[Fantasy] The Rogue Landlord (Complete) - Chapter 20

Chapter Six: A pleasant surprise.

Xu Ping, from the Ministry of Works, spoke slowly, but a glint of greed flashed in his wolf-like eyes. His father, with this move, would probably be furious to see his father's silver flowing in cartload after cartload. Heh heh, exchanging 100,000 taels for such a huge sum was quite a bargain. He

paused slightly, noticing Zhang Qinghe's brightened expression, before continuing, "Brothels and gambling dens are rather special, so none of the six ministries of the court will interfere in this area. This matter falls under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Commerce. However, Lord Zhang is currently very busy and probably won't be able to handle it all. We'll have to establish a new department to manage this area uniformly. You two will be in charge. I don't care how you recruit people, but you must see results in the shortest possible time."

Zhang Qihua and Ouyang Tai immediately became excited; this was a fantastic opportunity. Then they could openly inspect various brothels, shutting down any they didn't like. The owners would then bribe them with countless young girls and large sums of money. Thinking of this, the two men's expressions immediately turned lewd.

However, Zhang Qinghe, his mind racing, quickly calmed down. While this would bring in considerable profits, it would damage their reputation. Furthermore, brothels, gambling dens, local government offices, and constables were often intertwined. It sounded easy, but in practice, it would destroy many people's livelihoods, making it no less difficult than when the Ministry of Commerce was first established.

Frowning and thinking for a while, Zhang Qinghe couldn't help but ask, "Master, have you finalized the authority and tax rates?"

Unlike these two youngsters, Zhang Qinghe's first consideration was the details. Xu Ping gave him an approving look, having already considered the difficulty of implementing this plan. After a moment's thought, he said calmly, "Let's call it 'Jiaosifang'. As for the authority, it will still follow the regulations of the Ministry of Commerce. For those who violate the regulations, we can execute them first and report later." "

This servant understands!" Zhang Qinghe understood immediately, but cold sweat still dripped down his back. This kind of consolidation was not comparable to the initial establishment of the Ministry of Commerce. Judging from his master's determination, it would definitely be a major upheaval, and might even cause dissatisfaction among local government offices.

Xu Ping also saw his concern and immediately continued, "Of course, some things are not suitable to be too radical. For example, if someone in a certain place has been engaged in this industry for many years and has not committed any crimes, we can consider allowing them to continue developing it!" "

..." Zhang Qinghe's mind suddenly clicked, and he said admiringly, "This servant understands."

Xu Ping nodded approvingly. In fact, this matter could not be handled too radically. Although they are all minor local officials, if they cause too much trouble, even my father might not be able to handle it! Besides, the current situation is unclear, and rashly provoking these officials wouldn't be good. The best way is to issue the regulations, make an example of a few to warn others, and then contact the local bullies to let them fight amongst themselves. This is a time-saving, labor-saving, and cost-effective way to get things done.

Of course, initially, it's also to let Zhang Qihua and Ouyang Tai learn from Zhang Qinghe's methods; Zhang Qinghe's methods are quite sophisticated. He'll probably arrange this very efficiently for his son's future, and the silver collected across the country shouldn't be a small sum. It's best to let them adjust after receiving the money.

"Master, how will the taxes be collected?" Zhang Qinghe asked respectfully. Looking at Xu Ping's sly smile, he understood that his master still wanted to extract bribes from these people first, using him as a middleman for the money.

Xu Ping thought for a moment, then still made an outrageous demand: "Thirty percent of the gambling den's annual profits. Twenty percent for the brothels, but all the girls must each pay three taels a year!"

Zhang Qinghe secretly stuck out his tongue, thinking that his master was certainly willing to go to such lengths. Such a heavy tax would make most people hesitate; it seemed he was more concerned with the initial bribe, and could postpone the rest. Xu Ping breathed a sigh of relief.

"This servant roughly knows what to do," Zhang Qinghe said, quickly analyzing the implications.

Xu Ping preferred talking to intelligent people like Zhang Qinghe; he understood without Xu Ping needing to spell things out. He waved his hand with a smile and said, "Then you can go now. Remember to continue providing relief to the refugees outside the capital, understand?" "

This servant will take care of it immediately and try to get this up and running as quickly as possible." Zhang Qinghe's face showed neither joy nor frown. Although this assignment meant he held power, those who could afford brothels and casinos all had powerful backers and connections; trouble was inevitable.

After taking his leave, Zhang Qinghe, with a serious expression, led Ouyang Tai and Zhang Qihua to prepare for this absurd, even somewhat contrary to their traditional values, second major undertaking.

"Master, isn't it a bit inappropriate to give them such a large benefit?" After everyone left, Zhang Hu opened his eyes and said sharply, his face slightly worried.

"There's nothing wrong with it, but this isn't an easy matter. Ouyang Tai and Zhang Qihua definitely can't handle it, but as long as that old fox Zhang Qinghe is there to keep things under control, there shouldn't be any problems. Besides, Ouyang Xun's Sihai Trading Company has such a wide network of connections; let them solve these problems themselves."

Xu Ping evaded the question, not fully revealing Zhang Hu's concerns. Actually, this matter was quite risky. With such a large sum of money in hand, Zhang Qinghe's loyalty was a major concern. Ji Long was probably short of money too, and he didn't believe he would let go of someone like Zhang Qinghe, a mere ornament; he would definitely find an opportunity to win him over.

