Her hair was cloud-like and beautiful! She opened her eyes and found herself back in the third year

Chapter 264 The Arrival of the Western Liang Envoy

Qin Yizhen was speechless.

She wanted to say that the most important thing is to be able to stand on your own two feet, not be afraid of rumors and gossip, and have the courage to face all changes.

What's there to be afraid of in the future? As long as the other party dares to marry you now, if they dare to complain in the future, just beat them up. At worst, you can just get a divorce.

But in this world, there are always so many shackles that bind women.

She had to consider her family's reputation and interests, and she couldn't bear to part with the child she had gone through so much to give birth to. The rumors and gossip outside were disheartening.

Even worse, they themselves don't know what the future holds or where they should go.

So if you just keep tolerating it, the other party will take advantage of you.

The Min family also thought they were planning for Min Siyue's future, so they had no choice but to give up good marriages and choose someone with a flaw so that they wouldn't dare to dislike her in the future.

"Soon..." Qin Yizhen opened her mouth, "There will always be a day when things get better. Perhaps when that day comes, the clouds will part and we will finally see the light."

I wonder how things are going with Shi Jin Kui. Have they managed to get any information out of Fang Shi Xin?

If all else fails, she's considering going to Empress Dowager Cheng and asking Fang Shixin in her name. Even if Fang Shixin might ask for an exorbitant amount, she'll accept it as long as it's not too outrageous.

Although... although she couldn't change everything in a short time and elevate women's situation to the same level as men, she hoped to help those who were bullied and make their lives better in this world.

After bidding farewell to Madam Min, Qin Yizhen left the Min family and then went to the Vermilion Bird Tower.

Speaking of which, today is also the day that the hostage from Xiliang and his envoys arrived in the Qin capital. I heard that they would enter the city around noon and pass through Zhuque Avenue. So she had someone reserve a private room by the window in the Zhuque Tower on Zhuque Avenue, so that she could watch the excitement.

Speaking of which, I heard that the Vermilion Bird Tower was opened by the Ministry of Revenue, and the chefs were imperial chefs from the palace. Every dish they made was excellent. It's just strange that the business is really mediocre, with only a few customers, except for a few who are particularly hungry.

Officials and their families, who knew the inside story, dared not come, fearing that they might accidentally say something wrong and be overheard, which would be recorded against them and impeached. Ordinary people, who did not have much money, could not come often.

And so, this is how the business of Zhuque Tower ended up...

These days, neither alive nor dead, business is slow, and closing down feels like a loss—it's a real headache.

However, there are quite a few people watching when there are exciting events, such as when the army returns to the capital, or when the hostage enters the city now.

But it only happens so often, and you can't even wait until the daylilies have cooled down.

When Qin Yizhen arrived, the manager of Zhuquelou complained to her about the difficult business situation. After discussions, the Ministry of Revenue might decide to close Zhuquelou down and never operate again.

"Not doing it anymore?" Qin Yizhen was stunned.

"We're not doing this anymore. You know we hardly get any customers all year round. How can we keep this business going? We might as well go do something else. You don't know, the Vermilion Bird Tower doesn't even make as much money as some small grocery stores."

Qin Yizhen coughed and said, "It's true that no one comes to the Ministry of Revenue's restaurant, but many people will definitely buy their general merchandise."

Imagine, one has to be careful when dining here. And when many officials come out to eat together, they always talk about something. Who knows who might be hiding in the Vermilion Bird Tower, or if they might be overheard?

As for buying groceries, there's no need to worry about any problems. Just buy them and take them home; many people are willing to give face to the Ministry of Revenue.

"How about you find a new owner for the Vermilion Bird Tower, and try again without letting anyone know it has ties to the Ministry of Revenue?"

The steward shook his head: "As long as it's still under the Ministry of Revenue, someone will eventually find out. It'll spread like wildfire, and before long, those who need to know will probably know."

Qin Yizhen knew nothing about business matters, so she asked him, "Has the Ministry of Revenue not sent anyone knowledgeable in this area to take a look?"

Even if no one in the Ministry of Revenue understands this, they should at least find someone who does. After all, the people in the Ministry of Revenue are so enthusiastic about making money, it's not right for them to just leave this restaurant unattended.

"We have invited a few people over, and they all felt that it would be difficult to do business if they were involved with the Ministry of Revenue. Even if they were to cooperate with others, they would have to completely change their approach and none of the people assigned by the Ministry of Revenue could be kept."

"But if that's the case, if the household receives too little profit, the Ministry of Revenue won't be happy; if it receives too much, the Ministry of Revenue hasn't done anything, and people won't be happy either. So it's just been delayed like this..."

The steward was probably too worried, and it was rare to have a princess arrive, and one who was also good-natured and willing to listen to him, so he talked on and on for a long time.

Qin Yizhen listened quietly, occasionally asking a few questions. When the noise from the street reached them and the hostage and envoy from Xiliang entered the city, she sent them away.

Lord Min, dressed in his official robes, led several officials from the Court of State Ceremonial to welcome the guests in.

With the army leading the way, followed by the honor guard, and then two carriages one after the other, carrying Prince Huai, Liang Xihuai, and Princess Liang Xiyu of Xiliang.

As the carriage passed through Zhuque Avenue, the curtain of the carriage behind was lifted, revealing a bright and beautiful face. A peach blossom makeup between her brows made her complexion even more rosy and pretty.

She carefully examined the houses along the street and a satisfied expression appeared on her face.

As the carriage passed by on the road, Qin Yizhen, who was sitting by the window, also saw her face.

"Is this the princess of Western Liang?"

"That's probably her." Green Bridge nodded, then commented, "She's pretty, but she's far inferior to the princess."

"You're certainly good with words." Qin Yizhen shook her head helplessly, almost laughing.

In the past, she certainly wouldn't have come to join in the fun, since there's nothing interesting about a hostage entering the city.

However, she heard that this princess from Xiliang came to Dongqin to marry Cheng Yan. Even though Empress Dowager Cheng said it was impossible, she still wanted to see what this princess from Xiliang looked like.

"Alright, now that we've finished watching the excitement, have someone bring us lunch. We'll head back after we've eaten."

Once the envoy's procession left, the hustle and bustle on the street began to dissipate. It would be too crowded to leave now; it would be just right to wait until after lunch, half an hour later.

When she left, the weather was already quite dark and the wind was cold. By the time she was halfway there, a few snowflakes had already begun to fall from the sky.

Green Qiao reached out and caught a snowflake, then happily said to Qin Yizhen, "Princess, it's snowing."

This year's first snow seems to have come earlier than last year's.

Qin Yizhen lifted the curtain and looked outside. She saw a cold wind blowing in the air, swirling snowflakes that drifted down to earth...