Tianze Palace.
After the officials left the court, Yuan Xiu lay sprawled on the dragon throne, staring listlessly at the palace ceiling, lost in thought.
Although Zhou Nuo's departure was not publicized, some well-informed ministers knew about it and assumed that Yuan Xiu was unhappy about it. They dared not provoke him and left after court, leaving only Lü Lu and Wei You in the hall.
There is also cultural protection.
Ignoring Wen Tai's glare, Wen Hu remained in the hall. Seeing that Yuan Xiu still hadn't noticed him, he leisurely walked down the steps and said, "Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Yuan Xiu, still staring at the ceiling, said lazily, "You didn't report during court, but now you're sneaking around reporting it. Who are you trying to badmouth to me?"
Ignoring Yuan Xiu's teasing, Wen Hu said solemnly, "What I want to say is a matter of Your Majesty's family, which is why I dare not speak recklessly in court."
Yuan Xiu then sat up, looked at Wen Hu, and asked questioningly, "My family affairs?"
Wen Hu nodded and said, "The Princess's husband, Zhao Cheng, has been working with the Xiao family of Jingdong County to expand his business to Jiangyang County in the past six months, making a fortune. Now he is continuing south, preparing to expand his business to Yunjing County!"
Yuan Xiu said calmly, "And then?"
Wen Hu was somewhat surprised by Yuan Xiu's attitude and emphasized, "Your Majesty, please forgive my bluntness, but although the Right Chancellor is living in seclusion in Yanchuan City, his prestige in the army is as high as ever, and many ministers in the court consider themselves his protégés. The Right Chancellor is getting old and may not have any thoughts about this, but Zhao Cheng is in his prime and full of ambition. If he were to acquire too much wealth, I fear that something might happen!"
Yuan Xiu descended the steps and stood before Wen Hu, asking, "Something's changed? What's changed?"
Wen Hu said, "Your Majesty understands what I mean."
"Lord of Sha County," Yuan Xiu sneered, his voice cold, "You actually dare to make me guess your thoughts? How dare you!"
Upon hearing this, Wen Hu immediately knelt down and resolutely said, "Your Majesty, I am worried that the Right Chancellor has prestige and Zhao Cheng has money. If they harbor any further ambitions, it will be detrimental to Your Majesty and to the Great Jing!"
Yuan Xiu did not get angry. Instead, he put his hand on Wen Hu's shoulder and patted him. He walked behind Wen Hu and said, "You should learn from your uncle."
After saying that, Yuan Xiu immediately added, "Forget it, don't follow his example. Being too mature and cautious isn't a good thing either; he can't even utter a fart in a long time. In the end, I still prefer your personality."
"The Right Chancellor has fallen; can't you just let him live out his remaining years in peace?"
Wen Hu shouted, "What I said was entirely for Your Majesty's sake!"
"Stop talking nonsense. Do you even believe what you're saying? Or do you think I'm stupid?"
Yuan Xiu turned around, kicked Wen Hu in the shoulder, and sneered, "I used to be wary of the Right Chancellor at every turn. I promoted your uncle back then so that he could replace him. But so many years have passed, have you seen the Right Chancellor cause me any trouble? You say he has prestige, Zhao Cheng has money, and we should be wary of him. Wen Tai also has prestige and real power, and you, Wen Hu, have troops under your command and skilled fighters in your household. Analyze for me, which side should I be more wary of, the Right Chancellor's or the Left Chancellor's?"
Wen Hu's pupils constricted sharply, and he fell to the ground, crying out, "Your Majesty! I deserve to die!"
Yuan Xiu sat down directly on the ground in front of Wen Hu, crossed his legs, and said, "Wen Hu, do you know why your uncle has been suppressing you all this time?"
"I do not know!"
That's because he knows your ambitions are too great.
Wen Hu broke out in a cold sweat. Although he was one of the most skilled fighters in the world, he still dared not be presumptuous in front of Yuan Xiu. He secretly glanced at Lü Lu below the steps, knowing that with this eunuch present, no one could harm Yuan Xiu.
