Chapter 168 Impulsive
"The Grand Marshal heard that His Highness's wedding date has been decided, so he specially ordered me to send generous gifts to express his congratulations to His Highness. There will be generous gifts for His Highness's wedding next year." Li Ge said with a smile.
"King Qin is interested." Zhao Xing smiled and nodded.
This is just a pretext. Zhao Xing doesn’t believe that Li Ge came here just for this trivial matter.
"Besides, I have another piece of business that I want to discuss with His Highness the Crown Prince when I come here this time." Li Ge said.
"I leave all the business matters to Sheng Wei. If you have anything to do, just talk to him." Zhao Xing said.
“Only His Highness the Crown Prince can decide this matter, so we can only talk to His Highness the Crown Prince.” Li Ge said.
"Oh?" Zhao Xing said with great interest: "Why do you have to talk to Gu?"
"The generalissimo wants to buy the method of making perfume." Li Ge said.
"The method of making perfume is a gold mine, and it is impossible to sell it alone." Zhao Xing shook his head.
He didn't know the ingredients of the fixative, so he couldn't figure it out.
Therefore, the perfume produced has a big shortcoming. Not only does the fragrance not last long, it is also not conducive to preservation.
The former is okay, the fragrance is not long-lasting, just wait until the fragrance is almost gone, then use it again.
Anyway, only wealthy ladies can afford this thing. For them, it is nothing more than spending more money.
In this way, you can make more money.
But the problem of the latter is more serious. Without a fixative, the fragrance evaporates quickly, and the ancient sealing technology is backward.
Once the distance is too far, the fragrance will be almost evaporated by the time the things arrive.
Li Ge also bought some before, but when it was shipped to Liao Kingdom, there was only a very light fragrance left.
Although the smell is better than those spices, it is too weak. You can hardly smell the fragrance soon after using it. It is not as effective as spices.
Therefore, there is no market for perfume in the Liao Kingdom.
Li Ge also knew that this was caused during the transportation process, and it was not that there was no market for the perfume.
I once asked to buy perfume making methods, but Zhao Xing refused verbally.
Firstly, the price given by Li Ge could not attract him. Secondly, after selling to Li Ge, there was a risk of leakage.
"Your Highness doesn't have to be so hasty to refuse. Why don't you first listen to what conditions I can offer." Li Ge said with a smile.
"It seems that you are very confident that your conditions can impress Gu, so I would like to hear it." Zhao Xing said.
"Five thousand stallions!" Li Ge said.
Zhao Xing was startled when he heard this. He was really moved when he heard the price.
Thousands of stallions have been obtained through transactions with Li Ge over the years.
Now Li Ge has asked for five thousand horses as soon as he opens his mouth, which is quite a big deal.
However, Zhao Xing also knew that it was not Li Ge’s decision to breed so many horses.
In other words, the person who wants the secret recipe for perfume is Yelu Zhongyuan behind him.
Zhao Xing did not lose his mind because of five thousand stallions.
It has been a few years since I created the perfume. It was more than a year since I last rejected Li Ge.
Even the last time Li Ge came to Bianjing to meet with him, he didn't mention this matter.
Today, suddenly paying such a high price for the secret recipe of perfume is obviously not possible just to make money.
If so, why didn't Li Ge mention it last time?
Seeing Zhao Xing's silence, Li Ge felt a little anxious, but he didn't show it.
Zhao Xing’s guess was good. The secret recipe for the perfume was indeed Yelu Zhongyuan’s. He felt a little strange.
Because five thousand stallions is not Yelu Zhongyuan’s bottom line, his bottom line is ten thousand.
It is difficult not to be discovered by giving Song Dynasty so many horses at once.
Although Yelu Chongyuan is now very powerful, he has not reached the point where he can dominate the world with one hand.
Although Li Ge was puzzled, Yelu Zhongyuan told him that he must get the secret recipe of the perfume, so he could only do it.
However, in order to show his ability, he did not reveal his trump card at once.
If he can get the secret recipe of perfume at a smaller price, it will be a big achievement.
So even though he was anxious, he did not urge him, but instead acted calmly.
When Zhao Xing was thinking about these issues, he also looked at Li Ge's expression, but didn't see anything.
After pondering for a while, Zhao Xing said: "Sorry, I won't sell the secret recipe of perfume anyway."
Since nothing can be seen from Li Ge's expression, Zhao Xing Xing came up with a move to retreat in order to advance.
No matter what Li Ge's purpose is, as long as he doesn't agree, he will be the one who is anxious.