Thinking about this, a ruthless glint flashed in Xu Ping's eyes. Everything about the Zhang family was under Liu Ziyi's close surveillance; any slight disturbance would be reported immediately. Aside from this matter, Xu Ping rarely gave her other tasks. What was needed now was for the Ministry of Commerce to operate normally, to the point where even if the Minister was a dog, everyone else could still function smoothly.

Zhang Hu knew that his master always had other plans, so he didn't say anything more.

Xu Ping closed his eyes and asked Chen Qi, who had been expressionless, "How many men have you recruited?"

Chen Qi immediately replied with a serious expression, "Your Highness, many of the brothers who fought alongside me on the battlefield have retired and have nothing to do. I had Xiao Qiang and the others go and recruit them separately. Now, about a hundred men have arrived in the capital. However, according to Master Ling's instructions, I sent more than two hundred men outside the city to oversee the soup kitchens. You know there are many refugees now, and they might cause some trouble."

Such a small number of men immediately disappointed Xu Ping. He waved his hand weakly and said, "Hmm, continue recruiting. Let them help with disaster relief first. I won't need them for a while. You can go and do your business now." "

Understood. I'll take my leave." Chen Qi bowed solemnly and left. He could see from his master's disappointment that his work efficiency was poor, and he couldn't help but feel ashamed.

"How is Lin Wei doing?" Now that only Zhang Hu was left in the living room, Xu Ping asked about the situation in Yunnan.

Zhang Hu, his face serious, shook his head and said, "Several of Zhang Yulong's confidants have been assassinated. Although there's some chaos, it doesn't seem to have caused too much impact. Sun Zhengnong said in a secret letter a few days ago that the situation there is also very complicated, and they haven't found a starting point yet."

Xu Ping sighed helplessly, his face full of worry, "Have Uncle Liu come in."

"Your subordinate takes his leave." Zhang Hu knelt and turned to leave.

"Young Prince!" Uncle Liu's heart skipped a beat when he saw Xu Ping's furrowed brows again.

Xu Ping asked weakly, "Uncle Liu, has everything been taken care of regarding the silver?" "

It's all been sent to the palace."

Uncle Liu finished speaking, glanced at Xu Ping, and said softly, "Young Prince, recently the Ministry of Works suddenly reported that your uncle has infiltrated the ministry; it seems he sneaked out. They say he discovered that some ores can be refined to produce something harder than iron, and now he's holed up in the Ministry of Works, experimenting day and night with other craftsmen."

"Oh, harder than iron?" Xu Ping was puzzled, and the first thing that came to mind was steel. Could someone in this era really have refined such a high-strength metal? If successful, it would be a powerful breakthrough for weapon modification and various industries. Just who was his uncle?

If such an advanced metal appeared on the battlefield, that would be incredible. Xu Ping immediately shook off his dejected look, even forgetting what he had to tell Uncle Liu. He jumped up, grabbed an outer garment, put it on, and walked outside without turning his head, saying, "I'm going to the Ministry of Works."

Uncle Liu looked bewildered, having almost never seen Xu Ping so flustered, and was momentarily stunned.

He hurriedly boarded the carriage and headed south of the city. Once outside the capital, Xu Ping glanced around. Besides the Ministry of Commerce's soup kitchen, it seemed many other families were also out providing relief. The number of refugees was noticeably smaller, and the atmosphere wasn't as deathly and gloomy as when he first saw it. This brought him a slight sense of comfort.

The Ministry of Works was located on a hilly area near the main camp of the Tiger Battalion in the capital. Surrounded by mountains on two sides, a long row of buildings, along with the arsenal under construction, covered several thousand acres—quite imposing. However, compared to the hustle and bustle of other places, it was relatively quiet, though several chimneys emitted black smoke, which looked somewhat out of place.

The various departments of the Ministry of Works had long since separated—blacksmithing, carpentry, and all sorts of other miscellaneous tasks. Steward Xiao was calculating daily expenses in the main hall when he suddenly saw Xu Ping walk in. He quickly put down his pen and rushed forward to greet him, "Master..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Ping had already lifted his increasingly bloated body up like a chick, asking anxiously, "Where is Ji Baofeng?" "The...

the Imperial Uncle is in room sixty-four!" Steward Xiao was terrified and quickly said, "This servant..."

"This servant my foot! Take me there right now!" Xu Ping put him down and kicked him in the backside!

"Yes, yes!" Steward Xiao scrambled away, Xu Ping urging him on.

Room sixty-four was actually a small room of about half an acre. Even before getting close, the sounds of hammering metal could be heard coming from the small workshop, and the black smoke from the roof was much thicker than from the other rooms. Before even getting close, I could see some rough, large chunks of coal piled up at the entrance, and the temperature around the house was much higher than usual. I slowly pushed the door open and saw more than a dozen craftsmen inside, shirtless and wearing only shorts that barely covered their private parts, busy around a stone stove.

Seeing a stranger standing at the door, a burly Chinese man with a fierce face shouted in a bad tone, "What are you looking at? We're working, get out of here!"

