Fake concubine, real queen

The little servant girl nodded and said: "Yes, this servant has already inquired clearly. The son-in-law has not returned to the side courtyard. After returning to the mansion, he only sat in the tea hall for a while with the steward who came from the Hou's mansion, and then brought Miss Lan Xiao He Zhengye, brother, went out."

Pei Zhaoheng didn't speak when he heard the words, his face was gloomy, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

Lan Shu said: "Understood, you go down."

After the little girl gave a salute and left the door, Lan Shu turned her head, looked at Pei Zhaoheng, and said with a smile, "Since it's the steward from the Hou's mansion, it must be something serious, and the son-in-law must be rushing to deal with it."

Pei Zhaoheng was silent for a while, and said, "He...why did he take Lan Xiao with him?"

Lan Shu was startled, thinking of the events of the previous two days, he thought that the Third Highness was still concerned about taking concubines for the concubine, and concerned about the progress of the concubine and Lan Xiao over there.

Then he opened his mouth to comfort him and said: "I have taken Lan Xiao with me, I think after getting along these days, my son-in-law and Lan Xiao have become close. After all, Lan Xiao is at a good age, and his birth is not bad. Thoughts and temperament are quite submissive, it's not surprising that the son-in-law will think of something, since he is doing business today, he has to take her with him, I think it's a rare time, if it is true, Your Majesty's painstaking efforts are not in vain."

Pei Zhaoheng: "..."

The spine of the travel note in his hand had already been bent down, and Lan Shu noticed it now, and said quickly: "Hey, Your Highness, be careful with this book, it's a lone copy, if it's broken, I'm afraid you won't be able to find the second one." Two copies."

Pei Zhaoheng stood up and threw the book on the desk with a blank expression. He looked out the window at the blue sky, and after a moment of silence, he said, "So soon... did you see the right eye?"

Lan Shu heard the words and said with a smile: "Your Highness doesn't know something. In Bianjing City, the family of generals like the son-in-law's family raises sons. Unlike ordinary families, they don't use maids in the courtyard. As for the house, that Not at all, our son-in-law is only 16 years old now, the slaves guess, maybe he is still a child."

Pei Zhaoheng: "..."

Lan Shu said again: "If this is the case, isn't it the time when a young man like the son-in-law is in such a situation and at such an age? It's the first time that he has a personal maid, and he is in the same room all day, isn't it? so fast?"

It was fine if Lan Shu didn't say anything, but the more he talked, the more Pei Zhaoheng became angrier. When he got to the back, he almost felt a suffocation in his chest, unable to get up or down.

The small courtyard where the Princess Mansion's study is located has a very elegant name, Zhifangzhai.

However, no matter how elegant the name is, a small courtyard is only a small courtyard after all.

Pei Zhaoheng didn't speak, just stood up from the desk, walked to the door of the study, raised his head, looked at the square sky above Zhifangzhai, wondering what he was thinking.

Lan Shu looked at his back, but was stunned.

His Highness seems to have... grown taller again.

That's right, your age, whether you say it's old or young, and men grow slowly, some of them can grow up to 23 or [-] years old, it's not uncommon, and it's normal for the Third Highness to still grow up.

only……

Now, after all, His Highness has only one, even though he has a good appearance, now he is indistinguishable from male and female, even if he pretends to be a woman, he looks a little more heroic, and he can fool the young master, but after waiting for two years, His Highness will definitely grow up. , at that time, I really don't know how to hide it from my son-in-law...

Lan Shu was a little worried. Looking at the back of the Third Highness, she also felt a little lonely for some reason.

Pei Zhaoheng suddenly said, "Aunt Lan."

Lan Shu stepped forward and responded, "Your servant is here, Your Highness...what's the matter?"

"The night before yesterday, I said... I was going to pick a girl from a good family for Zihuan. Has Aunt Lan picked one?"

