Zhao Jiaqi looked down at the little girl, her eyes sparkling. She was clearly up to no good, a scene exactly like her father. Whenever her father was about to do something mischievous, his eyes would gleam. The father and daughter were identical in this regard.
She chuckled inwardly, then pretended to be nonchalant. "I just finished my work and came to see if you've been studying well. If you have, I'll give you a day off and take you to the Trade City. But if you haven't learned well, for the next month, forget about resting. Even your dreams must be about learning etiquette!"
Her words were kind at first, but as she spoke the latter half, her expression turned more fearsome than a tigress.
Yu Meng's little heart trembled. She immediately raised three fingers and swore, "Mother, don't worry, I will study hard. I've been very diligent recently. Even the wet nurse said I'm smart!"
She chuckled and poked her daughter's forehead. "You're just sweet-mouthed, saying nice things to coax your mother!"
Looking at her sun-kissed daughter, the mother's heart was filled with worry.
Most people wished their children were fair-skinned and delicate, like flowers nurtured indoors, sheltered from the wind and rain.
But her daughter was different. She was a wild child who loved to run around and couldn't stay indoors for a moment. Her originally fair face had been tanned to a wheat color, and her body was as sturdy as a little calf.
She wondered who this child's personality resembled.
When she asked her mother-in-law, her mother-in-law said that Fan Zehao was very quiet as a child. He wouldn't say a word unless he was going out to hunt and sell wild game. Other than that, he stayed at home.
So, her mother-in-law gave her a meaningful look and asked, "Who do you think she takes after?"
After their break, the three of them continued to learn under the tutelage of the nanny. At this time, Gou'er and Da Zhuang also returned.
In the pavilion in the courtyard, Gou'er and Da Zhuang vividly recounted the information they had gathered.
Da Zhuang spoke first, "Your Highness, your servants have inquired and confirmed that the Ji family is involved in restaurants, jewelry, winemaking, and perfumery. Any shop with the sign 'Ji Fu' hanging outside is part of the Ji family's business. Other people also open similar shops, but they must pay a fee to the Ji family for protection. Your servants have secretly investigated, and it appears that any restaurant or jewelry store on the street has some connection to the Ji family."
Zhao Jiaqi was still shocked after hearing this. The Ji family's influence was far greater than that of their royal manor.
"The Li family's businesses include textile shops, clothing stores, gambling houses, and silk. Their business models are similar to the Ji family's!"
Zhao Jiaqi nodded and asked, "What about the other two families?"
"The Meng family's industries include brothels, grain, cosmetics, and tea. Their businesses are spread across several prefectures and counties in the vicinity, even in some prosperous towns."
Even though Gou'er didn't want to, he had to report the information he had gathered to the Princess Consort.
As they recounted the details, Zhao Jiaqi's expression grew increasingly somber.
Da Zhuang nervously gripped the corner of his clothes and said, "The Liu family deals in pawnshops, banks, ceramics, ironware, and glassware. Their shops are also located in the surrounding prefectures."
After hearing their accounts, Zhao Jiaqi pondered for a moment. The businesses of these four families did not overlap, and they even seemed to have clearly divided their territories.
Furthermore, based on their industry distribution, the profits earned by these four families were roughly equal, so there was no conflict. They might privately compete to see who was wealthier.
However, in major matters, these families would unite to face external threats. After all, the current equilibrium was not to be broken by outsiders. Any imbalance could lead to severe consequences.
"You've worked hard. Go and have a meal and rest!"
Gou'er and Da Zhuang obediently withdrew from the pavilion, leaving Zhao Jiaqi, who was deep in thought, and Qiufen, who was serving her.
In the afternoon, Zhao Jiaqi called Pingting over. The two of them were like conjoined twins, with so much to talk about.
"Sister-in-law, have you missed me?" Pingting was playful and provocative. As soon as they met, she caressed Zhao Jiaqi's cheek with a mischievous grin.
Zhao Jiaqi slapped away her tender hand. "I'll save this hand for Fan Xudong!"
The mention of this made Pingting feel a wave of helplessness. She sat down on a chair and sighed. "I wish I could, but Aunt Xu strictly separated us. He sleeps in the study, and I sleep in the bedroom!"
Hmm?
Zhao Jiaqi was slightly surprised. After thinking about it, she understood Aunt Xu's intention. "Aunt Xu is afraid that Xudong, being young and vigorous, might do something wrong, especially since you are with child."
As a princess of the royal family, a precious pearl, it was not wrong for a servant to protect her master in this way.
Pingting pouted, displeased with Aunt Xu's strictness. "But sister-in-law, you are also pregnant, but are you sleeping separately from Brother? I am carrying one, and you are carrying two, and you're fine!"
Zhao Jiaqi rubbed her forehead. She had called Pingting over today not to discuss sleeping arrangements. Before she could even speak, Pingting dropped another bombshell.
"Aunt Xu wants me to take a concubine for Xudong. She says I'm inconvenient due to my pregnancy and need to find a reliable person to keep my husband's heart, so he won't be seduced by those flirtatious women outside and suffer a great loss!"
Pingting might not be shocked, but Zhao Jiaqi certainly was.
Taking a concubine for her own husband?
And voluntarily? Wasn't that a sign of mental illness?
"Did you agree?" she asked.
Pingting's face showed unwillingness, but also helplessness. "What else could I do? Which household matriarch can be as steadfast as my elder brother, recognizing only one wife for life?"
"Fan Lao Er agreed to take a concubine? Or did you act on Aunt Xu's self-serving advice and take one for him?"
Aunt Xu's logic was truly baffling. Her master was already pregnant and needed her husband's care the most. Yet, she was encouraging the pregnant Pingting to take a concubine for her husband. Wasn't that akin to Pingting inflicting harm on herself?
Seeing Zhao Jiaqi's expression darken, Pingting, afraid her sister-in-law would scold her husband, quickly waved her hands. "No, I have this intention, but I haven't told Xudong yet!"
Hearing this, Zhao Jiaqi's tense heart relaxed. She poked Pingting's forehead fiercely with her finger.
They say that pregnancy makes a woman foolish for three years, but Zhao Jiaqi suspected that Pingting would be foolish for at least thirty years.
"Don't act on your own initiative. Go back and ask Fan Lao Er what he thinks. If he truly wants to take a concubine, let him say it himself. You are pregnant, so take good care of yourself. And if you have nothing else to do, find an old companion for Aunt Xu, so she doesn't have so much free time and cause trouble!"
Hearing her sister-in-law's crude language, she burst into laughter, her eyes narrowing into crescents. "Sister-in-law, I'm always so happy when I'm with you. You don't know how lonely I am in the manor. There's always someone telling me what I can't eat or where I can't go. It's so annoying!"