Who would have thought that upon entering the room, Manager Xu would see Xiao Youzhi's gloomy face? He was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he subconsciously bent over, his body trembling slightly, and cautiously asked, "Master, do you... do you have any instructions for me?"
Xiao Youzhi sat in the armchair, his eyes fixed on Manager Xu, and asked in a low, cold voice, "The day before yesterday, the magistrate invited you to raise funds, and you refused, didn't you?"
Shopkeeper Xu's heart tightened. He nodded with a forced smile and replied in an extremely cautious tone, "Master, this new magistrate is ambitious and has brought in so many disaster victims. The county has no grain, yet he wants us to spend money. This time, it's not just us; many merchants in the city haven't donated either."
Xiao Youzhi narrowed his eyes. "You've been managing this Chunfeng Pavilion for several years now, how can you be so short-sighted? The county magistrate came in person, and you didn't even give him the slightest bit of face. Who do you think you are?"
Shopkeeper Xu looked puzzled, but mustered his courage and said, "Master, why should we give him face? I heard from others that he is just a poor man from a humble background. Why should we be afraid of him?"
Xiao Youzhi was furious and cursed him as an "idiot." If he hadn't been so well-mannered, he would have thrown the teacup in his hand at his face long ago.
"You inquired about his background, but did you also inquire about his wife's background? His father-in-law was the first top scholar in the imperial examinations after the dynasty was established and reopened. Now, in his early forties, he has already served as the Vice Minister of Revenue for several years, which is a third-rank official position. The next step up would be Minister."
"Besides, the Ministry of Revenue is in charge of the nation's finances. Countless merchants are desperate to put money in there but can't find a way. Now, such a great opportunity is right in front of us, but because of your stupidity, you've missed it. How dare you even talk to me here?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
