During the period when Zhou Shuren was away from the Ministry of Revenue, the Ministry continued to operate as usual but seemed to be missing something. It was not until Zhou Shuren came back that people realized that he was the backbone of the Ministry.
Qiu Yan didn't flatter him, but said matter-of-factly: "Since your return, the spirit of the entire Ministry of Revenue has changed."
Zhou Shuren joked, "When I'm not around, they can still be lazy, but when I come back, they have to show me how lazy they are."
Qiu Yan laughed, "Then they will be happy to see you back."
After the joke, it was time to report. Only after the report was finished did Qiu Yan sit down and drink tea.
Qiu Yan whispered, "You know that the grassland tribes have come to Beijing to ask for food and grass when you came back."
"I already know."
Qiu Yan continued, "In recent years, many people from the grassland tribes have come to the capital. In their eyes, we are rich!"
“They are also eyeing our treasury.”
Qiu Yan glanced at Zhou Shuren. Was this just a casual remark? It shouldn't be what he meant. He said tentatively, "I don't think we have the guts. We are a rich and powerful country."
He also knew how much money was invested in the army every year. In the past few years, all the weapons that needed to be replaced have been replaced one after another, and the combat effectiveness is no longer comparable to before.
Zhou Shuren drank his tea without answering. The smart person was Qiu Yan, “You are right.”
Qiu Yan breathed a sigh of relief. The master really took it easy and continued to complain, "If you count the dynasties, these tribes are invincible. They will come back again after a while."
The harsh environment also made the people tough, and the more Qiu Yan thought about it, the more he frowned.
In the Imperial Palace, in the Queen's bedroom, the Queen was in a good mood because the Crown Prince had returned. Yesterday, there were only four of them in the family, and the smile on the Queen's face never changed when facing the concubines in the harem.
Concubine Liu was extremely jealous. The Crown Prince was the only one traveling this time, and it was also an opportunity because he was not in the palace. As a result, the Emperor would not meet any prince alone. He would meet them all together. When they met, they were either for testing or for study, and there was no chance for them to develop feelings.
Concubine Liu held the handkerchief in her hand and said, "I heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is very popular among the people in Zhangzhou. I would like to congratulate you, sister."
"This news, which I don't even know, is known to Concubine Liu so clearly."
After saying this, the Queen slammed the table and asked, "Does Concubine Liu have any ill intentions in asking about the Crown Prince's whereabouts?"
Concubine Liu was dumbfounded. No, didn’t the prince know everything in Zhangzhou
Concubine Liu gritted her teeth and knelt down, "I dare not."
The queen was too lazy to look at the kneeling Concubine Liu, "Go back and reflect on your mistakes until the New Year."
Concubine Liu took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
The queen glanced at the other concubines with sarcasm in her eyes. The princes were all grown up, and the princes in the harem who were not favored by the emperor could only rely on their own mothers. If their own mothers were not favored in the harem, the princes would not have an easy life. As the queen, she would never make a fuss about it. She did what the queen should do, but she could not control the thoughts of the palace maids and eunuchs in the palace.
When the crown prince was not in the palace, the previously quiet ones often made a lot of noise. As a result, the emperor was always thinking about the crown prince, and the second son had to take a back seat.
The queen thought of her youngest son. The emperor treated her youngest son differently from how his father treated the Prince of Qin. Her father truly loved his youngest son to the core, but the emperor did not. If the Prince of Qin had also grown up in the palace, he would probably be like her youngest son.
As the New Year's Eve was approaching, the Zhou family had basically completed all the gifts they should have given. Zhulan felt relieved because Shuren had returned. She was more energetic in everything she did, and she was also focused on checking the gift list so that she could put it in the book.
Zhulan looked at the thick book on the table and said, "We have accumulated quite a lot of book at home. It's really inconvenient."
Paper is prone to insect infestation and needs to be carefully taken care of every year. Backups must also be made to prevent the originals from being damaged and unable to be verified. Storage is also very troublesome.
Mrs. Li got a headache when she saw the booklet. She was the one who arranged this year's New Year gifts. Her daughter-in-law could have helped her, but she was pregnant and had a big belly, and she couldn't bear to do it herself.
Li said, "Mom, this year there are more gifts from the Lin family. The gifts from the Lin family are generous."
Zhulan laughed, "This year Yulu is marrying into the Wang family, and the Wang family's gift is more generous than every year."
"The Wang family doesn't count. They've been paying respects to each other before."
Zhulan flipped through the Lin family's gift list and said, "This shows that the Lin family attaches great importance to this marriage."
Mrs. Li smiled and said, "My second sister-in-law is very happy to see you. I heard from her that she has already prepared a New Year's gift for Miss Lin."
“That must be a big deal.”
In the past, the second wife had no money and no confidence, so she was not so extravagant in spending money. Now that she has the confidence and the family background is richer, the second wife and her husband are both good at spending money.
Li rubbed her shoulders and said, "Ming Teng personally went to deliver the New Year's gift to the Liu family."
"Of course, we'll get married next year."
Li whispered, "Ming Teng, don't worry. I know my son. That boy is obsessed with Liu Jia."
Zhulan closed the booklet and said, "This is a good tradition in our family."
Family tradition is very important. The environment in which one grows up has a great influence on a person. The Zhou family has a good family tradition. How many girls want to marry into the Zhou family now!
Li entered the last few lists into the book, "Mom, I still feel it's unreal. I dreamed a few times that we were still living in Zhoujia Village. I woke up in shock when I saw my vulgar self."
Zhulan paused holding the pen, "Do you still dream about it now?"
"No, maybe I'm feeling uneasy, so I'm reminiscing about my past life."
Zhulan wondered what Li was dreaming about. It turned out that he was feeling uneasy. Unease can stimulate memory, so it is normal to show it in dreams.
At the Wang family, Yu Lu's belly was not that big yet, and she was also accompanying her grandmother to look at the list of gifts for the new year. Tao Shile taught Yu Lu, pointing out one by one whether the relationship with the family was close.
Although Yu Lu was pregnant and didn't want to be tired, she still forced herself to listen carefully. The Wang family had a huge network of connections, so it was a good opportunity for her to learn more about the New Year gifts and remember them so as to avoid making mistakes in the future.
Mrs. Tao talked with great interest. She felt lonely after her youngest son started school. Now she has her granddaughter-in-law to chat with, and she is very happy.
When her son got married, she was not yet in charge of the household and she had no chance to teach her daughter-in-law. But now it is different. Yu Lu is a good student. She has experience as a housekeeper in her parents' home. She knows the gifts on the gift list very well. She can tell at a glance which gifts look good and which gifts are sincere.
Tao was more willing to teach, and she never stopped talking. If her great-grandson was not important, she would have continued, "You must be tired."
Yu Lu was a little tired, but it was okay, "It's okay."
Tao, "Lean back and rest for a while."
Yu Lu didn't act pretentiously. She wasn't the kind of person who treated herself unfairly. "Thank you, grandma."
"It's my fault for talking too much today."
"Grandma, don't say that. I was a little confused today because of what I heard. I just wanted to remember more."
Tao thought to herself that Zhulan was really good at teaching her granddaughter. These words were pleasing to the ears. She looked at Yu Lu's belly again, and her eyes became even more loving.
Yu Lu rested for a while before slowly walking towards her own yard. Yu Lu looked at the snow on the branches, then looked up at the sky. It is not easy to be a woman from a wealthy family. Then she smiled. Who has it easy? It is easy at home, but one also has to remember the complicated relationships.
When Wang Wei came to pick up his wife, he saw her smiling at the tree. Seeing that she was in good spirits, he breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What are you laughing at?"