It was snowing in the capital, and it was heavy.

Zhu Gaoxu was going out of the palace today, so he made an appointment with someone in advance. Of course, the emperor could change the time and even break the appointment, but he felt it was unnecessary, so he went to the meeting as time as possible in the afternoon.

The person he wanted to meet was a businessman from the Xue family in Huzhou.

The Northern Punishment Commander Du Erlang tried to contact the famous merchants who were mirrors. The matter had been done and would discuss and cooperate with the Xue family in the name of the Nan Office of the Guardian. This matter was not a big deal, and Zhu Gaoxu could hand it over to the officials to handle it. However, he lived in the palace for a long time and sometimes he just wanted to go out and see some palace servants and people other than ministers.

In the Liaodong Battle to be launched next spring, he gave up his personal expedition. It is still okay to go out to walk around the capital city now. Moreover, when it comes to the latest news about glass making, he felt that talking to the merchants in person might be more clear.

The place where we met was in Shenjia Liyuan. We were talking about business, and Zhu Gaoxu did not use his real identity. It was best to be in that kind of place.

Chen Xu, who owns many businesses and business gangs, came to the Liyuan in person and waited outside the door. When Zhu Gaoxu's carriage arrived, she stepped forward to greet him, "I will welcome Mr. Hong."

Zhu Gaoxu walked off the carriage and smiled and said in a low voice: "My surname is Hou today."

Chen Xu covered his mouth and smiled sweetly, and said, "Please go upstairs, Mr. Hou."

Several people walked into the hall first and went straight up the wooden stairs. There were many people in the hall, which was a bit noisy, and there was an actor singing on the table. When Zhu Gaoxu left the palace, of course, he did not wear a dragon robe, but only a blue satin robe and a square scarf on his head. So almost no one noticed him.

They arrived at a door beside the corridor upstairs, and Chen Xu said, "The person Mr. Hou is going to meet has arrived." She then chuckled meaningfully, "I won't disturb you today, so you can talk slowly."

Her smile was a little strange.

Zhu Gaoxu casually said, "Let's meet again when I finish the main business."

Chen Xu smiled and said, "Let's go next time."

Zhu Gaoxu couldn't help but look at her again. When she gently lifted the door, he stepped in. Zhang Sheng, the commander of the Jinyiwei, who was accompanying him, also stayed outside.

As soon as he walked into the door, Zhu Gaoxu immediately understood the meaning of Chen Xu's expression just now. He saw a man standing up from the chair. The man tied his hair and wore a net scarf and a light gray round-necked cloth robe. But she was a woman, a young and beautiful woman, and even a blind man could see it.

The woman bowed and said, "My grandmother Xue Ping of my family, I have met Lord Hou."

Zhu Gaoxu said: "I'm sorry, let's sit down and say it."

Xue Pingniang raised her head and whispered: "Are the adults as kind as you?"

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "It's hard to say."

He sat in the chair opposite and looked at Mrs. Xue a little, and saw that she was dressed as a man very simple. She was not at all beautiful, but she was white without makeup, and her hair was black, which looked very attractive. The round neck robe on her body was a whole piece of cloth on her chest. Compared with the women's clothes, the curve on her chest was more obvious, and the curve was very smooth and beautiful.

When Mrs. Xue noticed his gaze, she frowned and looked at him.

Zhu Gaoxu hurriedly looked around and said to it: "I didn't expect that the Xue family came to be a woman."

Mrs. Xue's voice was soothing and even, very nice. She explained: "The shopkeeper is a little older and is afraid that he can't stand the troubles of carriages. When I heard about this, I invited me to Beijing and came with my husband. My father and the shopkeeper are of the same clan, but I only gave birth to a woman like me. I hired a husband to come to my house. On weekdays, the business that the clan manages for our family is the one who owns. Lord Hou doesn't have to worry, although I am a woman, I know how to make a mirror."

"So that's it." Zhu Gaoxu nodded. Mrs. Xue spoke clearly and spoke in such detail, and seemed to be a more honest person.

Mrs. Xue said, "I didn't expect that Lord Hou was so young, so he passed the Jinshi and became an official."

Zhu Gaoxu quickly realized that her words were a bit similar to what she said just now, and the two of them immediately looked at each other.

"Your husband?" Zhu Gaoxu asked casually.

A hint of unhappiness flashed across Mrs. Xue's face, but she didn't know if it was because Zhu Gaoxu shouldn't have asked this. She gently curled her lips, "Waiting in the shop and calling him to come together, he was afraid of seeing the officials. I don't know what to be afraid of? She only knows how to polish the mirror and doesn't care about anything." Although she said that, she could tell that she was a little nervous.

Zhu Gaoxu thought that life for a son-in-law did not seem to be easy. In this world where men are superior to women, Miss Xue seems to have completely disrespect her husband. However, she is a straightforward person and has no intention of hiding it.

She held a fair cup, poured tea into the small white porcelain cups on several tables, and looked at the cup and said, "People in this teahouse told me that Lord Hou was about to arrive, so I made a pot of tea."

Mrs. Xue handed the small cup over with both hands: "Look at this cup, isn't this place cheap?"

