Too high to reach

Chapter 175 Let's Get Married
Consort Feng has been very busy lately at the Qi Prince's residence.

She had a premonition: that person... should be arriving at the mansion soon.

For the Liu family's birthday banquet, the items ordered by the prince to be taken out of the warehouse were directly delivered to the Mo family.

That person has already begun to socialize on behalf of the prince.

They're not married yet!
I don't understand what all this is for?
She didn't want to think about these things anymore...

A few days ago, I started clearing out the accounts I had. I transferred what I could, and hid what I could.

At first, she wasn't capable of doing these things. Later, she was able to control things somewhat covertly, but managing the household instilled in her a sense of ownership. Although she accumulated some private assets, she didn't touch them much.

Although it's something for the future, she will definitely find and create various opportunities to strive for it.

But on the other hand, we also need to plan ahead!

……

Li Jing asked Mo Yi to meet him at the teahouse.

It was drizzling that day.

Autumn winds and rains, fallen leaves on the road, and suddenly it gets cold.

When she arrived, Zhao Zuo and Zhao You were chatting and laughing on the first floor. When they saw her, they quickly led her upstairs.

Today, Li Jing is dressed casually and looks relaxed. Holding a teacup, he is standing by the window looking at the street scene.

"Your Highness!" Mo Yi bowed.

"Are you here? Sit down."

Mo Yi obediently sat down.

Seeing that she hadn't taken off her cloak, she must have felt a bit cold in the room.

He then called out towards the door, "Bring me a charcoal brazier!"

Neither of them spoke.

Soon after, a charcoal brazier was brought in, and the room immediately became warm.

Mo Yi then took off her outer cloak, revealing a long, fitted, narrow-sleeved silk blouse with a purple background and small red plum blossoms, paired with a pleated skirt. She had been busy lately, and had become both more robust and thinner, with a very slender figure.

She wasn't dressed up formally today; her jet-black hair was simply pulled back, adorned with two pearl hairpins and pearl earrings.

She looked like a young lady from a respectable family.

"Your Highness, I encountered something when I visited the Liu family a few days ago, and I would like to tell you about it."

"Go ahead."

Mo Yi then explained it carefully.

Li Jing listened and gave a curt "hmm" without any expression.

"Later, we received news that Miss Sun had fallen ill and that the Sun family had sent her to the estate."

"I haven't paid attention to the Sun family... This matter must just be a quarrel between the youngest daughters." Li Jing didn't think much of it.

"That's what Granny Zhao said too."

"Just do it this way next time something like this happens. It's okay... How's your little shop doing?"

"It's going smoothly so far. We're still stocking up on goods. I did the math, and we've invested a huge sum of money..." Once the topic came up, Mo Yi couldn't stop: "I had no idea there were so many interesting things, and they're all so expensive! The shop is finished, but we still need to decorate, and that alone will cost a lot of money. The shelves for displaying the items are so expensive they're terrifying..."

Seeing her vivid description, Li Jing smiled, "At most, it's just so-so. Once you've seen the palace purchasing, you'll know what a high price really is. Don't worry too much about the money. Just tell Manager Zhao when you need it."

"...I got some from Manager Zhao, and I wrote out receipts for everything."

Li Jing smiled and said, "These industries are better for making money, but money isn't the only goal. For you, completing something from scratch is a form of growth. If business is good in the future, it will naturally be good. If business is bad, you'll still have some lessons to learn. Having a shop like this will make building connections and gathering information much cheaper in the future."

"What you've said may take some time to fully grasp..." Mo Yi poured tea, thinking about the future, which seemed quite promising.

"No rush... For someone your age and experience, it's already quite an achievement to have done this much."

"Your Highness, this... was made for you by Mo Yi."

Mo Yi picked up a crescent-shaped object, and Li Jing took it from her, asking curiously, "What is this?"

"A leather bag. Used for carrying things..."

"...How do you pack things?"

“Look… these booklets of yours can go in.” Mo Yi walked over to Li Jing and gestured, picking up the booklets from the table. “…Put them in like this, then close the lid, tie the strap. And this is the bamboo handle, you can carry it like this!”