Sure enough, when Li Ge heard Zhao Xing's rejection, a trace of anxiety flashed in his eyes and said: "Your Highness, these are five thousand stallions worth more than one million taels of silver, and even Your Highness can't buy them if he is rich. to.”
Stallions are naturally much more expensive than ordinary war horses. After all, those war horses are castrated and cannot breed.
The value of Liao war horses ranges from fifty taels to more than one hundred taels, but stallions can be purchased for two to three hundred taels each.
But this was only for the Song Dynasty. The price of war horses was driven up by the Liao Kingdom's blockade. To the Liao Kingdom, it was not that valuable.
"Now the stallions of the Song Dynasty are enough for the time being. We won't fight anyway, just cultivate them slowly." Zhao Xing said without caring.
"This..." Li Ge gritted his teeth after hearing this and said, "If His Highness is willing to exchange, I can make the decision and increase it to 8,000 horses."
"Haha, Rong Gu should think about this matter carefully. Let's not talk about it today." Zhao Xing looked at Sheng Wei and said, "It's a great pleasure to have friends from far away. Let someone prepare some food and wine to send to Ambassador Li. Wash the dust. Today we only talk about Fengyue and nothing else."
Li Ge opened his mouth. There is not much difference between eight thousand horses and ten thousand horses. Zhao Xing did not agree to it, so he raised it to ten thousand horses. There is a high probability that he will not agree.
I can only think of another way.
After hearing this, Sheng Wei quickly ordered people to prepare for the banquet.
…………
Zhao Xing specially treated Li Ge with high-quality wine and asked Gu Tingye to sit down and drink with him.
I wanted to get Li Ge drunk and see if he could get anything out of him.
Unexpectedly, Li Ge also noticed it. Seeing Gu Tingye and Sheng Wei kept urging them to drink, he pretended to be drunk and poured it on the table.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing could only ask Sheng Wei to arrange for someone to send him down to rest.
When Li Ge was taken away by his servants, Zhao Xing said: "It is unusual for Yelu Zhongyuan to pay such a high price for the secret recipe of perfume. This Li Ge may not know Yelu Zhongyuan's purpose, but he It can provide some useful information. I’m going to leave him alone for a few days and see if I can get any useful information out of him.”
"Yes." Sheng Wei responded.
At this moment, Zhang Feng walked in and saluted: "Your Highness, there are several carriages coming outside. They say they are family members of Sheng Yuanwai, coming from Youyang's hometown."
< br>"Your Highness, I received a letter from Quanzi a few days ago, saying that I will come to Bianjing with my old mother and some relatives in the near future. They should have arrived." Sheng Wei said.
After Sheng Wei moved to Bianjing, his mother lived in Bianjing for a while. She felt unaccustomed to it and insisted on returning to her hometown in Youyang.
Sheng Wei had no choice but to send his mother back.
Fortunately, Youyang's eldest son and daughter-in-law are still there, so the old mother doesn't have to worry about no one to take care of her when she goes back.
Now that Sheng Changwu’s wedding day is approaching, his mother and relatives from Youyang came together to attend Sheng Changwu’s wedding.
"In that case, I will leave first so as not to disturb your family's reunion." Zhao Xing stood up and said.
"I send you off to Your Highness!"
Sheng Wei escorted Zhao Xing to the door and saw a large number of people, men, women and children standing at the door.
The leader was an old woman with silver hair, supported by two women dressed as women in their early twenties.
"Mother!" Sheng Wei quickly stepped forward to salute, then turned around and cupped his hands towards Zhao Xing and said, "This is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" The Sheng family members quickly bowed. Salute.
"Old lady, please excuse me." Zhao Xingxu gave her a hand and said with a smile: "I didn't know that the old lady arrived today, so she was stopped outside the house. She became a bad guest."
"Your Highness is serious. Your Highness can come to the door and the Sheng family will be prosperous." The eldest lady said with a smile.
After a few words of greeting, Zhao Xing left with the respect of the Sheng family.
…………
“The one on the right should be Sheng Shulan, right?”
Back in the East Palace, Zhao Xing was often distracted when dealing with Zha Zi.
Sheng Shulan's somewhat melancholy look always appeared in his mind.
It's not that Zhao Xing fell in love with her at first sight, but he had an inexplicable impulse.
Zhao Xing has no shortage of beauties around him. Not to mention the concubines that his father, the emperor, and his mother have chosen for him, there are also the maids in the East Palace, all of whom are gorgeous.
Many of them are more beautiful than Sheng Shulan in terms of looks alone.
For him, the maids in the East Palace are completely given and taken away. But Zhao Xing could bear it, even if he slept with Yu Yanran every day, Zhao Xing could bear it.
