Anyway, if Wang Mingyang really wants to make trouble, then let him make trouble. The opportunity has been given. If it doesn't work out, then he can't bother me anymore.
Ning Ye's two biggest concerns right now are the increasingly dry weather and when the prince will make his move.
Since learning about this matter, Ning Ye has sent three groups of people to keep a close watch on Jiangyang City.
As expected, during this period of observation, King Jingyang had indeed sent out several groups of people, and these people disappeared after leaving Jiangyang City, and their destinations were basically scattered throughout the entire Cangzhou.
Such a move is self-evident. What Ning Ye can't understand is that although King Jingyang has been here for many years, he has never interacted with anyone. How can he raise an army when he has no soldiers at his disposal?
If he were to rely solely on his thousand guards, it would be utterly impossible, not to mention what pretext he should use to raise an army.
The saying "a cause must have a legitimate reason" perfectly describes this situation. If there were no legitimate reason, how many people would risk their lives to rebel with him?
These days are not easy either. After all, Ningye has only just started to develop, and its infrastructure is quite good in all aspects. But just when it should be growing vigorously, it has encountered such a thing.
Ning Ye truly hated this prince. When the prince actually rebelled, he would make sure the prince knew better than to do anything he shouldn't.
Ning Ye thought he wouldn't need to be contacted today, but Lin Qinshu called him over directly.
When Ning Ye arrived at the Cloud General Store, it was no longer the same as before; the surrounding shops had been taken over.
They were all connected together, forming a truly large shop within Qingyuan County.
As soon as Ning Ye entered the house, he found that not only Lin Qinshu was there, but also Chen Santong and Su Wenyuan.
If there was one person in the room whose face looked somewhat unfamiliar, it would be a middle-aged woman sitting next to the main seat, who had a gentle and refined air about her.
On the way here, Ning Ye naturally learned who this woman was.
"Madam Zhou, you have come all this way, but I have not been able to greet you immediately. I am truly sorry for not being able to welcome you properly."
This is a woman who should be treated as an honored guest wherever she goes. After all, this Mrs. Zhou did not live off her husband's family name, but rather through her own business guild called Hengyuantong.
Hengyuantong is practically ubiquitous throughout the entire dynasty, and even in various parts of the Western Regions grasslands, it has its own merchant guild.
All of this was accomplished by Madam Zhou alone, making her a role model for all businessmen. It is truly admirable that a woman could build such a large business.
Of course, if anyone had any bad intentions, then this Lady Zhou's husband was not someone to be trifled with; he was none other than the current Minister of Revenue, a second-rank official.
If someone with such a background were to actually try to do something like this, it would be like an old man who's tired of living.
Zhou Meiyu raised her eyes slightly, "You must be Young Master Ning. I did not inform you of my arrival beforehand, so it is not considered a neglect. On the contrary, my sudden arrival may have caused Young Master Ning some trouble."
"Madam Zhou, you flatter me. Your presence here is an honor to my humble abode. There are countless other guests here, and even if I wanted to invite you, I wouldn't have been able to."
"Young Master Ning, I'm quite pressed for time, and it's already an exception that I've come in person, so I'll cut to the chase. If there's anything you're not satisfied with, please feel free to speak up."
"Madam Zhou is indeed a heroine among women. I really like her straightforwardness. May I ask what brings you here today?"
Zhou Meiyu slowly said, "Your Cloud General Store has opened nearly a hundred stores throughout Cangzhou. I hope you can hand over all of these stores to me and stop here."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed. Chen Santong and Su Wenyuan had assumed that Zhou Meiyu had come to persuade Yunduan Grocery Store to join the Hengyuantong Chamber of Commerce.
If it weren't for this, Chen Santong probably wouldn't have strongly recommended the Cloud Grocery Store, which would have prompted Zhou Meiyu to make this trip. Because of this incident, Chen Santong has practically used up all the connections he had accumulated over the years.
But now it seems that they did intend to let Cloud Grocery Store join, but the way they joined is probably unacceptable to most people.
Ning Ye's smile gradually faded. "Mrs. Zhou, are you joking with me?"
Zhou Meiyu said calmly, "I'm not joking with you. The Cloud General Store is indeed good, but it might only stay that way in your hands for the rest of its life. You might as well hand it over to me, and you can make a good profit."
Lin Qinshu tried to smooth things over, saying, "Madam Zhou, we have never had any intention of selling Yunduan General Store to anyone else. I don't know where you heard this rumor from, but it is definitely not something we want to do."
Zhou Meiyu said sharply, "It's not a matter of whether you want to sell or not, but that you have no choice but to sell. Given your current situation, without a powerful protective umbrella, it's estimated that it won't be long before someone really targets you. By then, even if you regret it, it will probably be too late."
Chen Santong and Su Wenyuan exchanged a glance. They were well aware of these things, and that without protection, many things would be difficult to say.
After all, those high and mighty guys don't care who owns this thing; they only care about getting their hands on it.
The development of Cloud General Store has been too smooth all along. They only saw the wonderful wishes that could be achieved in the future, but they ignored the fact that there would inevitably be obstacles to truly achieve them. The reason that there are no obstacles now is simply because the time has not come yet.
Ning Ye said calmly, "It is truly kind of Madam Zhou to have thought this through. However, these are matters that I should consider myself. Even if something goes wrong, it is my own business and has nothing to do with Madam Zhou. If Madam Zhou wishes to cooperate, I am naturally welcome. If that is all, then I am willing to let Madam Zhou stay here for a few more days so that she can fully experience the beauty of this border region."
Zhou Meiyu's usually indifferent expression finally showed a slight change. "You mean you're going to reject me, right?"
“I think I have made myself very clear, Mrs. Zhou.”
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