Chapter 2571 - 2545: Good Friends

"Princess Changyu is spending her own money, and only through transactions can items become commodities," Manbao said. "When Princess Changyu has a meal, the restaurant earns money, the chef and the staff earn money, the farmers who grow the vegetables and the people who raise chickens and ducks all earn money. These people are common people; have they not benefited?"

The emperor nodded repeatedly.

Manbao continued, "However, it is also right for Your Majesty and the Queen to recommend thriftiness and to reject luxury. What should be rejected is roasted bear paws, colorful silk garments, and wearing jade worth a thousand gold. When the nobility acquire items at prices lower than their value, that is competing with the people for interests. But what Princess Changyu enjoys are merely foods that wealthy households can also afford; how is that luxurious? Let alone competing with the people."

The emperor nodded repeatedly, wishing he could nod even more if it weren’t for the need for decorum.

Many people expressed their agreement, and thus some began to speak in defense of Princess Changyu.

Wei Zhi stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, nowadays the world is peaceful, and the people live happily, with the price of a dou of rice having decreased from fifteen wen to twelve wen, and after last autumn, ten wen. Those who own land can already fill their bellies. Therefore, the people of the world should accumulate wealth, and I propose that some state capitals be chosen to waive the tax on goods entering the city for a fixed period."

The emperor found it feasible and asked for opinions from other ministers.

Lord Tang, after thinking for a moment, said, "It is possible, but a notice should be issued one month in advance, ordering censors in various places to strictly investigate, and government clerks must not take the opportunity to enrich themselves. Otherwise, the loss of the state’s treasury would only fill the pockets of small officials, which would be unseemly."

Minister of Revenue: ...Did you guys get my agreement for the tax reduction?

However, after careful consideration, he stepped forward and said, "I suggest that the capital, Yongzhou, Taiyuan, Zhengzhou, Ezhou, Jingzhou, and Yizhou can all be included in this list."

Everyone looked at the Minister of Revenue, inwardly exclaiming, "Whoa, aren’t you a bit too fast, sweeping through all key routes from the north, east, and south?"

How many merchants will flow into the capital and Yongzhou?

Censor Chen’s face darkened for a moment and silently retreated.

Manbao also quietly returned to her spot, sitting cross-legged on her small seat, listening to their debate on the new topic. But weren’t they supposed to end the court session soon?

Due to Wei Zhi’s proposal, the grand court session was extended by half an hour before it officially ended. When Manbao got up, she was so hungry she didn’t want to move.

Lord Tang was even hungrier, so he glanced at Zhou Man and left.

Manbao ignored him, stepped forward to support Mr. Zhuang, and softly said, "You are getting older; next time, you can just take leave and not come."

Older officials can request long leaves from attending the grand court session. After all, they usually don’t speak, and the Ministry of Personnel generally doesn’t force them to attend.

As for Bai Shan, he wasn’t part of their group.

As a Hanlin Academician, he was busiest at this time, sorting the documents submitted by various departments with his colleagues. Except for encrypted documents, they had to skim through all the others and then prioritize them for the emperor.

Once sorted, they do not immediately give them to the emperor. Some documents are sent straight to the Hanlin Senior Scholar to first provide a handling opinion before presenting them to the emperor...

So when Bai Shan learned about what happened at the grand court session, it was already lunchtime.

Today’s grand court session was especially long, and when the emperor reached the study, Bai Shan received the news, stuffed a pastry in his mouth, and grabbed the documents to be reviewed by the emperor to find him.

It was his turn to be on duty in front of the emperor today.

Upon reaching the study, Bai Shan received a lunch reward from the emperor. During the meal, he learned that Manbao had argued with a Censor over Princess Changyu at the grand court session.

Bai Erlang quickly found out about it too. In the imperial city, the affairs of the grand court session could never remain a secret.

After learning about it, his first thought was that he and Mingda must make more friends so that if they were ever impeached, someone would speak up for them.

Otherwise, being convicted without a chance to struggle seems overly harsh.

So Bai Erlang thought to especially strengthen his friendship with Bai Shan and Zhou Man. It seemed they had been in less contact lately. Yes, he should send them more wild game in the future.

Princess Changyu, because of this incident, who wasn’t originally interested in their new road trip, eagerly joined them the next day.

As soon as they met, Princess Changyu embraced Zhou Man and sobbed, "Zhou Man, I’m glad I treated you to so many meals. Next time you want to eat something, tell me, and I will treat you."

Manbao asked, "Princess, haven’t your cooks captured your taste buds yet?"

Wei Yu, standing aside, was quite helpless. He couldn’t understand why Changyu enjoyed eating outside so much, especially when the cooks at home made delicious food too.

Changyu replied, "They do well enough; I’ve already been eating out very little lately. That Censor Chen is too much, only looking at the surface. Humph, during those twenty-one days, I only had lunch outside. Do I have to rush home for a meal when shopping in the afternoon? Naturally, I’d find the nearest place to eat."

Manbao could understand this and nodded repeatedly, then asked, "How did you manage to go shopping every day for twenty-one days?"

Changyu said, "My shop is about to open, so I need to go out more often to see how other shops run and what they sell for reference."

After all, she was doing legitimate work, wasn’t she?

Wei Yu could testify to this, nodding repeatedly. Actually, this month, Changyu was much better than in February. At least when he came home from his office each day, they had dinner at home, only occasionally going to a street stall for a late-night snack.

Thinking about the first month of their marriage, when she woke up in the morning, she’d rather ride a carriage to two streets away for a wide noodle dish than eat the meticulously prepared breakfast at the princess’s mansion...

Apparently, even though the food at the princess’s mansion was tastier and more delicate, she insisted the wide noodles had better texture, so much so that she didn’t need lunch.

Then she would go for lamb肉泡馍 for lunch.

Wei Yu glanced at his wife and shook his head slightly.

Manbao curiously asked, "Have you prepared all the goods for your shop?"

Changyu said, "Only about half. I’ve also talked to your niece, and she’s agreed to sell her ointments and creams in my Treasure Pavilion. In the future, she won’t open any shops in New City or even in Yongzhou City."

She said, "I’m currently negotiating with the merchants from Shu to provide me with a batch of Shu brocade, which will also be sold in Treasure Pavilion."

With her head slightly raised, she proudly said, "In the future, the items sold here may not be unique, but will certainly be rare and hard to find anywhere else. Isn’t that what makes it a Treasure Pavilion?"

Manbao asked in bewilderment, "Do you make a profit?"

"Of course," Princess Changyu said confidently, "I’ve asked your niece to change the bottle designs for the ointments and creams she sells me, doubling the price compared to your sales in the East Market, rest assured, we won’t lose money."

Manbao: ...For the same product, who’d be foolish enough to buy it at a doubled price?