Playing two rounds of mahjong after eating hot pot was absolutely satisfying physically and mentally. At the same time, hot pot restaurants could also offer tea and snacks that you can drink while playing mahjong, so you can drink while they could earn even more money.

With Emperor Yongming and the Empress as two living signs, that night, mahjong, a game for four people, spread in the capital’s upper class. Let’s not talk about how Emperor Yongming went about advertising it. Jiang Kangchen, who was busy with the palace banquet, was approached by merchants from the Mountain People Tribe and the Xianlu Kingdom before he left the palace. They wanted to buy white wine, kimchi, and barbecue ingredients, and the price was easy to negotiate.

The Baijiu had to wait for the auction, but Jiang Kangchen would need to keep that matter as a secret for now. He only said that it depended on the quantity of the brewers, but they would definitely be given priority and they could place an order first for kimchi and barbecue ingredients. Because of the ‘troublesome’ production, they will be delivered in two months. Jiang Kangchen also took that opportunity to mention Longjing tea and goat’s milk wine. 

The merchants of the two countries, hearing that he was the real owner of the new tea and wine, immediately placed orders for new tea and wine with him. By the time the merchants of the two countries left the palace with regret and satisfaction, Jiang Kangchen had in his hand a deposit of 5,000 taels of silver and a large order for kimchi, barbecue ingredients, tea and goat’s milk wine, as well as the opportunity to continue working with the merchants of the two countries afterwards.

As night fell, Old General Dai and Elder Weng remained in the palace. At the mahjong table, Elder Weng, who had skillfully played, asked, “Your Majesty, do you really have no more liquor?” Emperor Yongming, who took away the four wine pieces, said, “To be honest with Old General and Elder Weng I still have one jar, but it’s only one jar. Shao Yunan only sent me two jars of wine, which were originally to be given to the Mountain People Tribe and the Xianlu Kingdom merchants. If I had not made the decision, the wine would not have been kept. Five dots (machong piece).”

“Clink!” Elder Weng took away the five dots piece. “Your Majesty, in our dynasty it is strictly prohibited to make wine from grain. This white liquor tastes very good, but it can’t be used for business like that goat’s milk wine.

Emperor Yongming… “Three Bamboos. I know, so I do not intend to do business with the white liquor, but to auction it.”

Elder Weng Lao & Old General Dai… “Auction?”

“This sovereign hu.” The Empress put down his own row of mahjong and said with a smile, “This is also the idea of Shao Yunan.”

Old General Dai and Elder Weng each gave the Empress two copper coins and the Emperor gave ten, while the Empress explained what the auction house was to the two old men. The two listened to it with applause, this method was simply too good! If so, a very small amount of liquor could be eventually sold for more than the price of a normal sale.

The Old General stroked his beard and said, “I’d like to meet this person.”

Elder Weng nodded. “This elder also wants to meet him.”

The Empress smiled lightly. “There is no hurry. First let him purge himself in Xiushui Village.”

After the palace banquet, Wei Chunlin, the Marquis of Hengyuan, returned to his eldest son, Wei Hongzheng severely reprimanded him, and took away his right to run the business of the marquis on the spot, temporarily handing it over to his first son Wei Hongru. Then he asked Wei Hongru to send someone to find Wei Hongwen, who was nowhere to be found, and asked him to continue to take over the business of the marquis. The anger of Wei Hongzheng, who was given the business for just a few days before it was jerked back, was easy to imagine.

The next day, what made Marquis Hengyuan even more angry, was that all the Longjing tea and goat’s milk wine that Wei Hongzheng had bought for more than 20,000 taels had rotted in his hands. After yesterday’s palace banquet, how could the merchants from the two countries still want to do business with him? Not to mention the expensive price. They were also not stupid to offend the Emperor and Empress of the Great State of Yan for the Marquis of Hengyuan. 

Since even the merchants of the two countries did not dare to buy, the people of the Great State of Yan also wouldn’t dare to buy. Who would be stupid enough to go against the Emperor and Empress? It could be said that Wei Hongzheng collected the tea and wine that no one would dare to buy. Meaning that more than 20,000 taels of silver was completely wasted, only useful for the Marquis of Hengyuan Mansion to drink.

The Marquis of Hengyuan was furious. Hengyuan Marquis Mansion was rich, but the loss of more than 20,000 taels of silver was still painful. The marquis of Hengyuan was so angry that he ordered the accountant to stop giving Wei Hongzheng his annual money and also stopped giving annual money to Wei Hongzheng’s biological mother’s house. Then he also gave his wife a beating. If it were not for the encouragement of his wife, he would not have agreed so easily to Wei Hongzheng’s decision to buy the tea and wine. In short, since the Marquis of Hengyuan was angry, it had very serious consequences for some people.

After the Empress learned about this matter, she praised Eunuch An and Jiang Kangchen a lot. The 5,000 taels of deposit that Jiang Kangchen received was also given to Shao Yunan as a reward. On the same day, Eunuch An sent An Yi out of the capital again, carrying the Empress’ personal letter and the 5,000 taels, as well as Eunuch An’s personal letter, to Xiushui Village.

