Grand opening.
Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao appeared at the breakfast stall and ate the breakfast freshly made by their eldest sister-in-law. They personally advertised for their elder brother and sister-in-law. This immediately caused a sensation, and many people came to eat. They were willing to wait in line.
Not for anything else, just because the King and Princess had eaten the breakfast here. As ordinary people, they naturally wanted to taste the food from a noble family.
As a result, they found that the food was cheap, the portions were generous, and crucially, it contained eggs, meat, and vegetables. According to doctors, it was a balanced diet and rich in nutrients.
Compared to the breakfast items, they preferred the zongzi, both savory and sweet. It was impossible to tell which sold better or worse. They sold as many as they made in a day, so everyone's tastes varied.
Seeing their eldest sister-in-law vigorously running a small business, the happiest part of the day was counting the silver at night. Even if they earned a small copper coin, they would be overjoyed.
This was the life of ordinary people. Zhao Jiaqi now envied them somewhat, as they had fewer complicated matters on their minds.
Zhao Jiaqi's ability to attract wealth once again shocked Helian Zhicheng. He thought to himself that it was fortunate he hadn't left in advance, otherwise he would have missed this classic scene again.
In private, Helian Zhicheng asked Wang Zhaodi and her husband how much they earned from selling breakfast for a day, but the result surprised even Helian Zhicheng.
Wang Zhaodi said, "These breakfasts are all about small profits but quick turnover. The more you sell, the more you earn. In short, it's about accumulating small amounts to make a large one. Of course, if you open more branches, this small business can even make you the richest person in the county!"
Her ambition wasn't very big; she just wanted to be the richest person. However, her wish would have long been fulfilled in other counties. The problem was that she was in the inner city, and there were wealthy families aplenty in the small towns and counties nearby.
She also understood a principle: stagnation meant regression. Therefore, she maintained her pure heart and did not act presumptuously in the inner city by relying on her younger brother and sister-in-law being the King and Princess. She continued to work diligently and earn money.
Hearing this, a thought flashed through Helian Zhicheng's mind. He knew how to make his national treasury prosperous. The royal family must have its own means of attracting wealth, and then they could learn from the inner city. Ministers who took concubines would have to pay fines, and gambling houses and brothels must also contribute.
When he thought about it, he felt the shining gold and silver beckoning to him. Without realizing it, he had changed his perspective.
Duan Yao couldn't help but tease him, "You don't look like an emperor at all; you're clearly a merchant!"
Helian Zhicheng was stunned. After a long while, he also felt it was true. Anyone who cared about the meager profits from a breakfast stall was indeed a merchant.
He chuckled, having figured it out, "I'm learning from whoever I'm with. Being an emperor doesn't stop me from doing business. After all, our national treasury is not yet wealthy. Once the trade city is built, money will flow out like water. If I don't find ways to earn some, how can it work!"
If they only relied on the common people for taxes, it would be equivalent to waiting for death. Look at the inner city; the taxes paid by the common people were not a penny short.
Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi had wisely targeted merchants. Merchants earned a lot, and paying some taxes wouldn't hurt them. In this regard, he needed to learn from them.
However, he knew a bit too late. But it didn't matter; it wasn't too late to learn now. He believed that his country would one day be as prosperous as the inner city.
After working diligently for half a month, all the houses in the village were tidied up, and the displaced villagers were living normal lives. His eldest sister-in-law's shop had been open for five days, and the business was booming every day. Apart from that, everything else was normal.
Of course, the King's elder brother had opened a shop in the inner city. Others also wanted to start this breakfast business, but they didn't really have the guts. After all, who would dare to cause trouble with the King of the city? Therefore, some merchants found alternative ways, starting different forms of breakfast.
Everything in the inner city was ready, and even his daughter had been arranged in the military camp. He entrusted her to the Chief Executive to intensify Yu Meng's training, especially in physical fitness, as girls were naturally weaker in this aspect.
However, Fan Zehao was firm. If she wanted to be a general, she had to improve her quality. Only by enduring hardship could she become a soldier; otherwise, she should go home and be a young lady, marrying when she came of age.
Yu Meng was also stubborn. She directly confronted Fan Zehao and went to training without a second word. Fan Zehao was pleased with this.
However, he privately instructed the Chief Executive not to overwork the child. He advised him to add some training, but more importantly, to focus on combat skills and strategy.
The Chief Executive's long-frozen face finally showed a hint of a smile. "Your Highness, please rest assured. The Princess is my beloved disciple. How could I bear to see her injured? However, close-quarters combat still requires intensified training!"
This was to prevent her from being flustered again the next time she encountered an assassin. However, he also told the Princess to be wary of certain people, such as Helian Jinli, who had been visiting frequently.
The master and father had the same idea: they were unwilling for Yu Meng to marry far away. So, the father directly sent his daughter to the military camp for training.
The master, on the other hand, increased the intensity of the training. Although it wasn't excessively tiring, it was time-consuming. This immediately redirected all of Yu Meng's thoughts to the training grounds, preventing her from worrying about those troublesome people and things.
That day, the Chief Executive led all the special forces soldiers into the deep mountains. They left without a sound, and no prior notice was given. Helian Jinli came to say goodbye to Yu Meng and to ask the questions he had accumulated.
But he went to the military camp and found that everyone was gone. Even after questioning, he got no answers. At this point, even if he were foolish, he would have understood that this was arranged by Fan Zehao, simply to prevent him from interacting too much with Yu Meng.
But how could he be someone who was easily manipulated? He returned to his residence and found his father, Helian Zhicheng, directly confronting him. "I want to marry Yu Meng. I have decided on this matter. Whether you support it or not, you cannot change my mind!"
He spoke a torrent of words. Duan Yao and Helian Zhicheng found his words somewhat incoherent. After a long pause, the father sighed powerlessly for the first time and waved him to sit down.
"My son, it's not that your father is not fulfilling your wish, but that your father has already tested the waters. Fan Zehao and Zhao Jiaqi are indifferent to everything else, but they dote on their daughter immensely. Their intention is not to let Yu Meng marry far away, and this is just one of their conditions!"
He had inquired indirectly. The couple was practically going mad. They even wanted their child to take a son-in-law and marry into the princely mansion, completely disregarding their two sons.
However, he did not tell his son this. He was genuinely afraid that if his son became stubborn, he would actually marry into this inner city and become a son-in-law who married into his wife's family.
At that time, he would have no face left to show. He would wish he could find a hole in the ground to crawl into.