Chapter 45: Bringing You Along to Make Money

"Old Qin, what on earth are we doing here?" Ma Yingze could no longer contain his impatience and pressed him once more.

Seeing that there were fewer people around, Qin Hao smiled and said, "I'm taking you to make a fortune."

"Ah!"

Both Ma Yingze and Zhao Guangnian were startled.

"Don't 'ah'. I'm truly taking you to make a massive fortune—enough for you both to shower the Wind and Moon Pavilion with gold until you shatter its roof." Qin Hao laughed, wrapping his arms around their shoulders as he walked forward.

"Old Qin, are you serious?" Ma Yingze was thrilled.

Zhao Guangnian still wore a look of utter disbelief, feeling as though Qin Hao were spinning some absurd fairy tale.

"No need to be surprised. I'll draw up a contract shortly."

"Besides, even between true brothers, accounts must be kept clear. The two of you will also need to put up money."

"Li Qingyao—ah, that is to say, the Grand Princess—contributed one thousand taels for a fifty percent share. Each of you will take a ten percent share, requiring two hundred taels per person."

Ma Yingze immediately chimed in, "Since the Grand Princess is investing, I'm in."

Zhao Guangnian pondered for a moment with a smile. "Brother Qin, although I don't know what you plan to do, if I invest more, can I secure a larger share?"

Qin Hao grinned broadly. "Old Zhao, you're certainly clever, but this isn't up to me alone. Even if I agreed, the Princess certainly wouldn't."

"In this venture, the Princess holds a fifty percent monopoly, I hold twenty percent, my teacher holds ten percent, and you and Old Ma will each hold ten percent."

"Moreover, this is a business that will mint grand fortunes."

"If I get the chance to meet His Majesty, I even intend to gift him a ten percent share."

"You must understand, following the leadership means you will never have to worry about food and drink."

Qin Hao had planned all of this right from the start.

To achieve great development, one had to follow the most powerful backer.

And who was the greatest backer in the Da Jing Dynasty if not the reigning Emperor?

Regardless of future developments or matters of public livelihood, the support of His Majesty the Emperor was indispensable.

Hearing these words, Zhao Guangnian's eyes shone brightly. "Brother Qin, profound."

And so, the group set about executing Qin Hao's plan.

First, Qin Hao visited bamboo carving shops and ceramic workshops to commission utensils of a specific shape.

Meanwhile, Ma Yingze and Zhao Guangnian followed Qin Hao's instructions to purchase massive quantities of distiller's grains and some higher-grade grain spirits.

The two hired six carriages and arrived at the designated rendezvous point set by Qin Hao.

Qin Hao promptly purchased the six carriages and enlisted Wu Tong to help.

Under Wu Tong's leadership, the servants transported the distiller's grains and wine back to the Princess's Manor.

These would be needed later.

Afterward, Qin Hao and the other two went off to the Wind and Moon Pavilion to enjoy themselves.

As for the silver spent today, it didn't even total three hundred taels.

This was something Qin Hao hadn't anticipated.

Thus, Qin Hao was forced into a net profit of eleven hundred taels.

Originally, tonight's trip to the Wind and Moon Pavilion was supposed to be Ma Yingze's treat.

But since Qin Hao had made a profit, it was his treat tonight.

Besides, Ma Yingze's expenses had indeed been heavy lately.

Having finished his investment, he only had a few hundred taels of silver left in his possession.

As for his earlier boast about using money to shower the top courtesan, that had merely been drunken bravado.

Even the Grand Princess's Manor was strapped for cash, let alone the martial household of Ma Yingze.

Furthermore, Qin Hao had a purpose in visiting the Wind and Moon Pavilion tonight.

He needed to write some lines and teach them to Miss Mei and Miss Xue.

Both of them were the reigning headlining courtesans of the Wind and Moon Pavilion, and later on, when they started selling the wine, they would still need the two women's currently soaring popularity.

Inside the Wind and Moon Pavilion.

Miss Mei and Miss Xue had originally been bitterly disappointed, resigning themselves to spending the night alone in empty rooms.

Who could have expected Qin Hao to return so soon?

The two women immediately rushed in excitement toward the private parlor where Qin Hao was staying.

Upon seeing Qin Hao, they pounced into his arms with a speed that outstripped dogs chasing game.

Qin Hao was instantly greeted by a wave of fragrant perfume and arms filled with warmth, his body naturally growing warm and restless.

