"Cold?"
Ji Gao froze for a moment, then summoned a servant and gritted his teeth as he ordered a charcoal fire lit.
Charcoal in Chaoge was so expensive that even he could hardly bear to burn it.
Ji Gao said, "Brother Mei, aren't you feeling much warmer now?"
Mei De nodded.
That response gave Ji Gao even more confidence. With charcoal prices this high in Chaoge, ordinary people could never afford to burn it. Even if they had any, they would take it to the market to sell.
And the nobles had surely been grumbling bitterly about it for some time. Those Chaoge nobles were also among the people he intended to win over.
Ji Gao continued to put his silver tongue to work. "Brother Mei, charcoal in Chaoge is far too expensive. Ordinary households simply can't afford to burn it. In West E City, though, it's spring all year round!"
Hmph. For an idle ruffian like you, getting a charcoal fire to warm yourself in the dead of winter is a blessing earned through eight lifetimes.
Mei De thought for a moment, then said earnestly, "Yes, charcoal in Chaoge is a little expensive."
Ji Gao said, "A little expensive? It's enough to enrage heaven and stir the people's wrath!"
Mei De shook his head. "It isn't that bad. High prices have their advantages, too."
"What do you mean?"
Ji Gao was puzzled. The higher charcoal prices rose, the less someone like Mei De could afford it. Surely idle ruffians wouldn't go up into the mountains to cut wood and make charcoal?
"The palace hands out charcoal every three days. Apparently, it's a special provision for the new officials. We burn some and sell some." Mei De scratched his head. "But I get cold easily, so I haven't sold much.