I am the champion of palace intrigue, and even the proud prince bows his head in submission.

Chapter 585 Xie Jue's Story: Raising a Child

"Right next to this locust tree, make sure it's sturdy according to my drawings." He pointed to the open space and instructed everyone, "It must be installed today."

The craftsmen readily agreed with a "yes" and quickly got to work.

Startled by the sound of the wood being knocked on, Xie Yunshu looked up, rubbing her eyes, and asked the group of adults curiously, "Father, what are they doing?"

Xie Jue walked over, squatted down, and pinched her cheek.

"These are toys made for you and your brother."

"Is it the kind that can fly?" Xie Yunshu's eyes lit up.

"It doesn't fly, it glides," Xie Jue replied with a smile. "You'll see in a moment."

Before long, the work was completed. The main structure was made of smooth wooden planks with raised edges for protection, and colorful flowers were painted on both sides.

There is a row of small steps at the top, making it easy for little ones to climb on their own.

“Come here, Ashu.”

Xie Jue first carried Xie Yunshu to the ladder and gestured for her to climb up step by step.

The little girl wasn't afraid. She grabbed the wooden railing and climbed up happily, but when she reached the top, she hesitated and looked back.

"Don't be afraid, Dad is downstairs to meet you," Xie Jue said gently.

Xie Yunshu then boldly sat down, and following Xie Jue's method, pushed forward, her body sliding down the wooden board with a "whoosh," her small hands outstretched, her black hair flying, and she landed with a thud on the soft cushion.

"Oh my!" She was startled herself, paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, her eyes glistening with tears. "This is so much fun!"

Xie Mingchuan followed suit and slid down, the two of them sliding down again and again.

The two were having a great time skating.

Qin Jiuwei sat on the veranda, watching the two children playing happily, and her gaze softened. "This slide is really novel. I've never seen one like it before."

Xie Jue walked over and explained with a smile, "This is a method that Lu Xinghe recently came up with. She said it's something she saw when she was a child. It's easy to find materials and it's safe for children to play with."

Qin Jiu raised an eyebrow slightly, secretly amused.

This is probably something that only exists in modern times.

She also suggested that a toy store could be opened specifically to sell children's toys.

Gao Wanzhi smiled and said, "This is indeed a good idea. Nowadays, wealthy families are mostly doting on their children. If this kind of shop can really be opened, the business will definitely be good."

Xie Yunshu couldn't understand what the adults were saying, but she just giggled and shook the rattle in her hand a couple of times.

Half a day of leisure in the capital.

Lu Xinghe sat on the second floor, dressed in a plain embroidered light blue robe, her hair neatly tied up.

The youthful naiveté of the past has faded from his eyes, replaced by a sense of composure and maturity.

The shopkeeper waited cautiously by the table, and only after she finished reviewing the last page did he say, "The new shop in Xiangzhou reports that it has already received 320 taels of silver in three days since it opened."

Lu Xinghe's eyes remained calm. "There was a rainy season there a couple of days ago, which made it difficult for people to travel. This number is already considered safe."

The shopkeeper couldn't help but sigh, "Now that we have half a day of leisure, we have 127 branches, stretching from Jiangnan in the east to the border in the west, from Youzhou in the north to Yunling in the south. We are truly known to everyone."

Lu Xinghe chuckled and simply instructed, "With fame comes trouble. Have everyone keep a low profile and maintain consistent quality in the tea and snacks. Don't try to cut corners. We're on a long-term path."

"Yes." The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly.

Lu Xinghe looked at the map of Daliang in front of her, her fingertips gliding over the place names one by one, finally landing on the two characters "Jicheng", her eyes shining with eager anticipation.

"In two days, we'll set off for Daliang. We need to establish a firm foothold in our first shop there."

The shopkeeper couldn't help but remind them, "I've heard that the people of Daliang prefer strong, sweet flavors, which is different from the light and sweet tastes we have here. The recipes for pastries and milk tea will probably need to be changed a lot."

Lu Xinghe nodded: "That's right, we can't just copy the practices in Beijing. I plan to go there personally to investigate and formulate new products according to their tastes."

After saying that, she got up and walked to the shelf next to her, took out a new booklet, which had pictures of five or six new toys.

"Have the workshop make samples of these items as soon as possible. Once I return from Daliang, we'll open a toy shop."

Her eyes held an undisguised excitement.

Making money is the most fun.

one year later.

The shadows of the trees swayed, and the sunlight fell on the girl's swift sword movements, reflecting circles of silver light.

The swordplay was clear and sharp, swift as a startled swan, and steady as a mountain.

Suddenly, the girl's sword stance changed, she turned around and finished, and the sword blossoms bloomed with a final round of silver light.

The girl sheathed her longsword diagonally behind her back, her breathing steady, though a few beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.

She slowly turned her head, revealing a face that was both cool and gentle.

His handsome features resembled Xie Yanli's, while his gentle gaze was entirely like Qin Jiuwei's. His facial features were perfectly proportioned, beautiful yet not soft, cold yet not aloof.

Xie Yun lowered her eyes and wiped the sword in her hand clean.

Soft footsteps came from outside the courtyard, and a figure in plain clothes slowly approached.

Qin Jiuwei smiled as she looked at the girl sheathing her sword under the tree. "Ayun, take a rest."

Xie Yun turned her head, her eyes flickering, "Mother."

Qin Jiuwei walked to her side and personally wiped the thin layer of sweat from her forehead. "You must be tired from practicing. Drink some water and rest."

"Mother, I'm not tired. I can practice a little longer."

"By the way, when is my older brother coming back? He said he found the legendary soft-bone whip and is going to bring it back as a gift for me!"

Qin Jiuwei's smile deepened. "You've come at a good time. When I came in just now, I saw your elder brother coming in from the east gate. I suppose he'll be returning to the manor soon."

"real?!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already run outside.

Xie Yunfei quickly passed through the moon gate and stepped into Xie Jingchun's courtyard, where the gate had already opened.

The young man standing at the entrance of the courtyard was tall and slender, with broad and upright shoulders beneath his dark blue robe.

Years of military service have honed him to be even more sharp; his brow bones are high and his eyes are as sharp as knives, making him look like a long sword drawn from its sheath.

Xie Jingchun looked up and met the figure rushing towards him.

His gaze softened. "I was just about to come find you."

When Xie Yun saw him, her eyes sparkled as she stared at him, "Big Brother!"

Xie Jingchun smiled and took out an object from behind him. It was wrapped in dark red brocade. He casually shook it, and the brocade unfurled, revealing a black gold whip inside.

The whip is slender and flexible, with a tiny gold ring like a wind chime at the end. With a gentle shake, it produces a crisp sound.

"The Soft-Boned Whip." He handed it over. "You've been saying you wanted it, haven't you? I finally got it. Here you go."

Xie Yunyan took it and immediately touched it with great affection, her fingers gliding over the fine lines of the whip inch by inch, her face filled with joy.

"You really gave it to me? Thank you, brother!"

Xie Jingchun added, "By the way, I heard that a master whip user recently came to the capital."

"A master? Which school or sect are you from?"

Seeing her eager expression, Xie Jingchun chuckled and took out a slip of paper from his sleeve, handing it to her.

"I heard that he comes from the Yuanling area in the southwest, and calls himself Duan Ying. His whip technique is extremely strange and fast. An old acquaintance of mine met him and said that when he whips, even the wind can't catch up with him."

Xie Yun looked down and saw a place name: Wusong Mountain Villa.

"Isn't this outside the city?"

"Yes." Xie Jingchun nodded. "He stayed at Wusong Villa this time. If you really want to see it, why don't you go tomorrow?"