Shopkeeper Xu and Shopkeeper Zeng went out. Wang Shijing picked up the tea cup and drank from it. Shao Yunan smiled slightly at the unhappy Wei Hongwen and asked, “Young Master Wei, can I ask you whether you came to see me and Shijing for Hengyuan Marquis Mansion’s sake or for yourself?” Wei Hongwen looked at Shao Yunan and after a long while, he replied, “It’s for me, but also for the sake of the Hengyuan Marquis Mansion.”

Shao Yunan shook his head. “You can’t have both, sometimes you have to give up one to pick another. Life is also like this. Righteousness is what I want. You can’t have both and give up life for the sake of righteousness. Young Master Wei wants to do it for himself and for the sake of Hengyuan Marquis Mansion, but you can’t have both.”

Wei Hongwen raised his eyebrows slightly and asked, “If it’s for me what will you do? If it’s for the Hengyuan Marquis Mansion will you do differently?” Shao Yunan said, “If it’s just for you, Young Master Wei, I can give you an idea. If it’s for the Marquis of Hengyuan, then I can’t do anything about it. The Empress and the Marquis of Hengyuan are like impossible choices for me and Shijing, so we can only choose one.”

Wei Hongwen became interested. “Can you explain?” Shao Yunan shook his head. “That’s not possible. Unless you, Young Master Wei, make a choice, I can’t explain.” Without thinking, Wei Hongwen said, “Then I choose myself.” Shao Yunan smiled. Indeed, Brother Kangchen’s analysis was right! He said, “If it’s for yourself, Young Master Wei, this matter is actually very easy to handle.”

“I would like to hear more about it.” Shao Yunan spoke, stunning Wei Hongwen. “Why do you want to compete with the Empress? You can just get into a business partnership with the Empress. Not only will this not cause dissatisfaction with the Empress, but you will also gain a big backer, so why don’t you do it that way?”

Wei Hongwen’s heart grew cautious. “Can you please tell me more clearly?” Shao Yunan first asked, “What does Young Master Wei think of the Emperor? Is he a foolish ruler or a wise ruler?” Wei Hongwen’s scalp suddenly numbed a bit, but he still replied. “His Majesty is naturally a wise ruler.”

“Then, as a wise ruler, can the Emperor tolerate his men being richer and more powerful than him?” Wei Hongwen breaks into a cold sweat. “No.”

“But the Marquis of Hengyuan is now richer and more powerful than the Emperor.” Wei Hongwen’s scalp tightened as he stared straight at Shao Yunan. But Shao Yunan with an innocent expression continued, “I don’t understand politics, but I know that for a person in power, it’s very taboo to have people under his hand that are richer than himself and unwilling to listen to him.”

“If you come to me for the tea and wine business for the Marquis of Hengyuan, in the eyes of the Emperor and Empress, you are clearly stealing business from them. The Marquis of Hengyuan is already very rich, but he still wants to steal money from the Emperor and Empress. To put it simply its almost looking for death.”

Wei Hongwen stood up. “The Marquis of Hengyuan is absolutely loyal to the Emperor!” For ancient people, imperial power was an absolutely sensitive topic. Even if the Hengyuan Marquis has contempt for the current Emperor in his heart, he would definitely not dare to say it aloud since it was a capital crime. But Shao Yunan was a modern person that didn’t have such scruples, so he said things that could even scare Wei Hongwen into cold sweats.

Shao Yunan shrugged his shoulders. “Whether Hengyuan Marquis is sincere to the Emperor is not something Shijing or I care about. But if others know that you came to me for the tea and wine business, then they will definitely think like this. Does Young Master Wei have the certainty that he can block everyone’s mouths and keep them from gossiping about you in front of the Emperor?” 

“If you think it doesn’t matter, or no one dares to do so, then I can sell you the tea and wine as you want. Anyway, I can talk about it when the Empress asks. I am just a simple farmer, but you are the second son of the Marquis of Hengyuan. Since you came to me, I didn’t dare to disobey.” Cold sweat broke out on Wei Hongwen’s forehead. Only at this time did he realize how reckless he was.

“So Young Master Wei, between the Marquis of Hengyuan and yourself, you can only choose yourself. If you choose the Marquis of Hengyuan, you are dead. Because once this matter develops into what I’m talking about, then the Marquis of Hengyuan will have to push you out to save itself, saying that this was private behavior and has nothing to do with the Marquis of Hengyuan household.” 

“If your father loves you very much and is willing to take the blame for you, then I’m afraid that the entire Marquis of Hengyuan household will not have good results. The Emperor is very short of money. Blocking people’s way of wealth can be the same as killing one’s wife.” Wei Hongwen was frightened by Shao Yunan’s bold words, but since he still cared he pleaded, “Please Little Brother Shao, show me a better way.”

At this moment, Wei Hongwen no longer had the same self-confidence and contempt for Shao Yunan that he had when he arrived. He already regretted having underestimated this man. Shao Yunan smiled. “Actually, it’s very simple. The Emperor is short of money, so you should just help him make money. Of course, the premise is that you help him under your own name and not under the name of the Marquis of Hengyuan. The Marquis of Hengyuan can’t be even richer or more powerful.”

Wei Hongwen’s heart thumped again as Shao Yunan spoke. “Young Master Wei is already used to doing business, so he must have a lot of contacts. Why don’t you just help the Emperor expand the tea and wine business? Last year, the amount of tea and wine was small, but in the future there will be more and more. You can use ‘your contacts’ to help the Emperor do business and earn money. Wouldn’t it be very good? Why would you need to steal business from the Emperor?”

Shao Yunan made sure to emphasize the word ‘yours’, making Wei Hongwen’s eyes gradually brighten. “The Emperor is a wise ruler. Although the country is still in ruins, he will definitely find a way to solve and make the country stronger under his governance. His Majesty is in need of manpower now. Sending charcoal in the winter is always better than adding flowers to the brocade.”

Wei Hongwen suddenly understood why Shao Yunan had asked him earlier whether he was doing it for the Marquis of Hengyuan or for himself. The Emperor would definitely not want to see a Marquis of Hengyuan who was even richer than himself gain even more power. But if he helped the Emperor do business as Wei Hongwen, it would definitely be to the Emperor’s liking. Wei Hongwen once again re-evaluated Shao Yunan and had to laugh at his own arrogance in his heart.

Wei Hongwen got up and bowed very gratefully toward Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing, then sat down and said with difficulty, “I am afraid that the Empress would not be willing.” Shao Yunan said, “The Empress would not be willing because he would be worried that you are doing it for the Marquis of Hengyuan. Since that’s the case, you should find a way to show your heart to the Empress. Moreover, if your own wealth and power exceeds that of the Marquis of Hengyuan, then you and the Marquis of Hengyuan will no longer need to be so clearly distinguished, right?”

Wei Hongwen’s heart thumped for the third time. In the great families, everyone was taught from birth to do everything for the sake of their families. No one had ever told him that he could do it for himself and sway the family with his own abilities. When he thought of how stifled he and his older brother were at home after his mother died and his father remarried, Wei Hongwen clenched his fists.

Edited by: Jaisland

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