jdhmnovel Chapter 579 Arrangements to expedite the process
Chapter 579 Arrangements to expedite the process
Sixth Sister's thinking is avant-garde; she wants to find a mentally challenged man for a marriage of convenience.
Jiang Xiaoqi scratched his head. He didn't object to this idea or this choice.
The only problem is that Sixth Sister's choice of people was too cunning.
"Sixth Sister, let's think about this matter more carefully. After all, it's a lifelong matter, so let's not treat it too lightly."
The road ahead is long, and your current thoughts may change in the future. So, let's just... let things take their course, okay?
Jiang Xiaoqi's idea is to persuade her family not to pressure Jiang Weier into marriage, and to let Jiang Weier think carefully about what kind of life she wants to live.
"Sixth Sister, our family's daughters are destined to marry late. Since we've already waited until now, what's wrong with waiting a little longer?"
Even if Sixth Sister decides to stay home for life, it's fine; there's no need to jump into a fire pit. Our Jiang family doesn't need Sixth Sister's chopsticks."
My grandfather, Landlord Jiang, was focused on his official career and was about to be promoted to the sixth rank, so he naturally didn't pay much attention to family matters.
Madam Jiang has always cared about the twin sisters she raised. Now that the fifth sister is married, only Liu from her hometown remains as a worry for her.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi is now the unsung head of the family, and the elderly couple will definitely respect and consider his opinions and decisions.
“I know my family won’t accept me, but…”
"There's no need to look back and make yourself suffer. Just read and write every day, and if you get bored, go out for a picnic or barbecue. There are so many wonderful things in life, why always dwell on the little things that don't go your way?"
The frogs in the pond croaked tirelessly, as if bidding farewell to the last days of summer.
The chill of early autumn is gradually deepening, and the backyard of the Jiang residence will eventually become even more tranquil.
"Okay, that's all very Mingfei's idea. I'm not going to think about these things anymore. I'll just focus on living my own life."
“That’s right, Sixth Sister, just live as you please, I’ll take care of everything.”
The next day, Jiang Xiaoqi ended the leave she had specially requested for her two older sisters and stepped into the palace gates again.
Upon seeing the Second Prince, she couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward.
"Sir, what's wrong with you today?"
"Uh, it's nothing. I'm probably just a little tired from sending my two older sisters off to their weddings."
"It's understandable. My husband is very close to his sisters, and he must feel a little lost with the sudden loss of two of them."
"Yes, but as the younger brother, I can only wish my sisters happiness. I can't force Sister Jiang to stay at home."
The Second Prince nodded, but his gaze lingered on Jiang Xiaoqi's slightly reddened earlobes. He thought to himself, "The teacher is acting rather strangely today."
Jiang Xiaoqi also realized that she was being a little too nervous. Her sixth sister had her eye on the second prince, so when she saw the second prince again, she couldn't help but think of what her sixth sister had said yesterday.
In particular, Sixth Sister wanted to use the Second Prince as a tool for a marriage of convenience, firstly to silence others, and secondly to use the Second Prince's status and position to assist the Jiang family.
So how could he not feel guilty when faced with the Second Prince's genuinely worried face?
"By the way, Your Highness, I spoke with Lord Qiu about shipbuilding a few days ago, and Lord Qiu is very willing to go to Tongzhou to share Your Highness's burdens."
Never mind, let's change the subject first.
Upon hearing this, a hint of surprise flashed in the Second Prince's eyes, and the topic was successfully diverted.
Shipbuilding is a major undertaking. With the money from the teacher and the labor from Lord Qiu of Qiu City, he estimated that his ship would be ready for launch soon.
"That's excellent. With Lord Qiu's assistance, the shipbuilding project will surely proceed much more smoothly. In Tongzhou Prefecture, with your father also overseeing the project and providing support, the task will be even more efficient."
"It is mainly Lord Qiu who is in charge. My father knows very little about shipbuilding, but Lord Qiu has at least worked in the Ministry of Works and is considered an expert."
My father's duty is to assist Lord Qiu. If there are any troubles or manpower shortages in the local area, my father can help resolve them.
Over the past four years, my father has maintained good relations with the local people and has some connections.
What Jiang Xiaoqi didn't say was that his father was very familiar with ordinary people, especially peddlers and laborers.
Although Jiang Wenqing has no outstanding political achievements, his reputation among the people is now top-notch.
The second prince nodded in agreement. One was in charge of the shipbuilding project, and the other was in charge of coordination. This combination was quite suitable.
"Lord Qiu has extensive experience in overall planning and is no stranger to shipbuilding. He will surely complete the shipbuilding task soon. Your Highness only needs to wait for good news."
The second prince nodded slightly, "Thank you for your efforts and contributions, sir."
Jiang Xiaoqi quickly cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is too kind. Serving Your Highness is my duty."
The two went through the specific details again, and Jiang Xiaoqi also made a rough budget.
However, just in case, and to give Lord Qiu a backup plan, an extra ten thousand taels of silver were added, with refunds for any overpayment and additional payments for any underpayment.
Based on his understanding of Qiu City, the Second Prince also approved of this arrangement.
Qiu Cheng has many minor flaws, but in terms of being an honest and upright official, few in the court can surpass him.
Once the money is in Qiu Cheng's hands, he will only spend it in small amounts, and he will try his best to save the money that he doesn't have to spend.
However, Jiang Xiaoqi had already given instructions, of course, to speak in the name of the Second Prince.
Workers and craftsmen's wages cannot be deducted, and they must be provided with two meals a day, which must be dry rice, with two dishes and one rice, one meat and one vegetable.
This puzzled Qiu Cheng; why should he spend money to provide meals when he had already been paid?
Jiang Xiaoqi's explanation directly changed Qiu Cheng's mind, making him feel that providing meals was more worthwhile.
After all, providing meals makes craftsmen work harder, and the time cost is far greater than that of two meals.
When craftsmen stand on the side of their employers and genuinely care about their interests, a lot of materials that could otherwise be saved during the shipbuilding process can be saved.
All things considered, the cost of two meals really isn't much.
After explaining the shipbuilding details, the two prepared to begin their lessons for the day.
Just then, Chen Lin rushed in to report: "Your Highness, His Majesty has suddenly fallen ill. You should go and see him quickly, as I'm afraid I'll have to attend to him today."
The second prince's expression changed, and he immediately stood up. "Sir, I must go see my father first."
Jiang Xiaoqi also stood up. "Your Highness, please go quickly. If you need anything, please send someone to let us know."
After the Second Prince left in a hurry, Jiang Xiaoqi felt a vague unease.
This is so sudden; everything was fine just a few days ago when I attended court.
The poetry gathering at the Tong family has just ended, and the Fifth Prince has obtained a treasure map from the previous dynasty. Could it be that the Fifth Prince is behind this?
But has the fifth prince really become that powerful? To be able to openly lay a hand on the emperor in the palace?
Regardless, at this time, the Second Prince must stay close to His Majesty, and in times of emergency, it is also necessary for him to confess his secrets to His Majesty.
Otherwise, if someone else gets there first, all those years of patience and preparation will have been for nothing.
Jiang Xiaoqi also disliked this situation where she was forced to speed up the process and disrupt the plan, but often things would not go as smoothly as she had imagined.
There's no other way but to prepare for both possibilities; it's time to bring Raymond Lam back to Beijing!