is not as good as working, working is not as good as doing business, and engaging in skilled handmade embroidery and brocade production is not as good as opening a shop on the street to do business.

The four people who were eating at the table were shocked when they heard Huaying's words. They also hated the fawning faces of businessmen who were seeking profit, and they also looked down on those wine shop owners, but due to their upbringing, they did not show it obviously.

Today, Huaying's words were like a breeze that blew away some of their prejudices against businessmen. Huaying continued, "Those who work with their minds rule others, those who work with their hands are ruled by others, those who are ruled eat others, and those who rule others are eaten by others."

Shen Nanting carefully savored what his sister said. Yes, most people who become officials have good brains and become rulers. Manual laborers are ruled, the ruled feed others, and the rulers are fed by others.

Huaying added, "Wealth comes from the art of fortune-telling, not from hard work; profit comes from staying in a privileged position, not from hard work."

The old prime minister stroked his nonexistent beard and said, "You mean that creating wealth depends on methods, and the key to making profits is to assess the situation and discover business opportunities."

Huaying nodded to her father, and her father asked Huaying again, "Ning'er's point of view has enlightened me. Yes, a rich country and a strong people are the foundation. I will write a memorial to the emperor right now, suggesting that agriculture and commerce are the foundation and help the development of commerce.

Seeing that they were not eating, the mother said to the old prime minister who stood up and prepared to go to the study, "It's not too late to write after dinner. It won't take you a meal."

Huaying and her brother also advised, and the old prime minister sat down again. Before picking up the chopsticks to pick up the food, he asked Huaying again, "Ning'er, I heard from your eldest brother that you used to sell cold noodles in Taohua Village. How was the business?"