Seeing that Miss.Liu had no intention of guessing, Li Yi asked tentatively, "Do you think Li Xuan's hair is this long?"
Miss.Liu glanced at him and said, "I already know everything."
"What, you already know everything?" Li Yi looked at her in surprise. Could it be that Ruyi had already told her about it?
He had thought that Ruyi would strongly object to it, but he did not expect her to be so understanding. Li Yi nodded and said, "Since you already know, then it's fine. She doesn't want to leave Willow Lane for now, but she will enter the residence sooner or later. When that time comes …"
"Princess Shouning is no longer a child. There is a difference between men and women. Even if she is close to you, there should be a boundary …"
Miss.Liu paused and looked at Li Yi. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Willow Lane, enter the residence … Who are you talking about? What do you mean? "
"You mean … Shouning?"
Li Yi stood rooted to the ground for a long time before he stood up and looked at her. "Are you hungry? Do you want me to cook a bowl of noodles for you?"
Miss.Liu nodded and said, "A little. Go ahead. What Willow Lane? What entering the residence? We'll talk about it while we eat."
"Oh yes, remember to add more vegetables and vinegar …"
…
The Spring Festival was a very joyous occasion. No matter how much hardship and exhaustion one had endured in the past year, in the short month between the end of the year and the Lantern Festival, one would always unload the heavy burden on one's shoulders and spend a few comfortable days with the family.
However, these days, Li Yi did not have a good time.
The little fellow was almost two months old. He could barely make sounds of "Ah, ah, oh, oh". He was no longer as sleepy as before. While he became more active, he naturally became more restless. Ruyi did not ask a wet nurse or a maid to take care of the child. He got up in the middle of the night and cried a lot. These days, the two of them rarely had a good sleep.
Miss.Liu had not spoken to him for a few days because of that important matter. She kept a straight face and was cold. They hadn't even entered the residence yet. When that time came — just thinking about it gave her a headache.
At the end of the year, the court meeting was approaching. All the officials were coming to the capital. The princess had a lot of things to do and hadn't seen her for a few days. He didn't have much time either. He didn't have to worry about the brothel and the shop. But at the end of the year, there were many things that he needed to see for himself.
Seeing that it was New Year's Eve, he must still spend this year at home. Next year, he might be able to bring Zui Mo and Ruoqing over. The whole family could make dumplings and stay up for the New Year together. Of course, for now, it was just a thought.
After coaxing the little fellow to sleep again, Li Yi walked out of the room tiredly. Looking at the moon in the sky that was missing a corner, he murmured, "It's still missing something …"
…
After entering the twelfth month, especially when it was getting closer and closer to the New Year, the entire capital gradually became more lively and prosperous.
The big families had to prepare for the celebration, and the ordinary people also had to buy the New Year's goods. All the big shops were overcrowded. The small merchants and peddlers also seized the only opportunity of the year, thinking of making a lot of money at the end of the year. The streets were crowded, and pedestrians could only walk slowly.
At the gate of the city, a huge fleet of carriages slowly entered after being inspected by the guards at the gate.
At the forefront, a tall man looked back at the towering city wall, and then looked at the endless tide of people in front of him and the row upon row of shops. He turned his head and said, "Miss, the capital of the Jing Kingdom is much more prosperous than the last time we came here …"
The woman nodded and said, "Wait until we put the goods in the official warehouse first, then we can take our time to see."
When the fleet of carriages turned and went to another road with fewer people, many people sighed aloud.
"Other people pay 30% tax to 1%, but when it comes to us, it becomes 10% tax to 1%. This is a total difference of two times. When we go back this time, I'm afraid it will be very good if we can keep our capital …"
"Alright, there's nothing to complain about. 30% tax to 1% is for the merchants of the Jing Kingdom. We'd better not think too much."
"Wasn't it 30% tax to 1% before, but this year …"
"Alas, who asked us to lose the war? After this trip, we'd better stay in the Qi Kingdom obediently. Don't take this risk easily …"
A low-ranking official led the fleet of carriages to the front of a government office and shouted, "There's work. Come out and receive the goods."
Immediately, a man ran out from the duty room. The low-ranking official glanced at him and said, "These are the peddling merchants of the Qi Kingdom. I'll leave them to you …"
Then, he turned and left.
"Aren't you just a doorkeeper? What's there to be so arrogant about …" The bailiff glanced at him, then turned his eyes to the crowd and waved his hand. "All of you, stand over there …"
Although this was only a bailiff from a small government office, none of them dared to disobey him. They stood obediently to the side.
These peddling merchants were different from the merchants who owned shops here. After entering the city, they had to first register their goods in the official warehouse and pay the taxes before they could enter the market to be sold.
As for the merchants from the Qi Kingdom, they were different from the local peddling merchants of the Jing Kingdom. In comparison, they were often ostracized and treated unfairly.
"10% tax to 1%, so be it. The perfumes and ready-made clothes from the capital city of the Jing Kingdom are very famous. They're very popular even in the Qi Kingdom. If we trade these things back, it'll be profitable."
"I've heard that the women's personal belongings they sell are also very profitable …"
"The biggest profit should be Liuli. What a pity, what a pity for those damned foreign merchants. Alas, let's not talk about it …"
The winter weather was still a little cold. The crowd stood outside for about two hours before someone came out again.
"Thank you, Your Excellency …" A man went up to greet the bailiff with a respectful expression. After receiving the tax receipt, he glanced at it and his expression froze in an instant.
He raised his head in disbelief and asked, "Your Excellency, is … is there a mistake in the calculation?"
The bailiff waved his hand and said impatiently, "For people like you who seek personal gain, 5% tax to 1% is already too little. Pay the tax quickly and don't leave your things there and take up space …"
"Your Excellency, this, this is really too much. You can't …"
"If you think it's too much, then you can take it back …" The bailiff glanced at him and said indifferently before turning to leave.
They were just a few merchants from the Qi Kingdom. Didn't they see where they were? Was this a place where they could bargain?
Outside the yamen, the man leaned against the wall and cursed, "These black-hearted dogs, they're clearly trying to bully us …"
"Lower your voice." The woman glanced at him and said, "This is the Jing Kingdom. We live under the eaves. It's better to suffer a little than to lose everything."
The man nodded gloomily and asked, "Then, Miss, what should we do now?"
The woman thought for a moment and said, "Let's find a place to settle down first."
The man's face revealed an excited expression. He licked his lips and said, "Why don't we go find the Li Brothers? Didn't Li Brothers say that we should go find him when we come to the capital? I haven't seen him for more than half a year and I really miss him …"
The woman looked at him and shook her head. "Let's find an inn first. We can ask around later …"
She looked at the crowded streets and murmured, "Since we're here, we should meet him."
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