Chapter 142 The Richest Woman
Xue Nanzhi keenly caught Li Yuanzhao's fleeting gaze, covered her mouth and chuckled, "Young master, who is this? Your wife?"
"Wife?" Chen Yanqing quickly waved his hand. "No, no! She is my mistress, and I am her personal guard."
Although he was eager to clarify verbally, he was secretly overjoyed.
Are he and Li Yuanzhao truly a match made in heaven? Everyone thinks they are such a perfect couple?
"Oh~ a personal bodyguard?" Xue Nanzhi drawled, her eyes darting between the two of them. "What kind of personal bodyguard?"
The words had a slightly flirtatious tone, and Chen Yanqing, for some reason, blushed instantly, stammering and unsure of what to say.
Seeing that he was so embarrassed that he was about to stutter, Xue Nanzhi finally stopped joking, put down her teacup, and took the cat curled up beside her legs back into her arms.
She gently smoothed the cat's fluffy fur with her fingertips, then turned her gaze to Li Yuanzhao, who remained silent. "May I ask how you should address me, Miss?"
Li Yuanzhao was a man of few words, simply stating "Li".
Xue Nanzhi nodded in agreement: "Miss Li."
Li is a common surname; there are many people in the world with the surname Li, including the current imperial family.
She casually brushed the cat's fur, subtly probing, "Why is Miss Li heading to Weizhou City at this hour? I heard it's full of rioters."
"And what about you, Miss Xue?" Li Yuanzhao did not answer directly, but instead threw the question back at her.
Xue Nanzhi said, "I am originally from Weizhou. A few years ago, I went to Lingnan to do business with a caravan and managed to accumulate some wealth. Now that I heard that my hometown is in chaos and my widowed mother is left alone at home, I am really worried about her. So I rushed back to see her, even if it is just to take her to Lingnan to avoid the disaster."
Why did Chen Yanqing feel that these words sounded so familiar?
Wasn't this the excuse he made up when he was fooling the bandits in the dilapidated temple—that he was "going back to Weizhou to find his relatives"?
No, doing business?
A woman in business?
His surname is Xue!
He stared at the white jade bracelet on Xue Nanzhi's wrist and suddenly realized, "Aren't you Xue Nanzhi, the wealthy businesswoman who traded grain and silk in Lingnan? I didn't expect you to be so young!"
Seeing that her identity had been exposed, Xue Nanzhi was not flustered at all. Instead, she laughed and said, "I didn't expect my name to be so widely known that even Young Master Chen has heard of it. I am quite flattered."
“I’ve heard more than just about it.” Chen Yanqing said sincerely, “Back in Lingnan, I heard merchants say that Miss Xue had a keen eye for business. She could sell Lingnan’s silk rice and Zengcheng kudzu rice to the princes and nobles in the north, and she could also transport Nanjing’s brocade and Sichuan brocade to Southeast Asia. Everyone said that when it comes to business acumen, no man can compare to you. I just never expected to meet you here today.”
Xue Nanzhi gently stroked the cat in her arms and said, "Young master, you flatter me. I'm just struggling to make a living in the business world."
She responded to Chen Yanqing's praise in a nonchalant tone, but her gaze secretly swept towards Li Yuanzhao, who was sitting quietly to the side.
Why did this Miss Li seem completely unsurprised by her identity, as if she already knew all about her background?
She couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Little did Xue Nanzhi know that Li Yuanzhao already knew who she was the moment he heard her name.
It wasn't because Xue Nanzhi's name was so famous that even she, the busy eldest princess, knew about her.
Rather, it was because, after hearing the time traveler talk about the people who helped Chen Yanqing ascend the throne, she investigated all of them.
Female merchants are rare to begin with, let alone those who run businesses on such a large scale; Xue Nanzhi is practically the only one of her kind.
You can find out with a simple check.
That's why she glanced at Chen Yanqing unconsciously after hearing her introduce herself.
Sure enough... it was another of his "destined" romantic encounters, which were truly impossible to guard against.
In this patriarchal world, it is no easy feat for a woman to become the richest woman in Lingnan.
Yet, this very person was still willing to fall at Chen Yanqing's feet, spending all her wealth to help him ascend the throne.
That's amazing.
A cold glint flashed in Li Yuanzhao's eyes as he spoke directly, "Miss Xue traveled a long way from Lingnan to Weizhou, surely not just for your so-called widowed mother?"
Xue Nanzhi's hand, which was stroking the cat's fur, suddenly stopped.
She was from Lingnan, so how could she be a widow from Weizhou?
Her trip to Weizhou at this time was merely an attempt to make a political investment.
Now that Weizhou is besieged and the Second Prince is trapped in the city, it is precisely the time when he needs help.
If she could help him out of this predicament, she might be able to take the opportunity to ask for a favor and obtain the salt and iron monopolies in the southern states.
She worked hard selling cloth and grain, but the silver she earned in a year was not even a fraction of what a royal merchant could earn from a single salt and iron transaction.
Since chaos has ensued, instead of clinging to our existing wealth, we might as well take a gamble.
If they can establish a connection with the royal family, the Xue family's business will truly flourish in the future.
But how could she tell these things to the person in front of her?
Xue Nanzhi replied with a mix of truth and falsehood, "Miss Li has a good eye. I actually own several grain shops and silk stores in Weizhou. I came here just because I was worried that my grain shops would be robbed, so I came to investigate."
Li Yuanzhao took a sip of tea and said, "Miss Xue's business is so big, yet you're still reluctant to part with these few shops in Weizhou?"
Xue Nanzhi laughed and said, "Miss Li is joking. No matter how big the business is, it's all built up little by little. Even if it's just a small piece of meat, it wouldn't be pleasant to have it snatched away for nothing, would it?"
Li Yuanzhao nodded and tapped the rim of the cup lightly with his fingertips.
Just when Xue Nanzhi thought she had gotten away with it, she saw Li Yuanzhao's face turn cold, and he said without warning, "Chen Yanqing, take her down."
No one expected that they would suddenly turn on each other when they were having a good chat.
Although Chen Yanqing was surprised, he reacted very quickly.
Almost the instant Li Yuanzhao finished speaking, he suddenly stood up from the cushion, and the dagger at his waist was drawn with a "whoosh." In a flash of cold light, the sharp blade was already firmly pressed against Xue Nanzhi's neck.
The driver outside the carriage and Xiaochun in the corner of the carriage reacted very quickly.
Hearing the commotion, the coachman immediately drew his soft sword from his waist, and Xiaochun also took out the short dagger hidden in her sleeve. They surrounded them instantly, but they were still a step too late.
They had followed Xue Nanzhi for many years, traveling all over the country, and were quite skilled in martial arts. Even twenty or thirty ordinary bandits couldn't get close to them.
Otherwise, how could the three of them dare to drive to Weizhou in such a chaotic world?
I never expected to be tricked by this man and woman today.
At this moment, Chen Yanqing's dagger was firmly pressed against Xue Nanzhi's neck, and with just a little force, he could kill him instantly.
The two men were both anxious and angry at the sight, but dared not make any rash moves.
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