Yun Zhengze stood inside the threshold, his face even more gloomy than the sky outside.
He stared intently at Yun Shuyue.
Yun Shuyue, holding a roasted taro, hid behind Shen Ling'er.
Only half of its head was visible.
The two stared at each other for three breaths.
Yun Shuyue was the first to be defeated.
She shoved the taro into Shen Ling'er's hand and lowered her head.
"Father."
The sound was so soft it was like a mosquito's buzz.
Yun Zhengze took a deep breath.
He suppressed his anger and bowed to Gu Moran.
"Your humble servant Yun Zhengze, greets Your Prince Yi."
Gu Moran slowly and deliberately straightened his clothes.
Sit up straight and raise your hand for support.
" Lord Yun, you're too kind. Please have a seat."
Uncle Fu brought over a chair.
Yun Zhengze sat down, his back ramrod straight.
He glanced at Yun Shuyue, who was hiding in the back, and then at Gu Moran.
"Your Highness, I have taken the liberty of visiting you today, but it is for my daughter."
Gu Moran picked up the teacup and blew on it.
"Oh?"
Yun Zhengze spoke respectfully, but his words carried a hint of probing.
"My daughter is young and ignorant, and does not know the rules. If she has offended you in any way, please forgive her, Your Highness."
He paused.
"This humble official wishes to take her back to his residence and discipline her strictly."
Gu Moran took a sip of tea.
" Lord Yun, what you say is true; your daughter has not offended me."
He put the teacup back on the table.
"On the contrary, your daughter is very understanding and has done me a great favor."
Yun Zhengze's brows furrowed even more.
"What is Your Highness referring to?"
Gu Moran smiled without saying a word.
He reached into the drawer under the soft couch and took out a contract.
The contract was laid out.
The document above reads " Land of Abundance Granary Depot Shareholding Agreement".
Yun Zhengze's gaze fell on the contract.
Party A: Prince Yi's Residence.
Party B: Yun Shuyue.
Shareholding ratio: 30% (dry shares).
Collateral: One book of precious books.
Yun Zhengze's fingers tightened on his knees.
Precious Book.
His heart sank.
Seeing his reaction, Gu Moran's smile deepened.
" Lord Yun, your daughter is a good child."
He tapped on the table.
She said this account book was a family heirloom, and after examining it, I can confirm it is indeed a fine item.
As he spoke, he took out an account book from the drawer.
The cover of the ledger was yellowed.
The edges are all worn out.
Yun Zhengze's pupils suddenly contracted.
He recognized the ledger.
This is the half-finished old salt tax ledger that he hid in a secret compartment in his study.
Don't worry, he used a special notation that Prince Yi definitely wouldn't understand!
Yun Zhengze tried to comfort himself, but a layer of cold sweat seeped out of his back.
He stared intently at the ledger.
My throat is dry.
Gu Moran pushed the ledger towards Yun Zhengze.
"Would you like to take a look, Lord Yun?"
Yun Zhengze clenched his fists on his knees.
He didn't reach out to take it.
"Your Highness is joking."
Gu Moran smiled.
" Lord Yun, there's no need to be nervous."
He opened the ledger.
He pointed out a few hidden marks.
"I don't know much about these things either, but I think the handwriting in this ledger is neat and the records are cleverly kept."
He looked up at Yun Zhengze.
"It must be the masterpiece left by some senior master."
Yun Zhengze's face turned pale and then red.
He recognized it.
Gu Moran was giving him a warning.
He knew perfectly well what was recorded in the ledgers.
Especially the handwriting, which can be easily identified with a simple examination.
Yun Zhengze took a deep breath.
"Your Highness is too kind. As you know, this is from my humble servant."
"Therefore, Your Highness, please speak frankly and tell me what you desire from me?"
Gu Moran closed the ledger.
" Lord Yun has misunderstood."
His tone was relaxed.
"I only wish to do some small things: improve the granaries, waterwheels, and terraced fields in Yi Prefecture."
He paused.
"These things require land approval from the state government and facilitating customs clearance."
"If it's possible, could you please do me this favor?"
Yun Zhengze remained silent for a moment.
"Your Highness means..."
Gu Moran looked at him with a smile.
" Lord Yun is a wise man, so I will not beat around the bush."
He spread out several sheets of paper on the table.
"This is a map showing the terraced field renovation project."
"This is a design drawing for a waterwheel."
This is a diagram showing how to protect the grain warehouse from moisture.
Yun Zhengze looked down.
The lines on the drawing are clear.
Detailed annotations.
It's clearly the result of careful consideration.
Gu Moran continued.
"If these improvements can be implemented, Yi Prefecture's grain production capacity will at least double."
He tapped on the table.
"By then, not only will the people have enough to eat, but the state government will also be able to collect significantly more taxes."
Yun Zhengze looked up at him.
What does Your Highness wish me to do?
Gu Moran leaned back in his chair.
"It's very simple."
"Later, I will convert the land into Ten-Li Slope, outside the city."
"Next, I need to procure timber and ironware from other regions, and I require the assistance of the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner's Office."
"Most importantly, if there are any inspections, Lord Yun, please put in a good word for me."
Yun Zhengze listened in silence.
Gu Moran didn't urge him.
For a moment, no one spoke in the warm room.
The only sound was the crackling of the charcoal fire in the brazier.
Behind the screen.
Yun Shuyue stole a glance at her father's expression.
Yun Zhengze's expression was unpredictable.
After a while.
He spoke.
"Your Highness, if I agree, these account books..."
Gu Moran smiled.
"The account books are naturally a family heirloom of Lord Yun."
He pushed the ledgers in front of Yun Zhengze.
"But since your daughter has already invested, she can't just take this 30% stake for nothing."
He paused.
What does Lord Yun think?
Yun Zhengze looked at the ledger.
He tapped his fingers twice on his knee.
My mind raced, calculating.
If Gu Moran really wanted to sue him with the account books, she would have sent them to the capital long ago.
The fact that it's still there shows that Gu Moran doesn't want to completely break off relations.
On the contrary, they wanted to get him on board.
Yun Zhengze glanced at the blueprints again.
Terraced fields, waterwheels, and granaries.
If these improvements are successful, Yi Prefecture's grain production could indeed double.
By then, as the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, he would have achieved some notable political accomplishments.
We'll see.
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
It was only a matter of time before the crown prince was deposed.
He had secretly placed his bet on the Second Prince.
But with brothers vying for the throne, it's still uncertain who will win.
If Gu Moran can truly succeed in the future.
His move today was a gamble that paid off.
(◔◡◔)
[Thanks to Yuyingshuang for the verification! Also thanks to Lanxi's love letter, Lianyue, the goddess's flower, the instant noodles' update request, Qiyi's like, the emoticon's like, and Lan's update request.]
[I'll owe you an extra chapter for now! =.= The outline isn't finished, and I'm going on vacation soon, so busy. Sigh. I'll definitely catch up!]
[Good news, the book made the bestseller list! Bad news, all the reviews are terrible! (ಥಥ) Horrible.]