Yuan Yao followed the waiter to the private room next door.
The private room was elegantly decorated, and the sound of a piano drifted out.
The waiter walked to the door and knocked: "Guest, Princess Yuan Yao has arrived."
"Come in," the person inside said.
Yuan Yao nodded to the shop assistant and stepped inside.
Upon entering, one sees a screen with a landscape painting. Passing the screen, a light-colored gauze curtain sways, revealing a woman in a barely visible gauze dress, her face covered by a white veil, plucking the strings of a zither with her slender white fingers.
A man dressed in a dark blue brocade robe sat by the window.
The man's back view showed him to be tall, but slightly thin.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around.
This person is not particularly outstanding in appearance or features, but their pale skin, bruised eye sockets, and dark circles under their eyes are particularly noticeable.
My liver isn't healthy.
His kidneys are also not good.
This person is a time management master!
Upon seeing Yuan Yao, the man cupped his hands in greeting and said in a flippant tone, "This humble official, Cao Ying, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, greets Princess Yuan Yao."
Cao Cao's camp?
That's an interesting name.
Yuan Yao searched her memory but had no recollection of the surname Cao.
She said calmly, "Does the Minister have something to discuss with me?"
Cao Ying, with one hand behind his back, looked Yuan Yao up and down and said, "It is said that Princess Yuan Yao is exceptionally intelligent."
Seeing it today, it's indeed true.
The little princess is so young yet already so adorable; if she grows up, she will surely be a stunning beauty.
Praising someone like that can really make you uncomfortable.
Yuan Yao surveyed Cao's camp for a moment before saying, "The reason why the Minister invited me here is to see me."
Now that I've seen the person, I should go back.
"etc."
Cao Ying strode over, taking advantage of his height to look down at Yuan Yao: "Little Princess, I've called you here today for a reason that I'd like to discuss with you."
Reasoning?
Yuan Yao stepped back a few paces, tilted her head slightly, and looked at Cao Ying: "You speak."
Aside from the likes of the Ninth Prince, she really didn't want to look up to anyone else.
Especially people like those in Cao Cao's camp.
Seeing her step back, Cao Ying was not angry. Instead, he said, "Little Princess, there's no such thing as a free lunch."
The princess took Tianxiang Tower, so she should at least pay something in return, right?
Qiu He is just a manager. I will deal with his crime of losing Tianxianglou to the princess slowly.
"I'll give the princess some face and not take back Tianxiang Restaurant, but she can't let me lose a restaurant for nothing."
Yuan Yao looked at Cao Ying and asked, "How many do you want?"
“This number,” Cao Ying said, holding up five fingers.
"Fifty thousand?" Yuan Yao asked.
Cao Ying puffed out his chest: "Five hundred thousand taels of silver."
Five hundred thousand taels of silver?
Is this extortion?!
Yuan Yao calmly said, "Qiu He said that he can make decisions about Tianxiang Tower, and we have a contract to prove it."
"Of course I know." Cao Ying looked at Yuan Yao's small frame and smiled. "That's why I only accepted 500,000 taels from the princess."
If you were to buy Tianxianglou at market price, you'd have to pay at least ten times its current price.
Tianxianglou has a very large monthly turnover.
Five million?
That's really bold of you!
Yuan Yao walked to the table, awkwardly climbed onto the chair, and sat down.
Her small face was expressionless: "Does the Master know that Tianxianglou is engaging in malicious competition, stealing recipes from other restaurants, and tarnishing their reputations to elevate Tianxianglou's own status?"
Stealing recipes?
To tarnish one's reputation?
Vicious competition?
Cao Ying smiled, walked to the table and sat down. He raised his somewhat thin hand and poured Yuan Yao a cup of tea: "The princess is young and does not know much about business matters."
In any business, those in the same industry are always in competition with each other.
All I want is money. What does it matter how I make it?
If they're not satisfied, they can turn around and do something against me.
If you can't handle me, then keep quiet.
