Hold His Hand

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Lu Yanzhou didn’t do much at the banquet.

He just serves as a vase to divert people’s attention from Xie Chengze. As for other things…if he had the time, he might as well cultivate Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding.

Xie Chengze arranged Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding to be by his side. Since Xie Chengze did this, it shows that they are trustworthy.

Lu Yanzhou talked with them and found that they were all sold by their parents after a disaster at home. They no longer knew where their parents were. They were smart people, so he simply raised them as confidants.

He will need some assistants in the future, and young people like Jia, Yi, Bing, and Ding are just right for him!

As for making money…these three items, porcelain, vegetable oil and tofu, are enough for the time being.

With this in mind, Lu Yanzhou gave Xie Chengze a piece of fried tofu: “This tofu tastes good.”

After the tofu was deep-fried and cooked, the finished product tasted very delicious.

Xie Chengze actually didn’t have much appetite today, but he still ate. While eating, he felt Lu Yanzhou holding his hand.

He relaxed and suddenly felt hungry.

Halfway through the banquet, the emperor left, followed by others.

Xie Chengze asked someone to send Lu Yanzhou back first, while he stayed to arrange the follow-up matters.

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As a result, while he was busy working, the eldest prince arrived.

The eldest prince is a slightly plump young man. He isn’t bad looking and can be described as handsome based on his appearance, but his cloudy eyes are always annoying.

Lu Yanzhou wasn’t like this.

Although Xie Chengze felt that Lu Yanzhou’s eyes were not pure when he faced him, his eyes were full of him. If not he would never be stuck in Lu Yanzhou’s pit and be unable to get out.

“This servant has seen his highness.” Xie Chengze saluted.

“Don’t be so formal.” The eldest prince stretched out his hand to help Xie Chengze.

But Xie Chengze dodged and said, “With my humble body, I dare not pollute his highness.”

“Xie Gonggong, I never think you are humble…You know, I have always thought of you…” The eldest prince reached out to pull Xie Chengze, the hint in his words could not be more obvious.

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Xie Chengze felt sick.

He wanted to find a shield, which also had something to do with the eldest prince. The eldest prince had long been interested in him, and sometimes would try to do something to him.

It’s just that in the past, the eldest prince thought that he had something to do with the emperor, so he didn’t dare to take action.

But not long ago, the eldest prince discovered that he had nothing to do with the emperor and began to harass him.

He thought that the eldest prince would give up if there was someone by his side, but he didn’t expect that he would still come to find him.

In the past, Xie Chengze could only put up with him, but now…Xie Chengze said: “Your highness, I have to run errands for his majesty, so I’ll take my leave now.”

The eldest prince’s face changed, but he really didn’t dare to do anything to Xie Chengze now.

Xie Chengze had a way to make money, so his father wanted Xie Chengze to make money for him. At this time, if he and Xie Chengze were to have a conflict, it would not be a good thing for him.

His father had many children, including four sons over the age of sixteen and a dozen under the age of sixteen. To his father, children were worthless.

The eldest prince glanced at Xie Chengze greedily, then finally left angrily.

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Seeing him walking away, Xie Chengze began to wonder whether he should support the second prince, the third prince, or the fourth prince?

These princes are really too idle, he should find something for them to do.

On the second day after the palace banquet, Xie Chengze opened his oil shop in the capital.

For a time, there was a huge crowd waiting out there.

DaYan has a strict hierarchy, so a lot of knowledge is monopolized by the big families. No matter what ordinary people learn, they have no channels to do it.

And this knowledge even includes recipes.

Almost all big families have some dishes that only they know.

It’s just that in such an era, although the special dishes cherished by large families are delicious, they are not as good as fried foods and stir-fry dishes.

As a big family, they must use the best and eat the best. With such delicious food, it’s impossible for them not to eat it.

As for those small families…It’s usually difficult for them to come into contact with such ingredients. Now that they finally have the opportunity to eat them, they must buy them back and taste them.

When entertaining guests, they also give out a few palace food, which definitely make others envious.

There is also tofu, which they already know is made of soybeans. After all, Xie Chengze has bought a lot of soybeans recently but they just don’t know how to make them, so they must try it now.

Due to insufficient raw materials, Xie Chengze’s manor’s oil production is not high, just a few barrels per day. These barrels of oil are sold out almost as soon as they are delivered to the store, and the same goes for tofu.

These things were valuable, so Xie Chengze naturally made a lot of money.

Not long after, there was something else in Xie Chengze’s shop…some exquisite and beautiful porcelain.

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What people in the capital love to do most is compare themselves to others.

If other people’s homes are already using exquisite porcelain, they must have it in their home too!

Not only that, buying it first means one has the ability!

Therefore, for a period of time, everyone was competing for it, then the price of porcelain became higher and higher.

Wang family.

Old patriarch Wang finally gave up and passed the position of patriarch of the family to Wang Tingyun.

Today, the new patriarch of the Wang family was receiving some officials in his study.

These people came to Wang Tingyun because they wanted to work with Wang Tingyun to curb Xie Chengze’s upward momentum.

“That thief Xie has been in the limelight recently. He has made an unknown amount of money already. We must cure him.”

“His majesty was so confused by him that he went so far as to build another palace!”

“I wonder where he stole the method of making porcelain from!”

…

Wang Tingyun looked at the people in front of him calmly: “Do you have any way to deal with him?”

