Drive a RV and go farming in ancient times.

At night, the couple ate crayfish and chatted in the RV. When Gu Huanxi talked about this, he felt quite uncomfortable.

After listening to this, Xu Huaiyi said carelessly, "You think too much. Han Jun is a righteous and open-minded person. He definitely has no other intentions. He just simply feels that you have coaxed Xiaoyu well, and he wants to express his gratitude."

Gu Huanxi snorted, "Am I thinking too much, or too little? If your good friends and brothers came to your house with expensive gifts one day and said thank you for taking such good care of Ah Li, what would you think?"

Xu Huaiyi suddenly glared, "Ali is my daughter, do they deserve to be thanked?"

Gu Huanxi glanced at him with a half-smile, "So you also know that it is natural for parents to be good to their children. Why should others thank you?"

Xu Huaiyi choked for a moment, then said, "Well, the situation is different. We are just Xiaoyu's adoptive parents. Han Jun is his biological uncle, and his mother's uncle is older than his mother's. From his perspective, it is reasonable for him to say thank you. If he is indifferent and thinks that our unit's efforts are taken for granted, then that would make people uncomfortable, right?"

Gu Huanxi thought about it and admitted that what he said made sense, but he still said, "I'm afraid that he will use this method to remind us who Xiaoyu's relative is. I'm also afraid that he will always be on guard and suspect that we have other intentions. That would be chilling."

Xu Huaiyi said without hesitation, "Don't worry, he is not that kind of person."

Gu Huanxi did not argue any further, "I hope so."

Xu Huaiyi added, "People's hearts are changeable. No one knows what he will think in the future, but now, he can definitely be trusted."

Gu Huanxi nodded and said "hmm", then said, "He probably felt that what he did was not right, so he talked about a lot of his recent arrangements as if to make up for it, trying to express that he did not treat us as outsiders..."

"Oh? What arrangements has he made?"

"He took over some of the shops and fields that the eldest prince had compensated Xiaoyu with, as well as Xiaoyu's mother's dowry. Now he hired people to manage them, and found some reliable shopkeepers and managers. The business is doing well. With the money he made, he bought a lot of fields and farms. However, it is a little far from the capital, about two days' journey. He took the opportunity to buy more people and keep them there. He trained them first, and then assigned them responsibilities according to their personal abilities..."

Xu Huaiyi nodded his head as he listened. "This idea is correct. Xiaoyu will need people to do things for him in the future. People he trains himself are more reliable. Did he tell me how many people he has?"

Gu Huanxi said, "Currently, there are more than 500 people, but this number still needs to be streamlined and reorganized to pick out the best ones. I estimate that half of them would be good."

"That's pretty good. It's only been a short time. It shows that he really cares about Xiaoyu and spends money and effort. It's not easy to be an uncle to this extent. Is there anything else?"

"He also has a team that specializes in gathering information. He is quite capable. Most of the big and small things in the capital can't escape his eyes. I just don't know how he operates. He looks very mysterious."

Xu Huaiyi was not surprised at all. "It's not easy to find out about this kind of thing. Everyone has their own trump cards and secrets. No matter how close and trusting we are to him, we still have to be careful when getting along with him."

Gu Huanxi rolled her eyes at him and said, "How could I not understand this? Even if he wants to talk about it, I don't want to listen."

Knowing too much, what good can it do?

Xu Huaiyi smiled and said, "Just listen to him. Anyway, our goals are the same, and it's all for Xiaoyu's benefit. Don't think too much about it. He has told me many times before, but it's inconvenient to write to him now."

Gu Huanxi heard this and suddenly sighed, "Actually, my goal is not the same as his. He wants Xiaoyu to return to the Grand Prince's Mansion safely one day and become a legitimate grandson, but I want Xiaoyu to be his son-in-law. Do you think Han Jun will agree?"

Xu Huaiyi had an exaggerated expression of shock, "Wife, you have made it big. Who gave you the courage to dream of having a prince or grandson of the emperor as your son-in-law? I wouldn't even dare to dream of that!"

Gu Huanxi looked at his exaggerated performance and said unhappily, "Isn't he a prince or a grandson of the emperor now? Isn't it okay if he is not a member of the royal family?"

She really couldn't find a son-in-law more suitable than Xiaoyu. His appearance, talent, and character were all good. Most importantly, they had lived together and were as close as a family for a long time. There was no feeling of rejection if an outsider joined in.

Xu Huaiyi smacked his lips, "Han Jun will most likely not refuse openly, nor will he stop me, but he will definitely be unwilling and unhappy."

