bullyxtreme Chapter 13 I Hate You
Chapter 13 I Hate You
April 16th, the 19th year of the Hongwu reign (1386), is an auspicious day suitable for marriage.
Before dawn, Li Jinglong arrived early at the gate of Fengtian Hall to join the wedding procession.
About 45 minutes later, Zhu Yuanzhang led Zhu Biao and Princess Shouchun Zhu Shanqing out of the inner palace. The entire wedding procession went to the Fengxian Hall to pay homage and complete the farewell ceremony.
Then came the Emperor and Empress's admonition. Since Empress Ma had passed away and the harem was without a ruler, Consort Li temporarily took over the admonition.
When leaving the palace, the palanquin was changed, and the eunuchs presented Fu Zhong with a large goose prepared for the wedding. After the goose offering ceremony was completed, the wedding procession officially set off.
Upon arriving at the princess's residence, Fu Zhong, dressed in a scarlet robe with a large red flower made of red silk hanging on his chest, stood solemnly in front of the princess's residence. He lifted the curtain, stepped out of the sedan chair, paid homage at the ancestral hall, and then officially began the wedding ceremony.
Unlike traditional weddings, there is no ceremony where the bride pays respects to her parents-in-law. The ceremony only includes the exchange of vows and the drinking of nuptial cups in the main hall.
Then came the royal banquet. As the only duke in the wedding procession besides Zhu Biao, Li Jinglong sat at the main table with Zhu Biao.
However, as the hosts, Fu Youde and Fu Zheng at the main table did not dare to show the slightest displeasure, after all, Zhu Biao was sitting next to Li Jinglong!
"Duke Cao, you've worked hard, you should drink to your heart's content!" Li Jinglong had just finished drinking a cup when Fu Zheng, with a fake smile on his face, poured him another cup.
Li Jinglong knew without even guessing what Fu Zheng was planning, but on such a joyous occasion, Li Jinglong couldn't say anything.
Halfway through the banquet, Li Jinglong felt an urgent need to relieve himself. He excused himself and prepared to go to the restroom. Just as he turned the corner in the front yard, he unexpectedly ran into Fu Wanqing, who was walking from the west courtyard.
Wearing a light green short-sleeved shirt and long skirt, she showed off her tall figure to the fullest. The moment the two met, the smiles on their faces vanished without a trace.
Fu Wanqing stared coldly at Li Jinglong, her eyes filled with anger, resentment, and a hint of grievance.
"Um, Wanqing, if you have something to say, we can talk later. I'll go over first!" The corridor wasn't wide, and Li Jinglong, who was in a hurry to relieve himself, had no choice but to speak first.
"Li Jiujiang, I hate you!" Fu Wanqing frowned, glared fiercely at Li Jinglong, then pushed him away and left quickly.
"That girl!" Li Jinglong muttered under his breath, then jogged to the outhouse.
After returning to the east courtyard, Fu Wanqing sat quietly beside her mother, listening to the ladies of the court chatting.
Unfortunately, Fu Wanqing couldn't listen to a word at that moment.
It wasn't until evening that Li Jinglong returned home from the princess's residence, only to find his steward, Li Yuan, approaching him.
"Uncle Yuan, is something the matter?"
Seeing Li Yuan's hesitant expression, Li Jinglong took the initiative to ask.
"My lord, there's something I need to tell you!" Li Yuan said, somewhat embarrassed.
"Please speak!"
Li Yuan then took out an account book from his person and handed it to Li Jinglong, his voice somewhat helpless:
"My lord, this month, the income of our merchant caravans in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Beiping has dropped by another 20%, and compared to the beginning of the year, profits have shrunk by half!"
"Half?" Li Jinglong stared wide-eyed in surprise, looking at Li Yuan in disbelief.
In addition to the estates owned by the Duke of Cao, the manor also had several caravans that earned another source of income by transporting and selling salt.
Unlike other nobles who seized wealth through trickery and force, Li Wenzhong was honest and upright even when doing business.
The merchant caravans under the Duke of Cao's mansion responded to the Open Market Law by transporting grain to the border granaries of military towns, exchanging it for salt permits, and then transporting the salt to designated areas for sale.
Although such north-south trade was profitable, the long journeys and unsafe roads made it relatively risky for merchants.
However, this was not the case for nobles. They were escorted by retired military guards, and they could also make connections with garrisons and military commanders along the way. It can be said that after the implementation of the "Open Market Law," many princes and nobles set their sights on this business.
"Yes, my lord. In Beiping, the Huang family of the Marquis of Yichun has also started a caravan. The Marquis of Yichun is stationed in Beiping. I heard that the Marquis of Yichun made the arrangements, and now the grain purchased by the border granaries is often reduced by half."
"What about Shaanxi and Shanxi?" Li Jinglong's face gradually darkened.
"My lord, in Shaanxi, because of His Highness Prince Qin, the steward of Prince Qin's mansion has directly increased the commission on salt permits this year; in Shanxi, the merchant caravan of the Marquis of Yongping has also joined in. With the Prince of Jin's connections, the share of other merchants has been greatly reduced."
When the King of Qin and the King of Jin were mentioned, Li Yuan's voice was filled with helplessness.
As princes, the two wielded ridiculously great power in their fiefdoms. Prince Jin was somewhat better off, but Prince Qin was simply running rampant in his territory.
Li Jinglong was aware of the reduced profits. When Li Wenzhong was alive, the people in the border town didn't dare to make things difficult for the Li family's caravans. However, since Li Wenzhong's death, the Li family's caravans no longer received the preferential treatment they used to.
Moreover, since I had not yet inherited the title and was in mourning at the time, I was of low status and had little influence, so I simply tolerated it. I never expected it to become more and more outrageous.
"I'll write a letter to the King of Qin, the King of Jin, and Huang Bin later. You send someone to deliver it!" Li Jinglong's tone was icy. The King of Qin was one thing, but who did Huang Bin think he was?
Do you really think my Cao Guogong Mansion is just an empty shell? A mere decoration? Something you can manipulate at will?
"My lord, what if..." Li Yuan didn't finish his sentence. The Prince of Qin was arrogant and tyrannical, doing whatever he pleased in his fiefdom. Even when the emperor issued an edict to reprimand him, the Prince of Qin still went his own way.
"Hmph!" Li Jinglong snorted contemptuously. "If you think I'm inexperienced and don't take me seriously, then just wait and see!"
However, the caravan incident also served as a reminder to Li Jinglong that in this peaceful world, more and more nobles, gentry, and powerful figures would join the merchant guild.
Li Jinglong calmed himself down, took out paper and pen, and wrote quickly. He finished the letter in no time, dried it, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Li Yuan, asking him to send someone to deliver it.
As Li Yuan's figure disappeared through the study door, Li Jinglong began to ponder new ways to make money.
Putting aside everything else, just feeding and feeding the more than 300 people and horses in the Duke's mansion is a considerable expense, and the annual income from the estate is far from enough.
Li Jinglong now deeply regrets his past actions. It is said that one only realizes how little one knows when one needs to use it. Why didn't he learn some of the manufacturing techniques for everyday items from later generations?
Other transmigrators can make money hand over fist by making soap, but when it comes to me, I can only stare helplessly.
It's pitiful that I, a top student who knows everything from military history and sports to clubs, pubs, and bathhouses, am stumped by a way to make money.
and many more?
A sudden realization dawned on Li Jinglong's mind: how could he have forgotten about this?
Everyone says that the most profitable industries are all written in the law, but I'm in the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking of this, a smug smile appeared on Li Jinglong's face. Wasn't this the way to make money?
This time, Li Jinglong is prepared to launch a devastating attack!