TV Series: When the Villain Chooses to Stand by

Chapter 181 Yixiu 50

Nian Shilan got the answer she wanted and went back happily to write a letter home.

This trip to the Old Summer Palace gave Chaogui the opportunity to meet Hongli.

The two stood together looking at the map in front of them and discussing what to do next. Chao Gui knew what Hongli wanted to do, but she did not have such big ambitions and only wanted to protect herself.

However, she will try her best to help if she can, as it never hurts to make good connections.

"Auntie seems to be in a good mood. Are you satisfied with the profits this time?"

"Of course. Who would have thought that spices and grains were so cheap in that place? They could make such huge profits just by reselling them. No wonder smuggling along the coast continues despite repeated bans."

Chao Gui handed a box to Hongli and said, "Here, it costs a lot of money to support the army. Consider it a loan from me, your aunt."

"Don't forget to pay it back when you become successful!"

Hongli's eyes lit up. Trading with overseas countries was indeed very profitable. Some of their men had weapons, and their men were all heroes who had fought on the battlefield, so they naturally had an advantage.

After completing their first collaboration, the two of them tacitly chose to separate. Even brothers settle accounts clearly.

What's more, the market is so big that it is enough for them to make a fuss.

Unlike Chaogui, who has the attributes of a Pixiu, Hongli spends his money like water.

If you want to travel long distances, you need better ships and weapons. The people recruited from all over the place also need to be trained before they can get on board. To ensure their combat effectiveness, better food needs to be provided.

The ship he has now was bought at a high price, and his own shipyard is still working hard to build new ships.

Each one requires a lot of financial support.

Hongli has been very busy during this period. Only after becoming the head of the family did he realize how important money is.

I don’t know if it was because of this experience, but Hongli later focused on practicality in everything and never had dazzling aesthetics again.

"Don't worry, auntie. I will repay you a hundredfold in the future." Hongli took the box and saw the box full of banknotes. He was so moved that tears came out.

He will help Chaogui if she needs anything in the future.

Chao Gui pursed her lips and patted Hongli's shoulder. "Don't brag. As far as I know, you're a bottomless pit. I don't ask for much. Just pay me back when the time comes."

Hongli's mouth twitched, and he felt embarrassed for a moment.

Chao Gui was right. He really couldn't guarantee such a thing. Even among the emperors of all dynasties in this land, few dared to say that they were not short of money at all.

He closed the lid embarrassedly and said, "Aunt, I will remember this kindness."

Such a simple monetary transaction is much simpler than cooperation, and it can directly avoid various conflicts in the future. As for whether Hongli will deny it,

Chao Gui believed that with the Queen around, this kind of situation would never happen.

"What's the situation in Sulu now? Why do you seem to be in no hurry?"

Chao Gui looked at Hongli with some doubt. Although this nephew was young, he was very steady in his work. What they did along the coast could not be kept secret for a few years.

It would be better to take advantage of this opportunity to expand overseas. Why bother to do business slowly in the local area?

Hongli smiled mysteriously. He walked leisurely to the recliner and sat down, swaying slowly, his eyes fixed on the map.

"Its geographical location is very important. We can use it as a springboard to reach further places. The local forces are nothing to be feared. Their firepower coverage is very limited."

Hongli also felt sorry for the high cost of ammunition, but he also knew that these soldiers who fought for him were more important.

I am expanding outwards, and at the beginning, the number of people I can trust is limited, so there is no need to sacrifice myself on the battlefield.

Chao Gui doesn’t understand these things, but her biggest advantage now is that she is studious. The more experiences she has, the more she realizes her own shallowness.

She has learned to learn things from everyone around her that she doesn't understand.

"Then what are you hesitating about? Are there other forces there besides the local ones?"

When talking about this, Hongli's expression became serious. He pulled out a long scroll from under the table and handed it to Chaogui.

"The situation there is more complicated than I imagined, and the world outside is far more exciting than what the Empress Dowager described."

"Looking at it this way, I'm the frog in the well."

Hongli spoke words that were derogatory to himself, but his eyes revealed a fierce and excited look. He was just an unpopular prince and there were limits to what he could know.

It wasn't until now that I realized how big the world outside is and how much faster they are developing.

At this time, Hongli was even more grateful that he was awakened by the queen. After reading the contents of the scroll, he became more certain of his idea and continued at this pace.

You never know when those curly-haired guys will arrive at your doorstep.

Chao Gui hesitated and opened the long scroll, which depicted various situations of Sulu.

