It was not returned to the palace that night, and Zhu Xu stayed overnight in a secret stronghold outside the city. It was not until early the next morning that the palace gate opened before entering the palace hurriedly.

Queen Zhang is now staring at Zhu Xu very closely. Before she can return to the palace, she is called to Kunning Palace and scolded her.

Zhu Xu agreed timidly and was released after half an hour.

"Your Highness, why are you still carrying a lantern in your hand?" Huan'er, who was in charge of escorting Zhu Xu back to the palace, looked at him holding a lantern in his hand and asked in contempt.

Zhu Xu immediately held the lantern like a little fox protecting food, and said, "Sister Huan'er, don't even think about making a lantern, unless you come to my palace."

Huan'er was stunned, then snorted and said angrily: "The Empress is right. Your Highness's abacus is the most exquisite. If I pass by the lantern, I will still be your Highness's. I will put me in for nothing!"

Zhu Xu smiled and leaned closer and said, "Sister Huan'er, I heard that the emperor's sister-in-law is very angry recently. Why don't you really think about it?"

Huan'er frowned slightly, stared at Zhu Xu with big eyes and said, "Your Highness, hurry up and go back, you can't leave the palace these three days."

Zhu Xu lamented in his heart and walked towards the palace with a little dejected look.

In Jinghuan Palace, except Cao Wenzhao, Cao Huachun and Yao Qingqing, the others were all "spy" arranged by Empress Zhang. Zhu Xu had nothing else to do except study.

Before the Lantern Festival passed, bloody storms broke out in the court, or in other words, it has not stopped since last year.

The Donglin Party rekindled and tried hard to clear the Donglin Party. Wei Zhongxian fell, and the eunuch party was disorganized. It was not the opponent of Yang Lian and others. Those who were capable kept trying to adjust their abilities. Those who were worried and worried were determined to resign, and those who were not capable would be as anxious as a headless fly all day long.

However, although the Donglin Party is recovering, it is no longer as prosperous as before. The court is divided and there are many factions.

Gu Bingqian and Wei Guanghui formed a party, rejecting dissidents and nepotism. Sun Chengzong only cared about Liaodong, and the others silently formed a tacit understanding with the neutral Qingliu. The censors of the Kedao also held their own opinions and did not compromise with each other. The Golden Palace became the most terrifying battlefield.

Zhu Xu had no intention of caring about these things. In addition to reading, he was studying the exquisite small lanterns brought back from outside the palace.

This lantern is very exquisitely set up, comparable to a spider's web. Each one is accurate and accurate, no difference. Each has its own unique skills to match it, forming a small "mechanical house".

Zhu Xu tried various methods and wanted to see the riddles inside clearly, but no matter which direction, he saw a small part of the way, and he had no way to guess what he was writing.

Yao Qingqing had been standing not far in front of Zhu Xu. Seeing Zhu Xu having no idea what to do, he whispered, "Your Highness, why don't you demolish it?"

Zhu Xu immediately glared and said, "How can such an exquisite lantern be removed? Well, let's take it apart, then take it apart."

Zhu Xu's face changed. He found a knife and directly performed surgery on the lantern.

Seeing that His Highness Hui was finally no longer worried, Yao Qingqing quietly retreated.

Zhu Xu cut the small lantern open and saw that the white candle had been burned. There was a note opposite, with a beautiful small letter saying "The little lotus has just revealed its sharp corners, and a dragonfly has stood on it."

Zhu Xu frowned and stared at the poem without saying a word. He naturally knew this poem. He knew very well, regardless of the author's background, the environment in which the poem was written, the writing technique, and the emotions expressed, but it would not be so easy to guess as a riddle.

"What does it mean?" Zhu Xu held his chin and couldn't guess it thoroughly. He couldn't help but mutter in his heart. The ancients' thinking was indeed powerful.

Zhu Xu couldn't guess it, so he put it on and planned to go to the Hanlin Academy to ask in a few days.

As a prince, especially a prince who does nothing, his meal time is always very fast.

At the door, there was a small table, and Zhu Xu sat on a small stool, holding a bowl, and watching the drizzle outside.

Yao Qingqing came over with the food and chuckled, "Your Highness, others drink and enjoy the snow, and you eat and watch the rain, isn't it a bit unsuitable?"

Zhu Xu pulled the rice and said indifferently, "No matter who he is, eating is the most important thing."

Before he finished speaking, Cao Huachun walked towards Zhu Xu with an umbrella and in the rain. Yao Qingqing picked up a bowl, stood up and walked inside.

Cao Huachun spoke a little anxiously, and said without putting down the umbrella, "Your Highness, there is a surname Fan coming from the west of the mountain, clamoring to see Mr. Fu."

"Submitted to Fan?"

Zhu Xu narrowed his eyes and subconsciously reached out to wipe off the rice grains from his mouth.

The Eight Great Imperial Shangs were very famous in later generations. Not only did they make great efforts to destroy the Ming Dynasty, but their business continued to continue until the end of the Qing Dynasty. However, they also left various courtyards to show their glorious history in the past.

The most famous one is not the Qi family or the Cao family, but the Fan family!

The history that the Fan family can trace is that Zhu Di, the Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, raised an army to fight for the throne. Therefore, this family is habitual to take risks and make money in war. They smuggled and sold all the things that the Jin people needed, food, weapons, and even military intelligence in the territory of the Ming Dynasty! Moreover, their business scope also reached the north end of Mongolia, which was so huge that it was unimaginable!

Zhu Xu narrowed his eyes and was calculating quickly.

When he founded Huitong Trading Company, he had the intention of plotting against Shanxi merchants, especially the eight imperial merchants. Since the heads were sent, he would be embarrassed not to accept them.

However, the head is still very thin now and he needs to be fattened.

Zhu Xu knocked on the table rhythmically with chopsticks, and gradually became an idea in his heart. He said, "This group of people must have inquired a lot of information. In this way, you can ask Wei Liangqing to see him first and find out how much they know. Then let Wei Liangqing, He Yunshan, and Zhou Jianyu all go to see him. Try again to see his purpose and bottom line."

Cao Huachun wrote down one by one, and when he saw Zhu Xu finishing his words, he reminded carefully: "Your Highness, the business done by the Shanxi merchants is afraid that it will not last long."

Zhu Xu understood what Cao Huachun meant, but shook his head secretly. The adults in the court were busy helping the world and exorcising evil and using justice, so how could they have thought of such a small thing?

"By the way," Zhu Xu did not explain, but instead looked up and said with a strange smile on his face: "Do you still remember the master of that person yesterday? Go and arrange two people beside him, one is a woman and the other is a friend of life and death, so that I will always follow him."

When Cao Huachun heard the word "I King", he felt a little nervous and said more cautiously: "Your Highness, is this person very important?"

Zhu Xu took a few bites of the dish and put it in a bowl, saying, "It's not very important, it's just fun, it will be more fun in the future. Don't lose someone."

Cao Huachun remembered it in his heart, said goodbye and left the palace. When someone asked about it, he looked even more confused. He whispered to himself, "Song Xiance, whose courtesy name is Kangnian, is just a scholar. What's so special about it? It makes Your Highness think it's fun... Let's deal with the Shanxi merchant first." (To be continued.)
Chapter completed!