I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 387 Zhao Paner's Arrangement
It was still early, so it was impossible to take a rest.

Song Yinzhang wanted to make good use of her time to study Zhao Weisong's music scores, so she went straight back to her room.

Sun Sanniang was not resting either. She wanted to add some new and refreshing soups to the teahouse before the arrival of midsummer, so she went to the kitchen to think about it.

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Sanniang walked to Song Yinzhang's window with a bowl of freshly made lotus seed and bean paste. She saw Song Yinzhang sitting in the room, concentrating on looking at the music score, his fingers occasionally playing in the air.

Sun Sanniang walked into the room, put down the porcelain bowl, and took the music score away from Song Yinzhang's hand: "You, don't be so desperate. His Highness has given you the music score. Are you afraid that he will take it back? Think about it slowly and take a rest."

Song Yinzhang just took a bite of lotus seed and bean paste and felt the sweetness in her mouth, which was very refreshing. After listening to Sun Sanniang's words, she shook her head repeatedly. After all, she was about to perform at the birthday banquet of Xiao Qinyan who had just returned to Beijing. At that time, in addition to accompanying Zhang Haohao, she would also have to play a song alone.

More importantly, this birthday banquet was ordered by the Emperor and the Empress. If she could practice this piece well, she would surely shine at the birthday banquet, which would be beneficial to Zhao Pan'er's subsequent arrangements for her and would help her to gain a foothold in Tokyo City.

Song Yinzhang held bean paste in his mouth and said incoherently, "That won't do. This Liangzhou Dabian is worth a fortune. If I can't study it thoroughly early, I will be sorry for the kindness of His Royal Highness the King of Han. Alas, the finger movement of the hormone hi is so weird that I can't figure it out."

Sun Sanniang nodded and sighed, "It's a pity that I don't understand. If Pan'er were here, you could ask her. By the way, who is the person you mentioned before? I'll ask Xiao Cui to help find out."

The sudden change of topic choked Song Yinzhang, and he couldn't help coughing. It took him a long time to recover.

Probably because of the cough, her face turned a little red.

"It's next door to us."

Sun Sanniang had been in Tokyo for so long, but she had never even seen the door of the yard next door open, so at first she thought that no one lived next door.

It was not until a few days ago when she heard the sound of a flute coming from next door while having dinner in the evening that she realized that someone lived next door, but she didn't know who it was.

But this is not important. What is important is that, as far as she knows, most of Anyefang are people from Prince Han's Mansion, and the courtyard where they live is the center of Anyefang, and people nearby are all from Prince Han's Mansion.

In other words, the people next door are also from Prince Han's Mansion.

"Is it someone from Prince Han's Palace?!" Sun Sanniang said in surprise.

Song Yinzhang nodded: "Yes, I am a military officer in the Han Palace, a sixth-rank official."

"From the sixth rank, that's almost the same as the top scholar." Sun Sanniang exclaimed, with envy evident in her tone: "Pan'er has found a good home, and now it's your turn. Will I also meet a good marriage?"

Song Yinzhang was stunned: "Sister Sanniang, you didn't say that before, you said..."

Sun Sanniang interrupted, "It's not like I didn't know who he was before. The people in the Han Palace must be good people. If you can marry him, you might have a chance to become a royal lady."

Song Yinzhang sighed silently. She also wanted to meet a man who truly loved her, but... She lowered her eyes, her eyelashes trembling slightly: "But I am no longer an innocent girl..."

"You, don't always think about the past. We fell hard. Can't we find a new one?"

Sun Sanniang sat next to Song Yinzhang and encouraged him, "You have only been married once, and I even gave birth to a child. If you say so, do widows in Song Dynasty have to remain widows for the rest of their lives? You only think that others will despise you, but what if they just like to pity a young lady like you who has gone through hardships?"

Song Yinzhang heard the hidden meaning in Sun Sanniang's words, and suddenly raised his head to look at her, his eyes full of shock.

"Sister Sanniang, do you also want to..."

"Of course, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. Aunt Zhao next door was 40 years old and married her current man with her child. I'm only in my early 30s." When Sun Sanniang said this, she suddenly remembered something. Du Changfeng helped her two days ago and promised to make some fruit as a thank you gift. She slapped her forehead and said, "Oh, no more, I have to go make some fruit quickly. Who knows, I might meet someone I like among the tea drinkers one day."

Song Yinzhang looked puzzled: "It's only been open for half a day today, there should be a lot of fruit left, right?"

