On the official road, a seemingly ordinary carriage, yet full of hidden secrets, was slowly making its way south. A spring breeze brushed past the carriage curtains, carrying the unique, damp scent of the Jiangnan water towns, a blend of earthy and floral fragrances, which made Lin Wanwan, inside the carriage, close her eyes in contentment.
"It's so nice," she exclaimed, leaning lazily against the cushions and watching the greenery rushing past the window. "It feels like even the air is free."
Sitting opposite her, Xiao Che was no longer the majestic and solemn emperor in his dragon robe.
He changed into a moon-white brocade robe, and tied his long hair with a simple jade hairpin. He lost the oppressive feeling of a king and gained more of the leisure of a wealthy man.
Upon hearing this, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. Although he did not speak, his deep eyes were filled with the same ease as Lin Wanwan's.
For both of them, handing over the affairs of state to their son Xiao Tuan, who was already capable of handling things independently, was like removing the heaviest armor of their lives. Especially for Xiao Che, who had "couldn't wait" to abdicate two years ago, his desire to "retire" was stronger than anyone else's.
“Master Xiao,” Lin Wanwan suddenly sat up straight, her eyes gleaming with cunning. She picked up a money bag and an account book from the small table beside her and solemnly pushed them in front of Xiao Che. “From today onwards, these are yours to manage.”
Xiao Che's gaze shifted from the ledger to Lin Wanwan's smiling face, his eyebrows twitching almost imperceptibly. He remembered that at dusk on the mountaintop of the villa, she had said something like, "It's your turn to be the accountant," which he had taken as a joke between lovers at the time.
Seeing his slightly surprised expression, Lin Wanwan laughed even harder: "What? Does Master Xiao want to back out? This is what we agreed on. More than ten years ago, when we first came out together, you played the role of the 'foolish and rich Master Xiao,' and you were only responsible for spending money the whole time. This time, the roles are reversed, and it's my turn to be 'Lady Lin,' and you are my personal accountant."
Xiao Che remained silent for a moment, then finally extended the hands that had once reviewed countless memorials and held the reins of power, and accepted the embroidered mandarin duck money pouch and the brand-new account book. He weighed them in his hands, his expression as solemn as if he were receiving the Imperial Seal of the State.
"Okay." He said only one word, but it was a firm and resounding statement.
Lin Wanwan knew that he had agreed. She suppressed a smile, but her heart was filled with joy. Just imagining having an emperor who once regarded money as dirt and had no concept of numbers manage the daily necessities of life was enough to make this journey endlessly entertaining.
When the carriage stopped in front of the "Yuelai Inn" in a bustling town in Jiangnan, Xiao Che's first test as the "accountant" arrived unexpectedly.
The shopkeeper was a sharp-eyed middle-aged man. As soon as he saw Xiao Che and Lin Wanwan's demeanor and attire, he knew they were two big fish. His face immediately lit up with a fawning smile as he led them to the counter.
"Esteemed guests, would you like to have a meal or stay the night?"
Xiao Che cleared his throat, trying to look like a businessman who was always on the go, and asked in a deep voice, "How much for a room? The best room, the top-class one, per night?"
The innkeeper's eyes darted around, and he made an outrageous demand: "Sir, you have a good eye! Our top-class room, overlooking the water and by the window, has an excellent view, and it's only... ten taels of silver a night!"
"Ten taels?!" Lin Wanwan almost exclaimed in surprise. This price was several times more expensive than the most luxurious inn in the capital. It was practically robbery.
Just as she was about to argue, Xiao Che raised his hand to stop her, giving her a look that said, "Leave it to me."
The former emperor, now the accountant, slowly and deliberately pulled a small abacus from his pocket.
Lin Wanwan almost choked. She had only taught him to keep accounts, not to carry an abacus with him! And judging from his posture, he was actually planning to calculate on the spot whether the rent was worth it.
The shopkeeper was also stunned, thinking to himself that this rich merchant was very strange. Who would ask for the price and then use an abacus?
Xiao Che placed the abacus on the counter, his slender fingers moving the jade beads a couple of times, producing a crisp "click-clack" sound. However, those hands, once capable of deciding matters of state, seemed incredibly clumsy when faced with this small abacus. He fiddled with it for a long time, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper, as if pondering some national-level problem.
Lin Wanwan leaned closer and heard him mutter to himself in a very low voice, using an "artificial voice pack" mode: "One room, ten taels. The annual tax revenue of my Great Xiao Kingdom is about thirty million taels, enough to support a million-strong army... This one room can cover a month's rations for border garrison soldiers... This conversion is wrong..."
Lin Wanwan's shoulders began to tremble uncontrollably. Good heavens, he was actually using the logic of governing a country to calculate the rent!
The shopkeeper, growing impatient, smiled obsequiously and said, "Sir, is there something wrong with this abacus?"
Xiao Che suddenly raised his head, staring blankly at the shopkeeper, his gaze as if scrutinizing a vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue who was attempting to embezzle from the national treasury. He put away his abacus and spoke calmly.
This time, he didn't dwell on the abacus, but instead launched into an "emperor-level" bargaining mode.
"Your superior room costs ten taels of silver a night?" His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.
The shopkeeper's heart skipped a beat, but he forced himself to say, "That's right."