Lan Shu replied: "I have selected them. Before entering the palace yesterday morning, I selected a few people in the mansion who were suitable in age, innocent in family background, and straightforward in temperament. I asked them to send them to Madam Gu to learn the rules for a day. Today they should also After learning, if Madam Gu moved quickly, she should have been sent to the consort's courtyard."

Pei Zhaoheng said: "Call everyone back."

Lan Shu was taken aback, and said, "Call me back?"

------

But at the other end, He Gu led Lan Xiao, Zheng Ye, and Liu Guanshi from the Nahou Mansion out of the gate of the Princess Mansion.

He Guzi had the conversation with the eldest princess in Qingyu Palace yesterday, and he became alert in his heart. He felt that he was almost comfortable enough these days, and it was time for him to do something serious.

Fortunately, he is only 16 years old now, and Pei Zhaoyuan and Pei Zhaolin over there are naturally fledgling, and there is still plenty of time for him to prepare for the Third Highness.

Although He Gu's mind is not very bright, and he dare not say that he can plan everything for His Highness, but he still understands one of the most basic truths.

As the saying goes, the three armies have not moved, and the food and grass go first——

Not to mention anything else, but no matter what to do, money always comes first... at least the top three.

In the previous life, when the two kings competed for the heir, Pei Zhaolin would lose. A big reason was that the second prince's backer, the Wen family, although he was a general, the second prince's uncle, Wen Xiuming, did indeed hold the military power, but the Wen family was not like him after all. The Chen family behind the crown prince not only has hairpin tassels for generations, but also has a deep foundation in the court and a strong family background.

In the final analysis, the Wen family only came out with Wen Xiuming, who had outstanding military exploits and a great reputation, and had made great achievements in supporting him back then. The Holy One naturally relied on him a lot, and even accepted her sister into the palace and made her a noble concubine. With enough dignity, the Wen family alone attained the Tao and ascended to heaven.

But in the eyes of some veterans in Beijing, the Wen family... can only be regarded as a nouveau riche who has just sprung up in recent years. Whether it is stable or not depends on three generations, or even five generations later.

He Gu remembered that in the previous life, although the relationship between the crown prince and his father was on the verge of breaking up several times, and he even did such an outrageous thing as forcing the palace...

But Mr. He Gu is outside Beijing, and he doesn't know what's going on between the emperor and the prince and his son in Beijing.

But in the final analysis, the crown prince has gone too far, but His Majesty has never touched the crown prince's position. He Gu didn't know what the emperor thought of the crown prince and the son of the third highness at that time, but as long as he really had something in his heart, The idea of ​​passing on the position to His Highness the Third Highness, no matter whether it succeeds or not in the end, it should be considered for His Highness, right?

But He Gu never saw it in his previous life.

Needless to say, military power. In the last life, the crown prince firmly held the forbidden army of the Fifth Division of Gyeonggi, and the uncle of the second prince held the military amulets guarding the camps of Luoling and Chenghe. What about the third highness?

The Third Highness has a fart.

It's all right if you don't have military power, and the property is estimated to be enough. He Gu estimates that the money in the hands of the Third Highness may not be as rich as the dowry of his sister, the eldest princess.

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh on the horse's back.

Don't mention anything else, money... You have to make plans early for His Highness the Third Highness. After he has prepared He Rong's dowry, the rest of the shops, including the business of the Princess Mansion, must be taken care of. Fortunately, the time is right now. Fang Chang, as long as you don't waste your time, I believe that after a few years, you can always save a good fortune for the future.

He Gu's mind was full of plans for His Highness the Third Highness, but the group had already arrived at the southern market, in front of Wensheng Bookstore.

Speaking of the old General Yan and his wife, they really loved Miss Yan very much. Although Yan's family is not rich, but the dowry that Yan Meiruo bought, only these few shops have a first-class appearance A great location.

Wensheng Bookstore is located in one of the most prosperous areas in Bianjing City.