You're not happy about it?
Those words really make me uncomfortable.
Yuan Yao sneered inwardly: "Aren't you afraid of incurring public wrath by doing this?"
Public outrage?
Cao Ying poured himself a cup of tea and raised it to Yuan Yao: "In the Great Qi Kingdom, agriculture is valued and commerce is suppressed. Merchants are mostly of low status. What can they do to me?"
What a boastful tone!
Yuan Yao looked at Cao Ying and said, "I have no way of giving you 500,000 taels. If you are not satisfied, either keep it to yourself or go to the Ministry of Revenue to file a complaint against me."
Don't want to pay?
Cao Ying placed his teacup on the table: "Has the princess made up her mind?"
Yuan Yao's smile was indifferent: "Do we need to think about this anymore?"
You and Qiu He, aren't you also trying to get something for nothing and cheat me out of my Four Seasons Spring?
However, the situation is now reversed; I won, and you lost.
If I were the one who lost, would you give me even a single coin?
No, you won't!
All you do is gloat and brag to me!
Upon hearing this, Cao Ying frowned slightly.
He said confidently, "Si Shi Chun is just a newly opened store, so it's naturally not worth 500,000."
What a double standard!
Yuan Yao countered, "So, Tianxianglou, which is declining and has fewer and fewer customers, is still worth 500,000?"
For a moment, Cao Cao's camp was stumped by the question.
No wonder Qiu He sent him a message warning him to be careful of Yuan Yao.
Unexpectedly, this little baby is not to be underestimated.
Ordinary children, when they were Yuan Yao's age, could be easily fooled with a string of candied hawthorns and would do whatever they were asked to do.
But Yuan Yao... is different from those little babies.
Yuan Yao is not easily fooled!
If you can't coax or deceive them, then you can only... scare them.
Cao Ying picked up his teacup and gently swirled it: "Princess Yuan Yao, do you know what my identity is?"
She was curious about his identity!
Yuan Yao asked cooperatively, "What?"
Cao Ying looked at the tea in his cup: "I am the Crown Prince's man."
Crown Prince?
Yuan Yao was slightly startled.
Cao Cao's camp is actually the Crown Prince's men?
wrong!
"You're lying to me!" Yuan Yao frowned: "How could His Highness the Crown Prince dare to open a restaurant behind the Emperor's back?"
The Crown Prince is the future heir apparent.
As the future emperor, what wouldn't he have in the future?
He'll court disaster, abandoning his future to open a restaurant, and then hire people who will drag him down, giving other princes leverage to fight for his position.
Who are you kidding!
Yuan Yao looked at Cao Ying and said coldly, "Do you know what the consequences will be for those who act recklessly outside under the banner of His Highness the Crown Prince?"
"What consequences?" Cao Ying revealed a disdainful smile: "Even Marquis Dingjun turns a blind eye, who can do anything to me?"
Marquis Dingjun, do you know that Cao Cao's camp is doing these things?
Marquis Dingjun is the Crown Prince's maternal uncle!
Yuan Yao pursed her lips: "So, what is your relationship with the Marquis of Dingjun's mansion?"
Cao Ying seemed to have heard the biggest joke in the world: "Little Princess, are you kidding me?"
My aunt is the birth mother of Consort Lin and the maternal grandmother of His Highness the Crown Prince!
I see!
No wonder Tianxianglou acts recklessly, yet no one dares to provoke it.
Others fear Cao Cao's camp, but she doesn't!
Yuan Yao's mind raced, and he said, "My lord, it's not impossible for me to give you some money. However..."
"But what?" Cao Ying pressed.
Yuan Yao said seriously, "I can pay you in installments."
Installments?
Cao Ying looked at the little figure in front of him: "How do I know you won't renege on your promise?"
Yuan Yao sat up straight and said earnestly, "Therefore, I will write a contract for you, sir. All you need to do is sign your name and put your fingerprint on it."
With a written agreement, I can't renege on my debt!
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