...
In the capital city, in the back garden of the Marquis of Chengyi's Mansion.
Compared to the bustling and lively streets of Jiangning Prefecture, and also compared to the fierce competition among the great aristocratic families in the capital at this moment for an invitation to a deer-calling feast hosted by the First Prince, the back garden of the Xu Mansion was extremely relaxed.
"Pa—Papa-pa-pa—"
A piercing and extremely winding sound of a suona echoed in the back garden.
Xu Qinghuan was lying in a grand master's chair in a rather unladylike manner. Wrapped in a thick white fox fur cloak, she carelessly propped her legs beside a brazier in front of her, and the soles of her shoes were smoking from the heat.
On both sides of the grand master's chair stood several musicians who had been hired at a high price from the Hundred Flowers Tower.
Instead of playing the guqin or the dizi, they were blowing the suonas vigorously and banging on the shabby gongs used in rural exorcism rituals, playing a lively and rather vulgar rural tune.
"Right! This is the tune! Blow harder!"
Xu Qinghuan held a handful of crispy roasted sunflower seeds in her hand.
She swayed her head to the rhythm of the rural tune and hummed along aimlessly.
The whole yard was filled with a happy atmosphere.
The butler, Xu Fu, clutching a memorial in his hand, frowned and bypassed the suona - playing musicians, then approached the grand master's chair.
Looking at his young lady's slovenly posture and her complete disregard for the fierce struggle for the throne outside, he let out a deep sigh.
"Miss!" Xu Fu lowered his voice, but it was still drowned out by the sound of the suonas.
"Speak louder!" Xu Qinghuan didn't even turn her head.
Gritting his teeth, Xu Fu raised his voice.
"The people from the Imperial Household Department have come to urge again! The mansion of Princess Wanping was renovated last month. They used the finest golden - silk nanmu, and even more than a dozen potted plants from the imperial garden were moved there."
Xu Fu looked worried: "It's against the rules for you to always stay in the Marquis of Chengyi's Mansion, miss. The officials from the Ministry of Rites have been lingering at the door every day."
"No way." Xu Qinghuan didn't even stop eating the sunflower seeds. "That shabby mansion is so desolate. It's not as comfortable as here. Moreover, if I move there, I'll have to deal with those noble ladies who come to pay their respects every morning. It's so annoying."
Xu Fu stamped his feet anxiously.
He took half a step forward, with obvious fear in his tone.
"Miss! Are you really not going to your own mansion? A message came from the palace today. It was passed on by a young eunuch under Eunuch Li. Even His Majesty... even His Majesty complained in the imperial study, saying that you're being ungrateful!"
After saying this, Xu Fu nervously observed Xu Qinghuan's reaction.
Being criticized by the current emperor would have scared ordinary noble people into packing up and apologizing overnight.
"Oh."
Xu Qinghuan spat out the last mouthful of sunflower seed shells.
She patted the ash off her hands, turned her head, looked at Xu Fu, and rolled her eyes exaggeratedly.
"Who cares!" Xu Qinghuan simply waved her hand, with no trace of fear in her tone. "The old man is just sick and confused and looking for trouble."
Xu Qinghuan picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth. "I'm living so comfortably in this marquis's mansion! Let them do whatever they want outside! It has nothing to do with me. Go down!"
Hearing such rebellious words, Xu Fu's heart almost jumped out of his chest!
Ignoring the emperor's complaint was something he had never seen in his sixty - year life.
But he knew Xu Qinghuan's stubborn nature well. Once she made a decision, not even nine oxen could pull her back.
Xu Fu could only smile bitterly and put the memorial from the Imperial Household Department back into his bosom, then bowed and retreated.
When the music ended, the musicians put down their instruments, bowed with sweat streaming down their faces.
"Reward them!" Xu Qinghuan casually tossed out a silver coin.
Then, she patted the snow off her cloak and got up to push open the wooden door of the main hall in the back garden.
As soon as the door opened, a fragrant smell wafted over.
In the center of the room, there was a charcoal brazier.
On the wire mesh above the brazier, several large taros and a handful of chestnuts were being roasted.
Eldest brother Xu Wuyou was sitting on a folding chair, holding an iron skewer in his hand.
Second brother Xu Zhan was sitting directly on the ground, using fire tongs to carefully pick out the roasted chestnuts and pinching open the shells without fearing the heat.
Xu Zijin was wearing a moon - white regular robe, holding a scroll of book in his hand, and staring blankly at the charcoal brazier.
"What a delicious smell!" Xu Qinghuan rubbed her hands and walked over.
Xu Zhan immediately handed over a small handful of peeled chestnuts. "Little sister, just in time. Eat them while they're hot!"
Xu Qinghuan took the chestnuts and casually pulled over an embroidered stool to sit down.
Just then, Xu Wuyou put down the iron skewer in his hand, took out a slightly crumpled note, and held it out in front of Xu Qinghuan.
Xu Qinghuan paused in her actions, put down the chestnuts in her hand, and took the note to unfold it.
The person who wrote the letter was the Third Prince, Xiao Jingyan.
The content on the note was all questions.
"Question 1: In Xu, the provincial runner - up's 'Theory of Tai Xu being Qi', if the mandate of heaven is truly abolished, when the local powerful gentry take the opportunity to annex land, by what kind of moral teachings should the government use to check and balance them?"
"Question 2: In all previous dynasties, the government's efforts to regulate prices have all encountered the problem of collusion between officials and merchants. If, as the Commandery Princess Xu suggested, a commercial tax regulation is established, should the collected silver go through the Ministry of Revenue or be directly under the jurisdiction of the inner treasury?"
Xu Zijin also leaned over, glanced at the words on the note, and his eyes tightened slightly.
"The First Prince has held a grand Deer - Cry Banquet outside. The event is so imposing that all the scholars and nobles in the city are racking their brains to get an invitation."
Xu Zijin's voice was low.
"The Third Prince..." Xu Wuyou shook his head. "Caught in the storm of the struggle for the throne, while others are having a wild celebration, he is studying behind closed doors."
"The Third Prince has really become more and more steady under the influence of the Commandery Princess," Xu Zhan scratched his head, peeled off the burnt skin of a taro, and interjected naively.
"Little sister, this is already the fifth time."
Looking at the profound annotations on the note, a hint of a smile flashed across Xu Qinghuan's eyes.
She took a big bite of the roasted chestnut that Xu Zhan had handed her, her cheeks bulging. She nodded repeatedly.
"Not bad, not bad! The boy is teachable," Xu Qinghuan mumbled indistinctly. "It wasn't in vain that I set a trap for him with all that hocus - pocus the other day."
"By the way, Xu Zijin!"
Hearing Xu Qinghuan call his name, Xu Zijin answered, "What orders does the Commandery Princess Xu have?"
Xu Qinghuan stroked her chin and thought for a moment. "How do you plan to handle that Deer - Cry Banquet?"
Xu Zijin immediately understood and replied with a smile, "Of course. With the Commandery Princess Xu's guidance, isn't everything easily solved?"
There was a smile in Xu Qinghuan's eyes, and her tone was brisk.
"Then... Come on! Xu Zijin, you write this time!"
