The princess ran away again

About a quarter of an hour after the papers were collected, another member of the Zhao family came out.He cleared his throat and yelled: "Those who read their names can go to Yanyuan." The people whose names he called all left the table dejectedly, and before leaving, they glanced at the rest with jealousy.Chu Zhao was naturally also on the list of going to Yanyuan, but she didn't really want to leave, so she stood up and stepped aside, her eyes always stayed on Ning Yuyao.

"Why don't you leave?" The servant next to him saw Chu Zhao, gave her a sideways glance, and asked, "Everyone else has already attended the banquet in Yanyuan."

Chu Zhao didn't answer his words, but asked instead, "What is Yanyuan?"

The family Ding was even more surprised when he heard the words, he stared at Chu Zhao in surprise and said, "Yanyuan is the place where the master entertains guests, you don't even know this?"

Chu Zhao asked again: "What about the rest?"

The young servant didn't answer any more, he waved his hand impatiently, walked forward with strides, took the new roll and distributed it.As for Chu Zhao who was watching from the sidelines, no one cared anymore.The poetry test was followed by the painting test, which naturally couldn't trouble Princess Zhaoyang, who was famous in the capital.Chu Zhao's eyes were wandering, staring at the small red pavilion for a while, and falling on the green branches for a while.After the painting test was over, there were only ten people left in the field, and they played chess in pairs.

Why is the Zhao family so strange?Seeing their old man want so much more?Could it be that there are other calculations?Chu Zhao was confused, but he couldn't find anyone to ask.But Ning Yuyao was so absorbed in the game that she didn't know how to talk to others.After half a day, there were five competitions, and in the end only Ning Yuyao was left.

"Please come with me, grandson." The head of the Zhao family had a smile on his face, squinting his eyes and looking at Ning Yuyao, the more satisfied he looked.Ning Yuyao breathed a sigh of relief, not knowing why.She looked left and right, looking for Chu Zhao's whereabouts.In Beijing, there are more competitions than Miss Gui's family, but who knows if they are really inferior in skills or deliberately give in because of her status?Now that he won the Pearl Banquet held by Mr. Zhao, he proved himself once.There was joy in Ning Yuyao's heart, and the first thing she thought of was to share this emotion with Chu Zhao.

Chu Zhao saw that the servant of the Zhao family was going to take Ning Yuyao away, so he hurried forward a few steps.The head of the Zhao family thought it was the other scholars who were dissatisfied, and his expression turned cold. He winked at the guards on both sides, and immediately surrounded Chu Zhao, preventing her from moving forward.

Ning Yuyao turned to the principal and said, "This is my elder brother."

The headmaster's expression softened, and he said in a deep voice, "That's good too, with my elder brother here, it's better to discuss the marriage."

marriage?What marriage?Hearing this, Ning Yuyao and Chu Zhao were both shocked.

Chu Zhao asked, "This... who is going to marry whom?"

The master gave her a sideways look and said: "Of course it's our young lady and eldest grandson. This pearl feast is for our young lady to choose a son-in-law. The eldest grandson is a handsome man with outstanding talents. He is worthy of our young lady." He didn't bother to explain, saying After finishing this sentence, he didn't say any more, just walked around the gravel road, led him to the front of the reception hall, and then said, "My master and young lady are inside."

Is the emotional pearl banquet the choice of a son-in-law in the mansion?But they are here to meet with Mr. Zhao's family to discuss cooperation.Besides, they are all daughters and have a marriage contract, how can they marry a young lady from the Zhao family?Chu Zhao was a little bit dumbfounded, she turned her head to stare at Ning Yuyao, but saw her eyelashes trembling slightly, as if she had other thoughts.Surprised, Chu Zhao leaned into her ear and said, "Do you want to be the 'son-in-law' of the Zhao family?"

Ning Yuyao glared at Chu Zhao, and whispered, "What nonsense are you talking about?" The two had already entered the reception hall before they could say a few words.

Zhao Zhenqing, the old man of the Zhao family, is about 50 years old, wearing a square scarf on his head, like a Confucian scholar, and the young woman on one side is his only daughter Zhao Sui'er.Zhao Zhenqing frowned when he saw two handsome young men coming in at once, and looked at the principal beside him, as if waiting for his explanation.

The chief hurriedly cupped his hands, pointed at Ning Yuyao and said, "Master, this eldest son is the son, and the son beside him is his elder brother."

Zhao Zhenqing didn't answer, her brows were always furrowed, and she kept stroking the big emerald ring on her finger.

"Sorry, my two brothers took the liberty to visit." Chu Zhao took a step forward, cupped his hands towards Zhao Zhenqing, and said, "I really don't know that the Pearl Banquet is a banquet for your family to choose a son-in-law."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Zhenqing frowned even more when he heard Chu Zhao's words, and he shouted, "Don't you want to go back on your word? Where do you think my Zhao family is? Do you come and go whenever you want?"

Chu Zhao showed a wry smile, and she explained: "My younger brother already has a wife in his family. Could it be that Mr. Zhao has the heart to let the young lady be his concubine?"

Zhao Zhenqing turned pale with anger at these words, pointed at Chu Zhao and snorted coldly: "You can divorce your wife and remarry."

Ning Yuyao glanced at Chu Zhao, and then said, "Wives who are dirty don't go to court."