Xu Ping knew that people would get irritable after being in this kind of environment for a while, so he reached out and stopped Butler Xiao, who was about to hand out bids, and asked excitedly, "Excuse me, are you guys here researching something harder than iron?" "

Who are you? Who let you in!" The burly man put down his work, walked over, and looked at Xu Ping warily. He waved his hand irritably and said, "Go away, this isn't a place for rich kids like you. Can't you see we're still busy?" Xu

Ping noticed that there were about thirty people in the room, and almost none of them paid attention to what was happening. Everyone's eyes were focused on the molten iron in the furnace. They were all covered in black soot. If it weren't for their eyesight, they would have looked like a bunch of coal miners. This was the posture of a true inventor.

"Hehe, I'm here to help you. Is Ji Baofeng here?" Xu Ping looked at the messy piles of ore around the house and immediately became excited. Besides iron and copper ore, there were quite a few other metals that were beyond the current smelting technology.

Butler Xiao also quickly stepped forward and said angrily to the big man, "Just look for him! Stop with the nonsense!"

The big man saw that Xu Ping's clothes didn't look like those of a craftsman. He looked at him suspiciously for a few moments and then shouted to the back, "Crazy, come out here! Someone's looking for you."

Because it was too noisy inside, no one answered after shouting several times. Helpless, the big man could only retreat inside and shout a few more times!

"Who, who, who's looking for me?" A person covered in coal dust emerged from behind the large stone furnace. His whole body was black, making it impossible to tell his appearance or age. When he moved, coal dust fell from his messy hair. He spoke with a slight stutter.

The burly man whispered a few words in his ear. Ji Baofeng looked at Xu Ping with a puzzled expression, seemingly reluctant, and asked, "Who...who are you looking for?" "

Hehe, Uncle, how are you! Ping'er greets you here." Xu Ping walked forward with a smile, giving him a very gentle junior's bow.

"Nephew, you...you are Ping...Ping...Ping'er?" Ji Baofeng asked疑惑地. He had never met this Crown Prince nephew before, so he was a little confused.

"Yes, Imperial Uncle!" Steward Xiao immediately jumped out to confirm, "This is indeed our master." "

It is indeed my nephew." Xu Ping said with a smile, waving his hand to signal Steward Xiao to leave.

"Greetings, greetings, greetings, Your Highness, Your Highness..." Ji Baofeng quickly returned the greeting. Although the other party was the Crown Prince, he was the elder and did not need to follow such complicated etiquette. The other craftsmen did not hear the conversation between the two because the noise in the room was too loud. They were still busy with their own work, as if everything was none of their business.

Xu Ping didn't have time for pleasantries and immediately cut to the chase, asking, "I heard Uncle found a metal that might be harder than iron?"

"Gold, metal? That's a good name."

Ji Baofeng nodded in agreement after muttering a couple of times. His previously dull eyes lit up with excitement at the mention of iron, and he gesticulated wildly as he said, "A while ago, I traveled to Shandong and saw some people talking about rocks with bits of iron attached to them, like slag. I initially thought it was ordinary iron ore, but upon closer inspection, it turned out to be some kind of ore I'd never seen before, so I chipped off a few pieces and brought them back. Upon closer inspection, they turned out to be much harder than iron, so I immediately started working on it. However, my equipment and location weren't good, and your grandfather wouldn't let me do this. I heard there's a group of skilled craftsmen in the Ministry of Works, and I couldn't figure it out, so I came here. Many craftsmen here have the same problem as me, so we've been working together to study these newly discovered ores."

(To prevent anyone from accusing Ji Baofeng of using a stutter to pad the word count, Ji Baofeng's speech will become normal from now on. Of course, don't think I'm doing this to save time; I'd be happy to do it this way if I really wanted to, hehe!)

The Ministry of Works' money wasn't wasted, Xu Ping thought, looking at the busy craftsmen in the room, immediately feeling a surge of satisfaction. But he quickly asked, "So, what's the result of your smelting?"

"No, nothing! The stone can't be broken down." Ji Baofeng shook his head, looking somewhat dejected. "And some of the molten iron just crumbled when it dried."

"It's alright, I'll help!" Xu Ping was anxious at this point, so he took off his clothes and prepared to go in and help.

"You...you can?" Ji Baofeng asked doubtfully. "Yes!" Xu Ping nodded firmly.

Xu Ping immediately braved the high temperature and went inside, feeling his sweat glands activate as soon as he entered. The poorly ventilated hut was filled with dust, the air was stagnant, and breathing was a bit difficult. Frowning, Xu Ping looked at the dazzling array of minerals on the floor, pondering for a while before regretting not studying harder in the past. He'd only looked at textbooks; now, seeing the real objects, he was at a loss.

Just as Xu Ping was having a headache, a guy, still dressed entirely in black, suddenly rushed in through the door, excitedly shouting, "Crazy! Big Fool!"

"W-what's wrong?" Ji Baofeng asked, puzzled.

"Haha, it's done! It's done!" The newcomer's eyes were bloodshot as he gesticulated wildly, saying, "After rinsing with water, these new iron blocks didn't break apart; they formed several hard strips. Haha!" "

Really? Which ones were mixed?" "

They're all done! How did you manage to do it so quickly!"

The craftsmen all put down their work and excitedly surrounded him, bombarding him with questions. Xu Ping was immediately ignored, but he wasn't annoyed at all; in fact, he was even happier than them. It turned out that so many people in the community were interested in researching these new ores. It seemed that Ji Baofeng's operation wasn't the only one underway; other workshops were also smelting together.