But I only met Sheng Shulan once, and I couldn’t help but think about it.
Do you have the attributes of a Cao thief?
Zhao Xing quickly shook his head, he had never had such a hobby in his previous life.
After thinking for a long time, Zhao Xing came to a conclusion.
What attracted him to Sheng Shulan was not her status as a wife, but her mature and melancholy temperament. Otherwise, why didn't he miss the other one?
Zhao Xing didn't have that strong impulse towards Zhang Guifen and the other girls, and he could even hold back the last step with Yu Yanran.
It's not that he has a strong will and can restrain his desires, but that these women are too young.
The same is true for the maids in the East Palace. Basically, when they reach the age of seventeen or eighteen, they will be rewarded by Zhao Xing to the unmarried officers in the Forbidden Army.
They were too young, which made Zhao Xing lose the physical impulse, so he could bear it.
But Sheng Shulan is different. She is now twenty-four or five years old, and she is very attracted to Zhao Xing.
"Huh."
Zhao Xing exhaled and said, "Sanshui, let someone call Liu Sanshi."
"Yes." Sanshui responded.
Zhao Xing tapped his fingers on the table unconsciously. Whether it was a heartbeat or a physiological impulse, there was no need for him to restrain this impulse and make himself uncomfortable.
If the development in the original drama is followed, Sheng Shulan should have divorced and remarried.
But now, because of his existence, many things are somewhat different from their original development.
He needs to determine Sheng Shulan's current situation.
If Sheng Shulan was married, Zhao Xing would not be able to force her to divorce.
But if you are divorced and never married, it will be nothing.
As for her having been married before, it is nothing.
The Song Dynasty itself did not restrict women from changing prices, and even encouraged them.
Furthermore, one of his grandfather’s queens was married before entering the palace and eventually became a queen. Why did he accept a married woman as his concubine?
I obviously have the capital to do whatever I want without violating etiquette, law and morality, so why should I restrain my inner thoughts and make myself feel uncomfortable?
Soon, Liu Sanshi walked into the study and saluted: "Your Highness!"
"Come closer, I have something for you to do." Zhao Xing waved.
When Liu Sanshi heard this, he stepped forward and Zhao Xing whispered a few words.
"Did you hear clearly?"
"I heard you clearly, slave."
"Go."
"Servant, please retire." Liu Sanshi He bowed and left.
After Liu Sanshi left, Zhao Xing continued to deal with Zha Zi.
I don’t know if he has already made a decision, but Zhao Xing feels that his thoughts are clear, and he is no longer as absent-minded as before.
In the evening, Liu Sanshi came to report the investigated news to Zhao Xing.
Sheng Shulan had divorced more than a month ago.
The reason was that Sheng Shulan’s husband had an outside wife and had a son.
After being discovered by Sheng Shulan, she simply broke the jar and proposed to bring the outer room into the door.
However, that outhouse was originally a brothel girl, and the second wife of the Sheng family had suffered losses from brothel girls, so the rules were set. Women under the same roof.
Sheng Shulan naturally refused and went back to her parents’ home to cry.
After learning about it, the eldest lady wrote a letter to communicate with Sheng Wei, and finally chose to let Sheng Shulan and Sun Xiucai reconcile.
After the divorce, Sheng Wei didn't want his daughter to stay in the sad place of Youyang. As Sheng Changwu's wedding was approaching, he asked his daughter to come to Bianjing and prepare to find a family to marry near Bianjing.
Zhao Xing guessed that Sun Xiucai kept the woman outside because Sheng Wei was favored by him.
This resulted in the two of them getting together and separating much later than before.
As for whether the guess is correct or not, it is no longer important.
Now that it was confirmed that Sheng Shulan had not remarried, Zhao Xing ordered Liu Sanshi to visit the Sheng family the next day.
…………
When Mrs. Sheng arrives in Bianjing, Sheng Hong and Mrs. Sheng will definitely come to visit her.
Early the next morning, Sheng Hong took leave, and the whole family took a car to Sheng Wei's house.
After greeting each other for a while, the women went to the backyard to talk in the main hall.
The men stayed in the main hall of the front yard to talk.
While we were chatting, a servant came in and reported that the servant Liu from the East Palace was here.
After Sheng Wei learned about it, he quickly went out to greet him, and Sheng Hong called his son and nephew to the backyard to make room for Sheng Wei.
After a while, Sheng Wei and Liu Sanshi came to the main hall talking and laughing. After sitting down, the servants brought tea.
