I fought back after reselling my engagement

Uncle Su Qi continued, "The Wan family's backers in Baihua County, Concubine Wan and the Fourth Prince in the palace were demoted to a fifth-rank talent because they indulged the Wan family's children in committing crimes and causing harm to the local area. The Fourth Prince was reprimanded by the emperor for this and was ordered to be confined to his residence for half a year to reflect on his mistakes. The Wan family has lost the support of the people in Baihua County.

Some people have revealed that the Hua family is in collusion with pirates. Now the masters of several branches of the Hua family have been imprisoned and are under strict investigation by officials from the Ministry of Justice.

Of the three major families in Baihua County, only the Bai family stayed out of the matter. They were a clean farming and reading family, and the shops in their family were all dowries for their wives. The imperial merchants in Beijing took over the rouge and powder business in Baihua County, the tea business in Baihua County was taken over by the Jiangnan tea merchants Shen family, and the medicinal materials business in Baihua County was taken over by merchants from Henan Province. "

Su Mo said slowly, "The Shen family in Jiangnan is related to Concubine Zhou's family. It seems that Concubine Zhou and the Zhou family in the palace have made great efforts in this matter."

"I heard that the imperial merchant in the capital is the second prince's wife's cousin."

Su Mo said: "Baihua County is famous for its wealth. Without the power of the capital, ordinary people can't get this piece of fat meat. What about the medicinal materials business?"

For the imperial court, since the canal wharf was controlled by "gangster forces" or rather local tyrants, they would be more willing to let the emperor recognized by the imperial court take over the business. Moreover, none of these imperial merchants were from local families.

Since foreign imperial merchants took control of the business in Baihua County, they had to rely on the imperial court to get things done.

"This Henan merchant has a Henan eunuch named Li as his godfather. I heard that it was Eunuch Li who introduced him to this medicinal materials business. He also wants to win the first prize in the incense fair next spring and win the imperial incense business in the palace."

When Zhen Su heard the phrase "eunuch from Henan Province", his first reaction was Li Fu. Although he was the chief eunuch beside the second prince, he actually had influence around the old emperor. The chief eunuch beside the old emperor was Li Fu's master, and he was also the chief eunuch of the eunuchs. He and the old emperor recommended Li Fu to serve the second prince.

Su Mo sighed, "So many things have happened in just one month. We have to go to Yueyang Prefecture as soon as possible. We have to open the shop in Hubei Province. The Su family has an advantage in Hunan Province. We can't delay any longer."

"The Su family cannot get involved in such a lucrative business. It is better for the family to open a separate shop and make money."

Zhen Su heard the undisguised conversation between the master and servant, and then he realized that Su Mo's so-called travel around the world was probably to prepare for his succession to the position of the young master of the Su family. He was inspecting the Su family's store business and looking for business opportunities.

The Jiangnan Su family has existed since the previous dynasty, and they have managed to survive until now without any strength. This is the foundation of a noble family.

Zhen Su said, "Seventh Uncle, Brother Su, what kind of shop do you think I should open in Yueyang Prefecture? A rouge and powder shop? Or a silk and satin shop or an embroidery workshop?"

Su Mo and Uncle Su Qi were surprised.

The Su family was planning to open a rouge and powder shop and a silk store in Hubei and Hunan provinces, but Zhen Su suddenly asked her about opening a shop. Could it be that she saw that the Su family also had this intention?

Zhen Su smiled slightly, "I also want to open a calligraphy and painting shop. I'll decide everything after I get to Yueyang Prefecture."

He had to open a shop when he got to Yueyang Prefecture, otherwise the money on hand would be less and less. Although he had a shop in the capital left by his biological mother Su Wan, it was far away and he had to plan carefully.

It was late at night and the temperature was getting cooler, so Zhen Su went back to his room and went to sleep.

Uncle Su Qi followed Su Mo back to the east room.

"Young Master, does she admit her identity?" Uncle Su asked in a low voice.

Su Mo shook his head. "Even if she was interested in me, she never mentioned her background."

