Chapter 37 Negotiation
Zhu Jia looked at Zhu Niang carefully again and suddenly found that her daughter-in-law's eyes were completely different from before.
It was a look of determination and firmness, unwilling to be swayed by others, and vowed to fight to the end. The stubbornness in his bones made Zhu Jiashi quickly realize that the person in front of her was not a docile sheep, but more like a female wolf who could sacrifice everything to protect her cubs.
"Mother, just tell me straight, are you sending Xiaohao to the palace so that he can study hard and have a bright future, or are you letting him spy on the palace for the family?"
Zhu Niang's direct question startled Zhu Jia.
How could Zhu Jia have expected that her daughter-in-law could actually figure this out?
Zhu Jia's voice was unusually cold: "This is not something you, a woman, should be involved in."
"So what mother means is that this is a responsibility that a child should bear? He is only eight years old and should not have to bear so much, but mother wants to let Xiaohao fall into the fire pit..."
Zhu Niang was resolute.
Zhu Jia remained silent. Her conspiracy was exposed. Even if she was thick-skinned, she still felt a little ashamed.
But there happened to be a man who was not afraid of trouble next to him... Zhu Wanjian was just annoyed about not being able to enter the yard. Now, when he heard that his third brother's position as a captain of the Jinyiwei would be inherited by his own children, he suddenly wanted to stand up for his mother.
He jumped in at once and shouted in a stern voice, "Your kid can do something for the family. That's his good fortune from his previous life... If you don't obey, take him home immediately, lock him up and beat him every day. Beat him until he is bruised and battered and calls for his mother every day. Don't blame your family for being ruthless then!"
Zhu Wanjian looked hideous and extremely arrogant. When he said this, Zhu Jia regretted it... She should have listened to her daughter-in-law and locked this incompetent son outside the door instead of letting him stay at the door and jump out to make trouble at the critical moment.
Zhu Wanjian's words were tantamount to admitting two things at the same time.
First, Zhu Hao entered the palace to gather information for the Zhu family, which was equivalent to saying that the Zhu family "had a request" from Zhu Niang. Zhu Jia Shi instantly changed from being active to being passive.
Second, Zhu Hao had said before that he would not have a good life even if he returned to the Zhu family. Zhu's mother originally thought that her son was judging others by his own standards, but now she realized that her son had not lied to her. Her family would indeed not let her and her son have a good life. All the talk about studying and practicing martial arts was just lies.
Zhu Niang's face was full of sorrow. "Mother, Second Uncle said he would take Xiaohao home to practice martial arts or study, but in fact he just wanted to lock him up and beat him. Is this a way to threaten his daughter-in-law? Mother didn't say that before... Fourth Uncle said when he came that he would tutor Xiaohao well in his studies."
Otherwise, how can you say they are bad teammates?
Zhu Jia had made painstaking arrangements before, and specially asked her fourth son Zhu Wanquan to come and see Zhu Niang, and asked her to send the child home, in order to appease her.
Zhu Wanjian's words were tantamount to exposing his own shortcomings and making the contradiction public.
"Mr. Third, if you agree, we can discuss the matter of your son inheriting his father's position as a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard." Zhu Jia began to compromise in her words.
But she was obviously being generous to others. The military position was supposed to be inherited by Zhu Hao when he grew up, but you took it away with just one sentence. Now you are hypocritically saying that you can give it back. How can you pretend to be so nice?
Zhu Niang remained unmoved.
Now she has completely seen the true colors of the Zhu family. As a woman who has lost all hope, why would she be afraid of threats from anyone?
"Mother, you don't need to say nice things to this woman. She has never considered herself a member of the Zhu family. I will take people to find the person who reported the news and tell the palace that what this woman said is not counted. Our Zhu family absolutely agrees that the brat can enter the palace as a servant..."
Zhu Wanjian's words caused Zhu Jia to roll her eyes.
Do you want to chase someone now?
Why didn't you react just now? You're not afraid that your son's succession to your third brother's military position will fail, so your brain suddenly becomes bright, right?
Zhu Hao, who had been treated as air, walked to Zhu Niang, grabbed his mother's sleeve, and said timidly: "Mom, am I going to the palace to be a spy? I don't understand... I don't want to go... I'm afraid..."
This is when a young actor's self-cultivation is tested.
The Zhu family agrees to let me enter the palace?
Please, I took the exam on my own and was selected based on my own ability. No matter how capable your Zhu family is, you didn't let the children you selected be shortlisted, but you want to take the initiative back?
As long as I don't want to go, it's useless no matter who agrees.
You want me to spy on you? I won't go! Even if I go, I won't cooperate. What can you do to me?
Not convinced? Bite me!
Zhu Niang held her son's little head and comforted him, "Mother won't let you suffer."
"You little brat, you have to go, otherwise I will beat you to death..." Zhu Wanjian got anxious and immediately rolled up his sleeves to threaten Zhu Hao, but he saw Zhu Jia glaring at him angrily.
"go out!"
Zhu Jia shouted at the same person for the second time in an almost equally harsh tone.
Zhu Wanjian was stunned for a moment.
It was Butler Liu who did not avoid suspicion again. He came in and dragged Zhu Wanjian out of the door, then turned around and closed the courtyard door.
Then Zhu Jia looked at Zhu Niang and her son coldly and said, "Old Third, follow me into the inner room...I have something to tell you."
Zhu Hao grabbed Zhu Niang's clothes tightly: "Mom, I'm scared."
"It's okay, Mom will protect you."
Naturally, Zhu Niang would not abandon Zhu Hao. She had discussed things with the old lady in advance and Zhu Hao had to stay with his mother no matter what.
