Chapter 293: Consultation and Discussion
Little Six had barely left when Gu Yanxi entered. Hua Zhi teased, "My study is certainly bustling today."
Gu Yanxi walked straight to her side. "Bitter-sweet candy?"
Hua Zhi nearly rolled her eyes. The more time they spent together, the more he resembled a giant vinegar vat. She opened the drawer and gestured for him to help himself, but the man didn't move. Sighing at this increasingly coquettish man, she had no choice but to pick up a piece and feed it to him.
It was indeed somewhat bitter, counteracting the cloying sweetness of the candy, making it quite acceptable to Gu Yanxi, who normally disliked sweets.
"Little Six..."
"I heard everything." Gu Yanxi held her hand, applying slight pressure as he massaged it. "You did the right thing. A prince is inherently different from ordinary people. While they enjoy wealth and status, there are some things they are naturally deprived of."
Like familial affection, friendship, and even love—for them, these were merely passing amusements.
Feeling the thin calluses on her fingertips, Gu Yanxi recalled A Zhi's words: "Because sometimes we can rely on no one, and there is no one to rely on." Wasn't that precisely the case? His mother had died so tragically, leaving him in utter despair, yet to this day, his father still lived freely. When the Hua family fell, everyone could only stand by idly for various reasons, forcing A Zhi to shoulder everything. Besides relying on themselves, who else could they depend on?
So A Zhi saw things clearly. Even though they were so intimate, even though a prince held her in deep admiration, she never thought to rely on them for anything. At most, she would merely consider them as factors in her plans.
"I'll assign two people to protect them discreetly. You needn't worry about their safety."
"I was about to ask you for help with that." Hua Zhi's eyes curved into smiles; she had no trouble bringing up such matters.
Gu Yanxi gently stroked her cheek and pulled her to her feet. "It's time for dinner."
The next day, Gu Yanxi accompanied her to another estate. Watching the clusters of mushrooms thriving in the poorly-scented underground cellar, he found it quite marvelous. He had heard of people growing vegetables in heated rooms during winter, but cultivating mushrooms this way was a first for him.
Hua Zhi didn't introduce Gu Yanxi's identity. The steward, Tang Yong, assumed he was a buyer here to purchase mushrooms and enthusiastically explained, "These are oyster mushrooms—they grow the fastest and taste wonderful. We have several other varieties right next door. Would you like to take a look?"
Hua Zhi turned away to suppress her laughter, not revealing the truth.
Gu Yanxi cast an indulgent glance her way and indeed went to the adjacent underground cellar.
The cellars were interconnected, one after another, like rooms underground. After touring them all, Gu Yanxi understood why A Zhi had said this business would generate quick profits.
Mushrooms weren't cheap as ingredients and were only available in a specific season. Selling them when no one else had any would naturally drive the price even higher. The profitability of such an exclusive venture was easy to imagine.
Returning to the main hall and sitting down, Hua Zhi dismissed Tang Yong. "Lately, the vegetarian restaurant has been promoting a mushroom feast with excellent feedback. Of course, we can't charge the exorbitant prices they do, but selling them for more than usual is certainly feasible. Where do you plan to distribute the goods?""The capital has no shortage of wealthy families, and restaurants are also promising outlets. I intend to claim a share of this business venture using my status as the Heir, and the steward of the Heir Apparent Residence will handle the negotiations when the time comes."
Hua Zhi weighed the pros and cons of the Hua family's involvement with the Heir. "Would it be inappropriate if the Emperor found out?"
"Sooner or later, the Emperor will learn of your business ventures. It's not a bad thing—there's no need to hide it." Gu Yanxi traced the rim of his teacup. "If he weren't so fatigued and hadn't delegated many matters to me, he would have known of your existence long ago. It's time to let him catch wind of it now. The Emperor punished the men of the Hua family. As a woman, no matter how exceptional you are, he can hardly find fault with you."
"You understand the stakes better than I do. I'll leave it to your discretion."
Gu Yanxi admired her straightforward nature—when action was called for, she acted decisively, ready to bear the consequences.
"Mushroom cultivation will continue to expand. I plan to expand the estate as much as possible, not by adding courtyards upon courtyards, but by building interconnected rooms." Hua Zhi took a sip of tea. "What I'm considering now is how to approach this expansion. Ideally, we should cultivate and sell locally—it would reduce costs and ensure the freshness of the goods. But this approach requires manpower and carries risks. Supplying directly from the capital would be simpler."
After a brief consideration, Gu Yanxi made the decision for her. "Local cultivation and sales are more practical. You provide the people, and I'll handle the arrangements. With the Heir Apparent Residence involved, there will be fewer troublemakers."
Hua Zhi naturally had no objections. "We can also share some profits with the local elites."
This was indeed the best approach. Gu Yanxi nodded in agreement.
Though the matter was discussed in just a few words, executing it would be challenging. The first hurdle was selecting the right people. To keep the cultivation methods confidential, at least five people would need to be sent to each location, with additional local hires for less critical tasks. Yet, manpower was precisely what the Hua family lacked most. Hua Zhi had spread her operations too wide, and the family was constantly in need of more hands.
Those sent out would have to be loyal servants with a strong sense of belonging to the Hua family—newly purchased servants wouldn't do. She wondered how many people could be drawn from the collateral branches. If necessary, she could reassign workers from the Canned Food Workshop and replace them with newer purchases.
But these were matters she couldn't seek Yanxi's help with. The love she believed in was not dependence, but partnership.
Fortunately, there was no immediate rush. Before expanding outward, they first had to meet the capital's demands.
The two didn't linger long. After seeing A Zhi home, Gu Yanxi returned to the palace.
His desk was piled high with memorials. Gu Yanxi swiftly processed them and took a few of the more important ones to Haoxin Hall.
The Emperor, dressed in casual attire, was reading some unknown dossier. His hair was half-white, his face gaunt like a dehydrated fruit, making him appear even older.
His gloomy expression softened at the sight of Gu Yanxi. "I've told you—just review them yourself. There's no need to consult me. If I can't trust you, who can I trust?"
Gu Yanxi ignored his remark, opened a memorial, and began reading in a highly concise manner. "Bingzhou has had no rain for two months. The land is parched, and a total crop failure is feared..."
The Emperor listened absentmindedly as memorial after memorial was read, occasionally responding with a few words. Gu Yanxi would then assign the matter to the appropriate minister based on the Emperor's replies. If the Emperor raised no objections, the decision was finalized. This had been their routine for days, and the two handled it with practiced ease.Seeing he finally had no more memorials in hand, the emperor complained, "Why bother bringing them before me when you end up handling them all anyway?"
"It's not the same."
The emperor particularly admired this manner of his. In times when everyone else was changing, having someone who remained constant was exceptionally rare. Thus, he grew even more inclined to treat him well, hoping this person would never change.
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