Chapter 497
The Minister of Finance, the Minister of Revenue, threw the question out into the room.
He then turned his gaze toward the King of Southern Town.
The King of Southern Town nodded slightly and said, “Matters of state are no trifling matter; military pay must not be touched.”
The members of the royal family had no need to speak.
The ships for Bei Feng were already built; would they really dismantle them all and sell them off?
At that moment, the Minister of Rites seemed to have a solution ready. He said, “Why not do this: we can invite wealthy merchants to sponsor the event. They can fund our grand gathering.”
“When the time comes, they’ll gain fame, and we won’t have to spend a dime. Isn’t that a win-win?”
“Hey, Minister Song, you really are a genius!”
Thus, the entire court unanimously approved the plan.
The Emperor Jing Tai had no reason to refuse; he picked up the seal of the Eight Directions and stamped it.
That very day, an edict was issued to the world, summoning the renowned women from the Hundred Flowers List to the capital and sincerely inviting sponsors with generous terms.
In no time, the wealthiest of the land flocked to the call.
After all, serving the court could also grant them a title without real power.
One should not underestimate the power of this condition.
From then on, no matter what the matter was, as long as it bore the title of “serving the court,” it would be justified and sanctioned by imperial authority.
As summer approached.
In the capital, a unique “bidding conference” had unfolded, presided over by the Ministry of Rites, with officials from the Ministry of Revenue gathered together with wealthy merchants who could move mountains with their money.
Representatives from the four major trading houses were all present.
Among them was the familiar face of Sun Gui from the Hengtong Trading Company.
There was also the Qingmu Society, famous for selling medicinal herbs; one in every three pills in the world came from their hands, and their representative was a master of alchemy.
Of course, some who appeared to be representatives of the Qingmu Society were actually the leader of the Blood Refining Hall...
The other two were the Money Gang and the Caishen Bank.
The aroma of tea wafted through the air as the merchants sipped their drinks, waiting for the officials to emerge.
“Brother Sun, long time no see! I didn’t expect you to be transferred to the capital; your fortune must be on the rise,” said the leader of the Blood Refining Hall, dressed in blue and without his half-mask.
“Just lucky to have met a benefactor. But what about you, Brother Lu? It seems you have a bright future in alchemy,” Sun Gui replied, his face breaking into a smile.
Brother Lu glanced at the bustling merchants and whispered, “So many have come, yet they’re all just here for show. In my opinion, the only ones truly capable of securing the court’s favor are your wealthy Caishen.”
Hearing the probing tone, Sun Gui quickly replied, “I’m just lucky; the benefactor who helped me is the real Caishen. Unfortunately, he’s not here today.”
“Oh? Now you’ve piqued my curiosity. Who is this esteemed person?”
Sun Gui was just about to speak when, at that moment, a low-key bronze carriage pulled up at the entrance, standing out starkly among the ostentatious carriages.
Everyone was taken aback, and then they saw several figures step out of the carriage, all wearing sunglasses, looking cool and aloof.
If only a theme song from a heist movie could play in the background, it would be quite fitting.
And the leader among them...
“Li Laodi?!”
Chapter 559: I’m Really Good at This!
“What’s he doing here?”
The Blood Refining Hall leader, surnamed Lu, was momentarily stunned.
Before he could react, Sun Gui had already risen to greet him, offering tea with a face full of flattering smiles.
“My Caishen! What brings you here?”
“Family matters, state affairs, and worldly matters—I naturally have to lend a hand,” Li Mo replied, taking a sip of the tea.
What else could he be here for? Of course, he was here to invest!
How much return could one expect from an event hosted by the Da Yu court?
Strangely enough, many of the beauties on the Hundred Flowers List recognized him.
“Ah? Then we at Hengtong Trading won’t get involved. If you need anything, just say the word. We can help with people, but we don’t have any money to spare,” Sun Gui decisively backed off.
Li Mo smiled at him and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Manager Sun. I actually do need your help with something.”
At the scene, the wealthy merchants had never seen such a spectacle.
Little Li was now a household name across the land.
But the crowd’s understanding of him was limited to a prodigy, a young genius, and someone who truly brought good fortune to his wife...
What did Sun Gui mean by calling him Caishen?
They would soon find out...
