The reborn girl always wants to escape, but the abstinent marquis hugs her and coaxes her!

Chapter 163 Let her witness it with her own eyes

A family dinner, with a series of incidents.

Each one was related to the sudden appearance of Princess Lingxi, which made the queen feel a little depressed.

Thinking that I will have to personally preside over her coming-of-age ceremony in three months, I can't help but feel a little headache.

She always felt that with the temperament of this Princess of Northern Frontier, there was no guarantee that something would not happen in the next three months.

But since she had just arrived today and the emperor had addressed her as niece, she couldn't say much.

Now, she was sitting at the top, and she could see Princess Lingxi's frustrated look clearly.

So, let that person and the engaged couple quarrel, and let the young people handle their own affairs. Besides, it was already past midnight and the family dinner was almost over, so she would soon be out of sight and out of mind.

She called over the eunuch Wang who was standing by and told him to go outside the palace to notify the various mansions to prepare the carriages that were coming to pick people up.

Seeing her meticulousness, the emperor smiled and said, "The Empress has taken care of me for another year, doing everything herself. It's very hard work. I don't have much to reward you with right now. I'm enjoying the tribute honeydew melons from Northern Xinjiang this year. They're also a token of my love, sent all the way from Lingxi. Eunuch Yao, please go to the Imperial Household Department tomorrow and have them take two baskets of the tribute honeydew melons and send them to the Empress's palace."

Honeydew melons were extremely rare in Northern Xinjiang, costing ordinary people several thousand gold coins to purchase. Only five or six baskets were sent as tribute to the imperial court.

The emperor treats the queen like this, who wouldn't praise his sincerity?

The queen was not a ostentatious person, so she quickly stood up to express her gratitude.

The prince narrowed his eyes. The emperor treated the queen so well, which naturally made him proud.

Now, taking advantage of the alcohol, he simply let out his temper: "Father, the Emperor is partial! Why did he only give it to Mother? I want it too!"

"How old are you? You're still competing with your mother?" The emperor pointed at the prince and said with a smile, "Well, I'll have the Imperial Household Department send another basket to the Eastern Palace. Are you satisfied now?"

The prince stood up with a playful laugh and bowed deeply: "Thank you, father."

The emperor nodded, glanced at the other princes and princesses who were looking at him, and pondered for a moment: "The rest will be divided among the royal family and the children."

Everyone in the hall quickly stood up to express their gratitude.

Donggong can occupy a whole basket by himself, and they... are lucky enough to get one per family.

Naturally, the royal family members are not so poor that they cannot afford a honeydew melon, but the emperor treats the prince so well... that's all, they are used to it!

Only Mu Qianyin complained in a low voice: "Biased!"

Thinking back to when they were not yet seated, her husband and Rong Ge'er were holding a yak-skin water bag and whispering for a long time, and the prince immediately took out ten! They were both princes, but in the eyes of the emperor, there was only the prince and the others...

Her voice was so soft that only the Third Prince Wu Tianxiao, who was sitting beside her, could hear it. He smiled and said, "Wait, I have a plan."

So, under Mu Qianyin's surprised gaze, he walked slowly to the center of the hall.

Mu Qianyin widened her eyes: Could it be that he wanted to make a scene at this time because the emperor was partial to him?

"Is there anything wrong, third brother?" The emperor asked after taking a sip of wine.

The Third Prince nodded and said, "Today, thanks to the grace of your father, I have tasted the honeydew melons from the Northern Frontier. They are so sweet and rare."

The emperor raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Since you like it so much, I will ask the Imperial Household Department to give you an extra copy."

"Thank you, Father. However, I am not here to satisfy my own appetite."

"That's..." "Northern Frontier honeydew melons are sold among the common people, but each one costs several thousand gold coins, and ordinary people may never taste it in their lifetime. But I heard that this honeydew melon is just a common thing in the Northern Frontier, and can be seen everywhere. It is only because border trade is not open that large quantities of honeydew melons can't be transported into the Great Zhou, so it is particularly valuable."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Exactly! It's not just the honeydew melons from the Northern Frontier, but also the yak hides of the Western Yi and the spices from the Southern Frontier. Due to restrictions on border trade, the price increases a hundredfold when they reach the Great Zhou, making it impossible for ordinary people to afford them."

The Emperor and Empress exchanged a glance, then asked, "What does the Third Brother mean?"

"Your son wishes to reopen border trade for the benefit of the people of Great Zhou," the Third Prince said with a resounding voice. "By reopening border trade, not only will goods from foreign countries be allowed to enter our dynasty, but our silk, porcelain, precious medicines, and other Chinese goods will also be sold abroad. This will not only promote our trade, but also allow us to share prosperity with neighboring vassal states, benefiting both our country and our people."

When the Third Prince mentioned reopening border trade, Xu Rongrong couldn't help but straighten up and pay full attention.

She remembered that in her previous life, it was because of the Third Prince's suggestion that the Emperor agreed to reopen border trade. After that, various foreign countries sent envoys to the Great Zhou to supervise the trade of various countries, which eventually turned Luming Street from a deserted alley into one of the most expensive places in the capital.

Knowing about this unexpected change, she asked Luo Chen to go to Luming Street and reserve eight small courtyards shortly after she woke up in this life.

But what she didn't expect was that she would be able to witness this moment with her own eyes today.

Things that happened in history were happening again before her eyes, and she could also benefit from it. Xu Rongrong's mouth curled up unconsciously, and Mu Rong beside her saw this, picked up the wine glass and took a sip to cover up the smile that could not be suppressed at the corner of his mouth.

What made him different from Xu Rongrong was that he knew that reopening border trade was not brought up at this family dinner.

In his previous life, this proposal was first made after the court opened on the 16th day of the first lunar month. In this life, he took advantage of Mu Qianyin's visit to Xu Rongrong and used some tricks to get the Third Prince to propose this matter in advance.

The reason was simple, he just wanted Xu Rongrong to witness this moment in person.

Sure enough, his little girl was very happy at this time, which made him feel a little warm in his heart.

The third prince was waiting for the emperor's reply in the hall, and the royal family members behind him were whispering.

Closing border trade was the intention of the late emperor. At that time, all the neighboring countries were hostile to the Great Zhou, and the late emperor cut off trade in anger.

And now... all four directions belong to him. Previously, the emperor did not bring up this matter again in order not to break the rules of the previous emperor.

What's more, according to the third prince, this is a matter that benefits the country and the people. For an emperor known for his benevolence, he will naturally reconsider it.

He pondered for a moment. "Third Brother, you're thoughtful. However, border trade has been suspended for decades. Reopening it is a matter of great importance and requires careful consideration. Since you mentioned it today, I believe you've already considered it. I will leave this matter to you. Please formulate a plan as soon as possible and discuss it with the ministers after the court session."

The third prince was overjoyed when he heard this.

He had not expected the emperor to let him take the lead on this matter, so he quickly responded, "I will definitely prepare a feasible plan."

The emperor nodded, looked at the queen with satisfaction and said, "The children are all grown up, and they all have good ideas. They can help me share my worries."

The Queen smiled softly: "This is the grace of Your Majesty, and also the blessing of the children."

The third prince happily returned to his seat.

The prince laughed and said, "I knew the third brother had a lot of ideas!"

"Your Highness is too kind."

The queen took a sip of tea and smiled slightly as she looked at the loving faces of the two brothers below her.

I caught a glimpse of Concubine Shu's seat, which was still empty.