The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Chapter 143: Chapter 143: The Thief Who Overindulges in Eating and Stealing

After a few rounds of drinks, Shen Qing looked at the empty plates and rubbed his belly, feeling quite pained.

Whether it was the wine or the food, Zhong Kookoo had eaten quite a lot, yet he himself hadn’t had much, it was truly a loss.

”Lord Zhong, in your opinion, what are the chances of the tea horse market reopening?” Shen Qing asked.

Zhong Chengsong, having eaten and drunk to his heart’s content, looked at Shen Qing’s sincere expression and then at the empty plates. Well, so be it.

”Who submitted the memorial? You still don’t get it?”

Shen Qing was taken aback.

Song Zhiqing, the Deputy Magistrate of Datong, is actually the prime minister’s younger brother.

”You thought of it, right? That the Deputy Magistrate dared to submit the memorial, do you think he did it on his own? Would Prime Minister Song not know? And Prime Minister Song, he’s the Emperor’s favored one. So, who do you think initiated the idea of this memorial?”

Shen Qing showed an expression of realization. He had thought of it too, but the closure of the market was the former emperor’s wish, and now the Emperor wants to reopen it, which would go against the former emperor’s will and be considered unfilial, so he hadn’t dared to think that way.

But now, with Zhong Chengsong’s words, he dared to think about it.

Indeed, the Emperor himself didn’t take the initiative to speak, but wasn’t there anyone among his ministers to act on his behalf? Especially Prime Minister Song.

Prime Minister Song, from a poor family, was trusted and valued by the Emperor from the start. Over the years of the Emperor’s reign, wherever the Emperor pointed, he went, even if it meant disrupting many people’s significant interests, he would charge forward without hesitation, even at the cost of being badly hurt. He could be said to be the most loyal henchman, or rather, a loyal minister.

The Emperor wanted to reopen the market, and hinting this to Prime Minister Song, was merely a matter of giving the slightest hint. It wasn’t difficult at all.

”So, reopening the market is indeed imperative.” Shen Qing said, tapping the table.

Zhong Chengsong thought to himself, of course, not only is the Ministry of Revenue short on money, but so is the Emperor.

In recent years, the imperial allocations have been disbursed one after another with no clear destination, but he knew the Emperor had diverted them, and also knew what the Emperor used them for.

The current Emperor has grand ambitions; he wants to build an invincible army of ten thousand, well-equipped, with excellent warhorses, answerable only to the Emperor.

And the best and most superior horses are on the grasslands.

Alas, knowing too much is not a good thing.

Zhong Chengsong drank the last drop of wine in his cup and laughed, ”Thank you for hosting today, Lord Shen. My wife wants me to go home early to discuss matters, so I’ll take my leave first.”

Shen Qing stood up, smiling and cupped his hands. After he left, he was still thinking about the market. Well, if that’s the case, he should also open a couple of shops near the Datong border in advance. After all, as the children are growing up, they will soon be marrying, and that costs quite a bit.

”Shopkeeper, bill, please.”

The shopkeeper fiddled with the abacus for a bit, then said with a smile, ”Lord Shen, the total is forty taels of silver.”

Shen Qing swayed: ”No, how much did you say?”

”Forty taels.”

”Outrageous, how dare you blatantly rob even a court official?” Shen Qing was angry. Clearly, twenty taels should have sufficed, so how did it double?

The shopkeeper smiled apologetically, ”Lord Zhong, who was dining with you, also took away a flask of Qing Zhu wine, a pound of marinated beef, and half a pound of crispy fried garlic peanuts, saying to put them on your tab.”

Shen Qing: ”...”

Good grief, this Zhong Kookoo is really shameless, taking advantage of the situation, this is too much!

Zhong Chengsong sat in his own carriage, pulled the cork from the Qing Zhu wine, sniffed it, and then closed it again, ”Hey, I did provide an inside scoop, a bit of takeaway isn’t too much. Once your shops open, you’ll earn it back.”