Chapter 71 The Crown Prince, I've Remembered You
"How could Young Master Mei recognize me?" Xiao Ma thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. "I am Xiao Ma, a swordsman from Xingguo Fang. I visited your manor a few days ago, and I am here again today... I am sorry to have startled Young Master Mei."
Mei Shiyu carefully examined the Pei family swordsman who called himself Xiao Ma. He saw that he was dressed in black robes with sword patterns, his black hair was tied up high, his forehead was wrapped with black satin, he had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, he carried a long sword, and his expression was gloomy but could not hide his sharpness. He was not an ordinary rough man. Mei Shiyu sighed inwardly that although Xingguo Fang had been lying dormant on the island for many years, it was still a hidden dragon and should not be underestimated.
“His name is Xiao Ma.” Mei Xiaojing lowered her arms as if she had found a backer. “He has no name or surname, just Xiao Ma. He came with the manager of Xingguo Ward a few days ago. I can vouch for that.”
Mei Shiyu frowned slightly. Mei Xiaojing quietly stuck out her tongue, swayed behind him with her hands behind her back, and winked at Xiao Ma. "Xiao Ma, I reckon there's a problem with the money we exchanged last time. Since there's a problem, the head of the family should help resolve it. Salt and Iron Bureau, you definitely can't go today. Why aren't you going back?"
"The money we exchanged last time was fine," Xiao Ma said honestly.
"Little Ma!" Mei Xiaoqing was so anxious she wanted to jump up and down.
"I overheard some of it just now, but I didn't mean to," Xiao Ma said, his head bowed. "Miss Mei is right. Since we went to the Salt and Iron Bureau twice and it was useless, why bother going again? Young Master Mei is of noble birth. Since you are afraid that outsiders will think that you are unwell, you must not let your health be compromised. Gongcheng Bank is related to thousands of merchants and people in Jin. Only when you are healthy can customers who deposit silver with you feel at ease, and only then will the foundation of Great Jin be more stable."
Mei Xiaoqing stared blankly, her cherry lips slightly parted and unable to close. She had thought this person was a taciturn man who could not utter a word, but now that he opened his mouth, he was so eloquent and articulate, and what he said was also pleasing to the ear. Not to mention Mei Shiyu, even she herself felt that what he said made sense and was reasonable. If Mei Shiyu still insisted on going to the Salt and Iron Bureau, it would make him seem stubborn and brainless.
Mei Shiyu's lips curled slightly, but his eyes were cold and indifferent. "Do you know why I went to the Salt and Iron Bureau? If I mess things up, you will take the blame for me and for the Mei family?"
As they exchanged words, Xiao Ma suddenly lost her fear of him. She slowly raised her head and looked directly into Mei Shiyu's eyes. "Things that can be discussed at the Salt and Iron Bureau are all important matters, so naturally... they cannot be delayed. But Miss Mei said that you went twice and returned empty-handed... so are you... making things worse?"
"Little Ma..." Mei Xiaoqing was anxious, her eyes almost popping out of their sockets. "Stop talking, stop talking!"
"Let him speak." Mei Shiyu seemed to smile slightly.
Xiao Ma didn't care about anything else and simply said what was on his mind: "The Salt and Iron Bureau is related to people's livelihood. People's livelihood is no small matter and cannot be delayed for even a day. They are just being perfunctory. Why don't you bypass them and find another way? The Mei family has connections to the highest levels, so it should not be difficult for them."
Mei Shiyu's eyes darkened. He drew a bone fan from his waist and tapped it against his palm. Holding the fan in one hand and the jade clasp in the other, he seemed to be pondering something. Xiao Ma followed Mei Shiyu's movements and slowly lowered his eyes. Mei Shiyu's hands were so thin that the blue veins were visible. After a moment of silence, Mei Shiyu suppressed a few coughs. Xiao Ma saw this and thought to himself, "Such a person... he probably wouldn't have embezzled my money, would he?"
"Thank you." Mei Shiyu's deep eyes lit up, and he made a starting gesture. "I know what to do."
"Huh?" Mei Xiaoqing was completely confused. "You're going to the Salt and Iron Bureau again?"
"I'm not going." Mei Shiyu strode off. "I'll go somewhere else." After a few steps, Mei Shiyu turned back and looked at Xiao Ma a few more times. "Nameless, so you're just called Xiao Ma?"
“His name is Xiao Ma,” Mei Xiaojing chimed in. “I asked him last time, and that’s his name.”
