The three of them sat down with their own thoughts, no one breaking the silence of the moment.
Yun Fei presented the gift with both hands, respectfully handing it to the Regent. His eyes were downcast, and he said in a low voice, "This is a gift from the Crown Prince. Please accept it, Your Highness."
The exquisite box before him lay quietly in his hands. Fan Zehao did not care whether the gift inside was valuable or not; instead, he looked at Helian Jinli.
His rugged brows twitched slightly. He wasn't sure what this little fox was planning.
Helian Jinli felt a little embarrassed. His subordinate was too straightforward, blurting out whatever he thought without any tact. He hadn't learned anything from him over the years.
He smiled and explained, "It's almost the New Year. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it, Your Highness."
He paused after speaking and then added, "Actually, this thing isn't worth much. It's a specialty from our Dingbeiliao – a ginseng root. It's the best for nourishing the body and replenishing qi and blood."
Although he didn't explicitly say the gift was for his mother, Fan Zehao understood the underlying meaning.
So, it was ginseng, and he had specifically mentioned it as a New Year's gift. He decided not to be polite and accepted it, considering it as payment for half a year's board while he lived incognito in his manor.
He took the gift, casually placed it on the eight-immortal table beside him, and turned to look at Helian Jinli. His thin lips parted slightly, "Thank you for the Crown Prince's gift. I don't believe you made this trip solely for this gift, do you? Feel free to speak your mind."
The smooth opening caught Helian Jinli by surprise. For a moment, he almost faltered, but he quickly recovered and said, "It's still about our cooperation. I'm mainly here to finalize next year's matters and see if we can procure some grain before the year ends."
Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi exchanged a glance, each recognizing the current predicament of Dingbeiliao. Their request was easy for them to fulfill, requiring no effort. However, for them to receive the grain would be quite strenuous.
Zhao Jiaqi said, "Sending one batch or two batches of grain is not a difficult matter. But it's the dead of winter now, and transporting it to your Dingbeiliao is not a simple task, especially since there's a river between us."
Seeing that his request had a glimmer of hope, Helian Jinli shook his head slightly. He wasn't worried about this issue at all.
He said, "Your Highness, I must tell you that it's even colder in our region in winter. The river has long since frozen over. As long as the grain can be transported to the riverbank in Deming Prefecture, we have sleds that can pull it back across the ice. It's a smooth journey and requires little effort."
Upon hearing the word "sleds," Zhao Jiaqi suddenly remembered the idea of saving effort. If they had some strong men to pull the sleds, it would indeed require little effort from them.
Zhao Jiaqi silently nodded to Fan Zehao, and they then discussed the specifics of the grain. Before Helian Jinli left, he paid half the sum for the grain. Once the grain arrived in Deming Prefecture and was handed over to their people, the remaining half of the payment would be made in full.
As soon as the agreement was reached, Fan Zehao arranged for people to release the grain. Helian Jinli attached great importance to this batch of grain and returned to Dingbeiliao with it.
Watching the carriages being transported out one by one, Zhao Jiaqi saw them off, thinking of trains from her previous life. If there were trains, the journey would not only be shortened but also the time significantly reduced.
Unfortunately, there were no trains here, and she didn't dare to think about building a railway herself. Her capabilities were not that great.
Fan Zehao helped her into the carriage. "It's so cold in the twelfth lunar month, and you still came in person. Aren't you afraid of catching a cold? It'll be such a hassle to take medicine later."
She refused to drink the medicinal soup, insisting on making it into small pills and taking them with water, followed by a piece of candied fruit.
Zhao Jiaqi pouted. Only after the last carriage had left the city gates did she feel at ease and return to the carriage. She said softly, "The New Year is approaching. Helian Jinli's request for grain clearly indicates their shortage. A cartload of grain can save many lives, let alone fifty carts! That can support an entire city's population. How can I not be worried?"
Fan Zehao sighed. "Dingbeiliao can't be considered our friendly nation, nor can it be considered our enemy. Whether their people live or die has nothing to do with us. Why do you worry so much?"
"It's not that I'm worrying too much, but I don't want to see any more deaths. 'Gifting roses, a lingering fragrance in your hand.' Perhaps one day in the future, when we are in trouble, those we have helped might return the favor. You can consider it me accumulating good fortune."
She smiled faintly, offering her husband such an explanation.
Fan Zehao dotingly rubbed her small hand, his eyes full of laughter. He understood his wife's kind heart. Helping others while also earning some money was a win-win situation.
Excellent.
Upon returning to the manor, they saw an imperial courier. Seeing them, he knelt and handed the letter he carried to Fan Zehao. "Greetings, Regent. I am a yamen runner from the Jin City post station, specifically sent to deliver this urgent imperial dispatch to Your Highness. Please peruse it."
An urgent imperial dispatch!
Fan Zehao's expression changed instantly upon hearing those words. He grabbed the letter tube, took out the sealed letter, and quickly scanned it, his eyes darting across the pages at the fastest possible speed.
Afterward, he felt that he had overreacted; it was not a life-threatening event at all.
After reading it, he handed it to the person beside him. "The quinquennial Flower Appreciation Festival is to be held in the Cloud Kingdom's imperial palace. Huangfu Xi invites us to attend."
The previous one was canceled due to war. Now that the situation had calmed down, he wondered who was causing trouble again by holding a flower appreciation festival.
Fan Zehao shook his head, unimpressed by such gatherings. Promoting friendship was understandable, but using the guise of flower appreciation with other motives was something he disdained.
Even someone as simple-minded as himself knew that although it was a flower banquet, the "flower" here was not the same as the "flower" referred to.
He looked at the courier on the ground and waved him away. "Go and rest. It's the dead of winter; have the post station chef make you something delicious to warm you up."
After a long moment of silence from the Regent, his words of concern for a lowly soldier like himself made the courier overwhelmed with gratitude. Other than kowtowing, he could find no other way to express his appreciation for this kindness.
Zhao Jiaqi closed the letter, having no interest in this matter. However, one detail surprised her.
"This letter states that besides the vassal states of the Cangyi Continent participating, Dingbeiliao and the Xuanyuan Kingdom will also be attending. I suspect Huangfu Xi is unsure of the situation in these two northern and southern kingdoms and wants you to be present to ensure order."
She paused and then added, "Of course, even if it weren't for these two kingdoms, your status as Regent would certainly require your attendance."
After speaking, she tilted her head and looked at him with a playful smile, her eyes full of amusement.
Fan Zehao ignored his wife's teasing and flicked his sleeves as he walked into the courtyard. He did not forget to remind her, "Don't get cocky. Huangfu Xi also specifically mentioned you in the letter, so you'll have to be prepared to go with me."
His steps paused as he walked out. He turned back and looked at her with a half-smile, "Don't forget, there are three weddings to be held after the New Year. If you don't start preparing now, you'll be in a panic."
With that, he left with a flourish.
Watching his receding figure, Zhao Jiaqi felt a large stone weighing down on her heart.
She returned to her quarters indignantly, muttering that she must have offended the Milky Way in her past life to be here to save the world in this one.