Chapter 108 Someone in Charge
The Seventh Prince was fired up by Shangguan Jin's words and was preparing to unleash his full potential...
But he found that after his trusted aunt said those words, she was back to normal the next day.
They didn't let him do anything, and just treated him the same as before, offering him comfort and care.
The seventh prince was a little confused...
Was I dreaming yesterday?
Or, as my aunt said, everything depends on God.
He was waiting for God to take pity on him and drop a throne onto his head.
"Not competing is competing; wait for your opportunity and be the best version of yourself."
Often, it's not that you'll reap good rewards just because you do something.
More often than not, it's others who do the work, but you are the one who reaps the rewards.
Don't think about anything.
It's the same as it was before.
Now you need to be the seventh prince, favored by your father, someone you can turn to for anything.
Your aunt will tell you what she needs you to do.
Go listen to the Master's lecture!
"Study hard these next few days, and when the teahouse opens, your aunt will take you out to play."
After saying that, Shangguan Jin took the account book and left.
The Seventh Prince...
Yes, Auntie is right. He's only twelve years old. What does he need to do?
Just be a good, favored prince.
Also, study hard and learn as much as you can.
It's always right to listen to your aunt.
And so, the seventh prince remained the same as before.
He usually resided at the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, and occasionally went back to visit Emperor Xiao Jing.
Every time she saw Emperor Xiao Jing, she would act coquettishly, complain about anyone she didn't like, and then casually rummage through Emperor Xiao Jing's private treasury to see if there were any gold or silver items, which she would then take to the Duke of Dingguo's mansion.
Time flies, and half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.
Shangguan Jin's long-awaited Spring Never Ends Teahouse is finally about to open.
Let's not even talk about how conspicuous the location of Chunbuwan Teahouse is.
Almost everyone who passes by is curious about this teahouse.
With such a prime location, why only open a teahouse?
If you opened a restaurant or a brothel, the business would definitely be even better!
Sigh, this looks like some rich kid who doesn't know how to do business is just throwing money around at everyone.
Many nearby businesses were also waiting to see Chunbuwan Teahouse make a fool of itself.
Spring isn't late? Why not call it winter isn't late?
Haha, let's see if you can survive this winter!
I wonder how many businesses are waiting for the Spring Festival Gala to close down so they can take over!
Just two days before the opening, the Ministry of Revenue's Trading Company welcomed a guest.
"Oh, Eunuch Wu! Why have you come in person?"
"If there's anything, just have one of the eunuchs deliver the message. There's no need for you to come all the way here yourself."
When Chief Cai of the Merchant Guild saw the visitor, he immediately stood up.
This is the emperor's personal eunuch, who follows the emperor every day. His sudden visit must mean something important has happened.
However, I hope it's a private matter...
He personally brewed tea for Wu Youde and brought it up to him. Chief Manager Cai stood there cautiously, not daring to move.
"Chief Cai, please have a seat! I'm not here today for anything important, and His Majesty didn't mention anything about the Ministry of Revenue."
After Wu Youde finished speaking, he took a sip of fragrant tea.
Excellent! The aroma is wonderful, it's a fine tea!
No wonder everyone says the Ministry of Revenue is lucrative; the Merchants' Office, which oversees all the shops in the capital, must be even more lucrative!
Thinking of this, Wu Youde's smile widened.
Chief Engineer Cai dared not sit down!
The Ministry of Revenue had just experienced a period of turmoil; what was originally Prince Qin's Ministry of Revenue had become the Crown Prince's Ministry of Revenue overnight.
Everyone in the Ministry of Revenue is living in constant fear these days.
"Eunuch Wu, please speak if you need anything!" Chief Steward Cai continued with a smile.
Wu Youde took another sip of tea.
"Good tea! It smells wonderful!" Wu Youde exclaimed.
Chief Cai understands; he'll send someone to pack two packets of tea for this Eunuch Wu later...
"It's a blessing that Eunuch Wu likes to drink it."
"Eunuch Wu, does His Majesty not need your service today?" Chief Steward Cai asked with a smile.
"Alas, His Majesty has sent me out to do some business."
"His Highness the Seventh Prince has returned to the palace today, and His Majesty is having a meal with him in the Empress's palace!" Wu Youde said with a smile.
Chief Manager Cai's mind raced.
This grand eunuch came all this way just to have a sip of tea from the Merchant Guild?
Seeing that Chief Cai was frowning, Wu Youde stopped beating around the bush.
"Chief Cai, are you aware that a teahouse is opening on Qianmen Street in a couple of days?"
"Oh? Father-in-law is talking about that Chunbuwan restaurant, right?"
Yes, I know. It's in a good location. I heard it's run by a brother and sister from out of town.
Don't worry, Eunuch Wu, these merchants in the capital are all very honest and law-abiding.
"Not a single penny of the taxes owed will be missed." Chief Clerk Cai immediately realized that the teahouse belonged to Vice Minister Mei's family.
Does His Majesty still harbor resentment towards the Mei family?
Wu Youde chuckled twice.
"Chief Cai, that's not what I meant."
That teahouse had capital from the Duke of Dingguo's family, and the Seventh Prince, finding it interesting, also invested some capital in it.
Your Majesty is understanding of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and the Seventh Prince.
They were all people who had never run a business before.
If there's anything that's not done properly, don't make a big fuss about sealing off the door or anything like that.
Just give them a few more reminders; after all, it's their first time doing business, and oversights are inevitable.
The Seventh Prince is still young, and the Duchess of Dingguo is thin-skinned and doesn't understand many good things.
"Please be lenient with the merchants here," Wu Youde said with a smile.
Chief Engineer Cai broke out in a cold sweat.
Does that family, Chunbuwan, have the resources of the Duke of Dingguo? Why isn't anyone saying this?
In the past, whenever a shop opened in the capital, and a nobleman was involved, the nobleman's steward would always come to announce it.
That way, everyone will have a general idea.
Raise your hand when you should, and pretend to be blind when you should ignore it.
Yesterday, a few minor officials from the Merchant Guild were still grumbling about how such a large teahouse was about to open, yet no one had come to say hello.
They're probably just unsophisticated people from out of town trying their luck in the capital!
Everyone was hoping to give them a hard time when they opened!
Now that I think about it...
They wouldn't bother to greet you.
Look, there are people above them.
There are still important figures involved!
The most powerful man in Chongqing came to say hello.
"Be careful, that's my sworn brother's and youngest son's business. You all need to keep your eyes peeled!"
“Eunuch Wu, look at what you’re saying, this is a small matter!”
Don't worry, I will definitely take good care of this teahouse.
Ultimately, it was the Seventh Prince and the Duke of Dingguo's mansion that had good judgment.
On that busiest street, after everyone has eaten and drunk their fill and is tired from shopping, they have to find a place to have some tea and rest!
"Don't worry, we definitely won't let you down," Chief Manager Cai quickly assured him.
Wu Youde chuckled twice, took another sip of tea, and then got up again.
"It's getting late, and I still need to go to the Five Cities Garrison!"
"Chief Engineer Cai, please wait!"
With that, Wu Youde left.
Chief Clerk Cai dared not linger, and bowed all the way to escort Wu Youde out of the yamen.
Only after Wu Youde got into the sedan chair and left did Chief Clerk Cai straighten up.
He needed to report this to his superior immediately.
The fact that the imperial family specifically sent their personal eunuch to discuss this matter shows that they took it to heart.
His Highness the Crown Prince is currently enjoying great favor, so we must not allow any mistakes to be made in small matters.
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