Chapter 82

Watching Gong Jie, who was bowing respectfully, Emperor Zhaogong smiled warmly and gently stood up.

"Gong Jie, you currently have no official position. Would you be willing to join the Secretariat to help me with my worries and difficulties?"

"This... I thank Your Majesty for your kindness, but I am accustomed to a leisurely life. How about this, if Your Majesty needs me, I will be ready to serve at any time. However, I would rather not take up a position in the Secretariat!"

Is Gong Jie really uninterested in an official position? Of course not. If he truly had no desires, why would he have worked hard to strategize for Liang Shicheng? He deeply understands the heart of an emperor. For someone who is power-hungry, all emperors will be on high alert. His words just now, which seemed to be offering an official position, were actually a very subtle test.

Hearing Gong Jie's response, Zhaogong's brows relaxed, and this time his smile was free of any suspicion. "In that case, I will not force you, Mr. Gong. Since you have no interest in the Secretariat, how about becoming a scholar at the Longtu Pavilion?"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great kindness!"

This time, Gong Jie did not refuse and gladly accepted the position of scholar at the Longtu Pavilion. The Longtu Pavilion is responsible for imperial records, various classics, paintings, and family documents. Being a scholar there is more like managing miscellaneous tasks for the emperor, which is very different from the military-focused Secretariat. This position, while not powerful, is close to the emperor and, most importantly, will not make the emperor suspicious.

Gong Jie's understanding of human nature is truly unparalleled. He deeply knows when to make what kind of choice.

Refusing the position in the Secretariat shows he knows when to advance and retreat. Accepting the position of scholar at the Longtu Pavilion shows he knows the emperor's favor. If he had refused even the position at the Longtu Pavilion, it would have been a refusal of the emperor's kindness.

"Cao Gong, from now on, you and Mr. Gong must work together. Understand?"

Cao Bing quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will certainly work closely with Mr. Gong to help you with your worries!"

After leaving the imperial study, Cao Bing did not rush to leave but walked alongside Gong Jie for a while. "Mr. Gong, may I ask where you studied?"

"From the Mohist Fanggou Valley. Hehe, I will have to rely on you, Cao Gong!"

"You are too modest, Mr. Gong. I will have to learn a lot from you in the future!" Cao Bing couldn't help but look at Gong Jie again. The Mohist Fanggou Valley was just a legend, and he never thought such a place actually existed.

According to legend, the Fanggou Valley was a preserve of the Mohists during the Warring States period. It contained many ancient military strategies. Anyone who came from there was a person of extraordinary talent. He thought it was just a legend, but today he actually met a real person from there.

"Hehe!"

Gong Jie smiled faintly and said no more. Don't be fooled by Cao Bing's sarcastic tone; his eyes were very sharp.

Inside the Kaifeng Prefecture, Zhao Yougong was hiding in the shade, drinking tea, with only Ajiu by his side. As for Xiaosan, he had gone out to lead a group of people to collect donations on the street.

At this moment, Zhao Yougong wasn't thinking too much. According to his knowledge, the case by the Wenhé River was handled cleanly and left no clues, so there shouldn't be any problems. Moreover, Dugu Qiubai was also fine, so he really had nothing to worry about. As for Zhu Lian, she was said to have caught a cold and would come the next day.

Zhao Yougong didn't know what had happened to Lady Zhu, but she definitely didn't have a cold. The doctors he sent were politely asked to leave by the Zhu family.

"Ajiu, do you think Lady Zhu is really sick or faking it? Should I go and see her?"

Ajiu opened her big, cute eyes and slowly shook her head.

"Then, do you think I'm doing a good job as the Prefect? Am I good or bad?"

Ajiu continued to shake her head.

"..."

She kept shaking her head.

Zhao Yougong frowned and sat up. Was he hiring a servant or a nodding doll?

He glared, his teeth chattering, "Ajiu, look up. Do you think I'm handsome and cool?"

This time, Ajiu nodded happily, and Zhao Yougong was naturally very pleased. He stood up, patted his buttocks, and picked up the fan on the table. "Good girl, let's go to the West Market and have some fun!"

Ajiu, a 13-year-old girl, was delighted at the thought of going to the Bian River Street and hugged the teapot, laughing. But after taking a few steps, Zhao Yougong turned and smiled bitterly. "Ajiu, put down that broken teapot. Let's go change clothes first. What will people think if you carry a teapot to the West Market? Do you think I lack water?"

Ajiu pouted and obediently put down the teapot. In the back office, they said they were changing clothes, but only Zhao Yougong actually changed. Ajiu already had a set of gray clothes, which she simply put on. Soon, Zhao Yougong, with his hair disheveled and wearing a tattered robe, led Ajiu out of the gate with enthusiasm.

Arriving at the West Market, Zhao Yougong felt bored and had an idea. If Emperor Zhaogong could play a market street in the Genyue Garden, why couldn't he, the young prince, find a stall on the Bian River Street?

