novelraw Chapter 212
Chapter 212
Ye Chutang looked at the childish Sun Chu and gave him a thumbs up.
"Very impressive. The Wuji Sect lives in seclusion; how did you come up with these things?"
Sun Chu's face stiffened for a moment. He raised his hand and twirled his index finger next to his head.
He laughed it off and said, "Maybe I just have a talent for business."
Ye Chutang looked at the guilty-looking Sun Chu and asked again, "You said your wealth could rival a nation. You must be running more than just a gambling house, right?"
Sun Chu's face regained its smile.
He said smugly, "Of course. Food, drink, and entertainment are all my channels for gathering wealth."
It was a pity that his literary skills were poor, he didn't understand traditional Chinese medicine, and he couldn't find professional managers, so he couldn't get into education or healthcare.
He missed out on these two most profitable industries!
Thinking of this, he said, "I will give you all the silver and properties I've earned over the years. You give me the antidote and set me free, okay?"
Money could be earned again if it was gone.
But having one's life held in someone else's hands felt terrible!
Ye Chutang cast a sidelong glance at Sun Chu and asked, "Taking your properties will let me reach the pinnacle of life?"
Sun Chu was speechless.
He was screwed.
Earlier, in order to escape the dungeon, he had boasted a bit too much.
He forced a stiff smile, his words losing their confidence.
"Isn't becoming the richest person in the Beichen Kingdom reaching the pinnacle of life?"
Ye Chutang wagged her finger.
"My maternal grandfather's family was once the wealthiest in Jiangnan. With a single word from the emperor, they were ruined and lost everything."
"A regional richest person can't compare to the richest in the entire country!"
"No matter how much wealth you have, it can't match the government's massive army. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been caught, right?"
Sun Chu, having his weak spot exposed, coughed awkwardly.
"That's true. If you want to remain invincible, wealth and power are both indispensable."
After saying that, he asked in a low voice, "So, the Qi family is going to rebel, and you want to become the Empress?"
Ye Chutang looked at the bustling and noisy casino, her pink lips parting.
"Who do you think stands above all the people in the current Beichen Kingdom?"
Sun Chu instinctively wanted to say the Emperor.
But when those words reached his lips, he changed his mind.
"Eunuch De."
In the entire Beichen Kingdom, except for the royal family who refused to admit it, everyone knew that the eunuchs held the power.
"Madam Qi wants to become an existence like Eunuch De?"
Ye Chutang nodded frankly.
"Something like that. As long as Young Master Chu is obedient and helps me reach the pinnacle of life, I will give you the antidote and let you go."
Sun Chu didn't mind helping Ye Chutang make money, but he didn't want to get involved in political struggles.
"Umm..."
"If you refuse, you will never escape the control of the poison for the rest of your life."
The threatening words successfully made Sun Chu swallow his refusal.
"The manager is in the backyard, let's go over."
The backyard was divided into three parts.
The kitchen, the office area, and the dormitory.
After Ye Chutang looked around, she felt even more that keeping Sun Chu by her side was the right choice.
He had already put into practice a business model suitable for ancient times. Cooperating with him would make making money much easier.
The manager was a chubby middle-aged man. The moment he saw Sun Chu, he burst into tears.
"Master, where have you been this past year?"
Sun Chu recalled the miserable year and waved his hand with an ugly expression.
"Let's not talk about it."
Raising his hand tugged at his wound, making him grimace in pain.
The manager quickly wiped away his tears and asked with concern, "Master, what happened to you?"
"I suffered some injuries. This is my savior, Ye Chutang. This gambling house will belong to her from now on."
The manager knew who Ye Chutang was. He immediately knelt on one knee and bowed to her.
"Your subordinate, Wu Kui, greets the Master."
His life was saved by Sun Chu.
Whatever Sun Chu said went; he just followed orders.
Ye Chutang didn't expect the manager to acknowledge her as his master so directly. She thought highly of Sun Chu's leadership skills.
"Rise. How are the profits of the gambling house?"