"You are young and powerful, and you have great ambitions. Wen Tai was afraid that you would not be able to control yourself. But I still promoted you. Do you know why?"
Wen Hu pressed his forehead to the ground and said, "Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!"
Yuan Xiu flicked his long hair and said, "That's because I want you to be my sword! Wherever I tell you to cut, you cut. When I don't draw my sword, you're not allowed to cut people indiscriminately!"
"I don't care about the right prime minister or the left prime minister, or the grand secretary or the general. Your job is to execute them. Whether they should be executed or not is not your concern."
"Wenhu, do you understand my good intentions?"
Wen Hu feigned emotion and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty treats me so well, I am deeply grateful!"
Yuan Xiu patted Wen Hu's arm, pulled him up, and laughed, "Dong Xiao alone is not enough for me."
Upon hearing this, Wen Hu's expression tightened.
Dong Xiao, the Director of the Court of Justice, was in charge of the imperial prison and the secret service. He was known as the "Living Yama" and was the person most feared by the officials around Yuan Xiu.
At this moment, Yuan Xiu compared Dong Xiao with Wen Hu, and Wen Hu could easily understand Yuan Xiu's meaning.
Yuan Xiu hoped he would remain a loyal subject.
On the surface, Wen Hu was extremely grateful, but in his heart, some hatred arose.
Yuan Xiu wanted him to be a loyal subject, which was a way to weaken Wen Tai's power.
This shows that Yuan Xiu had already begun to guard against the Left Chancellor's office.
After taking down the right prime minister, they started targeting the left prime minister.
Yuan Xiu indeed doesn't trust anyone.
With a hint of hatred and coldness in his eyes, Wen Hu lowered his head to hide his expression and said in a deep voice, "I am a subject of the Great Jing, and a subject of His Majesty. I shall obey His Majesty's orders!"
"very good."
"I will no longer concern myself with the affairs of the Imperial Son-in-Law and the Right Chancellor's Office."
Yuan Xiu put his hands behind his back, walked back to the dragon throne and sat down, saying, "Actually, your considerations are not without reason, but my elder sister wrote to me about Zhao Cheng's continued journey south to Yun Jing, and I tacitly approve of this."
"My nephew is about to be born. Zhao Cheng should earn more money, otherwise my sister will have to pay for raising the child?"
“Yun Jing County is the bottom line I set for Zhao Cheng. He should be content with his business in Jingdong, Jiangyang, and Yun Jing counties. If he wants to go further, I… will have to use you as a weapon.”
Wen Hu immediately clasped his hands and said, "So Your Majesty had already considered this. Your Majesty is wise!"
...
After entering Yun Jing County, Zhao Cheng and his party did not linger and headed directly towards the three major cities of Yun Jing.
Yunjing County City and Yunshui City are both located on the southernmost border, serving as two military border cities. Yunmeng City is located to the north of these two cities, and the three cities together form an equilateral triangle.
Yunmeng City is the economic center of Yunjing County.
To open up the market in Yunjing County, we must first secure business in Yunmeng City.
Yuan Fei met up with Zhao Cheng outside Yunmeng City and reported on the information he had gathered in advance over the past few days.
Unlike Jiangcheng and Hannancheng, Yunmeng City doesn't have any three major families monopolizing the market. There are more than a dozen large merchants scattered throughout the city, and countless small merchants, each running different businesses, making it a vibrant and diverse place.
On his way into the city, Zhao Cheng pondered as he walked, thinking about how to handle this situation.
Before Zhao Cheng could figure it out, the group of people were stunned.
Outside the city gate, a group of elegantly dressed merchants emerged from their sedan chairs and marched in unison toward Zhao Cheng, each with a beaming smile on their face.
"The young prime minister is here!"
"Young Prime Minister, we've finally waited for you!!"
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