Hearing this, Tang Youyou stared directly at the person in front of her, twirling the rosary in her hand.
She said unhurriedly, "Young Master Xu Mo, you must be joking. If the emperor personally ordered you to come, even if the sky were to fall, he would surely pave the way for you. How could he let you end up in such a state?"
Hearing Tang Youyou's doubts, this person was instantly stunned. If it weren't for his poor self - esteem that made him reluctant to be a messenger for two people, how could he have been beaten up like this by Rong Xun? Even the silver on him had been snatched away by that guy.
In order to make him feel at ease delivering the message, this person had used all his conspiracy theories on him.
Repaying kindness with enmity!
Tang Youyou, sitting on the upper seat, watched this person looking indignant and slowly asked, "I wonder if Young Master Xu Mo has made up his mind?"
Reminded by her, Xu Mo finally came to his senses. Looking at the smiling girl in front of him, he said casually.
"Of course, it's because I was in a hurry on the way here, which is why I'm in such a mess. It's a long and tiring journey, after all, it's a border area."
The reason was reasonable, so Tang Youyou didn't inquire further.
"In that case, Young Master Xu Mo, could you tell this empress dowager where the late emperor is now and if he is well?"
Hearing this, Xu Mo shook his head. "I can't say much about this. The emperor has instructed that when the time is right, he will surely be by your side."
After saying that, Xu Mo was in a hurry to leave, and Tang Youyou naturally didn't stop him.
The few people left stood there like wooden stakes, motionless.
Kang Fuhai questioned, "Did Your Majesty the Empress Dowager see clearly? That young master just now showed no respect for the emperor at all. So, his words cannot be trusted."
Tang Youyou naturally knew this person's concerns, but for now, she was still dependent on others. Even if she knew this person was lying to her, so what?
The current emperor above was just waiting for something to go wrong here. People were eagerly watching her, waiting to see if she made any mistakes.
"This empress dowager naturally knows. For these days, you all should not go out anymore. Close the shops outside if you can. Don't cause any trouble and get into a mess."
She wasn't exaggerating. The current emperor was just waiting to "make a show of his authority when he first takes office". If she didn't tuck in her tail, she would surely be stepped on.
Kang Fuhai was a smart man. As soon as he heard what Tang Youyou said, he immediately came to his senses, turned around and left the mansion, heading straight for Chang'an Street.
"Your Majesty, this is..." Qingyu was puzzled.
Tang Youyou gently stroked the rosary in her hand, the beads slipping through her fingers one by one, looking very serene.
She slowly said, "The tree may prefer calm, but the wind will not subside. You should learn the truth that a tall tree catches much wind. If a person is too ostentatious, they will surely invite disaster."
Her words finally woke up Qingyu's muddled mind.
"Your Majesty is right. It's just that this servant has limited knowledge. I'll go with Kang Fuhai right away to handle the matters in the rouge workshop."
Just like this, the once bustling mansion had now become quiet.
Granny Xuan looked at Tang Youyou's furrowed brows and softly laughed, "What else could be troubling this little girl? Let this old nun guess. It should be your sweetheart, right?"
As soon as these words were said, Tang Youyou's whole body trembled slightly. She raised her eyes to look at Granny Xuan, her face blushing faintly. "Granny Xuan, don't make fun of me. Rong Xun is missing, and I'm just worried about him."
Hearing this, Granny Xuan pretended to be confused. "In that case, there's no need to be entangled. These days, the Great Ming Kingdom is not peaceful. It's better to be cautious."
"Yes, as long as we hide our edge, there won't be any major problems."
Unless... someone asks for trouble.
However, the most worrying thing still came. The Great Ming Kingdom and the Xia Kingdom had never gotten along well, but now they had become allies.
Obviously, the current emperor had meddled again. If he hadn't given the Xia Kingdom what it wanted, the Xia Kingdom's emperor wouldn't have compromised and attached himself to the Great Ming Kingdom.
Just as Tang Youyou was deep in thought, she seemed to think of something. She quickly called the people beside her.
"You all, report to this empress dowager all the accounts for these days."
Hearing this, Qingyu and Yiran began to report seriously. It took them half an hour to finish.
All in all, she was now a rich woman. Coupled with the things brought from the palace, she was basically as rich as a country.
In this way, she could handle things more smoothly.
"Qingyu, from now on, allocate half of the income from the rouge workshop as charity funds. It must be in the name of this empress dowager. Then, this empress dowager will go with you."
Just as Qingyu was about to ask, Yiran immediately covered her mouth and replied on her behalf, "Yes, this servant obeys the order."
After the two stepped out of the Empress Dowager's Mansion, Yiran heaved a long sigh. "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager has explained it to you. Don't ask any more questions. In the palace, the most taboo thing is a curious person. Being blind and deaf is the way to protect oneself."
Hearing this, Qingyu had no choice but to shut up.
The two prepared the things and arranged all the food in good order. Before they could start distributing alms, something earth - shattering happened in the Great Ming Kingdom.
A plague swept across the whole of the Great Ming, and the current emperor was at a loss. He was simply unable to turn the situation around.
Such a fatuous and incompetent emperor. Even if the throne was given to him, what was the use? He was just a disgraceful waste.
However, she couldn't just watch the Great Ming Kingdom be destroyed like this.
"Qingyu, the things I asked you to prepare before, haven't you sent them out yet?"
Qingyu nodded. "Yes, I haven't had the time yet."
"That's good. Also, check if any grain shops have raised their prices recently?"
Hearing this, Qingyu immediately turned around and left.
Yiran frowned when she heard this. She timidly asked, "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, aren't you going to help those common people at this critical moment?"
Hearing this, Tang Youyou shook her head.
"I won't."
"I'm going to help those who raise the price of grain."
What? Hearing this, Yiran stood there stunned, looking at Tang Youyou in disbelief. She thought that this time Tang Youyou was going to play the role of a savior, but she never expected her to do such a heartless thing.
Thinking of this, Yiran didn't ask any more questions. "Okay, Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, just give this servant any orders."
Seeing Yiran's state, Tang Youyou naturally knew what was on this girl's mind.
However, it wasn't time to reveal the truth yet.