Those who were still talking looked at each other, then became quiet.

They could impeach Xie Chengze, but even if the emperor saw it, he would only sympathize with Xie Chengze who gave him a lot of money and was isolated and besieged by courtiers.

Apart from this, there is nothing else they can do without intending to change the dynasty.

It’s always uncomfortable seeing a eunuch above them and possessing such good things.

Such a sycophant should be cast aside.

If the world is not peaceful, it must be because the emperor doesn’t do a good job. If the emperor doesn’t do a good job, there must be something wrong with the people around him, right?

Wang Tingyun picked up the tea cup and took a sip.

The teacup in his hand was porcelain bought from Xie Chengze’s shop.

DaYan pottery often has many colors, but porcelain does not have many colors.

In fact, Lu Yanzhou did not improve DaYan’s porcelain firing method. He mainly added pigments to the porcelain.

On earth, underglaze colors appeared in the Song Dynasty, and overglaze colors appeared in the Ming Dynasty. These made ceramics more and more beautiful.

And the porcelain he produced was beautifully painted porcelain, so in this era when most people used celadon, these remarkably alike things were a blow to them.

Those who kept saying they wanted to boycott Xie Chengze couldn’t look away when they saw the porcelain in Wang Tingyun’s hand.

Wang Tingyun sneered in his heart, and then said: “I have no conflicts with Xie Chengze, so he is willing to give me some face. If you want porcelain, I can help you find a way…”

Everyone said: “We all want the porcelain painted by the master himself.”

“I want a complete set.”

“Yes, I want a complete set.”

…

Recently, there are always people in the capital saying that when using porcelain, one needs to buy a whole set, but buying the whole set is quite expensive!

However, no matter how expensive it is, they can’t live without it if others have it.

“They need a complete set of porcelain,” Lu Yanzhou said, and Xie Chengze publicized it.

Besides…the master who painted porcelain was Lu Yanzhou.

Most of the porcelain made by Lu Yanzhou is overglaze color, for no other reason than that it is easy to paint and has strong expressiveness.

He has great painting skills, so after a few attempts, he could paint beautifully. In addition, their porcelain is now in the high-end market, so it’s enough to produce a set every day…He will just paint it himself. Of course, while he was painting, he also trained some apprentices.

They can’t just make him draw all the time!

It’s now the end of the year, and Xie Chengze’s manor has also changed drastically.

There are thousands of guards in this village!

The things produced in the manor have been making money for them, but that is not what Xie Chengze said in front of the emperor.

What he kept saying was that he was making money and doing things for the emperor. Everything in the manor belonged to the emperor, and he was just a manager.

The emperor thought so too. So when Xie Chengze was worried that someone would steal the porcelain making method, the emperor gave Xie Chengze the right to have more guards with a wave of his hand.

DaYan’s wealthy family, as well as the princes in the fiefdom, all have private soldiers, but they are all secretly raised. In the capital, they dare not raise more.

Xie Chengze now has such a right, which is of great benefit to him!

He can train his own people openly!

The most important thing is that after he has money, he can win over many officials!

Lu Yanzhou returned to the capital before dark that day as usual.

The new year is coming up in a few days, so there are a lot of things going on in the palace, therefore Xie Chengze is very busy. When Lu Yanzhou came back, Xie Chengze wasn’t home yet.

Lu Yanzhou took a bath first, and then went to the study room to read.

When he was captured by Xie Chengze to the capital, it was still the 6th month, and now in the blink of an eye, it was already the 12 month.

Time passed quickly, and now he has ‘learned’ most of the words and can read by himself.

In addition, he also has a good relationship and career. Now he and Xie Chengze not only have a good relationship, but also have money and people. They can also make a career after leaving the capital!

“Lu Lang!” Xie Chengze finally came back. He took off his cloak and entered the study.

A furnace was lit in the study, which was much warmer than outside. As soon as he came in, Xie Chengze snorted comfortably, then took a few steps to Lu Yanzhou and sat on Lu Yanzhou’s lap: “Lu Lang, it’s getting colder and colder outside…”

“How is the carriage I modified for you? Is it any warmer?” Lu Yanzhou held Xie Chengze’s hand and helped him warm it.

After winter, Xie Chengze’s body is always cold. Fortunately, he is very warm. As long as he sleeps with Xie Chengze in his arms, Xie Chengze’s whole body will always be warm.

“Yes, but it’s not as warm as you.” Xie Chengze said.

“That’s right, I’m a humanoid heater.” Lu Yanzhou laughed.

Xie Chengze was hugged by Lu Yanzhou, then he told Lu Yanzhou what happened in the court.

Lu Yanzhou liked to hear these, and sometimes he would give useful suggestions, so he became accustomed to telling it to Lu Yanzhou.

Sure enough, Lu Yanzhou hit the nail on the head again and pointed out some problems.

Xie Chengze wrote them down one by one.

As he spoke, Lu Yanzhou said: “This winter is extremely cold. There have been many disasters this year, so it may not be any better next year…The world may be in chaos at some point. AZe, leave the capital with me.”

Xie Chengze was stunned for a moment: “go where?”

Lu Yanzhou said: “To Jiangnan.”

“What do you want to do?” Xie Chengze asked him.

Lu Yanzhou didn’t hide it either: “I want to change another day for a day1Start over and leave the past behind…AZe, I will never let you suffer any injustice when the time comes!”

1Start over and leave the past behind