Zhao Jiaqi nodded, not hiding anything from her. She asked, "Are you planning to stay here in the capital this time, or will you go back after settling your family affairs?"
Li Sisi fell silent. She hadn't thought that far ahead. Now that her sister-in-law had asked, she began to ponder.
"I definitely won't go back before the New Year. As for after the New Year... I haven't decided yet. But with Big Brother here, the possibility of me going back is slim, unless Big Brother goes home, then I'll definitely go with him." She replied truthfully.
"Okay, the shop over there is mine too. I'm currently decorating the inner hall. I plan to open a milk tea and pastry shop here. If you're not busy, help me train some new staff and manage this shop. We'll split the profits, how about it?"
She was an expert at making milk tea. Such a great opportunity falling into her lap was more than she could have wished for.
Smiling, she said, "That's wonderful. But I feel so undeserving to get so much from you. How about just giving me a monthly salary!"
"Silly girl, earn more. When you find a good husband, we'll have better leverage."
Teased by her sister-in-law, Li Sisi's face turned red with shyness.
Just a few days after December began, snow began to fall like goose feathers.
Within two days, the capital was covered in silver. The carriages on the road were fewer, but the hot pot restaurant was exceptionally popular.
Consequently, the price of winter vegetables also skyrocketed. Even with money, it wasn't guaranteed one could buy them.
Xie Kun had already bought all the vegetables. Following Zhao Jiaqi's instructions, he organized a fleet to transport the collected vegetables to various prefectures.
There were even people lining up to buy them, and he made a fortune.
Early in the morning, before dawn, Fan Zehao, carrying a basket of vegetables and a basket of strawberries, went to court.
While others offered gifts stealthily, he, on the other hand, openly presented them to the Emperor.
He even brought things of little monetary value, which earned him much mockery from his colleagues.
"What's so funny about that? I'm a nobody, unlike you noble lords with your wealth and status. You give gold, silver, warm jade, and jewelry. What I can offer is this vegetable, at least it fills the stomach!"
With that, he brushed past his colleagues and headed straight for the Golden Palace.
The Minister of Revenue, finding his words truly irritating, glanced at the minister beside him, "Look, look at him, just a boor."
The others advised, "Why get angry? He even confronts Prince Xian. You've been attending court with him for more than a day, don't you know his temper?"
"Let's go, why argue with a commoner!"
After a few adults left together, he thought about it and agreed. Getting angry at a military man would be beneath him. He flicked his sleeves and entered the hall.
Those watching from behind chuckled silently. Fan Zehao had once again refreshed their perception of him.
As soon as court adjourned, the Emperor, looking at the basket in Wang Zhanlin's hand, smiled, "Minister Fan, when you come to court in the future, remember to bring some vegetables. To eat fresh vegetables and fruits in winter is quite delightful."
In front of so many ministers, the Emperor openly asked for food, which once again refreshed the ministers' understanding of the Emperor.
At this moment, they all felt that the Emperor had been led astray by Fan Zehao, no longer appearing as dignified as an emperor should be.
"Court is adjourned."
Wang Zhanlin stood in the hall and was about to announce the adjournment when a general in armor, covered in dust and looking disheveled, rushed in, holding a secret report. He knelt on the ground and reported, "Your Majesty, an urgent secret report from the border, dispatched at eight hundred li per day."
At this, the ministers who were about to leave promptly stood straight. The hall became exceptionally quiet. They lowered their heads to glance at the person above and saw that the Emperor's expression was extremely grim.
"The old emperor of Zong Sheng Kingdom has passed away. The new emperor has ascended the throne and has dispatched heavy troops to the border. Now, they are also frequently harassing our border towns, disturbing the peace of our soldiers and civilians!"
The Crown Prince pondered for a long time, unable to figure out what Zong Sheng Kingdom was trying to achieve.
"Father, from my understanding, the Crown Prince of Zong Sheng Kingdom is an extremely steady heir. Why would he start asserting his authority and seeking achievements immediately after ascending the throne?"