“…Carry it.” Li Jing was somewhat amused and exasperated. “Do you think I’m one of those young ladies?” He thought to himself, “I have a whole bunch of people behind me, why would I need to carry anything?”
What's the point of wearing a brocade robe and a silver crown while carrying this thing? Isn't it ridiculous?
"Look, I saw this cowhide at a merchant's place in the west of the city. The leather is exceptionally well-tanned, with only the strongest layer remaining. It's soft and has only a slight smell. The color is also well-dyed. The cowhide is sturdy and durable, and it's waterproof. It's also big enough to fit all of your dozen or so booklets."

Li Jing smiled helplessly: "Well, if you were selling it in a shop, how much silver do you plan to sell it for?"

Then, Mo Yi calculated in detail how much silver was needed for the raw materials and how much labor was required.

She plans to make a certain number and then decides on the selling price.

"While making this for you, I had many new ideas. In the future, I can also embroider on it. With the addition of hemp straps, it can be worn crossbody, like this..."

She gestured, "The prince can carry it on his back while riding a horse. It won't fall off. For a man, this is much more practical than a purse. It can hold silver, handkerchiefs, and even a water pouch and food. How convenient!"
Actually, this bag wasn't entirely my idea. The store already had it, but it was very simple and unattractive, so not many people bought it.

Despite her long explanation, Li Jing didn't really take it to heart.

Instead, I really enjoyed her being so cheerful and talkative.

This makes me feel very relaxed.

Sometimes, he really needs this feeling of relaxation.

"Mo Yi... how about we get married at the end of the year?!" He didn't know why he said that.

Mo Yi, who was engrossed in her grand project, blinked and paused for a moment before realizing what was happening.

Her face flushed red instantly.

"Your Highness..." She immediately became less eloquent than before, stammering and unsure of what to say.

"What? You don't want to marry me?" Li Jing suddenly felt like teasing him.

"No! No!" Mo Yi felt that she was being coy and exaggerated, so she quickly straightened her posture. "I just didn't expect it... and... I really didn't expect it!"

What she really thought was, "My shop isn't even open yet."

I'm so busy, how can I have time to think about getting married?

So much money has been invested, and so many people rely on it for their livelihood. What if things go wrong if we let our guard down?
"Your Highness, that shop... is scheduled to open at the end of the year."

"Shall we open it?!" Li Jing looked at her.

"What will the Emperor say?"

……

Inside the palace, Princess Yu'an was venting her emotions to the Empress.

The Liu family's plan failed, and Sun Ying'er was also dragged into it.

Nobody expected Mo Yi to go! What was she doing there?! It's really...

I still have a great use for this person, so I can't afford to get along with her badly, nor can I let her become suspicious of me.

This isn't something that can be resolved with just a few words... We need to get along with her well, just like we did with Zhou Li back then!
After thinking for a while, she finally managed a smile. "Mother, when is the seventh prince getting married? I heard his residence has been tidying up!"

After being bothered by her daughter for a while, the Empress lowered her head and went about her own business. "Who knows! Don't be fooled by the tidying up; it'll probably be delayed again."

"No way. That girl went to the Liu family in place of Seventh Brother!"

"Really?" The Queen looked at her daughter.

“What I saw.”

"He's found a good princess; don't even think about making a move on her. At the very least, you should wait until they're married!"

"Mother! Is your daughter really that bad..." Princess Yu'an chuckled. "Then you should think of a way to get them married as soon as possible!"

……

After Mo Yi left, Li Jing had to go and run some errands.

He actually packed what he needed to take into his leather bag and carried it out himself.

Zhao Zuo and Zhao You stared wide-eyed, wondering what it was, but dared not ask.

As a result, the group of people who went to discuss business found it quite interesting and praised it for a long time.

Even Li Jing's perpetually dark face showed a hint of a smile...

We plan to have the prince get married during the New Year, making it a double celebration.

But I might not be able to write it all down... Let's see.

(End of this chapter)