"Hmm, but we haven't tried to hammer them yet!" the newcomer said expectantly. "Let's go to the new cell and have them melt a few pieces before we try."

"Okay!"

The group rushed out like dogs fighting over excrement, with even Ji Baofeng running ahead in a daze, completely ignoring his newly met nephew, the Crown Prince, and leaving him in the cell.

Xu Ping looked at these obsessed fellows and couldn't help but laugh and cry. However, he was also particularly gratified that the establishment of the Ministry of Works had managed to gather such a group of craftsmen who seemed like madmen in the eyes of the world. With their spirit, becoming a wealthy and powerful nation was not a difficult dream.

"I..."

When Xu Ping caught up, he was dumbfounded. In another small cell, over a hundred black men were crammed in, bombarding the craftsmen who had successfully smelted the metal with their questions. Their eloquence was astonishing, leaving the dozen or so dull-witted men speechless.

"Make way... make way..." While

Xu Ping was still stunned, Ji Baofeng, presumably using his status as the emperor's brother-in-law, led a group of men and dragged two craftsmen out of the dense crowd, carrying several finished steel bars.

"Uncle..."

Xu Ping hadn't finished calling out when he stared dumbfounded at Ji Baofeng, who looked like a prisoner who had been locked up for decades abducting a woman. His eyes were red as he told the others to take the things back to their cells, while he gritted his teeth and plunged back into the crowd to grab the items. The scene was like a bunch of housewives fighting over discounted goods. It was infuriating

; these were all the honest, dull-witted craftsmen. Their eyes gleamed with ferocity, more terrifying than bandits. Looking at their colleagues trapped inside, their faces filled with panic and unease, they resembled young girls about to be raped.

"Go..." As Ji Baofeng once again charged through the crowd, carrying several slips of paper for recording, he finally remembered his nephew. Panting, he ran back to his cell, shouting a single word to Xu Ping without turning back.

Xu Ping, seeing the excited state of the craftsmen inside, felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly followed Ji Baofeng's retreat. These guys weren't craftsmen at all; when they got excited, they'd probably devour even bandits.

Back in his cell, Xu Ping saw that they had extinguished the furnace and were all gathered around a small stove outside, intently studying the steel bars and the contents recorded on the slips of paper. He was also interrogating the two colleagues they had practically tied up like prisoners.

"Uncle..." Xu Ping couldn't get a word in edgewise; these people seemed to live in their own world.

"Right, right, let's try one first!" Ji Baofeng and the others discussed for a while, deciding to test the hardness of the steel bar when it was hammered.

"I..." Xu Ping hadn't even finished speaking when they all suddenly got busy, practically ignoring him. He was both annoyed and amused, so he decided not to interrupt their train of thought and ran to help move the coal.

The others didn't seem to notice Xu Ping's presence, as if they were quite used to the addition of a new stranger. Furthermore, Ji Baofeng hadn't spoken, his expression serious as he adjusted the temperature, so no one knew that the laborer was the current Crown Prince. They were all busily and excitedly working.

Xu Ping felt both excited and nervous. He hoped that a stronger smelting technology would emerge to improve the army's strength, but he was also afraid that this newly discovered metal wouldn't be usable. What a conflict he felt!

"Absurd, utterly absurd! The Crown Prince and the Imperial Uncle are crammed here doing blacksmithing work! If word gets out, what will become of the royal family's reputation? The whole world will laugh at us!" Ji

Xinyue walked into the Ministry of Works with an icy expression. After finishing her Buddhist prayers, she was already furious and worried upon hearing that her son had caused a disturbance in the palace at night and was injured. After seeing Lianchi and her daughter off, she was enraged when the eunuch reported that her brother and son were holed up in the Ministry of Works forging iron.

Steward Xiao, following behind, was terrified. Since entering the Prince's residence, he had almost never seen his quiet and elegant mistress so angry. Thinking about it, the Crown Prince was indeed being absurd; if he spoke, he might get himself into trouble. So, he followed cautiously, not daring to utter a word.

Ji Jingyue, standing nearby, seemed to be adding fuel to the fire, angrily saying, "That's right! What kind of mess is this! Big Brother is already a worry enough, and Ping'er is just adding to the chaos. Now Big Brother is a laughingstock in Jiangnan, and Father is almost driven crazy by him. And now, the two of them, one big and one small, are both acting like devils, causing trouble together."

"And you two, how come you can't even keep one person in check? Setting up the Ministry of Commerce and such already caused a stir among the people, and now, you've gone off to forge iron! What am I supposed to say about you?" Ji Xinyue berated a delicate young girl beside her, clearly very angry, her face flushed as she spoke.

The unfortunate Cheng Ningxue lowered her head, not daring to speak. She had been busy sending in a batch of newly selected refugees to work, and now, having run into the furious Ji Xinyue, she naturally became the target of her venting.

Although Cheng Ningxue felt a little wronged, Xu Ping hadn't visited her for a long time since she entered the manor. The servants and other girls all thought she was definitely his, but he hadn't shown any interest. In her spare time, she watched Zhao Ling become increasingly favored, feeling a little envious and jealous. In order to get his attention, she helped with the Ministry of Works.

Little did she expect to walk into the trap and be caught red-handed by the Empress. Naturally, she didn't dare to talk back and was so frightened that she immediately knelt on the ground, not daring to speak. Tears of grievance couldn't help but fall from her already red eyes, but she lowered her head and dared not cry out loud.

