Although five coins for a sesame cake isn't expensive for a scenic spot like Qujiang Pool, it still made Li Jue very angry.
Because this contradicts his original intention!
He developed Qujiang Pool for two reasons: first, to make some money for himself, and second, to provide a place for the people of Chang'an to relax and enjoy themselves.
Therefore, he made a detailed plan for consumption around Qujiang Pool. The food and lodging area around Qujiang Pool was a high-end venue, earning money from nobles and wealthy merchants. The food court in Qinglongfang was geared towards the general public, earning money from the middle class and minor officials of Chang'an. The vendors inside Qujiang Pool targeted the lower classes, focusing on affordability. It was acceptable for them to be one coin more expensive than those in Chang'an, but two coins more would be unreasonable.
Xiao Yu looked at Li Jue, who was filled with anger, and spoke with great interest.
"Want to take a stroll around Qujiang Pool?"
"Um!"
"It's been a long time since I've been there, so I'll accompany you for a stroll!"
"Thank you, sir!"
Li Jue was followed by several lackeys from the Hundred Cavalry Division. Once Xiao Yu returned home, these lackeys would not hesitate to drag him back to the palace.
Therefore, Xiao Yu at this point was no longer an ordinary teacher, but rather his pass to go out.
When Li Jue and his party arrived at Qujiang Pool, they found that the five-coin sesame cakes were a thing of the past, and now they cost six coins each!
Just as Li Jue arrived at a stall, he heard a tourist complaining.
"It's only been a few days since I last came, and the price of sesame cakes has doubled?"
"You guys are so greedy! Who sells flatbread for six coins?!"
"You crazy woman, if you can't afford it, don't come here causing trouble!"
"Who are you calling a crazy old woman?"
"Mother, I'm hungry..."
"you……"
When the woman heard her son say he was hungry, she calmed down and stopped arguing. She simply led her son to another stall.
Although it was still six coins, she would rather die than let the merchant who had insulted her earn it.
Li Jue saw all of this and immediately called over the management personnel of Qujiang Pool.
"This stall is cancelled, and the stall owner will be permanently expelled from Qujiangchi!"
Upon hearing this, the stall owner panicked and rushed over to kneel down and beg for mercy.
"Your Highness, I will never dare to do it again! Please, Your Highness, give me another chance!"
"roll!"
"You not only charge high prices, but you also dare to verbally abuse customers!"
"The presence of someone like you at Qujiang Pool is the greatest insult to Qujiang Pool!"
"Men, throw this man out!"
"promise!"
After dealing with the unscrupulous vendors, Li Jue called over the administrator, Xue Yong.
"Tell me what happened!"
Xue Yong was Xue Shisan's younger brother. He originally ran a small business in Chang'an, but later came to Qujiangchi to make a living through Xue Shisan's recommendation.
Based on the principle of keeping his own people in mind, Li Jue appointed him as the administrator of Qujiang Pool, specifically in charge of managing the merchants in Qujiang Pool.
When Xue Yong saw that Li Jue had called his name, he quickly stepped forward to explain.
"Your Highness, this matter has nothing to do with me. Not a single penny of the extra money the vendors made went into my pocket!"
"Then whose pocket did it go?"
"Your Highness, they've all gone into Princess Jinyang's pocket..."
"What?"
Upon hearing this, Li Jue slapped him across the face on the spot.
Do you think I'm stupid?
"Don't I know what kind of person my aunt is?"
"She doesn't even know how much money her family has, would she be greedy for such a small amount of money?"
Xue Yong covered his face and said with a wronged expression.
"Your Highness, this is indeed Princess Jinyang's order. How could I dare to wrong the princess!"
"Was it my aunt who gave the order?"
"No, it's someone close to the princess, Aunt Wang, who takes care of the princess's daily life..."
"Aunt Wang?"
Li Jue had seen this woman several times in the Lizheng Hall and had an impression of her. She was a woman in her thirties who was said to have taken care of Si Zi when she was very young and had a deep affection for her.
"I understand, I'll go find someone to verify it right away!"
Li Jue abandoned Xue Yong and immediately went to Ziyun Tower. He saw Si Zi having a poetry gathering with several young maids inside. He was too embarrassed to barge in, so he could only order someone to call Aunt Wang over first.
When Wang Yun heard her eldest grandson call her, her heart tightened, and she nervously walked over to pay her respects.
"This servant greets Your Highness the Eldest Grandson!"
"I heard you pocketed two coins from each sesame cake?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yun was so frightened that she immediately knelt down and begged for mercy.
"Your Highness, spare my life! I was confused for a moment and that's why I stole this money. I beg Your Highness to spare my life..."
"Hmph!"
“Aunt Wang, it’s one thing for you to be greedy for those two coins, but it’s wrong for you to use my aunt’s name to ruin her reputation!”
"Zhang Gui, how should this matter be handled according to palace regulations?"
Zhang Gui knew Aunt Wang and they even had some connection, so when he heard Li Jue ask him that question, Zhang Gui immediately looked bitter.
"Your Highness, two coins aren't much, let me make up the difference for her..."
"Zhang Gui, what do you mean by that? Do you think I'm short of two coins?"
"No, no, no, that's not what I meant..."
"Zhang Gui, do you know how many sesame cakes are sold at Qujiangchi in a day?"
"I...I don't know..."
"We sell at least 10,000 to 20,000 sesame cakes a day!"
"If you earn two coins for a single flatbread, that's ten or twenty strings of cash a day, several hundred strings a month, and several thousand strings a year!"
Are you sure you want to make up for this expense for her?
"this……"
Zhang Gui was dumbfounded when he heard this. He was busy working in the palace and only earned one string of cash a month!
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