"Yes, there are some left." Sun Sanniang stood up and said as she walked, "However, the fruits for the guests must be fresh. I plan to give the remaining ones to the Du man as a thank-you gift tomorrow. I don't want to owe him a favor, so you should practice your pipa quickly."

Sun Sanniang's back gradually disappeared. Song Yinzhang withdrew his gaze and played the pipa to the music. However, Xiang You's handsome face full of bookish air appeared in front of him, so that his mind gradually began to wander and finally he didn't know where he was drifting.

On the other side, not long after Sun Sanniang entered the kitchen, Ge Zhaodi walked in carrying a basket.

Since closing at noon today, Ge Zhaodi has not been seen. Now when Sun Sanniang saw her come in, she asked, "Where have you been? I haven't seen you all afternoon."

Ge Zhaodi took a fish out of the basket and said with a smile, "Sister Sanniang, I went to the pond and caught a fish. We will have fish to eat tonight."

Upon hearing this, Sun Sanniang stretched out a finger and gently tapped Ge Zhaodi's forehead, then shook her head and laughed, "You are so playful."

"I'm not here for fun, I'm here to make money. The silt in the pond is too deep, so the fish can't grow fat, so it has to be cleaned regularly. I can earn 500 yuan a day. Sister Xiao Cui introduced me to this job, and the foreman doesn't dare to embezzle my money."

Thinking that she was about to make a lot of money, Ge Zhaodi said happily: "I will go to the teahouse when it is closed in the future. It is more leisurely than moving goods at the dock."

Sun Sanniang was stunned for a moment, and asked curiously, "Why are you working so hard? We pay you a lot, right?"

Ge Zhaodi nodded without hesitation: "Yes, it's a lot, but how can I think it's too much money? I'm saving it for my dowry."

Sun Sanniang didn't expect that Ge Zhaodi was so young and already thinking about getting married. She couldn't help but asked with a smile: "Dowry? How old are you? Are you so anxious?"

While helping, Ge Zhaodi put on a mature look and said, "Of course we have to be anxious. If women in Song want to live a good life, they need a large dowry."

At this point, she sighed: "My mother... was bullied by her husband's family because she only had a dowry of ten strings of cash. They even gave her a nickname, the Ten Strings Lady. I knew from a young age that if a woman wants to avoid being bullied after getting married, she must have enough dowry so that she can have confidence in her husband's family.

I calculated that if I work for you for five years, I can save 70 strings of cash. If I earn some extra money, I can save at least 100 strings of cash. By the time I reach the age of marriage, I will be able to stand up straight in my husband's family with 100 strings of cash."

Sun Sanniang smiled and said, "You think far ahead."

"Of course. Didn't Sister Pan'er say that if you don't plan for the future, you will have immediate worries. It's better to plan everything early. Although I don't know who I will marry in the future, it's always a good idea to save enough dowry by my own hands and feet." Ge Zhaodi said with a smile.

Sun Sanniang couldn't help but be stunned, and for a moment she couldn't help feeling a little emotional.

If... She meant if, if she had thought more deeply like Ge Zhaodi back then, perhaps she would not have ended up being abandoned by her husband and son.

Sun Sanniang patted Ge Zhaodi's head in admiration and said with emotion: "I have to say that you have a pretty smart little head. If we women want to live a good life, we still have to rely on ourselves and never put all our hopes on men."

Upon hearing this, Ge Zhaodi chuckled but said nothing.

Sun Sanniang raised her eyebrows and asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Ge Zhaodi quickly put away her smile and said seriously, "Sister Sanniang, please don't be angry. I was thinking that you always said that you forced Zifang to study because you wanted him to pass the imperial examination and become an official. In this way, you can become a lady with a phoenix crown and a red robe. But relying on a son is also relying on a man, isn't it?"

Having been with Zhao Pan'er and the others for some time, Ge Zhaodi knew something about Sun Sanniang's situation. Especially since she recently learned that Fu Zifang was coming to Tokyo, they talked more about the past, and naturally she heard more.

Sun Sanniang was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, "Yes, you are right, so I don't count on him now. If he is willing to stay in Tokyo, I will try my best to fulfill my responsibilities as a mother. If he is not willing, I will send him back to Qiantang. I have also figured it out now, and I don't owe him anything."

Ge Zhaodi nodded and was about to speak when she heard Zhao Paner's voice from the kitchen door.

"Zifang is still young now. When he grows up, he will naturally be sensible. I don't know you yet. You said that, but if I really asked you to send him back to Qiantang to suffer, you would definitely be reluctant to do so."

