sjar Chapter 596 Recruiting People in the South
Chapter 596 Recruiting People in the South
If we try to recruit craftsmen from other places to come to Beijing, it will definitely be too late if we wait until next spring.
To ensure that personnel arrive on time, we need to head south now.
It's freezing cold, so going out now is a real chore.
Qiu Cheng volunteered, but the Second Prince turned his attention to Qiu Feng.
"Your Highness, I am willing to go in my father's place."
Qiu Cheng glared at his son, wanting to reject his son's proposal before the Second Prince could express his opinion.
“Father, although it is winter now, it gets warmer the further south we go, so it’s not really hard to endure. Besides, I’m young and more resilient than you.”
That was far too blunt; it was practically saying that his father was weak and frail.
The second prince was already somewhat conflicted. His own teacher definitely couldn't go; otherwise, if anything happened in the capital, there would be no one to discuss it with or offer advice.
Lord Qiu is indeed getting on in years, and I feel bad about it; it's really hard to choose between him and me.
Now that Qiu Feng has brought it up himself, it seems like both problems can be solved.
What Qiu Feng said makes sense. It is very cold now, but as you leave Beijing and head south, it gets warmer and warmer, and those days will be a bit tough.
By the time enough artisans are gathered back in the city, it will be almost spring again, and the ordeal won't be so difficult.
The second prince nodded. "I will send more people to escort you along the way to ensure your safety."
Qiu Feng immediately knelt down to express his gratitude, and Qiu Cheng could only sigh helplessly at the sight.
With most of the important matters discussed, it was time for the Second Prince to return to the palace.
Qiu Cheng and Jiang Xiaoqi both offered to accompany him on his journey, and the Second Prince gladly accepted his subordinate's offer.
After all, there's only one road back to the city, so it doesn't seem easy to split up and go our separate ways, right?
The group embarked on their journey back to the city. As evening approached, a biting wind blew, stinging their cheeks.
Those inside the carriage obviously don't get any wind, but the one who suffers the most is the driver.
Jiang Xiaoqi had already prepared leather gloves and a mask for Li Mo, as well as fur earmuffs. Li Mo wasn't used to wearing a scarf, so he left it at home for his father, Li Shan, to use.
The Second Prince was quite curious when he first saw Li Mo's strange attire. When he learned that it was for the servants to keep warm, his understanding of Jiang Xiaoqi was completely refreshed.
If a gentleman can think of such subtle details to win people's hearts, how can he not have people around him who are genuinely loyal? I've learned so much, I've learned so much!
"Sir, where did you purchase this equipment?"
"What? Your Highness wants to buy it?"
On the return trip, Jiang Xiaoqi did not ride a horse; instead, the horse was tied to the back of the carriage. However, now he was riding with Qiu Cheng and the Second Prince, while his own carriage contained a stack of account books.
Chen Lin boarded the Qiu family's carriage and rode with Qiu Feng.
"Yes, driving in winter is really tiring. I'd like to get some of these novelties for my drivers to keep warm."
Jiang Xiaoqi hadn't expected the Second Prince to care about such details, but he greatly approved of this approach.
A compassionate heart is extremely precious in those in power, even in the smallest things.
"This warm clothing was made by the servants in my household, and I gave it a name: a four-piece warm clothing set."
These include earmuffs, scarves, gloves, and masks, which protect the ears, neck, hands, mouth, and nose—areas that are inevitably exposed in winter—from catching a cold or getting chilled.
Earmuffs, scarves, gloves, and masks are now essential items for carless people.
Although those who were riding in the carriage were considered to be car owners, the "open-top" carriage was drafty from all sides and not as warm as riding an electric bike in later generations, since electric bikes at least have a windproof cover.
Before the Second Prince could speak, Jiang Xiaoqi said that she would have her servants make several more sets and send them to the palace in a few days.
Seeing Qiu Cheng's hesitant expression, Jiang Xiaoqi offered a few more sets, knowing that Qiu Cheng wanted them for his son Qiu Feng.
Parents always have the same heart. Although they couldn't stop their son from going south, they could still manage to get him a few sets of thermal bedding.
"Hehe, I'm really sorry, thank you very much, Lord Jiang."
"Lord Qiu, you're too kind. We're colleagues, and we're so close, there's no need for such formalities."
Besides, Qiu Feng and I were classmates, so even if you hadn't said anything, I would have prepared something for him.
Furthermore, before he departed, you instructed him to come to the Jiang family to see me, and you also gave him something to protect his life.
Upon hearing this, Qiu Feng's eyes lit up.
I knew Lord Jiang was extraordinary. Was he going to give his son some kind of divine weapon? Or something else?
Forget it, don't ask any more questions. We'll find out when the time comes. Since they haven't said it outright yet, they must have their reasons.
"Oh dear, thank you so much, Lord Jiang! You've gone to so much trouble!"
Whatever it is, it's definitely something precious and valuable. With the owner behind Liuxiang Pavilion involved, it's certainly not an ordinary item.
"Look at you, you're being too polite."
"Haha, alright, alright, let's not stand on ceremony!"
The second prince sat in the middle, feeling comforted as he looked at his only two trusted confidants with a harmonious relationship.
He didn't think that his father's system of checks and balances was applicable to himself and his subordinates.
Moreover, he doesn't have many subordinates. Checks and balances are a double-edged sword; they can effectively solidify his position, but they can also demoralize loyal subordinates.
Moreover, in the early stages of starting a business, there's no need for checks and balances. At this time, everyone should be united, work together against external forces, and focus their efforts on the same goal.
The Second Prince believed these were his insights accumulated over a long period of time, but in reality, these thoughts had been secretly incorporated into his teaching by Jiang Xiaoqi and hidden in the sea of books.
However, this kind of ideological indoctrination, which subtly influences one's own interests, is done in a gentle, pervasive way, without any malicious intent.
So it wasn't just the Second Prince who didn't realize he was being influenced by new ideas; Chen Lin, who was observing, also didn't realize that his way of thinking was changing.
This transformation was also applied to the management of Chen's Pastry Shop, and it yielded excellent results.
The carriage entered the city before it got completely dark. Qiu Cheng returned to his own carriage, and Jiang Xiaoqi also returned to the carriage full of account books.
With guards escorting them along the way, there was no need for the two of them to actually take the Second Prince to the palace gate, as that would be too conspicuous.
After all, no one outside the palace knew that Jiang Xiaoqi and Qiu Cheng were the Second Prince's men, and there were rumors that Scholar Qiu disliked Jiang Xiuzhuan very much. Jiang Xiuzhuan had been targeted by Scholar Qiu a lot when they were both in the Hanlin Academy.
As for who spread these words, you'll have to ask the two good brothers who like to stand up for Jiang Xiaoqi.
Regardless of whether Lord Qiu was wronged or not, Jiang Xiaoqi deliberately did not clarify the matter after learning about it.
Clarify? What's there to clarify? Isn't this fine as it is?
Leaving such messages out there will prevent anyone from knowing they're in cahoots—what a convenient and effective cover!