Saying it, he did it. Leading Ajiu, he walked back and forth a few times and set his sights on the only chestnut stall on the street. Speaking of chestnuts, Zhao Yougong had eaten many, but he had never tried to roast and sell them himself. He approached the stall, threatened and bribed the stall owner, and smoothly took over the stall. Fortunately, he didn't say the owner couldn't sell elsewhere, or the owner would have cried and knelt down.

Taking over the stall, the master and servant tried to roast chestnuts, but they both ended up with dirty faces. Ajiu was quick-witted and got the hang of it after roasting twice, while Zhao Yougong, seeing he had no talent for roasting chestnuts, started shouting with a towel.

"Southbound, northbound, passersby, tea drinkers, come and see! Freshly roasted chestnuts, fragrant and sweet, no charge if not fragrant or sweet!"

"Come and see! Freshly roasted chestnuts for five coins, not tasty, I'm a fool!"

Zhao Yougong was handsome and had a loud voice. His shouting could be heard from far away. More importantly, the stall was not far from the Xiefang Tower, and it didn't take long for the sound to reach Niannuer's ears.

Leaning by the window, Xiaotan was fanning her, and Niannuer was holding a book but had no heart to read it. She stretched her neck and looked at the man shouting in the distance, then laughed. "Xiaotan, what do you think our young master is up to now?"

"..." Xiaotan was speechless and pouted. "Sister Cui, I don't know either. Could it be that the young prince is roasting chestnuts for you?"

"Talking nonsense, if he were really that kind, it would be good!" Niannuer thought the young prince selling chestnuts was just creating trouble. The emperor's market street was an art, but his was just silly.

Sighing, she put down the book and took out a dozen copper coins from her purse.

"Xiaotan, go buy some chestnuts. Don't let our young master be too heartbroken!"

"Hehe, Sister Cui, you do care!"

"Brat, if you don't talk, no one will think you're mute!" Glaring, Niannuer continued reading, and Xiaotan skipped down the stairs.

Zhao Yougong was shouting hard, and the one who finally came was the familiar Xiaotan. The little girl extended her white hand, shaking a dozen copper coins, and asked for two pounds.

Two pounds it is. When he took out the scale, Zhao Yougong was dumbfounded. He understood the scales of the 21st century, but this was the first time he had used a Song Dynasty scale. He threw in a bunch of chestnuts and stared at the points on the rod, unable to figure it out. Xiaotan stood in front of the stall, giggling. She saw at a glance that the young prince couldn't use the scale. Just as she was about to help, she saw Zhao Yougong throw the scale and stuff some chestnuts into the bag, waving his hand.

"First time, extra free, little lady, go back and try them..."

"..." This young master, his mind works fast.

After Xiaotan left, Zhao Yougong pulled Ajiu, who was busy with the iron spoon, over. Looking at the little girl with a dirty face, he asked seriously, "Ajiu, do you know how to use the scale?"

He thought Ajiu, from a poor family, would know how to use the scale, but she shook her head. The master and servant stared at each other, and at this moment, they realized how stupid they were.

If they had known it would be so troublesome, they would have opened a bun shop. Selling buns by the piece, they wouldn't make mistakes. Just as he thought about it, Zhao Yougong was disappointed again. It seemed neither he nor Ajiu knew how to make buns, so opening a bun shop would be pointless.

Ajiu stood pitifully by the side, and Zhao Yougong sat on a broken stool, pondering the scale. At this moment, a pleasant voice came from the stall.

"How much are the chestnuts?"

The owner of the voice was a girl of about sixteen or seventeen, with black willow eyebrows, long phoenix eyes, and a face like water. She wore a blue floral gauze shirt, which, though old, was appropriate. She carried a bamboo basket with vegetables and black fungus.

What a charming young lady. In this world, noble ladies have their elegance, and young ladies have their gentleness. In short, Zhao Yougong was captivated.

"Boss, how much are the chestnuts?"

Another question, and Zhao Yougong finally came to his senses. He put down the scale and smiled, holding a broken towel. "Five coins per pound, how many pounds do you want, lady?"

"Ha!" The girl laughed. She had never seen anyone sell chestnuts like this. Five coins per pound would surely result in a loss. Besides, people usually buy no more than two pounds.

The girl was kind-hearted, but she didn't know the young prince's intentions. He wasn't selling chestnuts; he was selling joy and silliness.

"Selling like this, won't you lose money? Other stalls sell for over ten coins per pound. If you sell for five coins, you'll still make a profit!"

The girl spoke kindly, but Zhao Yougong smiled foolishly, shaking the towel. "Not everyone will pay five coins. If you buy, I'll give them to you for free. Others will pay twenty coins and still think twice!"

The young prince spoke so straightforwardly that the girl's brows furrowed, and she blushed.