Shipin Dalizheng

Rong Xiu was stunned, more terrified than all the suffering she had endured in the previous twenty years combined, "You, you want to drive me away?"

"I haven't made up my mind yet. It depends on your choice. If you still don't understand, you can go to the Jin family next door. What I need is never an elder who puts pressure on me and controls me. I need a helper to help me manage the Bo Mansion so that I don't have to worry about anything outside. If you can't do that, then the Bo Mansion is still too dangerous for you."

Rong Xiu's body began to tremble uncontrollably. Mother Shen, who was outside, finally couldn't stand it anymore and came in a few steps, kneeling on the ground to plead, "Sir, the Madam has no bad intentions, she just didn't consider the whole picture. Please don't send the Madam back to Baimei Temple. I promise to advise the Madam in the future so that she won't make the same mistake again."

Rong Tang snorted, "I'm very busy and don't have the patience to wait for the Madam to figure it out. Madam Shen, you've been with my mother for a long time. There aren't many elderly people left in this mansion except for Butler Tao and you. If you can't adapt to the new master quickly, the mansion doesn't have to keep you. After all, my mother is gone, and I don't need your service anymore."

Mother Shen was startled. The prince had not grown up in the uncle's mansion, so there was no relationship between her and him. So her value was to support Rongxiu with all her might and make her useful to the prince and the uncle's mansion.

"Yes, the old slave knows."

Rong Xiu was in a daze. She felt that she should make her position clear. If she had a sense of temper at this moment, she would take off her brocade clothes, clapped her hands and returned to Baimei Temple.

But she didn't. She felt like the most important bone in her body was broken, and she was too shameful to leave.

"me……"

Rong Tang didn't listen to what she said. He would only give her this one chance.

At Rongfei's villa, Princess Zhaoling met Tang Tiantian as promised.

Tang Tiantian bowed and was pulled up by Zhao Ling to look at her in a circle, with a look of surprise on her face. "You are indeed extremely beautiful. No wonder my cousin likes you so much."

(Rong Tang: Who told you that?)

(Zhao Ling: My mother.)

(Rong Fei: I am just making an analogy.)

Tang Tiantian's face flushed red, and her fingers twisted the handkerchief nervously. Rui'er saw that the young lady was sick again and quickly interrupted, "Your Highness, it was Prince Rong who asked our young lady to come to you."

Tang Tiantian calmed herself down and took out the free-to-play card and gave it to her. "Your Highness, this is what Prince Rong asked me to bring to you."

Zhao Ling didn't care at all. "It's just an ordinary sign. No one's hitting me now, so I'll give it to my cousin. If he gets into trouble, it can still protect him."

This plaque, a bit funny, was created when Zhao Ling couldn't learn embroidery as a child. Her maid reported it to the Empress, who threatened to spank her, so she ran to the Qinzheng Palace to complain. Emperor Xuanning, a man who preferred to smooth things over, placed great importance on his offspring, protecting them regardless of whether they were princes or princesses, or whether their mothers were favored or not. Therefore, he granted her a "slap-free" plaque to help her avoid punishment.

Later, every prince and princess was given a card that was exempt from playing. It is not known whether this method would produce useless people, but it is a miracle that very few princes and princesses born in the harem died young.

Seeing that Zhao Ling refused to take it back, and Rong Tang had a bad reputation and might get into trouble at any time, Tang Tiantian took it back for some unknown reason.

Then he told her about the opening of the water dragon workshop. Her brother had a low position and was afraid of being restricted by high-ranking officials, so he hoped that Zhao Ling would give him protection.

Zhao Ling was delighted, and not just indifferently so. She was a concubine princess without even a fiefdom, and now someone came to her seeking protection. But this wasn't someone else, but her mother's family, her own in-laws. They were destined to support each other in the future.

"Alright, if anyone's causing trouble, just tell them my name. But I have a request. I'll set aside a separate corner in your brother's workshop to make fans. I'll pay for it myself, and you won't have to pay for it."

