Two Old Foxes Pledged Their Allegiance, and His Wives Borrowed Ancient Verse to Make Chengdu Famous

Gu Moran looked at him.

Six thousand taels of silver. Prince An's men. They want power.

He smiled.

"OK."

Chen Qing was taken aback.

He thought he would have to go through several rounds of persuasion.

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate misheard?"

"You heard me right." Gu Moran stood up from his chair and patted Chen Qing on the shoulder.

"I hereby appoint you as..."

He thought about it.

"Inspector of the Stable Keeper's Office of Prince Yi's Residence "

That title sounds extremely prestigious.

Chen Qing's eyes lit up.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

"Specific responsibilities," Gu Moran held up one finger, "... to assist Commandant Zhen in managing the caravans in the wasteland outside the city."

Chen Qing: "..."

Outside the city. Wasteland. Caravan.

"Um... Your Highness, the wasteland outside the city..."

"It's very important." Gu Moran's expression was extremely serious. "The caravans are connected to the trade routes, and the trade routes are connected to the lifeline of Yi Prefecture. The fact that I'm entrusting such an important matter to you shows that I trust you."

Chen Qing was struck by the words "I believe in you," and her chest warmed, and she became excited again.

"Your Highness, rest assured! I will definitely keep the caravans in the wasteland completely under my control!"

He turned and ran out the door.

Where to?

"Go tell Manager Ba... Shopkeeper Ba the good news! I've been promoted!"

Watching Chen Qing's retreating figure, Gu Moran sat back down in his chair.

He looked at the three boxes of silver.

Six thousand taels.

With the shop's revenue, pre-deposited funds from membership badges, and the security team's operating surplus, the available funds are enough to accomplish several major tasks.

He tapped on the table.

" Uncle Fu."

"Exist."

"Please invite Si Renyou and Zhen Daijin over tonight." Gu Moran closed the box.

Night falls.

In the study of the old prince's mansion, the three chests of silver still stood in their original places.

Si Renyou arrived half a cup of tea earlier than Zhen Daijin.

When he entered, he saw the three boxes of silver, paused for a moment, then sat down in the guest seat as if nothing had happened and accepted the tea offered by Uncle Fu.

When Zhen Daijin arrived, he became even more direct.

He circled the box once, bent down to weigh a silver ingot in his hand, and raised his eyebrows.

"Has the prince struck it rich?"

"It was a gift from someone." Gu Moran leaned back in her chair.

Who's so generous?

"A person who thinks he's working for me, the king."

Si Renyou held his teacup, shifting his gaze from the silver coins to Gu Moran's face.

Zhen Daijin also sat down.

The three men sat around a table with three boxes of silver and a pot of tea in the center.

Gu Moran didn't beat around the bush.

"I've been in Yi Prefecture for quite some time now. The granaries have been kept dry, the stables have been ventilated, and the roads are under repair."

He counted on his fingers one by one, "But you two know better than I what Yi Prefecture lacks."

Si Renyou and Zhen Daijin exchanged a glance.

" Ba-Shu and Chongqing have always been prosperous, but their expenses are enormous. Even with abundant resources, they are still short of money and food."

Si Renyou spoke first.

Gu Moran looked up to confirm their loyalty.

The system displays 100 in all cases.

"I currently have six thousand taels of silver. It's not much, but it can be a starting point."

He took a folded piece of paper from his sleeve and spread it out on the table.

There are three lines drawn on the paper.

The first line, stretching from Yi Prefecture City to the salt wells south of the city, is marked "Salt Introduction Section".

The second route runs from Yi Prefecture City towards the Northern Territory, passing through several post stations marked "Shu Horse Procurement, Carriage and Horse Supply".

The third one is the longest, stretching from Yi Prefecture all the way to the heart of Jiannan Circuit, and is marked as the "invisible supply line".

Si Renyou's gaze fell on the third line, and his fingers twitched slightly.

After reading Zhen Daijin said gruffly, "Salt import shares are easy to buy, and Sichuan horses are also easy to acquire. The third line..."

He looked at Gu Moran, "What does Your Highness intend to do?"

"After the great victory in the Northern Territory, the imperial court has been allocating grain and horses." Gu Moran pointed to the paper. " Yi Prefecture is the granary of the rear. Rather than waiting for the imperial court to cut off our supply lines, we should..."