Strange buildings can be seen everywhere; farmers with numb expressions in the fields; curly-haired people walking arrogantly on the streets, their completely different faces reveal their identities.

Chao Gui had also seen such people, including the painters in the palace and several officials of the previous dynasty. It was said that their hometowns were far away overseas.

What puzzled Chao Gui even more was that there were many well-dressed officials in the painting, but they were all servile when facing those foreigners.

The flattery and fear on his face were particularly glaring through the portrait.

"These people are so far away, and they control Sulu?"

Chao Gui couldn't help but exclaim in surprise. It was not that she was making a fuss. Having lived in the palace since she was a child, she naturally thought that this huge empire was the center of the world.

Although Sulu is just a small place, those alien races were able to cross thousands of miles and control it.

This had a huge impact on Chao Gui's cognition.

"Yes, and they have complete control. Those people also appointed a governor, who holds all the power. The original regime has been completely broken. He can be regarded as an emperor."

"Ah? Just them?"

"There are many merchants traveling along the coast. Why didn't anyone report this?"

Chao Gui stood up in disbelief, leaning over the scroll and looking at those aliens in shock. She couldn't accept it.

Her route was different from Hongli's, and she had not inquired carefully about the things going on there.

Therefore, we don’t know much about it. We know that there are all kinds of people there, from all over the place, but we don’t know what the situation is like at the top.

Seeing that she was about to tear his scroll, Hongli sighed, stood up, pulled her away, and rolled up the paper again.

"Humph, what else could it be? First, it's profit, and second, it's arrogance."

"The punishment for going to sea was too severe after it was exposed. The property was confiscated and the country was exiled. Besides, what would happen if it was reported? The court's attention is all on the northwest."

"They will just think it's just a tiny place, not worth mentioning."

Hongli mocked his own father mercilessly, as if he had completely forgotten that he had once thought the same way.

Hearing these alien races being so arrogant, Chao Gui couldn't help but worry.

"In that case, what are your plans? Will it be too dangerous? How about changing your target first? We know the Japanese pirates well, so it will be much easier to deal with them."

Hongli shook his head, "It's not the right time yet. It's easy to be discovered there, and it's not as valuable as Sulu."

"It's not dangerous at all. The weapons I have are better than theirs. I just need to wait and accumulate enough strength before taking action."

"Well, if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know."

"Don't worry, auntie, your nephew won't be polite."

Hongli was also anxious. He was twelve years old now. As the business outside became bigger and bigger, many things could no longer be handled by others.

Fortunately, the Taiwan government is far away, so as long as we take good care of it, we can support the army.

Several palace maids around him have faked their deaths. If it weren't for Nian Shilan helping him to fool people, the rumor would have spread long ago.

Even if he doesn't mind, having a reputation as a bloodthirsty person is always disadvantageous.

Nian Shilan soon received a reply, and after discussing with Hongli, her nephew soon "sacrificed" on the battlefield.

Nian Gengyao was so grief-stricken that he was injured without noticing.

The power in his hands accumulated rapidly, and no matter how mature Hongli was, he could not control the excitement in his heart.

He was in charge of weapons manufacturing, which was also the most important step in intimidating the Nian family. After tasting the sweetness, Hongli paid more attention to this aspect and was willing to spend any amount of money.

With such progress, it was natural to share it with someone as soon as possible. As usual, Hongli picked lotus flowers in person to meet the queen.

Everyone in the palace knew that the Fourth Prince was not valued by the Emperor, so naturally he couldn't produce any good things.

But this time Hongli was stopped outside by Jianqiu.

"Please wait in the side hall for a moment, Fourth Prince. The Emperor is hosting a banquet for his ministers today, and several ladies have come to visit with their female relatives. They have been here for quite some time."

Hongli didn't think much about it. His mind was full of his own grand ambitions, so he walked towards the side hall.

After taking a few steps, the lady inside came out. It was difficult to avoid each other when they met, so both sides greeted each other very politely.

The handsome young man holding a lotus instantly attracted the attention of those who were interested.

The girls lowered their heads and didn't look around, but Fu Cha Minyu took a quick glance and remembered this person in her heart.

The two passed each other, and a breeze happened to blow by, and a petal slowly fell on Fu Cha Minyu's arm. She picked up the petal without leaving a trace.

Hongli knew nothing about this matter and just wanted to show off his achievements as soon as possible.

Yixiu is never stingy with her praise for children.