…
…
Central courtyard, main hall.
When Zhu Jia entered the room, she saw her son's spirit tablet placed on the table in the middle with bright incense burning. Her face was full of emotion and although her attitude was cold, she no longer had the arrogance she had before.
The tone softened.
"Old Third, it's already night. Even if you send someone to Prince Xing's Mansion to report the news, you probably won't see anyone there. We 've told you all the difficulties our family has faced. You don't want your son to take risks, but are you going to watch our Zhu family fall? Is this what Old Third wants to see?"
Zhu Niang said nothing.
"How about this, as long as you agree to send your son to the palace as a companion, the monthly allowance for the family will be reduced to twenty taels... If you can find out useful information and help your uncle escape danger in the capital, not only will you not have to pay any more money, but the family will also make up for it. In the future, the family will never cause any trouble to you and your son again. Your word is as good as gold."
Zhu Jia had to compromise.
Zhu Niang was firm: "Mother, Xiaohao is still young and doesn't know how to spy on information. Mother should find someone else."
Zhu Jia slammed the table and said, "Mother has begged me so much, and you still want to argue with me? What good will it do you if the Zhu family is destroyed? Do you want your son to inherit the position of Jinyiwei centurion?"
Perhaps realizing that her tone was too harsh, Zhu Jia changed the subject and said, "Xiao Hao came to Prince Xing's mansion only to accompany the little prince to study and learn to read. He only needs to tell him about his daily life and living habits. It won't be a big deal... You can't make the decision about the Zhu family's affairs. You have to consider the consequences..."
Coercion and inducement.
You can disagree with your son entering Prince Xing's Palace, but I can also send him back to the Zhu family to suffer.
Zhu Hao pulled Zhu Niang's sleeve. His mother's reaction was a little extreme. It was obvious that she was completely annoyed as a mother. Even a rabbit will bite when it is angry. Zhu Niang has been bullied by the Zhu family again and again. The current matter involves her son's future and destiny, so she will not give in easily.
"Whether you agree or not, just give me a definite answer."
Zhu Jia issued an ultimatum.
Zhu Niang gritted her teeth. If she had listened to her son, she should have agreed. Entering Prince Xing's Mansion was better than returning to the Zhu family to suffer. But now she was unwilling to do as he said blindly. She wanted to stand up and support her son, but found herself so weak and powerless.
Seeing that Zhu Niang was wavering, Zhu Hao quickly said, "Mom, I'd better go to Prince Xing's mansion... It's actually very good to study with the little prince, mom... I want to study and become the top scholar."
Zhu Jia looked at Zhu Hao with a gentle gaze: "Look, your son is more conscious than you, why are you, as a mother, always so stubborn?"
"But grandma, my mother has worked so hard to support our family. She gets up early and goes to bed late every day, but she doesn't have much money left. I tried to find someone to teach me several times before but it didn't work. Now we can't even run a good business. Twenty taels of silver a month... I'm afraid mother can't come up with it."
Zhu Hao is not a good boy.
Since you, an old lady, know that being strong all the time is useless, and now is a critical moment in the negotiations between the two sides, you must be open and honest in order to achieve success, and you cannot make the final decision on everything.
"What do you know, little kid?"
Zhu Jia had previously praised her grandson for his high level of awareness, but when she heard that Zhu Hao wanted to fight for the power to pay less or even no money for the family, she immediately changed her tone and treated Zhu Hao as an ignorant child.
Zhu Niang said: "Mother, if you want your daughter-in-law to agree to let Xiaohao enter the palace, you must guarantee that he can inherit his father's position as a centurion of the Jinyiwei in the future..."
"I told you we can discuss it, don't you trust me?"
Zhu Jia is not the kind of person who makes promises easily.
"But isn't what he is doing now what a legitimate grandson of the Zhu family should do? If his father knew about this, he would support him in doing things for the Zhu family. So the daughter-in-law dare not go against her husband's wishes, but she can't just let him inherit her husband's duties without inheriting his job. That's not fair."
Zhu Niang argued with reason.
Now even Zhu Hao looked at Zhu Niang with admiration.
These words were not what Zhu Hao taught his mother to say. It was obvious that Zhu Niang was no longer a weak and vulnerable woman. She knew how to fight and how to strive for her goals.
"Can."
Zhu Jia was silent for a long time, and finally relaxed her tone, "I can promise you, I can write a note, and we will finalize this matter at the next family meeting."
"Please promise, mother, that if Xiaohao is in any danger in the palace, you will not let him stay there. Otherwise, even if my daughter-in-law dies in front of you, you will not allow him to take risks!" Zhu Niang gradually took the initiative back into her hands.
Zhu Jia's face was grim.
In the past, she would never have believed that Zhu Niang was so courageous that she dared to negotiate terms with her one after another.
No one in the Zhu family dared to talk to her like that!
"Xiao Hao is a descendant of the Zhu family. How could his family let him be in danger in the palace? Not only will they not harm him, they will also help him secretly. But... you can't push your luck and use chicken feathers as a token of authority. Whether he is in danger in the palace or not, the family will make their own judgment."
Zhu Jia paused, then said, "What other conditions do you have? Tell me all of them!"
Zhu Niang said: "My daughter-in-law will give the family twenty taels of silver every month, not a penny less. Please agree that no matter whether we make a profit or a loss, we will not add any more silver. The extra money will be used to buy houses and land. My daughter-in-law is not doing this for herself. Everything will be in Xiaohao's name. My daughter-in-law does all this for the Zhu family, without any selfish thoughts."
