Meng Lie's mind buzzed: "Your Highness means that Wu Jue..."
"It's a fake death." Chang Suining said.
"..." Meng Lie's mind was filled with the word "fake" for a moment, and he suddenly felt that it was unfair for him to have such white hair - should he ask Wu Jue to compensate him for his hair? !
Chang Suining saw through Meng Lie's thoughts and couldn't help but say, "He can't compensate for even a single hair..."
After all, Wu Jue himself doesn't have this thing.
"And it's not his fault. I secretly arranged the fake death to help him escape from the capital." Chang Suining explained, "This matter was kept secret and it was a temporary decision, so I didn't tell anyone in the capital, including Qiao Yang."
Speaking of Qiao Yang, Meng Lie couldn't help but think of the puppy mentioned in Qiao Yang's letter. He felt delicate for a moment - there were many people who went crazy because of Wu Jue's passing, just in different forms.
At this moment, listening to the explanation of the girl in front of him, Meng Lie quickly suppressed the complaints he had towards Wu Jue in his heart: "Your Highness is indeed very thorough in his actions. I didn't even notice anything."
He just asked if Wu Jue was in the army at the moment, but Chang Suining said, "But now I don't know where Wu Jue has gone--"
Meng Lie was slightly startled: "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"
"After escaping from the capital successfully, Wu Jue left without saying goodbye on the way to Jiangdu." Chang Suining said: "Although he left a letter saying that he was going to travel around, I sent people to look for his whereabouts everywhere, but there was no news. I also sent people to Qianzhou, but learned that his former master had disappeared long ago, and the whereabouts of his master's disciples were also unknown..."
At this point, Chang Suining's eyes showed worry: "If it were in the past, I could have let him go, but now he is seriously ill, and his attitude is very abnormal and strange. I am really worried."
Hearing the word "serious illness", Meng Lie felt a little depressed. Wu Jue's passing away was fake, but the illness was real. He invited many famous doctors to see him, but to no avail.
Therefore, although Wu Jue is not dead, he is only temporarily alive. If he allows the strange disease to continue to develop, I am afraid that his fake death will soon become real death.
We have to find the person back.
"Your Highness, it would be better to let my subordinates handle this matter." Meng Lie said solemnly: "Over the years, the intelligence agents in various places have never been abandoned. It should be easier to use them to find the person."
Chang Suining, who was eager to find Wu Jue, nodded: "That would be great."
Meng Lie silently made a note to Wu Jue in his heart: "Although he has made contributions, he should not be so arrogant because of his favor."
Even if Wu Jue got into a rat hole, he would pull him out - as a subordinate, is it reasonable for the master to be so worried and so willful? Chang Suining asked Meng Lie to sit down and told him in detail several places where Wu Jue might go, and Meng Lie took careful notes.
After this was settled, Meng Lie asked the question that had been lingering in his mind: "Your Highness... do you want to walk the same path again this time?"
Fighting with swords in the battlefield and living to uphold the truth, do you want to go through that journey again?
"Yes." Chang Suining smiled at him: "The last time I didn't go very well, let's try again."
Meng Liena said in an expected tone: "It seems that His Highness has made up his mind."
Chang Suining hummed, turned his head to look at Yaori and the armor hanging in the tent: "After thinking it over, I think this way of life is more suitable for me."
Using the sword in her hand to protect the people around her and the land beneath her feet is an obsession that she cannot let go of even after her death.
When Meng Lie heard this, he thought of the three years with Beidi and felt a sharp pain in his heart. He never dared to think deeply about what kind of life His Highness, who was invincible on the battlefield, lived during those three years, and what kind of tormented yet determined mood he had to endure.
After a while, Meng Lie finally managed to utter a hoarse but hopeful voice: "Since Your Highness has made the decision, then please allow me to go with you... to try the same route again with you."
Chang Suining looked at him with a smile: "Okay, if you are not afraid, just follow me."
Meng Lie held back his tears. Of course he was not afraid. God had taken away the thing he feared the most. What else did he have to be afraid of?
He stood up and bowed deeply to Chang Suining: "Your Highness, I will do my best and will never let you down."
Chang Suining felt helpless about his habit of always being polite, raised his hand to signal him to sit down, and said, "I have another matter that I need you to check for me."
"Please give your orders, Your Highness."
"Thirteen years ago, before I committed suicide in Beidi, I was actually poisoned--" Chang Suining said.