Today, He Gu intends to give the shopkeeper and accountant of the bookstore a slap in the face. Before he came, he ordered a mighty entourage from the princess' mansion, and now they stopped in front of the bookstore.

He even recalled, the day when he went to Huizhen Tower to catch Yan Dingye, those princes and grandsons behaved like a prince, and before going out, they specially called the servants to pick out a delicate folding fan and put it on their waist.

It is impossible for a person to lose, and it is even more impossible for a team to lose.

The shopkeeper in the bookstore was really startled by such a big commotion, and he went to the door to have a look, and saw a handsome young man in brocade clothes, jumping off a white horse, with a very handsome figure.

Brother Young Master's expression was calm, he didn't seem to be an idiot, and before he spoke, he showed arrogance with his nostrils upturned. He stretched out his hand and pulled the folding fan at his waist, but didn't unfold it, just patted it on the palm of his hand, and looked up. There is a plaque in the bookstore, so we have to go inside.

As soon as he left, a group of people followed behind him, and before he reached the door, a young man pushed the old yellow rosewood door of the bookstore for him, and the door squeaked. "Ah," a soft, overwhelmed sound.

When the shopkeeper saw this battle, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself which young master he had offended, and came to find fault today?

But his face did not dare to neglect, he hurriedly went up with a smile and said: "Hey, my son, what kind of books do you want to read? Our Wensheng Bookstore can be regarded as the most comprehensive and the best price in Beijing. Bookstore, I will definitely not disappoint you..."

Before he finished speaking, a man in his forties with a beard and the appearance of a manager frowned and said, "Shopkeeper Jia, I think you are really confused, you don't even recognize your boss?"

Shopkeeper Jia was taken aback for a moment, then turned to look at the man, and asked curiously, "Liu... Manager Liu?"

Liu Guanshi snorted and said: "Yesterday I persuaded you with kind words, but you didn't listen, insisting that your account book is fine. In this case, I can only invite our boss to check the account of your bookstore today. If you really find out the problem today, when the boss wants to deal with you, don't blame me."

Shopkeeper Jia's heart beat faster when he heard the words, he turned his head to look at the young man in blue, his age was indeed the same as that of the current owner of their bookstore - Master He Xiaohou.

Eyelids twitched involuntarily.

But shopkeeper Jia, after all, has been in charge of Wensheng Bookstore for many years, and he believes that the account he and the accountant did was watched by Guanshi Liu. Nothing wrong with it.

Besides, the young master is young after all, so maybe he can't be fooled, so he smiled with an old face, and was about to explain——

Over there, Zhengye had already brought a bench with great eyesight, and placed it in the center of the bookstore lobby, He Gu sat down without saying a word, tapped the door of the bookstore with a folding fan in his hand, and said, "Close the door. "

Sure enough, several attendants responded and closed the open doors of the bookstore.

As soon as the door was closed, the light in the bookstore's lobby suddenly dimmed. He Guduan sat in the hall, wearing snow-white boots on his long legs, casually crossed his legs, looked at shopkeeper Jia coldly, raised his chin, and said: " I'll give you a chance to treat you honestly. What's the matter with your account book? If you tell me, I can still show some love to my subordinates. Otherwise, after the investigation is clear, you will be hired as the shopkeeper when you go to the Yamen of Bianjing Prefecture , but embezzling the property of the master's family, although it will not lead to exile, but it will also ruin the family, you have to think about it."

The coldness of what he said, and the fact that Lan Xiao, Zhengye, Liu Guanshi, and all the servants behind him were all expressionless and dark-faced, Rao the shopkeeper Jia asked himself and made mental preparations, so he couldn't help but gradually, Cold sweat broke out on the forehead and palms.

This little duke, obviously only 16 years old, how could he just sit there with a downcast face and make people's calves feel so weak?