Mei Shiyu released his grip on the jade buckle, pointed his bone fan at Xiao Ma, and said, "Xiao Ma from Xingguo Ward, I've remembered you."
"Cousin, come back soon!" Mei Xiaoqing called out a few times in a mocking manner, then turned around and leaned against the door frame, crossing her arms and looking at Xiao Ma with a chuckle. "I didn't realize you were smarter than I thought. If you can help cousin solve the problem of the fake copper coins, I, Mei Xiaoqing, will owe you a favor."
"The matter of counterfeit copper coins..." Xiao Ma peeked out and saw that Mei Shiyu had already boarded the carriage. The curtain was lifted, and he seemed to be looking for him as well. "Young Master Mei, do you want to report this to the imperial court? Counterfeit copper coins... I've been in Rongdu for a while and I haven't heard of it."
Mei Xiaojing blocked Xiao Ma's way, "That's because what we have in the world are copper coins, and there aren't many of them."
Xiao Ma said "Oh," somewhat unable to look at the girl's delicate and exquisite face. "Your family's money exchange handles tens of thousands of taels of silver a day. Why would you care so much about such a small amount of copper coins?"
Mei Xiaojing seemed not to understand either. "My cousin said that according to the Mei family's ancestral teachings, no matter how much money is involved, everyone is a distinguished guest of the manor. Although there are not many counterfeit copper coins now, we don't know how much trouble they could cause in the future. Moreover... these counterfeit copper coins have disappeared for many years and suddenly appeared in Rongdu. My cousin is afraid that... trouble will arise again."
"Again?" Xiao Ma slowly coaxed Mei Xiaojing. The girl was innocent and guileless. Although he felt reluctant, he had no choice but to do so.
Mei Xiaoqing nodded first, then shook her head. "I wasn't in Rongdu then, I was back in my hometown. If you want to know, why don't you ask my cousin? I saw you chatting with him quite a bit just now, he's taken note of you." Mei Xiaoqing remembered something, put her hands on her hips and pretended to be annoyed. "I almost fell for your trick. Tell me, what did you come to see me for?"
Xiao Ma had completely forgotten about this whole thing. Judging from the girl's attitude, if he couldn't come up with a reason today, he probably wouldn't be able to get away. "Looking for you...looking for you..." Xiao Ma swallowed hard, then suddenly looked up and asked, "Do you want to eat fried cakes?"
"Fried cake?" Mei Xiaojing thought she had misheard. "What fried cake?"
"If you don't want to eat, then forget it." That's what Xiao Ma was waiting for. He turned to run away, but Mei Xiaojing grabbed his arm. He didn't dare to pull away forcefully, afraid of hurting her.
“I’ll eat it.” Mei Xiaojing’s eyes lit up. “It’s just an old shop on West Street. Their fried cakes are famous in Rongdu. I didn’t eat enough for breakfast, so I want to eat fried cakes.”
Oh no. The words are already out, can they be taken back? Every hurdle is difficult, but I'll get through this Mei Xiaojing hurdle first.
In the Eastern Palace, Mu Chenbi held a book in his hand, forcing himself to study every word. Whenever he had nothing to do, his eyes and mind were filled with Guan Ye's image. However, he didn't know how to see her. He couldn't just go to Xingguo Ward rashly, which would alarm the Pei family and disturb Guan Ye. Mu Chenbi cherished her very much and didn't want her to be in any trouble.
Xingguo Fang is open for business, and it's also a place where officials can serve the imperial court. Mu Chenbi pounded his palms in anger. Xingguo Fang can stay in Rongdu, and it will inevitably have to do business with the imperial court in the future. Can't Guan Ye just see him whenever she wants? Mu Chenbi calmed down and felt a sense of satisfaction.
"Your Highness." The study door opened gently, revealing Luo Yichen's peering eyes, his lips moving slightly as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.
"Come in, what's up?" Mu Chenbi had just figured things out and was in a good mood, so he wasn't annoyed at being disturbed.
Seeing his good mood, Luo Yichen knew he had stumbled upon a good opportunity. "Your Highness, I'd like to make a connection; someone wants to see you."
"How dare you!" Mu Chenbi's voice was authoritative even without anger, causing Luo Yichen to take a half step back. "You've followed me for so many years, and you actually know how to act as a go-between? Tell me, how much benefit did you receive?"
"How dare I!" Luo Yichen knelt on the ground with a thud.
Seeing that he couldn't even tell it was a joke and actually took it seriously, Mu Chenbi felt a little bored. He wasn't in a hurry to wake him up, so he sat at the table and deliberately remained silent. Seeing the beads of sweat gradually seeping from the Eagle Guard leader's forehead, Mu Chenbi turned away, suppressing a laugh, and waited to see how long he could hold out.