Wu Kui stood up and said, "The daily cash flow of the Qianjin Gambling House is around twenty thousand taels. After deducting all expenses, the net profit is close to one thousand taels."
Although the profit margin was low, the prices were fair and the service was good, making the business very stable.
Calculated over a year, it was also a massive fortune.
Ye Chutang didn't think it was a small amount of money and nodded in satisfaction.
"Not bad. A gambling house is a mixed bag of people and an excellent place to gather intelligence. Make good use of it in the future."
Wu Kui said respectfully, "Master, your subordinate has always been gathering intelligence."
It was just that Sun Chu was a man of the martial world and wasn't interested in intelligence. Although it was collected, it was never used.
"Manager, you should know who I am. Use the profits from the gambling house to secretly do two things for me."
"Please give your orders, Master."
"Buy rations and winter clothing, the more the better."
Wu Kui knew what this meant and glanced at Sun Chu.
Sun Chu glared at him. "Why are you looking at me? Madam Qi is your master now. Do whatever she tells you to do."
Wu Kui bowed to Ye Chutang. "Your subordinate obeys."
Ye Chutang looked at Sun Chu. "Establish the intelligence network. If there are any major events related to the people's livelihood and the nation, have your people report to you in a timely manner."
For Sun Chu, this was just a matter of writing a few letters.
He readily agreed, "Alright."
He was already on the pirate ship. If he wanted to keep his little life, he had to listen to Ye Chutang.
Before leaving the gambling house, Ye Chutang instructed Wu Kui.
"Secretly send the purchased rations and clothing to Tianshan Commandery. Send as much as possible before the heavy snow falls."
"Yes, Master. How should your subordinate contact you in the future?"
"Contact Young Master Chu directly."
Seeing that Sun Chu didn't object, Wu Kui immediately agreed.
"Your subordinate obeys."
Ye Chutang and Sun Chu left the gambling house.
"I'm going to buy some things. You go do your business, and we'll meet up later at the largest restaurant in Bingzhou."
She knew that Sun Chu had other properties in Bingzhou.
Having disappeared for a year, he needed to visit all his properties to prevent his subordinates from developing disloyal intentions.
"Alright, see you later."
After saying that, Sun Chu left.
He had to go check on his inns, wineries, and restaurants, and audit the accounts.
Ye Chutang actually didn't have much to buy. The things the commoners had given her were enough for the time being.
She mainly wanted to go to the pawnshop to exchange some jewelry she had collected earlier for silver.
In the barren northern lands, silver was much more useful than jewelry.
She found a deserted place and changed her disguise.
Ye Chutang visited all the pawnshops in Bingzhou and exchanged for nearly thirty thousand taels in banknotes and silver.
After pawning the items, she changed back into her original clothes.
Along the street, she bought some snacks and daily necessities.
When she arrived at the Wanggui Restaurant, Sun Chu was already there.
Wanggui Restaurant was a property of the Wanneng Sect, and it also represented Sun Chu's constant longing to return home.
Every commandery and prefecture north of the capital had a Wanggui Restaurant.
Sun Chu smiled at Ye Chutang and said, "This restaurant is mine. There are many dishes you have definitely never tried before. Come in and have a taste."
A look of anticipation appeared on Ye Chutang's face, and she strode into the Wanggui Restaurant.
It had been a long time since she had eaten modern dishes, and she missed them a bit.
But when she saw the dishes on the table, she shook her head in disappointment.
The names of the dishes were fine, but the actual food was a different story.
After all, ancient vegetables weren't as abundant as modern ones; there were only a few varieties that went back and forth.
Fortunately, the taste wasn't bad, and there was some resemblance in spirit.
Ye Chutang had some dietary restrictions after getting pregnant, so she didn't eat very much.
After eating, Sun Chu had the restaurant deliver eleven tables of fine dishes to the post station.
Ten tables were reserved for the National Guard, and one for the Qi family.
On their way back to the inn, the two of them bought a few more items, leaving their hands completely laden with parcels.
As they passed by the rice shop, they encountered a crowd of commoners causing a disturbance.