diymy Chapter 72 I should reward you!
Chapter 72 I should reward you!
Wan Sanqian sat dejectedly in the cell, head down, staring blankly at the ground.
Shangguan Haitang walked into the cell with a blank expression and stood in front of Wan Sanqian.
Wan Sanqian saw a pair of feet. He looked up and saw the face he had been longing for day and night.
"Haitang, you've arrived!"
Wan Sanqian's face lit up with a delighted smile: "You've come to save me?!"
"I knew you wouldn't abandon me! I knew you would come to save me!"
Looking at Wan Sanqian's current disheveled state, Shangguan Haitang felt a mix of emotions.
"Wan Sanqian, where is your treasure chest?"
In the martial arts world, everyone knows that Wan Sanqian has a treasure chest.
There were no gold or silver jewelry inside, only gold coins.
Each gold coin represents a martial arts master who owes a favor of 13,000.
For every gold coin he produces, this martial arts master must unconditionally help the person holding the coin accomplish any task.
Over the years, Wan Sanqian has helped countless martial arts masters, and his treasure chest is filled with an unknown amount of gold coins.
It's no exaggeration to say that whoever gets the treasure chest worth 13,000 can practically command half of the martial arts world.
Of course, one can only issue the order once.
"A treasure chest?"
Wan Sanqian's expression hardened for a moment, but he quickly smiled again: "I understand. You're going to use the gold coins in the treasure chest to find someone to help me escape from prison, right?"
"The treasure chest is in a secret room at the Number One Manor in the World. You know where the secret room is; I've taken you there before..."
Before Wan Sanqian could finish speaking, he suddenly widened his eyes and looked at his chest in disbelief.
There, a dagger was stuck in the middle left, and a trickle of blood was slowly flowing out.
"Begonia...begonia..."
Wan Sanqian's body fell backward, struggled for a while, and then fell still.
"We've known each other for a while now, and the only thing I can do for you is to give you a quick death."
Shangguan Haitang looked down at the thirteen thousand corpses on the ground and said in a low voice.
Upon witnessing this scene outside the prison cell, Cao Zhengchun quickly turned and left.
……
Forbidden City.
The Imperial Garden.
Cao Zhengchun found Zhu Houzhao, who was taking a walk, and whispered to him, "Your Majesty, Wan Sanqian is dead. Shangguan Haitang was the one who did it."
"Before Wan Sanqian died, he told Shangguan Haitang the whereabouts of the treasure chest."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Houzhao laughed and said, "Very good. I haven't spoiled her for nothing. It seems I should reward her properly again."
"Gu Dayong, pass down the order: have Shangguan Haitang come to my room tonight."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
After receiving the order, Gu Dayong went to Renshou Palace to convey Zhu Houzhao's oral decree.
The palace that was previously used to imprison Shangguan Haitang has just been granted to her by Zhu Houzhao.
She can stay here whenever she returns to Beijing.
When Shangguan Haitang received the news that she was to serve the emperor that day, she was not too surprised.
She simply accepted the order politely and then threw herself wholeheartedly into the work at hand.
At this moment, she is writing a memorial to the throne, the contents of which are all about the distribution of Wan Sanqian's industries.
She has been in charge of the number one estate in the world for many years, and she knows exactly what businesses Wan Sanqian owns.
Now that Wan Sanqian is dead and the number one manor in the world is gone, these properties rightfully become the assets of the Ming Dynasty.
What Shangguan Haitang needed to do at this time was to record these assets belonging to the Ming Dynasty and hand them over to Zhu Houzhao for review.
At 3:45 PM, Shangguan Haitang, having finished dressing up, arrived at the Cining Palace where Zhu Houzhao was staying.
Tonight, she did not wear men's clothing again, but instead put on a women's palace dress for the first time in a long time and applied rouge and powder.
When Zhu Houzhao looked at the beautiful and charming Shangguan Haitang in front of him, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows in surprise.
This was the first time she had seen Shangguan Haitang in women's clothing, and she never expected that Shangguan Haitang would be so beautiful after dressing up.
"Why is Your Majesty looking at me like that? Is there anything strange about me?"
Meeting Zhu Houzhao's burning gaze, Shangguan Haitang awkwardly tugged at her palace dress, her expression somewhat unnatural, shy, and hesitant.
Zhu Houzhao shook his head and patted the bed beside him: "No, it's just that it was the first time I saw you in women's clothing, and I was momentarily distracted. Come and sit down."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shangguan Haitang sat down next to Zhu Houzhao, and was about to take out the memorial she had written earlier from her bosom when Zhu Houzhao pounced on her.
"Your Majesty, I have something important to report."
Shangguan Haitang, blushing, spoke up, having allowed Zhu Houzhao to run rampant.
Zhu Houzhao responded vaguely, "Whatever the matter is, it won't make a difference if we wait a little longer. We can discuss it later."
Shangguan Haitang exclaimed shyly, "Your Majesty..."
After a long and tender moment, Shangguan Haitang lay in Zhu Houzhao's arms, breathing softly.
Zhu Houzhao calmed down, stroked Shangguan Haitang's slender waist, and said in a low voice, "Didn't you just say you had something important to report? Now, report it."
"Yes, let me look for it..."
Shangguan Haitang lazily reached out and rummaged through the bed for a while before finally finding a crumpled memorial in a corner.
"Your Majesty, I must report on the number, location, and value of Wan Sanqian's properties in various prefectures and counties."
"Wan Sanqian has businesses in almost every state capital, working in different industries."
"There were tea shops, cloth shops, rice and grain stores, etc., distributed in Southern Zhili, Northern Zhili, Huguang, and Yuezhou..."
Shangguan Haitang presented her written memorial to Zhu Houzhao, detailing her assets of 13,000 taels of silver.
After listening, Zhu Houzhao suddenly remembered the plan he had previously shelved.
If all 13,000 properties were brought under the control of the imperial court, his plan to expand the salt industry to various parts of the Ming Dynasty could be realized almost immediately.
Moreover, he didn't need to invest a single penny; he got everything ready-made.
In this way, even without the imperial court issuing mandatory decrees or regulations, he could control the most basic prices in the Ming Dynasty by relying on these salt estates scattered throughout the Ming Dynasty.
Thinking of this, Zhu Houzhao put his arm around Shangguan Haitang and told her his thoughts.
"After incorporating 13,000 industries, I intend to establish a Great Ming Salt Estate in each prefecture and county."
"From now on, merchants from all over the country can transport grain to salt estates in various places and exchange it for salt permits."
"The grain from this salt estate was sold directly to the people at a fair price. In addition, it also sold some basic supplies, such as rice, flour, cooking oil, cloth, coal and other items."
"I will set the price, but I will limit the amount each person can buy."
"I'm entrusting this matter to you."
Just listening to it, Shangguan Haitang felt the terrifying interests and enormous power involved.
At the same time, this measure will also benefit the entire Ming Dynasty, especially the most ordinary people.
At this moment, Shangguan Haitang was deeply moved when she heard Zhu Houzhao entrust her with the entire responsibility for this matter.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your trust!"
Before he could finish speaking, Zhu Houzhao became somewhat unruly again.
"Um... Your Majesty..."