Chapter 61: The Arrival of Hu Xiaoxia

Lord Mengchang was certainly bold in his actions, but Zhou Hao could hardly emulate him.

Bi Rusue, however, did not quite agree with Zhou Hao's line of thought.

She reached out and draped a robe over Zhou Hao's shoulders, her expression tinged with a trace of reluctance.

"You, you are simply too kind-hearted. Even if such a task were left to the servants, it would still be better than you doing it yourself, wouldn't it?"

"You cannot possibly take everything upon yourself personally. That is bad for everyone involved."

Bi Rusue’s words were not empty flattery; she was genuinely considering the matter from Zhou Hao’s perspective.

He was the First Prince. Even if he was not favored by the Emperor of Zhou and the Empress, he was still the First Prince.

If he had capable men under his command, did he really need the First Prince himself to charge onto the front lines?

"Rusue, stop worrying yourself so much. Go back and get a good rest; I won't go over there tomorrow."

Zhou Hao took Bi Rusue’s hand and led her back to the First Prince’s Manor.

If he were to go back over there tomorrow, it would simply be too foolish.

Who knew what those people were thinking?

In this world, after all, there were those who loved gold and silver more than their own families.

Even Zhou Hao dared not assert with certainty that every member of that family shared the same sentiment.

Tomorrow night, it would suffice to simply find a few people to help smuggle them out.

If Zhou Hao were to make another trip in person, and someone reported him, with the Third Prince deliberately dispatching men to surround the vicinity, how would he explain that?

Early the next morning, Zhou Hao rose before dawn, preparing to discuss with Hu Xiaoxia how the Huazhijie should be handled.

The Emperor of Zhou had not given him much time, and if he were to leave right now, those batches of Huazhijie could never be delivered into the hands of the aristocratic young ladies.

Zhou Hao intended to hand over the already produced Huazhijie to Hu Xiaoxia first.

As for what to do when the imperial capital ran out of Huazhijie in the future?

Was that not precisely the financial lifeline of his designated fiefdom?

Hu Xiaoxia arrived very early as well. Not long after the sun had just risen, she arrived at the First Prince’s Manor, where the packing had already been arranged.

"Your Highness, must you truly leave?"

Hu Xiaoxia’s eyes brimhed with tears, and she looked utterly pitiful.

Her gaze revealed an unmistakable reluctance to part.

Her reluctance was not directed much toward Zhou Hao himself, but rather toward the Huazhijie in his possession.

They could use it now, but eventually, this supply of Huazhijie would be completely exhausted.

What would they do when that time came?

Could it be that they would actually have to travel all the way to Chishan to purchase it?

With the journey back and forth—when a mere tael of silver could originally buy a tael of Huazhijie—once the wear and tear of travel were factored in, who knew what price it would reach? She estimated she wouldn't even be able to afford it herself by then.

Bi Rusue knitted her brows, a hint of confusion in her eyes. Why was Hu Xiaoxia crying so bitterly?

"Leaving is impossible to avoid, unless you can convince your father to counsel the Emperor of Zhou and have His Majesty retract his imperial decree."

Zhou Hao spread his hands, his expression entirely composed.

This matter had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

Had the Emperor of Zhou not prepared the Chishan fiefdom for him, he wouldn't have been so excited to pack up and leave early.

Otherwise, he would have had to linger in the imperial capital for a few more days to properly settle the distribution of Huazhijie throughout the entire city before departing.

And now?

The entire production process had completely ground to a halt.

The artisans who produced Huazhijie were also being kept under strict surveillance.

Production? At present, all that could be done was to deliver the previously finished goods first.

Collecting the final payments cleanly—once this village was passed, there would be no such shop further down the road.

"But if you do this, what will happen to us?"

Hu Xiaoxia cast aside all notions of propriety between men and women, pressing her entire body almost flush against Zhou Hao.