Shao Yunan successfully helped the Empress retain the merchants from the Mountain People Tribe and the Xianlu Kingdom, and also created new business for the Emperor and Empress. At the same time, he also indirectly slapped the Marquis of Hengyuan and helped Wei Hongru in passing. Shao Yunan was now a genuine god of wealth in the hearts of the Emperor and Empress.

Six days later, Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing met with An Yi. When he just entered the Wang Residence, An Yi opened his mouth, startling both Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing. “Young Master Yunan, Young Master Shijing.” Wang Shijing froze and Shao Yunan also blinked. “Brother An, you… called us wrong right?”

An Yi was also a young man in his twenties. A man from Eunuch An, who was taken by him to help him with things. The last time he came, An Yi called them ‘Yunan and Shijing,’ so why did he suddenly change his form of address to young masters?

An Yi said with a smile, “The two masters are now the master’s nephews. I naturally have to call out a young master. This is the letter that the master asked me to bring to the two young masters.” Feeling dizzy, they were not sure what was going on! How could he and Shijing now have an extra uncle! Shao Yunan took the letter from An Yi dizzily and read it with Wang Shijing.  When they finished reading the letter, they looked at each other. Was that really okay?

Eunuch An told them in detail what happened in the capital and also explained why he himself had become their uncle. Then An Yi took out the Empress’ personal letter and Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing knelt down to receive it. There was nothing important written in the Empress letter. He just praised the two men and told them to stay in Xiushui Village without any worries.

Shao Yunan put the two letters away properly, then rolled up his sleeves. “I’ll go make kimchi and sauce for the roast meat.” Eunuch An, in his official letter, asked Shao Yunan to personally make some kimchi and sauce, and then hand the recipes to An Yi, so that kimchi and sauce that Eunuch An asks someone to make, would not taste that different from the one Shao Yunan made. In the kitchen, Shao Yunan was busy making kimchi, with Wang Shijing helping him.

“Wife, what do you say?” Shao Yunan shook his head. “There’s nothing to say. Should we tell Eunuch An that we don’t want to be his nephew?” Wang Shijing asked, “Wife is reluctant, right? Eunuch An is…” Shao Yunan shook his head. “It’s not about that. People in my time don’t discriminate against people like Eunuch An. It’s just a little too sudden, and… you and I must have been blacklisted by the Hengyuan Marquis.”

Wang Shijing nodded. “That’s what I was worried about.” Shao Yunan asked, “When you read that the Empress told us to stay in Xiushui Village ‘at ease’, did you think that he would send someone to protect us?”

Wang Shijing said, “I think so. Even if he doesn’t send anyone, he won’t let the Hengyuan Marquis look for trouble with us. We are now the Empress’ people and there will be no less troubles like this in the future.” Then, he said as if he was making an oath, “I will protect my wife!”

Shao Yunan smiled. “I know.” He breathed out. “Never mind him. Anyway, we have prepared in advance, so don’t be afraid.”

“I will protect my wife!”

After Elder Cen, Jiang Kangning, and Kang Rui knew about this matter, all three of them had the same attitude. If Eunuch An wanted to recognize Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing as his nephews, then let him do so. Although Eunuch An was a eunuch, he was also extraordinarily loyal to the Empress and Emperor. Especially to the Empress who, from what they heard, once saved Eunuch An’s life. With Eunuch An as a backer, at least Shao Yunan has an additional protection in the capital, which was not bad for Shao Yunan and Wang Shijing. Especially Shao Yunan, who was already the object of attention of many people in the capital.

Jiang Kangning was worried about Shao Yunan, but also happy for his brother. His brother now had an official position. Although he was attached to the Empress and the ‘Inner palace’ as a secretary, it could be said he was still a fourth-rank official. With his brother’s life more secure, Jiang Kangning was full of pride.

An Yi stayed at the Wang residence for a day and left first thing the next day with the recipe given to him by Shao Yunan. When the kimchi and sauces are ready on Shao Yunan’s side, Jiang Kangning would send someone to the capital. If Eunuch An’s side gets the recipe sooner, they can start to arrange for manpower to make it sooner. 

The merchants from both the Mountain People Tribe and the Xianlu Kingdom said they needed a large amount of kimchi and sauce, which will continue to be supplied in the future. Shao Yunan also didn’t want the five thousand taels of silver, so An Yi took it back.

The bigger the tree, the more winds it attracted, and now he absolutely needed to climb the Empress’ thigh and not let go. There were also many places to spend money on the Empress’ side, so although these five thousand teals were also nothing much, they could still do a lot of things with them. 

Eunuch An wanted to open a hot pot restaurant and a mahjong room. So he would need at least five thousand taels of silver to buy hot pot tools and find someone to make a mahjong table. Not to mention the mahjong itself. 

Edited by: Jaisland

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