"It's already taken shape in such a short time. I was right. Your Royal Father is still worried about his future at this age."

"At such a young age, you are so organized. You will definitely be able to build a bigger empire in the future."

"The Japanese palace met Concubine Hua a few days ago, and she also praised you highly."

Hongli had a faint smile on his face, and the area behind his ears was already red. As for Yixiu's disparagement of the emperor, wasn't that normal? He was just better than him.

"Her Majesty Hua Guifei is kind-hearted and easy to get along with. She has provided a lot of help to me this time."

"I will definitely work hard and will not let the Empress Dowager down."

In Hongli's expectant eyes, Yixiu touched his head and said, "Some time ago, Chaogui participated in disaster relief and was quite moved after returning."

“Life as a civilian is not easy. When you do these things, don’t forget your original intention.”

"A good emperor must be one who is loved by the people, not one who sits high above the temple and cannot distinguish between grain and food."

"You are so outstanding at such a young age. The Empress Dowager believes that you will do even better in the future."

The twelfth prince is already sensible and will be able to get married in a few years, but Yixiu couldn't help but start to deceive the half-grown child.

Hongli was so flattered by the praise that he left feeling very satisfied.

On the way back, he happened to meet the noble lady who was chatting. He wanted to turn around and avoid her, but he heard his own name in her voice.

"The one who just asked to see the Empress was the Fourth Prince, right? I heard he always lives in the garden and rarely shows up."

"It doesn't look like what outsiders say. The Queen has met this person."

"So what? If the Emperor doesn't like me, what does it matter even if the Empress does?"

"The lotus is so beautiful. I want to pick some too. Can you come with me, sister?" The young girl didn't understand the meaning of the words and tried to express her opinion but no one paid attention.

"No matter what, the Fourth Prince is of royal blood and a noble family. It's not our place to judge him here. If you really think you have the guts, just speak to him in person."

"Why is Princess Fucha so angry? It's just a casual chat between sisters. There's no need to be so harsh."

"You guys chat slowly, I'm a little bored and leaving first."

Hongli saw the man walking towards him at the corner and stopped in his tracks.

Someone spoke for me, so I just wanted to say thank you. It shouldn't be a big deal.

Fu Cha Minyu walked away angrily. Today, the emperor invited important officials to the banquet, and these female members were also the most valued daughters in the family.

She didn't want to make enemies with them, but this was the royal palace, and maybe her words would reach the ears of the emperor.

She didn't want to make friends with such a brainless person, so she decided to offend him to the end.

"Princess, where are we going? Please don't wander around."

"There's a patch of lilies over there. Let's go sit there and go back when the time comes. I don't want to say anything more to them."

As soon as Fu Cha Minyu finished speaking, she turned around and saw Hongli standing under the tree. Her expression started to frighten her and she quickly saluted.

"This humble servant greets the Fourth Prince."

"Thank you, Princess Fucha, for speaking for me just now." Hongli also returned the greeting very solemnly.

Fu Cha Minyu smiled very stiffly, "Fourth Prince, please forgive me for laughing. It was just my words that were spoken without reason. Please don't blame me."

When she was at home, my mother always told her that she should be more restrained when she was outside and behave in a dignified and generous manner. She was still a little embarrassed when Hongli saw her with a gloomy face.

The two were about to part ways at this point, but Hongli suddenly spoke up, "Excuse me, Hongli, but may I ask if you can tell me the name of Princess Fucha?"

Fu Cha Minyu was stunned for a moment. She knew it was presumptuous, but still asked?

Then he smiled calmly, "You are too polite, Fourth Prince. Minyu is my name."

"Jade has five virtues, it's a good word."

"Fourth Prince has misunderstood. My name is Yu, and it is derived from the character for 'gold'. Father said that although the character 'yu' is beautiful, it is too fragile. Even a woman should have her own edge. He hopes that I will be smart and tenacious."

Fu Cha Minyu looked straight into Hongli's eyes, observing his reaction.

Hongli listened patiently and nodded unconsciously. That's right, although beautiful jade is good, it needs to be cared for. This was the case with the empress, Concubine Hua, and Princess Chaogui whom he had come into contact with.

Everyone has their own ideas, and is no less knowledgeable or capable than men.

This is the only way to survive better.

"I am shallow, please don't blame me, Princess Fucha, the word 'Yu' is very good."

Seeing the appreciation in his eyes, Fu Cha Minyu's smile became more genuine, and the two parted without saying a few words.