Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 26

Chapter 26 Meiniang Went Into Business
A group of maids and maids watched Qin Mubai as if they were infatuated with flowers. After a while, they giggled and left.

“Everyone is gone. Tell me, what do you want to do?” Qin Mubai sat down on the chair and asked while drinking tea.

“Oh, could it be that couples talk so stiffly?” Wu Meiniang giggled strangely as she slowly paced around Qin Mubai with the ball in her hand, but she didn’t say anything.

Little girl, are you still fighting me?

Qin Mubai couldn’t help but laugh in her heart, but her face was still serious. “I’m busy with my job, so I don’t have time to waste with you. Tell me, why did you send a brainless maid, make up a brainless lie, and trick me?”

“Hmph, that’s boring! You’re not a good person at all. You’re not as fun as Wu Yuanqing and the others!” Wu Meiniang seemed to be a little annoyed. She threw the ball and stamped her feet to sit down beside Qin Mubai. However, she turned her face away and did not look at Qin Mubai.

“It’s boring to admit defeat so quickly.” Qin Mubai chuckled as he drank his tea.

“You! … Hmph, you bastard!” Wu Meiniang’s little trick was exposed, and she felt as if she had no face, so she angrily puffed her lips out.

“I knew it. How could those two stupid brothers of yours have the guts to bully your mother and daughter?” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “The result is as I expected. Not only did they not dare to bully you again, they instead became your servants. They obediently listened to your orders and were bullied by you. Tell me, what kind of demonic technique did you, little witch, use on them?”

“Hmph, your idea is called strategy. Is mine a demonic technique?” Wu Meiniang curled her lips in disdain, but there was a trace of complacency on her face. She said mysteriously, “Isn’t it because I have a powerful backer, and I’ve caught hold of them?”

“What do you have on him?”

“Do you want to know?” Wu Meiniang giggled, picked up a cup of tea and drank it slowly. After a while, she said, “I won’t tell you!”

“It’s fine if you don’t tell me. I don’t care either. This is your family’s business.” Qin Mubai said, “I just think that your family is always fighting amongst themselves. Is it fun to fight back and forth? They don’t provoke you anymore, but you take the initiative to bully them. Isn’t it fun to take revenge?”

“Qin Mubai!!!” Wu Meiniang suddenly shouted loudly. She jumped up and pointed at him, cursing angrily, “Stop pretending to be a True Monarch of Morality in front of me! Speaking of which, isn’t this all because of you?”

Qin Mubai wasn’t angry, but was a little stunned and surprised, “What does it have to do with me?”

“Didn’t you make me pretend to be a villain and pretend to be a demonic woman, causing the emperor to hate me for all sorts of evil deeds? I’ve done it now, but you’ve actually taught me a lesson. You’re really not a man!” Wu Meiniang scolded angrily, “The Emperor likes women like Empress Chang Sun. She is filial and filial, so I disobediently bullied my elder brother. She is virtuous, so I’m a tyrannical playboy. She is reserved, so I’m dissolute. I bought a bunch of beautiful ladies to come back and party with me night and night. Not only that, I also let them sleep with me!”

‘”Eh!” Qin Mubai’s mouth twitched a few times, and his eyeballs became a little straight–Spring Festival Sleeping Together? Ground glass?

Forget it, bullying someone like Wu Yuanqing wasn’t too much of an act. Bring a bunch of beautiful ladies with them … this is probably a bit exaggerated.

Dissolute, then dissolute, if it was a man, at most, even if it was bad conduct; If this was a woman … cough, her daughter-in-law’s sexual orientation wasn’t right, it would really be a big headache!

A moment later, Qin Mubai’s heart lit up and he couldn’t help but laugh secretly. She was still an unattended girl, that shouldn’t be possible. This little bitch is deliberately angering me, and she almost touched her dao!

“Why don’t you say anything? Everything goes against Empress Changsun, making me notorious. Isn’t this the result you want?” Wu Meiniang said angrily, “You should be very satisfied. You should give me a big compliment, right?”

“Mother Mei, even though you said that, you still have to be careful, right? You haven’t even crossed the door yet, yet you’re actually with a bunch of women … Where do you want my face to go?” Qin Mubai followed her instructions and teased her, but she wanted to laugh in her heart.

“Hmph, stinking man, do you know how to care about reputation? If you dare, I, Wu Zhao, am shameless. I don’t need to care about reputation!” Wu Meiniang scolded back.

“Alright, I know you’re smart and won’t do anything out of line. You’re just angry at me, deliberately angry at me.” Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Tell me, why did you call me here?”

“Can’t you act a little more excited, angry, or even yell at me? It’s not funny! There’s no sense of accomplishment at all!” Wu Meiniang sat down angrily.