Hearing this calm narrative tone, Meng Lie's expression suddenly changed: "Your Highness..."
Chang Suining continued, "After I came back this time, I managed to meet Yu Xie, and she admitted that she poisoned him that year."
Meng Lie's eyes fluctuated. He remembered Yuxie. In the past, Yuxie often went in and out of the building to help His Highness pass on messages. She was a personal maid who was very trusted by His Highness...How dare she secretly kill her master!
Meng Lie clenched his palms: "...Why did she act this way? Is there someone behind this?!"
After a while, Chang Suining said, "According to what she said herself, she was deceived by Yu Zeng back then."
Meng Lie's eyes were shocked: "...Yu Zeng?!"
Chang Suining repeated what Yu Xie had said at the time, and finally said: "But these are only her one-sided words, and have not been confirmed. Yu Zeng is now the head of the Sigongtai, and has lived in the palace for a long time. Before, I was controlled by someone in the capital, so I didn't rashly alert the enemy - but if it was really him who did it, he must have another mastermind behind the scenes."
She had no personal grudge against Yu Zeng, and if he did this, he would definitely be following orders from someone else.
"Yes, I understand." Meng Lie said solemnly, "I will order all departments to investigate this matter and find the real culprit as soon as possible."
"This matter happened a long time ago, so it may not be easy to investigate. Let everyone do their best and protect themselves first." Chang Suining finally instructed.
After Meng Lie agreed, he asked respectfully and expectantly, "Your Highness, do you have anything else that I need you to do?"
Chang Suining thought about it and shook his head: "Not yet, I'll tell you when I think of it."
Meng Lie hesitated for a moment, then tried to ask, "Does Your Highness need money now?"
Chang Suining was stunned for a moment. Did he know her so well? Yes, everyone knew that she was short of money. She had written to Meng Lie before because she was short of money.
In his heart, Meng Lie was actually very grateful that his Highness was short of money. The reason why he was able to meet his Highness this time was because his Highness was short of money.
"Yes, I have many places to spend money now. But someone just gave me three million strings of cash a while ago - not long after I wrote to you." Chang Suining said frankly: "These three million strings of cash are enough for me to spend for a while. When they are not enough, I will come to you for more."
Meng Lie nodded in understanding: "Your Highness, if you need anything, please tell me at any time."
Having said that, Chang Suining asked, "How much money is left in Dengtai Tower now?"
When she left the capital, she did not take a penny with her. She vaguely remembered that she had about 2 million strings of cash, most of which was her private savings from her military exploits and rewards from the previous emperor.
But Meng Lie just said that the intelligence agents in various places have never been abandoned over the years, and it is very expensive to maintain them well. However, Dengtai Tower's business is booming, so it should be able to cover these expenses. I think there should be some left for her, right?
"Your Highness, there is not much silver in Dengtai Tower, only about two or three million strings of silver."
Chang Suining raised her eyebrows with satisfaction and relief. Two or three million strings of cash was a lot. It was equivalent to not using the silver she left behind at all.
She praised sincerely, "Not bad, not bad, you are good at keeping the house."
But then Meng Lie said, "But the deposits in the silver vaults scattered around the country may total nearly 10 million strings of silver."
"?" Chang Suining's eyes suddenly became round: "...Where did you get so much money?"
"Your Highness doesn't do business, so you probably underestimated the revenue of Dengtai Tower." Meng Lie explained, "Besides Dengtai Tower, I have also been doing other businesses secretly over the years. Thanks to the well-informed secret agents in various places, I can always know where to make money and what business to do before others. As time goes by, the business is getting bigger and bigger. The secret agents support the business, and the business supports the secret agents. In the first few years, each place was just self-sufficient, but later they began to make profits one after another."
Well-informed information can make money, and money itself can also make money. He has connections, people to use, and no shortage of capital. The profits roll in, and it is not surprising that he has accumulated all this in more than ten years.
Although his business was not as profitable as the salt merchants, his business covered a wide range of industries. Besides being stable and sustainable, it also helped to spread the risk. He was not like the salt merchants who attracted attention by being big and made money in silence.
In addition, he was also worried that Dengtai Building's overly prosperous business would lead to disaster or suppression, so he had the idea of finding another way out early on.
Chang Suining couldn't help but be stunned. This was not only a way to maintain the family, it was clearly a way to make a fortune.
It was hard for her not to be surprised: "So these tens of millions of strings of cash...are just the cash in the vaults?"
