Chapter 5 This is a den of money
"The restaurant in the prosperous area of Zhengdong Street in the capital." Pu Qiongzhi saw that she had given in and immediately revealed her true intentions.
"??? What?!" Gongsun Ying's eyelids jumped, and he sat up straight. "You really are asking for too much!"
Her eyelids twitched, and then she looked at Pu Qiongzhi suspiciously, "How did you know that the restaurant was under my name?"
"Hehe, the hermit has a clever plan." Pu Qiongzhi pursed her lips and smiled, keeping the other person in suspense.
This matter was not discovered by her, but she guessed it by accidentally discovering the connection between Gongsun Ying and this restaurant.
Gongsun Ying shook his head like a rattle, "No, no, that's my most profitable business!"
"You did such a small thing for me, which was just a piece of cake, and you want to snatch it away from me? You are so ignorant of your own limitations!" She muttered, but she was not annoyed.
Pu Qiongzhi then explained in a gentle voice, "I don't want this restaurant, I just want to cooperate with you. You will still be the boss behind the scenes, and I will temporarily manage this restaurant on your behalf. The profits from the operation will be divided into dividends on a 50-50 basis."
"The costs of the restaurant are all paid by Pu's Trading Company, including the manpower and material resources for transporting materials..." Pu Qiongzhi said, handing her a booklet.
It not only records the famous chefs she has collected from all over the place, but also lists all the assets of her Pu's Trading Company.
This means that as long as the business is successful, their Pu's Trading Company will open up a new path in the future.
During this period, every step was calculated, from providing these ingredients, to cooking and buying and selling, and finally dealing with redundancy.
Pu Qiongzhi waited quietly for Princess Duanhui to flip through the book, observing her expression all the time without a trace of nervousness.
Her father taught her that she had to show a certain level of sincerity before the other party could pay her corresponding compensation.
Sometimes, this sincerity does not necessarily have to be something tangible. Perhaps an idea or some thoughts are enough to show how much they are worth in the eyes of those who know the business.
She believed that her sincerity was enough to move people, and she also believed that the eldest princess's vision was sharp enough.
"Today, I'm taking advantage of the flower viewing banquet to ask for this reward. It's not simply to take credit for it, but also to show you my business capabilities in advance."
"I have made a rough estimate. Your shop currently makes only a little over ten thousand taels of silver per year. If there is a war, I'm afraid the profit will drop by 70%."
When she said this, Princess Duanhui's expression changed a little. This amount was calculated exactly!
Pu Qiongzhi continued, "If you cooperate with me, I can at least guarantee that your shop's profits will more than triple."
As she spoke, Pu Qiongzhi took out a small booklet and handed it to her. "This is the plan I drafted. I hope Your Highness will consider my self-recommendation."
"It's so easy for you to say! Doesn't that mean I will become your backer in the future? No matter what trouble you cause, you still have to use my name to make trouble outside?" Gongsun Ying still couldn't hold back and revealed her plan in one sentence.
Pu Qiongzhi confessed everything and openly admitted that this was her purpose.
"To be honest, I sent someone to negotiate the price of the restaurant next door to yours, and it only cost 70,000 taels. However, I'm unfamiliar with the area, and I wanted to lower the price, but someone else got there first and snatched it away."
"The shopkeeper gave me a final word, saying that the other party's status was someone he couldn't afford to offend, and told me to fend for myself."
"I now understand. In this world, you need power and influence to conduct business in a law-abiding manner."
"So, you chose me?" Gongsun Ying pondered for a long time. "Now that you have an imperial decree, you don't necessarily need my support, right? Besides, your husband is, after all, an earl..."
Pu Qiongzhi looked helpless, "Your Highness, as a woman, I think you also understand that it is not easy for women to walk in the world."
"My husband is kind and generous. He has allowed me to go out and do business. This is already very generous. If I cause trouble to him again and again, I am afraid my future life will be difficult."
"Your Highness, don't you know how much weight this imperial edict carries in the capital, where the emperor's nobles are everywhere?"
After hearing her heartfelt words, Gongsun Ying was indeed touched.
However, although she understood the woman's difficult situation, it did not necessarily mean that she had to cooperate with her.
The entanglement between the royal family and merchants will inevitably involve many deeper issues, which is what she is afraid of.
However, Pu Qiongzhi's advantage lies in that her husband is Earl Gongning.
His grandfather, brothers, and three generations of marquises all died in battle. The Duke of Gongning was demoted to inherit the title, but he had no real official position and would not be involved in the dispute over the throne.
As his wife, Pu Qiongzhi had just donated all her dowry, and now wanted to earn money to support the family, which actually avoided a lot of suspicion.
If you look at it this way, cooperating with Pu Qiongzhi is not only risk-free, but full of benefits?
"I am not in a hurry, but I sincerely hope Your Highness can consider it. Within three days, whether you are willing or not, I hope Your Highness will give me an answer."
Pu Qiongzhi has said everything she needs to say, and that’s all she has to say.
But Gongsun Ying didn't even think twice and said, "No need to wait three days. I will give you an answer right now!"
"Since you want to do business, I'll hand it over to you. If you can't even achieve last year's harvest..."
"Your Highness is straightforward. Thank you for your trust!"
"Don't worry, if the harvest doesn't reach your previous level, I will compensate you double and return the restaurant to its original state." Pu Qiongzhi's voice was still soft, but her eyes were filled with confidence.
The two of them had reached a verbal consensus and only needed to set a specific date to discuss the contract.
Gongsun Ying only figured it out at this moment.
This young lady was spending money lavishly at the city gate early in the morning. I'm afraid she was preparing to take over my restaurant!
It just so happened that God was on her side and she happened to see this scene!
Pu Qiongzhi retired after completing his mission, bowed to Gongsun Ying, and went back to prepare to deal with the remaining matters.
Watching her turn to leave, Gongsun Ying couldn't help but mutter, "I really don't know where Mingxu found a bride like you!"
Hearing her words and thinking about the origin of her marriage, Pu Qiongzhi felt inexplicably insecure and quickened her pace to leave.
Gongsun Ying was certain she had heard him, but he didn't expect her to leave so hastily. He muttered to himself, "Young people are so shy! Are you embarrassed?"
It was not until they got on the carriage and followed Pu Qiongzhi that the two maids, who had been holding it in for the whole day, finally could not bear it anymore.
"My dear wife! You just casually spent 800,000 taels when you went out today?!"
"The wedding alone cost 800,000 taels, and now, in just three days, you've already spent another 800,000 taels!"
"My goodness! No wonder people say the capital is a den of money! No matter how wealthy and powerful our Pu family is, we can't withstand such behavior from you!"
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