Chapter 567 - 290约_2
Prince Ning and the Princess both wore half-worn house clothes, whereas Zhu Sujin’s garments were new and made of fine material.
She had always thought this was Prince Ning maintaining appearances, showcasing their austere servitude. It wasn’t until she heard Father Jiang’s words that she realized they truly had no money.
Prince Ning had no influential maternal family or in-laws, was initially overlooked, and then spent years under house arrest. After his release, given the Emperor’s attitude towards him, it was unlikely that he would receive much in the way of gifts. Even though Prince Ning’s men had opened some shops and bought some land, it was still a case of more going out than coming in. Most of their money was spent on fostering power in secret.
Later, after making some accomplishments in war, the Emperor rewarded him quite generously. However, Prince Ning felt that he had not done right by his subordinates who risked their lives on the battlefield because he could not win the favor of the Emperor and secure them a promising future. Therefore, he gave a great deal of his rewards to those whom he felt had been wronged.
Qian Yixiu thought of the times when her family was in the countryside, and how Prince Ning Mansion sent them high-quality goods and fabrics—now she realized it was the Princess herself who had not wanted to keep them but rather sent them to her family.
Thinking about the glass factory, which was set to start production next year and promised to yield huge profits, she knew such a big pie was too much for her family to swallow alone, and forcing it could be counterproductive. So, she decided to give more shares to Prince Ning. She had already planned to give some shares to him, though not a great deal. Seeing as her family was now considered part of Prince Ning’s faction, she decided to give generously. True friendship was like sending charcoal in snowy weather, to give him the ample strength to cultivate his power and achieve his goals sooner. If he ever took the throne, her contribution would be undeniable.
She made up her mind and decided to visit Prince Ning Mansion in a couple of days, to deliver the Red Demon Fruit to Princess Ning and discuss the share offer with Prince Ning.
After breakfast, she went to the main courtyard to greet Grandfather Sangui and Grandma Wu and informally request leave. She wanted to visit Jinxiu Embroidery Workshop to clear her mind and discuss with Qian Hua about moving the Liancourt Cosmetics Factory to Capital City next year or the year after. The spending capacity in Ji’an Province was limited, with the majority of Liancourt Cosmetics being transported from Xishan County to Capital City and the wealthy region of Jiangnan. The transportation costs were excessively high and uneconomical. This was something Qian Yixiu and Qian Hua had long discussed, although some details had yet to be finalized.
Just as she stepped into the yard, she saw Cai Xiaoji coming. Cai Xiaoji, not yet six years old and the grandson of Second Housekeeper Cai as well as the younger brother of Bai Zhu, had unrestricted access to the inner court and even Xiangxue Courtyard.
He rolled over to her like a ball, bowed to Qian Yixiu, and said, "Little one greets Miss."