Although Fu Zifang had not yet arrived in Tokyo, his living conditions in Qiantang had already been sent to Tokyo. After reading the letter two days ago, Sun Sanniang couldn't help but shed tears.

"Pan'er, you're back." Sun Sanniang smiled and did not mention Fu Zifang's matter again. She asked, "What's the situation at Prince Han's Mansion?"

"I have seen them. They are fine, but they look a little tired after traveling all the way. I have arranged for them to stay in Youranju. After that, I took Zhao Changshi to Shuangxi Tower, so I came back late." Sun Sanniang nodded and continued to ask, "What about His Royal Highness the King of Han? Did you see him?"

"No." Zhao Paner said with some regret.

Because she now knew that Zhao Wei had been living in the palace because Zhao Heng suddenly fell into a coma. Not only did she have to serve at the bedside, but she also had to deal with state affairs. She was very busy recently, so she no longer had any other thoughts. She just regretted not seeing Zhao Wei today, felt guilty for not being able to help Zhao Wei, and was worried that Zhao Wei would not get enough rest.

"What happened in the palace that prevented him from taking any time out?"

Although Zhao Pan'er trusted Sun Sanniang, she still did not tell anyone about the emperor's sudden coma and serious illness. She just shook her head and said, "I don't know. It should be a big deal."

Sun Sanniang nodded, and did not ask any further questions. She smiled and said, "By the way, Yin Zhang told me before that someone told her that he wanted to marry her. I saw that she looked like that..."

Before he could finish his words, Zhao Pan'er interrupted him coldly, "But Shen Ruzhuo?"

Shen Ruzhuo has been nagging about Song Yinzhang recently. Song Yinzhang told Sun Sanniang about it, but did not tell Zhao Paner.

The reason is very simple. Zhao Pan'er has been worried about Zhao Wei's absence recently, so Song Yinzhang doesn't want Zhao Pan'er to worry about his own affairs anymore.

Therefore, she also specifically reminded Sun Sanniang.

When Sun Sanniang heard Zhao Pan'er say Shen Ruzhuo's name, she was shocked: "Ah? How do you know Shen Ruzhuo?"

The reason why Zhao Pan'er knew this was because when she and Zhao Huai'en went to Shuangxi Tower, Zhang Haohao mentioned Shen Ruzhuo.

Seeing that Sun Sanniang already knew about it, Zhao Pan'er got angry for no reason: "Sanniang, you already knew about it?"

"Yes, I know." Sun Sanniang nodded and explained: "You were in a bad mood a few days ago, so Yin Zhang asked me not to tell you, fearing that..."

Zhao Pan'er interrupted Sun Sanniang again and said angrily, "Sanniang, how could you help Yin Zhang hide such an important matter from me?"

"Pan'er, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry."

Zhao Pan'er shook her head: "It's okay, blame me, you are also worried about me, but Shen Ruzhuo is not a good person, I will go find Yin Zhang."

Seeing that Zhao Pan'er was about to leave, Sun Sanniang suddenly realized that Zhao Pan'er seemed to have misunderstood, and hurriedly grabbed her.

"Sanniang, why are you pulling me? I can't keep looking at Yinzhang and being confused." Zhao Pan'er said anxiously.

"It's not Shen Ruzhuo." Sun Sanniang said anxiously.

"What?" Zhao Pan'er seemed not to hear clearly.

Sun Sanniang shook her head and repeated, "It's not Shen Ruzhuo."

This time Zhao Pan'er heard it clearly, so she was stunned.

"If it's not Shen Ruzhuo, then who is it?"

Sun Sanniang thought for a moment and said, "It's the family next door to us."

Zhao Pan'er was stunned again and asked suspiciously, "Aunt Zhao's family? Aren't the children of marriageable age already married?"

Sun Sanniang shook her head and smiled, "It's not Aunt Zhao's family, but the family on our left. The chapter didn't say what their specific name was. I only know that they are from the Han Wang Mansion, and they seem to be the secretary or something."

"A military officer from the record office?" Zhao Pan'er asked uncertainly.

Sun Sanniang slapped her thigh and said, "Yes, it's called Jishi Canjun. I heard it's a sixth-rank official."

Ge Zhaodi, who had been watching silently, was surprised and said, "From the sixth rank, then Sister Yinzhang will become an official's wife, right?"