Seeing Cheng Ningxue kneeling on the ground, sobbing silently, her pitiful body trembling slightly, Ji Jingyue quickly stopped Ji Xinyue from losing her temper: "Sister, don't blame her. Ping'er doesn't listen to anyone. How can girls control their men? Don't scold the young girl."

"Get up!" Ji Xinyue, naturally, wouldn't misunderstand anything. She simply gestured for Cheng Ningxue, who was still kneeling, to get up, and then sighed with a troubled expression, saying, "Alas, this child is really too reckless. I usually don't care about her being unruly, but what she's doing is getting more and more outrageous."

Her silence only made the atmosphere more awkward, and no one dared to speak! Even Ji Jingyue knew that her sister wouldn't lose her temper unless she was truly angry, so she obediently kept quiet, not daring to stir up trouble.

Cheng Ningxue stood up, gently wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes, and gave Ji Jingyue a grateful look. She immediately followed behind Ji Xinyue, trembling with fear

. Even though the person before her wasn't Xu Ping's mother, she was still the Empress, the mother of the nation. A mere commoner like her was naturally filled with trepidation. "Don't be afraid, sister is just in a bad mood," Ji Jingyue gently comforted her. Still a naive young girl, she was already trembling with fear after just a few words from Ji Xinyue.

"Haha, it's...it's a success!"

Before the group even got close, a man completely black ran out from around the corner. His distinctive stutter was instantly recognizable as Ji Baofeng. Behind him followed a group of people, chatting and laughing excitedly, all looking like they'd just come out of a coal mine; apart from their teeth and eyes, no other features were visible.

"Quickly, quickly find a sword to try it out," Xu Ping then emerged, carrying a knife simply wrapped in cloth. Based on his experience from later generations, he felt that forging it into the shape of a Japanese sword, or Tang sword, was the best and most practical. It could chop, slash, and stab—it was a highly effective weapon on the battlefield. The blade was silvery-white and gleaming, but the handle was only simply wrapped in cloth; in short, it was still a half-finished product.

"Big brother…!" Ji Jingyue, seeing this scene, immediately trembled with anger, her face turning green.

Ji Xinyue was in no better shape. Looking at her son, almost invisible in the dark crowd, her face was icy with anger. She gritted her teeth and shouted, "Ping'er!"

Cheng Ningxue quickly hid behind, afraid of being scolded again.

"Second sister, little sister...you...why are you here?" Ji Baofeng immediately saw the crowd outside. His two younger sisters were glaring angrily at him and his nephew. His heart skipped a beat, and his already stuttering words became even more incoherent.

Xu Ping, seeing this, immediately broke out in a cold sweat and quickly turned around, saying, "Haha. Mother, Aunt, you're here too? I'll test the knife first, then we'll talk!"

"I...I...I have something to do!" Ji Baofeng stammered, then turned to run, seemingly afraid of being taken back to Jiangnan.

"Take him down!" Ji Xinyue commanded in a sweet voice.

Ji Baofeng hadn't run more than a few steps before he was dragged back by several guards. Xu Ping tried to climb over the wall, but a whip was wrapped around his waist. Turning back, he saw his aunt's smug look and was furious. If it weren't for his mother's near-fuming rage, how could she possibly catch him?

The craftsmen, upon hearing the news, knew the Empress had arrived. All their excitement vanished instantly. Her regal and aloof demeanor was not something ordinary commoners dared to look directly at. No one dared to scrutinize Ji Xinyue's stunning face; they all knelt on the ground in fear, chanting in unison, "Long live the Empress!"

"You two, come here!" Ji Xinyue's beautiful face was contorted with rage.

Xu Ping and Ji Baofeng exchanged a helpless glance, then immediately stepped forward, looking guilty and bowing their heads, not daring to speak. Although Ji Xinyue was usually gentle and kind, when she truly lost her temper, no one dared to utter a word in her direction. Having ruled the world for so long, her aura of power and authority had only intensified.

"Second, Second Sister, what's wrong?" Ji Baofeng was immediately intimidated by his sister's furious expression. He'd never been afraid of Ji Jingyue's mischievous antics since childhood, and he usually ignored his grandfather's nagging. But this rare outburst from his usually quiet and lovable second sister terrified the whole family; even his grandfather would obediently avoid her.

"Mother, what brings you here?" Xu Ping didn't know what to say, forcing an awkward smile. However, his entire body was covered in black so no one could see him except for his two rows of white teeth.

Ji Xinyue, who had been venting her anger all day, finally found a target to direct her rage at. She immediately launched into a tirade against the two men, saying, "Big brother, why aren't you staying in Jiangnan? What are you doing running off to the capital? Do you know how worried Father was when he couldn't find you? Ping'er, I can't say anything about your uncle's fondness for this since he was little, but why are you joining in this nonsense? The Imperial Uncle and the Crown Prince are doing blacksmithing here! Where does this leave the imperial family's reputation?" After

a thorough scolding, neither of them dared to look at her. Ji Jingyue, afraid that her sister would be too angry, quickly patted her back and offered her tea.

After enduring a severe scolding, Xu Ping cautiously raised his head and said, "Mother, Father, I'll talk to them myself. If this discovery can be used in weaponry, it will significantly boost the fighting power of our Ming army."

