I just reached the maximum level, and you want me to be a puppet emperor?

Chapter 412 Merchants are driven by profit; who would be willing to do business that offers no profit? (Please subscribe and vote with monthly tickets)
Wei Manying is truly busy dealing with these chosen ones.

Unsurprisingly, she gained a certain degree of fame in the capital.

Therefore, Wei Manying is now very careful in her actions, as many eyes are watching her, and she is not as carefree as before.

Just as I had a little free time, a maid came to report that Lord Xiao Ming had arrived.

To be honest, it's 10 a.m. now.

Wei Manying was puzzled when she saw the maid come to report at this time.

Isn't the Ministry of Justice the busiest department? They usually have a lot of official duties, so how come Xiao Ming is so free?
Lin Mo and Fang Qian were so busy they were completely disoriented, so she could only 'bother' them when they got off work. Did Xiao Ming have nothing to do during work hours?

What she didn't know was that Xiao Ming's job was to find remnants of the previous dynasty, and wasn't she one of those remnants?

So Xiao Ming wasn't exactly neglecting his work, but it didn't seem like he was actually working either.

Because of her sister's special status, it was not appropriate for her to show herself. After saying a few words, Wei Manying left the backyard to deal with Xiao Ming.

After her sister left, Wei Manping returned to the palace.

Li Chen has many concubines in his harem. If he wants to gain a foothold here, he must curry favor with some of the more favored concubines, or those with higher status in the harem.

Jiang Rong entered the palace relatively early. Due to her outstanding physical talent and shrewd and capable temperament, she held a certain position in the harem and was one of the few concubines that Wei Manping was able to come into contact with.

Upon arriving at Jiang Rong's palace, one could hear the crisp sound of a golden abacus calculating accounts, with various ledgers neatly stacked on the table.

Jiang Rong was focused on checking the accounts, her slender fingers moving quickly across the abacus, as if, apart from Li Chen, these numbers and transactions were the things she loved most in the world.

"What brings you here, little sister?" Jiang Rong looked up and gave a gentle smile.

Today she was wearing a light gold palace dress, which made her skin look as white as snow. The curves of her chest rose and fell slightly with her breath, which made Wei Manping take a second look.

Wei Manping curtsied and said, "Sister, you flatter me. I'm not a busy person at all. I have free time every day. If you need any help, I'd be happy to lend a hand."

Jiang Rong stretched, revealing her shapely figure: "Then you've come at the perfect time. Your sister manages your household, so why don't you help me with some accounts?"

She gestured for Wei Manping to sit down, and pointed to several account books on the table, saying, "Recently, there have been some problems with trade among the southern countries. Countries that used to trade with our Tian Ce Dynasty have started to raise prices. Even with government subsidies, merchants are not making much profit."

Wei Manping opened the ledger and saw detailed records of the import and export price fluctuations of commodities such as silk, tea, and porcelain.

She noted that in the past two months, prices quoted by small countries surrounding the Eternal Day Empire have generally increased by more than 30%.

"Is the Eternal Day Empire putting pressure on us?" Wei Manping asked astutely.

The Tian Ce Dynasty and the Yong Zhou Empire were not close to each other, separated by many countries.

But recently, for some reason, the two countries have started to engage in a war of words.

The arena for this game is these small southern countries.

Before leaving the capital, Li Chen instructed his court officials to handle the matter properly.

The court is full of capable people; such a trivial matter is not something Li Chen needs to handle personally.

However, some people with ulterior motives, such as the Second Prince and the Third Prince who had not given up, secretly contacted the Eternal Day Empire.

It is worth mentioning that the Prince of Zhennan has a very firm attitude towards the Yongzhou Empire. After all, he is the Prince of Zhennan, and if a war breaks out with the Yongzhou Empire, the first place to be attacked will be his territory.

He must hope that Li Chen can resolve the issue of the Eternal Day Empire.

Many people in the court were involved in this matter, and some powerful families also heard about it.

Jiang Rong nodded approvingly: "That's right. These countries are caught in the middle between two powerful nations, caught in a dilemma. If this continues, our trade routes may be cut off." She sighed softly and continued: "Merchants are profit-driven. Who would want to do business that isn't profitable?"

In Jiang Ronggang's view, his purpose in contacting various chambers of commerce to jointly develop foreign trade was to strengthen the ties between the Tian Ce Dynasty and the southern kingdoms.

Because relationships are based on interests, this applies not only to people but also to nations.

Without trade ties, there are many more bonds between countries.

Wei Manping pondered for a moment: "Sister, merchants value profit, but His Majesty is different. When His Majesty returns to the palace, he will surely handle this matter properly."

Even though she was a remnant of the previous dynasty, she still trusted Li Chen's abilities.

In other words, since Li Chen ascended to the throne, even those who hate him to death would not question his abilities and skills.

“That’s right.” Jiang Rong put away the account book and suddenly said seriously, “By the way, His Majesty will be back soon. We should hurry up and change our clothes to prepare to welcome him. We must not neglect our etiquette.”

She lowered her voice, "If the Empress Dowager finds out that we neglected the proper etiquette for welcoming the Emperor..."

She didn't say anything more, but everyone with eyes could tell.

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of tension in each other's eyes.

The Empress Dowager was very particular about rules, and if she found out something wrong, even a favored concubine would be scolded.

Of course, this was just something that circulated in the inner palace; it was unclear who the Empress Dowager had actually reprimanded.

However, one thing everyone understands is that the Empress Dowager holds a pivotal position in the inner palace.

Even the Saint-level Imperial Concubine Mu Qingrou, whose swordsmanship was top-notch, had to behave properly in front of the Empress Dowager.

She carefully considered and earnestly understood every word the Empress Dowager spoke.

With her attitude like this, how could the other concubines dare to act recklessly?

In addition, the Empress Dowager herself had been in the palace for a long time, and she naturally exuded a kind of aura of authority.

Jiang Rong was terrified when she saw her, and dared not even breathe loudly in her presence, let alone the newly arrived concubine.

Wei Manping quickly stood up: "Then I'll go back and prepare. Although your clothes are beautiful today, it would be better if you changed into formal palace attire when you greet the emperor."

Jiang Rong chuckled: "Of course, my sister should also dress up nicely. I heard that His Majesty brought back a few new ladies this time, and we 'old folks' can't lose face."

Leaving Jiang Rong's palace, Wei Manping secretly made plans.

The issue of trade in the south might be an opportunity. If we can help His Majesty with this matter, we will surely be favored, and subsequent plans will be easier to carry out.

In that case, the older sister can handle it, since the Wei family also has businesses in the south.

There is a certain procedure for new concubines entering the palace. They first go to the Empress Dowager, who will tell them the rules, and then they go to Li Chen's aunt, Li Xueying.

Li Xueying will personally train these women to improve their abilities so that they can better please Li Chen.

Next, he would visit the various favored concubines in the palace to 'check in' and inquire about gossip and the situation in the palace.

After Li Chen returned to the palace, he didn't have to worry about any of these things.

However, there are definitely things that will give him trouble, such as these mountains of memorials.

Seeing this, Li Chen's lips twitched slightly; it was even more of a headache than fighting a war.

(End of this chapter)