Of course shopkeeper Jia doesn’t know that although He Gu is 16 years old now, and he is affected by his body, his mind is much more childish than in his previous life, but after all, he is a person who has been beaten in the barracks for more than ten years. It was more water than Shopkeeper Jia had ever drank. He Gu wanted to intimidate him, how could he make people not afraid?

Shopkeeper Jia's heart was pounding, and he hesitated for a moment, whether he should cover up for his wife.

But his confidence in himself and the accountant finally defeated his fear of He Gu. Without him, the one who swallowed up the money earned by the bookstore was not only Madam after all. If the truth came to light, he might not be able to get it. good to go.

Before he could speak, He Gu had already seen his intentions from his expression, snorted coldly, and said, "Call the accountant of the bookstore."

Guanshi Liu responded, and sure enough, he called someone to the backyard to invite Mr. Accountant to come.

The accountant came rather quickly. He saw the situation in the lobby and was stunned for a while. Before he recovered, He Gu said coldly: "Lan Xiao, ask him, and report the faults you can see in the account book one by one. ask him."

Behind He Gu, Lan Xiao swallowed involuntarily.

Although she also came out of the palace, among women, she can be considered to have seen the world, but it is the first time she has encountered such a situation where swords are on the verge of swords and men are all men. I told myself that I must not show my cowardice to the son-in-law, but at this moment there are so many eyes staring at me in the whole hall, I can't help but feel a little bit drummed in my heart.

He Gu saw that she was nervous, and his tone was a bit gentle, and he whispered to her: "Don't be afraid, just say what you have, you belong to the master, and with my backing, they dare not do anything to you."

Lan Xiao heard the words, looked at He Gu's expression, and immediately confirmed in her heart, nodded to him, then took the account book from the arms of the young man who was holding the account book next to him, opened the first page, and began to ask questions at a glance, What she saw was the problem with the books.

Just now I asked about three accounts that were not correct, and the accountant hadn't done anything well yet, shopkeeper Jia's forehead was covered with sweat——

This accountant is not as experienced as him, although he is also nervous, but he is not like shopkeeper Jia, he can tell how vicious this girl's eyesight is just by hearing it.

Even some small mistakes that he didn't take into account when he was doing the accounting, this girl can tell them exactly.

This is a bit scary.

Before turning over a page, the accountant was already a bit unable to answer.

After turning five pages, Lan Xiao asked at least a dozen questions about the accounts, not to mention the account room, and shopkeeper Jia's eyes were a little dark when he heard it.

This is not the end yet, the fake big head...

Seeing her eloquence, He Gu called the servant to serve tea to Lan Xiao.

Although Lan Xiao was modest about her ability to read accounts, she was still a little proud in her heart. Seeing the expressions of the shopkeeper and the cashier, she was even more sure that she was right. She took two sips of tea, and the more she talked, the more excited she became , The more I speak, the more confident I become.

In the end, he went straight to the shopkeeper and the accountant, who asked with a look of disgust on his face, faltering and hawing, and could not make a sound.

After only flipping through a small half of the book, shopkeeper Jia finally couldn't take it any longer, knelt down and kowtowed in front of He Gu with a plop, and said, "Boss, the villain is also... I have no choice but to do so!"

Seeing this, Lan Xiao stopped and turned to look at He Gu.

He Gu snorted coldly, and said to the shopkeeper Jia: "I just gave you a chance, but you are dishonest, and you have to be exposed and shameless before you admit it."

"You have no choice? Wan Shu'er did force you back then. Now that I have taken back the shop, I am the owner. Manager Liu came to ask you why you didn't tell the truth? Who forced you to still Want to lie to others?"

"If I hadn't found this girl to look after the account today, would you have continued to hide it, filled your own pockets and made a fortune in the shop?"

Shopkeeper Jia kowtowed repeatedly, and said with a mournful face: "My boss, it's not that the villain refuses to recruit. Now... now madam, in the final analysis, is still the wife of the Hou family. If the villain recruits her... for everything she does, In case Madam takes charge of the family again in the future, she wants to find fault with me, how dare I offend her as a commoner, little old man!"

