Zhu Lan laughed enough and asked, "What is Shi Qing doing here? He first took advantage of my curiosity, and then wrote to say he was visiting. I don't think it's easy to refuse."
Zhou Shuren told Zhulan what he knew. Zhulan frowned and said, "There are many people in the capital who can be Shi Qing's master. Why did the emperor let Shi Qing worship you as his master?"
Zhu Lan reacted after she finished speaking, "Look, I asked a stupid question. Given Shi Qing's identity and what he did, no one is willing to take him in. Moreover, the emperor wants to train him but doesn't want people to know that he is training Shi Qing, so Shi Qing's master cannot be found in the capital. The emperor recognizes your ability and scheming, and you are not in the capital."
Zhou Shuren continued Zhulan's words and said, "Most importantly, Shi Qing and I are from the same Pingzhou City. Shi Qing knows us. When I was in the capital, Shi Qing sent me a gift after I won the second place. The emperor knows all this, so it is more legitimate for Shi Qing to come and worship me as his master."
Zhu Lan narrowed her eyes. "The emperor cast a wide net. He gave Shi Qing a difficult task and suppressed Wu Ming. He wanted to choose one of the two swords. And the emperor valued Shi Qing more."
Zhou Shuren said quietly, "Shi Qing was born into a merchant family, and he had done business with the emperor. And judging by the emperor's personality, he must have put a lot of pressure on Shi Qing in the past few years. The only person Shi Qing can rely on is the emperor, and the emperor really values Shi Qing more."
If it were him, he would also be more optimistic about Shi Qing. Shi Qing has no brothers, and his father probably hates Shi Qing to death. Shi Qing is alone and has no weaknesses. Such a person is ruthless enough, and once he is well trained, he can be a knife that kills people.
But Zhou Shuren was unhappy. He didn't want to have anything to do with Shi Qing at all. It was obvious that Shi Qing's ending was not a good one, and he helped Wu Ming. It was very likely that Shi Qing would have the same ending as Wu Ming. If the emperor took pity on Shi Qing, he might leave a descendant for Shi Qing.
But Shi Qing violated a taboo. The emperor did not trust Shi Qing from the beginning to the end. He just kept polishing Shi Qing. What will happen to Shi Qing in the end depends on himself.
Zhu Lan looked at Zhou Shuren and said, "What are you thinking about? You don't look good."
Zhou Shuren told Zhulan what he was thinking, "I'd better write another letter to Wu Ming and tell him about Shi Qing. Wu Ming will see it more thoroughly. The emperor will not pay attention to Wu Ming if he doesn't value Shi Qing. No one will dislike having fewer knives in their hands, not to mention that our emperor is eager to consolidate his power."
Zhulan opened her mouth. As for Shi Qing, she had no good feelings nor prejudice against him. Everyone had different positions and backgrounds, so their behaviors were naturally different. Shi Qing was a bastard, so if he didn't plot against Wang Ru, he would die. It was his survival instinct for him to plot against Wang Ru.
But now that he is related to them, Zhu Lan sighed, "I never thought that after all these twists and turns, Shi Qing would be related to us. It's really magical."
Zhou Shuren also found it magical. "So this is the real world, not words. Everyone's fate has deviated, and the future development is unpredictable. I have a headache now and want to curse. The emperor did give Shi Qing a difficult problem, but he was also testing me."
Zhu Lan figured it out immediately. "Your reputation in the local area is too high, so I'm using this as a test. If you reject Shi Qing outright, the emperor will think you're crazy. If you accept directly, the emperor will think you're too cunning and he can't figure you out. The emperor will be wary of you."
Zhou Shuren kissed Zhulan and said, "My wife is smart."
Zhu Lan felt that Zhou Shuren's job was too difficult. "Not only do you have to accept Shi Qing, but you also have to be careful."
Zhou Shuren sighed, "That's why I have a headache. Also, the emperor is not young anymore. Most of the power in the court is in the hands of the princes' maternal families. It's inevitable that the emperor will be suspicious."
Zhulan knew that Zhou Shuren had a high reputation and Lizhou City was now like a piece of fat meat. The tax revenue of Lizhou City was divided into several parts and no longer relied solely on taxes from the people and some merchants. This year, not only was there an ice cellar, but a trading area was also set up. The income from these two parts alone was very high.
In ancient times, summer ice was valuable and hard to come by, and the rent for it could bring in a lot of money.
Why did Zhou Shuren dig ice cellars after the beginning of the year? Wasn't it because he wanted to put the ice back into the ice cellars before it all melted? Although each ice cellar was not full of ice, the refrigeration function was the same.
All these rents were deposited into the government office. Combined with the money in the hands of the common people, tax revenue also increased. Although Lizhou City was not as good as some cities in the south of the Yangtze River, it could be ranked among the top.
Zhu Lan leaned against Zhou Shuren, saying, "I'm not saying this, but the maternal families of the princes are really too active and restless."
Zhou Shuren didn't tell Zhulan because he was afraid that she would worry. He had already contacted several people from the prince's mother's family. He, the emperor's confidant in public, all wanted to win him over. Fortunately, he made a magical move. These people were afraid that he would not play by the rules, so they kept trying to win him over with nice words.
Zhou Shuren thought quietly that Lizhou City was the last peaceful time. Once he left Lizhou City, his future life would surely be wonderful.
Zhou Shuren looked up and saw Zhulan sleeping in his arms. Zhou Shuren frowned, as Zhulan had been going to bed early recently.