Shen Qing's ears were ringing. He wanted to turn around and ask Meng Zhao immediately if he was really her second choice, but he didn't move. He didn't dare to, worried that asking would annoy her, and even more afraid of getting an answer he didn't want to hear.
In a daze, he saw the emotions surging in Xiao Youzhi's eyes. Beneath the resentment, there was clearly a deeper sense of unwillingness and regret.
In a flash, Shen Qinghe suddenly understood something.
Xiao Youzhi said all this just to sow discord between him and Meng Zhao. Even if she didn't have a formal title, it was still better than him, who didn't even have the right to stand by her side. If she were really provoked by him and rashly questioned Meng Zhao, it would play right into his hands.
Having figured this out, the anger in Shen Qing's eyes gradually subsided, turning into a mocking coldness. "What's the use of saying all this? The only reason you're going to such lengths to sow discord between us is because she's mine now."
"And you don't even have the right to compete."
Having said that, he decided not to waste any more time arguing with him, turned and left. Xiao Youzhi stood there for a long time, looking somewhat forlorn. After a long while, he finally let out a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and went to see Meng Zhao.
Meng Zhao organized the Hundred Herbs Festival to establish an efficient, centralized, and information-rich trading platform. For merchants, it would allow them to view goods, compare prices, and make purchases in one place, saving them time and costs of traveling around. For merchants, it would break through geographical limitations and allow them to reach high-quality buyers from all over the world, greatly increasing their chances of closing deals.
But Meng Zhao knew that to truly make this platform bigger and stronger, simply providing a trading venue was far from enough. After all, there were many good places, and it wasn't that difficult for merchants to change venues. She had to create a unique competitive advantage, which was comprehensive information integration and services.
Take those merchants, for example. They may be visiting the capital for the first time and are unfamiliar with the place. What they need most is a reliable guide. Meng Zhao has already partnered with several reputable brokerage firms in the city to provide merchants with detailed information on various industries in the capital, from market conditions to transaction trends, from shop reputation to transaction methods. Everything is covered, so that they can make purchases with peace of mind.
But doing business isn't just about selling. Meng Zhao also considered what would happen after a successful transaction. What if the merchants needed temporary storage for their large purchases? She specially set up a storage area in the surrounding area and hired people to patrol it.
Shortage of transport vehicles? She also signed long-term cooperation agreements with carriage and horse companies in the city. Valuable goods need escort? There are reputable security escort agencies soliciting business right at the door. Even for tax issues that cause headaches for many, she specially hired a lawyer familiar with the law to help merchants sort out all the procedures.
The same applies to merchants; only by making them feel real convenience can the platform truly retain their loyalty.
The successful conclusion of the Hundred Herbs Festival proved that this method was feasible. She had spent a lot of money and time over the past month, but she had also made many connections. She had already begun preparing for the next event. Naturally, she often went out for banquets. One day, after drinking, she returned home and was forced by Xu Yunrong to drink two bowls of hangover soup before she finally fell asleep.
In the stillness of the night, the door was gently pushed open, and Shen Qing tiptoed in. Looking at Meng Zhao sleeping soundly on the bed, he couldn't help but sigh softly, but ultimately couldn't bear to leave. So he simply sat down by the bed and quietly watched over her.
Meng Zhao had been drinking and didn't sleep well. In her drowsy state, she tried to get up to drink some water. As soon as she moved, someone brought a glass of water to her lips. She instinctively thought it was Xu Yunrong, but when she sensed something was wrong, she opened her eyes.
"Qinghe? What brings you here?"
Shen Qinghe pursed her lips. "Didn't you ask me to come over tonight?"
Meng Zhao then seemed to remember something and slapped his forehead in annoyance: "Oh dear, look at my memory, I forgot about it because something came up at the last minute."
Shen Qinghe quickly grabbed her hand and gently rubbed her reddened forehead: "If you forgot, you forgot. I'm not blaming you." His tone was so gentle it could melt your heart. "Did it hurt?"
Looking at his focused expression, Meng Zhao suddenly grinned foolishly, took his hand and rubbed it against her cheek: "It doesn't hurt at all."
Shen Qinghe sat down next to her, his long fingers running through her hair, gently massaging it: "I've seen you drink several times in the last month or two. Drinking is bad for your health, don't you know that?"
"Sigh, you can't always do what you're told when you're in the business world." Meng Zhao squinted comfortably. "When you ask someone for help, you naturally have to go along with their habits. But don't worry, my dad has helped me out a lot."
Shen Qinghe paused slightly. He was afraid that Meng Dashan wasn't the only one who had shielded her from the drinks; Xiao Youzhi was too. Whenever he thought about how that person could openly enter and leave the Meng residence and walk alongside her in various occasions, while he had to avoid being seen everywhere and had recently been restricted from visiting the Meng residence, a bitter feeling welled up in his heart, and his grip tightened unconsciously.
"Hiss—" Meng Zhao exclaimed softly.
Shen Qinghe snapped out of her daze and hurriedly let go of her hand: "What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
Meng Zhao shook her head. "No, but don't bother. I can hold my liquor, and my head doesn't hurt. Why don't you sit down and chat with me?"
She rested her chin on her hand and asked casually, "By the way, how did Your Highness find the meal at Yingkelou last time?"
A few days ago, the young prince suddenly had the urge to leave the palace, so Shen Qinghe took him to Yingkelou. With such an important guest, Meng Zhao naturally dared not neglect him and personally cooked several of his signature dishes.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinghe teased her deliberately, "Since you're so eager to know, why don't you just ask him directly?"
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