lovenovelstory Chapter 84 Teaching a Man to Fish
Chapter 84 Teaching a Man to Fish
It is better to teach people how to fish than to teach people how to fish.
Zhu Gaoxi thought that what Xu Miaojin said had great potential and asked her to arrange for people to do it as soon as possible.
"When Jingyan grows up, the bookstore will definitely be handed over to her. The annual profits will be split between Jingyan and me, 40/60, with me taking 40%. What do you think?"
This is the core point that Xu Miaojin is most concerned about.
She was worried that in the end, she would be doing all the work for someone else and end up with nothing.
"Jingyan is so young and needs your care. You've been busy all this time, why should you get less?" Zhu Gaoxi asked with a smile.
"Then let's split it in half," Xu Miaojin said with a smile.
Just then, Xu Jingyan woke up and cried loudly, looking for his aunt.
Mu Xue was weak after childbirth, and Xu Jingyan had been cared for by Xu Miaojin since birth.
The first thing Xu Jingyan said wasn't to his parents, but to his aunt.
Xu Miaojin rushed in to comfort her.
Zhu Gaoxi took Youdun back to the lounge and asked Li Hui to dismiss everyone else, leaving only him and Youdun in the room.
"Is there something you want to say?" Youdun asked, sitting down next to Zhu Gaoxi, noticing his solemn expression.
"Brother, do you know who you passed the throne to?" Zhu Gaoxi asked with a serious expression.
"Naturally, he is the eldest son."
The rules set by his grandfather could not be broken without the court's permission, and Zhu Youdun was no exception.
Zhu Gaoxi slowly shook his head and asked again, "What if you don't have a son?"
Zhu Youdun was startled; he had never considered this possibility.
How could she not have a son? There are so many concubines and palace maids, and besides, there's nothing wrong with her own health, and the Crown Princess is already pregnant.
He always valued offspring the most, and even though he was deeply in love with Miao Jin, he did not stop having children with the Crown Princess.
"Who inherited the throne?" Zhu Youdun asked gravely.
"Yes, it is," Zhu Gaoxi replied.
Because Zhu Youdun had no sons, Zhu Youjue, the fourth son of Prince Zhou Zhu Su, succeeded to the throne.
Zhu Youjue's birth mother was Lady Hu, the wife of Zhu Su.
Zhu Youdun remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "What does my younger brother think is the reason?"
"My brother and fifth uncle were both stripped of their titles and exiled to Yunnan when he was nineteen. At that time, the family was extremely poor and was on the verge of death many times. My brother was a very filial son, so perhaps it was during that time that his health was damaged," Zhu Gaoxi said, not making any rash conclusions but merely speculating.
"My fifth uncle's second wife, Lady Zhou, was already pregnant at the time. In the second year of his exile, my brother's eighth brother, Youkuang, was born. As you can imagine, the family suffered a lot at that time," Zhu Gaoxi added.
Historically, there was a man named Dun Ren, who was kind and benevolent, and sincerely devoted to good deeds. Before his death, he submitted a memorial to Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, requesting that the practice of burying concubines alive with the dead be abolished.
Although Emperor Yingzong's edict arrived late, by the time the messenger reached the Prince of Zhou's residence, the principal wife and several other ladies had already been buried alive with him. However, this inspired Zhu Qizhen, who, on his deathbed, issued an edict abolishing the practice of burying people alive with the deceased.
It was precisely because Youdun was exceptionally talented, compassionate, and dedicated to his work that Zhu Gaoxi trusted him greatly and was willing to develop a close relationship with him.
For You Dun, not having left behind any offspring is a very difficult thing to accept.
His heart was in turmoil, and he found it difficult to calm down.
Zhu Gaoxi could see that he was very sad, so he quickly comforted him, saying, "Brother, things can be done by human effort. Jianwen's policy of reducing the power of the princes must not happen again. After you and Miaojin get married, you should have a son as soon as possible." Zhu Gaoxi paused for a moment and then said, "Brother, before you get married, you can summon any of the maids in the vegetable garden and the palace that you like to serve you in bed at any time."