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "The boss is my friend, so you don't have to pay. However, Xue's mirror is so famous, you should have made a lot of money, are you afraid of being expensive?"

Mrs. Xue said: "How can you make money by buying and selling so easily? Besides, the majority of profits are all from the head of the Xue family who is the shopkeeper."

"Really?" Zhu Gaoxu looked at her with a smile. After all, the businessmen were a little wary of the government.

Mrs. Xue said: "The wise man doesn't say secret words. If it weren't for the increasingly difficult management of our family, I was a woman, why should I take the initiative to take on this job and come to the capital all the way?"

Her bright and energetic eyes looked at Zhu Gaoxu's clothes, and then looked at the mutton fat jade hanging around his waist. Zhu Gaoxu usually hangs the imperial green jade "a combination of heaven". He just grabbed a piece of it and changed it to it when he went out. She whispered, "It's still rich for officials."

If it were an ordinary civil servant, he would probably have to refute and explain, for fear of ruining his reputation. Zhu Gaoxu said without any pressure, "No one has said that everything is inferior, but he is a high school student."

The two of them drank a cup of tea, and Mrs. Xue said, "Mr. Hou means that the yamen called "Guardian Sinan Office" should order a batch of mirrors from the Xue family?"

Zhu Gaoxu shook his head and said, "It's not a custom mirror, but you want to try to make a new mirror and open up a new business. The government can cooperate with the Xue family, and the government spends a lot of money to control 51% of the business. You will be in charge of the business in normal times, but the imperial holdings have the power to supervise and make decisions."

"What kind of new mirror?" asked Ms. Xue seriously.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "It's very simple. Use quartz to calcinate and condense into molding and turn it into glass; apply a thin metal sheet on the back or coat it with a layer of things to make a mirror that is brighter and clearer than a bronze mirror. In the past, the tribe chose to make stone knives, stone arrows, and semi-transparent sand and gravel in the sand, all of them are quartz. Just try it out, the government will contribute funds to help you, and you will not suffer any losses."

Mrs. Xue pondered for a while and asked again: "Mr. Hou believed that this thing was profitable, so he took charge of the business?"

Zhu Gaoxu said quietly: "The court does not rely on this little business income. What we need is to make glass technology, which is strategic technology. Therefore, when you try to make mirrors, even if you lose money, we will invest money."

Mrs. Xue’s face was a little confused, “I don’t know what it means, but why doesn’t the government make it on its own?”

Zhu Gaoxu said: "The government operates business, is it a matter of seeking fish from a tree or a businessman suitable for this. This kind of thing can be formed by trading, and only when there is demand can technology be promoted."

Madam Xue looked at Zhu Gaoxu blankly, unable to speak for a moment.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "If the Xue family agrees to cooperate with the government, we will give the money first and you can sign for it. If you lose money in the early stage, you will be considered a waste of investment and profit by profit. You will also have to pay taxes to the Maritime Procurement Department."

Mrs. Xue looked at him with a heart-warming look and asked carefully: "There is such a thing?"

Zhu Gaoxu said calmly: "I said that the government does not rely on transactions to maintain income. We are in charge of the national level."

Mrs. Xue pondered for a moment and said, "I am willing, but we thought in advance that we were just accepting the customs from the government. I have to ask someone to go back and speak to the shopkeeper before I can reply to Lord Hou."

Zhu Gaoxu reached out and patted the tables lightly, "That's it. After Madam Xue replied, the matter immediately proceeded as we said."

Mrs. Xue said, "Mr. Hou is so happy."

She turned her head and looked at the sky outside the window, and then looked at the exquisitely crafted tea sets and decorations on several tables, as if she wanted to speak but stopped.

Zhu Gaoxu suddenly turned around and said, "Come."

The commander of the Jinyiwei, Zhang Sheng, lifted the door and entered for a moment, and looked around the room with a sharp look.

Zhu Gaoxu said: "Call Manager Chen to prepare a table of wine and food."

Zhang Sheng clasped his fists and said, "Yes."

Zhu Gaoxu turned his head and said, "I made my own decisions, and Miss Xue can be admired."

Mrs. Xue pursed her soft lips and said, "Why are you embarrassed?"

Zhu Gaoxu smiled and said, "Miss Xue is not as good as a woman, so why should we care about those minor details? Today's feast is just to wish you and my business a success."

Mrs. Xue bowed and said, "It is better to obey my orders than to be respectful."

In addition to watching operas, Chen Xu's pear garden can also drink tea, drink alcohol, and find other fun. So Zhu Gaoxu and Mrs. Xue changed a room and prepared for dinner. Chen Xu of course knew Zhu Gaoxu's identity and would not treat him badly. The table of wine and food was very rich, and there should be delicacies and seafood. When the wine jar opened, even those who were used to eating royal meals could smell it as rare as the wine.

During the meal, Zhu Gaoxu saw that Mrs. Xue blushed after drinking, and looked more beautiful. He smiled and asked, "Miss. Xue loves women to dress up as a man?"

Mrs. Xue shook her head and said, "I hate wearing men's clothes the most, but today I won't be like this."
Chapter completed!