Even emperors have it tough, so don't be too picky about the entries.

Chapter 98 Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure!

"Gentlemen."

Qian Wanguan played with the walnuts in his hand with great agility, and smiled faintly.

"Those who achieve great things must possess the composure of a thunderbolt in their heart and the calmness of a still lake on their face. Look at you all, how panicked you are over such a small matter!"

The crowd looked at each other, thinking honestly, was this a trivial matter?

The king himself came to urge the payment.

"Why."

Qian Wanguan sighed softly:

"It is better to prepare for a rainy day than to dig a well when you are already thirsty."

"Your thinking is still too limited, and you cannot see the current situation clearly, which is why you are in such a state of panic."

"Weibo is so close to the capital, and the King of Zhao is treacherous. With the new emperor ascending the throne, it is inevitable that he will come to Weibo, whether he comes in person or incognito."

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated."

Everyone was tired of hearing these words.

Whenever I had a meeting with Mr. Qian, he would start with these three key points.

Someone said urgently:

"Mr. Qian, stop beating around the bush. Just say what you have to say, it's urgent."

"Haste makes waste."

Mr. Qian remained slow and deliberate, speaking softly and gently.

"I had long anticipated that this new ruler would come to Weibo, so I sent people to the capital in advance to gather information."

"Guess what?"

Everyone wore expressions of "I'm not going to guess."

"This emperor is good in every way, except that he is greedy for money."

"The first thing he did after ascending the throne was to force all the officials to give him gifts."

"Whether or not to move south, it all comes down to money."

"The homes of three more high-ranking officials were raided, and chests of gold and silver were carried into the palace. Has even a single penny been returned?"

"This person is the Great Yan Pixiu!"

"Tonight's banquet, ostensibly to discuss the defense of the city, is really just an excuse to ask for money."

"I bet he'll flee overnight and return to the capital once the money is given."

Everyone was surprised.

"The gold thief is right outside, how could he possibly escape?"

"Ha ha."

Old Qian laughed loudly, "You have gone far with King Zhao, but I am his honored guest."

"You may not know this, but when the King of Zhao took up his fief, he prepared a way out for himself by digging a secret passage in his residence that led directly outside the city."

"Chen Shao must have learned about the secret passage, so his defense of the city is a pretense, and his real purpose is to extort money."

"Spend money to buy peace, everyone."

"Everyone, go back and prepare your gift lists. At the banquet tonight, follow my lead."

Everyone gasped.

They all gave a thumbs up.

"Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure!"

"As expected, experience matters."

"We're still on the first floor, while Elder Qian is already on the fifth!"

......

Chen Shao stood in the storeroom of the Prince of Zhao's mansion, looking at the mountain of gold and silver jewelry before him, his eyes crinkling with laughter.

King Zhao Chen Du's entire fortune, accumulated over most of his life, is all here.

The gold bars were stacked neatly, and the silver ingots were piled up like small mountains.

Jewelry, antiques, calligraphy and paintings... everything you could want.

Adding in the gifts from tonight's banquet, this trip to Weibo has been incredibly lucrative.

"These treasures, along with the Zhao Prince's treasury, once loaded onto carts and transported back to the capital, will be enough to give the court a much-needed breather for the next six months."

Chen Shao was in high spirits, knowing that all this wealth would inevitably go into his personal treasury.

With money in the imperial treasury, Yu Qi'an's military pay was secured. With military pay secured, he could attack wherever he wanted.

The Northern Expedition is just around the corner.

After all, war is about spending money, and that's an age-old truth.

Just as I was having a good time, Ma Yaozu rushed over to report.

"All the prominent wealthy merchants, retired bureaucrats, owners of several large pawnshops, salt and grain merchants from Weibo City were present."

"Your Majesty, we've been waiting for you."

Chen Shao nodded and then headed towards the banquet hall.

The hall was brightly lit at this time.

The eight square tables were packed full.

The wine and dishes were ready, but no one dared to touch them, sitting upright and waiting for the Emperor of Great Yan.

Especially Mr. Qian, who remained calm and composed.

Anyone who is tense can immediately relax a lot just by looking at him.

Chen Shao stepped into the banquet hall, his smile innocent and harmless.

The wealthy gentlemen in the hall hurriedly rose to pay their respects, but he waved them off.

He said in a gentle tone:

"No need for formalities. You are all pillars of the Great Yan Dynasty. I have come here incognito today. There is no need for formalities. We are all one family."

Hearing that they were on the same side made everyone feel even more relieved.

The value of the saying "Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure" has increased once again.

Look at Mr. Qian, how accurately he grasped human nature!

Chen Shao took the seat of honor and raised his wine glass.

laughed:

"You are all loyal and righteous men of our Great Yan. The prosperity of Weibo today is all thanks to your help."

"Come, drink this cup to the brim!"

He tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp, causing all the wealthy gentlemen in the room to hurriedly rise and raise their glasses.

For a time, glasses clinked and the atmosphere was joyful and harmonious.

Chen Shao's actions only strengthened Qian Wanguan's conviction that the young man would abscond with the money tonight.

As for the Yellow Turban Army, he was not afraid at all.

Most of the Yellow Turban generals were illiterate and shallow in their knowledge. They were easily appeased with a little money or benefits, and were treated like their own fathers, not worth mentioning.

The person next to him even nudged his sleeve: "Old ginger is spicier!"

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

Chen Shao placed the wine cup on the table, his smile undiminished, but his tone suddenly changed:

"We've had our drinks and food, now it's time to get down to business."

He stood up and paced back and forth inside the octagonal table with his hands behind his back.

Everyone immediately put down their cups and chopsticks, and all eyes were on him.

"As you all know, the Yellow Turban rebels are currently outside the city, and Weibo is in imminent danger."

"King Zhao suddenly caught a cold and entrusted me with the full authority to defend the city and protect your safety."

"But we can't defend the city with just the few men I brought; we also need everyone's money and effort."

"I invited you all here tonight to raise funds together and see how many people and how much money each household can contribute, so that we can work together to defend this city."

...As expected, this topic was brought up again, and everyone exchanged knowing glances, some happy and some worried.

Not everyone is a confidant of Mr. Qian. Anyone whose gift is not presentable is likely to be in big trouble.

The Feast at Hongmen couldn't possibly be this delicious!

Chen Shao walked up to a fat merchant.

I patted him on the shoulder.

Ma Yaozu immediately leaned over and whispered his report:

"Your Majesty, this is Zhao, the wealthiest grain merchant in Weibo. He owns 30% of the grain shops in the city."

"Oh, so it's Zhao the rich man."

Chen Shao laughed:

"Master Zhao, how much are you prepared to contribute to the Great Yan?"

The businessman surnamed Zhao was taken aback and hurriedly got up.

"What...what kind of power..."