Si Renyou put down his teacup.

"What Your Highness meant by 'we'..."

"You two have guarded Yi Prefecture for over a decade." Gu Moran looked at him. "I've come, not to seize your territory, but to help you build Chengdu Prefecture in Yi Prefecture."

The hall fell silent for a few moments.

Zhen Daijin made the first move.

He grabbed a silver ingot, tossed it in his hand, and chuckled.

"Damn it, I've been waiting for all these years, and it's finally here."

Si Renyou glanced at him.

"Rude."

"You're the one who's rude! You've been pretending for years, you can finally rest today." Zhen Daijin threw the silver back into the box. "Your Highness, tell me what to do, and I'll do it with you."

Si Renyou did not respond.

He stared at the three lines, his gaze lingering on the "invisible supply lines" for a long time.

"Back then Lord Liu..." his voice was very soft, "Also drew a line like this."

Gu Moran's fingers didn't move.

I didn't respond to that.

"How should the money be divided?" Gu Moran brought the topic back.

"Two thousand taels will be used to purchase salt permits, in exchange for a 10% share of the three salt wells Yi Prefecture City. Two thousand taels will be used to buy grain and horses, allocated to Commandant Zhen's Zhechong Command, ostensibly to replenish the army. The remaining two thousand taels will be used for road construction, starting with the section at Black Wind Pass."

Zhen Daijin on the table.

"Middle."

Si Renyou thought for a moment.

"The salt import shares need to be accounted for through the state government."

"Let's go," Gu Moran said, "Let's go cleanly and openly. If the imperial court investigates, the accounts will be clear."

Si Renyou finally nodded.

"Your Highness." He stood up, straightened his clothes, and bowed to Gu Moran. "This humble official has waited seventeen years."

Zhen Daijin also stood up, and without much formality, he simply clasped his hands in a fist salute as a greeting.

"Alright, it's getting late." He glanced at the moon outside the window. "I'm leaving now. Send someone to collect the silver tomorrow."

The two left the study one after the other.

After the door closed, Gu Moran leaned back in her chair.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

Su Yao emerged from behind the screen, her account book already filled with densely packed numbers.

"All six thousand taels have been approved." She placed the account book in front of Gu Moran.

" The Brocade Clothing Workshop and medicinal cuisine shops have also opened, and there will be more revenue to come..."

Gu Moran opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"My wife, you've worked hard."

Su Yao put down the ledger and turned to leave.

"Etc."

She stopped.

Gu Moran took a roll of Xuan paper from a wooden box on the corner of the table and pushed it in front of her.

"For you."

Su Yao hesitated for a moment before unfolding the scroll.

A poem.

His calligraphy.

It's a bit messy, but still legible.

" Chengdu, a city opened up by the heavens, is a picture of ten thousand households and a thousand gates."

Su Yao's pupils dilated slightly.

She rolled up the paper, clutched it in her hand, and turned to leave.

His pace was much faster than when he came.

In the study.

Gu Moran spread out a few more sheets of paper.

Each sheet of paper contains a poem.

Li Bai's, Du Fu's...

"At dawn, I see the red, damp blossoms; the flowers heavy in Brocade Official City." (To Shen Ling'er )

" The Shu River blue, the Shu Mountains are verdant, the Holy Lord's love is ever-present." (To Liu Ruyan )

"The sounds of silk and bamboo instruments fill the air in Brocade City every day, half carried by the river breeze, half rising into the clouds." (To Xie Wanqing )

"The window frames the snow-capped peaks of the Western Ridge, a thousand years old; the gate harbors ships from the Eastern Wu." (To Murong Xue )

"A hall full of flowers intoxicates three thousand guests; a single sword, its frost chills fourteen provinces." (To Lin Qingdai )

He wrote each sheet one by one, blew the ink dry, folded them, and had Uncle Fu deliver them to the respective courtyards.

Gu Moran down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and imagined the reactions of the ladies after receiving the poem.

Su Yao would probably smirk slightly before suppressing it.

Shen Ling'er would stubbornly say, "Writing this is not as good as going to bed early."

Liu Ruyan would fold the paper neatly and place it under her pillow.

Xie Wanqing would read it three times and then memorize the entire text.

Murong Xue will ask Batuer what this means.

Lin Qingdai would snort coldly, then secretly roll around on the bed.