“Haha, it’s rare to see you. I don’t want to quarrel with you. If I really hit you and scolded you for bullying you, wouldn’t I really let you down?”

Wu Meiniang was sullen for a long time before she curled her lips and snorted, “Don’t worry, I, Wu Zhao, am not a Yin Yang freak. It’s just that the winter in the pass is much colder than in Jingzhou. I pulled a few sisters together to sleep warmly. It’s not as dirty and unbearable as you think!”

Qin Mubai smiled and said, “Alright, don’t play with your temper. Tell me, what’s the matter?”

“I want to do business!” Wu Meiniang finally got down to business.

“Business? Why are you talking about this for no reason?” Qin Mubai asked doubtfully, “Your Wu Clan is at least a Grade One Duke’s Mansion. What kind of businesswoman are you, the dignified Second Wife?”

Originally, in Qin Mubai’s consciousness, doing business was a great thing. With his talent and knowledge, doing business in this era would be extremely profitable. However, the current environment had placed a huge shackle on his business.

In the minds of the Tang people, merchants were very lowly. Businessmen were ranked at the bottom of the four great classes of “scholar-peasant, industrial and commercial”. The law of the Tang Dynasty even stipulated that the son of Shang Zi was not allowed to take part in the exam or join the army as an official. In the eyes of the world, merchants were also cunning and mercenary lowly people. Even if you are wealthy, you are still looked down upon by others. You are not as powerful as a farmer.

The Wu Clan had actually started out as a merchant. Wu Meiniang’s father, a warrior, was a lumber merchant at the end of the Sui Dynasty. Back then, he invested all of his family’s wealth in Li Yuan, Duke of Tang Country, who had aroused troops in Taiyuan. Later on, Li Yuan seized the world and the Wu Clan had the merit of becoming a dragon. From then on, the sparrow became a phoenix.

But even so, in the eyes of officials and officials of the Martial Clan in the Tang Dynasty, the shadow of the merchant’s background could not be washed away-no matter how big an official a warrior had been, his colleagues still looked down on him. In fact, this was also one of the reasons why the Wu Clan’s dao was declining.

Although the emperor had chased after a rank three warrior for the sake of the previous emperor, he still retained the title of a rank one Duke of Ying. Logically speaking, he should replace the position of “Governor of Jingzhou” in front of the warrior with his eldest son, Wu Yuanqing. At least, he should be transferred to a rank two official. However, Wu Yuanqing and Wu Yuanshuang, the two sons of the Wu Clan, did not even have a rank nine official position, so they could only guard the mansion and wait for their deaths. One of the big reasons was that they were not from a good family-the children of merchants were not allowed to be officials.

“What’s wrong with being a businessman? My father used to be a businessman.” Wu Meiniang had a bit of a broken temper. She snorted and said, “Anyway, our Wu Clan has become like this now. Even if we don’t do business, they still treat us as merchants’ children.” Moreover, because of this matter with you, the Emperor hates our Wu Clan even more. It was impossible for him to make any achievements in the official career. Then why don’t I admit my fate and obediently go into business to earn some real money to make my life better? I love money, what’s wrong? Can’t you give it to me and let me earn it myself? ”

Qin Mubai was speechless. Although Wu Meiniang’s temperament was a bit harsh and extreme, she was an enterprising person who dared to break through the old customs and customs. She revealed the merchant’s willingness to do something practical. However, if she hadn’t had such a spirit since childhood, how could she have directed a vigorous feminist movement in history, overturning all the stereotypes in the male-dominated world and becoming a female emperor for the first time in history?

“Speak!” Wu Meiniang was a little anxious and stamped her feet to force him to ask.

“If you want to go into business, then go into business. Actually, I don’t think so. If it weren’t for my father’s inability to explain it, I would have wanted to go into business myself. However, if you were in business, why did you call me here? Is there anything I can help you with?” Qin Mubai said.

“Eh? You’re not trying to cheer me up. Do you really want to do business? Hmph, the dignified Third Young Master of the Qin Clan wants to become a businessman? You’re lying! But forget it, I won’t argue with you!” Wu Meiniang clapped her hands and smiled mysteriously, “Of course, I called you here because you have something that can help me. Otherwise, do you think I would miss you? I only said three words and you understand.”

“Speak.”

“Qin Xianjiu!”

“Huh?” Qin Mubai’s heart lit up. “How did you know?”

“Of course I didn’t know either, because none of our Wu Clan can participate in a grand banquet like the Imperial Court’s celebration banquet.” Wu Meiniang laughed strangely and said, “However, merchants are the most diligent and well-informed people in the world.” They always get the first thing they want to know. The imperial palace was often the place where the greatest business opportunities would emerge. But one day, whatever the emperor likes and praises, the world will surely become popular. “You should understand this?”