Anyone faced with two such alluring courtesans would find it difficult to maintain self-restraint.

Yet Qin Hao was practically weeping.

The courtesans had opened their minds.

But Qin Hao had not figured it out.

His body had not fully recovered yet.

He needed to recuperate for a while longer; having meat served right to his lips yet unable to eat it was driving Qin Hao mad with anxiety.

He could only numb himself with alcohol while handing the written stories to the two beauties.

"Mei'er, Xue'er, memorize the stories I've written for you. I'll need your help with something later."

"Rest assured, it won't be for nothing; I'll reward you with silver," Qin Hao said with a smile.

Miss Mei's beautiful eyes swiveled, and she lightly tapped Qin Hao's brow with a slender, lily-white finger, scolding him coquettishly, "How vulgar to speak of money."

Miss Xue leaned forward with her bountiful chest pressing against him, wrapping her arms around Qin Hao's sleeve with an equally enchanting demeanor. "Exactly, so vulgar."

Qin Hao was astonished.

How did giving money make someone vulgar?

If anyone gave him money every single day, he would gladly be the most vulgar person in the entire world.

Qin Hao smiled, pulling one into each arm, kissing each of them on the cheek, and asking, "If you want me, tonight is simply impossible. As you know, I'm still recovering my health."

"It would certainly be best for Young Master Shen to offer himself, but we also know you're recovering your health. So, after we help you, we'd like a poem instead."

Miss Mei leaned close to Qin Hao's ear, her warm breath and intoxicating fragrance sending him into a dizzy, entranced daze.

Immediately afterward, Xue'er nodded as well. "Yes, we want poetry."

Hearing this, Qin Hao thought this was a brilliant arrangement.

There was nothing he had more of than poetry.

And it saved him money, too.

On the other side.

The Estate of the Marquis of Kaiyang.

At this very moment, Yang Suxin was keeping a close eye on everything Qin Hao was doing.

She found it all rather bizarre.

Why on earth was Qin Hao buying so much wine and distiller's grains?

Could it be that he wanted to learn how to brew alcohol?

Yang Suxin's eyes lit up.

Her very first instinct was to steer her thoughts in a direction that could spell doom for Qin Hao.

If this were true, Qin Hao brewing alcohol in private and violating the prohibition on winemaking was a capital offense punishable by beheading.

No.

She had to send people to keep a close watch on Qin Hao!

At that moment, Yang Suxin didn't even realize it herself.

Having lost face before the Grand Princess's Manor, she had become far too desperate to destroy Qin Hao.

And so...

Days passed one by one.

Three days later.

Qin Hao spent an hour each day studying essays, while the remaining time was spent tinkering with goodness-knows-what alongside Ma Yingze and Zhao Guangnian.

Yet every single night, the three of them would still visit the Wind and Moon Pavilion to put on airs of refined scholars.

On this particular day, Li Qingyao finally reached her breaking point.

She cornered Qin Hao and demanded, "When on earth are you going to start making money?!"

Qin Hao asked back in bewilderment, "Aren't I making money right now?"

Li Qingyao said angrily, "You spend money at the Wind and Moon Pavilion every single day—is that what you call making money?"

"Don't think I don't know you go to the Wind and Moon Pavilion every day!"

At the mention of this, Li Qingyao felt her blood boil. "Tell me, what does 'bright and sunny' even mean?!"

Qin Hao blinked his innocent eyes and replied, "Doesn't 'bright and sunny' just mean the weather is nice and the sun is out? What else could it mean?!"

"My foot!" Li Qingyao was so furious she even cursed aloud.

As it happened, this was right around the time Qin Hao and the other two usually departed for their frolics at the Wind and Moon Pavilion.

Seeing Qin Hao being scolded, Ma Yingze and Zhao Guangnian didn't dare approach, instead calling out from afar, "Brother Qin, it's bright and sunny!"

Just as Qin Hao was about to respond, Li Qingyao blocked him and said fiercely, "You are forbidden to answer 'partly cloudy clearing up'!"

Qin Hao obediently nodded, waved to Zhao Guangnian, and chuckled, "Brother Zhao, the radishes are meeting."

Zhao Guangnian nodded heavily. "Ah, understood!"

With that, Zhao Guangnian bowed to Li Qingyao and turned on his heel to leave.

Li Qingyao: "..."

Her mind was beginning to go numb.