19. Monthly military expenses of 100,000 taels

◎"What exactly do you do?"◎

In the end, they still couldn't get the person out.

Xiao Pingchuan followed Shen Suqin and her father back to the small courtyard. Seeing how simple the place was, he could guess Shen's father's situation in the princess's mansion.

When Shen's mother saw that Shen's father had returned safely, she greeted them with red eyes and invited them to sit down.

On the stone table in the courtyard, hot tea and desserts were laid out, and candlelight flickered, creating a rather warm atmosphere. It was just a pity that the people in the courtyard all looked grim.

"What do you plan to do next?" Xiao Pingchuan asked Shen Suqin.

Shi Yunzhu is indeed powerful and influential; even if she forcibly takes people away, it won't last long.

Shen Suqin shook her head. In front of her parents, she couldn't be too explicit, so she only said, "I'll think about it some more."

“Stop making a fuss,” Mr. Shen said. “We’ve made it through so many years, it’s nothing. You young people should just live your own lives.”

In truth, he felt extremely embarrassed tonight after his daughter and son-in-law witnessed his humiliation, but he had to pretend that nothing had happened.

Xiao Pingchuan, being unusually perceptive, noticed Shen's father's unease and comforted him, saying, "After I marry Miss Shen, I will definitely head north. It will be much easier to take you two with me then. The northern border is my territory, and no one will dare to touch you."

"Really?" Mother Shen was overjoyed.

"real."

Mr. and Mrs. Shen were so excited they almost cried; of course they wanted to leave. Only Shen Suqin looked inscrutable, lost in thought.

“Go and rest,” Shen Suqin said to the two of them. “It’s very late.”

"That general?"

"I'd like to say a few more words to the general."

"good."

After Shen's parents entered the bedroom, Shen Suqin and Xiao Pingchuan were speechless for a moment.

Their good mood from the day was ruined tonight.

"What kind of deal did you make with Shen Suqiu?" Shen Suqin poured him a cup of hot tea and asked directly.

"It wasn't a transaction, but we did have some private dealings."

"Um?"

"She is the Crown Prince's person. She owns more than a dozen cloth shops. On the Crown Prince's orders, a portion of the shops' profits has been sent to the northern border for military expenses over the past two years."

"So, the whole capital is spreading rumors that you have an affair with the eldest daughter of the Shen family, is that because of this?"

"yes."

How much does she give you each month?

"It varies, ranging from several thousand to several hundred."

"gold?"

Xiao Pingchuan: "...Silver."

Shen Suqin was speechless: "You think you can bully me with just a tiny bit of silver?"

Xiao Pingchuan: "The one who pays the bill is the boss."

"Tsk, don't ask her for money anymore. I'll give you an extra 100,000 taels of silver every month for military expenses. Next time she tries to blackmail you, just throw this in her face."

Xiao Pingchuan suddenly looked up. "What did you say?"

“I told you not to take Shen Suqiu’s meager allowance; it’s not enough to annoy people. I’ll give you 100,000 taels of silver every month from now on as military expenses.”

"One hundred thousand!" Xiao Pingchuan exclaimed in shock. "First, three hundred thousand shi of millet, then one hundred thousand taels of silver per month. Do you know the significance of this?"

Shen Suqin pondered for a moment. She had been so focused on speaking that she had forgotten to take stock of her assets in Daliang.

With over four hundred restaurants, their daily revenue totals hundreds of thousands of taels, easily exceeding one million taels a month. Allocating only one hundred thousand taels to the Northern Border shouldn't be a problem.

However, it seems she cannot close the restaurant in the short term.

“It’s alright. Although there will be some minor troubles, 100,000 a month shouldn’t be a problem,” Shen Suqin replied.

Xiao Pingchuan was once again startled by her nonchalant tone.

That's 100,000 taels of silver; an ordinary family might not be able to earn that much even after three generations of hard work.

"What exactly do you do?" he asked, half curious and half amazed.

“Didn’t I already say? I’m a businessman,” Shen Suqin replied.

"The kind of businessman who is richer than a country?"

Shen Suqin shrugged. "They're probably not rich enough to rival a country, but they're definitely making a fortune every day. Could it be that Brother Xu didn't tell you that Xingyuan Restaurant is mine?"

Xiao Pingchuan suddenly stood up: "Is it the Xingyuan Restaurant, the largest in the capital?"

"Not only that, all Xingyuan restaurants across the country belong to me."

This time, Xiao Pingchuan was completely speechless.