"Yes, yes! Second Sister, this knife is truly amazing!" Ji Baofeng was certainly satisfied with his masterpiece and couldn't help but chime in to defend it.

Seeing the two covered in dust and looking like laborers, Ji Jingyue frowned and said to her sister, "Sister, let them take a bath first. They look disheveled covered in dust. Let's talk about it back in the palace; it's not appropriate to discuss it here."

Ji Xinyue thought for a moment, suppressed her anger, and nodded, saying, "Yes, brother, you two go wash up and then explain to the Emperor yourselves. I'll go back to the palace first."

She then walked straight out the door, followed quickly by the eunuchs and maids. Ji Jingyue followed as well, but didn't forget to turn back and make a gesture as if to say, "You owe me a favor." Seeing Xu Ping get a good scolding just now made her feel much better!

"Ping... Ping'er, no, will everything be alright?" Ji Baofeng asked somewhat anxiously. Although he was her brother-in-law, he was still the current Emperor.

"It's alright, I'll take the knife with me." Xu Ping patted his shoulder reassuringly, "I'll go to the palace to see my father myself later. You, after you've washed up, get some rest. My nephew will find some time these next couple of days to have a drink to welcome you back. Let's celebrate properly and then talk about this!"

"Okay, okay!" Hearing that he didn't have to go to the palace to see the emperor, Ji Baofeng finally breathed a sigh of relief, a weight lifted from his heart.

Turning back to Chief Steward Xiao, Xu Ping instructed him to reward the craftsmen well before preparing to leave. As soon as he stepped out of the Ministry of Works, Xu Ping saw Cheng Ningxue, her face full of grievance, her eyes red and her lips pouting. He stepped forward with concern and asked, "Xiaoxue, what's wrong?"

The young girl's face was full of grievance and complaint. There were traces of tears beside her originally bright eyes, and her slightly red nose and pouting lips made her look so pitiful. Xu Ping couldn't help but let his gaze drift down from her beautiful face. Beneath the deep blue silk dress, her youthful figure radiated a captivating charm, and her well-inherited, firm breasts seemed somewhat out of place with her youthful innocence, yet they added a unique allure and appeal.

Cheng Ningxue's eyes reddened again. She glared at Xu Ping and complained in a coquettish voice, "It's all your fault! You made me get scolded by the Empress. I didn't do anything wrong, so why is this being blamed on me!" "

Hehe!" Xu Ping wanted to reach out and wipe away the tears from her eyes, but looking at his own dark complexion, he hesitated and didn't move. He simply comforted her softly, saying, "Alright, Xiaoxue, don't cry anymore! It's my fault, I'll make it up to you properly when I get back."

"No!" Cheng Ningxue's face lit up with joy, but she immediately threw a tantrum like a child, shaking her hand and saying, "I'm leaving!" "

Where are you going!" Xu Ping grabbed her, grinning, "Let's go back to our bridal chamber. Why are you running away when you're my woman?"

Cheng Ningxue blushed instantly, struggling to break free from Xu Ping's grasp, running and cursing, "Shameless, scoundrel! Lecher!"

Watching her small figure run into the Ministry of Works, her luxurious breasts swaying up and down, Xu Ping couldn't help but swallow hard, laughing heartily, "Thank you for the compliment." He

had important business to attend to today and didn't want to tease her any further. After boarding the carriage, they went straight back to the Crown Prince's residence. Looking at the half-finished knife in his hand, he felt no less excited than if he had embraced a vixen who could bring disaster to the world. Technology takes a small step, but humanity takes a

giant leap! The next task for these craftsmen was to master the smelting of the ore, then he could have a batch of powerful weapons. "Master, why are you all dirty? This servant will go prepare water for you to wash." Xiao Mi, standing in the side hall, spotted Xu Ping entering and was immediately startled by his black attire. She quickly ran to prepare bathwater.

Xiao Mi immediately instructed the maids and servants to bustle about, filling a tub with bathwater.

"Ah, that feels good!" Xu Ping jumped into the tub before he could even take off his clothes. The water immediately turned a grayish-black color. Xiao Mi gently wiped the grime from Xu Ping's face with a towel.

Xu Ping didn't like having a bunch of people washing him, but being so dirty, he let the young maids take advantage of him. After their hard work, they finally managed to wash him clean and changed the tub of black water—it was filthy!

As soon as he got out of the tub, they surrounded him with towels again. After drying himself, Xu Ping instinctively became aroused by the touches of these young and beautiful maids. His large size made the inexperienced maids shyly turn their faces away.

"Master, you're back!" Qiao'er skipped in as usual, her lively and adorable demeanor almost ignoring Xu Ping's naked body. She grinned and asked, "I heard the Empress went to the Ministry of Works and was furious! It's amazing you came back safe and sound."

"Come on!" Xu Ping said irritably, gesturing for Xiaomi to help him dress. "I just remembered, how did the incident at the mourning hall get leaked? Even my father knows about it."

"He probably received some news! But don't worry, Master sent people to kidnap Zhang Danian's two beautiful concubines. Master said that women who have been favored by the Master are never allowed to have other men." Although Qiao'er's face was full of grievance, she still gave Xu Ping a meaningful look as she spoke.

"What mourning hall?" Xiaomi asked curiously as she helped Xu Ping get dressed.

