“Xu Zheng is a greedy little brat. I even went to his one-month celebration back then. I think he grabbed a gold ingot.”
As Madam Hou listened to Old Master Hou's rambling, she learned that her father no longer cared about anything and had left all the family business to her. The two elderly people usually helped her take care of the children. While she was out there fighting fiercely, the family remained peaceful and quiet.
The woman feels a great sense of accomplishment in her current life, which is much more interesting than when she was the wife of a prefect.
"He must have some ability to become a royal merchant."
"Yes, indeed. I heard he also has some connections with the Ministry of Revenue," said Old Master Hou.
"Anyway, I'm not going to give him the papermaking formula. Whoever wants it, even if it's the emperor, he'll have to pay for it."
Seeing his daughter's temper, just like when she was at her parents' home, the old man smiled and said...
"Alright, alright, I won't get involved in your affairs. If you can't handle it, come tell your father, and he'll cover for you."
The Xu family's coveting of the papermaking recipe was a done deal. Xu Ruizhong, who had been sent over, left after failing to find out anything, and the people at Fengyuelou decided to just let the matter drop.
You can't get your hands on this thing, so you're trying to steal it?
Yes, Xu Zhengzhen was determined to seize it by force. Although Xu Ruizhong had not found out the recipe, he had learned that the managers of the paper mill were two courtesans from the brothel.
This wasn't exactly a secret; almost every long-time employee at the paper mill knew about it.
The setting sun was shy, the darkness obscured the sun, and the jade plate hung high in the sky. As always, Fengyue Tower was the brightest and most dazzling place in the night.
There are some differences, though. Nowadays, there are also ladies at the brothel at night, enjoying themselves with their husbands. Xu Zheng stepped across the threshold at that moment, and the man looked him up and down.
He had been in Pingyang County for the past few days. He finally waited until the night was lit up at Fengyue Tower. The man wanted to see what was so special about a brothel. Huaxuetang and the paper mill both had their shadows.
"Is this gentleman's first visit?" Ah Cai asked, bowing beside him.
"Hmm, is there a girl named Liu Xu in your building? I heard she has a very nice voice."
"Oh, you've come to the right place! Look over there." Following Ah Cai's pointing finger, Xu Zheng saw a young girl on the stage, her voice melodious and sweet. The girl was dressed in emerald green, which, like the atmosphere at the moment, made people feel very comfortable.
"Can we call her over to keep us company in a bit?"
Xu Zheng is a legitimate heir raised by the Xu family. In terms of etiquette and aura, he looks no different from a young master from a prominent family.
"Master, that won't do. Our Miss Liuxu is no longer wearing a nameplate."
There was nothing else to it. Since Liu Xu and Miao Cuifang had confirmed their feelings for each other, she would no longer talk or chat with other men, as that would be disrespectful to her beloved.
Chunying, Mantuo, and Zhihua were all like this; aside from performing on stage to play the piano and dance, they were almost always in charge of the female guests' affairs.
"And what about Miss Ruyi?"
"Miss Ruyi is fine, but sir, this is a refined place, so I can only keep you company and chat."
Xu Zheng nodded and followed Ah Cai to a private room on the fourth floor. Less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a woman as pure and white as snow followed the waiter in.
The man couldn't help but sigh inwardly, Pingyang County was truly a place of outstanding people and beautiful scenery. From the moment he stepped into the brothel until now, he had been surrounded by beauties, dazzling his eyes.
"Greetings to the master."
The beautiful woman, dressed in formal attire, greeted Xu Zheng and poured him a cup of wine.
"Who told you about me, sir?"
Xu Zheng smiled and got straight to the point.
"I heard that you are the manager of the paper mill?"
The girl paused for a moment while pouring the wine, then a perfectly innocent smile appeared on her face as she spoke.
"It's just that my mother loves me."
The man in front of her was dressed in a way that exuded understated luxury, especially the purple jade thumb ring on his hand. Anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that Xu Zheng was from a wealthy family.
"I will redeem you from your servitude and take you into the Xu family as a concubine. In exchange, I want the formula for the Hou family's papermaking workshop."
Xu Zheng said this with almost complete confidence. For a courtesan, being a concubine of the Xu family, the imperial merchant Xu family, was an immense honor. How could she possibly refuse?
Unless she doesn't know which family the Xu family is.
Hahahahaha.
Ruyi was amused by the man, and the young girl, her body trembling, covered her mouth and said...
"Sir, are you serious?"
"Yes, the Xu family, imperial merchants."
"Oh dear, sir, you may have had too much to drink. Shall I call the waiter to bring you a bowl of hangover soup?"
Xu Zheng frowned, his eyes fixed on Ruyi, who was behaving strangely.
The girl stopped smiling and sat down in front of the man, saying...
"You want the prescription, and you want the beauty too? As expected of the Xu family, the imperial merchants, they never do anything that doesn't benefit them. How about this, do you have any eligible men in your family? He can marry into my brothel, and in return, he can give me the secrets of the Xu family's various businesses. I'll give him a dowry in return."
Upon hearing Ruyi's words, the man flicked his sleeves and stood up, saying...
"How dare the Xu family tolerate such humiliation from a prostitute like you?"
"A prostitute?" The girl stood up and looked up slightly, gazing into his eyes.
"You can go to Pingyang and even the border town and ask around. Which wealthy family would dare to make my sisters from Fengyuelou into concubines? And how many wealthy families are lining up to welcome my sisters into their homes as their wives? Concubines? They're nothing but toys."
The confidence that Ruyi has now given when speaking face-to-face with the owners of the Imperial Merchants comes from the hard-won experience she and her sisters gained through battles on the city walls. She is righteous and has a strong sense of security.
“Master Xu, I knew your purpose the moment I saw you enter. I will not give you the prescription. If you want to do business with my Fengyue Pavilion, please inform the madam to open the door and welcome you. If you think that the sisters of my Fengyue Pavilion can be humiliated at will, then I'm sorry, please leave.”
Why should I be humiliated like this just because of my status?
You may think that being a concubine of the Xu family is a great honor for a courtesan, but in the eyes of my sisters at the Fengyue Tower, it is truly worthless.
"Do you want to become Mrs. Xu?"
Seeing that Xu Zheng was really thinking seriously, Ruyi felt that what she had just said was like talking to a brick wall.
"It's not impossible, the position of Mrs. Xu is currently vacant..."
For the head of the Xu family, exchanging a position in the Xu family's inner quarters for the entire Xu family to rise to a higher level was an incredibly worthwhile deal. In his mind, anything related to profit could be exchanged for something of equal value. It's not wrong for merchants to pursue profit, but to link everything to profit is not the behavior of an ordinary person.
That means there's something wrong with your brain.
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