He didn't even dare to think about how many Xingyuan restaurants there were in the entire Daliang, or how much each one earned each day.

"You're really rich." He was somewhat flustered for the first time.

Shen Suqin smiled and said, "It's alright, it's alright."

Yan Lin took all her family's wealth out of the pass, leaving her with very little to rely on. At least the monthly military expenses of 100,000 taels had to be drawn from the profits handed over from various places.

At this moment, Xiao Pingchuan wondered how Chai Shun would react if he knew that the woman he called a "little village girl" not only made a fortune every day but also supported the Black Flag Army.

No wonder he always felt that Shen Suqin had a calm and relaxed demeanor, as if no difficulty could faze her.

"Speaking of which, I'm a little curious, why is the Black Flag Army still stationed on the border even though the imperial court and the Shatuo have already signed a ceasefire agreement?"

What she really wanted to ask was why the Black Flag Army hadn't been disbanded or incorporated into the state army. Was it really because you were greedy for power?

“That’s because the Shatuo have never truly stopped raiding our borders,” Xiao Pingchuan said. “And there is absolutely no possibility of us coexisting peacefully with the Shatuo.”

"Why do you say that?" Shen Suqin had never heard of this before. "There has been no news of fighting in the north."

Xiao Pingchuan slowly stood up, looked up at the few stars hanging in the sky, and said in a low voice, "Ninety percent of the territory of the Shatuo Kingdom is covered by yellow sand. There is only a small patch of grassland and water near the Lingwu Royal City. This small amount of water cannot sustain the Shatuo people. They have no other choice but to raid southwards."

"But why not report it to the imperial court? Fighting shouldn't be just a matter for the Black Flag Army."

"How do you know I didn't report it?" Xiao Pingchuan sneered. "Many officials, both senior and junior, reported it, but I don't know if it was intercepted or if Emperor Jingkang pretended not to know. In any case, the court never paid any attention to it."

In fact, the reason why Emperor Jingkang ignored him was partly because Xiao Pingchuan was not submissive enough, and partly because he felt that since both sides had stopped fighting, Xiao Pingchuan was always looking for excuses to stir up trouble, just to ask the court for grain so that the court could support his army.

"Is it meaningful?" Shen Suqin was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Is it meaningful to lead 100,000 people to guard that place while they are starving?"

Xiao Pingchuan, who had been pacing slowly, stopped and looked at Shen Suqin. He said seriously, "It's meaningful. My parents and brothers and I all lost our lives at the hands of the Shatuo. There are almost no people in the Black Flag Army whose parents are still alive. Even if there is only one family left to reunite with us, we will fight to the death."

"Moreover, we are sworn enemies with the Shatuo, and we will fight to the death."

Shen Suqin listened quietly. At this moment, she saw both courage and tenderness in this tall man.

It was at this moment that she truly noticed that this renowned war god of the Great Liang also had a handsome face with chiseled features.

“So, what you really want to do is destroy the Shatuo Kingdom,” Shen Suqin murmured as if in a dream.

Xiao Pingchuan's eyes lit up, but he neither admitted nor denied it.

Shen Suqin nodded. "Arrange for me to meet with the Crown Prince."

It's time to deal with Shi Yunzhu. Perhaps we can also see if we can do something for the Black Flag Army.

It was late at night, and the dark sky was dotted with starlight, faint yet dazzling.

The next morning, Shen Suqin summoned Ju Tao and said she needed to go to the Su residence.

The Su family is the same Su family from Jiaozhou that Shen Suqin mentioned before, which specializes in the fabric business.

Jiaozhou, a land of fish and rice, has a history of silkworm breeding, silk weaving, and embroidery dating back thousands of years.

The Su family is a silk weaving family that has been established for generations. They have been based in Jiaozhou for hundreds of years and are already a huge family with an unknown amount of wealth.

At present, the Su family has passed down to Su Yubai's generation, just as the Great Liang Dynasty is on the verge of collapse. The future of the Su family rests entirely on the shoulders of this young patriarch.

The person who opened the door was the steward. Ju Tao had informed the Su family in advance that she wanted to visit.

As soon as the door opened, the steward said with a smile, "Oh, Steward Shen, why are you here at this hour? Come in quickly."

"Have you taken charge yet?"

"not yet."

"Get him up and tell him I have something urgent to tell him."

The steward nodded hurriedly, "Please sit in the main hall, I'll go and invite our master."

"Um."

