Font Size:
If it weren’t for her concern about the relationship between those people and Su Yu, she wouldn’t have cared about them at all. Moreover, after spending a long time with Yin Fan and the others, she had become curious about Forget Sorrow City and was no longer as afraid of the people there.
“Then, thank you, Madam,” Su Yu said with a smile.
Qi Ming watched Su Yu and Wang Jinhe chatting and laughing as if no one else could enter their world. He had experienced a similar feeling when he first met Su Yu. It seemed like they had endless conversations, and every time they met, Su Yu would share the latest happenings with him. But now, that kind of treatment had been given to another woman, and he had lost everything. This realization left Qi Ming in a very bad mood.
He truly was a fickle and confused person.
It’s not surprising that he would do such a thing. All of this is Su Yu’s fault. If Su Yu hadn’t abandoned him in the deep mountains, nearly costing him his life, he wouldn’t have treated Su Yu with such an attitude. He also wouldn’t have let Yang Shanshan and the others completely ruin Su Yu.
The guard standing beside Qi Ming watched as his expression changed, his eyes flashing slightly. He looked at Su Yu with an impassive expression, thinking that the prince didn’t need someone who could distract him. The prince’s goal was grand ambitions, not romantic entanglements, even if the other party was a man.
Thinking back to Qi Ming’s earlier inquiries, the guard saw the murderous look in Su Yu’s eyes. It seemed that Su Yu was someone who couldn’t be left alone.
As the guard considered what to do, King Zhenbei spoke up, “Prince Yu, how about providing me with five hundred Jars of this wine?”
King Zhenbei’s words instantly quieted the lively banquet. Many of the people present had business dealings with Su Yu, especially the Ming family, and they were familiar with the rules of Su Yu and his wife.
Now, King Zhenbei was asking for five hundred jars with just one word. It was unclear how the prince and his party would respond.
Su Yu calmly spoke up, “No.”
“Are you refusing me?” the King Zhenbei asked.
“Yes, you heard me right. I am refusing you. Even my royal brother didn’t ask me for five hundred jars of wine. Are you more esteemed than my royal brother?” Su Yu looked at King Zhenbei with a smile that seemed to be a challenge.
To King Zhenbei, that smile was a provocation, as if asking him if he dared to say so.
King Zhenbei remained silent. Su Yu’s question was a trap. If he dared to claim that he was more esteemed than Xuan Feiran, it would be an act of great disrespect. Then, he would have no excuse to oppose whatever Xuan Feiran wanted to do.
“Why so quiet, King Zhenbei?”
“Are you refusing to do business, King Yu?”
“I don’t need the money from selling wine,” Su Yu said calmly, as if the money from these five hundred jars of wine meant nothing to him.
However, the fact remained that Su Yu indeed did not lack the money for five hundred jars of wine. He and Wang Jinhe now earned over ten million a year, and his business ventures in other countries were even more lucrative. The wine he kept for personal use fetched an exorbitant price when sold outside.
When the cargo ships returned, they should bring back many exotic items for Wang Jinhe.
“That’s quite the audacity,” the King Zhenbei remarked.
“Do you envy the fact that I have more money than the national treasury?” Su Yu asked the King Zhenbei with a smile.
Xuan Feiran looked at Su Yu with a wry smile, shaking his head helplessly. “Xiao Yu, at least leave me some face.”
“Don’t worry, royal brother. I’ll make sure you live a life of luxury and indulgence in the future,” Su Yu said earnestly.
Wang Jinhe couldn’t help but feel that Su Yu’s words were a bit strange. It didn’t sound like something he would say.
Seeing Wang Jinhe staring at him intently, Su Yu’s eyes twinkled with a smile. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I think you have ulterior motives,” Wang Jinhe said in a low voice, audible only to the two of them.
“I’ll explain it to you when we get back. It’s not convenient to talk about it now,” Su Yu said.
Wang Jinhe nodded without saying anything.
On the other hand, Xuan Feiran couldn’t help but smile. This time, Xiao Yu’s return would bring him tens of thousands of taels in profits. His private treasury would be quite filled, and he had heard that Xiao Yu’s men had already gone to Persia to trade goods from this side. When they returned, there would be even more profits to share. He wasn’t particularly concerned about this, especially since Xiao Yu had mentioned that in the future, in the event of war or similar situations, he would take care of the provisions and medicinal herbs. This would significantly reduce his burden. With the high-yield crops that Xiao He had cultivated, even if there were droughts in the next few years, the people would still have surplus food and wouldn’t go hungry.
“What about your mother?” Xuan Feiran asked.
“Of course, my mother will have her share,” Su Yu said generously. Since the Empress Dowager had acknowledged him as his adopted son, she had been very kind to him whenever he was in the capital, even better than Yang Shanshan had been to him when he was young. This allowed him to truly experience what maternal love was.
This kind of affection made him somewhat hopeful, but more importantly, it made him cherish it. The ministers had long been accustomed to the interaction between Xuan Feiran and Su Yu, but some people were not used to it.
“How can a prince’s wealth surpass that of the national treasury? What has he done? And the Emperor isn’t worried at all?” King Yan spoke in a sarcastic tone.
Since Su Yu had just embarrassed him in front of so many people, he naturally wouldn’t let Su Yu off easily. He wanted to see if the relationship between Su Yu and Xuan Feiran was truly as good as it seemed.
However, the Prime Minister, who had insight into King Yan’s thoughts, rolled his eyes in disdain. What was he even talking about? The Emperor had already allowed the Prince to sit on the Dragon Throne and sleep on the Dragon Bed as he pleased. With such a good relationship, how could King Yan’s few words sow discord?
“King Yan, that’s not right. Even though the prince earns money, it’s all due to his own abilities. Besides, the prince has already stated that in the event of future wars, he will provide provisions and medicinal herbs for the army of one hundred thousand, free of charge. Do you think that’s not money? It’s not just waste paper,” the Prime Minister said.
“That’s right. The prince earns money precisely to ensure that there will be enough funds for provisions and medicinal herbs in the event of future wars,” another minister chimed in.
King Yan’s face turned extremely ugly. He never expected Su Yu to make such a decision. He glanced at Xuan Feiran, who wore a gentle smile on his face, and suddenly understood that Xuan Feiran had unconditional trust in Su Yu. His earlier words had been completely disregarded.
“King Yan, if you want to sow discord between me and the Emperor, make sure you understand the situation before speaking. Otherwise, you’ll just be making a fool of yourself and embarrassing yourself, don’t you think?” Su Yu said.
The people from Ling Empire and Qi Empire remained silent while enjoying the spectacle.
Seeing Su Yu offend two princes in one night, Qi Ming seemed to have found a way to deal with Su Yu.
King Chen smiled and spoke up, “Prince Yu, it seems that the soldiers of Xuan Empire will be fortunate in the future.”
Having someone who prepares provisions and medicinal herbs before the war even begins, ensuring that they have no worries, is exactly what soldiers want to see before heading into battle.