Zhao Zhenqing flicked his sleeves abruptly, and asked, "Then what are you doing in my Zhao residence? Can you destroy my son's marriage?" Zhao Zhenqing actually couldn't do the thing of forcing people to divorce their wives, but she still couldn't suppress the anger in her heart. , "Come on, drive these two people out to me, and confess to the Zhao family's shop, you can't—"

"Wait a minute." Zhao Sui'er, who had been standing by the side the whole time, spoke, her eyes were full of tenderness, full of pity. "Father, you leave first and let your daughter talk to them." Zhao Zhenqing hurt her daughter to the bone, and hearing her voice like Huang Ying'er, no matter how angry she was, her anger was subsided.It's just that when he passed by Ning Yuyao's side, he still left a cold hum.

As soon as Zhao Zhenqing left, Zhao Sui'er's expression changed immediately, she put away her weak posture, her eyes were full of calculations and a determination that was not inferior to a man's. "Why are the two girls coming to my Zhao residence?" She said calmly.The Zhao family's servants, including his own father, were blind, but she was different, and at a glance she saw that the two young masters were beauties in disguise.

Surprise flashed across Chu Zhao's face, and he said with a smile, "Miss Zhao has good eyesight."

Zhao Sui'er shook her head, and said with a smile: "Because I often go out to meet various businessmen, I can also dress up as a man, which is cheaper." After a pause, she asked again, "The two girls are outsiders, I don't know The purpose of my Zhao family's Pearl Banquet is also okay. I just dare to ask you, what is the purpose of visiting my Zhao family?" This sentence brought the previous oolong to the fore.It is a good thing that the Zhao family does not pursue the matter.

Chu Zhao sighed, and replied, "Miss Zhao has also heard about the incident in Ping'an County, right?"

Zhao Sui'er frowned when she heard this, and said in annoyed voice: "Of course I know, the refugees go to Pingchen Yong, my Zhao family intends to help those people, but it's not enough." She glanced at Chu Zhao again and said, "Everywhere The voice of singing praises, saying that the Son of Heaven is a sage, but even the people after the flood couldn’t settle down well, and I don’t know whose fault it is.”

Ning Yuyao was naturally dissatisfied when she heard that she complained about the emperor.It's just that Chu Zhao held her hand ahead of time before she could speak.In any case, Zhao Sui'er made this statement, which shows that she is full of sense of urgency, and has done good deeds for many years. It is no wonder that the Zhao family is well received in Pingchen. "Miss Zhao, do you know about merchants driving up grain prices?" Chu Zhao asked again.

Zhao Sui'er nodded and sighed helplessly. "Although we know about this matter, there is nothing we can do. Who is willing to listen to persuasion when the interests are at hand? I have also thought about selling the Zhao family's grain at a low price, but who knows whether the real poor people who come to buy it or the big The people in the shop are pretending? There has been no action."

Ning Yuyao said: "You don't receive any reward, how about letting it go to the common people?"

Zhao Sui'er's expression froze, and she said with a low smile: "Miss Changsun is joking, my Zhao family has the heart to do good, but this does not mean that we have to resist the responsibility that belongs to the court. There are hundreds of mouths in my Zhao family. Depends on those shops. We're not saints."

Ning Yuyao blushed when she heard the words, she whispered: "Sorry."

Zhao Sui'er shook her head and said, "It's nothing." After a pause, she turned to Chu Zhao and asked, "What countermeasures do you have?" Seeing her calm expression, she had an idea in her heart, otherwise she wouldn't have come to Zhao's residence, right?

"I do have an idea." Chu Zhao said slowly, "I want to ask Miss Zhao for two things."

Zhao Sui'er said: "Please tell me."

Chu Zhaodao: "I'm not very familiar with the businessman in Pingchen, I hope Miss Zhao will introduce it for me."

"Are you trying to persuade those people to lower the price of grain?" Zhao Sui'er shook her head and said, "I'm afraid it's not easy. Most of those businessmen are headed by Zhang Haohan, and this Zhang Haohan is the younger brother of the county magistrate of Ping'an. As long as he No one will offend him if he raises the price of food."

"It's okay." Chu Zhao shook his head, and said again, "I also hope that Miss Zhao will sell me some grain, and I will buy it at the normal market price, but I hope that when you tell people, the price is extremely low. If someone asks , you tell him that the imperial court’s food will be delivered and the righteous warehouse will also be opened.”

Zhao Sui'er pondered for a moment, nodded and said, "All right, be careful."

Walking out of Zhao's residence, it was already noon.The sun in June is a bit sinister, hanging brightly above the head, driving people on the road.Ning Yuyao was extremely intelligent, and from what Chu Zhao and Zhao Sui'er said, she knew what she had in mind.Glancing at her side face, he snorted and said, "I never thought that the ignorant Miss General's Mansion would have such wisdom." After a pause, he continued, "You have been in touch with people in the palace, Is it?"

Chu Zhao smiled slyly and said, "An ancient wise man once said, 'My life has a limit, and my knowledge has no limit'. Compared with the vast and boundless sea of ​​learning, my little ability is equivalent to nothing?"

Ning Yuyao gave her a sidelong glance, and said angrily: "Smart teeth, you will be sophistry!"

Chu Zhao shrugged, and said with an innocent smile, "No way." After a while, he approached Ning Yuyao and teased, "I missed the opportunity to become the Zhao family's son-in-law, do you regret it?"

"You—" Ning Yuyao was so angry at Chu Zhao's words, she punched her on the shoulder and cursed, "You're such a bastard!"