Although Tang Tiantian didn't know about the major events in the officialdom, because her uncle would talk about many things in the workshops every day when he came home, she knew that the competition among fan workshops around Shangjing was very fierce. No one had been confirmed to build the factory yet, and the Ministry of Industry had been working at full capacity day and night, but the supply still couldn't meet the demand.

"For related matters, I will also refer to the method of cooperation between you and the Ministry of Industry. I will only deal with the non-core parts. I think the Minister of Industry will not be embarrassed."

Taking into account the obstacles that might be encountered later, Tang Tiantian agreed to go back and talk to her uncle, and she would definitely give him a definite answer the next morning.

As soon as Tang Tiantian and her servant left, Aunt Cailan stepped forward and said, "Princess, I think that while the Crown Prince is showing his talent and gradually catching the eye of His Majesty, we should take back the shop from the Chu family and run it ourselves. We won't sell anything else but the wine and sugar from Rongjia Village. Even if we close our eyes, we will make more money than renting it to the Chu family and paying them a few melons and dates every year. This way, the expenses of this villa will not be so tight.

The Chu family is the maternal family of Prince Yong and the natal family of Concubine Hui. His family has no official position and is purely a royal merchant. Relying on a prince's nephew, they rented six dowry shops from Concubine Rong, but complained about losses every year. The six shops could not pay the rent of two other families.

Rong Fei had also suggested taking back the shop, either subletting it or using it herself, but Hui Fei had always fooled her with sweet words and a combination of soft and hard tactics. Aunt Cailan had long been impatient.

Zhao Ling took a sip of tea and said, "It's not time yet. My cousin is competing with the Liang family. It's a bit difficult to deal with two families at once."

Cailan was a little surprised. The princess' tone was so calm, as if the prince would definitely win in a one-on-one fight.

In fact, Zhao Ling was not sure whether Rong Tang could win, but his mother said, "Don't put pressure on him. There is still a long way to go. He has plenty of ways to deal with the Liang family."

In Rong Fei's mind, Rong Tang had the guts to spend the entire nation's wealth in exchange for tens of thousands of troops to go to southern Xinjiang to avenge his clan's annihilation. How could the Liang family...

Zhao Ling withdrew his thoughts and became interested in the tea. "This tea is much better. Does the villa have money to buy new tea now?"

Aunt Cailan sighed, "We don't have any income, it's all subsidized by the Crown Prince. Now some wives of officials are willing to pass on messages to the Empress through the other courtyards, so some refreshments for the guests must be prepared. Just a few days ago, the Crown Prince asked Steward Tao to send two hundred taels of silver. I thought we should repair the damaged parts of the courtyard to avoid being laughed at by visiting guests."

In the past, Zhao Ling hadn't quite understood why people were so obsessed with having sons. Although she was a daughter, she was also a princess. Wouldn't she be able to support her mother in the future? But the officials and their wives in the capital saw that her mother had no sons, no favors, and no support from her family. They treated her as a transparent person, paying her superficial courtesy but never taking her seriously.

Ever since my cousin came back and was named the crown prince, these people who are used to judging people by their status have started to interact with him. And he is just my nephew from my mother's side, not my son.

Zhao Ling sighed and continued, "Who are these people? What's their purpose? Auntie, you should be aware of this and don't let them fool you."

Cailan was no fool, and she understood what was going on. "That's what's going on. They want to win over the prince, but they don't want to be too obvious. They're trying to get closer to him by showing concern for the queen. They probably think if they can get along well with the queen, the prince will automatically join their side. Look, two families are hosting a banquet to invite the princess, and the invitations were sent this morning. I thought the princess would be meeting Miss Tang in the afternoon, so I didn't send it to the palace."

Zhao Ling took them and looked at them. He threw one of them away directly, but he couldn't throw away the other one because it was sent by the Xie family of the Taifu Mansion.