"The national treasury and the Imperial Household Department will split the profits 50/50!"
Meeting Cao Song's eager gaze, Liu Hong, seated on the throne, couldn't help but chuckle softly, then stretched out his palm and flipped it up and down.
"Huh? This...!"
Seeing that the emperor actually asked for half of it, Cao Song couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache.
Liu Hong gave Cao Song an annoyed look. "If you say another word, then I'll hand it over to Lü Qiang to handle?"
"No, no, no... Your Majesty, a 50/50 split is fine, fine!"
Faced with the emperor's threat, Cao Song hurriedly nodded in agreement. After all, it was already quite a lot for the emperor to allocate 50% of this highly profitable venture to the national treasury.
Thinking of the huge economic benefits brought by the greenhouse, Cao Song couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and bowed to Liu Hong.
"Your Majesty, building greenhouses is now urgently needed! I require a large quantity of coal and coal stoves!"
Liu Hong nodded. "Okay! The coal stove and coal treasury still have some. Just go ask Lü Qiang for some!"
"promise!!"
Cao Song couldn't help but show a look of joy and respectfully agreed, thinking that no matter what, the national treasury would still be able to spend less.
"Ha! This Grand Minister of Agriculture...!"
Watching Cao Song happily pulling Mo Shang away, Liu Hong couldn't help but shake his head and chuckle.
On the other side, Lü Qiang led several of his clerks to the treasury to begin taking inventory of the remaining valuables.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty! This old minister's heart is filled with bitterness...!"
Looking at the dwindling stock and recalling the Emperor's lavish rewards, Lü Qiang couldn't help but sigh in despair.
Just then, a young eunuch rushed in, looking flustered.
"Something terrible has happened...something terrible has happened! Attendant Lü! The Grand Minister of Agriculture is here!"
"What...? What's he doing here?"
Upon hearing that Cao Song had arrived, Lü Qiang's face turned pale.
The eunuch, catching his breath, said, "The Grand Minister of Agriculture said he was sent by His Majesty to collect some things!"
Upon hearing that Cao Song had come to collect something, Lü Qiang felt a sudden tremor in his heart for no apparent reason.
Lu Qiang asked urgently, "Where is he?"
"I saw him get off the carriage and rushed to inform you. He should be arriving soon!" the servants hurriedly said.
Lu Qiang glared angrily at the eunuch and hissed, "Why didn't you stop him?"
"He...he has His Majesty's gold token! This servant dares not stop him!"
"Haha~, Attendant Lü, are you there?"
Just as Lü Qiang and the eunuch were talking, Cao Song's hearty laughter came from outside the treasury.
"Just say I'm not here...!"
Upon hearing Cao Song's voice, Lü Qiang's expression changed. Seeing an empty wooden box not far away, he whispered an order to the eunuch before running over and hiding inside.
If Lü Qiang wasn't around, Cao Song would be relatively well-behaved and would take whatever amount the Emperor asked for. However, if Lü Qiang was present, Lü Qiang could expect to be extorted by Cao Song. Therefore, every time Cao Song visited the treasury, it was a nightmare for Lü Qiang.
"Uh~,"
Seeing Lü Qiang's helpless expression, Xiao Huangmen was also stunned.
"Huh? Where's Lü Qiang?"
When Cao Song entered the treasury with the gold medal in his hand, he was taken aback to find only a minor eunuch and a few clerks standing there.
The young eunuch hurriedly stepped forward and respectfully reported, "Reporting to the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Attendant Lü... uh... he went to relieve himself!"
"Oh, alright then! I'll wait a little longer!"
Cao Song raised an eyebrow, nodded, and then began to stroll around the treasury at will, giving the impression that it was the national treasury.
"That idiot...!"
Hiding in the wooden box, Lü Qiang couldn't help but curse inwardly when he heard the eunuch come up with such a clumsy excuse.
"You all go about your business! Don't worry about me!"
Upon noticing that the eunuch and several clerks were following closely behind him, Cao Song waved to them.
"Grand Minister of Agriculture, what are you planning to retrieve this time? I'd like to keep a record of it!"
The eunuch followed Cao Song with bows and scrapes, his eyes fixed on the box of refined salt Cao Song was holding, as if afraid he would secretly hide it.
Cao Song said casually, "Oh! It's nothing, just need to get five cans of tea, one hundred boxes of refined salt, and fifty jars of imperial wine!"
"What.....?"
The young eunuch was stunned. This Grand Minister of Agriculture really dared to speak so boldly! Although those items hadn't been sold yet, they were worth at least a million coins! And he was just saying it??
"Grand Minister of Agriculture, you've gone too far!!"
Upon hearing the last part, Lü Qiang could no longer hold back. Enraged, he immediately climbed out of the wooden box and glared at Cao Song.
"Uh... Attendant Lü, why did you go in there to relieve yourself?"
Cao Song couldn't help but show a surprised expression when he saw Lü Qiang crawling out of the wooden box.
"Hmph, that's none of your business!"
Upon noticing the slight upturn of Cao Song's lips, Lü Qiang couldn't help but let out a cold snort.
As Lü Qiang walked toward Cao Song, he glared fiercely at the eunuch, who shrank back in fright and quickly lowered his head.
Cao Song curled his lip and looked at Lü Qiang, "Fine! I can't be bothered with you! Go and fetch His Majesty's reward for me!"
Lü Qiang looked at Cao Song and chuckled, "Grand Minister of Agriculture, you don't need to lie to me. His Majesty will never give you those rewards!"
"What? If you don't believe me, then go and ask His Majesty to see if it exists!"
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