Shen Suqin led Ju Tao familiarly to the main hall. A maid served hot tea, and she casually handed a cup to Ju Tao, saying, "Have some to warm yourself up."

A short while later, Su Yubai rushed in, hastily throwing on her outer garment and shoes. "Old Yang said you have something urgent. What is it?"

Shen Suqin looked him up and down, then focused her gaze on his disheveled feet and said, "I've fallen out with Shi Yunzhu."

Su Yubai was no longer in a hurry. He tiptoed to a chair, sat down cross-legged, and asked, "Because you insulted the aristocratic families, she's afraid of being implicated and is coming after you?"

Shen Suqin lowered her eyes and drank her tea. This Su Yubai was too clever. She hadn't even said anything yet, and he had already guessed most of what she was thinking.

"Not entirely. Do you know how Shen Jinghe married Shi Yunzhu back then?"

I've heard some of it.

"I thought that after so many years of marriage, they must have developed some feelings for each other," Shen Suqin said coldly.

"You want to interfere?"

"It needs to be addressed."

She and Su Yubai were childhood sweethearts.

Because his teacher's wife came from the Su family of Jiaozhou, Su Yubai often followed his teacher to study and learn to read when he was young, so he could be considered her half senior brother.

In addition, the Su family also provided support behind the scenes for her Xingyuan Restaurant to grow so large.

"Then you should worry about it. Why are you asking me?"

"There must be something good coming up when I contact you."

Su Yubai did not believe it.

Shen Suqin leaned forward, "Haven't you always been troubled by the Su family's inability to penetrate the northern market? Now the opportunity has arrived."

Su Yubai frowned and gestured for the steward to clear all the servants away.

"Explain in detail."

"The first hurdle the Su family faces when entering the North is Jinyunfang, am I right?" Shen Suqin asked.

Su Yubai remained noncommittal.

“Jinyunfang belongs to the Shen family, and even more so to the Crown Prince. I believe that as long as it can make money for the Crown Prince, he doesn’t care whether it’s supporting Jinyunfang or Suzhifang.”

Su Yubai smiled enigmatically. "You're wrong. Behind Jin Yun Fang, the real power doesn't lie with the Crown Prince, but with the Pei family. Right now, you think Jin Yun Fang is at the Crown Prince's beck and call, because the Pei family still values ​​him. But what if the Crown Prince becomes a discarded pawn? See who Jin Yun Fang listens to then." He picked up a bowl of cheese from the table and asked Shen Suqin, "Would you like some?"

Shen Suqin stood up abruptly, snatched the bowl from his hand, and said, "So what do you mean?"

“You shouldn’t be trying to persuade me. You should be trying to persuade the Crown Prince and see if he’s willing to risk offending the powerful families to stand on your side.”

"And what about you?" Shen Suqin asked. "If the Crown Prince agrees, are you willing to stand on my side?"

Su Yubai lowered her eyes and did not reply to her directly.

He is now the head of the Su family, responsible for the livelihood of hundreds of people in the family. Once he gets involved, his life and death will be out of his control.

He remained silent for a long time before saying, "I want benefits."

"Don't talk about the merit of following the emperor," he added.

“As soon as Jinyunfang changes hands, I will connect you with the Black Flag Army. They urgently need tens of thousands of winter clothes. This business is a sure thing and can be done in the long run.”

Su Yubai narrowed his eyes. "This matter should be handled by the imperial court."

“Even if the imperial court has money, it will never spend it on the northern border,” Shen Suqin said.

"Does Xiao Pingchuan have money?"

"Yes, six or seven hundred thousand. Even if he doesn't have it, it doesn't matter, I do."

Su Yubai crossed his arms and looked her up and down, saying, "You've fallen for me?"

Shen Suqin remained silent.

Seeing that she hadn't replied for a long time, Su Yubai said with a hint of jealousy, "You've really fallen for her."

Shen Suqin: "Let's get down to business."

Su Yubai pointed at her, "Isn't what I'm saying serious? If you're not interested in him, why are you giving him so much money?"

He knew that Shen Suqin knew about his grain shipments to the northern border.

"I have my own plans. Just tell me if you're going to do it or not."

Su Yubai stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "If you want me to help you, you have to take down the Crown Prince and the Black Flag Army."

“Okay.” Shen Suqin stood up. “I will give you news within three days.”

"Okay. By the way, your wedding is coming up soon. Since it's fake, I won't join in the fun. You can have fun by yourself."

"what ever."