After a pause, he continued, "But this is understandable. If it were us, we wouldn't be happy either. In ancient times, the status of a son-in-law was really low. Which family who loved their children would be willing to give their son away? Unless they wanted to cling to the rich and powerful!"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but start to worry. Finding a son-in-law in the future would be a real problem. He didn't mind raising his daughter for the rest of her life, and he wasn't afraid of other people's criticisms, but he couldn't bear to see his daughter being left all alone after he and his wife passed away. How pitiful that would be!

It’s not that I’m worried about no one to take care of me in my old age, nor am I afraid of being lonely without anyone to accompany me, but that without relatives, that kind of loneliness cannot be relieved no matter how many people are around me or how lively it is.

Seeing that he had been led into a ditch by him, and that he was about to be unable to climb out, Gu Huanxi waved her hands speechlessly, "Alright, stop worrying about trivial matters. Your daughter is only three years old, it's too early for her to get married. I just said it casually, but why are you really worried about it? You should think more about the war when you have time. You can finish the war quickly so that you can return to Beijing. There will be a lot of things to do at home next year."

The last two sentences successfully diverted his attention. Xu Huaiyi said, "Looking at the current development of the situation, it should be almost over in March or April next year."

"Can there be any results?"

"About 70%. Emperor Jianxing and the King of Chu will not tear each other apart for the time being, so each of them will make concessions to ease the situation. Emperor Jianxing used illness as an excuse to ignore state affairs and delegate power to the princes and the cabinet. This is an unspoken concession. Perhaps he is still thinking of using the princes and the cabinet as a gun to control the King of Chu. Others may not understand this, but after all, he is really delegating power. Those people know that there is ice in the pie, but they will eat it without hesitation. In the final analysis, power is too tempting. Whether it is poisonous or not, they should get it first and then talk about other things..."

He half-closed his eyes and spoke slowly, "Similarly, the King of Chu will certainly make the same statement. Just wait and see. Soon the war in the south will stop again, and the banditry and civil unrest in various places will be resolved naturally. The people will be able to take a breath and rest for a while. Maybe it will take three to five years, or even shorter, but at least they will be able to buy some time to recuperate, so that they will not be caught off guard and have no ability to respond."

At the very least, store more food or dig a cellar to hide people. If war really comes, there will be a plan for whether to hide or run away.

Gu Huanxi had an idea after hearing this. "Next year when you come back, we will plant more corn and use the sweet potatoes we brought back. We will strive to promote corn and sweet potatoes within three to five years. Most areas in the Central Plains and the north are suitable for planting. By then, the people will have food to eat and more opportunities to make a living."

Xu Huaiyi nodded, "There is also wheat. Our wheat production has doubled this year. Next year, there will definitely be many people who will follow suit and plant seeds from us. You should pick a shop early to prepare."

"Don't worry, I've already saved it. My daughter also vaguely understands and has shed a lot of tears. However, if we plant on a large scale in the future, it will still be a drop in the bucket. We can't always rely on my daughter alone for fertilizer."

"What do you mean?"

"How about promoting green manure? There are relevant books in the car. There are all kinds of green manure, organic fertilizer, earthworm manure, etc. As long as you don't do chemical engineering, you can promote it. People have been farming for a lifetime, so it shouldn't be too difficult for them to learn."

Xu Huaiyi thought about it and made the final decision, "Let's do this. Next year, we will open two shops, one selling various high-quality and high-yield seeds, and the other selling agricultural products, mainly promoting green manure. You can find time to organize the contents of the book and have it printed into a book, and then take it out when the right opportunity comes."

"Yes, sure. I'll do it later."

The winter is relatively free, and Gu Huanxi, in addition to reading and spending time with the children, also has to find something serious to do. Compared to writing some books to kill time, it is naturally more meaningful to write books that are beneficial to agricultural production.

While she was busy writing, the situation outside was changing day by day, almost always developing in a positive direction. The capital city gradually became calm, as if the tense and depressing days before had never existed.

First, the result of the Chu Prince's Palace's handling was announced. The besieged guards finally withdrew, but the gate of the Chu Prince's Palace was still closed. Only servants went in and out from the corner gate every day to buy daily necessities. The masters were unspeakably low-key.

However, there was a ready-made reason for such behavior. There was a funeral in the family, and more than a dozen people were killed at once. According to custom and tradition, they should not go out casually. For at least three years, they would not attend any weddings, banquets, visiting groups, or the like.

Such an excuse may fool ordinary people, but those who understand clearly know that this is a concession from the Chu Palace, whether it is to conserve strength or to temporarily avoid the limelight. In short, at this moment, it is quiet, and as for the future, we can just plan slowly.

There are many people who pretend to be ignorant even though they know the truth, so no one is tactful enough to lift the veil and embarrass everyone.

