Zhenguan Xiaoxian Wang Li Shen Li Shimin

Li Shen walked on the bluestone slabs of the palace, his expression gloomy and his brows furrowed, as if someone owed him money.

Li Shimin had just jokingly suggested that he become the crown prince, but Li Shen was still quite frightened.

He quickly fled under the pretext of paying his respects to Empress Zhangsun.

Behind him came Li Shimin's hearty laughter. He had won this round, and it was an opportunity bestowed upon him by heaven.

Li Shimin now wants to thank the mastermind behind spreading the rumors. If they hadn't spread them, he wouldn't have had the chance to get involved in Li Shen's business.

Currently, it only amounts to a few hundred thousand strings of cash a year, but he knows the output of Liaodong Circuit. If all of it is sold, the 50% dividend would be at least a million strings of cash.

He wouldn't mind adding another hundred coins if a wicked person dared to sell rice worth thirty coins for one hundred coins.

It's just a pity for Li Shen; the way he finally figured out to make money has been half taken over by someone else.

The Lizheng Hall wasn't far away, but Li Shen, looking at the familiar scenery, had no mood to appreciate it.

But when he passed a fork in the road, he couldn't help but slow down, and his head involuntarily turned towards that side.

"Your Highness Prince Ji, you've come to the wrong place."

Just then, a voice startled Li Shen awake, and he realized that he had unknowingly stepped onto the side road.

At that moment, just like in the novel, a voice called to him from the depths of the fork in the road.

It's as if it's saying, "Come, my master."

"Ahem... I haven't been to the harem since I arrived, so I'm a little lost."

Li Shen stepped back and glanced back at the person who made the annoying sound.

"Hehe, Your Highness Prince Ji, you must have a bad memory. Just go straight ahead to reach the Lizheng Hall, and over there is... the Imperial Treasury!"

This annoying person, besides Wang De, no one else dared to speak to Li Shen like that.

"Oh? So that's the legendary imperial treasury. Would I have the honor of taking a look?"

Li Shen suddenly realized, and then a look of longing appeared on his face.

"That's probably difficult. Last year, His Majesty issued an edict that Prince Ji should not approach the inner treasury area within a hundred feet. If he tries to force his way in, he will be beaten out with sticks."

"Now that more people have been added there, enough to make it clear that His Highness Prince Ji won't be able to get through."

Wang De said with a mocking smile, "You little brat, go ahead and try, I'll beat you to death."

"There's no need for this. This is the royal palace. I couldn't have entered without permission. Why send extra people? Isn't that a waste of talent?"

Li Shen felt an unprecedented humiliation. They were guarding against him like a thief, and even though he couldn't enter the palace, they had increased the number of people guarding him.

And what's with that imperial edict? Is that how the emperor's edicts are used?

He glanced at the eight eunuchs following behind him, then at Chunxiang, Dongmei, and Xiaoshitou who were with him. Four of them against nine others—their chances of winning were slim.

"Your Highness Prince Ji, you should leave. You have no chance." It was as if he had seen through Li Shen's desire to take a gamble.

Wang De tried to dissuade him.

"What are you saying? I was just taking a casual look. Let's go."

In the end, Li Shen gave up. He took a deep look into the distance and secretly swore to the call, "Wait for me, I will come back for you."

"Your Highness Prince Ji, the Empress summons you."

After being informed, Li Shen was brought to the Lizheng Hall.

Empress Zhangsun was sitting there embroidering her clothes, with Sizi and Hengshan beside her.

"Your son greets his mother."

Li Shen stepped forward and bowed in greeting.

"Yes, Shen'er is here." Empress Zhangsun put down her work and looked at Li Shen with kindness.

Li Shen felt a warmth in his heart. This was true kindness. He really should let his father come and see for himself; his father's was a smile hiding a knife.

"Greetings, Tenth Brother." Si Zi and Heng Shan also bowed to Li Shen.

"Hmm, what brings you two here too?" Li Shen nodded and asked.

"What are you saying, Tenth Brother? Isn't it normal for us to come and visit Mother?"

Little Si immediately jumped out to refute.

"Tch, I've come several times and haven't seen either of you. Don't think I don't know, you two often organize literary gatherings and such."

Fourth Brother's Hibiscus Garden is practically yours for the two of you.

Li Shenyi curled his lip. The children here are rich now, and they spend all their time playing with the unmarried young ladies from noble families.

These two have practically booked out Li Tai's Furong Garden.

"Mother, look, tenth brother is bullying us."

The two little ones immediately started to act cute towards Empress Zhangsun after Li Shen exposed them.

"Hehe, you two are lawless, but Shen'er can handle you. You've made some money but don't know how to be thrifty at all."

After she gets married, people will say that it's not proper for a daughter raised by royalty; she doesn't know how to be frugal and has no manners.

Empress Zhangsun looked at her two youngest daughters and chuckled. The two had been pampered since childhood, and His Majesty also doted on them.

This has led to them becoming somewhat spoiled, although they don't act as recklessly as Li Shen and cause trouble everywhere.

But they were also unruly and lived a life of extreme luxury.

“Mother, you and Father always favor Tenth Brother. If we’re talking about not knowing how to be diligent and thrifty, who in the world can compare to Tenth Brother?”

The money we spend on a literary gathering is only enough to feed ten people for one meal.

Fourth Brother said that Tenth Brother's meals cost at least several tens of strings of cash.

Sizi pouted to express her dissatisfaction. She could accept that they were spoiled, but they would not stand for it if they were said to be extravagant and thrifty.

Who in the world could live as luxuriously as Li Shen? Even their emperor father didn't live as well as their brother.

"You guys."

Si Zi's rebuttal left Empress Zhangsun speechless; she couldn't think of a rebuttal.

Indeed, Li Shen's life was too luxurious. In order to eat a fish, it was transported from the coast at top speed, almost equivalent to an urgent courier service.

Although she didn't know how much the shipping cost was, Empress Zhangsun knew that the imperial court spent hundreds of thousands of strings of cash every year to maintain the post stations.

"What, are you jealous because your brother is doing well?"

Li Shen raised an eyebrow. As an older brother, how could he let his younger sister gain the upper hand? If necessary, he would have to teach her a lesson.

You should discipline your younger sister early, otherwise you won't be able to discipline her after she gets married.

"I...we're not jealous at all." Hengshan frowned and grinned at Li Shen.

"I heard that Bei Mo Ting is doing quite well, and it seems that they have opened several more stores. You have opened Bei Mo Ting stores in the prefectures and counties around Chang'an, right?"

Li Shenyi raised an eyebrow. It was because business was good that they received more money, which is why they often went out to travel.

Otherwise, they would be like before, always looking gloomy.

"Hehe, it's all thanks to Tenth Brother's good ideas. Now, Bei Mo Ting's business is booming. The Bei Mo Ting stores in Chang'an City and the Industrial Park have expanded three times, and they've rented all the shops next door."

Without stopping the cup, Si Zi chuckled and said proudly.