Zhu Gaoxi spoke from the bottom of his heart, without any ulterior motives.
Youdun knew that Zhu Gaoxi meant well. However, although he longed for a son, he was not a promiscuous man and would not casually find a woman to have physical intimacy with.
Love between a man and a woman depends on fate; it can only happen when both parties are attracted to each other. It can't be rushed.
"And then there's Miao Jin, who never married and we don't know what she went through in between," Zhu Gaoxi said, grabbing Zhu Youdun's hand. "So, brother, you must protect Miao Jin and help her get married and have children in peace."
"Not married?" Zhu Youdun frowned.
What exactly happened? Zhu Youdun's heart clenched.
"I'm worried that the Crown Prince hasn't given up on Miao Jin. We should be careful," Zhu Gaoxi said earnestly.
"I will be careful," Zhu Youdun nodded gratefully.
"From now on, let Hanfeng and Hanling accompany Miaojin. They are quite skilled and can be of use in case of danger. Also, send two more bodyguards to protect her. We must not be lax in our vigilance and give the Crown Prince an opportunity to take advantage of us."
Zhu Gaoxi must do everything in his power to protect Miaojin's safety.
If Miao Jin gets into trouble, the relationship between him and You Dun will inevitably be like a thorn stuck in their flesh, causing them constant, dull pain.
There's no need for men to endanger women in their fights.
Zhu Youdun was deeply moved and was about to say something to express his feelings when Li Hui hurriedly came in, walked to Zhu Gaoxi's side and whispered, "Second Master is here, it's urgent."
Li Hui was referring to Zhu Gaoxu.
Zhu Gaoxi's second elder brother was always concerned about his reputation and did not want to force his way in between Zhu Gaoxi and Zhu Youdun. Therefore, he rarely came over to disturb them when they were talking, unless there was a major discovery.
"Quickly invite Second Brother in," Zhu Gaoxi urged.
Zhu Gaoxu rushed in and walked up to Zhu Gaoxi. "Fourth brother, something's happened. That brat Zhu Yunwen has sent the Embroidered Uniform Guard to monitor us."
"How did you find out?" Zhu Gaoxi was not surprised; he had expected Zhu Yunwen to do this.
"Wu Liang has found a few reliable people to act as undercover agents," Zhu Gaoxu said hurriedly. "Fourth brother, why don't you talk to your grandfather about it?"
"Let's keep an eye on them for now. Maybe they were sent by the Crown Prince to protect us," Zhu Gaoxi said with a smile, looking at Youdun.
"Would he really be that kind?" Zhu Gaoxu pursed his lips. Seeing that Zhu Youdun just smiled and didn't say anything else, he knew they wanted to discuss it privately. Not wanting to make a fool of himself, he said, "You guys hurry up and figure something out," and then left.
When Zhu Gaoxi left the Duke of Wei's mansion, Xu Zengshou, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, told him that he was thinking of a solution.
It seems we'll have to wait until a reliable eunuch arrives, gives him some basic training, and then begin the investigation.
It is impolite not to reciprocate; it is time for Zhu Yunwen to develop a sense of crisis.
"Miaojin said that Governor Xu can find at most four or five more eunuchs. With Sanbao and Yishiha, plus Hanshu and Hanyue, they have a division of labor, so the manpower should be enough," Zhu Youdun analyzed.
"Everything is ready. Once your father-in-law's men arrive, have Yishiha start investigating," Zhu Gaoxi said, taking a sip of milk. "Sanbao should stay with me for now and not get involved in these matters."
"Brother Jixi will be entering the palace tomorrow. If he needs manpower in the palace, let Yishiha take over for now."
At this point, Zhu Gaoxi smiled mischievously, "Grandson knows that Yishiha is my confidant, so he will definitely be on guard. We'll see how Brother Jixi handles it then."
Zhu Youdun smiled upon hearing this, "He's busy with his own things, we two need to hurry up and learn to help Grandpa share the burden."
Zhu Gaoxi nodded in agreement. Even without being reminded, he knew that right now, the most important thing was to quickly learn to independently review memorials, become familiar with government affairs, and get to know and interact with civil and military officials.