Then there is the fate of the Liu family of the Marquis of Zhenguo Mansion. Since the evidence was already conclusive, they could not go against their own will and overturn it now. If they did so, the court would not only lose face but also its dignity. Besides, the Liu family was not wronged. They did have connections with the Japanese pirates. Perhaps not as deeply involved as the Prince of Fujian's Mansion, but they were definitely involved.

The Prince of Min's Palace has now fled to a small island overseas and cannot be captured for the time being. If the Liu family is not dealt with, how can we convince the people?

However, Emperor Jianxing still showed mercy. Those who knew the truth understood that it was the Empress Dowager who dragged her sick body to negotiate with Emperor Jianxing and reached an agreement. That's why the Liu family was not killed and a chance to survive was given to them.

Otherwise, according to the Dayong Law, the crime of treason and collusion would not only result in the execution of the entire family, but also the punishment of at least three clans.

Now, only the males who were involved and knew about the incident were beheaded, and the others were exiled to the border. As for the female relatives, they were sent to the Jiaofangsi, but if someone redeemed them, the court would turn a blind eye and not investigate further.

Even so, the famous and prominent family that had existed for a hundred years and had deep roots and flourishing branches was completely defeated. It would be impossible for it to make a comeback unless the line of the King of Chu came to power.

When the men of the Liu family left the capital, Gu Huanxi could not show up, but he still asked someone to send a bag of things to Liu Haoran, including warm clothes, some food for the road, and silver to bribe the officials escorting them, in order to fulfill the friendship between him and Xu Huaiyi.

Soon afterwards, the war in the south stopped, but the Tartars in the north refused to stop. The colder it got, the more they lacked food and clothing, and the more frantic their attacks became. The border troops had a very difficult time coping, and reports of the battle were continuously sent to the capital.

Some asked for help, some apologized, and most of them asked for food, medicine, and military support.

Therefore, the newly recruited soldiers, before they had time for systematic training, were hurriedly set out on the journey to support the border. Needless to say, the journey was very hard. Some of them fell down from time to time, and some tried to escape. Later, several of them were beaten and killed before they were barely intimidated.

The most exciting news was probably that the banditry in various places had been resolved, the civil unrest soon dissipated, and the Imperial Guards won a great victory.

At least on the surface, this is the news that was reported back to the capital, and the people would rather believe that this is the fact.

But what is the real truth?

Gu Huanxi heard some things from Han Jun, and when he met Xu Huaiyi again at night, he told him, "The battle report reported to the court showed that we did win, but the victory was too fake. In fact, the King of Chu's men gave up fighting and pretended to be defeated, retreating back to the mountains to hide. The Imperial Guards did not take any further action and are already on their way back to the capital."

Xu Huaiyi sneered, "After this banditry, the number of private soldiers raised by the Prince of Chu's Palace will not only not decrease, but will increase. Those victims who followed them in the rebellion have no way back and can only go down this path to the end. In this game, the Prince of Chu is the big winner. He has not only tarnished the reputation of Emperor Jianxing, but also trained his own soldiers and strengthened the rebel team. He has achieved three goals in one fell swoop."

"Can Emperor Jianxing just sit there and do nothing? He will definitely find a way to eliminate those private soldiers in the future. They are the greatest support of the King of Chu..."

"How do we eradicate it? I don't have any confidence in Emperor Jianxing anymore."

"Besides the Twelve Imperial Guards, does the royal family have any hidden cards? Even if you look down on Emperor Jianxing, can you still not believe in the scheming and tactics of the founding emperor?"

Xu Huaiyi's eyes flickered when he heard this, "I actually forgot about this. Maybe he really left a life-saving skill to his descendants."

"So, don't worry too much..."

"Um……"

Gu Huanxi changed the subject and said, "Right now, the crisis in the capital has been resolved, and we don't have to live in suspense anymore. Instead, several princes have started to get active, jumping up and down to grab territory, fight for power, and win people's hearts. Each one is more dishonest than the other."

Xu Huaiyi frowned, "Is it obvious?"

Gu Huanxi sighed, "At first they were trying to hide it, but later there was a conflict of interest, so it was inevitable that they got angry and angry. Anyway, those old foxes in the court knew it all."

"You are still too impatient..." Xu Huaiyi's tone showed his disappointment. "Isn't it time to fight now? Shouldn't we work together to deal with the Chu King's faction? There is also the war. After the banditry and unrest in the disaster area are over, the people's lives will be restored. This is the top priority. It is what the crown prince should care about and pay attention to. Now, those things have come to nothing, and everyone is busy fighting for power and profit. No one is reliable."