"And...and..." He showed a somewhat ashamed expression on his face, "the little old man...indeed...indeed, he didn't resist Madam's temptation, he took some money from the cashier, but that was the only time ! The little old man is also afraid in his heart... If it is really tricked, there is an old mother in my family, and a little grandson... If..."

He Gu got dizzy when he heard that, and said: "Stop it, stop it, no one is old or young, don't talk about it with me."

Hearing the words, the shopkeeper Jia thought that He Gu was unwilling to be accommodating and wanted to send him to the official, so his face turned pale in fright, his nose burst into tears, and he kowtowed repeatedly: "Little man... the villain knows his mistake, I beg my boss to give me a chance." Well, the villain must... definitely..."

I have been affirming for a long time, but I can't think of what to affirm.

Not to mention the money that Wan Shu'er was greedy for ink, it is he who has profited from the bookstore these years, and has long since bought property for the children of the family, and made the dowry for the dowry. It is absolutely impossible for him to pay it back now. up.

He Gu looked at the old man, feeling a bit unbearable in his heart, he was silent for a moment, and asked: "Let me ask you, all these years, Wan Shu'er said that the bookstore was classified as the property of the Hou's family, but the bookstore was a year old. Losing money every year, how much did she get out of it?"

Shopkeeper Jia wiped his nose and said, "About... about [-]%..."

He Gu gasped, stood up abruptly, and said, "Forty percent?!"

No wonder he lost money!

All the profits went into Wan Shu'er's pocket, and they had to be paid back into her pocket.

Hearing this, Zhengye was also taken aback, seeing He Gu pacing back and forth in the lobby angrily, he quickly comforted him in a low voice: "Master... this... this is already expected, don't Got mad."

He Gu said angrily: "This is Rong'er's dowry!"

After he finished cursing, he took a breath, looked down at the shopkeeper Jia who was kneeling on the ground, his heart was burning, and he almost wanted to step up and kick him, but seeing his age, he couldn't bear it after all. .

In the end, he only said coldly: "I don't need to send you to the official, but there is one thing that you must do, otherwise you just wait and go to the Bianjing mansion to meet with Guanshi Wang!"

When shopkeeper Jia heard that there was a turning point, he would kowtow again and again, so he didn't dare to mention a word of no.

He Gu closed his eyes, turned to look at Lan Xiao and said, "Do you remember what I asked you today?"

Lan Xiao's heart tightened, she naturally knew that He Gu was talking about letting her be the shopkeeper of the bookstore.

He Gu still considers that although Lan Xiao is still a servant girl in the princess' mansion, when she reaches her age, she will be sent back home. According to the palace rules, Lan Xiao will still be a girl from a good family.

After all, she is not married now, and she shows her face in the bookstore. Although she can become a manager of a shop, her monthly salary is more than five or six times higher than that of being a maid in the mansion, but the hard work is naturally much harder, and it also takes a lot of brains. Not necessarily willing.

That's why I asked her again and again.

Lan Xiao was silent for a while, and said: "If you go back to the son-in-law, Lan Xiao... Lan Xiao is willing."

He Gu heard the words, nodded, turned his eyes to look at shopkeeper Jia, and said coldly: "In the future, this girl will be in the shop and learn how to manage the shop. , Selling goods, all kinds of tricks, so good to teach her, if the girl finds out that you are dishonest, and tell me back, saying that you are hiding and refusing to speak out, you just wait to enter the government!"

Shopkeeper Jia trembled when he heard the words, and quickly kowtowed with snot and tears.

In fact, He Gu also knows that this kind of master's apprenticeship is always taught to the disciples. If the master starves to death, he is a real disciple, and there are still some who are unwilling to teach them all. Shopkeeper Jia has to go down, it's obvious, shopkeeper Jia must still have Xiao Jiujiu in his heart, and Lan Xiao won't really learn all the skills he wants, it's nine out of ten.

