After Shen Yu'an left, Gu Yuzhi happily spun around the room twice, then looked up at Xie Changshi and exclaimed, "Xie Changshi, Xie Changshi, I'm really going to open an inn in Changzhou!"

From the very beginning of his journey to the northern desert, he had wanted to open an inn in Changzhou. Over time, this has almost become an obsession for him.

It's been a year! This long-held dream is finally about to come true!

Gu Yuzhi puffed out his cheeks, clenched his little fists, and suddenly looked up and asked, "Chief Secretary Xie, will the chefs who personally visited the inn also leave? If they don't, can we hire them?"

Wouldn't that solve the problem of food for the inn?

However, last time they came to Mobei, they stayed at the Li Ji Trading Company's inn, and he hadn't tried the food at this inn yet, so he didn't know how it tasted.

But if they've been running for so long, they can't be too bad, right?

Chief Secretary Xie nodded: "Your Highness, rest assured, Guard Shen has made rapid progress recently and knows what to do."

After leaving the Wen residence, Shen Yu'an quickly found the owner of the inn to discuss the purchase. The transaction was completed that very night, and a deposit was paid.

What was unexpected was that, from the innkeeper down to the errand boy, not a single person was willing to stay.

These people all signed flexible contracts, so even Governor Zhu couldn't force them to sign them.

Shen Yu'an had people try to persuade him for a long time, but no one gave in.

He had no other choice but to take over the inn as agreed.

As for when they will open, that depends on when they can recruit enough staff.

Gu Yuzhi learned the bad news at noon on the third day. Seeing Shen Yu'an's slightly uneasy look, he blinked and asked, "So, Guard Shen, the Qinlin Inn that we took over is just an empty shell?"

Teacher Shu pouted and said, "The word 'empty shell' is very apt! We've secured the Qinlin Inn, but the key is that we can't get it up and running now!"

Talent is the key!

She glanced at Wen Xiuzhu: "Manager Wen, do you have any ideas?"

Manager Wen gently fanned himself: "It's not a big deal that the inn doesn't have a manager. After all, even if there are few people in Changzhou, there are plenty of people looking for work. If all else fails, we can transfer some people from Xinliang."

He narrowed his already small eyes and said in a low voice, "Your Highness should be considering why these people are unwilling to stay."

"You should know that there are at least twenty or thirty workers in the inn, from the manager to the waiters and servants."

Shu Xiaohan put away her teasing expression: "Manager Wen is right. These people have just changed employers, it's not like they're being asked to work in Xinliang. Why wouldn't they want to?"

It's understandable that one or two people might resign because they're afraid of losing their monthly salary if they change jobs, but how can all twenty or thirty people resign?

Manager Wen said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I believe this matter is inextricably linked to the people of Li's Trading Company. The news of Governor Zhu's departure could not have been kept from the people of Li's Trading Company. They were very likely keeping an eye on the people who came to the inn from the beginning. But since Governor Zhu wanted to give the inn to Your Highness as a gift, the people of Li's Trading Company could not interfere, so they tried every means to interfere with the workers' departure."

"Of course, there is another possibility: these workers may have joined forces to threaten Your Highness in an attempt to achieve some goal."

For example, higher monthly silver.

But he prefers the first possibility.

If what he thinks is true, then it can only be said that Li Ji's methods are really too childish.

Maybe he was just angry and wanted to annoy them.

Gu Yuzhi was so angry that her face puffed up. She slammed her little hand on the corner of the table, cried out "Ouch!" and quickly rubbed her face while blowing on it.

It hurts so much.

Gu Yuzhi's face looked even more aggrieved.

I don't understand why adults like to slam their fists on the table when they're angry...

Chief Secretary Xie and Shen Yu'an both looked over, clearly not understanding why the young prince, who had been perfectly fine just moments before, had suddenly become angry.

Chief Secretary Xie tentatively asked, "Your Highness..."

Gu Yuzhi snorted: "It must be Li's Trading Company's doing!"

Xie Changshi, Shen Yu'an...

Gu Yuzhi argued vehemently, "Think about it, the owner must have spoken to the workers at the inn about Governor Zhu's intention to sell it. They didn't say they were leaving until we had all signed the contracts. Isn't that intentional?"

He snorted angrily again.

Fortunately, he had Manager Wen, who could see through any business tricks at a glance.

If Li Ji Trading Company thinks he doesn't know, they're sorely mistaken!

Just as Gu Yuzhi was about to speak, Xie Changshi said with a hint of satisfaction, "Your Highness is truly wise. I also believe that this matter is inextricably linked to Li Ji Trading Company. I think the reason they didn't resort to any other underhanded tricks this time is largely due to the salt permits."

Aside from land tax, the Ministry of Revenue's largest tax revenue comes from salt tax. Therefore, salt permits in Sangchao are very expensive. However, in order to obtain a salt permit, in addition to having money, one must also have a strong relationship with the Ministry of Revenue.

It should be noted that salt prices in the Sang Dynasty were extremely high. Even in salt-producing areas such as Lingnan and Yangzhou, the price of salt was forty wen per catty.

After learning that Li Ji Trading Company had salt permits, Chief Secretary Xie conducted a special investigation. Before Li Ji Trading Company, there were no salt merchants in the northern desert. It was all merchants from Jiangnan who brought salt to sell, and the selling price was as high as fifty-five wen per catty.

After Li Ji Trading Company established itself, it quickly began selling salt permits.

Not only did they profit from the price difference, but they also sent a signal to the wealthy merchants in the northern desert: they couldn't go against Li's Trading Company, or they wouldn't get a salt permit next year!

"It's almost time for the Ministry of Revenue to sell salt permits, and Li's Trading Company is definitely focused on buying them now."

Even Xie Changshi himself would not hesitate to choose the salt permit over an inn.

Xie Changshi had considered asking the Ministry of Revenue to let the Wen family trading company handle the salt permits for the northern deserts this year, but he abandoned the idea as soon as it came to mind.

It's very simple. Li Ji Trading Company obtained salt permits entirely through the King of Chu.

Between the King of Chu and the King of Wen, those cunning old foxes in the Ministry of Revenue will definitely choose the King of Chu.

Most importantly, it is not yet suitable for the Wen family to obtain salt permits.

Gu Yuzhi's eyes darted around, and after thinking for a while, he still couldn't come up with a good solution. His face was puffed up like a steamed bun: "Then we can't let Li Ji scheme like this, can we?"

I knew Li Yanping wasn't one to stay put!

Chief Secretary Xie smiled slightly: "Of course not. If the Li family's trading company schemes against our inn and we don't retaliate, wouldn't it make it seem like our Wen family's trading company is afraid of them!"

It was supposed to be a bad thing, but Chief Secretary Xie felt a strange sense of excitement.

You know, he's always been good at scheming, but ever since he came to the Northern Desert, it seems like his brains have become useless.

Xie Changshi thought to himself, if he doesn't use his brain soon, his brain might degenerate into that of Qi Chenglang.

Qi Chenglang never expected that while he was still escorting the goods, a huge pot would be thrown at him...