I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 238 Connection
Zhao said to the shopkeeper, "I don't care what methods you use, you must bring all the customers to our shop." Zhao gritted her teeth, "I want Tang Zhao's shop to be completely empty!"

"This, this might not work," the shopkeeper said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "The hot pot restaurant across the street has many dishes I've never seen before, as well as precious seafood transported from the coast. Most importantly, their broth seasonings are amazing."

The shopkeeper swallowed. To find out the details of the hot pot restaurant, he had disguised himself and eaten there himself. The wide variety of dishes, the unique soup bases, the secret dipping sauces, and the attentive service won over not only the customers but also him!

How could they possibly win against that?
“Then lower the price!” Zhao said, preferring to earn less money rather than see Tang Zhao so successful.

The shopkeeper looked distressed. How could he explain to his wife that the issue wasn't about how much they made, but how much they lost?

"Alright, you can go now," Bai Rouyin said from inside the room.

The shopkeeper was overjoyed, bowed, and hurried away, afraid of being called back.

Bai Rouyin, who came out of the inner room, sat down next to Zhao Shi and said, "Mother, you made a mistake with this move."

In the Northwest, no one could beat Tang Zhao in the business world.

"Then what do you suggest we do?" Zhao asked resentfully. Wasn't she just trying to save face for her?
Bai Rouyin suggested, "If customers who go to the hot pot restaurant get sick, naturally no one will dare to go."

"Do you think I haven't thought about it?" Zhao knew that Tang Zhao had wanted to do this since the first day he opened the hot pot restaurant, but when he thought about Zhao's fate, he didn't dare to take action.

Tang Zhao, that little vile woman, is wicked and leaves no room for mercy when she strikes. Zhao Shi is terrified whenever she thinks about the fate of Master Zhao and his wife.

Zhao was very self-aware. She knew that in Tang Zhao's eyes, the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and the Zhao family were no different; they were both people she could manipulate at will.

Hearing her mother say this, Bai Rouyin was at a loss for what to do. The mother and daughter could only sit at home full of anxiety, listening to people talk about how delicious the hot pot restaurant was and how much money Tang Zhao had made. They were so angry that they developed blisters all over their mouths.

When the Earl of Zhongyong, Bai Wei, who rarely returned home, saw this scene, he could only silently comfort his wife and daughter. That night, after the mother and daughter had gone to sleep, Bai Wei sat alone in his study, looking at the secret letter sent from the capital in silence for a long time before finally picking up his pen to reply.

One month later, in the early morning.

A man carrying a load of charcoal knocked on the small door of the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.

The gatekeeper, awakened by the noise, muttered a few unfriendly words. When he opened the door and saw the servant who had brought charcoal, his tone became even more unfriendly, "Knocking on the door so early in the morning, are you in a hurry to be reincarnated!"

The man smiled broadly, apologized repeatedly, and stuffed a few copper coins into the servant's hand before entering the small gate of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.

The man followed the servant to the backyard and placed the charcoal fire on the open ground next to the kitchen. Just as the servant was about to chase him away, the man clutched his stomach and cried out in pain. He then slipped a few copper coins to the servant, asking to use the outhouse.

The servant weighed the options for a moment, and out of consideration for the small amount of money, he took pity on the situation and gave directions.

The man was overjoyed and ran quickly in the direction indicated. He turned a corner, leaped over the roof in a few steps, and used the darkness to conceal his figure as he headed towards the front yard.

In the front yard, Bai Wei, who had been waiting in the study, heard the knocking on the window and quickly got up to open it and let the person in.

"Lord Zhongyong," the man said, his posture changing from his previous timid demeanor. He straightened up and said with an icy expression, "I am Wan Qian, the leader of the Flying Dragon Guard. I have come to meet Lord Zhongyong on His Majesty's orders." As he spoke, he took out his Flying Dragon Guard token.

Bai Wei confirmed the token was correct before inviting the man to sit down and talk. "What can I do for you?"

"His Majesty said that there is no need for the Marquis of Zhongyong to do anything deliberately, but only to continue to be the right-hand man of King Xuan and wait for the future."

“But I am only a captain now,” Bai Wei said with a gloomy face. “His Majesty is naturally aware of this. The Marquis of Zhongyong was punished with the rank of captain because of his mistakes. Similarly, if the Marquis of Zhongyong has made merits, he should naturally be promoted.”

Bai Wei asked, "How can one achieve merit?"

"Naturally, it's due to military achievements."

"Now that the Turks are seeking peace and the borders are stable, why would there be war?"

“If not the Turks, then there’s the Tibetans,” Wan Qian pointed out. “Don’t forget, Wuwei City is only a few dozen miles away from that no-man’s-land.”

Bai Wei was taken aback. "You mean?"

“It is not my intention, but His Majesty’s,” Wan Qian said with a smile. “That no-man’s-land was once the territory of the previous dynasty. Now that the previous dynasty has been returned to Dayu, that region should naturally be Dayu’s territory as well.”

Bai Wei nodded. "I understand."

"Then we'll have to trouble you, Lord Zhongyong. Our people will complete this matter as soon as possible. Please wait patiently for good news, Lord Zhongyong."

After Wan Qian finished speaking, he was about to climb out of the window to leave when he said, "Oh, by the way, the gatekeeper of the Zhongyong Earl's house is unruly. Should I discipline him for the sake of the Zhongyong Earl?"

"No need!" Bai Wei said, "The people of the Earl's Mansion will be taught a lesson by the Earl's Mansion."

Wanqian stopped talking and, like a nimble cheetah, leaped out of the window and returned to the place the servant had pointed out.

The servant, shivering from the cold, was even more resentful. He practically drove Wanqian out of the gate of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion and back to the gatehouse to continue dozing off by the stove.

Unexpectedly, before he could even wake up, the servant was doused with a basin of cold water. Just as he was about to start cursing, his attitude completely changed after he saw the person standing in front of him. "Manager Bai, what brings you here? Please sit down, please sit down."

"No need for a seat. Men, take this monkey out and give him thirty strokes of the cane!"

"Manager, manager, why are you hitting me?" The servant struggled desperately. "I've always been honest and dutiful, and I've always worked carefully. Why are you hitting me?"

Steward Bai sneered, "Why? You're just a servant born into the household; do I need a reason to beat you if my master wants to?"

"This," the servant struggled desperately but could not break free from the martial arts-practicing guards. "Manager Bai, Grandpa Bai, tell me, even if I have to die, I must die knowing why!"

“That makes sense. Well then, let me tell you, you were disrespectful to our distinguished guest, so naturally you deserve to be beaten,” Steward Bai said, looking down at the servant. “It’s only because our Lord is kind-hearted that he only gave you thirty lashes and kicked you out of the manor. If it were any other manor, he would have beaten you to death long ago!”

Distinguished guest? What distinguished guest? He's been guarding the back gate the whole time, but he hasn't seen any distinguished guest.

Seeing that the servant was still confused, Steward Bai shook his head inwardly and stopped talking. With a wave of his right hand, the guards pressed the servant down on the bench and beat him severely.

The servant was lucky to survive such a beating. The steward, unusually kind-hearted, ordered his men to pack up the servant's belongings and throw him out of the small gate of the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.

The servant was beaten until his back was covered in blood and he couldn't move an inch. Just as he was preparing to become a vengeful ghost after his death and seek revenge on the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion, several teenagers who had gone out of town to collect firewood found him and carried him home together.

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