But for a while, He Gu couldn't think of any other better way.

He can only do his best to support Lan Xiao. As for how much Lan Xiao can learn, it can only depend on her own ability and good luck.

All in all, He Gu's demands on her are not that high, as long as she doesn't lose money and takes her time, it will always get better and better.

He is not in a hurry to save money for His Highness the Third Highness, and he is ready to find some people who are capable of running the business later, and take good care of the property in his hand.

Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard a few knocks on the door of the bookstore, and a somewhat familiar female voice rang out: "Shopkeeper Jia, are you there? Just read my manuscript again, really, my The manuscripts are selling well in the bookstore in Fanyang."

He Gu was startled.

Zhengye also wondered: "Yan...Miss Yan?"

He Gu sent a servant to open the door, but saw a girl with a square face and a slightly plump figure standing at the door, followed by a little maid, holding a small box in her arms.

It was none other than Yan Zhiya.

Seeing the door opened, Yan Zhiya was overjoyed, and suddenly saw He Gu in the main hall, and said in a daze, "Young Master?"

He Gu also wondered: "Miss Yan?"

"Why are you here?"

Yan Zhiya walked in, looked at the shopkeeper Jia who was kneeling on the ground, and asked hesitantly, "This...what's going on here?"

He Gu said: "This shop is the family business left by my mother, I'm here to handle the general affairs of the shop today."

Yan Zhiya didn't know why, she looked happy, and said: "So, the young master is the owner of the shop?"

He Gu nodded, somewhat puzzled, and said, "Yeah, what's wrong?"

Yan Zhiya didn't know what to think of, she seemed a little embarrassed, but after a long time, she seemed to have made up her mind, and said cruelly: "I... I intend to open a medical clinic in Beijing, and I have already taken a good look at it, but... it's just in my pocket. I was shy and couldn't afford to rent the facade for a while, so I thought about writing something first to earn some extra money."

He Gu nodded, looked at the box held by the maid behind her, suddenly realized, and said, "I see, you came to the bookstore today, so you recommended yourself?"

Yan Zhiya sighed, and said: "Yes, it's actually not the first time I've come here, it's just that shopkeeper Jia always said that what I wrote was not elegant, but well, this is why shopkeeper Jia is too noble. Now, you said opening a shop, is it important to make money, or to be elegant? The things I wrote were originally in Fanyang, and those bookstores were not willing to accept them. Prosperous, it’s not that I’m really short of money now, at this price, I’m still unwilling to sell it!”

He Gu was a little curious by what she said, and said, "Oh? So powerful, what did you write?"

For some reason, Yan Zhiya has always been thick-skinned, but now, after hearing He Gu's question, that white, fat, square Chinese character face always blushed, and coughed dryly: "Look, I can show it to the young master." , for fear of frightening the young master..."

He Gu was originally only three points curious, but when she said this, it instantly became seven points.

What book is it?Can Yan Zhiya be so mysterious?

He really didn't believe it. He Gu was also the commanding officer of the Fifth Division of the Gyeonggi Imperial Army in his previous life. Could it be possible that he could still be frightened by a book written by a girl?

Thinking of this, He Gu smiled and said: "I can't scare me, your manuscript, bring me to have a look, if it is well written, I will make the decision and let the bookstore accept it."

Yan Zhiya was taken aback, and said happily, "Really?"

He Gu nodded.

Hearing this, Yan Zhiya took the box from the maidservant, and was about to hand it to He Gu, then paused, coughed dryly, and said, "This... to sell manuscripts, of course it's popular and can make money... that's it." is the most important."

He Gu didn't know what she was doing, so he took the box, opened it, and saw a few large characters written on the top piece of thin paper, presumably it was the title of the book——

"I and the General Untie the Battle Robe".

He Gu: "..."

?