"Nothing much, how's Kong Hai doing?" Xu Ping didn't want everyone to know about his mess at the funeral hall, so he quickly changed the subject.

Qiao'er frowned slightly, a little embarrassed, and said, "I don't know. We haven't heard any other news since he was taken in. Kong Hai hasn't gone to that little golden house these past two days either, so he's still alive and well for now." "

Hmm, remember to keep a close eye on his situation." Looking in the bronze mirror, Xu Ping chuckled as he admired his handsome face, which wasn't exactly that of a pretty boy. With his attire, he certainly looked like a handsome man. Turning back, he saw that Xiao Mi and Qiao'er were starry-eyed as they looked at him. He smugly flicked his bangs and walked out.

After getting into the car, he ordered Zhang Hu to head straight for the palace, preparing for another negotiation with his father. He wondered if all this coming and going was a bit too frequent.

"Master, these are things we servants shouldn't be saying. The current Emperor has no other children; you are the only prince and the Crown Prince. Doing these menial tasks does indeed have a negative impact. Especially with the Emperor's brother-in-law involved, the people already have a lot of criticism about our Ministry of Commerce and the winery. If this gets out, it will certainly damage the royal family's reputation."

Zhang Hu, usually taciturn, hesitated for a while before cautiously expressing his opinion.

"I know. Luckily, I managed to silence everyone in time. I was just too excited to say that." Xu Ping knew that for someone as taciturn as Zhang Hu to speak like this required great courage, and that he dared to say such things because he cared about him. He immediately felt that this younger brother had potential.

The two chatted as they walked, and soon arrived at the palace gates. Normally, carriages and horses were not allowed inside the palace, but when Zhang Hu produced his travel permit, no one dared to stop him. Some sharp-eyed eunuchs recognized Zhang Hu from afar and knew it was the Crown Prince. Xu Ping had burned down their houses when they were young, leaving a terrible shadow in the hearts of these already physically disabled men. They avoided Xu Ping as much as possible, fearing another severe beating. The journey was eerily quiet.

Upon arriving at the Imperial Study, Zhang Hu wisely stood at the bottom of the steps, not daring to go up. Xu Ping walked slowly alone, and in the distance, he saw the familiar fat eunuch standing respectfully at the entrance. He remembered this was the unfortunate fellow whose house he had blown up, and also his father's confidant. He couldn't recall the man's name, but he didn't care to think about it.

"Your Highness, you've arrived! You look much more energetic than before. His Majesty has been waiting for a long time, and seems to be in a bad mood. Please be careful when you go in." The fat eunuch felt a pang of pain upon seeing Xu Ping, and with a fawning smile, he approached, his eyes curiously glancing at the cloth bag Xu Ping was carrying.

"Alright, go in." Xu Ping hated eunuchs the most. Living with them for too long would definitely make him impotent. When he became emperor, he would definitely send all these people aside and fill the harem with only maids. Why did he have to face these weirdos every day? Damn it.

Seeing that Xu Ping's tone was not good, the fat eunuch did not dare to say more. He led Xu Ping to the door and stood aside cautiously, saying, "Your Highness, His Majesty is inside. All the servants have been sent out. We servants have escorted you here."

"I know!" Xu Ping said indifferently, already prepared for another negotiation. It was really a pain in the ass! He also had to say a good word for his unlucky uncle. This kind of talent had to be kept in his hands.

Pushing open the door, Xu Ping saw Zhu Yunwen, his face indeed grim, with smoke faintly visible rising from his head. Dressed in a dragon robe, he sat at his desk reading memorials. Upon seeing his absurd son enter, he threw the memorials aside, slammed his hand on the table, and cursed through gritted teeth, "You little rascal, you dare to come here? I'm still angry about yesterday, and today you've gone so far as to hang out with a bunch of blacksmiths doing those shameful jobs. Your uncle is already a headache enough, and now you're going crazy with him too, trying to drive me to my death!"

Xu Ping remained unaffected, ignoring his son's furious outburst. After closing the door, he still sat down at the table with a smile, poured himself a glass of water, and drank it. After finishing, he shook his head and sighed, "Alas, I, your dutiful son, came here to discuss a business deal with you, but judging from the current situation, even offering favors is unacceptable. I'm heartbroken." "

Stop talking nonsense. What favors could a miser like you possibly offer me?" Although Zhu Yunwen said this, Xu Ping noticed that his eyes lit up slightly. After walking to the table, his face was still full of anger, but he stared suspiciously at the cloth bag in Xu Ping's hand.

"Where is justice? You just exploited me for so much money, and now you're turning your back on me. Where can I go to seek justice?" Xu Ping said, his face full of grievance, almost squeezing out tears to enhance the performance.

Zhu Yunwen suppressed his anger, looked his son up and down a few times, still so shameless, without a doubt that he was made from the best genes of the Zhu family. Thinking of the potential benefits, he calmed down slightly and asked in a muffled voice, "You brat, if you dare to lie to me, I'll confiscate your Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Works."

"Hehe, why would I lie to you! You don't trust my character enough to believe I'm such an honest person." Xu Ping said, placing the cloth bag on the table and slowly untying it under Zhu Yunwen's greedy gaze, revealing two somewhat crude Tang swords inside. Seeing

that they were just two ordinary weapons, Zhu Yunwen immediately glared at Xu Ping with hatred, as if he wanted to devour him without a word.

