If I had known this day would come, I would never have agreed to come to Return to Dragon City to assist Emperor Ziâan in the first place.
Just as he was feeling worried, a young man wearing the eunuch commandantâs uniform walked into Zhuozheng Pavilion and gently knocked on the door of the inner chamber.
Seeing Wang Shizhao looking up, he slightly bowed and saluted, "Little master."
"Commandant Ji, please donât tease me," Wang Shizhao said with a helpless smile. "This âLittle masterâ is not an official title. You should call me Wangâs Order instead."
His official position is actually the head of the Three Talents Section, Grade Four. But he spends all his time at Emperor Ziâanâs Zhuozheng Pavilion and rarely goes to the Three Talents Section.
"Yes, Wangâs Order," Commandant Ji smiled.
Although Emperor Ziâan was not present, his attitude towards Wang Shizhao remained very respectful. With his head lowered, he reported, "A eunuch just came to report. Your father sent a letter from the northwest. Since it was urgent and you werenât home, it was sent directly to the palace."
Under normal circumstances, an officialâs private mail would never make it past the palace gates. However, Wang Shizhaoâs extraordinary status meant that the eunuchs and guards managing the palace gates wouldnât dare be so blind.
"A letter from father?" Wang Shizhaoâs eyes brightened. "Quick, let him in."
Soon, the soldier of the Wang family delivering the letter was ushered in.
Wang Shizhao took the envelope from him, quickly read the letter inside, and immediately showed joy on his face: "Great! My father sent me five million Immortal Crystals."
His father, Wang Zongâan, now oversees the northwest Grand Canal, the capital west Grand Canal, and the newly opened Dala County. These three are Da Qianâs cash cows.
Thereâs no need to mention the two canals; ever since ancient times, canals have been traffic hubs and moneymakers.
As for Dala County, it was once a lifeless great desert but has been transformed over the past century into a vast prairie.
Nowadays, itâs Da Qianâs largest ranch, exporting massive quantities of beef and lamb each year. The fire crystal grapes and various spices produced there sell exceptionally well and contribute substantial tax revenue to Da Qian annually.
Wang Zongâan oversees these regions and is naturally quite well off.
Eldest son Wang Shizhao wrote to him asking to borrow money, and he readily lent five million Immortal Crystals, equivalent to five billion Qian Gold.
"With these five hundred million Qian Gold for emergencies, I should be able to get through the next few months. After the autumn harvest, this yearâs taxes will come in, and weâll be able to hold out for a long while again," Wang Shizhao thought, counting the Immortal Crystal tickets and feeling assured.
He now understood that Emperor Ziâan couldnât be trusted with money.
Without money, he could settle down quietly and proceed step by step. But once he got money, he would begin to drift, eager to complete all planned projects immediately.
But in this world, what can be accomplished in one fell swoop?
Even his grandfather, with his remarkable ability to make money, took a step-by-step approach to projectsâfive-year plans, ten-year plans, twenty-year plans, hundred-year plansâall methodical.
In his grandfatherâs words, "Haste makes waste."
As Wang Shizhao counted the money, muttering internally, Commandant Jiâs respectful greeting sounded out from outside Zhuozheng Pavilion, followed by hearty laughter.
"Hahaha~ Shizhao, look what I brought back!"
Accompanying the laughter, Emperor Ziâan, in a green regular suit, strode in.
"Your Highness, youâre back?" Wang Shizhao paused in his money-counting, instinctively stashing the money away, then looked at him with full curiosity. "Could it be, Your Highness, that you really got the money?"
"Hahaha~ Of course! Do you know who I am? When I, the Emperorâs son, personally set out, how could the money not be obtained? Look, look, look at this! A full ten million Immortal Crystals!" Emperor Ziâan pulled out a stack of Immortal Crystal tickets, waved them at Wang Shizhao with a proud smile. "Didnât you say I certainly wouldnât get the money? Humiliated, right?"
The term "humiliated" was something he learned from the younger members of the Wang family. And indeed, using it in this context felt particularly fitting and satisfying.
"Your Highness truly is amazing."
Wang Shizhao looked at the exceedingly smug Emperor Ziâan for a moment, then suddenly reached out to take the stack of Immortal Crystal tickets and swiftly stowed them into his own storage ring. He slowly spoke, "Since thatâs the case, I will accept this money. Rest assured, Your Highness, I will use every penny wisely and ensure that not a single Copper Coin is wasted where it shouldnât be."
"..." Emperor Ziâan was dumbfounded.
...
Around the same time.
Main Residence of the Wang Family, Idle Manâs Residence.
After class, Wang Fugui, with nothing to do, was video chatting with Yun Mengyu through the crystal screen.
The idle Wang Lixian sat nearby, helping relay signals while leafing through the newly released "The Daily Life of the Overbearing Princess," Volume Four. Two extra branches protruded from her sleeves, one holding drinks and the other snacks, appearing quite leisurely.
"Fugui, our Royal Family School is simply boring," Yun Mengyuâs complaining voice came through the crystal screen. "The Clan School teacher is so old-fashioned, with too many rules. Most importantly, the learning progress is so slow. At this rate, Iâll have to stay in this school for fifty years. The exam content is also repetitive and uninteresting..."