“Your Highness,” Luo Yichen mustered his courage, “I swear to heaven that I have not accepted a single penny of bribe. This matter concerns the safety and well-being of the people of the Great Jin Dynasty. He has nowhere to turn for help, so I have taken the liberty of introducing him to you.”
A hint of surprise flashed across Mu Chenbi's eyes, and he gestured for Luo Yichen to continue.
“Mei Shiyu.” Luo Yichen raised his head. “The young master of the Mei family, who owns the Gongcheng Money House. Your Highness must know him.”
Mei Shiyu of Gongcheng Money Shop. Mu Chenbi had not only heard of him, but his name was legendary. Several years ago, Mei Junhe, the head of the Mei family, suddenly passed away, leaving the huge business to his only son, who was only fourteen or fifteen years old. Upon hearing of Mei Junhe's death, the emperor summoned Cui Jin to court that very night and they talked in secret until midnight.
The Emperor said that Mei Shiyu had been frail and sickly since childhood, and it was said that he suffered from an incurable disease. He spent more than half the year recuperating, and who knew when he would suddenly die. Gongcheng Money House was the treasure trove of the Jin Kingdom, holding more than half of the nation's silver reserves. It was as wealthy as a country. How could a sickly man support such a family? If it were to fall into the hands of those with ulterior motives, it would be like draining the lifeblood of the court. The court had to make plans as soon as possible and must not shake the foundation of the Great Jin.
Within three days, Cui Jin had devised a plan with the Ministry of Revenue to take over Gongcheng Money Shop. They were just waiting for the shop to collapse so the court could take over. However, Mei Shiyu, despite his young age and ailing body, managed to withstand months of nationwide bank runs. According to his father, the Emperor, this was also due to Mei Junhe's shrewd planning. Ordinary money shops would lend out 70% of their deposits to merchants for profit, but Gongcheng Money Shop would only lend out a maximum of 50%. Money shops were most afraid of bad debts and dead debts. Lending more would bring greater profits, but also greater risks. The Mei family was down-to-earth and did not rely on exorbitant profits from lending. It was precisely because of this that the bank run did not destroy the Mei family. Instead, it made Gongcheng Money Shop even more famous. Mei Shiyu secured his position as the head of the family, and people's deposits poured in again, making the business even better than before.
Mu Chenbi was open-minded and loved making friends, especially someone like Mei Shiyu. Mu Chenbi was secretly pleased, but on the surface he still looked like he was sitting on a coffin.
Seeing that Mu Chenbi remained silent, Luo Yichen knew that he was waiting for him to continue, so he quickly continued, "Gongcheng Money Shop has received some counterfeit copper coins recently. Mei Shiyu went to the Salt and Iron Bureau twice, but was given the runaround both times. Seeing that the court was not taking any action, he came to me and asked me to pass on his message to you... As everyone knows, the Crown Prince is wise."
"Who is Mei Shiyu to you?" Mu Chenbi found it somewhat amusing. "Chief Luo is known for being stubborn and incorruptible. Why are you going to such lengths to flatter him for Mei Shiyu's sake?"
Luo Yichen scratched his head. "I dare not hide anything. I live on the same street as the Mei family. Mei Shiyu and I were childhood playmates. Later, one of us practiced martial arts and the other went into business, so we gradually lost touch. But we're still neighbors, and we'll chat a bit when we see each other." Seeing Mu Chenbi's deep gaze, Luo Yichen raised his finger to the sky. "Everything I've said is true. If there's even a half-truth..."
"Alright, alright." Mu Chenbi wasn't going to listen to his curses and oaths. She raised her eyebrows and said, "I heard he has an incurable disease. Instead of taking good care of himself at home, he went to the Salt and Iron Bureau twice for a few coins?"
Luo Yichen said frankly, "It's a bit of an exaggeration to say that it's an incurable disease. As far as I know, Mei Shiyu has tuberculosis. He is indeed weak, but not to the point of being on the verge of death. His cousin has taken very good care of him, and in the past two years, Mei Shiyu's health has improved a lot."
"Oh." Mu Chenbi suddenly leaned forward. "When are you going to see him?"
The sudden success caught Luo Yichen off guard. After a moment of stunned silence, he hurriedly said, "If Your Highness is willing, it can happen now... Mei Shiyu is waiting at the palace gate, waiting for me to give him my report."
"Summon him to see me, now."
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