"Yes." Meng Lie said, "The businesses in various places also have money for operation, and the secret stakes in various places also have money. However, the year is already halfway through, and each place will not count and hand over its revenue until the end of the year..."
At this point, Meng Lie paused for a moment before saying, "So I am not sure how much money there is in total at the moment. I will report the details to Your Highness after I have calculated it."
Chang Suining was speechless for a moment. Was this the rumored amount of money that was so abundant that it was impossible to count?
Finally, Meng Lie smiled and said, "But no matter how much it is, it is all money generated by your Highness's money, so it all belongs to your Highness."
Chang Suining only felt that gold was falling in front of her eyes. The golden things made her eyes brighter: "It turns out that I am so rich..."
"These are nothing." Meng Lie assured with an excited look in his eyes: "Now that Your Highness is back, I will definitely take good care of it for Your Highness, so that Your Highness will not have to worry about these mundane things in the future."
Chang Suining was surprised again. So, Meng Lie hasn't used his true strength to make money yet?
Facing the astonished eyes of his lord, Meng Lie coughed lightly with dignity, but his back straightened even more. Everyone wanted to be a useful person in front of his lord, and he was no exception.
He has never pursued material things such as money, food, clothing, housing and transportation. All he has wanted in his life is to be a useful person to His Highness and repay His Highness for saving his life.
Therefore, to be recognized by His Highness is the most generous reward he can think of in this world.
"...Then can you teach my subordinates how to do business?" Chang Suining asked sincerely.
"I was just about to talk about this." Meng Lie said, "Your Highness can pick some trustworthy and intelligent people to follow me for a period of time. After they are familiar with the affairs of each place, they will be responsible for taking over the various industries and secret agents."
Chang Suining was stunned for a moment before he said, "That's not what I'm talking about. You've been taking care of everything for so many years, and you should be fully responsible for it from now on. Why should I go to such lengths to hire someone else?"
Meng Lie hesitated for a moment, but still insisted: "But Your Highness..."
Chang Suining raised his hand and interrupted him: "Okay, there's really no need to mention this matter."
She originally only intended to take back some of her own private money, and now she has these things to enjoy, which is a pleasant surprise. And all these achievements are the result of more than ten years of hard work and efforts of Meng Lie and others. If she had just known the existence of these things, she would have kicked out these meritorious people and replaced them with her current subordinates... Then she is not only a piece of shit, but also a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Even if Meng Lie felt that "it should be so", she shouldn't have acted so suspiciously.
Seeing her insistence, Meng Lie lowered his head and said "yes".
"When I said I wanted you to teach them how to do business, I meant the business in Jiangdu." Chang Suining went on to say, "I plan to build some workshops in Jiangdu. Now I have a rough plan. I would like you to help teach them a little bit later."
"Workshop?" Meng Lie thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness no longer has to worry about money—"
"No, it's not for money." Chang Suining said, "Or rather, it's not just for money. I want to build a workshop in Jiangdu. First, I want to train a group of craftsmen who can be used by me. Second, I want to use it to promote and support the handicraft industry in Jiangdu."
If handicrafts and craftsman workshops can flourish, it will bring a lot of benefits and improvements to Jiangdu - this is what she saw in Xuanzhou.
Meng Lie suddenly realized: "It is because my vision is limited. In this case, Your Highness, please rest assured and leave this matter to me."
Not only can he pass on his experience and strictly supervise the whole process, but if necessary, he can also mobilize or find outstanding craftsmen from various industries to come to Jiangdu.
After discussing this, Chang Suining felt even happier. There were indeed many unexpected surprises today.
Since she is so rich now, why not: "I have used up all of Lao Chang's pension money these days. Now that I have some extra money, I will replenish his private treasury."
"Yes, I wonder how much you need? I'll have someone arrange it."
Chang Suining: "Let someone bring one million strings of cash."
Together with the 300,000 taels donated by Lao Chang earlier, he also made up for it and filled up his small treasury at once.
"It's a small amount." Meng Lie said with a smile, "I will have someone secretly deliver it to the governor's mansion within ten days."
Chang Suining nodded happily. Perhaps this was the joy of being rich.
"By the way, Your Highness just said that someone sent Your Highness three million strings of cash not long ago. Do you need to pay this money back?" Meng Lie asked thoughtfully and carefully, feeling that he was helping his lord, who was in debt everywhere, to settle the accounts.
But now, His Highness, who was not short of money at all, had a thoughtful look in his eyes. (End of this chapter)
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