Xu Ping didn't say anything more, picked up one of the swords, stood in front of the candlestick, and took a deep breath. With a wave of his hand, he sliced the copper bar, which was half a box thick, in half. After the crisp sound of metal falling to the ground rang out, he picked up the knife and saw only a slight nick and a small chip. He smiled contentedly and said, "Dad, this knife isn't bad, is it?"

"You came all this way just to show me this!" Zhu Yunwen's face was grim, his teeth clenched and his face twitching; he looked like he was about to explode.

Xu Ping ignored him and said slowly, "This kind of metal-forged knife is much harder than copper or iron. It can directly cleave through the thin iron and leather armor of an enemy. If used on the battlefield, it would at least raise the soldiers' combat effectiveness by a level."

Zhu Yunwen picked up another sword from the table and examined it for a while, still unable to discern any divine weaponry in it. The cold gleam on it was quite intimidating, but it didn't seem particularly novel.

"Hmph...?" Zhu Yunwen scoffed disdainfully and tossed the sword aside.

"Damn it, give me an answer!" Xu Ping, seeing Zhu Yunwen's lack of surprise, felt increasingly annoyed.

Zhu Yunwen sat back down and said dismissively, "There are many fine swords in the palace that are better than this. If at least one-tenth of the army can use it, it's practically useless. The weapons used by higher-ranking generals are comparable, so there's nothing to be surprised about." "

It's all my fault. I forgot to tell you, in a while I'll be forming an army, and all the soldiers will be using this type of weapon," Xu Ping said casually, barely suppressing his displeasure. Indeed, the palace possesses many exquisitely crafted weapons, and those made by the Imperial Workshops are quite good. However, due to the complexity of the process and the fact that they are entirely handmade, these swords capable of cutting hair with a single blow are relatively rare.

"These things can be mass-produced?" Zhu Yunwen's eyes immediately lit up.

"Mass production wouldn't be accurate, but with my efforts, the quantity won't be small. At least my Imperial Guards will have one each. Sorry for showing off." Xu Ping, now beaming with pride, shrugged and ignored him.

"I knew my son was working so hard on this. What a good son!" Zhu Yunwen, with a speed that even he himself couldn't believe, put on a kind face, patted Xu Ping's shoulder, and praised him.

"Alright, I came here to tell you, sir! Now that I've said my piece, I should go back." Xu Ping made a move to stand up, but Zhu Yunwen immediately pressed him back down.

"Good son, if every soldier in your army has one, then your old man's Imperial Guards will look rather poor, won't they? Give me a batch too, not many, just 30,000 will do." Zhu Yunwen said with a sly grin.

"Damn it, are you robbing me! I'm not even sure I can get that many myself, and you're already asking so harshly. Do you expect my army to fight with wooden sticks? Besides, Grandpa will definitely come knocking on our door when he finds out about this. I'll be completely exploited by you then! Shameless, utterly shameless!" Xu Ping

pointed at Zhu Yunwen and said with a pained expression, regretting telling him about it. If he had known, he would have just endured the scolding and avoided paying such a price.

"I'm telling you, you have to give it to me, whether you want to or not!" Zhu Yunwen refused to back down. This sword, while not comparable to any legendary weapon, was still incredibly sharp. If everyone could wield it, it would greatly enhance the army's fighting strength.

At this time, most soldiers were only equipped with rattan or a thin layer of iron, which was already considered good. If each soldier had one, the army's combat power would increase by more than one level; it would instantly transform them into a ferocious army.

Xu Ping's eyes immediately lit up. It seemed his father was determined to make a quick buck for him. A sudden inspiration struck him. Shan said, "But I need to go back and see how to achieve the fastest mass production, and then calculate the costs. We may be familiar, but we still need to be clear about the accounts. I'll have to find workers, build factories, and handle transportation, etc., which will be very costly."

Zhu Yunwen readily agreed, patting his chest and saying, "No problem, just come to me if you encounter any difficulties. Your father will definitely support you."

Xu Ping also adopted a fatherly and filial demeanor, saying, "Yes, I'll send someone to notify you as soon as production is up and running."

However, both of them were secretly plotting something else.

Zhu Yunwen smiled, thinking: "You brat, I'm so poor now, where would I get the money to give you? At most, I'll give you an IOU."

Xu Ping wasn't much better, calculating with a forced smile: "I bet this old man's generosity is up to no good. No way, you want credit. I'll just bring out all the good stuff from your palace to pay off the debt."

The father and son, both self-satisfied, laughed heartily, showering each other with compliments—calling each other business geniuses and wise rulers. They were both shameless, showing no aversion to such blatant flattery. If anyone else were present, they'd vomit up everything, not even the milk the baby drank at his first month.

"Leave the knife here, I'm leaving. You take care of things with my mother!" Xu Ping said, then immediately made his escape; he still had a mountain of unresolved matters.

"Come find me again if you have any benefits," Zhu Yunwen shamelessly called out, a benevolent smile on his face.

"Okay, no problem," Xu Ping replied loudly, secretly considering whether he should go to Thailand to buy a few ladyboys to offer as tribute to his father. That old bastard was too shameless; every time they met, he tried to squeeze money out of him. If it weren't for the fact that these would be his father's inheritance, he would have fought him to the death long ago.

Please continue reading "The Rogue Landlord" Chapter 6.

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