"Where do you plan to get the capital to expand your stores?" Fourth Master asked.
Lanqin, unaware that the Fourth Master already knew her plans, said, "When I first entered the manor, my mother gave me 20,000 taels of silver. In addition, I have saved some silver over the past ten years, which adds up to about 25,000 taels! This amount of silver is enough to open two branch stores. Once these two stores make money, we can expand to two or three more, and that will be about enough."
Fourth Master frowned. He had already learned from Cui Niang that the 20,000 taels of dowry that Lan Qin had mentioned had already been returned to Anjia Shi. Moreover, over the years, the monthly allowance he had given her was only a few thousand taels. She also gave tips to the maids on a regular basis, and she had given considerable red envelopes when Cui Niang, Nianxue, and Xicha got married. She didn't have much money left.
Lanqin was convinced that the Fourth Master would agree, but after she finished speaking, he still frowned, seemingly not believing what she had just said.
"Aren't you afraid that one day the master will find out that all the things he bestowed upon you are gone and he will get angry?" Fourth Master finally couldn't help but ask.
Lanqin was startled and stared blankly at the Fourth Master, speechless. She realized that it was Cui Niang who had spoken to the Fourth Master.
“Master, those things don’t generate any money if they’re just sitting there. They’re really not very useful. It would be better to pawn them and turn them into cash to do things,” Lanqin said helplessly.
"But those are all gifts from the master, gifts from the palace. You're just pawning them off like this. Aren't you afraid people will gossip that the master's property has been confiscated and even the jewelry in the inner quarters is being auctioned off?" the Fourth Master said in a deep voice.
Lanqin's eyelids twitched. She might have indeed overlooked the strong sense of self-esteem and face that men of this era had, especially the face of a prince. Not to mention whether people in the palace knew about it, if the people in the pawnshops saw her things, they would be the source of all the gossip and secrets.
"If those rewards are not given out, and they end up circulating outside, what will become of the royal family's reputation?" the Fourth Prince continued. This little woman is simply delusional; doesn't she care about the Prince's reputation at all!
Lanqin pouted, feeling quite unwilling, but what that man said was indeed a problem.
"Master, do you mean you don't agree to me opening a branch?" Lanqin suddenly realized that if the man in front of her didn't agree, there was really nothing she could do.
The Fourth Master remained silent for a moment, then suddenly turned around and said, "I'm hungry, serve me my meal first!"
After watching the Fourth Master's figure disappear through the door, Lanqin hurriedly followed him out. She personally went to the kitchen and instructed Niu Baoquan to prepare five or six of the Fourth Master's favorite dishes.
When she returned to the main room, she saw the Fourth Master sitting in his seat with a sullen face, and the maids in the room did not dare to make a sound.
"Master, we'll be eating soon. How about I help you with your head massage?" Lanqin walked to the Fourth Master's side and softened her tone.
"Hmm!" Fourth Master still had a dark expression on his face.
Like a child who had made a mistake, Lanqin personally loosened the Fourth Master's hair and began to comb it with a comb. All the maids in the room began to act as if they were invisible.
"What exactly are you trying to do to earn money?" Fourth Master began to reflect on whether he had been too stingy with Lanqin, but then realized the little woman was short of money. "Is it because of your brothers?"
Lanqin cursed Cui Niang in her heart. Although it was for her own sake, how could she say such things? She thought for a moment, then said, "My lord, I want to earn money, actually for your sake!"
Fourth Master turned his head and looked at the little woman, who looked extremely serious.
"You may all leave!" Fourth Master turned to Si Hua and the others and said, "Without my summons, no one is to disturb you or eavesdrop."
Si Hua and the other maids immediately lowered their heads and retreated along the corner of the wall.
"Tell me, why do you want to earn this money for the sake of the master?" Fourth Master suddenly turned around because Lanqin had loosened his hair, and now his hair was disheveled. His sinister face approached Lanqin and asked.
Looking at Fourth Master's serious expression and his disheveled hair, Lanqin couldn't help but want to laugh, but she couldn't laugh at the moment, so she had to try her best to hold it in.
“Master, silver is the army’s rations, silver is the soldiers! Silver can support you in doing things!” Lanqin said, word by word.
Fourth Master's pupils contracted as he stared at Lan Qin's serious face, seemingly unable to believe it.
"My lord, you now have the Emperor's trust, but the Fourteenth Prince also enjoys his favor. A struggle between you is inevitable, and that day may come unexpectedly. The Fourteenth Prince commands an army of 200,000, but what about you? My lord, you must have your own weapon, a weapon that can solve your problems. Although silver is a mundane thing, it can buy military rations and even lives. Therefore, I want to work hard to earn silver so that if you ever need it, I won't be penniless. Instead, I will allow you to set aside your pride and ask the Nian family, the Ulanara family, and the Fucha family for it. My Niohuru family has already fallen, and I don't want to become a burden to you."
Fourth Master's gaze shifted from serious to intense. Before Lanqin could react, he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.
Lanqin pressed her face against Fourth Master's chest, hearing his strong heartbeat, and for a moment she was so intoxicated that she fell into his arms.
"Silly girl, I don't need you to think about these things. You just need to live your life peacefully in the inner quarters." Fourth Master said, patting Lanqin's back tenderly.
Lanqin knew that Fourth Master was moved by her words, so she quickly said, "Master, no, it's not what you think. Besides, you underestimated the appeal of hot pot. When the time comes, the profits they generate will be beyond your imagination."
Fourth Master naturally couldn't imagine how much money a hot pot restaurant could make. They all held the traditional view of looking down on commerce and valuing agriculture. But Lanqin, who came from a later generation, naturally knew the allure of commerce.
"My lord, please support me. Trust me, okay? Actually, all the concerns you mentioned are just that—concerns. Ninth Prince also has his own business, and he's still a prince. In the end, it all comes down to strength. If you have a large amount of military provisions and soldiers, are you afraid you can't compete with Fourteenth Prince?" Lanqin said.
Fourth Master's body trembled slightly; he hadn't expected that the little woman had thought of all this for him.
"My lord, now that you need to garner the support of several major families, aren't you going to lower your stance? I feel uncomfortable seeing you do this, so I want to do something. Besides, I don't want to focus on this small corner of the inner quarters every day; I want to look towards a larger world," Lanqin said.
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