Wasn't this tantamount to taking their lives? It would be better for the Emperor of Zhou to issue an imperial edict sending all of them, the young ladies of noble families, to the First Prince’s manor to be married off.

It was Bi Rusue who forcefully pulled Hu Xiaoxia away, her eyes filled with bewilderment.

"It's not as if we aren't giving you anything. Look over there; those are jars upon jars of Huazhijie, more than enough for your use."

Following the direction of Bi Rusue’s finger, jars of Huazhijie were neatly laid out across the ground.

Jar after jar of Huazhijie filled more than half of the open courtyard.

Ordinarily, the production speed of Huazhijie wasn't that slow, let alone the fact that Zhou Hao, having a premonition that he wouldn't be able to stay long in the imperial capital, had specifically instructed Mother Li to work overtime to produce this batch.

Logically speaking, it was enough for their consumption for several months.

In Great Zhou, even aristocratic young ladies did not bathe every single day.

Not only was bathing cumbersome, but it was also a wasteful use of firewood and charcoal.

Zhou Hao had made advance preparations and calculations, planning things out precisely before leaving these behind.

Could it be that this Hu Xiaoxia wanted to misappropriate a portion for herself?

"Lady Hu, Rusue has made it abundantly clear. These Huazhijie are sufficient for the consumption of you and your companions for several months. Could it be that you feel this is not enough?"

"Or perhaps you wish to hoard them for private gain?"

Zhou Hao’s words caused Hu Xiaoxia’s complexion to shift, her expression turning somewhat flustered.

She had never thought of such a thing.

"How could that be? These goods are fine, and they are enough for a few months, but what about after these few months?"

"Where on earth are we supposed to find Huazhijie?"

"The distance between Chishan and the imperial capital is no small matter. Are we expected to specially organize a commercial caravan to transport Huazhijie back and forth between the capital and Chishan..."

As Hu Xiaoxia spoke, a sudden flash of brilliance appeared in her eyes.

This was a good idea.

Her family possessed precisely such commercial caravans; wouldn't it be even better to specially allocate a team to engage in this immensely profitable business?

"Your Highness, why don't we organize a dedicated caravan to purchase the Huazhijie directly from your fiefdom?"

"That way, you have your Huazhijie to sell, and I have my profits to make. It benefits everyone."

A smile touched Zhou Hao's lips; he had to admit that Hu Xiaoxia had a nimble mind.

However, doing this would mean competing with the Fushou Chamber of Commerce for business.

Zhou Hao did not believe the Fushou Chamber of Commerce would be willing to carve up the vast market of the imperial capital and share the profits with Hu Xiaoxia.

Yet he did not rule it out completely, choosing instead to point in the direction of the Fushou Chamber of Commerce.

"It does me no good to say this. The Fushou Chamber of Commerce and I have already signed an agreement; as long as I am willing to produce it, the Fushou Chamber of Commerce will assist in selling these Huazhijie throughout the territories of Great Zhou."

"What you should be doing right now is not trying to convince me, but rather convincing the Fushou Chamber of Commerce to carve out a portion of the profits for you."

If Hu Xiaoxia's background truly enabled her to persuade the Fushou Chamber of Commerce, what harm would there be in Zhou Hao arranging another production line for her?

In any case, Zhou Hao was about to lose his grip on the entire imperial capital market anyway.

It would be better to hand it over to Hu Xiaoxia and let her act as a steady, reliable supplier.

But if Hu Xiaoxia genuinely lacked the capability to wrestle with the Fushou Chamber of Commerce, Zhou Hao would enjoy the peace and quiet, spared from having to explain things to her at every turn, needing only to offer some comfort once Hu Xiaoxia realized nothing could be done.

"The Fushou Chamber of Commerce? This is troublesome... but it's not entirely impossible."

A smile had still lingered on Hu Xiaoxia’s face, but in an instant, it vanished entirely.

Huazhijie was useful, but what were they using right now?

Custom-made editions—the one and only unique existence throughout the entire imperial capital.