“Indeed.” Qin Mubai said, “I brewed the Qin Immortal Wine. In the entire Great Tang Empire, I’m afraid I’m indeed the only one who knows how to brew wine. The emperor personally visited our Qin Clan and personally bestowed the title of ‘Qin Immortal Wine’. At that time, I also had a strong impulse to do business selling alcohol. However, my father is a stubborn man of etiquette. He is not well, and I do not want to make him angry, so I have kept it a secret. ”

“Alright, now is the time!” Wu Meiniang slapped her palm and giggled, “Yesterday, a big businessman came to our Wu Clan and called me by name. He said that he wanted to cooperate with me and sell this’ Qin Immortal Wine ‘.”

“Which merchant?”

“Chang’an’s richest merchant-Zheng Fengchi!” Wu Meiniang said, “It’s the big merchant who once boasted to the High Ancestor Emperor.” He once said that no matter how many trees there were on Mount Zhongnan, even if he wrapped a piece of silk around each tree, the silk in his home would not be used up. Although it was a little exaggerated, this person was indeed very wealthy. He simply had more money than the treasury. In the early years of Zhenguan, when the emperor had used troops against the Turks, he had asked him for money. “Zheng Fengchi alone financed all the expenses of the 100,000 troops, so the Emperor personally named him ‘Great Tang Righteous Merchant’ and gave him the monopoly of salt and iron in the Great Tang.”

“Zheng Fengchi, I have indeed heard of him.” Qin Mubai said, “This person is different from ordinary businessmen. Not only is he not discriminated against, he is also making friends with some powerful people. Most of the business he does is related to the Imperial Court. It is similar to the salt and iron monopoly you just mentioned. Therefore, this person should have some status in the Emperor’s heart.”

“That’s right.” Wu Meiniang stood up and cut her hands like an adult elder. She paced her steps and said, “This Zheng Fengchi is indeed a heaven-seeing person!” The Emperor had just used Qin Xianjiu to entertain the meritorious heroes when he heard the news. Not only that, he also obtained the Emperor’s consent to allow him to sell this tribute, ‘Qin Xian Wine’. Right now, the only thing missing is your Young Master Qin Mubai’s brewing method. He knows that your Qin Clan is very strict, so it’s very likely that you’ll be kicked out by Your Excellency if he goes to look for you directly. So, he actually came to me in a roundabout way. First, he talked to me, and then he asked me to come out and look for you-hehe, don’t you think this person is extremely smart, destined to be the richest man in the world, the number one merchant? ”

“He is indeed a smart businessman.” Qin Mubai said, “Did he tell you how to cooperate?”

“Yes.” Wu Meiniang said, “He said that it doesn’t involve you, just working with me. This won’t disgrace your Qin Family’s reputation, right? Also, I just need to provide the method of brewing wine and promise not to tell anyone else about this method. In this way, I can get 40% of the profits from selling wine. I don’t need to worry about anything else.”

“Heh, this Zheng Fengchi really knows how to do business.” Qin Mubai couldn’t help but shake her head and laugh. She thought to herself, Wu Meiniang grew up in the family environment of a businessman. Deep down in her bones, she had the thought of “interests first” and had a business mind. The method she proposed seemed to be feasible. Anyway, I didn’t lose anything. It’s just an extremely simple wine-making distillation method. Let her do it!

Just as she was about to agree, Wu Meiniang said, “The most obvious advantage of my business is that I can earn a lot of money.” Businessmen are shameless, but few people really hate money. Money is a good thing. Moreover, when the Emperor finds out that I, Wu Meiniang, am in business, he must look down on me from the bottom of his heart, the daughter of a merchant. Isn’t that a great thing? “However, if your father, Lord Qin Shubao, finds out, he will look down on me and order you to divorce your wife. Hehe, then you can’t blame me!”

“Don’t worry, although my father is stubborn, he isn’t very rigid. He is quite open-minded, especially when it comes to trusting my son.” Qin Mubai smiled nonchalantly and said, “I’ll explain it to him clearly. I promise it will be fine. This husband will allow you to do business with this matter. When you are free, you can teach you how to steam wine. As for how to cooperate with Zheng Fengchi, I don’t care at all.”

“Yes, yes, yes, yes. You are an official descendant of a famous clan. How can you interfere in business? Leave it to a lowly martial artist!” Wu Meiniang rolled her eyes at Qin Mubai and whispered, “Hmph, I wish your old master would dislike me and order you to divorce me!”

“Are you really willing?”

“… Eat, eat!”