Chapter 43 Big fish eats small fish

Zhu Jingjing shook his head and said, "Father, no."

Zhu Yuanzhang had his hands behind his back. His eyes seemed to be able to see into people's hearts. He was not satisfied with Zhu Jingjing's answer: "I think... someone must have bullied you!"

Empress Ma couldn't help but laugh and said, "Your Majesty, she is a little girl, so it is normal for her to have some worries. Your Majesty is good in everything, but you worry too much. You have to worry about the affairs of the nine provinces and the children at home, and you have to discipline them one by one. Even Jing'er has something on her mind, and you have to get to the bottom of it. How can you bear this?"

Zhu Yuanzhang said: "Isn't it that I can take care of as much as I can while I am still young? When I am old and can no longer take care of things, I can enjoy my old age. If you don't ask about everything now, you will worry about it in the future."

Zhu Jingjing then said, "Father, I am just thinking about one thing."

Zhu Yuanzhang sat down, and the eunuch had already poured him some tea. He held the teacup and said, "Go on, it's all right. If anyone bullies you, I'll skin him alive."

Zhu Jingjing said: "I have been wondering how much mint costs per pound."

Zhu Yuanzhang was stunned by the question. His face was stiff and he didn't react. He didn't move at all. He seemed to think for a long time before he asked, "Why are you asking these questions?"

Zhu Jingjing said: "I just want to... ask..."

Zhu Yuanzhang became curious: "Since you asked, I would like to ask too."

After that, he looked at the eunuch and ordered, "Go and ask immediately what the current market price of mint is."

The eunuch dared not neglect it and left at the speed of lightning.

By the time the eunuch came back, more than an hour had passed.

He was panting, and after entering the palace, he prostrated himself and said, "Your Majesty, the current market price of mint is between 150 and 200 coins."

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Oh, that's how it is."

He saw Zhu Jingjing's eyebrows frowned even deeper, and immediately asked: "Why, now that I have asked for the price for you, do you still have any doubts?"

Zhu Jingjing thought for a moment and said, "I just didn't expect that the price of mint would be so high."

"High?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered in his heart. It was only one or two hundred coins. How could it be so high?
Zhu Yuanzhang asked her, "So how much do you think it should be?"

Zhu Jingjing hesitated for a moment and said, "What if it's fifty cents..."

Fifty cents...

Zhu Yuanzhang was startled.

This also scared the eunuch. He found out the price by asking around, and the lowest price was about 170 coins. Doesn't this mean that he had over-reported the price?
He immediately kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I am reporting the truth and I dare not lie."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the eunuch's frightened expression and seemed to have a clue in his mind. He asked, "Fifty coins, where did you hear that fifty coins?"

Zhu Jingjing said: "I just thought, if I can get mint for fifty cents, then..."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and said, "This is not called collecting, this is called robbing!"

In a flash, he seemed to realize something and turned to Queen Ma and said, "Did Jing'er go looking for her third brother again these two days?"

Empress Ma's face froze for a moment, and she said hurriedly, "Your Majesty, it's all right, stop worrying about this."

It seemed that Zhu Yuanzhang had already gotten the answer from Empress Ma, so he said, "I knew it! What's the matter, Jing'er? Did your third brother go and steal someone else's mint?"

"No... no." Zhu Jingjing said hurriedly. She hesitated for a moment before adding, "It's just that my third brother intends to buy it at this price."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang could not help but sneer: "He is itching for trouble and wants to commit crimes again."

Zhu Jingjing said anxiously: "Father, you can't say that about my third brother. He is doing business."

Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly and said, "There is such a good business in the world, why don't others do it, but he does it? Only you are willing to be fooled by him, come here..."

"The servant is here."

Zhu Yuanzhang said coldly, "Keep an eye on that kid, Prince Jin. Oh, and Deng Qianqiu. If you see them robbing people and merchants, report it immediately." Zhu Yuanzhang was still not satisfied, and said angrily, "Today they dare to go to the streets to rob merchants, tomorrow they dare to harm the people. The day after tomorrow, I'm afraid they will have to think about my country!"

Zhu Jingjing never expected that his unintentional words would cause such a thing, and he immediately became worried.

Seeing Zhu Jingjing's worried look, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "You must not leave the inner courtyard these days, lest you go and inform your third brother. I want to see what their plan is."

Zhu Jingjing seemed to have realized that her third brother and the newly-acquainted Deng Qianqiu would probably suffer next.

But all this started because of her!

She lowered her head, her eyes slightly red, and her heart was filled with worry.

…………

These days, Zhu Gang has been very busy, like a dragon that is hard to find.

Deng Qianqiu, on the other hand, has a lot of free time, but of course, he also has his troubles.

Ever since the emperor gave him the clothes, he noticed that people around him looked at him more strangely.

But it doesn't matter. Deng Qianqiu is more concerned about the deal. The case has been concluded, and he thought the emperor would cancel the deal, but in the end, there seemed to be no movement in the palace.

Logically speaking, if the deal goes ahead, at least the 'legal person' Zhu Jingjing should withdraw his shares.

But it seems that the palace has no plans to withdraw its shares.

It was as if this incident had never happened, there was no movement at all.

This made Deng Qianqiu gradually bolder, and after making sure it was safe, he decided to go for the money.

Compared with Fengyang, Nanjing City has more business opportunities. It is a thoroughfare to the world, and this is no joke. Moreover, with Zhu Gang, it is like adding wings to a tiger.

Under step-by-step guidance, Zhu Gang began to master the tricks, and now he could negotiate business, purchase raw materials, and run a workshop with ease.

There is no other way. There is money to be made.

Zhu Gang also became wealthy and walked with great speed. In less than two months, he had changed drastically. Wherever he went, people would call out for rewards.

Seeing him like this, Deng Qianqiu couldn't help but warn him to keep a low profile and not show off his wealth.

Zhu Gang's eyes almost popped out of his head, and he shouted, "You can't show off your wealth. Are you afraid that someone will rob you? I want to see who dares to do that. I'll break his legs!"

Deng Qianqiu was helpless, but suddenly thought of something: "Your Highness, isn't your money going to be sent to the palace for safekeeping? You didn't take the money from my account, did you? We agreed that brothers should settle accounts clearly, and you can't cheat me of my money."

Zhu Gang said with a grin, "Your money, as well as the money you want to put in the palace for safekeeping, is now lying in the workshop's account book. Not a penny is missing. I am touching my sister's money."

"what……"

Zhu Gang crossed his arms and said proudly, "Without a good third brother like me, how could a pie in the sky fall on my sister? Besides, I am her third brother. What's wrong with her entrusting her money to me for safekeeping? My parents also help me keep the money."

Deng Qianqiu finally understood why Zhu Gang didn't care about the palace keeping his dividend.

It turns out the fucking details are here.

It turns out that the Zhu family are all aquatic creatures. The big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat the shrimps.

Deng Qianqiu said: "I'm afraid the princess will find out and blame me."

Zhu Gang said, "I will give 45% of my dividends to the palace in the future. Are you afraid that I won't have the money to pay her back? Besides, she is still young and she is a girl. Why should I keep the money now? If she is willing to take it, I, as her brother, will feel uneasy! I am doing this for her own good. Qianqiu, you don't have a sister, so you can't understand my feelings as a brother. I have a heavy burden on my shoulders."

Deng Qianqiu was speechless.

(End of this chapter)