"Sheng Yuanwai, His Highness learned that Sheng Yuanwai's old mother and relatives from his hometown were here, and asked me to send some wild ginseng to the old lady to replenish her body, and some fabrics, which were given to those who were outside Sheng Yuanwai. Relatives." Liu Sanshi smiled.
"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness. Your Highness misses me so much, and I will never repay you even if I die." Sheng Wei excitedly bowed towards the East Palace to express his gratitude.
"I have some great news to tell Sheng Yuanwai." Liu Sanshi said and looked at the servant standing in the room.
Sheng Wei understood and quickly sent the person away.
"His Highness said that after Sheng Yuanwai's second son gets married, the eldest daughter of Sheng Yuanwai will be allowed to enter the East Palace." Liu Sanshi smiled and said, "Congratulations to Sheng Yuanwai."
Sheng Wei heard this I was stunned by this news. It took me a while to come back to my senses and said: "Is Liu's wife not mistaken? Is His Highness talking about the minister's second daughter?"
"How could I be wrong about such a thing? ?" Liu Sanshi frowned and said, "Is it possible that Mr. Sheng is not willing?"
"Your Highness is interested in the younger daughter, so I am absolutely willing." Sheng Wei said quickly.
If his daughter could enter the palace to serve the prince, he would naturally be willing to do so.
Although the niece has been confirmed to be the crown prince's concubine, she only has to wait for her haircut to enter the palace.
But a niece is just a niece after all. With his daughter entering the palace, the future and wealth of his lineage are also guaranteed.
But not only was Sheng Shulan married before, she was also ten years older than the prince. How could His Highness think of letting her enter the palace.
So when he heard Liu Sanshi's words, his first reaction was that he had mistaken the wrong person.
"Isn't this already divorced?" Liu Sanshi said with a smile.
"This..." Sheng Wei opened his mouth and said, "It is an honor for my little girl to serve His Highness the Crown Prince. When Quanzi's marriage is over, I will send her to the East Palace."
Zhao Xing doesn't mind that his daughter has married someone else. If he says anything else, he doesn't know how to praise her.
"Haha, then I will go back and report to His Highness." Liu Sanshi said with a smile.
……
Sheng Wei sent Liu Sanshi away with a dizzy head and came to the backyard.
The main hall in the backyard was full of laughter and laughter. Old Mrs. Sheng, who was talking to the eldest lady, saw Sheng Wei coming back and asked with a smile: "I heard from Hong'er that someone is coming from the East Palace. If something happens to you, Even if we are busy, we are all a family, and there are no outsiders."
"Yes, we can't delay His Highness's business," the eldest lady said.
"Mother, aunt."
Sheng Wei saluted and said, "His Royal Highness sent someone to say...say..."
"What are you talking about? Why are you so hesitant to speak?" the old lady asked anxiously.
"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince said that after Changwu's wedding, Shulan would be allowed to serve in the East Palace." Sheng Wei said.
“What?”
As soon as Sheng Wei said this, everyone chatting in the hall fell silent.
"Weier, are you sure His Highness is talking about Shulan?" Mrs. Sheng said uncertainly.
"Yes!" Sheng Wei nodded and said: "My nephew couldn't believe it at first, so he asked again and it was indeed Shulan."
"Oh." The old lady patted her thigh and sighed. : "My poor granddaughter. She is so much older than His Highness. In the future... in the future... alas!"
"Sister-in-law!" Old Mrs. Sheng pulled the eldest lady, looked at Mrs. Li and said, "Let me Servants, please step aside.”
“Hey.”
Li finally realized and sent all the servants waiting in the room out.
"Sister-in-law, you are really out of your mind. What you said just now was a bit treasonous, and you can say it nonsense?" Old Mrs. Sheng said.
"But Shulan is much older than His Highness. In a few years, His Highness will become old and lose her beauty. I'm afraid His Highness won't even look at her." The eldest lady looked at her eldest granddaughter with pity.
"Grandma, please stop talking. It is also an honor for my granddaughter to enter the palace to serve His Highness the Crown Prince." Sheng Shulan also came back to her senses at this time and said with a smile.
She always felt that she was separated and had brought shame to her family.
Even if His Highness the Crown Prince doesn't even look at her, she is willing to bring benefits to the family.
"You have suffered so much over the years. I originally thought about asking your father to find a good family for you near Bianjing. In the future, we will be close and we can take care of you. If I had known better, I should have promised Jun'er to speak for you. Such a marriage." The old lady sighed.
A big chapter of 5,000 words, two chapters of 8,000 words. It was originally an extra chapter, but later I was too lazy to divide it, so I merged it into one chapter.
Still owe three chapters.
(End of this chapter)