Uncle Su Qi said, "I went out to inquire today. She should be the Princess Jiarou that the people are talking about. However, in the capital, there are only a few princesses and members of the royal family who have been given the title of Princess, and I have never heard of such a person. This Princess seemed to have appeared suddenly. I have already written a letter to the capital to inquire about the news. I think it won't take long to find out."

Su Mo asked, "Could it be that she is a princess of a different surname? She caught the emperor's eye and was given an extra reward?"

"Princess Jiarou has a county in the north, which is a rare treatment. There are so many princesses and princesses in the royal family. The princess who can be granted a county must be favored by the royal family, not like a princess of a different surname."

Su Mo asked, but Zhen Su didn't want to say more. In his opinion, Zhen Su was still on guard against them. He told her everything, so why was she still worried about him? Was she worried that they would use him?

Although she was said to be on guard, she did her best to take care of her master and servant when they were sick. With her status, she didn't need to make medicine or cook by herself, but she tried her best to do it. She was not bad at cooking, and she was also good at playing the piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. She was not inferior to him in calligraphy and painting. Such a woman must be someone that the family would cultivate vigorously.

Zhen Su didn't say anything because she had not received any imperial decree or reward when she left the capital, so she didn't know much about what was happening in the capital. As a girl, she couldn't go around the streets asking whether the emperor had rewarded her. Even if she said yes, this place was thousands of miles away from the capital, and she wouldn't be able to find out.

The next day, Zhen Su found the landlord, settled the rent, paid a few extra days' rent, and told him that their family was leaving soon. He disposed of the kitchen utensils and other items that he had bought and gave them to his sister-in-law who often helped with laundry.

I bought a big bag of snacks and pastries from the snack shop in town. The weather was still hot, so I could only prepare enough for two days. If I kept them for more than three days, the snacks would go bad.

Zhen Su bought three new silk summer dresses for the three of them, and packed the two that had already changed color into a bag and sent it to his eldest sister-in-law's house next door, asking her to give them to Feng Hui Niang who was selling fish in the town.

She was afraid that she and Feng Huiniang would never meet again in this life, so she kept the old clothes as they were useless. She didn't want them to be worn by Feng Huiniang, but she could use them to fill the soles of shoes or make them into shoes and socks.

On July 30th, at 4:35 a.m., the three of them got up one after another. Zhen Su heated up the buns he had bought from the bun shop the day before. He only made a light vegetarian soup, heated up the buns, and ate them with kimchi.

It takes three days to travel by water from Taikang Town to Yueyang Prefecture. If you travel quickly, you can reach the Yueyang Prefecture wharf before noon on August 2nd.

Su Mo wanted to find out Zhen Su's identity, but to no avail. After boarding the ship, he resumed his former respectfulness and courtesy as on the ship, but not as close as when he was in Taikang Town. Instead, he was polite and courteous.

After boarding the ship, she was no longer a "scholar's wife" but a "sparse girl."

Zhen Su spent less time discussing calligraphy and painting, and studied more in his own house. He picked up the charcoal sketches that the modern "Su Zhen" had learned in his childhood, prepared a pack of thin fire sticks with paper, and painted a half-length portrait of Su Jingzhai according to his memory. When the first one failed, he painted the second and third. By the third one, it looked like an ancient black-and-white "photo", but more lively than a photo, with vivid eyes, realistic expressions, and majesty in his kindness.

Zhen Su only came out at mealtime and went back after dinner. On the morning of the third day, she paid for hot water to take a bath and changed into her newly bought apricot-yellow summer dress. Because she would arrive at 9:00 p.m. today, the boatman did not prepare lunch.

She was not one to waste food, so she shared the snacks she brought with the three children on the boat to prevent them from going bad and becoming inedible.

Uncle Su Qi stood outside the door and knocked twice, "Miss Shu, we are almost at the Yueyangfu Pier, we need to get off the boat."

"Coming soon." Zhen Su put on his bag and glanced around the room to make sure nothing was left out.