“Ahem, everyone, hosting the Hundred Flowers Gathering is a matter of national importance, and it must be grand and prosperous. This is no small sum, so I hope everyone is prepared.”
“I, the Money Gang, will contribute two hundred thousand taels of silver!”
“The Caishen Bank will contribute three hundred thousand taels and cover all the necessary items for the event!”
“The Qingmu Society will provide ten bottles of seven-pattern spirit pills, and several fairies who are unwilling to participate in the gathering are willing to lend their talents to the event as a favor to the Qingmu Society.”
“Hengtong Trading will... uh... follow whatever Li Laodi decides.”
Sun Gui played with his sunglasses, clearly enjoying himself.
The crowd was puzzled, unsure of what Hengtong Trading was up to, and they all turned to the young man beside Sun Gui.
Brother Lu held his tea, looking up at the stage.
The rights to host the event must be firmly in hand; otherwise, it would lead to many troubles.
No matter how much the other side offered later, he would...
Li Mo seriously held up two fingers and made a peace sign.
“What does this mean, Young Master Li?”
The Minister of Rites had just exchanged glances with Brother Lu, confirming their prior agreement.
No matter how much Li Mo offered, he could still...
“Double it.”
“Hmm? Double what?”
“Double the total of those three families combined.”
“....... What?!”
This unique “bidding conference” reached an unexpectedly swift conclusion.
A group of merchants, who usually boasted wealth rivaling nations, left the venue feeling a bit dazed, never having imagined they could be overwhelmed by money to the point of dizziness.
Doubling it, and doubling it for all three together—such strange and cold words.
Of course, it wasn’t just them who felt the pressure; it was also Lu Ziqing, the leader of the Blood Refining Hall and representative of the Qingmu Society.
When Li Mo’s mountain of gold crashed down, he knew that even with his connections to the Minister of Rites, he was powerless to change the outcome.
The offer was simply too generous.
Who on earth uses “seats” as a unit for gold?
Aren’t you afraid of devaluing the gold you give away?
........
In the evening, the Biyun Tower by the Jing River was ablaze with lights.
Logically, after the Qianlong Conference, this place should have been much quieter, with the young talents returning to their homes.
Yet, it was still unusually lively.
“Hey, Brother Bai, Brother Cao, Brother Wu, weren’t you all heading back to Yunzhou?” Xiao Qin was taken aback when he saw the sword-wielding guests from Jiancheng returning.
“I suddenly feel that the scenery of the capital is so beautiful, yet I haven’t seen it all. It would be a shame to leave,” Wu Chushu said, hands behind his back.
Bai Jinghong clicked his tongue, looking at him in disbelief.
Cao Mu shook his head and said, “We were about to leave, but as soon as we reached the gate, Wu Chushu saw the notice at the city gate and refused to go.”
“What notice?”
“The Hundred Flowers Gathering.”
“Ah? Then I won’t leave either.”
Murong Xiao silently set down his luggage, realizing that his weak point still needed more training.
Of course, he wasn’t alone.
Upon hearing the news of the Hundred Flowers Gathering, many young heroes who had been preparing to leave the capital turned back, quietly returning to their seats.
At that moment, Li Mo returned, accompanied by Zhong Zhenyue.
He seemed to be in a rather sour mood.
Sitting at the table, he gulped down a few cups of tea, still unable to make sense of it all.
He was investing in the Da Yu Dynasty, and there was the Hundred Flowers Gathering, right?
But why did the system’s investment feedback read...
“Congratulations, host, you have successfully invested in the Minister of Rites, Song Baiyue...”
“Congratulations, host, you have successfully invested in the Deputy Minister of Rites...”
“Congratulations, host, you have successfully invested in the Minister of Revenue...”
Why were all the investment feedbacks about the officials present at the scene?
This question had left Little Li in silence until now.
It seemed that relying on those officials to get things done was not very reliable, yet he had already taken on the burden of the gathering...
It was still better to rely on his own people.
“Brother Li, you just got back. Why don’t we hold off on returning to Ziyang Mansion for now?” Xiao Qin said, looking exasperated.
He didn’t mind, but his teacher had been nagging him in his ear.
Li Mo nodded and said, “Yeah, let’s not head back just yet. There’s still the Hundred Flowers Gathering.”
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