"Heh," Xiao Che chuckled softly, a sound that sent a chill down the innkeeper's spine. He stepped forward and pointed to the roof beams of the inn. "Are these roof beams made of Phoebe zhennan wood?"
The shopkeeper was taken aback by the question: "Huh? No...no..."
"Are the windows inlaid with pearls from the East China Sea?"
"Sir...sir, you are too kind..."
“Then,” Xiao Che’s gaze fell on a piece of cotton cloth on the counter, his tone growing colder, “I… cough, ‘I’ see that the quality of this cotton quilt you’re using to entertain guests is probably not even as warm as the hay I use to feed the horses in my villa in the suburbs of the capital. And you dare to ask for ten taels of silver for this?”
The word "朕" (zhen, meaning "I" or "the emperor") that he inadvertently uttered was quickly covered up by a light cough, but the imperial aura that burst forth in that instant was like an invisible mountain, pressing heavily on the shopkeeper's heart.
The innkeeper broke out in a cold sweat. He'd traveled far and wide for decades, meeting all sorts of guests—martial arts heroes and imperial officials—but he'd never encountered anyone with such an aura. Dressed as a merchant, yet speaking with the air of royalty, comparing the inn's furnishings to precious nanmu wood, the Pearl of the East China Sea, and… the horse feed of a royal palace? What an absurd comparison!
But he was intimidated by this aura and stammered, "Then...then sir, what do you say...how much should it be?"
Xiao Che held up two fingers.
The shopkeeper steeled himself and gritted his teeth, asking, "Eight taels?"
Xiao Che stared at him coldly, without saying a word.
"Five...five taels?"
Xiao Che's face remained ashen.
The shopkeeper was almost in tears, his voice trembling as he said, "Two...two taels! Sir, I can't go any lower, or I'll lose money!"
Xiao Che nodded in satisfaction, as if approving an urgent memorial: "Alright."
As he spoke, he counted out two taels of silver from his purse, then picked up the ledger and meticulously wrote down: Yuelai Inn, one superior room, overnight stay, two taels of silver.
Lin Wanwan watched in stunned silence, only recovering after a long while. She had finally witnessed it firsthand: the emperor didn't haggle with his mouth, but with his aura! This was simply a game-changer!
However, just when she thought the comedic conflict was about to end, an even more exciting scene unfolded.
The shopkeeper took the silver and was about to have his assistant lead them upstairs when he added with a smile, "Sir, the tea I served you just now, according to our shop's rules, requires an extra coin for the tea."
This is perfectly normal industry practice.
But Xiao Che, the newly appointed accountant, pushed the ledger forward, his brows furrowed: "When you quoted the price just now, did you mention the tea fee?"
"This...this is an unwritten rule..."
"Rules?" Xiao Che's voice suddenly rose. Holding the ledger, he pointed to the records and said firmly, "My account only recorded two taels for room and board, with no mention of tea. What's the reason for this extra coin? Are you trying to falsify the accounts and deceive your superiors?"
The shopkeeper was completely dumbfounded. He had seen people argue heatedly over a few taels of silver, but he had never seen a customer escalate the matter to the level of "falsifying accounts" and "deceiving superiors" over a single coin! Was this person out of his mind? He hadn't even blinked an eye over eight taels of silver just now, but now he was acting like he was going to ransack his house over a single coin!
Seeing that he didn't answer, Xiao Che became even more righteous and indignant. His habit of using "artificial voice packs" resurfaced, but this time it wasn't an inner monologue, but an emotionally charged accusation:
"Do you know what this one coin means to me?" He pressed one hand on the account book and put the other behind his back, his posture as if he were questioning his ministers in the imperial court.
The surrounding guests were drawn to the commotion and cast curious glances their way.
Xiao Che took a deep breath and, in a solemn and dignified tone, declared to the shopkeeper, and also to the entire world:
“I… every single copper coin I have, every single penny, has been painstakingly saved for my wife’s vast land! Your unreasonable demand for this one coin is tearing out her heart and shaking the very foundation of her nation! Can you bear the consequences?”
"..."
The entire lobby of the inn fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned by these earth-shattering remarks.
Lin Wanwan stood to the side, her initial attempt to laugh turning into utter stunned silence. Looking at Xiao Che's earnest and heartbroken expression, she felt her worldview had been shattered like never before.
He... he's too immersed in the role! He's completely absorbed in the role of the henpecked accountant who "manages the money for his wife," and he even has a set of imperial-level lines!
The shopkeeper's lips trembled as he stared at the man before him, his mind blank. He didn't understand anything about the vast land or the foundation of the nation, but he understood the domineering air of "If you dare take a single penny from me, I'll make sure you don't see the sun tomorrow." His legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.
"No...no more! Sir! I'll take the tea! I'll take it, okay?" The innkeeper cried and waved his hands repeatedly.
Xiao Che then snorted coldly, withdrew his sharp gaze, and marked the ledger with a stroke of satisfaction, as if he had approved it.
A resounding victory.
The shopkeeper felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and slunk back behind the counter, not daring to look at them again.
Xiao Che straightened his clothes, regaining his calm and collected demeanor, and turned around to look at Lin Wanwan with a smug expression. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were sparkling, clearly conveying the message "Praise is needed."
He spoke to her in his unique, stiff, and arrogant "artificial voice pack" tone: "Wanwan, look! I... saved you a penny! Praise me!"
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