Huangfu Jintao snorted, handed the secret report to Wang Zhanlin, motioning for him to give it to the Crown Prince, and said, "The old emperor of Zong Sheng Kingdom had just passed away, and then the Crown Prince, heartbroken, followed him. The new emperor is Zong Sheng Kingdom's youngest prince, seventeen years old, named Zong Han."
Upon mentioning Zong Han, several princes in the hall turned grim.
"This Zong Han, young as he is, is skilled in battle and was greatly favored by the emperor of Zong Sheng Kingdom. He has been brutal since childhood. It is even rumored that he trains his soldiers with death row inmates from their country's prisons. He is said to command an iron-clad army of three thousand men, each capable of fighting a hundred. He is a formidable opponent."
After Prince Xiaoyao introduced him, the hall erupted in discussion. Listening closely, everyone had their own opinions.
Some said it was just bluster, as these soldiers were not seen in the previous war.
Others said it was true, and now that he was emperor, he likely wanted to avenge past grievances and also to intimidate those in his court who were not subservient to him.
The buzzing was like flies. The enemy hadn't even reached their doorstep, and these people were already in disarray.
Huangfu Jintao looked down at the officials and called out Fang Jingchen, "Minister Fang, do you have any countermeasures!"
Fang Jingchen stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "This subject is willing to lead troops to the border to quell the harassment."
However, he only mentioned quelling, not attacking or preparing for war.
The Emperor turned to Fan Zehao, "Minister Fan, what about you?"
Fan Zehao stepped forward, respectfully saying, "This subject is willing to accompany General Fang to the border, to repel the enemy together, issue a warning, and if they violate it again, we will strike back directly."
Hearing that there might be another war, the Ministers of War and Revenue disliked it the most. Thus, the Minister of War, Dan Jianping, was the first to step forward.
"Your Majesty, this subject believes it is inappropriate. Warfare is taxing on the people and costly. It would be better to send an envoy to inquire about the situation first before making a decision!"
The Minister of Revenue, Liao Zheng, stepped forward, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, to engage in war without understanding the situation is to disregard the lives of the soldiers on the battlefield, which is not a good thing. I know General Fan is skilled in leading troops, but a fondness for martial pursuits is not the imperial prestige of our Yun Kingdom. We cannot simply showcase ourselves at the expense of the nation. This subject agrees with the Minister of War's words!"
"This subject concurs."
"This subject concurs."
Following Liao Zheng's words, many ministers who opposed war stepped forward in the hall.
Fan Zehao glanced sideways at the people around him, rolling his eyes upward. Did they really think he enjoyed fighting wars?
Wouldn't it be more pleasant to be at home with his wife?
Anyone with a brain could see that the enemy harassing the border was a deliberate probe.
If they didn't teach them a harsh lesson and issue a warning the first time, they would become more aggressive.
The enemy was like a wolf; if it turned back, it was either for revenge or gratitude. To treat the enemy as a sick cat, hah...
He didn't argue or retort. This matter was up to the Emperor to decide, as his stance was already clear.
Prince Xiaoyao stepped forward at this moment, stating his position, "Father, this son believes General Fan is right. This son supports General Fan's statement!"
The Crown Prince followed suit, saying, "This son also supports General Fan's statement!"
Prince Xian also stepped forward, "This son opposes. The border troops have just ceased hostilities and are recuperating. To fight again now would be costly and would claim lives, especially in winter. Our soldiers have not undergone winter training. Moreover, the end of the year is approaching. If... the morale of the soldiers declines, the consequences are unthinkable!"
"Prince Xian is right! Now is the time for peace. We can make plans in the spring."
The Assistant Minister of Personnel, Jiang Song, said, "Exactly. It's only two or three months until spring. By then, if the situation is truly that dire, it won't be too late to send troops!"
Hearing their words, Fan Zehao's head buzzed with anger. He immediately retorted to the minister who had just spoken, "What do you mean 'it won't be too late to send troops'? If that time comes, who will compensate for the lives of the soldiers? You talk about one thing or another with such hypocrisy every day, yet why aren't you mentioning the drain on the people and finances now?"