"That's right. Pan'er, you and Yinzhang are really lucky. You will be a princess soon, and Yinzhang will also become an official's wife." Sun Sanniang smiled, and there was inevitably some envy and disappointment in her tone.

They came to Beijing together, but she was still alone. Zhao Pan'er and Song Yinzhang met their lovers one after another, and they were princes and sixth-rank officials, the perfect matches she could never dream of.

Zhao Pan'er also heard the envy and disappointment in Sun Sanniang's tone, and comforted her: "Sanniang, you are so good, you will meet your true love sooner or later."

"I thought so too." Sun Sanniang nodded and smiled, turning the topic back to Song Yinzhang: "Although I haven't seen that person, I think since he is from the Han Palace and was valued by His Royal Highness the King of Han and became a military officer, he must be different from Ouyang Xu and Zhou She."

Zhao Pan'er agreed, "Well, today I went to the Prince Han's Mansion and realized that the people there are really different from those in other wealthy families. They are all very kind and approachable."

Ge Zhaodi shook her head to express her objection: "Sister Pan'er, that's you. You are the future Princess of Han. Of course they will be polite to you."

Zhao Pan'er also shook her head: "Zhao Di, you are wrong. I can see that they are arrogant in their bones, but their arrogance comes from the fact that they are from the Han Palace. They are proud of being from the Han Palace, and they don't think they are superior to others... I don't know how to explain it to you. Anyway, you will know after seeing it with your own eyes that they are different from the servants of other powerful and noble houses."

Seeing that Ge Zhaodi wanted to say something, Sun Sanniang said directly: "Zhaodi, your sister Xiaocui is from the Han Palace."

As soon as these words were spoken, Ge Zhaodi's words were stuck in her throat.

Thinking about it carefully, she had been in Tokyo for many years and had heard a lot of gossip about the various mansions, but she had never heard of the Prince Han's Mansion oppressing the common people. On the contrary, it had done many good deeds and had a good reputation among the people.

Sun Sanniang glanced at her, then turned to Zhao Pan'er and said, "Yin Zhang didn't tell me the specific situation, but I can see that she is quite cautious because of her past experience. I am not good at speaking and don't know how to persuade her. It's a good opportunity for you to go back and persuade her. And what's the situation of that person? Pan'er, you should also ask about it. Although I believe in the character of His Royal Highness King Han's subordinates, you still have to be careful."

Zhao Pan'er nodded and said with a smile: "Sanniang, you are becoming more and more thoughtful now. I will feel relieved in the future."

Sun Sanniang was quite happy to hear Zhao Pan'er praising her, but she couldn't laugh anymore when she heard the second half of the sentence.

"Pan'er, what do you mean by 'later'?" Sun Sanniang asked anxiously.

Zhao Pan'er was silent for a moment: "I've been thinking about it recently. Although His Highness supports me to continue doing business, if I really marry him, it will be difficult for me to continue to show my face in public and do business."

Sun Sanniang nodded: "Indeed, you are a princess, and it is indeed inappropriate for you to do business."

"So this is what I think. Your cooking skills are so good, it's a pity to only make fruit. I plan to open a restaurant for you." Zhao Pan'er paused and said with a smile: "As for Yin Zhang, when the shopkeepers of Chatang Lane came to compete in tea, I was thinking that since Su Niang wanted to be her disciple, there must be many people willing to be her disciples, so I plan to open a music house for her to teach pipa skills. It just so happens that I have received a lot of compensation gifts recently, so it should be enough to open a restaurant and a music house for you."

That’s right, this is what Zhao Pan’er arranged for Song Yinzhang and Sun Sanniang.

Sun Sanniang opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, Zhao Pan'er took the lead and continued, "Don't refuse. Besides, I didn't open the restaurant and music house for you for nothing. From now on, the income of the restaurant and music house will still be distributed according to the half-covered face. It's just that I won't have so much time to spend in the store in the future."

Ever since she agreed to Zhao Wei, she knew very well that as the future Princess of Han, it would be impossible for her to show up in the business world. At most, she could only take a look around occasionally.

Sun Sanniang was silent for a long time, feeling touched but also worried: "Then I won't be polite to you, but can Yinzhang and I do it?"

Zhao Pan'er is the backbone among the three of them. Now Zhao Pan'er clearly wants them to make their own decisions. Sun Sanniang is really unsure.

"Sanniang, I believe in you and Yinzhang. You can do it. I won't completely ignore you. Don't worry." Zhao Pan'er patted Sun Sanniang's shoulder and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll go find Yinzhang."

(End of this chapter)