The Daily Life of a Down-on-Hard-Life Medicine Girl Supporting Her Family

Chapter 387

"Five hundred acres of estate in the suburbs of Beijing, one thousand acres of tea plantations, and ten thousand taels of silver!"

As Master Zhao watched his son repeat these rewards, he had to admit that his son was indeed much more capable than his father.

"Third brother, you are indeed a capable person."

Madam Zhou also sighed, it wasn't that she was greedy for money; although the Zhao family wasn't the wealthiest in Changzhou, they still had some wealth.
These are different kinds of money, even though they are all the same!
Because this was a gift from the emperor!
In Changzhou, which family has such talent that they would receive a reward from the emperor?

The couple were overjoyed.

“Father, Mother, I have not received any of these rewards.”

What?
The couple was completely dumbfounded.

You didn't want it?

Why not?
“I asked the Emperor for an island in Qiongzhou.”

"Where, Qiongzhou? Why?"

What is an island?
Why islands?

“An island is like a village on the sea, which can be big or small. What I want is a big island, about two thousand acres.”

He discovered this place when he was at sea. It was more than a hundred miles away from Qiongzhou. It was an island in the vast sea, deserted and full of forests, snakes, insects and wild beasts.

The emperor was also hearing for the first time that there was territory outside of Qiongzhou. Strictly speaking, he didn't even know if this territory belonged to the Great Zhou.

If Zhao Minghua wants it, then let's just give it to him generously.

Compared to real money, this is really nothing.

Of course, which emperor doesn't want to expand his territory and conquer the surrounding small countries?

However, this emperor was exceptionally clear that he had inherited an empty shell. With the national treasury depleted and years of disasters, let alone expanding the territory, even protecting the homeland from being coveted by others had exhausted his efforts.

Conquering a country is easy, but maintaining it is difficult. His goal is to preserve the assets inherited from his ancestors.

Furthermore, because he was already weak, he dared not cause any more trouble.

The reason for rewarding Zhao Minghua was actually as compensation.

It should be noted that Zhao Minghua's support in the fight against the plague in Qiongzhou amounted to hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, greatly easing the burden on the imperial court. This reward was a trivial matter. Surprisingly, Zhao Minghua refused it and even found himself a form of compensation. Most importantly, this compensation cost him nothing and earned him a good reputation, which naturally pleased the emperor.

Of course, the emperor was also very curious; this man was so concerned about Qiongzhou!
What is the purpose of wanting an island in Qiongzhou?

So Zhao Minghua laid out his little scheme and told the Emperor about his desire to go overseas and explore the world.

Was the entire Zhou Dynasty not enough for him to do business?
I'm still thinking about the other side of the sea.

No, are there really countries on the other side of the sea?
Do you have land?

The emperor agreed to Zhao Minghua's request, but the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt. So he looked at the map, but he still couldn't figure it out.

Therefore, Zhao Minghua was urgently summoned to the palace.

"Your Majesty, I once read in an ancient book that, apart from our Great Zhou and the surrounding barbarians, there are lands, people, and countries overseas, whose population and land are no less than here."

"Does this mean there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding?"

"should be."

Do you know how long it takes to travel overseas?

"Unknown," Zhao Minghua said. "Your Majesty wishes to explore it."

"Your courage is commendable!"

Why did the emperor suddenly feel a little envious of him?
Being an emperor is definitely not as fun as being a rich man. He can do whatever he wants without any constraints.

No, Xiao Chunnuan also agreed to let him do it?

After all, it's quite risky.

The vast ocean, once you go, the return date is uncertain, and you may never return!

"Mr. Xiao also agrees?"

"Yes, my wife is willing; she will accompany me on this voyage."

"Mr. Xiao is also going to sea?"

The emperor was shocked, and at the same time, he felt a little envious and even a little jealous!

This couple is truly extraordinary!

In other countries, the husband is the breadwinner and the wife stays at home to take care of the family. This has been the traditional model of husband-wife relationships for thousands of years.

However, in Zhao Minghua's case, both the husband and wife are responsible for external affairs. They are busy with their own things, but they can still have fun together, going out to sea and going on adventures together.

"This is not a proper matter."

The emperor thought that if Xiao Chunnuan went to sea and there were any risks, the Great Zhou Dynasty would be as if it had lost a protector.

No, he couldn't bear to let Xiao Chunnuan take the risk. What was Zhao Minghua thinking?

“Zhao Aiqing, it’s good that you have this fighting spirit, but…”

The emperor wanted to say that you can't put all your eggs in one basket.

It doesn't matter if something happens to him; the Great Zhou Dynasty will just lose one more merchant.

If Xiao Chunnuan is gone, who will he turn to if he encounters an epidemic?
In the vast Zhou Dynasty, there was simply no other Xiao Chunnuan to be found!
This is a national treasure; no, we absolutely cannot let Xiao Chunnuan go.

"Mr. Xiao still has a lot of things to do at Chunshan Women's Medical College, and you have three children at home. You should be more considerate of Mr. Xiao's difficulties as a mother..."

The implication is that you can't take your wife with you; if something happens, your three children will become orphans without parents, which is too cruel!
"Your Majesty, I have also spoken to my wife about this, but she is stubborn. If she doesn't want to go, she won't agree to let me go. So, the key to this matter lies with her."

Zhao Minghua was a clever man and understood the meaning behind the emperor's words.

Why would he want to take this risk with Chunnuan?
Even if Chunnuan is willing to go, she should first investigate the situation herself. It's not too late to go next time. At least she'll have a better understanding of the risks involved.

He even pinned his hopes on the emperor being able to persuade Chunnuan to stop, even if it meant resigning from his post.

After all, nothing is more effective than the emperor's edict.

"That's true. Minister Zhao, you should go back and persuade Mr. Xiao to prioritize the overall situation and not act impulsively."

The more capable a person is, the more different their temperament becomes. The emperor finally understood why Zhao Minghua could not assert her authority as a husband.

He can't control her at all; he can't control Xiao Chunnuan even a little bit. You can tell how miserable his life is just by looking at his helplessness.

Well, don't pity him, he's actually secretly happy!

The emperor and empress were also deeply in love, so they naturally knew how happy it was for a couple to be of one mind.

Zhao Minghua always had a smile on his face. His wife was so outstanding, and she had two sons and a daughter. He wouldn't trade this kind of life for a god.

Compared to himself... his offspring are few, and what annoys him most is that those old fogies keep clamoring for him to hold a talent show to fill his harem.

Previously, we could use the excuse of the late emperor's mourning period to get by, but what reason do we have now?

These court officials have no other skills, they just keep an eye on his harem all day long, trying to send their daughters in to consolidate their family's status. This trick has been used for thousands of years, and there's nothing new about it.